NewsDigest

Bernard Brindley has sold the leasehold of his Warwickshire pub, the White Lion in Pailton, and is retiring after 42 years in the trade. No details are available about the price of the free-of-tie lease, which has 13 years left to run with Wellington Pub Company. Brindley said he hopes to spend more time working for the BII (British Institute of Innkeeping) and on the parliamentary committee of the Guild of Master Victuallers.

Property millionaire Desmond Bloom is reported to be about to buy 10 pubs, including Hartlepool's Goldmine, previously owned by fallen pubco Provence. The new venture, Equable Properties, will pay about £5.7m for the pubs and is scheduled to float on Aim this week.

Scottish distiller Whyte & Mackay has created a new dedicated sales force, following the re-launch of its Whyte & Mackay, Jura and Vladivar brands. Since its re-launch, Whyte & Mackay has become the fastest growing, top-blended Scotch in England and Wales and the fastest-selling brand in Scotland. The company plans to invest more than £20m on trade and consumer marketing for its core brands.

Kent brewer and retailer Shepherd Neame (Sheps) has revealed like-for-like sales growth of 4.8% in its 50-strong managed house division and a 6.1% growth in its 325-strong tenanted estate for the six months to 30 December. The company said it had started a £3m investment programme to provide facilities for smokers and expects to have completed half of all projects by the start of the smoke ban on 1 July. Since July, Sheps has added 11 pubs to its estate at a cost of £15.4m.

Scottish hotel group Crerar has acquired 26 properties from receivers of the fallen London & Edinburgh Swallow Inns. The properties will continue to trade under the Swallow brand name. CEO Paddy Crerar said: "Swallow has been a successful hotel brand for more than 30 years. Despite inevitable peaks and troughs, brand qualities have remained steady."