Companies

What the Sunday papers said

21-Aug-2005

The FT reports that the 'massive shareholder revolt' at Ultimate Leisure, which has seen the departure of the late night operator's senior...

Ultimate Leisure bosses step down

20-Aug-2005

Shareholders in troubled late night operator Ultimate Leisure have forced the resignation of founder and chairman Allan Rankin, along with other key...

The leash loosens

18-Aug-2005

Managed operator JD Wetherspoon is showing signs of greater operational flexibility as it tries to drive sales. It's even letting its managers try...

Pubs in Scotland to lose grandfather rights

18-Aug-2005

Pubs in Scotland face losing their grandfather rights when its new licensing regime comes into force in 2007.Calls by the trade for the Scottish...

Solution to an age-old problem

18-Aug-2005

As part of our Responsible Drinks Retailing initiative we will be providing tips and advice on best practice to improve standards in pubs. This week...

Who said the

18-Aug-2005

war is over? Step into the Albion in Chester and order one of its 'trench rations and you'd think that the Great War was still on all thanks to more...

New mindset on alcohol

18-Aug-2005

Andrew Pring, Editor At last, some sanity in Government thinking on binge drinking and on three counts. Firstly, judges are being told to pass far...

Chequers' bid for extra hours hit by 'hate mail'

18-Aug-2005

by John Harrington The pub where football legend George Best famously fell off the waggon has been dogged by a 'hate mail campaign against plans to...

Just two weeks remain to air

18-Aug-2005

your views on smoking bans by Andrew Pring Licensees have just over two weeks left to influence the Government's smoking-in-pubs plans. Hundreds of...

High-street pubs limit extra drinking hours

18-Aug-2005

by Tony Halstead Major high-street pub operators have limited their new drinking hours applications to between one and two extra hours. A straw poll...

North meets South as chefs trade skills

17-Aug-2005

Top chefs have joined forces with food developers, catering suppliers and farmers to share their passion for quality beef and lamb.Hosted by the...

Market Report 2005 reveals upbeat mood of pub trade

15-Aug-2005

Pubs are in an upbeat mood, with nine out of 10 licensees expecting to see business boosted or maintained in the year ahead.The Publican Market...

What the Sunday papers said

15-Aug-2005

Binge drinkers will be targeted by a government advertising campaign which will attempt to shame them out of overdoing it when pub hours are extended...

Greene King directors earn £1.4m in bonuses

11-Aug-2005

by The PMA Team Greene King directors earned record bonuses of £1.4m in the wake of its £654m acquisition of Laurel Pub Company, according to the...

The rescuers

11-Aug-2005

CAMRA's new pub preservation initiative is all set on helping tight-knit communities hang on to their local pub. James Wilmore reports.In our...

Pubs reap benefits of the Ashes factor

11-Aug-2005

There was no sticky wicket for pub sales in Birmingham as thousands of cricket fans descended on the city for the Ashes Test match. Licensees...

A Canterbury tale

11-Aug-2005

The trade forced local authorities to back down when it recently won a landmark High Court victory over Canterbury's over-zealous interpretation of...

Are top flight professional soccer players overpaid?

11-Aug-2005

Anita Adams The Golden Slipper, York 'Yes, they are overpaid and probably under-worked. If they earn their pay, fair enough, but I think these...

Youth accused of murdering Punch host

11-Aug-2005

An 18-year-old youth has been charged with murder following the death of licensee Bob Todd near his pub in Pucklechurch, Gloucestershire, last...

Thousands miss out on grandfather rights

11-Aug-2005

by Ewan Turney About 6,000 pubs have lost their grandfather rights after failing to submit their premises licence applications before the 6 August...

What the Sunday papers said

07-Aug-2005

Thousands of members of the public worried about the prospect of binge drinking in their neighbourhoods are trying to shutter problem pubs and bars....

London pubs recover after terror attacks

04-Aug-2005

London pubs suffered a significant two-day drop in trade immediately following the blasts of July 7, according to Fancyapint.com's daily visitor...

The world is changing fast for independent operators

04-Aug-2005

As well as suggesting that freetraders are taking a more hands-on approach in overseeing the running of their businesses, our survey reveals a...

Time was finally called on Slug & Lettuce operator SFI Group

04-Aug-2005

It came as no big surprise when SFI Group slid into administration last month. This was a company that had been in intensive care since late 2002...

Pub couple in hammer-gang terror

04-Aug-2005

A gang threatened a couple with a claw hammer before stealing thousands of pounds from the pub where they worked. The couple had just left JD...

Interpub to convert warship in £10m plan

04-Aug-2005

by Ewan Turney The Royal Navy's longest serving warship is set to become one of the biggest licensed hospitality retail spaces in the country....

Hopes and fears for future

04-Aug-2005

Food is seen as the main growth area, while red tape tops the problems, but most feel they have a secure future at their pub Prospects for the year...

Employment stays static

04-Aug-2005

While staffing levels in independent pubs haven't altered since the last survey, the number of licensees experiencing problems in retaining staff has...

Incentivise your chef - Viewpoint

01-Aug-2005

Do you think enough incentives are offered to chefs working in the pub industry? Kim Scicluna, Licensee/chef, the Sun Inn, Feering, nr Colchester,...

Incentivise your chef - Stop your chef jumping ship

01-Aug-2005

Keeping a happy team in the kitchen is essential to running a successful food pub. Mark Taylor looks at how pub owners encourage their chefs to stay...

Battle of the BBQs - Chefs on Fire

01-Aug-2005 By John Harrington, Jo Bruce

The heat was on when PubChef staged its Battle of the BBQs competition, where finalists fought for a trip to the US. John Harrington and Jo Bruce...

Great Pub Chefs - Building Business the Hard Way - Brent Castle

01-Aug-2005 By Nigel Huddleston

When the workmen failed to complete his pub extension in time for a wedding booking, chef and owner Brent Castle knuckled down to finish the work...

What the Sunday papers said

31-Jul-2005

Binge drinking and taking recreational drugs are largely to blame for making women vulnerable to sexual attacks, not date rape drugs. A study by the...

Fixed penalties for Brighton flyposters

31-Jul-2005

Brighton and Hove City Council has 'named and shamed the worst venues for illegal flyposting. This is in response to a recent surge in pubs and clubs...

Public urged to report pubs that serve drunks

31-Jul-2005

by Ewan Turney Hinckley police are urging the public to shop licensees who serve drunks and fuel binge drinking. The new initiative is aimed at...

Brewers accused of 'questionable' tactics in Russian row

29-Jul-2005

Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) has strongly denied any suggestions of wrongdoing following allegations that it acted "questionably" over a...

Licensees call for clarification over Scottish hours

29-Jul-2005

Trade associations across Scotland have joined forces to call on the Scottish Executive to reassure the trade over its new licensing laws.The...

Grass isn't always greener

28-Jul-2005

The PMA Team, Deputy Editor Who could be blamed for casting an envious eye at the guy running the managed pub down the road? The grass can often seem...

To the rescue

28-Jul-2005

When Mercury Management sets its sights on its latest project there's no stopping until its core values have been firmly instilled. Hamish Champ...

Licensees' fury over council's backing for blanket ban

28-Jul-2005

Licensees in the London borough of Camden are furious that local councillors have come out in favour of a blanket smoking ban. In response to a...

Whittome's winner

28-Jul-2005

Having become a millionaire from selling potatoes, Paul Whittome bought the Hoste Arms as a property investment but it soon became a passion. MAX...

Taking the fear

28-Jul-2005

out of finance Starting out in business can be a daunting prospect for even the most upbeat of characters, but, as GRAHAM RIDOUT explains, proper...

Man accused of pub firearm charges

28-Jul-2005

A man has been charged in connection with an apparent armed siege at a Worcester pub. A man was seen holding a gun inside the King's Head pub in...

Pubco bosses face new select committee probe

28-Jul-2005

by Tony Halstead Pubco bosses could face a second round of grilling by MPs after it was revealed that last summer's Trade & Industry Select...

Licensees warned over utility contract charges

28-Jul-2005

by Ewan Turney Licensees have been warned not to let their utility contracts lapse because they could face mammoth charges. The warning comes as one...

JDW spices up curry offer

28-Jul-2005

by Tony Halstead JD Wetherspoon has expanded its Thursday night Curry Club menu with the addition of seven new dishes. The extra choice will mean up...

Independent hosts set

28-Jul-2005

to fall prey to deadline by Tony Halstead Thousands of independent pubs, clubs and bars are set to miss the boat as the deadline for new licence...

Pubs braced for loss of tourist trade in wake of attacks

27-Jul-2005

Pubs are bracing themselves for a sharp downturn in tourism as fears of a sustained terror campaign mount. Research carried out by the Tourism...

Westminster's young chefs take Toque d'Or

27-Jul-2005

The team from London's Westminster Kingsway College hopes to follow in the footsteps of Anton Mosimann and Jamie Oliver after being named winner of...