Living in the new world

On a day when the sector’s main trade association, UKHospitality was at the Houses of Parliament to discuss how the Government can support hospitality businesses, it was poignant that one of its traditionally strongest operators, Living Ventures, was announcing that it was reluctantly placing two of its businesses into administration. A key pillar of the northern powerhouse that Manchester has become, the company has rightfully and tirelessly built its reputation on being a career creator, a concept builder, a prudent and shrewd operator. In many ways, and alongside the wider sector issues, the respective failure of both Manchester House and Artisan, is down to the continued vibrancy of the F&B scene in the city that Living Ventures did more than most to create, argues Mark Wingett.