Sophie Witts

1 week ago | thecaterer.com | Sophie Witts

A café owner has received a suspended prison sentence after falsely claiming £150,000 in Covid support loans. Mehmet Akyuz, 36, fraudulently obtained three Bounce Back Loans worth £50,000 each in 2020 for his Green and Hove Limited and Leathers Wear Limited companies. Neither company was trading at the start of the pandemic, and the funds were transferred to his personal bank account, the Insolvency Service said.

1 week ago | thecaterer.com | Sophie Witts

Mon May 12, 2025ExCeL, LondonFor the first time, the definitive trade event for food & drink takes place on a Monday & Tuesday! Natural Food Expo showcases the very best in natural, organic, plant-based and free-from food and drink under one roof. Head to Excel London this May where you’ll find new products and ingredients from 500+ exciting suppliers. Registration is now open. Get your free ticket now.

1 week ago | thecaterer.com | Sophie Witts

Big Mamma Group saw turnover rise to £44m in 2024, up from £40.8m in 2023, as it opened its first restaurant outside of London. The Italian restaurant group said its six UK restaurants “continued to have resounding results” with “exciting media coverage and a real public success”. Big Mamma runs five London sites and its debut Birmingham restaurant, La Bellezza, opened in November 2024. Its extravagant design includes displays of 5,000 vintage bottles, hanging Murano glass chandeliers and plants.

1 week ago | thecaterer.com | Sophie Witts

A recruitment agency has been fined £30,000 for employing illegal staff to work at a top London hotel. Recruitachef Ltd has been named and shamed in a government report as part of an ongoing crackdown on illegal working practices. It is one of several hundred employers that were given a total of 366 civil penalties worth over £18m in the three months between July and September last year.

1 week ago | thecaterer.com | Sophie Witts

A recruitment agency has been fined £30,000 for employing illegal staff to work at the London Marriott Hotel Regents Park. Recruitachef Ltd has been named and shamed in a government report as part of an ongoing crackdown on illegal working practices. It is one of several hundred employers that were given a total of 366 civil penalties worth over £18m in the three months between July and September last year.