Although the country is now recovering from Covid 19 and we are getting back to some normality will we go back to the way it was? This obviously depends who you work for, the BBC questioned 50 of the UKs biggest employers and some 43 of these firms said they would embrace a mix of home and office working, with staff encouraged to work from home two to three days a week.

This is big for the regions, we believe there will be a disperse of income across the country from the commuter towns, to big national cities where people have relocated in the pandemic or just don’t need to travel so much. Also how they spend their time, they now can pop to the shops at lunch time and grab a sandwich there if they live in a small town, go out for dinner at 6 rather than waiting to getting back from London, to spending more family quality time after school and Fridays will see a big shift in when money is spent. Even though I personally will be seriously disappointed if we aren’t able to travel internationally this summer, this will also help the UK hospitality industry, where holiday makers will shop, eat and take part in leisure activities within the UK.

Examples of where we have seen this trend already setting in with new entrants throughout the pandemic as follows:

St Albans – Christopher Place: Honest Burger

Guildford – Tunsgate: Gails and The Ivy Asia

Reading – The Oracle: a soon to be announced celebrity chef and Wingstop

Further afield:

Cheltenham – Brewery Quarter, since the Pandemic it has seen Alchemist, Mowgli, Escape Hunt, Pho and Hubbox open

Bristol – Cabot Circus/Quakers Friars – Klosterhaus and Wingstop

Birmingham – Bullring – Treetop Golf, Wingstop and Paradise – Dishoom and Rosas

Southampton – Westquay – Slim Chickens

Edinburgh – St James Quarter – Lane 7, Pho and Alchemist

Some exciting times ahead for the regions.