London brewer Fuller's has bought four freehold London gastro pubs in a private sale. The pubs, purchased for an undisclosed sum, are the Pilot in Chiswick, Stonemason's Arms in Hammersmith, Mason's Arms in Battersea, and Grand Union in Ladbroke Grove. The pubs, sold by Jacomb Guinness, have a turnover of around £3m with food accounting for 30% of sales. With their open kitchens, the pubs are regarded as a natural fit with Fuller's existing dining pubs, and the current staff and chefs will be moving to Fuller's with the purchase.
Cricket hero Flintoff ups beer sales
Sales of Lancaster Bomber are booming thanks to its sponsorship deal with cricket hero Andrew 'Freddie Flintoff. 'People are really making the connection between the two of us and that was clearly evident at Old Trafford where we enjoyed fantastic sales for all five days of the Test Match, said Thwaites managing director Brian Hickman. 'There is definitely a direct correlation between the rising prominence of Freddie and the growing demand for Bomber.
Website link helps Bath hosts ID thugs
Hosts in Bath will soon be able to identify thugs who have been banned from the city's pubs by downloading pictures from the police website. A new section is to be launched on Avon & Somerset Police's website that will allow members of Bath Barsafe a partnership between pubs and the police to get access to mugshots of people who have been banned from Barsafe venues. Licensees will be given a secure password to access the site in order to overcome data protection problems.
Portman campaign targets coastal towns
The Portman Group has launched a new advertising campaign aimed at seaside resorts over the popular holiday month of August. Posters in pub toilets and beer mats advise drinkers on how to enjoy drink but not go overboard. Examples of the tips include: 'Woke up with the wrong person? Too much alcohol can affect your judgment so take it easy, and 'Avoid getting drunk as a skunk. Take a soft drink between drinks. More than half a million beer mats will be distributed over the bank holiday weekend.
Yob is banned from all York pubs
A thug who committed a series of alcohol-related crimes has been banned for life from all licensed premises in York. Richard Stewart Hurst, 21, of Ratcliffe Street, Clifton, has been issued with an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) banning him indefinitely from all pubs, clubs, and off-licences within York's outer ringroad. Judge Paul Hoffman issued the ASBO at York Crown Court last week after he jailed Hurst for four years for beating up a neighbour in a drunken attack.