In north Wales, trading standards have accused some pubs, hotels, restaurants and takeaways of beefing up menus. A survey found that 21 per cent of descriptions were misleading to customers. Menus offered by national chains, at 47 per cent, contained the most false descriptions of the food on sale, compared to 16 per cent for independent companies - BBC
The landlord of a Digbeth pub which is under threat because of complaints about it being too noisy has hit out at the council for allowing developers to build flats nearby without considering music venues in the area. Kent Davis, landlord of The Rainbow, yesterday met with Birmingham City Council's Environmental Health Department to discuss noise complaints against the venue. He said the pub's survival was "on a knife-edge" as, if it received one further noise complaint which was then upheld by the council, it would be served with a Noise Abatement Order that would require major works to be carried out on the venue in order to mitigate the noise nuisance - The Birmingham Post
There are disgusting scenes inside Britain's dirtiest pub. Health officials shut down the bar's kitchen as soon as they saw the catalogue of horrors. Their surprise inspection found 190 containers of rotting grub, a thick layer of filth and grease on surfaces and utensils, floors littered with rubbish and fridges covered in mould. The kitchen did not even have running hot water — yet the owner was still using it to prepare meals for punters at the Rose and Crown in Thaxted, Essex. Landlord Nicholas Marchetto admitted 23 offences and was fined £1,000 plus £1,000 costs by Harlow JPs - The Sun
Bars and pubs will be forced to offer wine in smaller glasses under a new government clampdown on drinking. Drinkers will be able to order a "mini" 125ml serving so they control the amount of alcohol they consume. The bid to downsize drink measures is among draft proposals to be published next month by ministers - This is London