NewsDigest

The Morning Advertiser has acquired the Pub Business show - the exhibition dedicated to running pubs. The 2007 show takes place at Birmingham's NEC on 1 and 2 May and will be split into six sections, with information on pubcos, food and drink, entertainment, design, management and outdoor areas. For more information see p27.

Dermot McCarthy, managing director of family-owned Mitchells of Lancaster, has left the company by mutual consent. Brothers Jonathan and Andrew Barker now assume the role of joint MDs, with Jonathan in charge of retail operations and Andrew taking responsibility for the property side. McCarthy bowed out after a 22-year career with the company, which he joined as a financial clerk. He became finance director in 1991 before taking over as MD and oversaw the closure of brewing operations in 1999.

Licensees can encourage clubs and societies to use their pub via a new website. The site - www.joinaclub.com - lets venues sign up to host a variety of events, from quiz nights to dance clubs and singles nights to cake decorating. Pubs sign up free of charge. People search the website for the activity that interests them and arrange to hold an event at a nearby pub or other venue.

The Maenllwyd Inn at Rudry, near Caerphilly in mid-Glamorgan, has been crowned Spirit's Pub of the Year 2006. Spirit managing director Andrew Knight said Alistair and Kelly Baker, managers of the Chef & Brewer pub, are "genuinely passionate about their business and have a reputation for providing first-class food, producing the highest number of house specials in the company. This excellence means they work closely with our food development teams on creating new dishes for the Chef & Brewer menu."

Tickets are still available for the next National Pubwatch conference, on Tuesday 20 February at the Britannia Royal Court Hotel, Coventry. Tickets for Pubwatch licensees are £30 each, £60 for visitors. For information, call 01707 650095 or email npwconference@btinternet.com