Independent Operators

The last-chance saloon

01-Sep-2005

Hosts are urged to get their applications in now so they don't miss out in November. Jo de Mille and Tony Halstead look at how councils are working...

What the experts suggest...

01-Sep-2005

Ann Elliott established Elliott Independent, a small marketing consultancy, in 2001 to offer advice to improve sales and profitability. She can be...

Nuns and pub in hours compromise

01-Sep-2005

A group of nuns has reached an uneasy compromise with Greene King over new opening hours for an Oxford pub. The nuns from the John Henry Newman...

National launch for Best Bar None

01-Sep-2005

by John Harrington The Best Bar None (BBN) accreditation scheme is expected to be rolled out to about 50 towns and cities across Britain by April...

Hosts lose all in wake of Aviation Group collapse

01-Sep-2005

by Graham Ridout Licensees have little chance of receiving any money following the latest collapse of a pub placement company. Aviation Group went...

French connection

01-Sep-2005

With the Lydden Bell little more than 20 miles from France, it's not just Kentish fare making up the locally-sourced rustic menu. NIGEL HUDDLESTON...

Profile: John Grogan

31-Aug-2005

John Grogan, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, talks to James Wilmore about those headlines, smoking and 24-hour drinking.Usually...

Mozart opera to be performed in Skipton pub

30-Aug-2005

A Mozart opera is to receive its world premiere at canalside pub the Narrow Boat in Skipton, Yorkshire. The performance of the opera Bastien und...

What the Sunday papers said

27-Aug-2005

Children will be legally allowed into pubs, lncluding late night venues under what the Mail calls a 'loophole' in the Licensing Act. Urbium, owner of...

Jones to explore Ultimate growth

25-Aug-2005

by The PMA Team Newcastle-based nightclub company Ultimate Leisure looks set to go on an expansion drive after its existing management team was...

Would-be licensees out of pocket

25-Aug-2005

Would-be licensees have again been left out of pocket by a pub operator offering them the pub of their dreams.Manchester-based Aviation Group Ltd,...

A round with The Publican

25-Aug-2005

What made the news in The Publican this week 10 years ago, five years ago and last year.1995Licensees with children's certificates are told they...

Guest critical after assault at wedding

25-Aug-2005

A man could be left with permanent brain damage after he was attacked during a wedding reception at a London pub. The wedding was paid for by TV show...

Police fail to deliver on anti-drunk laws: BBPA

25-Aug-2005

by John Harrington The British Beer & Pub Asso-ciation (BBPA) has backed Government claims that police are failing to crack down on problem pubs....

Scots want clarification over grandfather rights

25-Aug-2005

by John Harrington Trade leaders are calling for the Scottish Executive to clarify its plans for grandfather rights under Scotland's new licensing...

Residential objections

25-Aug-2005

The recent decision by the Birmingham licensing authority that objections from local residents to the opening hours of a JD Wetherspoon pub were not...

Responsibility for repairs

25-Aug-2005

QWe took over a pub earlier this year which was quite run down and for most of that time the roof has been leaking. We have asked about this many...

Honing skills

24-Aug-2005

The Publican reveals the shortlist for this year's NITAs.It will come as no surprise to anyone reading this that the pub industry is continuing to...

Wolves pounces on English Country Inns

24-Aug-2005

Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries (W&DB) has agreed a cash offer for the 14-strong English Country Inns (ECI) business.The boards of both...

London calling

23-Aug-2005

How healthy is London's pub trade after July's bombings, asks Hamish Champ.AC Nielsen's recent comments on the impact on Londoner's drinking habits...

Mixed response for Scotland's licensing u-turn

23-Aug-2005

New licensing concessions for pubs handed out by the Scottish Executive have been met with a mixed response by the trade in Scotland.Although there...

What the Sunday papers said

21-Aug-2005

The FT reports that the 'massive shareholder revolt' at Ultimate Leisure, which has seen the departure of the late night operator's senior...

Ultimate Leisure bosses step down

20-Aug-2005

Shareholders in troubled late night operator Ultimate Leisure have forced the resignation of founder and chairman Allan Rankin, along with other key...

The leash loosens

18-Aug-2005

Managed operator JD Wetherspoon is showing signs of greater operational flexibility as it tries to drive sales. It's even letting its managers try...

Pubs in Scotland to lose grandfather rights

18-Aug-2005

Pubs in Scotland face losing their grandfather rights when its new licensing regime comes into force in 2007.Calls by the trade for the Scottish...

Solution to an age-old problem

18-Aug-2005

As part of our Responsible Drinks Retailing initiative we will be providing tips and advice on best practice to improve standards in pubs. This week...

Who said the

18-Aug-2005

war is over? Step into the Albion in Chester and order one of its 'trench rations and you'd think that the Great War was still on all thanks to more...

New mindset on alcohol

18-Aug-2005

Andrew Pring, Editor At last, some sanity in Government thinking on binge drinking and on three counts. Firstly, judges are being told to pass far...

Chequers' bid for extra hours hit by 'hate mail'

18-Aug-2005

by John Harrington The pub where football legend George Best famously fell off the waggon has been dogged by a 'hate mail campaign against plans to...

Just two weeks remain to air

18-Aug-2005

your views on smoking bans by Andrew Pring Licensees have just over two weeks left to influence the Government's smoking-in-pubs plans. Hundreds of...

High-street pubs limit extra drinking hours

18-Aug-2005

by Tony Halstead Major high-street pub operators have limited their new drinking hours applications to between one and two extra hours. A straw poll...

Market Report 2005 reveals upbeat mood of pub trade

15-Aug-2005

Pubs are in an upbeat mood, with nine out of 10 licensees expecting to see business boosted or maintained in the year ahead.The Publican Market...

What the Sunday papers said

15-Aug-2005

Binge drinkers will be targeted by a government advertising campaign which will attempt to shame them out of overdoing it when pub hours are extended...

The rescuers

11-Aug-2005

CAMRA's new pub preservation initiative is all set on helping tight-knit communities hang on to their local pub. James Wilmore reports.In our...

Pubs reap benefits of the Ashes factor

11-Aug-2005

There was no sticky wicket for pub sales in Birmingham as thousands of cricket fans descended on the city for the Ashes Test match. Licensees...

A Canterbury tale

11-Aug-2005

The trade forced local authorities to back down when it recently won a landmark High Court victory over Canterbury's over-zealous interpretation of...

Are top flight professional soccer players overpaid?

11-Aug-2005

Anita Adams The Golden Slipper, York 'Yes, they are overpaid and probably under-worked. If they earn their pay, fair enough, but I think these...

Thousands miss out on grandfather rights

11-Aug-2005

by Ewan Turney About 6,000 pubs have lost their grandfather rights after failing to submit their premises licence applications before the 6 August...

What the Sunday papers said

07-Aug-2005

Thousands of members of the public worried about the prospect of binge drinking in their neighbourhoods are trying to shutter problem pubs and bars....

London pubs recover after terror attacks

04-Aug-2005

London pubs suffered a significant two-day drop in trade immediately following the blasts of July 7, according to Fancyapint.com's daily visitor...

The world is changing fast for independent operators

04-Aug-2005

As well as suggesting that freetraders are taking a more hands-on approach in overseeing the running of their businesses, our survey reveals a...

Time was finally called on Slug & Lettuce operator SFI Group

04-Aug-2005

It came as no big surprise when SFI Group slid into administration last month. This was a company that had been in intensive care since late 2002...

Pub couple in hammer-gang terror

04-Aug-2005

A gang threatened a couple with a claw hammer before stealing thousands of pounds from the pub where they worked. The couple had just left JD...

Interpub to convert warship in £10m plan

04-Aug-2005

by Ewan Turney The Royal Navy's longest serving warship is set to become one of the biggest licensed hospitality retail spaces in the country....

Hopes and fears for future

04-Aug-2005

Food is seen as the main growth area, while red tape tops the problems, but most feel they have a secure future at their pub Prospects for the year...

Employment stays static

04-Aug-2005

While staffing levels in independent pubs haven't altered since the last survey, the number of licensees experiencing problems in retaining staff has...

What the Sunday papers said

31-Jul-2005

Binge drinking and taking recreational drugs are largely to blame for making women vulnerable to sexual attacks, not date rape drugs. A study by the...

Fixed penalties for Brighton flyposters

31-Jul-2005

Brighton and Hove City Council has 'named and shamed the worst venues for illegal flyposting. This is in response to a recent surge in pubs and clubs...