Companies

JDW to invest more than £30m into new sites and refurbishments

09-Jul-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Pub giant JD Wetherspoon is pumping more than €21m (approximately £18.8m) into a new pub and hotel in Dublin, Ireland, while earmarking a further £12m for opening new pubs and refurbishments in existing sites - a total of around £30.8m.

Roxy Leisure to reopen 'booze and ball games' venues from 1 August

07-Jul-2020 By Stuart Stone

The operator behind the Roxy Ball Room, Roxy Lanes and Roxy Arcade concepts has revealed that its four venues in Leeds will offer entertainment ranging from bowling and beer pong to karaoke from 1 August.

St Austell boss calls for VAT, beer duty and business rates cut

07-Jul-2020 By Stuart Stone

The chief executive of Cornish brewer and pub operator St Austell has called upon the Chancellor for extended support for hospitality in his July Statement off the back of a “steady” return to trade post-lockdown.

Arc Inspirations to open third Box

07-Jul-2020 By Stuart Stone

Premium bar operator Arc Inspirations has lifted the lid on plans to launch its Box concept in Manchester.

How to Get a Chef Apprenticeship 101 – Everything You Need To Know!

07-Jul-2020 By The Morning Advertiser

‘How do I become a chef apprentice?’ is a question we hear all too frequently at The Morning Advertiser – fortunately we’ve been listening, and have compiled a guide that covers everything you need to know about how to become a chef with an apprenticeship,...

Kitchen Hierarchy: The Different Types of Chefs & Titles Explained

07-Jul-2020 By The Morning Advertiser

You’re unlikely to come across a lot of French job titles during your quest for employment, that is, unless you’re a professional chef – cue 19th-century Chef Georges Auguste Escoffier's French Brigade system (or Brigade de cuisine) as detailed in...

JDW confirms price hike on food and drink

06-Jul-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Pub giant JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has confirmed food and drink across its estate will see a rise in prices.

Prince William pops to the pub for a pint

06-Jul-2020 By Nicholas Robinson

Pubs received their biggest show of support prior to reopening on Saturday 4 July when HRH the Duke of Cambridge popped into the Rose & Crown in Snettisham, Norfolk, for a swift pint.

Hall & Woodhouse will keep two-metre distancing for reopening

03-Jul-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Brewer and operator Hall & Woodhouse has revealed details of its phased reopening plans including two-metre distanced tables, bookings of no more than six people and guests booking 90-minute periods.

MA's review of the week

‘First indicators’ of lockdown’s financial impact on the pub sector

03-Jul-2020 By Ed Bedington

In a new video series, The Morning Advertiser's (MA) editor Ed Bedington hosts a chat with a leading pub industry figure to find out what’s grabbed their attention from the week’s headlines.

Fuller’s to reopen more than 170 managed pubs in July

03-Jul-2020 By Stuart Stone

Pub and hotel operator Fuller, Smith & Turner has revealed that 27 of its sites will reopen on 4 July as the company begins the gradual resumption of trade across its estate.

M&B posts £121m loss as it prepares to reopen more than 1,500 sites

02-Jul-2020 By Stuart Stone

All Bar One owner Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) has reported a £121m pre-tax loss for the six months to 11 April as it readies 90% of its sites for post-lockdown trade in July.

Red Oak Taverns secures £2.6m Covid-19 standby facility

02-Jul-2020 By Stuart Stone

Nationwide pub operator Red Oak Taverns has received a £2.6m Covid-19 funding boost through the Government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).

Shepherd Neame banks £25m ahead of July restart

02-Jul-2020 By Stuart Stone

Kent-based brewer and pub operator Shepherd Neame has agreed a £25m borrowing facility through the Government’s Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS).

Revolution Bars to kick off phased reopening on 6 July

02-Jul-2020 By Stuart Stone

Revolution Bars Group has outlined plans to gradually reopen its 74-site stable post-lockdown with measures such as cashless payments and mobile ordering in place.

It’s all about the customers!

30-Jun-2020 By Ed Bedington

With pubs gearing up for independence day from next Saturday (4 July), The Morning Advertiser spoke to a group of operators to find out what it was they were most looking forward to when it comes to the industry getting back up and running.

Shepherd Neame to rename Black Boy pub after moniker deemed ‘not potentially welcoming’

30-Jun-2020 By Stuart Stone

Kent-based brewer and pub operator Shepherd Neame has confirmed that it will rename one of its pubs amid fears that it could be considered "unwelcoming" by customers.

Inception Group puts £25,000 behind the bar for NHS workers

30-Jun-2020 By Stuart Stone

London-based bar operator Inception Group has pledged to spread a £25,000 tab for NHS staff across its eclectic estate as part of reopening plans.

To open, or not to open…

29-Jun-2020 By Ed Bedington

Not all pubs will be flinging their doors open on Saturday 4 July, with many choosing to wait and see how the public reacts to the new situation.

St Austell Brewery to reopen more than 100 pubs on 4 July weekend

29-Jun-2020 By Stuart Stone

West Country brewer and pub operator St Austell Brewery has revealed that its entire managed estate will resume trading on 4 July.

Pub closures ‘stabilise’ despite Covid-19 shutdown

29-Jun-2020 By Stuart Stone

The latest figures on pub closures have revealed that the number of pubs in England and Wales calling final orders in the first half of 2020 remained flat year-on-year, despite the enforced closure in March.

Regional operator readies for staggered reopening

29-Jun-2020 By Emily Hawkins

East-Anglian pub operator Chestnut has used a survey of pubgoers to formulate a reopening strategy revolving around limited numbers and a focus on outdoor seating.

Marston's announces £40m hit to sales

26-Jun-2020 By Emily Hawkins

Pub company Marston's experienced a hit of £40m to sales due to the coronavirus lockdown, prompting its chief executive to say he was uncertain about how its pubs would perform in the short-term reopening period.

Ei tied tenants to get 75% rent credit for July

26-Jun-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Ei Publican Partnerships has revealed a “support package” for its tenants, which includes rent credit equivalent to 75% for July and 50% for August for all tied publicans on substantive agreements.

MA500

One-off July MA500 agenda revealed

25-Jun-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

The Morning Advertiser (MA) is set to host a special edition of the MA500 conference this summer, as pubs begin to reopen and adapt to the changed marketplace.

Young’s taps investors for £88.4m

25-Jun-2020 By Stuart Stone

London-based pub operator and brewer Young’s Pubs has raised gross proceeds of £88.4m through a share placing as it prepares to resume trading.

Flight Club to open all UK venues from 1 August

25-Jun-2020 By Stuart Stone

Social darts concept Flight Club has confirmed that its six UK sites – four in London and one in both Manchester and Birmingham – will open on 1 August.

Butcombe to reopen pubs from 8 July

25-Jun-2020 By Stuart Stone

Liberation Group owned brewer and pub operator Butcombe Brewing Co has revealed that three of its pubs will resume trading on 8 July as part of a staggered opening schedule.

Greene King to open three quarters of its managed pubs on 6 July

25-Jun-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Suffolk-based brewer and pub operator Greene King will open 1,294 of its managed pub estate two days after pubs are allowed to resume trading.

JDW raises almost £200m amid coronavirus crisis

24-Jun-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Pub behemoth JD Wetherspoon (JDW) raised a total of about £141m before fees, following a share placing in April 2020, it has announced in a business update.

Shepherd Neame to reopen almost 200 pubs in July

24-Jun-2020 By Stuart Stone

Kent-based brewer and pub operator Shepherd Neame expects to resume trading at least two thirds (190) of its pubs before the end of July, according to chief executive Jonathan Neame.

Timpson family acquires 16 Hospitality from administrators

24-Jun-2020 By Stuart Stone

The family behind nationwide shoe repair chain, Timpson, has tied up a deal for beleaguered pub operator 16 Hospitality for an undisclosed sum – saving almost 100 jobs in the process.

Post-lockdown trading down less than 20% year-on-year in Wells & Co's French sites

23-Jun-2020 By Stuart Stone

The first three weeks of post-lockdown trading in Wells & Co’s reopened sites across the English Channel have been described as “really encouraging” by the head of its French estate.

'Excitement tempered with trepidation' - how are publicans preparing for a July restart?

23-Jun-2020 By Emily Hawkins

Though excitement is building for the reopening of pubs, a number of operators have told The Morning Advertiser (MA) they are either reluctant or unable to open on the earmarked 4 July date even if allowed.

Star Pubs & Bars announces £250,000 post-lockdown pub support package

23-Jun-2020 By Stuart Stone

Heineken UK’s pub arm, Star Pubs & Bars, has announced plans to deliver point-of-sale, risk assessment support and supplier discounts to its 2,500 pubs as they prepare to resume trade after Covid-19 closure.

‘Bleak outlook’ from operators looking to bounce back in second half of 2020

22-Jun-2020 By Stuart Stone

While a survey by UKHospitality (UKH) found that pubs were the hospitality industry’s most optimistic sub-sector ahead of the resumption of trade in July, the overall picture suggests a long and painful recovery from Covid-19.

Oakman Inns ‘already fully booked on 4 July’

19-Jun-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Multiple operator Oakman Inns has received thousands more people viewing its website and bookings have soared, CEO Peter Borg-Neal told The Morning Advertiser (MA).

Everards rejects petition claims it has refused to rename ‘Black Boy’ pub

18-Jun-2020 By Stuart Stone

Family brewer and pub operator Everards of Leicestershire has disputed claims it has outright refused to change the name of one of its pubs amid concerns over racial connotations.

Hawthorn Leisure expects to recover less than half of deferred rent

18-Jun-2020 By Stuart Stone

The CEO of Hawthorn Leisure, Mark Davies, has revealed that the operator has made in the region of £6m from pub disposals during lockdown and is confident of recovering a further £1.7m in rent deferred from before 30 June.

Greene King labels founder profiting from slavery ‘inexcusable’

18-Jun-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Brewer and pub operator Greene King has described the revelation that one of its founders profited from 19th century slavery and argued against its abolition as “inexcusable”.

Government needs to ‘stop dithering’ on pub sector guidance, says Hawthorn boss

18-Jun-2020 By Stuart Stone

Hawthorn Leisure’s CEO Mark Davies has revealed that despite a lack of Government guidance on the safe reopening of pubs, three quarters (74%) of his company's tenants intend to press ahead with a 4 July restart.

Pubs in Guernsey and Jersey have ‘bounced back really well’ from lockdown

17-Jun-2020 By Stuart Stone

Early trading in reopened Liberation Group pubs on the Channel Islands suggests that Covid-19 lockdown hasn’t damaged consumer confidence despite stringent on-trade distancing measures.

Admiral Taverns launches online pub support platform

17-Jun-2020 By Stuart Stone

Community pub operator Admiral Taverns has launched a new online support platform to help the publicans behind its estate of around 1,000 sites prepare for life after lockdown.

Ei Group confirms 1m items of PPE for pubs

17-Jun-2020 By Stuart Stone

Ei Publican Partnerships has revealed plans to distribute 1m items of personal protective equipment (PPE) to its pub operators before sites reopen.

JDW ‘willing to consider’ new pub name due to slave trade connection

17-Jun-2020 By Stuart Stone

Pub giant JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has revealed it is open to the possibility of renaming one of its sites due to historic links with the slave trade.

Seafood Pub Company goes into administration

16-Jun-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Multi-award-winning pub group Seafood Pub Company has filed for administration

Shepherd Neame reveals reopening rent plan

15-Jun-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Kent brewer and operator Shepherd Neame has announced a phased rent proposal for its licensees after the anticipated reopening of pubs on 4 July.

Mitchells & Butlers secures additional £100m Covid-19 funding

12-Jun-2020 By Stuart Stone

Birmingham-based pub operator Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) has secured £100m as part of the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) – safeguarding approximately 45,000 jobs in the process.

Most operators need rent reduction of at least two fifths over next six months

12-Jun-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

The majority of operators need a minimum 41% rent reduction in order to trade for the rest of this year, new data has found.

More pandemic mergers and acquisitions possible if larger companies see subsidiaries as ‘distractions’

12-Jun-2020 By Stuart Stone

The co-founder of sourdough pizza and craft beer restaurant operator Three Joes believes the hospitality sector will "likely" see a flurry of merger and acquisition activity in the coming weeks as larger operators focus their attention on reopening...