The Richard Haworth Blog

For the hospitality industry, it has always been that reputations are painstakingly won – and often easily lost – by things as seemingly simple as basic cleanliness. But in the midst of a world in crisis from the spread of COVID-19, cleanliness has become far from simple.

In 2020, and as businesses reopen for bookings, the commitment to scrupulous hygiene has to be front and centre in the minds of hosts and guests alike. We know that the virus is passed by droplets, and the particles within are more resistant than many forms of bacteria to washing and cleaning. Even maintaining social distancing, it’s possible for someone to pass, and contract, COVID-19 by just brushing against a contaminated surface. And that’s especially bad for hotels and guest houses. Continue reading →

For the safety of guests and staff, hotels are looking at best practices in the disinfection of linens and towels during the Covid pandemic. Whilst there is preliminary evidence that the Covid-19 virus "does not survive well" on fabrics, here are some insider tips from Richard Haworth, leading supplier of hotel linens on striking the correct balance between caring for your guests and caring for your bed linen and towelling.

Start with good quality products

Starting with top quality materials is the key to extending performance and product life, even when using more rigorous cleaning processes. For example, our Prima Duvet Covers are made Continue reading →

It's been a crazy few weeks. We have been badly affected like all in the hospitality industry because of COVID-19, with one of the largest remaining manufacturing facilities in the UK, we haven't been producing our normal amount of work due to lack of demand. However we have made sure to keep our highly skilled workforce busy and are proud to say we've been able to help the NHS in recent weeks by producing medical scrubs for our wonderful health workers. With some Personal Protection Equipment in short supply due to this unprecedented crisis, we have been delighted to do our bit for our Health Service assist and are on hand to help in any way we can. Continue reading →

We're over two weeks into 'lockdown life' here in the UK, and it's still unclear whether daily life will be back to normal in weeks or even months. COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on businesses and individuals around the world, and yet we Brits can't even pop to the pub or head out for a meal to take our minds off the stress and worry of the daily news. Here are five top tips for enjoying a posh dinner out (at home) without breaking quarantine. Warning: you will have to cook it yourself.

1. Make it three courses - or more

One course is finished in ten minutes and before you know it you're back on the sofa watching TV. If you really want to make an occasion of it, Continue reading →

The hospitality industry produces a whopping 2.87 million tonnes of plastic each year and most of it may have been unnecessarily sent to landfill. However, it's not too late for hotels to rectify their past environmental shortcomings and start recycling; with some education and minor changes, it's possible for all hotels to reduce the amount of plastic they use.

Improve your recycling scheme

Half a million tonnes of recycling was unnecessarily burned or sent to landfill in 2017, all because it was improperly disposed of to begin with; Continue reading →

April 2019 - Richard Haworth – the UK’s leading supplier of linen to the textile rental and hospitality sector – has recently been awarded the latest ISO 14001 certification, the internationally recognized sign of a business’ commitment to the preservation of the environment.

In achieving the ISO 14001 certification, Richard Haworth proved that they met the high standards set out by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) to protect the environment.

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The world is constantly evolving and brands will need to come up with new and innovative ways to attract customers to their amazing services; the hospitality industry is no exception. A recent survey show that 86% of travellers value personalisation when it comes to their hotel experience. A more personalised customer experience is expected to take the hospitality industry by storm, revolutionising each guest's stay. Here are three big changes you can expect to see in the coming years:

1. The impact of technology

It's no secret that mobile phones can make our lives so much easier, especially when Continue reading →

Hotel booking websites, including the likes of Expedia, Hotels.com, Trivago and others, have been in the news recently regarding misleading advertising claims, hidden costs and their sales techniques. In total, six websites have been given until September to change how they operate, thanks to action from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

At the same time, there’s a sense in the industry that the balance of power has tilted in recent months away from online travel agencies, and in favour of direct bookings for hotels, B&Bs and self-catering holiday accommodation.

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Eating out is on the rise. According to recent statistics from Kantar Worldpanel, the UK spent around £49 billion on food and non-alcoholic drink that was purchased and consumed outside of the home in 2017, and that figure has only been expanding.

As we head towards the end of the decade, restaurateurs find themselves in a fantastic position to make the most of a general public keen to get out and enjoy new dining experiences. However, it also means coming up with new and exciting ways to engage customers and keep them returning for more. So what are proving to be the big restaurant trends for 2019?

Continue reading →