The British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI) is delighted to announce an innovative strategic partnership with the End-Point Assessment (EPA) Organisation, Achieve+Partners.

Achieve+Partners provides EPA for the furniture, wood and trade supplier industries.

In an industry experiencing huge changes and challenges, Achieve+Partners’ ethos is to work purposefully with a wide range of organisations, bringing the industry closer together. It will use its highly skilled employees to share their expertise and knowledge whilst at the same time providing added-value support to all of its apprenticeship partners.

Bench Events, the leading organiser of conferences and forums for the hotel, aviation and restaurant sector is organising a complete live conference experience on the internet to bring together industry leaders to discuss the unprecedented economic circumstances caused by the COVID-19 outbreak and what the industry can do collectively to rebuild confidence.

The virtual conference will take place on April 7th from 10.00–16.00 BST and registration is free of charge for all participants; although an optional donation is requested to selected charities helping out those in the hospitality industry, suffering from the worst effects of the coronavirus.

Rotpunkt, award winning designer and manufacturer of zero-carbon produced German Kitchen furniture, step forward in the global fight against climate change at Europe’s leading kitchen, bedroom and bathroom design show, Kbb Birmingham 2020.

kbb 2020 remained well-attended throughout its four-day runtime and despite the recent outbreak of Covid-19, it offered a steady stream of KBB professionals keen to work with Rotpunkt and this was evident as the company saw a wealth of unique stand visitors expressing a vested interest in the brand.

LabTech has announced a series of initiatives to aid the emergency services and vulnerable during the coronavirus epidemic.  The measures, which are available immediately, include:

Easter is fast-approaching and given the current health crisis, it’s likely we’ll be celebrating at home.

South African Raisins are therefore inspiring families across the nation to bake delicious treats for loved ones. All three recipes are incredibly simple to whip up, giving you the perfect opportunity to get the kids involved. Why not also drop round a batch for elderly neighbours who are in isolation!

Diageo, maker of Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff, has today pledged to enable the creation of more than eight million bottles of hand sanitiser, by donating up to two million litres of alcohol to manufacturing partners, to help protect frontline healthcare workers in the fight against COVID-19.

The world’s leading distiller will provide Grain Neutral Spirit (GNS) – a 96% strength ethyl alcohol used primarily in production of vodka and gin – and make it available at no cost to hand sanitiser producers in multiple countries, to help overcome shortages in healthcare systems. This donation will enable the production of more than eight million 250ml bottles of hand sanitiser.

The nation’s 12-week lockdown could cost charities and grassroots sports an estimated £35 million in funds raised by pubs, according to PubAid, the group dedicated to promoting pubs as a force for good in their communities.

However, hundreds of pubs, who have seen a drastic fall in trade since the Covid-19 outbreak, are actively increasing support for their communities, helping local residents who are unable to leave their homes.  Many have adapted their menus to takeaway or delivery, with a number providing free meals to local pensioners, others setting up village shops to serve those unable to travel, and generally acting as a hub to co-ordinate community efforts to support vulnerable residents.

The Grange Hotel is doing its bit to help the local community of Bootham, York, with the launch of comfort food deliveries and takeaway Mother’s Day Treat Boxes to help people unable to leave their house during the Coronavirus outbreak.

Available upon request for those living in the Bootham area, The Grange Hotel will deliver a variety of comfort food dishes including fish pie, coq au vin, Melanzane parmigiana and vegetable crepes curated by its two AA Rosette restaurant, in addition to some of the usual dishes found on the restaurant’s à la carte menu, at no extra cost for delivery. Locals can also choose from a range of desserts including sticky toffee pudding, opera cake and passion fruit cheesecake.

As the Covid-19 crisis deepens, UK hotels and venues have been revealing the true cost to their businesses – and sharing their best tips for survival.

A survey this week on behalf of NFS Technology Group found that 90% of venues are seeing meetings and events move to July onwards.

Hotel groups appear initially to be more impacted because bedroom occupancy is affected as well as their meeting space occupancy.

Any person with even a hint of wine knowledge will know that the atmosphere in which wine is stored has a direct effect on its taste, aroma and quality. Wine is a fragile liquid, and if not stored in the right conditions, it can spoil quickly.

If you have an extensive wine collection or even just a few bottles that you are saving for a special occasion, then continue reading as we outline the basics of storing wine at home.

The Black Bull, Sedbergh, and its sister business the Three Hares Café are adapting to changing business conditions in light of Covid-19.

Both businesses are continuing to trade to ensure that their staff can continue to earn a wage and support their families within the local community.

Industry rallies around their annual show, with ceda and FCSI ‘fully supporting’ the move

Commercial Kitchen 2020, the UK’s only dedicated kitchen equipment, services and design show, has confirmed new dates of the 14 and 15 July due to the rapidly escalating coronavirus outbreak.

Commercial Kitchen was set to take place at ExCeL London in early June.  However, due to the magnitude of the unanticipated public health and safety issues posed by Covid-19, organiser Diversified Communications UK has decided to run it a month later alongside its award-winning, sister show Casual Dining (which was also recently rescheduled).

UKHospitality has prevailed upon the Government to announce an employment support plan to help protect livelihoods and the 1 million-plus jobs now at risk in UK pubs, restaurants, bars, hotels and leisure attractions – without delay.

The group is urgently calling for an immediate package of employment support for businesses within the next 24 hours to preserve more than 1 million jobs that will otherwise be cut as employers face the prospect of making immediate mass redundancies in order to survive.