No-one said it would be easy, but…
No-one said it would be easy, but… If you’re working in the hospitality sector, chances are you’re a realist – or you are now even if you weren’t when you started out. All those little fluffy dreams of leaning on the bar of a lovely little pub, or smiling serenely across the dancefloor of your […]
Opening up presents new challenges
Opening up presents new challenges So, how are we all feeling about July 19 and the great ‘opening up’? Confused? Not surprising, really. This, we were told, was going to be ‘Freedom Day’ when the gloves (and masks) would finally come off and the remaining restrictions on social movement and interaction would be cast aside […]
Let’s make this the last delay
Let’s make this the last delay Fifteen months and 700,000 jobs later, we’re still not going live. The Government’s announcement this week that the ending of all remaining social restrictions would be extended by four weeks to July 19 hardly came as a surprise. Indeed, it felt like we all knew it was going to […]
When one size doesn’t fit all
When one size doesn’t fit all Firstly, let’s acknowledge how good it is to see pubs, bars and restaurants doing what they’re supposed to: serving customers and putting smiles on the faces of all those who’ve missed their pint, their steak frites, their chance to catch up with friends – face to face. Licensees and […]
Opening time is here at last
Opening time is here at last We’ve all been fed a steady diet of statistics in the past year: deaths, infections, vaccinations, economic losses…all adding up (sorry, couldn’t resist) to a banquet of facts and figures. We can’t doubt the importance and relevance of these stats, but there comes a point where even the most […]
Raise a glass to the curtain being raised
Raise a glass to the curtain being raised How long is it since you filled your cup of culture to the brim with an evening of live theatre – and a few drinks before or afterwards to complete the experience? Actually, let’s not dwell on our coronavirus-enforced stay-at-home regime, which has gone on for ever […]
Finally on the road to somewhere
Finally on the road to somewhere There are 106 miles to Chicago, we have a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark and we’re wearing sunglasses. Oh, wait, that’s another movie and one which ended with a lengthier lockdown. Whereas we have a ‘roadmap’ and an end date looming, tantalisingly just […]
Let’s talk about ‘opening time’
Let’s talk about ‘opening time’ It’s hard not to be cynical nowadays – particularly if you have more than a passing interest in the hospitality trade. Whatever promising noises the Government makes (and there have been enough to smash even the most lenient council’s decibel limit), none of us is holding our breath that the […]
Make the most of trade-friendly moves
Make the most of trade-friendly moves It may sound like a bad joke, but the slightly odd truth is that now isn’t the worst time to be thinking about your licence. Obviously there’s next to no licensed trade happening, but if you can bring yourself to look a little way down the line – when […]
Perfect time to spring clean your licence
Perfect time to spring clean your licence No point in sugar-coating it – things are bleak for the hospitality industry at the moment. But rather than bemoaning our luck, or lack of it, there are positive steps we can take – and ones which will lay the foundations for a swifter recovery once we get […]
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Merry Christmas andHappy New Year All the team at Complete Licensing would like to thank you for your support over what has been a difficult and very different year. It’s been the most testing period for the hospitality industry that any of us can remember but we’re full of admiration at the way venue owners, […]
Squeezing the life out of our Live Events industry
Squeezing the life out of our Live Events industry Let’s start by stating the obvious: This Covid-19 pandemic has left millions of people throughout Britain in a horrible state of uncertainty about their future. Without going down the rabbit hole of facts and figures (this is a blog post not a company report) we can […]