The Guardian | ‘Dumb mistake’: Mayfair club Annabel’s gave managers bonus from staff service charge by Sarah Butler

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Richard Caring, the owner of Annabel’s and other upscale London venues, admitted that the club made a “dumb mistake” by diverting more than £70,000 of pre‑Christmas service charge funds to pay bonuses for about 50 managers, sparking a staff revolt amid concerns over the opaque tronc system that underpins the low‑wage, zero‑hours contracts of roughly 280 hospitality workers who rely on tips to earn a living. After the Guardian’s investigation, Caring pledged to stop the practice, issued an extra £103,000 as a goodwill payment, and said the club would move toward transparent tip distribution, guaranteed 20‑hour contracts and compliance with new legislation requiring 100 % of service charges to be shared fairly. At the same time, Caring has announced the sale of a majority stake in his hospitality empire—including Annabel’s, Harry’s Bar, The Ivy group, Sexy Fish, Scott’s and J Sheekey—to Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al‑Nahyan for a reported £1.4 billion, retaining a £1 billion stake and remaining president for four years. Despite the payment, many Annabel’s staff remain dissatisfied, planning a protest and demanding the London living wage of £14.80 an hour, greater transparency of tip allocation, and contractually guaranteed hours, while the Ivy chain faces a tribunal case over tip‑share calculations.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/24/annabels-mayfair-club-staff-protest-tips-paid-managers-bonuses

#RichardCaring #Annabel's #IWGB #hospitalityindustry #SheikhTahnoonbinZayedal‑Nahyan

AI generated summary, Read the full article for complete information.

‘Dumb mistake’: Mayfair club Annabel’s gave managers bonus from staff service charge

Owner of private members club says pay policy will change after workers’ revolt over division of pre-Christmas money

The Guardian
‘Dumb mistake’: Mayfair club Annabel’s gave managers bonus from staff service charge

Owner of private members club says pay policy will change after workers’ revolt over division of pre-Christmas money

The Guardian

Something happens in a room when the music is local and the person behind the counter knows who made it.

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Ontario man pleads guilty to illegally employing foreign workers in Banff, Jasper national parks
Authorities found foreign nationals were travelling from Ontario to Alberta to work illegally in the hospitality industry in Banff National Park, then discovered more foreign nationals were working illegally in resort hotels in the Banff and Jasper areas.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/banff-jasper-foreign-workers-cbsa-9.7162036?cmp=rss
Ontario man pleads guilty to illegally employing foreign workers in Banff, Jasper national parks
Authorities found foreign nationals were travelling from Ontario to Alberta to work illegally in the hospitality industry in Banff National Park, then discovered more foreign nationals were working illegally in resort hotels in the Banff and Jasper areas.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/banff-jasper-foreign-workers-cbsa-9.7162036?cmp=rss

Meeting sees MP told urgent support is needed for hospitality and independent businesses

https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/2026/04/13/meeting-sees-mp-told-urgent-support-is-needed-for-hospitality-and-independent-businesses/

Something happens in a room when the music is local and the person behind the counter knows who made it.

Music that was previously texture becomes something you can have an opinion about, follow up on, go to the gig. The music stops being wallpaper and starts being part of the experience.

The Pack's business subscription will make that available to any business that plays music — and to ensure the artist is fairly paid for it.

There are approximately 100,000 businesses in Australia with OneMusic licensing. For $50/month, a Pack business subscription means the music in your venue generates direct payments to local Australian artists.

We're also building direct artist tipping, venue-specific playlists, and patron participation features. We're crowdfunding to build this. Can you support us?

https://crowdfunding.startsomegood.com/thepackmusiccoop #SupportLocal #LocalBusiness #AustralianMusic #HospitalityIndustry

‘Over the top and fun:’ TGI Fridays boss insists time is right for a UK revival

Ray Blanchette admits he may be a ‘little crazy’ as he outlines chain’s hopes of building 1,000 outlets globally

The Guardian
Contractor that cut back ancient oak in London park identified

Document shows partial felling last year, which led to legal action against Toby Carvery, was done by Ground Control

The Guardian