Independent Operators

North Wales pub opens shop to serve local community

20-Nov-2012 By Adam Pescod

A pub in North Wales has opened a village shop to serve the community, with the help of Pub is the Hub.

Cheap alcohol and promotions encourage binge drinking, says Alcohol Concern research

20-Nov-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Low-cost alcohol and the way it is promoted encourages young people to binge drink, according to a new study from health campaign groups Alcohol Concern and Balance.

The Big Interview: Alistair Arkley

19-Nov-2012 By Phil Mellows

As the sun sinks over the plains of the Serengeti the last light of the day glitters in the golden dust, stirred into the cooling air by the hooves of 10,000 wildebeest. In the distance the breeze shudders the canvas walls of a lonely tent. Inside, Alistair...

Best Bar None looks to appoint new national director

19-Nov-2012

Best Bar None (BBN), the award scheme that encourages responsible alcohol retailing across the UK’s pubs and bars, is seeking somebody to fill the new role of national director.

CAMRA urges planning law changes to stop pub supermarket conversions

19-Nov-2012 By Adam Pescod

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has urged the Government to change planning laws after it published new research showing that over 200 pubs across Britain have been converted into supermarket convenience stores since January 2010.

Star Pubs and Bars unveils winning licensees at first ever Star Awards

16-Nov-2012

Star Pubs & Bars (formerly Scottish & Newcastle Pub Company) has unveiled its top performing lessees with the announcement of the winners of its first ever Star Awards.

WaverleyTBS was owed £26.5m by trade debtors

16-Nov-2012 By Rob Willock and John Harrington

WaverleyTBS was owed £26.5m by trade debtors at the time of its collapse last month, of which it is estimated that only £15m will be paid.

Scottish & Newcastle Pub Company rebrands and offers new support for tenants

15-Nov-2012 By M&C Report

Scottish & Newcastle Pub Company (S&NPC) has been renamed Star Pubs & Bars and has launched a new three-year agreement that offers low-cost entry to the trade

Small wet-led outlets suffer as costs of running a pub increase

15-Nov-2012 By Rob Willock & Adam Pescod

Total operating costs of running tenanted and leased pubs increased significantly last year — with smaller, wet-led pubs bearing the brunt, according to the British Beer & Pub Association’s (BBPA’s) latest Running a Pub benchmarking survey of companies...

Paddington licensee 'may have to sell lease of pub' to pay British Gas energy bill

14-Nov-2012 By Adam Pescod

A Paddington licensee fears he may have to sell the lease of his pub in order to pay a £19,000 energy bill from British Gas.

Business secretary rejects claims that BIS officials acted inappropriately over pubco-tenant deal

13-Nov-2012 By Michelle Perrett

Business secretary Vince Cable has rejected claims that officials in the Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) department acted inappropriately over the pubco-tenant self-regulation deal.

Eclectic sees rise in full-year earnings

13-Nov-2012 By M&C Report

Eclectic Clubs & Bars, the Avanti Capital-backed bar group, has reported an increase in full-year earnings and said that it had secured additional banking facilities for both the refit of existing sites and for new acquisitions.

Better training for checkout clerks could benefit pub industry

13-Nov-2012 By Mark Daniels

A survey has revealed that pre-loading is a false economy, stating that those who choose to consume heavily discounted booze at home before heading out are likely to drink twice as much than if they just made a beeline to the town centre for the evening.

Pubs saved from an average 11% rise in business rates, show VOA stats

13-Nov-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Pubs have been saved from an average 11% rise in business rates payments, following the Government’s announcement to push back revaluations by two years.

Queen's Head in Chesham named Fuller's Pub of the Year

13-Nov-2012 By Adam Pescod

Fuller’s, the London-based brewer and pub operator, has named the Queen’s Head in Chesham, Buckinghamshire as its Pub of the Year.

Kurnia Group exits retailing with sale of Cloud Bar in Lincoln

12-Nov-2012 By Adam Pescod

The Kurnia Group has sold its last remaining outlet, the Cloud Bar, marking the end of the Lincolnshire-based group’s retailing business, which is led by operator Michael Kheng.

Waverley TBS collapsed leaving £64.5m in debts

12-Nov-2012 By John Harrington

Waverley TBS collapsed leaving £64.5m in debts to unsecured creditors, with seven drinks companies owed seven-figure sums, a new report shows.

Industry given 23 November deadline to prove self-regulation deal on pubco-tenant relationship is working

08-Nov-2012 By Michelle Perrett

The industry has until the 23 November to assure the Government that the self-regulation deal on the pubco-tenant relationship is working.

CAMRA reveals National Pub Design Awards winners

08-Nov-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Four pubs have been crowned winners Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) National Pub Design Awards.

Publican pushes staff to serve take-home alcohol to compete with supermarkets

07-Nov-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Tony Brookes, of the eight-strong Head of Steam, has renewed his Stuff the Supermarkets campaign by encouraging his staff to sell take-home alcohol in the run up to Christmas.

Newman Arms in Fitzrovia sees fewer thefts after employing doorman

07-Nov-2012 By Adam Pescod

The licensee of the Newman Arms in Fitzrovia, London, has seen incidents of theft all but eradicated at her pub after taking on a doorman last month.

GRS Pubs bullish despite banking covenant breaches

07-Nov-2012 By M&C Report

GRS Pubs, the c.200-strong pub group formerly owned by London Town, has given assurances that it’s business as usual despite news that the company breached banking covenants on its £33.2m loan facility.

BII launches search for Licensee of the Year 2013

06-Nov-2012 By Adam Pescod

Entries are being taken for the BII Licensee of Year Award 2013, which is open to all licensees across the UK.

The Big Interview: Bill Butler, Security Industry Authority

06-Nov-2012 By Adam Pescod

It is easy to have respect for somebody who has faced Lord Justice Leveson and come out the other side with their reputation intact. However, it is something else entirely to be called to the Leveson Inquiry with less than a week’s notice, only to find...

Mark Daniels: The birth of the £6 pint…

06-Nov-2012 By Mark Daniels

So last week, following a concerted effort by many publicans, industry personnel and beer lovers to generate a near religious movement on sites such as Twitter that saw an e-petition receive over 100’000 digital signatures, MPs finally had a debate about...

Glidden reveals Paint and a Pint shortlisted pubs

05-Nov-2012

Twenty three pubs are one step closer to winning a £5,000 transformation after being shortlisted in the national ‘Paint and a Pint’ makeover competition.

Brakspear "set to have lowest pub-to-business development manager ratio in industry"

05-Nov-2012

Brakspear, the Henley-based pub operator, says it is set to have the lowest pub-to-business development manager (BDM) ratio in the industry, with fewer than 30 pubs per BDM.

MSPs back plans to reduce the drink-drive limit in Scotland

05-Nov-2012

MSPs have given overwhelming backing to plans to reduce the drink-drive limit in Scotland.

Staff theft: Licensees warned to "keep an eye out" at their pubs

02-Nov-2012 By Adam Pescod

Licensees must “keep an eye on their staff at all times” to deal with the issue of employee theft, which cost British retail and hospitality businesses £1.7bn last year.

Local authorities should offer range of leisure activities, not just pubs, says quango

01-Nov-2012 By Gurjit Degun

A Government quango has recommended that local authorities should offer a wide range of leisure and cultural activities, rather than just licensed premises, to tackle alcohol harm.

PICA-Service: This is how pubco-tenant self-regulation can work

01-Nov-2012 By Rob Willock

When the PMA reported on the outcome of the first Pubs Independent Conciliation and Arbitration Service (PICA-Service) hearing, we agreed not to name the parties concerned.

Thousands of pubs caught up in business rates appeals backlog

01-Nov-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Almost 6,000 licensees are still awaiting the outcome of their 2010 business rates appeals, with an estimated refund expected of £32,000 per successful case.

Barrio Bars plans expansion to five sites

31-Oct-2012 By M&C Report

Barrio Bars, the neighbourhood DJ club and bar concept, has been in talks with several private equity firms as it looks to expand to five sites within London by the end of 2013, company founder Ferdie Ahmed has told M&C Report.

Nine out of 10 licensees missing out on thousands of pounds in unclaimed tax relief

30-Oct-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Nine out of 10 licensees refurbishing their pubs are missing out on thousands of pounds in unclaimed tax relief, known as capital allowances, according to tax specialists MoneyBee Tax.

Grand Union ends private equity talks

30-Oct-2012 By M&C Report

Grand Union Group, the London-based pub operator headed by Adam Marshall, says it has ended its talks with private equity in order to focus on building cash reserves for future self funded expansion.

Publican forks out £1k for ignoring smoking ban and serving outside licensed hours

30-Oct-2012 By Gurjit Degun

A licensee in Acton, west London, has had to fork out more than £1,000 after serving drinks outside of his licensing hours and allowing customers to smoke in his pub.

Dragons' Den star Theo Paphitis revealed as skills patron of the Skills Show

29-Oct-2012

Dragons' Den star Theo Paphitis has been announced as skills patron of the Skills Show, which take place next month at NEC Birmingham.

Hall & Woodhouse reports rise in profits

29-Oct-2012 By M&C Report

Hall & Woodhouse, the Dorset-based brewer and pub operator, has reported a 2.3% rise in full-year pre-tax profits to £5.7m and says it has facilities of c£60m for investment opportunities that may arise.

Licensees ordered to pay Sky £80k after being caught using domestic cards

26-Oct-2012 By Michelle Perrett

A number of licensees have been ordered to pay significant levels of damages for using Sky domestic viewing cards in their pubs.

Pubtokens gift voucher service attracts 250 more pubs

26-Oct-2012

Pubtokens, a service that provides gift vouchers for use across the UK pub market, has added 250 more pubs to the scheme, taking the total number of redeeming outlets to nearly 1,400.

Licensee secures £1,400 electricity VAT rebate after PMA intervention

26-Oct-2012 By Gurjit Degun

A licensee has received a £1,400 VAT rebate from British Gas for electricity used in private accommodation after intervention by the Publican’s Morning Advertiser (PMA).

Facebook: Targeting your pub's page at the right people

25-Oct-2012 By Mark Daniels

It was wonderful to be invited to speak about online marketing at the Freeholder Business Conference last week, and I always get a little buzz from being able to help people spot new ways of getting more from their social media and other online channels.

Thousands of pubs at risk after business rates revaluations pushed back

25-Oct-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Thousands of pubs could be forced out of business by the Government’s decision to postpone the next business rates revaluation to 2017.

Gambling Commission clarifies ‘private’ poker rules for pubs and clubs

23-Oct-2012

The Gambling Commission has warned owners of clubs, pubs and hotels that hosting poker as private gaming is not possible without excluding public access.

BBPA chairman Jonathan Neame slams "unsustainable" tax burden on pubs and brewers

23-Oct-2012 By John Harrington

There’s “something very wrong” with Britain’s tax system when firms like Starbucks pay “next to nothing” while brewers endure an “unsustainable” tax burden, British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) chairman Jonathan Neame has said.

Portman Group: Former Barnardo’s CEO Martin Narey named chairman of Independent Complaints Panel

18-Oct-2012

Former chief executive of Barnardo’s Martin Narey has been appointed as the new chairman of the Portman Group’s Independent Complaints Panel for irresponsible alcohol marketing.

Shepherd Neame plans "significant" investment in its pubs

17-Oct-2012 By John Harrington

Shepherd Neame, the Kent brewer and pub operator, plans to undertake between 20 and 25 significant investments in its pubs during this financial year and aims to extend the support offered to its tenants.

The Big Interview: Jillian MacLean, Drake & Morgan

16-Oct-2012 By Phil Mellows

It was when she noticed women were buying more lipstick that Jillian MacLean made her move. MacLean, as she admits, was, at 43, a late starter as an entrepreneur. But that meant she’d been around long enough to know that troubled times are good for lipstick...

Magnus Wilson's DT (North East) acquires Ivy House pub in Sunderland

16-Oct-2012

Magnus Wilson, ex-group operations director at Orchid Pub Company, plans to acquire a number of pubs across the north-east of England over the next five years after acquiring a third site in the region for his DT (North East) vehicle.