Morgan Rothwell
part of our strategy when it comes to raising awareness as people still don’t know Park Hall is back in business.
JM: When I joined the business 25 years ago, we were very much a small, local wholesaler supplying hotels, restaurants around the North West, specifically in Cumbria and Lancashire.
We now have the only bonded warehouse in the region outside Manchester and Liverpool and we are importing into our own facility, which gives us control.
Our strapline is ‘from grape to glass’, because we’re the people who grow the grapes and make the wine. It’s given us individuality and the opportunity to work with bigger companies to produce own labelled brands, something we haven’t been able to do previously.
We’ve also gone on a big sustainability journey. We’re probably the most sustainable wine importer in the region and that is something we are proud of.
Our strategy is to focus on that aspect of our business.
MI: Figures show that 89,000 jobs, 52 per cent of the total jobs lost in the UK in the last quarter, have been in hospitality.
In a lot of situations, that’s the owner or operator picking up the slack.
Joycelyn Neve
Rick Eastwood Figures show that 89,000 jobs,
52 per cent of the total jobs lost in the UK in the last quarter have been in hospitality
That’s what makes looking at strategy really difficult, because a lot of operators are ‘on the tools’.
If you’ve not got the strategy, you’re relying on luck. There are certain examples where that has worked but it doesn’t work as well as proper thought-out strategy.
Q: How is the sector changing and how well is it adapting to those changes?
MI: Things were good pre-Covid and they were buoyant times for the sector.
Covid hit hard, I think that’s well documented and I don’t think we have got truly got back on our feet.
The Budget came along at the end of last year and the impact of that cannot be underestimated.
We have clients that have funds and they’re acquisitive but they’re almost thinking, if we wait another six months those businesses are going to be available for less than they are now.
Also, investments have slowed. In the current climate banks are also waiting.
RE: Nights out are changing. Younger people go out at midnight and don’t particularly drink in the pubs. They go into a venue but won’t spend very much in it. So they are not putting money into the late-night economy.
You’ve got the middle-aged squeeze; the family with kids facing energy costs, food inflation and higher mortgages that are struggling to go out.
Then there’s the 50-plus category. They do go out and they are used to eating earlier. In my business it’s great, because they will drink cask ale and don’t want lager.
They will drink wine and that’s great as well, but they like to be home by nine o’clock. Consumer habits are changing.
JN: Going out earlier seems to be a post-Covid trend in the UK. Even in London everyone is going home at 11pm.
Continued on Page 48 in association with
NEW CATEGORIES FOR 2026
AI AND TECH INNOVATION
CREATIVE BUSINESS DEAL OF THE YEAR
Deadline: 5 December 2025
redroseawards.co.uk @redroseawards #RRA26
LANCASHIREBUSINES SV
IEW.CO.UK
47
HOSPITALITY
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76
