Chester has been dubbed a leading city in the UK hospitality industry after analysis of the number of new restaurants, bars and pubs showed significant growth.

The city has seen a two percent increase in the overall number of hospitality venues in the last three months of 2021 alone. This placed them sixth in a list of 14 major cities which were surveyed by Northern Restaurant & Bar (NRB), the North's hospitality trade exhibition.

Liverpool topped the list with 4.4 %, with Leeds (3.9%), Edinburgh (3.3%), Manchester (2.5%) and Newcastle (2.3%) making up the rest of the top five.

With a host of high-profile new openings, including Carbonara at No 49, Artezzan, and Izakaya Lounge in Chester, Northern cities are leading the UK in terms of new openings, despite the unprecedented challenges of the past two years.

Thom Hetherington, CEO of NRB, said that the finding reflected the strength and resilience of operators and audiences in Northern cities: "Operators in cities like Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds have suffered just like the whole hospitality sector, with huge issues around lockdown costs, lost trading and staffing.

"So, although this initial turnaround may be small, the direction of travel is a vital and encouraging change. It offers a much-needed burst of positivity to see so many new concepts, sites and launches, and to see happy drinkers and diners flooding through the door."

The data for all of the cities ranked is based on CGA & AlixPartners Market Recovery Monitor. CGA have tracked all licensed premises in GB for over 25 years.

Karl Chessell, Director - Hospitality Operators & Food at CGA said, "It is highly encouraging to see some of our key cities re-energised with new investment and openings after an incredibly tough period through the pandemic.

"The recovery is fragile but there are green shoots of recovery and particular in some of the big Northern cities. The role of hospitality is critical in the economic recovery and the social recovery of these vibrant cities."

Northern Restaurant & Bar has over 300 exhibitors booked alongside a packed programme of events including over 50 timetabled demos and tastings for every area of hospitality. Free trade-only tickets are available now at https://www.northernrestaurantandbar.co.uk/.