What the papers say - May 21, 2007

Mitchells & Butlers is in advanced talks to put £4 billion of its properties into a 50-50 joint venture with Robert Tchenguiz, the tycoon who is a 15 per cent shareholder in the All Bar One and Harvester pub group - The Times​

Ultimate Leisure, the bar and nightclub operator, is thought to be on the verge of agreeing a deal worth between £8.5 million and £9 million to acquire the Bel & The Dragon pub-restaurant chain from the AIM-listed Gourmet Holdings. The acquisition would be Ultimate's first foray into food-led operations and is likely to be followed by more such deals to reduce its reliance on drink-led operations in the face of the forthcoming smoking ban - The Times​

Irish food group McCambridge is growing increasingly frustrated with takeover target Inter Link Foods, which is said to be refusing to provide its rival with any information in terms of due diligence - The Telegraph​

If you are one of the lucky ones Tim Seager will buy you a drink this summer. Scottish & Newcastle's marketing director has agreed that thousands of pints of Foster's, John Smith's, Kronenbourg 1664, Strongbow and six other drinks brands should be handed out at pubs, nightclubs and off-licences across the country - The Guardian​

A Speyside organic whiskey has come out on top at the annual Scottish Food And Drinks Excellence Awards. The awards, now in their sixth year, are jointly sponsored by the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland and Scottish Food and Drink in association with Scottish enterprise. The award-winning tipple is Benromach Organic Speyside single malt whisky, which has a 43 per cent proof rating and is hand-made by two men at one of Scotland's smallest distilleries operated by Grant & MacPhail at Forres - The Scotsman​