Independent Operators

PM David Cameron faces a revolt over the pubco-tenant relationship

07-Jan-2013 By Michelle Perrett

PM  David Cameron faces a Commons revolt this week over his failure to help Britain’s struggling pubs, The Sunday Mirror has reported.

Star Pubs & Bars helps licensees register for Machine Games Duty

07-Jan-2013 By Adam Pescod

Star Pubs & Bars is helping its lessees register for the new Machine Games Duty (MGD) with the implementation date only days away.

HMRC urges licensees to prepare for PAYE system shake-up

07-Jan-2013 By Adam Pescod

Licensees are being urged by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to prepare for major changes to the PAYE system which come into effect in three months’ time.

US investment firm acquires pub group Admiral Taverns for c£200m

04-Jan-2013 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Cerberus Capital Management, one of the world’s leading private investment firms, has acquired Admiral Taverns, the c1,100-strong tenanted pub company, from Lloyds Banking Group, in a deal believed to be valued at around £200m.

LTC offers support to struggling licensees following death of Wiltshire publican

03-Jan-2013 By Adam Pescod

The Licensed Trade Charity (LTC) has urged struggling licensees to seek help on matters such as debt following the death of Wiltshire pub landlord Malcolm Levesconte.

Pub operators push ahead with January food and drink promotions

03-Jan-2013 By Adam Pescod

Pub operators are pushing ahead with food and drink discounts throughout January as they look to attract customers into their sites during the post-Christmas period.

Pub loses out on £4k after New Year's Eve flooding

02-Jan-2013 By Gurjit Degun

A pub lost out on £4,000 on New Year's Eve after having to close because a local water system broke down several times over the festive period.

Hook Norton to reopen its first managed pub under tenancy

02-Jan-2013 By Mark Wingett

Hook Norton, the Oxfordshire brewer and pub operator, is set to reopen its first managed site, the Coach & Horses in the centre of Banbury, under tenancy, after reportedly terminating a management agreement with Flagstone Inns.

And the most popular song of 2012 was...

21-Dec-2012

Snifter was informed today, much to his disappointment, that Carly Rae Jepsen’s ‘Call Me Maybe’ was the top-played song across many of the nation’s jukeboxes in 2012.

Star Pubs & Bars in Nescafe coffee link up

21-Dec-2012 By Mark Wingett

Star Pubs & Bars, the Heineken-owned lease operator formerly known as Scottish & Newcastle Pub Company, has partnered with Nescafe to offer its lessees a unique coffee support programme following successful trials in 135 pubs which have seen sales...

FLVA president Nigel Williams meets Nick Clegg to discuss pubco-tenant issue

21-Dec-2012 By Adam Pescod

President of the Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations (FLVA) Nigel Williams met deputy minister Nick Clegg last week to discuss pubco-tenant self-regulation.

New app allows pub customers to immediately report crime

21-Dec-2012 By Gurjit Degun

A new app has been launched to allow victims of theft to report a crime, and licensees with CCTV will be immediately notified if the crime took place in their venue.

Beds & Bars CEO Keith Knowles appointed as chairman of the Perceptions Group

20-Dec-2012 By Adam Pescod

Bed & Bars chief executive Keith Knowles has been named the first chairman of the Perceptions Group, which is aiming to raise the profile of British pubs as a viable career opportunity.

Cock Tavern licensee to appeal court ruling over barrelage discount

20-Dec-2012 By Adam Pescod

A London licensee is “disgusted and gutted” after a court ruled that she would not be repaid for the barrelage discount which was withdrawn by her landlord.

UK's oldest clubber puts Snifter to shame

20-Dec-2012

Snifter thought he was getting a bit too old for the nightclub scene, but try telling that to the “UK’s oldest clubber” who celebrated his 90th birthday at Batchwood Hall nightclub in St Albans on Saturday 8 December.

Villagers in Essex buy their local pub from Admiral Taverns

18-Dec-2012 By Adam Pescod

Residents of a village in Essex have bought their local pub from Admiral Taverns after raising £150,000 through a share subscription to fund the purchase.

BBPA remains "absolutely committed" to pubs following restructure

18-Dec-2012 By Adam Pescod

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) is still “absolutely committed” to pubs after announcing plans for a restructure, chief executive Brigid Simmonds has told the Publican’s Morning Advertiser.

Pub offers free electric charging point

18-Dec-2012 By Gurjit Degun

The Knife and Cleaver in Bedfordshire has unveiled a new electric car and motability charging station, claiming to be one of the first in the region to offer the service.

Save The Pub Group Meeting: Full Audio Recording Part 2

14-Dec-2012

This is part 2 of the audio recording of last week's All-Party Parliamentary Save The Pub Group Meeting.

Save the Pub Group Meeting: Full Audio Recording

14-Dec-2012

The Publican's Morning Advertiser's story on last week's All-Party Parliamentary Save The Pub Group meeting has evoked strong feelings among a number of licensees. Today, we publish a full audio recording of the meeting as a service to...

BBPA announces restructure – Rawlings and King leaving

13-Dec-2012 By Lesley Foottit

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) is restructuring with two long-serving employees leaving at the end of this year.

ALMR operations manager of the year award winners announced

13-Dec-2012

Donny McIntyre of Spirit Pub Company and Heike Funke of Punch Taverns are this year’s Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers’ (ALMR) Area Manager and Business Development Manager of the Year.

New chief gives BII a sporting chance

13-Dec-2012

It seems new BII (British Institute of Innkeeping) chief exec Tim Hulme is something of a dark horse.

CAMRA beer duty rally: MPs and speakers give their views on the beer duty escalator

12-Dec-2012 By The PMA Team

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) mass lobby saw a range of speakers rally against the beer duty escalator.

CAMRA beer duty rally: Escalator is "crippling the industry" says MP Andrew Griffiths

12-Dec-2012 By Gurjit Degun

The rally to scrap the beer duty escalator has kicked off with pro-pubs MP Andrew Griffiths saying that the measure is “crippling the industry”.

CAMRA stats show regular pub visitors down 3 million since beer duty escalator introduced

12-Dec-2012 By Adam Pescod

The number of regular pub goers in the UK has declined by 3 million people since the beer duty escalator was introduced in 2008, according to new figures from the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA).

Would you Adam and Eve it? Two million pints, not out

12-Dec-2012

A Cheltenham landlady has decided to call last orders on her career at the ripe old age of 80, reliably informing Snifter that she is probably Britain’s oldest 'working' landlady.

Yellowhammer Bars cuts estate to 17 sites

12-Dec-2012 By Mark Wingett

Yellowhammer Bars, which is run by Volante Management, has undergone a strategic review that has seen its late-night venue estate cut to 17 sites.

Town and Country Inns hit by restructuring costs

11-Dec-2012 By M&C Report

Town & Country Inns, the bar business led by entrepreneur Keith Williams, has reported a loss in the year to 31 May after incurring exceptional costs in relation to a “significant restructuring”.

Cosy Club to open fifth site in Cardiff

11-Dec-2012 By John Harrington

Loungers, the fast-growing café/bar-restaurant group backed by private equity firm Piper, has opened a fifth site under its Cosy Club brand in Cardiff, its biggest to date and 28th overall.

Minimum pricing won’t make alcohol expensive

11-Dec-2012 By Mark Daniels

So I seem to have spent much of the last ten days fending off questions from customers about just what the Minimum Price legislation would mean to them. It’s amusing to watch how a little bit of pub maths and a lot of hyperbole can make somebody’s perception...

Kent pub puts 'up' its Xmas tree, literally

10-Dec-2012

The Royal Hotel in Sheerness, Kent, has literally turned Christmas on its head this year by putting its tree on the ceiling.

Pub operators join forces to launch work placement initiative

10-Dec-2012 By M&C Report

Pub and bar operators across the country have launched a new initiative aimed at creating 15,000 work placements for young people in a drive to showcase the career options that are available throughout the industry.

Pub is the Hub launches new fund to help pubs diversify

06-Dec-2012 By Michelle Perrett

Pub is the Hub has announced the launch of the New Community Services Fund to help UK pubs to diversify into new services for their own communities.

Bids submitted for Drake & Morgan sale

05-Dec-2012 By M&C Report

A mixture of private equity groups and trade buyers are believed to have shown an interest in Drake & Morgan, the highly-regarded bar-restaurant operator.

Eclectic to launch cocktail bar chain

05-Dec-2012 By M&C Report

Eclectic Clubs & Bars, the Avanti Capital-backed operator, is developing a third strand to its operations with plans for a new cocktail bar brand called Dirty Blonde.

Publicans reminded to follow employment laws at all times

05-Dec-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Licensees are being warned to make sure they comply with employment laws before sacking a member of staff, or face losing an unfair dismissal case.

Pub visits increase in the six months to October

03-Dec-2012 By Mark Wingett

The frequency of visits to pubs whether for a drink or a meal climbed slightly to 4.7 times (spring 4.6 times) in the six months to October, making up 23% of the going out market, according to the latest Taste of the Nation survey by Deloitte.

BII (British Institute of Innkeeping) reveals new chief executive

29-Nov-2012 By Rob Willock

The BII (British Institute of Innkeeping) has recruited a new chief executive to take over from Peter Thomas, who will stand down at the end of March next year.

Pub trade associations welcome new apprenticeships review

28-Nov-2012 By Adam Pescod

Pub trade associations have welcomed the publication of a new report which calls on the Government to improve the quality of apprenticeships and make them more focused on the needs of employers.

Swindon Pubwatch scheme sees 58% reduction in drink-related crime

28-Nov-2012 By Gurjit Degun

The introduction of a Night Safe programme in Swindon has led to a 58% reduction in drink-related crime in October compared with the same period last year.

The Big Interview: Tim Burrows, BII director of education and training

27-Nov-2012

He likes to have a laugh, but that didn’t stop Tim Burrows from plunging into the doom and gloom of the pub industry. Phil Mellows meets the new man brightening things up at the BII

Flooded pubs fear Xmas closure as adverse weather hits UK

26-Nov-2012 By Gurjit Degun & Adam Pescod

The adverse weather conditions of the past week have hit pubs hard, with some fearing they will not be up and running in time for Christmas.

North London licensee convicted for using domestic Sky card to show football in pub

26-Nov-2012 By Adam Pescod

A north London licensee has been convicted and ordered to pay over £8,000 for illegally using a domestic Sky card to show live football in his pub.

National Pubwatch founder Malcolm Eidmans dies

26-Nov-2012 By Michelle Perrett

One of the founders of National Pubwatch (NPW) Malcolm Eidmans died over the weekend, after a period of illness.   

Pub visits fall but customer spend per visit on the rise

26-Nov-2012 By Mark Wingett

The rising cost of visiting pubs and restaurants means people are spending more per visit, but going out less, according to new research.

Fuller's reports 4% half-year pre-tax profit increase

23-Nov-2012

Fuller’s, the London-based brewer and pub operator, saw revenues grow 8% to £137.9m and adjusted pre-tax profit increase 4% to £17.1m in the 26 weeks to 29 September, a period it described as an “extraordinary six months”, and revealed that it has spent...

Licensees in North East support minimum unit pricing for alcohol

23-Nov-2012 By Michelle Perrett

The sale of cheap alcohol in supermarkets is the key reason for the declining trade in pubs a survey by Balance, the North East Alcohol Office, has stated.

Pubs Advisory Service 'undermined' by lack of pubco support

22-Nov-2012 By Michelle Perrett

The Pubs Advisory Service (PAS) has written to the business secretary, Vince Cable, claiming that the organisation is being “undermined” by the reluctance of pubcos to promote the service.

Oceana Kingston has licence revoked

21-Nov-2012

Luminar, the nightclub operator, has said it will consider its options for its Oceana club in Kingston after the decision to revoke its licence following a fatal stabbing inside.