BHA and Restaurant Association join forces

The Restaurant Association and British Hospitality Association (BHA) have finally reached an agreement to join forces.

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The Restaurant Association is merging its government lobbying interests with those of the BHA, which will carry out this work for both associations. The BHA's restaurant panel will be merged into the Restaurant Association's national committee. The merger will take effect immediately.

Under the new agreement the Restaurant Association will take up two places on the BHA National Executive.

Nick Scade, chairman of the Restaurant Association, said: "The BHA has had a wealth of experience and success in lobbying on behalf of the industry and it makes common sense for the two associations to work together much more closely in this area."

He added: "The Government had also made it clear that it felt that there were too many disparate groups lobbying individually and that it would prefer to be dealing with one body that could speak for the whole hospitality industry."

Both associations will now be based at the BHA's headquarters in central London.