Independent Operators

CAMRA calls for review of alcohol units

26-Sep-2011

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is calling on the Government to review its daily alcohol unit guidelines with a view to increasing the limits.

Having a wine In the car park...

23-Sep-2011 By Mark Daniels

“Playground Politics: I recognise the tone in my last blog came across differently to the way I had intended it to... and alcohol retailing: is it really responsible to offer free samples of wine in a car park?”

Club operator slams PPL

23-Sep-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

A nightclub operator accused music royalties agency PPL of living in “cloud cuckoo land” with its plans to reform the special featured entertainment (SFE) tariff, saying his bill would increase 1,013% and “wipe me out”.

Pub mentors scheme kicks-off

23-Sep-2011 By Michelle Perrett

The four pubs to be featured in the groundbreaking Pub Mentors scheme launched by the Publican’s Morning Advertiser and Coca-Cola Enterprise’s Open More Business have been unveiled.

BBPA survey shows pub operating costs at 35%

22-Sep-2011 By Ewan Turney

The average cost of running the average tenanted or leased pub stands at almost 35% (34.54%) of turnover, according to a major new survey of 12,000 pubs undertaken by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).

Engineer licensees open new pub

22-Sep-2011 By Adam Pescod

The team behind a popular north London gastropub — the Engineer — will be turning their attention to a new site after their campaign to prevent a takeover by Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) failed.

Bumpy ride for some transfers

20-Sep-2011 By Peter Coulson

You don’t hear much about licence transfers these days. Of course, under the old system we had ‘transfer sessions’ where the new incumbents were paraded in front of the bench and had to answer questions to show their suitability (unless they had already...

New chief executive for the Portman Group

20-Sep-2011 By Michelle Perrett

A new chief executive, Henry Ashworth, has been appointed to The Portman Group.

Dalla-Riva seals pub deal

19-Sep-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Chef Marc Dalla-Riva, who formerly worked under Gary Rhodes at Bibendum and Launceston Place, is making a move into the pub trade by taking a lease on a central London pub.

A-B InBev in free-trade axe

19-Sep-2011

Stella Artois and Budweiser brewer A-B InBev UK plans to close its independent free-trade business, with a number of staff facing redundancy.

Pubco pubs closing fastest

16-Sep-2011 By Ewan Turney

Nine tied pubco pubs close every week, compared to five free-of-tie pubs — that’s the bleak picture painted by the Campaign for Real Ale’s Good Beer Guide.

‘Control of costs and margins are key’

16-Sep-2011 By Michelle Perrett

Will Clayton, the entrepreneur behind Gresham Inns and Leicester Square wine bar, the Cork & Bottle, claims that many businesses are spending a disproportionate amount of time looking to increase sales, when they are running a business where costs...

Managed pub groups up in August despite riots

15-Sep-2011 By Ewan Turney

The top managed pub and restaurant companies saw a collective 0.6% rise in like for-like sales over August on last year — despite the impact of the riots.

Olympics and terrorism to dominate National Pubwatch conference

15-Sep-2011

The challenges of the Olympics and issues surrounding terrorism will be tackled at the National Pubwatch Conference 2012.

Pub prices keep on falling, poll reveals

14-Sep-2011 By Gurjit Degun

Freehold and leasehold pub prices are continuing to fall, according to findings from a poll of members of the Association of Valuers of Licensed Property (AVLP).

Inconsistency in footie cases

13-Sep-2011 By Peter Coulson

It is not surprising that a great deal of publicity is given to licensees who manage to avoid conviction for dishonestly receiving satellite football transmissions through a foreign decoder (“Hosts cleared in satellite footie case”, PMA 1 September 2011)....

Price of pint in Scotland could rise by 50p, warns SBPA

13-Sep-2011 By Adam Pescod

The price of a pint in Scotland could rise by fifty pence if the Scottish government pushes ahead with plans to introduce minimum unit pricing on alcohol, and takes over alcohol excise duties from Westminster.

'Only a matter of time before shop alcohol sales overtake pubs'

13-Sep-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

The proportion of beer sales in the on-trade against the off-trade fell last year at the joint fastest rate seen across the past decade, and it’s “only a matter of time” before most sales come from shops.

Sir Ian McKellen buys historic East London pub

12-Sep-2011 By Adam Pescod

An East London licensee has agreed to sell the leasehold of a 300-year-old pub to her “dear friend” Sir Ian McKellen, the British actor.

Let’s hear it for ‘the whirlwind’

12-Sep-2011 By Roger Protz

Dave Wickett is a whirlwind in a wheelchair. A day in his company leaves you breathless. He runs his business — pubs and breweries — at a pace that would leave younger people drooping with exhaustion.

St Austell re-opens Old Market House in Brixham

12-Sep-2011 By Ewan Turney

St Austell has re-opened the Old Market House in the fishing port of Brixham, Devon after a joint £1m investment with property firm Nirvana properties.

Former Limelight club sold for £8.25m

12-Sep-2011

The former Limelight Club on London’s Shaftesbury Avenue has been sold for £8.25m to a private investor.

Cains takes on brewing guru Kerr

12-Sep-2011 By John Harrinton, M&C Report

Cains, the Liverpool brewer, has appointed renowned brewmaster Jim Kerr as its new head brewer.

Licensee warns of upfront utility bills

12-Sep-2011

A licensee has warned new freeholders to register their land registration documents with their utility company or face upfront costs.

A little TLC revives the Henny Swan’s fortunes

09-Sep-2011 By Steve Haslam

My 45th birthday was to be a date to remember. A call from a supplier to save his village pub was to lead to my and my wife’s biggest challenge to date.

Northumberland’s Feathers Inn is Great British Pub of the Year

09-Sep-2011 By Jo Bruce

The Feathers Inn, in Hedley-on-the-Hill, Northumberland has been named the Great British Pub of the Year 2011.

An Ever So Sensible opening

08-Sep-2011 By The PMA Team

Managed multiple Ever So Sensible, run by former Mitchells & Butlers executive Chris Bulaitis, pictured, is opening up its second site in Lincoln.

Historic pub open again after refurb

08-Sep-2011 By Gurjit Degun

Greene King has re-opened the historic George Inn in south London after a sympathetic refurbishment.

Major skills gap in pub industry

08-Sep-2011 By Gurjit Degun

Pubs, bars and clubs are finding it harder to recruit managers, chefs and kitchen managers due to a “major skills gap” in the industry.

SBPA backs pubs on Challenge 25

07-Sep-2011 By Michelle Perrett

The Scottish Beer & Pub Association (SBPA) has launched a new Challenge 25 initiative to ensure pubs comply with new proof-of-age regulations, which come into force next month.

ALMR focuses on making most of social media revolution

07-Sep-2011 By Ewan Turney

How can pubs make the most of the social media revolution? That’s the key question to be explored at the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers Autumn Event.

The only constant is change

06-Sep-2011 By Peter Coulson

Some years’ ago, when children’s certificates were first introduced in Scotland, there was much criticism of licensing boards for seeking to impose a range of conditions concerning child welfare and maternal protection — even including strictures on breast...

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