Companies

Save The Pub Group Meeting: Full Audio Recording Part 2

14-Dec-2012

This is part 2 of the audio recording of last week's All-Party Parliamentary Save The Pub Group Meeting.

Save the Pub Group Meeting: Full Audio Recording

14-Dec-2012

The Publican's Morning Advertiser's story on last week's All-Party Parliamentary Save The Pub Group meeting has evoked strong feelings among a number of licensees. Today, we publish a full audio recording of the meeting as a service to...

Punch Taverns performance 'in line with expectations'

14-Dec-2012 By M&C Report

Punch Taverns has this morning said that its average profit per pub is stable and overall profit performance is in line with management expectations, while discussions regarding a financial restructuring of the business were ongoing.

Publican secures 40% rent reduction with Punch

14-Dec-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Brewer and pub operator Nick Davis of Hobsons brewery has secured a 40% rent reduction with Punch Taverns.

BBPA announces restructure – Rawlings and King leaving

13-Dec-2012 By Lesley Foottit

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) is restructuring with two long-serving employees leaving at the end of this year.

ALMR operations manager of the year award winners announced

13-Dec-2012

Donny McIntyre of Spirit Pub Company and Heike Funke of Punch Taverns are this year’s Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers’ (ALMR) Area Manager and Business Development Manager of the Year.

Pub chef opinion: Ten things to remember before Xmas day

13-Dec-2012 By Brian Baker

I always think I’m organised, but in truth I never am. This year I made an exception and wrote a checklist of things to do NOW rather than leave it until Christmas Eve, so here we go

Enterprise is making too many assumptions on tenant takings

13-Dec-2012 By Simon Clarke

Following last week’s piece, “Enterprise claims increased taxation is biggest threat to tenant profitability”, for the sake of balance, a response is in order.

New chief gives BII a sporting chance

13-Dec-2012

It seems new BII (British Institute of Innkeeping) chief exec Tim Hulme is something of a dark horse.

Mitchells & Butlers reveals some Sizzling designs

13-Dec-2012 By M&C Report

Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), the managed operator, has revealed some new design ideas for Sizzling Pubs at its Smithy’s Forge site at Walsall in the West Midlands.

CAMRA beer duty rally: MPs and speakers give their views on the beer duty escalator

12-Dec-2012 By The PMA Team

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) mass lobby saw a range of speakers rally against the beer duty escalator.

CAMRA beer duty rally: Escalator is "crippling the industry" says MP Andrew Griffiths

12-Dec-2012 By Gurjit Degun

The rally to scrap the beer duty escalator has kicked off with pro-pubs MP Andrew Griffiths saying that the measure is “crippling the industry”.

CAMRA stats show regular pub visitors down 3 million since beer duty escalator introduced

12-Dec-2012 By Adam Pescod

The number of regular pub goers in the UK has declined by 3 million people since the beer duty escalator was introduced in 2008, according to new figures from the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA).

Would you Adam and Eve it? Two million pints, not out

12-Dec-2012

A Cheltenham landlady has decided to call last orders on her career at the ripe old age of 80, reliably informing Snifter that she is probably Britain’s oldest 'working' landlady.

Yellowhammer Bars cuts estate to 17 sites

12-Dec-2012 By Mark Wingett

Yellowhammer Bars, which is run by Volante Management, has undergone a strategic review that has seen its late-night venue estate cut to 17 sites.

MPs attack Enterprise and BBPA over delays to pubco code of practice

12-Dec-2012 By Gurjit Degun & Michelle Perrett

Version six of the Industry Framework Code, set up to improve the pubco-tenant relationship, is expected to be signed off by the end of 2012 but full implementation is unlikely before the middle of next year, British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA)...

Town and Country Inns hit by restructuring costs

11-Dec-2012 By M&C Report

Town & Country Inns, the bar business led by entrepreneur Keith Williams, has reported a loss in the year to 31 May after incurring exceptional costs in relation to a “significant restructuring”.

Stonegate Pub Company invests £2m across the West Midlands

11-Dec-2012 By John Harrington

Stonegate, the managed pub operator, has invested £2m across its 38 pubs and nightclubs in the West Midlands in the past year, creating 63 jobs in the process.

Cosy Club to open fifth site in Cardiff

11-Dec-2012 By John Harrington

Loungers, the fast-growing café/bar-restaurant group backed by private equity firm Piper, has opened a fifth site under its Cosy Club brand in Cardiff, its biggest to date and 28th overall.

Minimum pricing won’t make alcohol expensive

11-Dec-2012 By Mark Daniels

So I seem to have spent much of the last ten days fending off questions from customers about just what the Minimum Price legislation would mean to them. It’s amusing to watch how a little bit of pub maths and a lot of hyperbole can make somebody’s perception...

Kent pub puts 'up' its Xmas tree, literally

10-Dec-2012

The Royal Hotel in Sheerness, Kent, has literally turned Christmas on its head this year by putting its tree on the ceiling.

Pub operators join forces to launch work placement initiative

10-Dec-2012 By M&C Report

Pub and bar operators across the country have launched a new initiative aimed at creating 15,000 work placements for young people in a drive to showcase the career options that are available throughout the industry.

Red Oak Taverns eyes tenants for three pub sites

10-Dec-2012 By M&C Report

Red Oak Taverns, the company set up by two former associates of Robert Tchenguiz, is seeking tenants for the first handful of pubs it has invested in out of the 32 it acquired at the start of this year.

Enterprise claims increased taxation is biggest threat to tenant profitability

06-Dec-2012 By Rob Willock

Enterprise Inns caused much derision and some cynical comments on the PMA’s online forum when it announced last month that the average Enterprise licensee achieves a profit of £45,000 a year (including a £10,000 estimate of the value of accommodation),...

Licensee slams Punch Taverns' insurance matching promise as "dishonest"

06-Dec-2012 By Adam Pescod

A multiple operator has slammed Punch Taverns’ ‘price-matching’ promise on building insurance as “dishonest”.

Pub is the Hub launches new fund to help pubs diversify

06-Dec-2012 By Michelle Perrett

Pub is the Hub has announced the launch of the New Community Services Fund to help UK pubs to diversify into new services for their own communities.

Bids submitted for Drake & Morgan sale

05-Dec-2012 By M&C Report

A mixture of private equity groups and trade buyers are believed to have shown an interest in Drake & Morgan, the highly-regarded bar-restaurant operator.

Eclectic to launch cocktail bar chain

05-Dec-2012 By M&C Report

Eclectic Clubs & Bars, the Avanti Capital-backed operator, is developing a third strand to its operations with plans for a new cocktail bar brand called Dirty Blonde.

Publicans reminded to follow employment laws at all times

05-Dec-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Licensees are being warned to make sure they comply with employment laws before sacking a member of staff, or face losing an unfair dismissal case.

Punch Taverns holds second National Partner Forum for its tenants

04-Dec-2012 By Adam Pescod

Punch Taverns licensees from across the UK attended a National Partner Forum last month to discuss issues about their business with fellow Punch Partners and senior figures in the company.

Greene King reports strong like-for-like sales

04-Dec-2012 By John Harrington

Greene King, the brewer and pub operator, has reported a 4.3% rise in like-for-like sales in its managed retail division in the 24 weeks to 14 October, while total revenue in the period grew 7.3% to £566.2m.

Pub chef opinion: Don't indulge the 'Daves' of this world

04-Dec-2012 By Sam Cornwall-Jones

Somewhere down the line in a younger life, when my beard was more ginger than grey, the following was explained to me in no uncertain terms. It made sense back then and every few months I still mull it over now.

Pub visits increase in the six months to October

03-Dec-2012 By Mark Wingett

The frequency of visits to pubs whether for a drink or a meal climbed slightly to 4.7 times (spring 4.6 times) in the six months to October, making up 23% of the going out market, according to the latest Taste of the Nation survey by Deloitte.

Novus reports strong earnings and eyes expansion

30-Nov-2012 By John Harrington

Novus Leisure, the premium bar and restaurant operator, has reported a 50% increase in EBITDA to £16.7m for the year to 27 June 2012, and said it was engaged in a “number of processes” regarding adding further sites to its 52-strong estate.

Marston's reports strong full-year results

29-Nov-2012 By John Harrington

Marston’s, the brewer and pub operator, has reported a 9.2% rise in underlying pre-tax profits to £87.8m in the year to 29 September, and announced that chairman David Thompson is to retire.

FLVA calls on Enterprise Inns to soften its rent review strategy

29-Nov-2012 By Michelle Perrett

The Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations (FLVA) has challenged Enterprise Inns to soften its rent-review strategy in the wake of its claim that average licensee income is £45,000 per annum.

BII (British Institute of Innkeeping) reveals new chief executive

29-Nov-2012 By Rob Willock

The BII (British Institute of Innkeeping) has recruited a new chief executive to take over from Peter Thomas, who will stand down at the end of March next year.

Pub trade associations welcome new apprenticeships review

28-Nov-2012 By Adam Pescod

Pub trade associations have welcomed the publication of a new report which calls on the Government to improve the quality of apprenticeships and make them more focused on the needs of employers.

Truman’s Brewery eyes pub estate

28-Nov-2012 By M&C Report

Truman’s Brewery, the London-based enterprise re-established in 2010 by Michael-George Hemus and James Morgan, is eyeing plans to establish a pub estate after securing a new brewery site.

Thorley Taverns halves it losses

28-Nov-2012 By M&C Report

Thorley Taverns, the Kent-based pub, restaurant and hotel operator, has placed a couple of sites on the market and is planning some major refurbishments after seeing its pre-tax losses halve in the year to 30 June.

Swindon Pubwatch scheme sees 58% reduction in drink-related crime

28-Nov-2012 By Gurjit Degun

The introduction of a Night Safe programme in Swindon has led to a 58% reduction in drink-related crime in October compared with the same period last year.

Greene King chief executive Rooney Anand reiterates his support for minimum pricing

27-Nov-2012 By John Harrington

Greene King chief executive Rooney Anand has reiterated his support for introducing a minimum price for alcohol ahead of the Government’s expected consultation on the measure.

Mitchells and Butlers reports like-for-like sales increase

27-Nov-2012 By John Harrington

Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), the managed operator, has reported a 2.1% rise in like-for-like sales in the year to 29 September, a year in which the company said it has initiated "significant cultural change".

The Big Interview: Tim Burrows, BII director of education and training

27-Nov-2012

He likes to have a laugh, but that didn’t stop Tim Burrows from plunging into the doom and gloom of the pub industry. Phil Mellows meets the new man brightening things up at the BII

Flooded pubs fear Xmas closure as adverse weather hits UK

26-Nov-2012 By Gurjit Degun & Adam Pescod

The adverse weather conditions of the past week have hit pubs hard, with some fearing they will not be up and running in time for Christmas.

North London licensee convicted for using domestic Sky card to show football in pub

26-Nov-2012 By Adam Pescod

A north London licensee has been convicted and ordered to pay over £8,000 for illegally using a domestic Sky card to show live football in his pub.

National Pubwatch founder Malcolm Eidmans dies

26-Nov-2012 By Michelle Perrett

One of the founders of National Pubwatch (NPW) Malcolm Eidmans died over the weekend, after a period of illness.   

Pub visits fall but customer spend per visit on the rise

26-Nov-2012 By Mark Wingett

The rising cost of visiting pubs and restaurants means people are spending more per visit, but going out less, according to new research.

Fuller's reports 4% half-year pre-tax profit increase

23-Nov-2012

Fuller’s, the London-based brewer and pub operator, saw revenues grow 8% to £137.9m and adjusted pre-tax profit increase 4% to £17.1m in the 26 weeks to 29 September, a period it described as an “extraordinary six months”, and revealed that it has spent...

Licensees in North East support minimum unit pricing for alcohol

23-Nov-2012 By Michelle Perrett

The sale of cheap alcohol in supermarkets is the key reason for the declining trade in pubs a survey by Balance, the North East Alcohol Office, has stated.