Other operators

Consistent excellence is the route to success

06-Oct-2011 By The PMA Team

It was one of those really meaty discussions at the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers’ autumn debate last week. Should pubs brand themselves or not? It can be argued either way, of course, depending on what your definitions are.

Potting Shed lands Good Pub Guide title

06-Oct-2011 By Gurjit Degun

The Potting Shed at Crudwell, Wiltshire, has been named as Pub of the Year in The Good Pub Guide 2012.

Calls for a split in the BBPA

06-Oct-2011 By Michelle Perrett

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) is facing fresh calls for a split between its brewing and retailing arms in the wake of damning criticism from the Business, Innovation & Skills Committee (BISC) report into the pubco-tenant relationship.

Shepherd Neame hits out at 'highly damaging' beer duty rises

05-Oct-2011 By Ewan Turney

Shepherd Neame has hit out at the “misguided” and “highly damaging” increases in beer duty that are reducing the potential for investment in the pub and beer industry.

Speaking with a forked tongue

04-Oct-2011

If health secretary Andrew Lansley really believes what he said at the Wine & Spirit Trade Association’s annual conference recently, then why has he not had a word with Teresa May?

Brains snaps up coffee chain

04-Oct-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

SA Brain, the Cardiff-based brewer and pub operator, has bought the 15-strong high street coffee chain Coffee#1 for an undisclosed sum.

Five key changes for pubs now in force

03-Oct-2011 By Ewan Turney

Licensees are reminded that five important changes to the way pubs operate, serve drinks and pay their staff came into force on Saturday.

Black Sheep control goes to son Rob

03-Oct-2011

The founder of Masham-based Black Sheep Brewery, Paul Theakston, has handed over the reins of day-to-day control to his son Rob Theakston.

Pubcos fail to act decisively on reforms

30-Sep-2011 By Ewan Turney & The PMA Team

Anyone who witnessed the last Business, Innovation & Skills Committee hearing in July could see that the report was only ever heading one way.

Lembit Opik backs British Pub Week

30-Sep-2011 By Adam Pescod

Former Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik has thrown his support behind British Pub Week, describing it as “the beginning of the fightback” for a struggling industry.

Fuller's announces new MD for beer division

29-Sep-2011

Fuller’s has announced that Ian Bray will join its main board as managing director of its beer division.

Gov’t needs to relieve tyranny of rising costs

29-Sep-2011

The past week has been dominated by the latest round in the on-going tenant and pubco debate. But there’s one issue that we can all agree on. Businesses have been hit by wave after wave of cost increases in the past decade. The increase in regulatory...

No mention of licensing issues

28-Sep-2011 By Peter Coulson

As I predicted, the final stages of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill were taken up with a last-ditch attempt to derail the Government’s proposals for elected commissioners of police and the licensing aspects were not touched upon at all.

Free 'Challenge 25' training for Scottish licensees

28-Sep-2011 By Michelle Perrett

Licensees in Scotland will be able to access free age verification training worth £35,000 through a partnership between drinks giant Diageo and CPL Training.

Momo secures second Jongleurs

28-Sep-2011

Momo Leisure, the firm run by former Nexum Leisure executive David Elphick and business partner Jez King to run Jongleurs comedy clubs under franchise, has secured its second site, in Bristol.

Singing consultation’s praises

26-Sep-2011 By Peter Coulson

It seems that the very persistent lobbying by the music industry, coupled with the sterling efforts of Lord Clement-Jones and his advisors, has at last borne fruit.

Dyson to step down at the end of the year

26-Sep-2011

Spirit chief executive Ian Dyson is expected to stand down by the end of the year, according to a report in the Sunday Times.

Downey sells London Match Bar

26-Sep-2011

Jonathan Downey, the bar entrepreneur, has taken a further step away from the high-street bar sector with the sale of his remaining Match Bar site in London’s West End.

Lost Society set to unveil new Clapham outlet

26-Sep-2011

The team behind London-based bar and restaurant sites Lost Society and Blind Tiger are set to launch a fifth outlet in the capital, after buying the leasehold interest on a site in Clapham.

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.