Regent Inns, owner of the Walkabout and Jongleurs comedy club chains, has made an indicative offer for Revolution vodka bar operator Inventive Leisure. Regent, headed by Bob Ivell, is currently undertaking due diligence. Other parties interested in Inventive are believed to be Ultimate Leisure and private equity group Alchemy Partners. - Sunday Times
C&C, which makes Magners cider, reported a 27 per cent jump in volume sales of cider in the six months to August. Within this figure, volume sales of Magners doubled. The main growth drivers have been how it is sold - from a glass pint bottle poured over ice - and its being marketed to higher income customers. C&C had aimed to have Magners in 30 per cent of London pubs by next February, but has already achieved this target. It is now looking to take on the rest of the UK as well as investing in brands, adding to its portfolio of spirits and liquers. - Sunday Express
PepsiCo is catching up with Coca-Cola in terms of stock market valuation. Last Friday when the New York Stock Exchange closed, Coke was valued at $98.8bn, while PepsiCo was deemed worth $97.8bn. The rise in PepsiCo's fortunes owes less to fizzy drinks than its food operations, which include Walkers crisps in the UK and Frito-Lay snacks in the US. - Mail On Sunday
Whitbread, which owns Beefeater pub restaurants, is to pull out of its sponsorship of the famous book prize which has borne its name since 1971. The former brewing giant said it does not believe literature fits with its status as a wide-ranging leisure conglomerate. - Sunday Times
Supermarket giant Asda will this week demand that Sunday opening hours be extended in England and Wales. The government is considering changing the law - which says that shops with more than 3,000 square foot of space can open for only six hours on a Sunday - to enable such outlets to open an extra two hours. Smaller stores can open as long as they like. Asda's call is likely to be resisted by groups wishing to keep Sunday special and unions. - Observer
And finally...
Tipple fanciers considering buying bottles of special edition Rolling Stones red wine - a 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon costs £60 and feature the famous red tongue etched into the glass - are being warned the product is overpriced. Punters will be paying for fancy packaging rather than the wine itself. "It might be excellent quality wine but it's not worth £60," said Julia Trustram Eve of the English Wine Producer's Association. Other 'Stones vino offerings, being released in 1,000 bottle batches by a company in America, include a Pinot Grigio featuring a 1971 tour poster for £20 and another Cabernet Sauvignon with a 1975 tour poster for £25. - Sunday Express