Bristol, 2009 to 2024
Welsh Back opened in 2009. Harbourside closed in 2024. In between, we made every mistake you can make running hospitality and figured most of them out the hard way. This is where we write that down.
The day-to-day. EHO inspections, allergens, HACCP, training. The bits every operator deals with whether they like it or not.
Free tools we built for hospitality operators. Allergen matrix, EHO readiness quiz, FHRS predictor, HACCP hazard identifier, SDS reader.
The longer essays. State-of-the-industry pieces, original data, the breakdowns we wish someone had shown us before we opened.
Working with contractors safely in hospitality comes down to three things every time: a current insurance certificate, a written risk assessment for the specific job, and a short site induction. Get those on file before anyone lifts a tool and most of the legal and insurance fallout goes away.
Read MoreA café opening checklist should take 30 to 45 minutes and cover fridge and freezer temperatures, hot water at the handwash, allergen checks on overnight deliveries, til float, and a sign-off on the previous night's close. Done properly, it becomes the daily evidence an EHO will ask for.
Read MoreA good café closing checklist covers stock, prep, fridge and oven shutdown, cleaning sign-offs, waste, lights, alarm and locks. Done properly it takes 45 to 75 minutes, and the test is simple: if tomorrow's opener walks in and swears, you got it wrong.
Read MoreUK hospitality has the highest business death rate of any sector (12.9% in 2024). 3,353 hospitality insolvencies in 2025 alone. The headline causes are food inflation, wage rises, and energy contracts. The hidden causes are the ones founders make in months 1-6 that bite in months 18-30: lease structure, staffing model, undercapitalisation, and compliance treated as paperwork.
Read MoreThe fine is the smallest part. A drop from 5-star to 3 typically costs UK independents £15,000 to £30,000 in lost trade in the first six months, before you count insurance premium adjustments, lender questions, staff turnover, and the recovery cycle. Here is the full picture, with the UK data.
Read MoreThe compliance and ops tool that came out of all this is called Paddl. It does the boring bits, so operators can stop firefighting and run the business. There is a free trial.
