Independent Operators

The great like-for-like debate

06-Apr-2004

Like-for-like sales are the usual barometer for the health of a business. But are they valid? By Mark Stretton.It was a classic triumph of spin over...

Alphameric Wins Multi-million Order

05-Apr-2004

The Spirit Group, the largest Managed Pub Company in the UK, has selected Alphameric Hospitality to supply its next generation back office system for...

Bob Ivell out of Premier Lodge race

05-Apr-2004

Bob Ivell has dropped out of the race to buy Premier Lodge, the budget hotel chain put up for sale for £600m by Spirit Group.The former Scottish...

Ireland strife?

05-Apr-2004

The UK will be watching the effects of the fledgling smoking ban in Ireland very closely. Tom Sandham visited Dublin to see how the capital's pubs...

What the Sunday papers say

04-Apr-2004

The Mail on SundayCasino operators banking on a gaming free-for-all are likely to be disappointed when the details of the Gambling Bill emerge on...

A lasting legacy

02-Apr-2004

Pyramid, which was once again highly commended in The Publican Awards, is a company that does not shy away from a challenge. Mark Stretton met the...

Waverley TBS poised to be top wholesaler

01-Apr-2004 By The PMA Team

Scottish Courage has confirmed plans to create the UK's number-one drinks wholesaler through the merger of its Waverley Group wines & spirits...

Scars and stripes

01-Apr-2004

It has been a year since a ban on smoking in public places was implemented in New York and mixed messages are being sent across the pond. Michelle...

Doorman cleared of assault

01-Apr-2004

Leicester Crown Court has cleared a doorman of grievous bodily harm after an incident that left a man with permanent brain damage. The defence...

Laurel and union agree on 48-hour initiative

01-Apr-2004 By Claire Hu

Laurel will work towards implementing a 48-hour working week for pub managers who request it, as part of a drive to encourage employees to "work...

Edinburgh hosts face curfew in crackdown

01-Apr-2004 By John Harrington

Pubs and clubs in Edinburgh that fail to cut violence on their premises could be forced to close at 10pm. Cheap drinks promotions and extended happy...

Fighting fit

01-Apr-2004 By Andrew Pring

The family feud atShepherd Neame has failed to dent the Kent-basedcompany's performance. The dramas of last October's civil war did nothing to...

Feeling the heat wave

01-Apr-2004 By Tony Halstead

Pubs stand to benefit froma dining-out revolution', reports Tony Halstead. Lifestyle and leisure industry forecasters believe the "eating-out market"...

Ultimate and Urbium prosper

01-Apr-2004

Nightclubs and high-street bars have had a torrid time. Customers are no longer scrambling for admission and those still around have cut back on...

With a spring in her step

01-Apr-2004

Max Gosney catches up with tenant Bernadette Laventure as she approaches one year at the helm of the Hollybush in Redbourn and finds that food is...

Williams tells...

01-Apr-2004

Nigel Huddleston meets a head chef with a passion for quality. The first thing to note about Anthony Williams is the fact that he runs the kitchen in...

O'Neill's stays strong

01-Apr-2004

O'Neill's, the 86-strong Irish chain operated by Mitchells & Butlers, is defying claims that the Irish bar boom is over in the UK. M&B boss...

Locals win battle over racist' pub signage

01-Apr-2004

The man who caused a rumpus by trying to have a "politically incorrect" historic West Sussex pub sign removed has bowed to public pressure and backed...

Round-the-clock opening not feasible on big scale

01-Apr-2004

Fears have already been expressed that the new licensing system will lead to more civil disturbance and an increase in the "yob culture" and more...

Pubs were the target of terror suspects

30-Mar-2004

Pubs and clubs in London were the target of a terror campaign which saw police make eight arrests and seize more than half a tonne of explosives...

What the Sunday papers say

29-Mar-2004

The Sunday TimesThe Dasani water affair has been a disaster for Coca-Cola with plans for the British launch and a European invasion both canned. Two...

Get ready in the garden

26-Mar-2004

Make the most of your pub front with hanging baskets.As all estate agents know, kerbside appeal is the single biggest factor that will induce a...

Man jailed for life after pub killing

25-Mar-2004

A man has been jailed for life for stabbing to death an 18 year old in a pub toilet after England's World Cup victory over Argentina. Thomas...

Funny things, families

25-Mar-2004

Two decades ago Batemans' future looked very bleak indeed. Today the family brewer and retailer is thriving. The PMA Team meets wholesale MD Stuart...

Wolves plans 20 new managed pubs a year

25-Mar-2004

Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries plans to bolster its managed pub division with the construction of 20 new pubs each year.The brewer and pub...

Reuben brothers buy into pubs portfolio

25-Mar-2004

The billionaire Reuben brothers have taken an equity stake in the 220 pubs property tycoons Nick Leslau and Tom Hunter have bought from Spirit Group....

Zero tolerance call on bingers

25-Mar-2004

by Andrew Pring Drinks industry executives have called for a zero tolerance approach to drunkenness and an end to aggressive drinks promotions in...

Guidance reveals bid to target badly-run' pubs

25-Mar-2004

by John Harrington Local authorities are being encouraged to "proactively" target irresponsible pub operators under the terms of the guidance notes...

Angry licensees turn on Pubsite

24-Mar-2004

A Manchester-based promotions company has defended itself against complaints from unhappy publicans.Pubsite Ltd, based in Carrington, Manchester, has...

Pub trade's best awarded at Publican Awards

24-Mar-2004

Licensees David Heyes and Gillian Heyes of the Garsdale Country Inn & Restaurant in Bury, Lancashire have been named the British Institute of...

Union Pub Company to reward top pubs

24-Mar-2004

Union Pub Company (UPC) is looking to reward its top tenants as it launches its third annual awards.The tenanted estate of brewing giant...

National ID scheme is on the cards

23-Mar-2004

The pub trade has welcomed news that a national ID cards scheme could be a step closer.MPs have complained that Home Secretary David Blunkett is...

Revolution operator issues second profits warning

22-Mar-2004

Inventive Leisure, operator of the Revolution vodka-bar chain, has issued another profits warning after a dramatic drop in trading.The group said...

SFI: 'sale of Slug will not solve the problem'

22-Mar-2004

SFI executive chairman Stuart Lawson has told The Publican the troubled group will not sell Slug & Lettuce.Avanti Capital, the private equity...

What the Sunday papers say

22-Mar-2004

The Sunday TimesCabinet ministers are accusing home secretary David Blunkett of attempting to sneak through compulsory ID cards after they blocked...

Avanti has Slug & Lettuce in its sights

18-Mar-2004

Avanti Capital, which funded the acquisition by Barvest of 28 Po Na Na sites last year, has inquired about adding the Slug & Lettuce chain to its...

Carl Smith reveals a business-building idea that's no pie in

18-Mar-2004

As a kid, I used to love playing Risk it was exciting. I'd scheme and find solutions to unpromising situations. The object of the game was to...

Chef fined for knife attack on licensee

18-Mar-2004

A pub chef has been ordered to pay £500 in compensation after injuring his manager with a knife. Pablo Aguilera, 45, now living in Park Mount Road,...

Standard's strength

18-Mar-2004

Lager is making headway in an otherwise declining beer market but it's standard lagers, not premiums, which are pushing the growth. Report by John...

When east meets west

18-Mar-2004

In a move away from a big brand feel to Jim Thompson's, Noble House Leisure is adding a touch of Thai. Jo Bruce reports Noble House Leisure's launch...

The good, the bad and the ugly

18-Mar-2004

Back in the '70s, the Dog and Partridge in Sheffield would have been tough enough for Clint Eastwood and his spaghetti Westerns. Phil Dixon explains...

Alive and kicking

18-Mar-2004

Carlsberg UK Despite the success of Castlemaine XXXX, Chris Phillips, customer development director for Carlsberg UK (from last week, the new name...

Time to clean up your act

18-Mar-2004

by Claire Hu The trade has been warned it has two to three years to put its house in order and reduce binge drinking and disorder, or face Draconian...

Finding funds

17-Mar-2004

The Publican looks at how to find the cash to improve your pub.After the struggle of finding the right pub, getting funding in place to buy it and...

What the Sunday papers say

15-Mar-2004

The Sunday TimesThe government has admitted that it has lost control of drink-fuelled crime and disorder in Britain's town and city centres,...

Pubs demand clarityon match-day closures

11-Mar-2004

by Claire Hu Trade leaders are calling on the Government to clarify police powers to close pubs during football match days, after licensees...

Don't miss out

11-Mar-2004

The St George's Day weekend offers pubs a perfect opportunity to cash in on extra business but you may have a fight on your hands if you want to open...