Companies

Old Spot Pub Company increases portfolio to 10 sites

11-Nov-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

Ei Managed Investments joint venture the Old Spot Pub Company has taken on a new site in Uxbridge, increasing its portfolio of pubs to 10 venues.

‘We are called a cult for good reason’

11-Nov-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

Peach Pubs’ Hamish Stoddart has lofty ambitions for the business and is eager to take a bigger bite

Big interview

'Time capsule' concepts can help bring the pub into the 21st century

11-Nov-2019 By Stuart Stone

Known for its stylish and innovative venues, Inception Group has 11 sites, with more planned. Here, co-founder Charlie Gilkes tell us how the operation began, where the ideas come from and what to expect in the future

Appetite for expansion: Harrogate-based pubco aiming at 10-site target

07-Nov-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

Business is really taking off at Appetite for Life as the group eyes further growth.

Ei Publican Partnerships contributes £140k for pub refurb

06-Nov-2019 By Alice Leader

Ei Publican Partnerships has joined forces with pub group Sheldon Inns to pump £180,000 into a reviving the Chequers Inn pub.

The Inn Collection Group to add 40-bed pub to portfolio

05-Nov-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

Award-winning multiple operator The Inn Collection Group has been given the go-ahead for a 40-bedroom site on the seafront.

Marston’s vows to remove half a million plastic bottles

05-Nov-2019 By Alice Leader

In its bid to fight for sustainability, Marston’s has pledged to remove 500,000 plastic bottles and cups from its Inns estate by the end of 2019.

Marston’s sells 137 pubs for £45m

04-Nov-2019 By Alice Leader

Marston’s has sold 137 pubs to Admiral Taverns in an “exciting acquisition” for £44.9m.

GK’s exclusive tips guide for the best Christmas

01-Nov-2019 By Alice Leader

Greene King Pub Partners has published a new guide packed with hints and tips to inspire its leased and tenanted partners to make the most of the festive season.

Greene King pub turns rating around after former ‘rat infestation’

31-Oct-2019 By Alice Leader

A Greene King pub hopes its new four-star rating will “restore the local community’s confidence” after being under investigation due to a “rat infestation”.

Greene King deal completed

31-Oct-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

The £2.7bn deal for Greene King to be taken on by Hong Kong company CK Bidco has now been completed with the pubco’s share listing now cancelled on the London Stock Exchange, The Morning Advertiser’s sister title MCA has reported.

JDW says Brexit beer mats were illegal claims are ‘truly pathetic’

29-Oct-2019 By Alice Leader

JD Wetherspoon (JDW) chairman Tim Martin has hit back at claims that his pro-leave Brexit beer mats were in breach of company law for failing to seek shareholder approval before the EU referendum.

JD Wetherspoon joins charity's accessible toilets campaign

29-Oct-2019 By Emily Hawkins

JD Wetherspoon has installed signs in its toilets that support the charity Crohn’s & Colitis UK and its Not Every Disability is Visible campaign.

JDW 'best hotel group' in UK

28-Oct-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

JD Wetherspoon (JDW) was rated one of the best hotel chains in the UK, according to review site Which?.

JDW offers alternative to university

24-Oct-2019 By Alice Leader

JD Wetherspoon (JDW) is sponsoring apprenticeships to boost the training and career opportunities for its existing staff as well as attract new team members.

Oakman Inns launches managed contracts division

24-Oct-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Multiple site operator Oakman Inns has formed a managed contracts division called Ashmore Inns.

Fuller’s acquires Cotswold pubs package for £40m

23-Oct-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Pub chain Fuller’s has acquired a collection of pub and hotel sites in the Cotswolds in a £40m deal.

Admiral completes acquisition of 150 Star pubs

22-Oct-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

The acquisition of 150 tenanted community Star Pubs & Bars sites by Admiral Taverns has now been completed.

Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs

How to create an award-winning gastropub

22-Oct-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

After just two-and-a-half years, Liam Dillon – chef-owner of Lichfield’s the Boat Inn – has established an admirable reputation for his Staffordshire gastropub.

Food-led sites to drive pub and bar growth past £19bn mark

21-Oct-2019 By Stuart Stone

According to the latest report by chartered accountancy firm Gerald Edelman, the food-led pub sector is expected to stabilise overall industry performance in the coming years.

Five lessons from Stonegate’s success

18-Oct-2019 By Simon Longbottom

Five years and 12 major acquisitions after chief executive Simon Longbottom joined the business, Stonegate Pub Company is on the cusp of becoming the UK’s largest pub operator. Here he reveals five lessons underpinning the company’s growth.

Charity thanks pub chains for promoting staff support

18-Oct-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Staff support organisation the Licensed Trade Charity (LTC) has praised two pub chains for their work promoting the charity’s grants to their employees.

Mosaic Pub & Dining: a picture of health

17-Oct-2019 By Georgi Gyton

Having reached close to 30 sites over the past four years, MCA Insight’s Georgi Gyton met with the joint chief executives of Mosaic Pub & Dining to find out more about the pub operators’ growth so far and what the future holds.

Loungers revenue increases by 22%

16-Oct-2019 By Stuart Stone

Loungers’ ‘broad, value-for-money proposition across multiple occasions’ has yielded year-on-year increases in both revenue and like-for-like sales according to its latest trading update.

Reducing net debt by £200m is Marston’s ‘principal focus’

15-Oct-2019 By Stuart Stone

Alongside a sixth consecutive increase in annual like-for-like sales, Marston’s revealed net debt of £1.39bn.

Maintaining price point key for gastropubs’ future

15-Oct-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Peach Pubs managing director Hamish Stoddart said maintaining accessible prices and competing against the lure of the stay-at-home economy are the biggest challenges for gastropubs.

CMA investigating Stonegate/Ei Group merger

14-Oct-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating the anticipated acquisition by of Ei Group by Stonegate Pub Company.

GK staff consider strike action after ‘insulting’ pay offer

11-Oct-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Greene King staff will vote on whether to take strike action after its union dubbed the company’s approach to pay negotiations “insulting”.

Big interview

'Please judge us on our track record' says Stonegate boss

11-Oct-2019 By Ed Bedington

It’s been a tumultuous year in the pub trade on the acquisition front but the news that Stonegate was bidding for the much larger Ei Group still caught many by surprise. One of the leading architects of the deal Simon Longbottom reveals all.

Oakman Inns reveals 5.1% like-for-like sales boost

10-Oct-2019 By Stuart Stone

Multiple operator Oakman Inns has revealed total sales of £10.9m for the 13 weeks to 29 September in its latest financial results.

Greene King deal approved

10-Oct-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

The £2.7bn deal for Hong Kong firm CK Asset (CKA) to take over Greene King’s almost 3,000 pubs portfolio has been approved by the pubco and brewer’s shareholders.

Arc Inspirations profits climb to £3.7m

09-Oct-2019 By Stuart Stone

Premium bar operator Arc Inspirations recorded increased profits and like-for-like sales in what its chief executive has described as the ‘most successful year in the company’s history’.

GK Pub Partners glassware ordering process creates confusion

09-Oct-2019 By Alice Leader

A publican has struck out at Greene King Pub Partners branded glassware ordering process, claiming the pubco and operator has introduced new charges.

New Flight Club site success could unlock more high street locations

08-Oct-2019 By Stuart Stone

Flight Club co-founder Steve Moore explains that hitting the mark in a new site in north London could help the concept branch out onto high streets in smaller towns and cities.

The MA Podcast – episode 1

‘We’ll lose one big beer brand soon’ says Curious Brewery boss

07-Oct-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

The boss of Curious Brewery Gareth Bath has outlined what he thinks the future of the UK's beer sector could look like.

Opinion

Government help is vital for pubs

07-Oct-2019 By Simon Longbottom

For centuries, pubs have constantly demonstrated their ability to evolve and adapt to reflect the changing needs of society, according to Stonegate Pub Company chief executive Simon Longbottom.

Seafood Pub Company sees losses increase

07-Oct-2019 By Georgi Gyton

Seafood Pub Company has reported a group loss after tax of £2.73m for the full-year to 31 December 2018, compared to a loss of £1.15m the previous year, after higher administrative expenses and cost of sales impacted profits.

Trust Inns’ managing director steps down

04-Oct-2019 By Emily Hawkins

The managing director of tenanted pub company Trust Inns is set to step down from her role next month, it has been announced.

Investment key to tackling chefs’ mental health issues

04-Oct-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Pub bosses should invest in mental health awareness training to help kitchen staff achieve a good work-life balance, according to the founder of mental health awareness project The Burnt Chef.

Star buying club ‘could save operators up to £7,500’

01-Oct-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Star Pubs & Bars has launched a buying club, which it claims could help an average pub save up to £7,000 each year.

Adjusted profits and like-for-like sales fall at Revolution Bars Group

01-Oct-2019 By Stuart Stone

Despite a drop in adjusted profits and like-for-like sales over the past 12 months, Revolution Bars Group remains ‘stable’ according to its latest results statement.

JD Wetherspoon in pub carpet row with town council

01-Oct-2019 By Emily Hawkins

JD Wetherspoon (JDW) may have to defend a decision to use a town crest on a pub carpet in an ancient court after council officials' asked for it to be ripped up.

Marston’s to sell off 150 pubs

30-Sep-2019 By Stuart Stone

Pub operator and brewer Marston’s is looking to sell 150 of its pubs for around £45m, The Morning Advertiser (MA) understands.

90% of clubbers on a budget

30-Sep-2019 By Stuart Stone

Only one-in-ten Brits head out on the tiles without money on their mind according to late night bar and club operator Deltic’s latest Night Index,

Justin Phillimore to step down as Wells & Co boss

27-Sep-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Justin Phillimore is to step down from his role as chief executive of pubco and brewer Wells & Co at the end of the year following 13 years with the business.

Drinks sales drive M&B performance

26-Sep-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) announced its sales have outperformed the market, thanks to a boost in drinks sales this summer.

Greene King signs double pledge on food waste

26-Sep-2019 By Alice Leader

Greene King has enlisted in two national schemes with the goal to reduce food waste and further promote its sustainability credentials.

Big interview

‘We’re not into world domination’

26-Sep-2019 By Ed Bedington

A change of tack from the men behind Three Cheers has seen the pubco build a little empire in London and enjoy a productive partnership with Ei Group.

Uncertainty is the only certainty, says Shepherd Neame boss

25-Sep-2019 By Stuart Stone

Following the disclosure of Shepherd Neame’s latest financial results, chief executive Jonathan Neame discussed the brewer-operator’s approach to Brexit and growing its managed estate.

The future of the Inn Collection Group

25-Sep-2019 By Finn Scott-Delany

With a model of lucrative sites in statement tourist locations, The Inn Collection Group has its sights set on the Lake District. Managing director Sean Donkin lays out these plans from the group’s flagship Bamburgh Castle Inn, and explains why he won’t...