Other operators

Stonegate chairman scores Industry Icon award

22-Nov-2019 By Alice Leader

Stonegate Pub Company chairman Ian Payne has scooped the CGA Peach Industry Icon at the 2019 Hero and Icon Awards for his lasting and positive contribution to the sector.

Ed Sheeran’s pub slapped with two-star food review

21-Nov-2019 By Alice Leader

Ed Sheeran-owned pub has been given a lowly score of two out of five for its food after only opening in September this year.

Shepherd Neame announces passing of president and former chairman

20-Nov-2019 By Stuart Stone

Kent-based brewer and pub operator Shepherd Neame has announced that president and former chairman Robert ‘Bobby’ Neame passed away on 15 November.

Confusion over Sam Smith's card payment strategy

19-Nov-2019 By Alice Leader

Claims that Sam Smith's payment strategy across its estate has changed, with card payments apparently being pulled from its sites, are unfounded and outdated, a source has said.

MA Podcast – Episode 2

Craft in gin is ‘an overused term’ says Warner’s Gin founder

18-Nov-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

The gin boom is not over, says the founder of Warner’s Gin Tom Warner in the second episode of The MA Podcast.

Young’s sees profit slip

15-Nov-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

Young’s saw its operating profit drop by 3.8% in the 26 weeks to 30 September 2019, its interim results revealed.

Stonegate offers mental health support training to aid wellbeing

14-Nov-2019 By Alice Leader

Stonegate Pub Company is on track to become mental health champions as it partners with the Licensed Trade Charity to tackle issues within the industry.

Admiral eyes growth to 1,500 sites

13-Nov-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

Admiral Taverns’ CEO Chris Jowsey says the pubco has plans to increase its estate from 1,000 sites to at least 1,500 over the coming two to three years.

Pandora Inn named Cornwall’s best pub for third year in a row

12-Nov-2019 By Stuart Stone

The Pandora Inn in Restronguet near Falmouth, Cornwall, has taken home the top prize in the Cornwall Tourism Awards’ Pub of the Year category for the third year on the spin.

Oakman Inns launches managed contracts division

24-Oct-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Multiple site operator Oakman Inns has formed a managed contracts division called Ashmore Inns.

Fuller’s acquires Cotswold pubs package for £40m

23-Oct-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Pub chain Fuller’s has acquired a collection of pub and hotel sites in the Cotswolds in a £40m deal.

Admiral completes acquisition of 150 Star pubs

22-Oct-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

The acquisition of 150 tenanted community Star Pubs & Bars sites by Admiral Taverns has now been completed.

Food-led sites to drive pub and bar growth past £19bn mark

21-Oct-2019 By Stuart Stone

According to the latest report by chartered accountancy firm Gerald Edelman, the food-led pub sector is expected to stabilise overall industry performance in the coming years.

Maintaining price point key for gastropubs’ future

15-Oct-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Peach Pubs managing director Hamish Stoddart said maintaining accessible prices and competing against the lure of the stay-at-home economy are the biggest challenges for gastropubs.

Big interview

'Please judge us on our track record' says Stonegate boss

11-Oct-2019 By Ed Bedington

It’s been a tumultuous year in the pub trade on the acquisition front but the news that Stonegate was bidding for the much larger Ei Group still caught many by surprise. One of the leading architects of the deal Simon Longbottom reveals all.

The MA Podcast – episode 1

‘We’ll lose one big beer brand soon’ says Curious Brewery boss

07-Oct-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

The boss of Curious Brewery Gareth Bath has outlined what he thinks the future of the UK's beer sector could look like.

Opinion

Government help is vital for pubs

07-Oct-2019 By Simon Longbottom

For centuries, pubs have constantly demonstrated their ability to evolve and adapt to reflect the changing needs of society, according to Stonegate Pub Company chief executive Simon Longbottom.

Trust Inns’ managing director steps down

04-Oct-2019 By Emily Hawkins

The managing director of tenanted pub company Trust Inns is set to step down from her role next month, it has been announced.

90% of clubbers on a budget

30-Sep-2019 By Stuart Stone

Only one-in-ten Brits head out on the tiles without money on their mind according to late night bar and club operator Deltic’s latest Night Index,

Justin Phillimore to step down as Wells & Co boss

27-Sep-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Justin Phillimore is to step down from his role as chief executive of pubco and brewer Wells & Co at the end of the year following 13 years with the business.

Uncertainty is the only certainty, says Shepherd Neame boss

25-Sep-2019 By Stuart Stone

Following the disclosure of Shepherd Neame’s latest financial results, chief executive Jonathan Neame discussed the brewer-operator’s approach to Brexit and growing its managed estate.

The future of the Inn Collection Group

25-Sep-2019 By Finn Scott-Delany

With a model of lucrative sites in statement tourist locations, The Inn Collection Group has its sights set on the Lake District. Managing director Sean Donkin lays out these plans from the group’s flagship Bamburgh Castle Inn, and explains why he won’t...

Debt refinancing dents strong trading at Shepherd Neame

25-Sep-2019 By Stuart Stone

Despite strong year-on-year trading across its managed and tenanted pub estate, costs incurred by refinancing debt saw profits and turnover dip at Shepherd Neame.

Kevin Georgel to join Shepherd Neame

24-Sep-2019 By Stuart Stone

Kent-based brewer and pub operator Shepherd Neame has announced a boardroom reshuffle that will see Miles Templeman step down as chairman and Kevin Georgel join the company next year.

South London pub to revive historic brewing operation

23-Sep-2019 By Emily Hawkins

A south London pub will reopen as the first Young’s site to have a brewing operation since its merger 13 years ago.

Young’s marks birthday with new brews

23-Sep-2019 By Emily Hawkins

London-based pub company Young’s has brewed two beers to celebrate almost two centuries in business.

Priory Inns North West adds 10th site to estate

09-Sep-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Multiple operator Priory Inns North West has a double-digit portfolio after acquiring a site in Greater Manchester.

Robinsons reports record turnover of £75.5m

03-Sep-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

North-west-based brewer and operator Robinsons has reported a rise in turnover of 6.1% to a record £75.5m for the year ending 31 December 2018 – up from £71.2m the previous year.

Early pay day for Stonegate staff

02-Sep-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Stonegate Pub Company has partnered with an app that means pub staff can access some of their wages at any point before the next pay day.

Bath Pub boss: ‘You can’t find any kitchen porters’

20-Aug-2019 By Emily Hawkins

The director of a city pub company has expressed his fears about recruiting kitchen staff after Brexit.

Managed houses drive Brakspear’s profits

19-Aug-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

JT Davies & Sons, the parent company of brewer and pub operator Brakspear, has reported both turnover and profits are up for the year ending 31 December 2018.

Number of wet-led leased pubs drops by a quarter

19-Aug-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

Britain’s number of drink-led leased pub sites fell by 25% in the five years to June 2019 to just under 13,000 – according to new research.

Bibendum boss: 'No such thing as inexpensive wine anymore'

19-Aug-2019 By Ed Bedington

The wine sector is failing to bring younger drinkers on board which could lead to a "slow motion car crash" for the category, according to Bibendum’s Michael Saunders.

South-west pub group gears up to expand portfolio

14-Aug-2019 By Emily Hawkins

An emerging south-west based pub group has revealed plans to grow its portfolio, following two new acquisitions.

Consolidation could be the future of the pub trade

08-Aug-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

The pub trade is likely to see more consolidation with pub companies and breweries buying smaller businesses, Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) chief executive Tom Stainer told The Morning Advertiser.

Stonegate renovates Newcastle Yates into city’s second Slug & Lettuce

01-Aug-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Stonegate has confirmed its commitment to the Yates wine bar brand despite closing one to convert it into Newcastle city centre’s second Slug & Lettuce.

BrewDog offers ‘franchise’ opportunities

31-Jul-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Craft beer brewer and pub operator is attempting to ramp up the number of its sites by offering franchise opportunities to businesses already in the market.

Barons Pub Company eyes up to 15 sites

31-Jul-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Growing pubco Barons Pub Company has boosted its estate to 10 venues following a double acquisition having recently secured a £2.8m loan from HSBC.

Plans to turn Yarm lingerie shop into micropub

30-Jul-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

A former retail site on Yarm High Street, Stockton-on-Tees, could be turned into a pub, a rare occurrence in the trade, which has seen vast declines over the years.

Exclusive

Stonegate could ‘possibly improve’ drinks range across Ei Group

30-Jul-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Stonegate’s intention to buy Ei Group for £1.27bn could make the latter business stronger than ever under the leadership of boss Simon Longbottom, one industry spectator has ventured.

Fuller’s plans to build on managed pub estate

29-Jul-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Former brewer Fuller’s will focus on building its pub estate over the next 12 months having pulled out of brewing following the sale to Asahi this year.

235 pubs ‘vanished’ in first half of 2019

22-Jul-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

More than 200 pubs have closed their doors for the final time during the first six months of this year, according to new research.

LITTLE INTERVIEW

‘I want to redefine pub culture’ says south London operator

09-Jul-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Brimming with energy from the success of his first site, a south London pub operator has said he wants to open pubs that cater to every layer of the diverse communities they serve.

Managed pubs will drive sector growth in 2019

03-Jul-2019 By Emily Hawkins

The UK pub market will reach a value of £23bn this year, up 1.9% from 2018, according to a prediction from foodservice and hospitality research agency MCA Insight.

How do family businesses survive and thrive in the modern drinks industry?

28-Jun-2019 By Rob Brown

It’s not all about the huge multinational companies when it comes to brewing and pubs – family-run businesses are the base of this great trade and they are more than capable of taking on the big guns

Bierschenke ploughs £800k into second beerhall venue

24-Jun-2019 By Stuart Stone

Bavarian beerhall concept Bierschenke has announced it will open its second site in London following an £800,000 investment.

Fuller's boss feels 'confident about future' following Asahi deal

21-Jun-2019 By Simon Emeny, Fuller's chief executive

Brewer operator Fuller's sold its beer business to Asahi in January this year. Chief executive Simon Emeny outlines what the future holds for the business.

Loungers hits ‘exciting milestone’ with 150th site

12-Jun-2019 By Stuart Stone

The operator behind the Lounge and Cosy Club brands has today (12 June) unveiled its 150th venue – its 11th new site since the start of 2019.

Beds & Bars to invest £7.5m in new and existing venues

11-Jun-2019 By Stuart Stone

The operator of hostels, bars and pubs across 10 cities in seven countries, Beds & Bars, is planning to treble the amount spent on new and existing sites during its next financial year.

Liberation Group appoints new chiefs at Butcombe Brewery

10-Jun-2019 By Stuart Stone

Channel Islands and West Country-based pub company Liberation Group has recruited a new managing director and a new sales director for Butcombe Brewery.