BII NITA winners announced
21-Jan-2009 By James Wilmore
Winners of the BII's 2008 NITA awards, which recognise training excellence, have been announced today. Among the winners - also to be unveiled via a...
M&B's Mike Bramley to retire
21-Jan-2009 By Hamish Champ
Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) has announced the imminent retirement of Mike Bramley, head of the group's pubs and bars division.Bramley has been...
21-Jan-2009 By John Harrington
JD Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin says the pubco model is "unsustainable" because tenants are charged too much for beer. Tenants can't compete with...
21-Jan-2009 By Ewan Turney
Mitchells & Butlers managing director of Pubs and Bars Mike Bramley is to retire on 30 April 2008.
21-Jan-2009 By Ewan Turney
The Fair Pint campaign has re-assured tied lessees that they won't lose their pubs if their pubco goes in to administration. As the economic climate...
Clear Pub Company founders split
20-Jan-2009 By Ewan Turney
The founders of Clear Pub Company, one of Punch's largest multiple operators, have dissolved their partnership.
Ailing pub businesses not addressing problems in time
20-Jan-2009 By Hamish Champ
Many pub businesses facing commercial collapse have not helped themselves by failing to address their problems in time, according to latest...
John Dunsmore joins Fuller's
20-Jan-2009 By Hamish Champ
Fuller, Smith & Turner has appointed John Dunsmore, ex-Scottish and Newcastle (S&N) boss, as a non-executive director.The move is a coup for...
JD Wetherspoon scraps dividend and cuts capex
20-Jan-2009 By Hamish Champ
Despite announcing positive trading figures over Christmas - news which boosted the group's shares by more than 14 per cent today - managed pub...
CAMRA sends SOS to members
20-Jan-2009 By Matt Eley Matt
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has launched a new support service in the wake of the pub closure rate accelerating. 'Save Our Pubs' is a new...
Credit crunching - Tayto takeover for Jonathan Crisp
20-Jan-2009
The Northern Ireland-based Tayto Group has acquired the Jonathan Crisp brand, further adding to its snack empire.The deal for the upmarket crisp...
20-Jan-2009 By Ewan Turney
Enterprise chief operating officer Simon Townsend said he would be "very disappointed" if any of its lessees attend a planned protest without first...
20-Jan-2009 By Ewan Turney
JD Wetherspoon has suspended future dividend payments to shareholders and decided to "substantially" reduce its capital expenditure programme on new...
Mark Daniels: Taking Responsibility for the Irresponsibility
19-Jan-2009
He was preceded by Gordon Brown who, between bouts of sucking on his bottom lip, tried to make the fact that he was going to use taxpayers' money...
Punch suffers body blows in a week to forget
19-Jan-2009 By Hamish Champ
Punch Taverns' numbers were worse than many were expecting, (see below) to the extent that at one stage its shares sank more than 22 per cent on the...
Hamish Champ: C'mon Giles. Roll them sleeves up!
19-Jan-2009 By Hamish Champ
Punch Taverns' troubles were understandably the talk of the industry last week.With profits tumbling and its share price following suit the fate of...
Polycarbonates with unit labels hit pubs
19-Jan-2009 By James Wilmore
Pubs and bars in Blackpool are being encouraged to use polycarbonate pint and wine glasses that display the number of alcohol units customers are...
Punch Taverns removes 140 BRMs from redundancy talks
19-Jan-2009 By Hamish Champ
Punch Taverns today revealed it has taken 140 business relationship managers (BRMs) out of its ongoing consultation process.The pubco is looking to...
Pubs closing at rate of 39 per week
19-Jan-2009 By Matt Eley Matt
The number of pubs closing per week in Britain has accelerated to a staggering 39 per week. The figures, compiled by CGA Strategy for the British...
Hunger strike publican launches countrywide pub tour
19-Jan-2009
A publican who went on hunger strike to protest at his eviction is to step up his campaign to save the trade by going on a pub tour throughout the...
19-Jan-2009 By Ewan Turney
Punch Taverns will welcome any of its lessees attending the protest outside its HQ next week in for a coffee and a chat. Frustrated licensees are...
19-Jan-2009 By Ewan Turney
The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) has launched a new website to advise the public of how to save their pub.
19-Jan-2009 By Ewan Turney
Pubs are now closing at the rate of six every day and more will follow if the Government presses ahead with plans for a mandatory code on alcohol...
'Road safety group demands cut in blood alcohol limit'
18-Jan-2009
"The Road Safety Authority (RSA) unveiled plans last week to cut road accidents involving young motorists by banning learners from the roads at...
16-Jan-2009 By Peter Linacre
It might not seem it, but these might be the very best of times for operators looking to seize opportunities, says Peter Linacre.
16-Jan-2009 By John Harrington
Punch Taverns is thought to have agreed to reduce a licensee's rent and offered discounts of £12,505 a year after proposing a 51% rent increase.
16-Jan-2009 By Roger Protz
The demise of the Stag Brewery has evoked mixed feelings among the cask fraternity, says Roger Protz.
16-Jan-2009 By John Harrington
Pubcos defended their treatment of tenants and rejected calls for the beer tie to be scrapped during a heated hearing in December.
Retailers launch Challenge 25
15-Jan-2009
The retail industry is launching new measures to prevent the sale of alcohol by and for under-18s.Under the new initiative, Challenge 25, people over...
15-Jan-2009 By Ewan Turney
Punch's day of woe finished with share prices reaching an all time low of 39.75p — a drop of over 30% — one analyst warned they may hit 10p.
14-Jan-2009 By Ewan Turney
Britain's pubs and bars enjoyed a welcome Christmas boost but there are fears the year ahead could be dire, according to a poll of ALMR members.
14-Jan-2009 By The PMA Team
A total of 1,200 Punch licensees are currently receiving special support from the company at a cost of £1.6m a month, the pubco says.
14-Jan-2009 By The PMA Team
Spirit, the managed division of Punch Taverns, will not respond to the 99p-a-pint offer from JD Wetherspoon, according to boss Mike Tye. The company...
Punch Taverns to make up to 100 head office staff redundant
14-Jan-2009 By Hamish Champ
Punch Taverns is to make up to 100 head office staff redundant as part of a cost cutting programme.The UK's largest pub operator is set to start...
Licensees slam events red-tape
14-Jan-2009
Licensees in London are fighting police efforts to have details of every live music or entertainment event staged in a pub recorded in a bid to step...
Punch shares fall by more than a fifth
14-Jan-2009 By Hamish Champ
Punch Taverns shares were down more than 20 per cent today after revealing leased pub profits had fallen sharply in the 20 weeks to January 10,...
Christmas cheer for managed operators
14-Jan-2009 By James Wilmore
Managed operators enjoyed brisk business over the festive period - with nearly 60 per cent reporting a rise in like-for-like sales pre and...
Punch Taverns sees leased pub profits fall 12 per cent
14-Jan-2009 By Hamish Champ
Profits across Punch Taverns' leased and tenanted pub estate have slumped 12 per cent in recent months, despite "improved trading" over Christmas.The...
Morrissey and Fox link with Comic Relief
14-Jan-2009 By James Wilmore
Celebrity brewers and licensees Neil Morrissey and Richard Fox are working together for Red Nose Day 2009 - and will be donating a slice of the...
Licensee to raffle £350,000 freehouse
14-Jan-2009
A licensee has launched a raffle with a pub as the star prize after trying to sell the lease for more than a year. Oceans Inns Company Ltd is giving...
14-Jan-2009 By John Harrington
Campaigners in London are fighting police calls for licensees to provide detailed information every time a live music event is staged.
14-Jan-2009 By Ewan Turney
Profit from Punch's leased and tenanted pubs plummeted 12% on last year for the 20 weeks to 10 January. Britain's largest pubco said trading...
'Citigroup warns of a grim night out at the pub for years'
13-Jan-2009
Citigroup has predicted trading for the industry is likely to continue deteriorating as shares tumbled on Punch Taverns, Enterprise Inns, Mitchell...
Marston's confirms bank financing extension
13-Jan-2009 By Hamish Champ
Midlands brewer Marston's has confirmed the completion of an extension to its bank financing facility, first announced last month. The brewer's bank...
Pub helps save tourists stranded on cliff
13-Jan-2009
A pub came to the rescue of two Frenchmen and their dog who were stranded on a Cornwall cliff. Sue Sleight, manager of St Austell pub, the Port...
13-Jan-2009 By Ewan Turney
Cornish brewer St Austell opened its new distribution centre today, which will supply over 2,000 pubs, clubs and hotels in the region. The purpose...
13-Jan-2009 By Ewan Turney
Super-regional brewer and operator Marston's has agreed an extension to its banking facilities until August 2013. The facility, agreed with a...
13-Jan-2009 By Ewan Turney
The average spend per head on pub meals dropped 8.6% on last year to £13.42 in the run-up to Christmas — a level not seen since December 2003 —...
A half-decent Christmas and New Year then?
12-Jan-2009 By Hamish Champ
A ring round of managed pub operators to get a sense of Christmas and New Year business proved a rather fruitless exercise last week. While a handful...
Disgruntled licensees plan pubco protest
12-Jan-2009 By Matt Eley Matt
More than 100 licensees are expected to descend on the offices of the country's leading pubcos in a protest at what they believe is unfair treatment....
