Companies

Booker releases second edition All About Food for chefs

10-Jun-2013 By Lesley Foottit

UK food and drink wholesaler Booker has launched the second edition of All About Food to inspire chefs to greater profits.

Grand Union set to grow after Luke Johnson investment

10-Jun-2013 By John Harrington

Grand Union plans to grow from seven to at least 20 sites across “London’s villages” in the near-to-medium term following news that serial sector investor Luke Johnson has taken a 50% stake in the bar group.

Punch announces revised restructuring proposals

10-Jun-2013 By John Harrington

Punch Taverns, the tenanted and leased pub company, has announced revised proposals for the restructuring of its £2.4bn debt securitisation and says it hopes to have the restructure completed this month.

Luminar launches new Social Media Academy

10-Jun-2013 By Helen Gilbert

A Social Media Academy designed to improve the online skills of Luminar Group employees has produced its first three graduates.

Punch Taverns to review Buying Club product range

08-Jun-2013 By Helen Gilbert

Punch Taverns has revealed plans to review the online product range provided on its Buying Club website.

Kirin Ichiban boosts presence in city pubs

07-Jun-2013 By Jessica Mason

Kirin Ichiban will get a marketing boost in over 40 pubs and bars this summer.

Industry welcomes £250m fund to help save community assets including pubs

07-Jun-2013 By Helen Gilbert

The industry has welcomed plans to award local communities £250m in grants and loans to help them buy pubs, shops and community centres.

Fuller's reports profit rise and enters premium cider market

07-Jun-2013 By John Harrington

Fuller’s, the London brewer and pub operator, has entered the premium cider market with the £3.8m acquisition of Cornish cider maker Cornish Orchards, as it reports a 5% rise in adjusted pre-tax profit to £31.7m in the year to 30 March.

The Ivy House beats £100,000 target in share issue

07-Jun-2013 By Helen Gilbert

A South London co-operative pub has managed to exceed the £100,000 target it set to complete refurbishment work.

JD Wetherspoon defends e-cigarette ban in pubs

07-Jun-2013 By Noli Dinkovski

JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has defended its position after it emerged that the use of e-cigarettes had been banned inside all of its pubs.

Punch tenant facing eviction stages sit-in protest

06-Jun-2013 By Noli Dinkovski

A Punch Taverns tenant who is expecting to be evicted is staging a sit-in protest.

PPL pub and club income rises

06-Jun-2013 By John Harrington

PPL, the music licensing body, saw its income from public performances licences at pubs, clubs and other venues rise again in 2012 after a “significant increase” in licence holders.

Business rates appeal woe continues for pubs

06-Jun-2013 By Helen Gilbert

Pubs in England and Wales continue to be caught up in the business rates appeals backlog with more than 5,000 licensees waiting for their 2010 appeal cases to be heard, the PMA has learned.

Punch Taverns code accredited under version 6 of the Industry Framework Code

04-Jun-2013 By Helen Gilbert

Punch Taverns has become the first pub company to achieve BIIBAS accreditation for its code of practice under version six of the industry framework code, which was released in March this year.

LWC Drinks acquires Coors Wholesale

03-Jun-2013 By John Harrington

Molson Coors is to sell some of its wholesale operations to Manchester-based drinks wholesaler LWC Drinks for an undisclosed sum.

Peter Kay 'brother' pleads guilty to pub frauds

03-Jun-2013 By Mike Berry

A man who posed as the brother of comedian Peter Kay to con pub landlords has pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud.

The Big Interview: Phil Strong, Chameleon Bar & Dining

03-Jun-2013 By Phil Mellows

Accused of likening the Queen to an old trout, Phil Strong once made headlines in The Sun. However, as Phil Mellows discovers, he’d probably prefer people to remember him as managing director of Chameleon Bar & Dining.

Dirty toilets top pub deterrent for customers

03-Jun-2013 By Mark Wingett

The expectation that higher prices is one of the leading pub deterrents is not borne out by new research, which shows that high food and drink prices (24% and 35% respectively) fall behind several other factors when it comes to consumers choosing to visit...

Tenant of Grinning Rat hits out at Punch over eviction

03-Jun-2013 By Noli Dinkovski

A tenant resigned to leaving his Ipswich pub has hit out at the way Punch Taverns has handled his eviction.

McMullens pub deters car-park abusers with number-plate recognition technology

03-Jun-2013 By Noli Dinkovski

A McMullens pub has installed a state-of-the-art vehicle number-plate recognition system to prevent non-customers from using its car park.

Punch Taverns helps licensees with pub marketing

31-May-2013 By John Harrington

Punch Taverns, the tenanted and leased pub operator, is to focus on helping its pubs improve their marketing by issuing all its licensees with a CD featuring marketing advice along with a copy of the quarterly guide Marketing Your Pub.

Industry slams report claiming betting shops can open in pubs

31-May-2013 By Helen Gilbert

The industry has slammed a press report claiming that betting shops can open or operate in pubs as ‘misleading’ and a ‘red herring’.

What would people miss the most if they moved abroad? British pubs, of course

31-May-2013 By Noli Dinkovski

British pubs have come out top in a list of what people would miss if they were to move abroad, a survey has found.

Licensees along Transpennine real ale trail defend decision to ban lager

30-May-2013 By Noli Dinkovski

Organisers of a famous Tranpennine real ale trail ‘hijacked’ by stag and hen parties have defended their decision to stop serving lager.

PMA backs national consumer campaign to help celebrate Britain's pubs

30-May-2013 By Michelle Perrett

The Publican’s Morning Advertiser is supporting a new national consumer campaign to celebrate Britain’s passion for pubs.

Two directors of BII have resigned for personal reasons

30-May-2013 By Rob Willock

Two directors of the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) have resigned in quick succession for personal reasons.

Licensees warned to check leases to obtain rent reduction

30-May-2013 By Gurjit Degun

A licensing lawyer has encouraged tenants and lessees to check their lease to see if they are eligible to renew their contract and obtain a rent reduction.

Fair Deal for Your Local to hold Save the Pub Rally in Westminster

29-May-2013 By Michelle Perrett

Fair Deal for Your Local is to hold a Save the Pub Rally in Westminster next Wednesday (5 June) to send a message to MPs and to the Government over the pubco-tenant relationship.

Provenance Inns acquires seventh site

29-May-2013 By John Harrington

Provenance Inns, the high-quality food-led operator led by Michael Ibbotson, has acquired its seventh site and is looking to “cherry-pick” future acquisitions.

BBPA: partnership approach vital in tackling late-night disorder

29-May-2013 By Michelle Perrett

The best way to tackle late-night disorder is via a partnership approach and not regulations such as the late-night levy (LNL) and early-morning restriction orders (EMROs), according to British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) public affairs director...

ALMR warns over pub apprenticeship funding gap

28-May-2013 By John Harrington

Take-up of apprenticeships in the pub sector is lower than elsewhere in hospitality because the funding available is significantly lower, the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) has told the Government.

Draft House secures sixth site and eyes new openings

28-May-2013 By John Harrington

Draft House, the London-based craft beer concept founded by Charlie McVeigh, plans to accelerate its opening programme next year after announcing its latest acquisition in the City.

TV celebrity Ricky Tomlinson signs up as CAMRA member

28-May-2013

Ricky Tomlinson is the latest member of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) after signing up at a regional beer festival.

Glasgow nightclub slammed for "sleazy, degrading" two-way mirror

24-May-2013 By Noli Dinkovski

A Glasgow nightclub has come under fire for installing a two-way mirror that allows customers to look into the women’s toilets.

Spirit Pub Company apprenticeships set to pass 1,000 mark

24-May-2013 By Noli Dinkovski

The number of people who are on or have completed an apprenticeship programme with Spirit Pub Company is set to pass the 1,000 mark.

Enterprise Inns tenant to hold ‘draught wake’ to mark end of the pub selling draught beer

24-May-2013 By Gurjit Degun

An Enterprise Inns tied tenant is set to hold a ‘draught wake’ at the beginning of June to mark the end of the pub selling draught beer.

Keith Knowles urges industry to support Perceptions career scheme

23-May-2013 By Michelle Perrett

Keith Knowles, chairman of the Perceptions Group, has urged more of the industry to come on board and support the scheme.

Woolwich attack: pubs expect continued disruption

23-May-2013 By Noli Dinkovski

Pubs in Woolwich are facing continued disruption following yesterday’s attack in which a young soldier was brutally murdered outside the Royal Artillery Barracks.

St Austell turnover breaks £100m mark

23-May-2013 By John Harrington

St Austell Brewery, the Cornish brewer and pub operator, saw turnover exceed £100m for the first time in its history in 2012 as it bought more pubs and sold more beer.

Young's to rebrand managed estate and beers

23-May-2013 By John Harrington

Young & Co’s Brewery will rebrand its Young's managed estate of 125 pubs over the next 24 months, as well as the range of ales it licenses to Charles Wells.

Increased food sales drive M&B profit growth

23-May-2013 By Mark Wingett

Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) has reported a 0.3% rise in like-for-like sales for the 28 weeks to 13 April and set out what it described as its 'five-star' approach to the market.

Former pubs minister Bob Neill accuses Enterprise Inns of "underhand behaviour"

22-May-2013 By Michelle Perrett

Former pubs minister Bob Neill has accused Enterprise Inns of deliberately “running down its estate” after it sold the Porcupine pub in Bromley to supermarket chain Lidl.

Star Pubs & Bars rolls out lessee business-building events

22-May-2013 By John Harrington

Star Pubs & Bars, the Heineken-owned leased pub operator, is set to run more business building and networking area meetings for its lessees.

Orchid grows sales in carvery pubs

21-May-2013 By M&C Report

Orchid, the managed operator, says it grew like-for-like sales in its carvery pubs by 3.5% over the last year.

BII Licensees of the Year back changes planned by chief executive Tim Hulme

21-May-2013 By Noli Dinkovski

The newly-crowned BII (British Institute of Innkeeping) Licensees of the Year have pledged to help bring the organisation “back to the hospitality industry” after scooping the award at a gala lunch in London last week.

Harveys launches pub tenant training

21-May-2013 By John Harrington

Harveys, the Sussex brewer and pub operator, has launched a new support package for its tenants.

Campaign to save Caledonia pub receives boost from Admiral Taverns

21-May-2013 By Noli Dinkovski

A campaign to save an historic Liverpool city-centre pub has received a boost after Admiral Taverns agreed to sell the leasehold as a going concern.

Botanic Inns pub package acquired by former owner

21-May-2013 By John Harrington

A package of pubs from the former Botanic Inns estate, which was placed into administration earlier this month, has been acquired by a new venture set up by ex-Botanic owner Stephen Magorrian called the Horatio Group.

Licensees in Lewes campaign over music festival re-admittance policy

21-May-2013 By Noli Dinkovski

Licensees in Lewes are campaigning for a major music festival in the town to change its strict no re-admittance policy after fears were raised that local businesses would suffer.

Living Room sale option considered

20-May-2013 By M&C Report

Premium Bars & Restaurants (PBR), owner of the Ultimate Leisure nightclub business, is exploring options for its 14-strong Living Room chain, including a possible sale, M&C Report has learnt.