Companies

New Sports Bar & Grill to open in West End

27-Aug-2014 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Sports Bar & Grill is to launch its fifth site with an opening in London’s West End next month.

Snug Bars and Laine Pub Company sign up to Tax Equality Day

27-Aug-2014 By James Wallin

Multiple operators Snug bars and Laine Pub Company have agreed to take part in Tax Equality Day on Wednesday 24 September.

Mike Gatting bats questions in pub Q&A

27-Aug-2014 By James Wallin

England cricket legend Mike Gatting was guest of honour at a Shropshire pub after the publicans won a competition run through the PMA.

Greene King staff raise £1.2m for cancer charity

27-Aug-2014 By James Wallin

Greene King has exceeded its £1 million fundraising target for Macmillan Cancer Support by £200,000.

Pub owner wins appeal against ACV listing

26-Aug-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

The owner of a pub that has been closed for seven years has successfully appealed the listing of his site as an asset of community value (ACV).

Foundation Inns to open first Craft & Grill site in Surrey

26-Aug-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Managed pub operator Foundation Inns is set to launch its first branded site Craft & Grill in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.

Camerons continues estate revamp and secures first new Head of Steam

22-Aug-2014 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Camerons Brewery, the Hartlepool-based brewer and pub operator, has announced plans to refurbish almost one third of its estate and has reopened eight closed sites from its disposal list, M&C Report has learnt.

MasterChef finalist takes the reins at Sunderland pub kitchen

22-Aug-2014 By Elliot Kuruvita

Leon Dodds, who reached the finals of MasterChef: the Professionals, has taken over the reins in the kitchen at the Pullman hotel and bar in Sunderland.

Spirit launches degree programme for general managers

22-Aug-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Spirit Pub Company has launched a degree programme for its general managers as part of its ongoing partnership with Leeds Metropolitan University.

ALMR reveals Late Night Awards nominees

21-Aug-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Stonegate and Luminar are leading the nominations for this year's Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) Late Night Awards.

Turner steps down as Novus chair

21-Aug-2014 By Mark Wingett. M&C Report

Novus Leisure, the London-based premium operator, is looking for a new chairman, after Graham Turner stepped down from the role he took up last October.

Publican slams Star's environmental credentials after solar panels refusal

21-Aug-2014 By Elliot Kuruvita

A Star Pubs & Bars tenant has been left dismayed after being refused permission to fit solar panels on his pub.

Licensees call for end to Saturday football screening ban

21-Aug-2014 By James Wallin

Publicans have called for an end to the ban on the screening of Premier League games at 3pm on Saturdays.

Admiral Taverns-owner Cerberus acquires £200m pub portfolio

20-Aug-2014 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Cerberus, the US private equity owner of Admiral Taverns, has acquired 63 pubs leased to Spirit Pub Company and Orchid (now part of M&B) in a deal valued at just under £200m.

Household leisure spend grows 12% in July

20-Aug-2014 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Household spending on leisure grew 12% to £202 in July, with the good weather causing the amount spent on drinking out to grow 14% to £45.84 while eating out spend rose 5% to £75.71, according to the Greene King Leisure Spend Tracker.

Marston’s chief blames politicians for piling financial pressures on to marginal pubs

20-Aug-2014 By James Wallin

The chief executive of Marston’s has written to a campaigner trying to save one of the brewer’s pubs from closure to say the actions of politicians have hit community locals hard.

Punch pubs embrace apprenticeships

19-Aug-2014 By John Harrington, M&C Report

A total of 180 Punch Taverns pubs have got involved in the company’s apprenticeship programme, with 42 licensees having taken on new apprentices, the group has said.

Pub footfall driven by weekday custom, figures show

19-Aug-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Weekday visits are continuing to drive the growth in footfall in pubs, according to new research by NPD Group for the Publican’s Morning Advertiser.

Yummy Pub Co. launch fifth site with artisan coffee bar

18-Aug-2014 By Elliot Kuruvita

The Yummy Pub Co is set to launch its fifth site which will feature an artisan coffee bar and British tapas menu.

Punch launches proposed debt restructure

18-Aug-2014 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Punch Taverns has announced the launch of its restructure, which had been delayed from last Monday, saying that its new structure is set to be in place from 8 October subject to approval from creditors.

London Village Inns takes sixth pub

15-Aug-2014 By Ruth Williams, M&C Report

Pub operator London Village Inns has taken its sixth pub The Westbury in Wood Green, on a lease from Punch Taverns to bring its portfolio to six.

Ice ball machine launched to create more theatre around serve

14-Aug-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

A machine producing balls of ice instead of cubes has been launched to create more theatre for serves in pubs and bars.

BrewDog announces location of fifth London site and plans for eight more bars worldwide

14-Aug-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

BrewDog, the Scottish brewer and pub operator, has secured its fifth London site in Islington, the Publican’s Morning Advertiser has learnt.

Redcomb merges with Broken Foot Inns

13-Aug-2014 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Redcomb Pubs and Broken Foot Inns have completed their merger, creating a 12-strong group forecast to generate annual sales in excess of £12m.

New figures show 31 pubs closing every week across UK

11-Aug-2014 By James Wallin

The pub closure rate has risen to 31 per week, prompting the Campaign for Real Ale to demand changes to the planning system.

Boxer Barry McGuigan praises JD Wetherspoon’s £9m for children’s cancer charity

11-Aug-2014 By James Wallin

JD Wetherspoon has hit a fundraising milestone after raising £9m for CLIC Sargent.

Robinsons ‘photo-bombing’ shire horse to retire

08-Aug-2014 By James Wallin

Robinsons Brewery has announced the retirement of a prominent member of the team – Shire horse, Royale.

M&B and Whitbread employees shortlisted for Women 1st Shine Awards

08-Aug-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

A Mitchells & Butlers manager and two Whitbread employees have been shortlisted in this year’s Women 1st Shine Awards.

Charles Wells announces re-brand and changes to operational divisions

08-Aug-2014 By John Harrington, M&c Report

Charles Wells has announced that it is to bring its major operating divisions back under its main parent company identity, which will see an updated look and operating processes for the firm.

VIDEO: Pop Idol star teams up with Stonegate Pub Company for charity single

08-Aug-2014 By James Wallin

A huge charity drive by Stonegate Pubs has inspired the latest single from Gary Barlow’s protégé, Jo Birchall.

Reet Ale Pubs takes over Blue Bee Brewery

07-Aug-2014 By James Wallin

Sheffield-based pub group Reet Ale Pubs has completed the takeover of Blue Bee Brewery.

Punch's leadership qualification gets its first graduates

07-Aug-2014 By Max Carter

Punch Taverns has praised the first employees to complete its post-graduate qualification aimed at developing future leaders of the pub sector.

World Cup helps Enterprise achieve 'encouraging' growth

07-Aug-2014 By John Harrington

Enterprise Inns saw like-for-like net income growth accelerate to 2.1% in the three months to 2 August, helped by the World Cup and the company’s “on-going operational initiatives”.

Red Lion in Sidbury to remain as a pub

07-Aug-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

A Devonshire community group that failed to raise the funds to buy its local have praised the fact the venue will remain as a pub.

Great British Pub Awards 2014: Regional champions revealed

07-Aug-2014 By Jo Bruce

The regional winners in the Great British Pub Awards 2014 have been announced.

PhD students launch Trip Advisor-style app for pubs

06-Aug-2014 By Helen Gilbert

A ‘Trip Advisor-style’ smart phone app that allows users to rate pubs and determine the best and worst boozers is due to go live in September.

Maclay eyes craft beer expansion

05-Aug-2014 By John Harrington

Scottish pub and bar operator Maclay Group is looking to add a craft beer offer across its 26-strong estate as the company reports a pre-tax loss of £169,895 in the 16 months to 1 February 2014.

Viable pubs need greater protection

04-Aug-2014 By Robert Sayles

Amidst stories of pubs being converted into supermarkets, housing, betting shops and God knows what else; it’s nice on occasion to hear of a pub that seemingly manages to escape such an ignominious fate, says Robert Sayles.

Ukulele band open their own pub

04-Aug-2014 By Helen Gilbert

A Sheffield band has decided to open a local pub after struggling to find a ‘decent pint’ after gigs.

Minimum pricing ‘would have no effect on pubs’, experts say

01-Aug-2014 By James Wallin

Two new studies have given support for minimum alcohol unit pricing, with one academic accusing the Government of a “lamentable failure to take action”.

World Cup lifts ABInBev sales

01-Aug-2014 By John Harrington

ABInBev, the Stella Artois and Budweiser brewer, saw UK sales of its drinks grow 13.5% in Q2 2014, due to ”strong World Cup volumes”.

Marston's reality show to air next month

01-Aug-2014 By James Wallin

Channel 5 has filmed a programme based on the day-to-day lives of Marston’s employees.

Marston's CEO says sport is becoming less important to pubs

31-Jul-2014 By John Harrington

Marston’s chief executive Ralph Findlay believes the importance of sport on TV in pubs is “not what it used to be” as customers choose to watch events at home.

Star deal with Kimbo ‘will finally allow pubs to take on high street coffee chains’

31-Jul-2014 By James Wallin

Star Pubs & Bars has signed a “groundbreaking” deal with coffee supplier Kimbo.

Brighton's Rose Hill Tavern to keep its community asset status

30-Jul-2014 By Helen Gilbert

A Brighton pub has retained its Asset of Community Value (ACV) status despite a challenge to have it delisted.

Win tickets to MasterChef pop up restaurant

30-Jul-2014 By Elliot Kuruvita

Licensees have a final chance to try and win tickets to an exciting pop up restaurant featuring MasterChef champions.

Fuller's boss: 'There's a pent up demand for good London pubs'

30-Jul-2014 By James Wallin

A “scarcity” of high-quality freehold pubs in London is creating “pent up demand”, according to Simon Emeny, chief executive of Fuller’s, which recently spent c£7m acquiring a pub in Covent Garden.

Greene King launches open days for prospective tenants

29-Jul-2014 By James Wallin

Greene King has launched a series of open days for prospective licensees at its headquarters.

Bids in for £650m pub and hotel portfolio

29-Jul-2014 By Mark Wingett

First round bids have been submitted for a portfolio of c200 hotels and pubs, which is believed to be valued at up to £650m according to the PMA’s sister title M&C Report.

Regional cities rival London for pub openings

29-Jul-2014 By John Harrington

Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool are starting to rival London for the rate of new pub openings, as cities continue to dominate new openings at the expense of towns and suburbs.