Edinburgh hospitality sector takes centre stage as festival season gets under way
With both the Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe about to get under way, the Scottish Licensed Trade Association…
BofE interest rate increase could be ‘final straw’ for some hospitality businesses
With the hospitality sector continuing to face a slow recovery from the pandemic and more recent challenges presented by the…
Scottish Licensed Trade Association calls for VAT cut
Scottish Licensed Trade Association calls for VAT cut to support hospitality businesses as inflation soars. As prices continue to rise…
Don’t be caught out by rates deadline
Billing authorities are now enforcing strict payment deadlines with business rates. Whereby, if payment is late in consecutive months or…
Assessor Information Notices
The Scottish Assessors have been issuing Assessor Information Notices (AINs) since summer 2021 in order to obtain information they require…
Rail strike will contribute to a ‘perfect storm’ for Scottish hospitality businesses this summer
With a UK-wide rail strike scheduled to take place next week, the Scottish licensed trade is warning that the impact…
How to achieve net zero emissions in your business 10 step checklist
Get insights from a team of sustainability specialists on what it takes to reach net zero and read the 10-step…
Chancellor must do more to support struggling businesses, says SLTA
The announcement by UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak outlining measures to address the rising cost of living is good news for…
Single-use plastics: new laws come into force in June 2022
The new regulations on single-use plastics/expanded polystyrene cups are coming into force on 01 June 2022. After this date, the…
Mental Health Awareness Week resources
This Mental Health Awareness Week don’t forget that there is advice and support available to hospitality and tourism businesses. For…
STA Launches most comprehensive study into economic conditions of Scotland’s Tourism
The Scottish Tourism Alliance launched their most comprehensive study into the challenges and opportunities for the sector ahead of this…
Scottish Thistle Awards 2022-23
The Scottish Thistle Awards are returning for 2022-23 to recognise and honour the very best individuals, businesses, partnerships and events…
New Covid Guidance Notes Following the Lifting of Restrictions
The Scottish Government has produced two new guidance notes following the lifting of Covid restrictions on the 18th of April. Guidance…
Scottish Government COVID-19 Adaptations Survey
In response to the positive steps taken by businesses and other organisations during the pandemic and the need for them…
Lifting of Scottish face covering laws confirmed
Final confirmation face coverings no longer a legal requirement to wear in most indoor public spaces and on public transport…
Calorie Labelling on Menus – Government Launches Consultation
The public and business are being invited to have their say on plans to add the number of calories to…
Hospitality 50% Commercial Rates Relief – you MUST apply for this Rates Relief
On the 9th of December Kate Forbes MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy, announced that the licensed trade and…
14th March deadline for Chef Management & Leadership Training Programme applications
The deadline for applications for a new Chef Management & Leadership Training Programme is fast approaching. The programme is offering…
Zero Waste Scotland Talent Competition Launch
A survey, released, shows just 24% of food and drink businesses in Scotland think food waste is a significant contributor…
VisitScotland unveils next phase of #ScotlandIsCalling campaign
A multi-million pound global marketing campaign is set to bolster the recovery of Scotland’s valuable tourism and events industry by…
Scottish Tourism Month underway
Scottish Tourism Month is now underway, with a packed programme to engage, connect and inspire tourism businesses and organisations across…
Non-Domestic Rates for the 2023 Revaluation in Scotland
This week marks one month before the 2023 Revaluation Tone date and 13 months before the commencement of the new…
SLTA supports the Long Live the Local Campaign
Long Live The Local originally launched in July 2018 to raise awareness of the high number of pub closures across…
Nicola Sturgeon announces dates for the end of vaccine passports and face masks in Scotland
Today the Scottish Government published an updated Strategic Framework giving a new staged approach to easing protective measures which will help…
Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2022
There are a series of free one hour employer events available during the Scottish Apprenticeship Week, from 7th – 11th March to support employers of all…
2022/23 Non-domestic tax rates and new potential fines
From 1 April 2022, there will be 3 different rates poundages. Basic Property Rate - 49.8 pence. Intermediate Property Rate - 51.1 pence paid by…
Disability Inclusion in Tourism and Travel
Between 22nd February and 21st April 2022, Inclusion Scotland, a national Disabled People’s Organisation, is offering free training workshops to…
Tree Training to Help Scotland’s Tourism Sector become Carbon Literate
We are delighted to highlight free training to help Scotland’s tourism sector become Carbon Literate and secure a Green Recovery from Covid-19.…
Flexible Workforce Development Fund
Small to medium-sized businesses in Scotland can access funding of up to £5,000 through the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF)…
Guidance Updates
Guidance for businesses and workplaces on reducing the risk of COVID-19 and supporting staff and customers has been updated (15th February)…
Two new Michelin stars for Scotland
The Michelin stars for 2022 were announced this week and we were delighted to read that there are two new…
Rising energy costs threaten business growth according to new research
One in five businesses expect to reduce operations this year as a result in the increase in energy prices according…
First Minister confirms publication date for revised strategic framework
The First Minister provided her regular COVID-19 update to Parliament on Tuesday. She said that continuing to take basic precautions will help keep…
Business Ventilation Support Fund has been expanded to cover additional sectors and businesses
Eligible businesses can apply for funding for costs to help them improve ventilation on their premises to help combat the…
Secure FREE places for your business on the Chef Management & Leadership Training Programme
Do your head chefs and aspiring head chefs have the knowledge and skills needed to manage, motivate and retain staff…
The Scottish Government’s Public House Table Service Restrictions Fund to be paid soon
Local councils will now be getting in touch with eligible businesses and processing payments for the Public House Table Service…
Financial support fund for public houses
The Public House Table Service Restrictions Fund will provide financial support to businesses that are public houses as the most…
Scottish Licensed Trade Association welcomes reduced restrictions
Scottish Licensed Trade Association welcomes easing of measures, but expresses concern over Covid Certification uncertainty. Yesterday afternoon the First Minister…
Scottish Government leave hospitality sector ‘in limbo’
The Scottish Government’s announcement today that the licensed hospitality sector will have to wait until next week to find out…
Night Club Closure Fund Details Updated
The Nightclub Closure Fund will provide a one-off payment to support nightclubs that were required to close as a result…
Tourism and Hospitality Talent Development Programme
Hit Scotland have announced that a revised version of this programme is returning in 2022, helping the Tourism and Hospitality…
Further guidance published for hospitality sector
New Guidance on additional steps for the hospitality sector to slow the spread of the dominant Omicron variant now available.…
Hospitality sector faces further restrictions
The First Minister announced today that due to the urgent threat posed by Omicron’s much higher transmissibility than other variants…
Scotland’s licensed hospitality industry short changed yet again
The announcement by First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, to help the hospitality sector with a £100m support fund, following the slew…
New Government Guidance to come into force from midnight tonight
Updated Scottish Government Guidance for the hospitality sector published this afternoon to deal with the arrival of the new Omicron…
Hospitality sector faces festive fight for survival
In response to the First Minister’s announcement today, the SLTA released the following statement:- Today’s announcement by First Minister Nicola…
Business rates relief to be extended for hospitality businesses
The Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) has welcomed this afternoon’s announcement by Kate Forbes MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and…
Further flexibility confirmed for entrance to venues
The Covid certification scheme now includes provision for a negative test for Covid-19 to be used as an alternative to…
Back from the Brink: A reprieve for Scotland’s pubs, bars and restaurants
The First Minister’s statement this afternoon that the Covid-19 Passport Scheme will not be expanded to encompass the wider licensed…
Problems with Utility Companies and exaggerated gas prices?
A number of utility companies have gone in to liquidation in the last few weeks and it is expected more…
Circular Economy Minister delays introduction of Deposit Return Scheme
The Scottish Government Circular Economy Minister, Lorna Slater, has confirmed that the deposit return scheme due to roll out next…
SLTA responds to potential extension of vaccine certification
In response to the First Minister’s announcement today regarding the expansion of the Covid Passport Scheme the Scottish Licensed Trade…
Business Ventilation Fund
The Scottish Government has announced further details of the Business Ventilation Fund which will provide funding to help small and…
Industry fears over extension of vaccine certification
Scotland’s hospitality trade bodies, including the SLTA, have today released joint survey results highlighting the impossible financial situation that the…
Covid-19 and Vaccine Passports Impact Survey
It is expected that next week further restrictions to combat Covid-19 will be announced, including an extension of the Covid…
Industry pays tribute as Lord Macfarlane passes away at 95
The entire Scottish licensed trade industry is deeply saddened by the passing of Lord Macfarlane of Bearsden. Respectfully known by many…
SLTA responds to the Chancellor’s Budget Statement
The Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) welcomes the recognition by the Chancellor in his Budget statement that the hospitality industry…
Updates to Vaccine Certification Apps
The vaccine certification Apps scheme is being updated as part of planned changes to reduce the amount of personal information…
Vaccine Certification Verification Scheme Update
The Scottish Government has produced updated information on the Vaccine Certification Verification Scheme This includes an FAQ section for businesses who…
Young Person’s Guarantee Employer Webinar
The Young Person’s Guarantee aims to ensure that within two years every 16-24 year old in Scotland has access to…
Further Guidance on Vaccine Certification Verification Scheme
The Scottish Government has produced more information on the Vaccine Certification Verification Scheme as a small printable guide to assist…
Covid Passport Toolkit now available
The Scottish Government has produced a Marketing & Communications Stakeholder Toolkit for premises where there will be a requirement for…
Guidance for the Covid Vaccine Certification Scheme
The Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) has welcomed today’s announcement by the First Minister that Scotland’s new vaccine passport system…
Covid Passports to be introduced in Scotland
Covid Passports will be introduced in Scotland from next month following today’s debate and vote in the Scottish Parliament on…
Get vaccinated now Poster Campaign
A debate and vote later today in the Scottish Parliament will determine whether the Government will roll out vaccine certificates for…
New legislation protects Scottish shop staff from customer abuse, but what about bar staff?
The Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act 2021 came into force on 24 August. The new measures…
Diageo opens landmark global Johnnie Walker visitor experience in Edinburgh
Diageo’s Johnnie Walker Princes Street, the eight floor new visitor experience for the world’s best-selling Scotch whisky, has today been…
First Minister announces vaccine certificate plan in address to Holyrood
TODAY’S announcement by the First Minister that the Scottish Government proposes to roll out vaccine certificates in nightclubs and larger…
An update on Covid baseline measures for business
In a statement from Kate Forbes, the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy, she said:- Since the…
A Covid-19 Inquiry for Scotland
The Scottish Government is inviting views on the draft aims and principles of an independent public inquiry into the handling…
Press Enquries
Paul Waterson, SLTA Media Spokesperson, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the Scottish Licensed Trade Industry. For any press or media enquiries email info@theslta.co.uk