Good month bad month

Good month for...

Grilling: Orchid and Spirit Group launch new grill concepts with a focus on top quality British meat and fish. Both companies report huge success and are planning a rollout, so watch this space.

Geronimo: The food-led pubco is set to open four new sites over the next few months. The first to open its doors will be the Crown, in Victoria Park, London, on 15 March.

Pies: The archetypal British pub dish will be celebrated from 1 to 7 March with British Pie Week in a bid to boost sales and attract new customers.

Coffee lovers: Managed operator JD Wetherspoon is offering a coffee loyalty card. Buy five coffees, get one free.

The Jolly Farmers: The deli-pub restaurant, in Betchworth, near Reigate, has picked up the award for Best Diversification in the Countryside Alliance at the Best Rural Retailer of the Year 2007 Awards.

Ross Williams, the Wellington Arms, Wellington, Herefordshire: Ross has been crowned Pub Chef of the Year 2008. See page 47 for more information.

Bad month for...

Laurel: Yates operator Laurel Pub Company, the managed company owned by Robert Tchenguiz, is to close 22 pubs. The move comes as the company prepares to put a larger number of pubs on the market. The pubs being closed down are believed to hail from each of the major wet-land brands.

Cheeky menu claims: The Food Standards Agency announces a seminar to discuss state-of-the-art methods to catch out businesses that have deliberately misdescribed foods for financial gain.

Gordon Ramsay: The superstar chef's new gastro offering, the Warrington, in London's Maida Vale, comes under fire from residents and critics for being "more of the same" and over-priced.

Greene King: The brewer is slapped with a hefty £42,000 fine for hygiene offences at the Dolphin Inn, a Hungry Horse site in Botley, Hampshire.

Pub-loving nudists: The White Horse, in Silverstone, Northamptonshire, was told by police to cancel planned nude Valentine's Day celebrations.