Companies

BrewDog offers ‘franchise’ opportunities

31-Jul-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Craft beer brewer and pub operator is attempting to ramp up the number of its sites by offering franchise opportunities to businesses already in the market.

JDW to close Romford site prior to £1.1m three-month refurb

31-Jul-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Managed pub giant JD Wetherspoon is to close its Romford site the Moon & Stars in August before carrying out a major £1.1m refurbishment.

Barons Pub Company eyes up to 15 sites

31-Jul-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Growing pubco Barons Pub Company has boosted its estate to 10 venues following a double acquisition having recently secured a £2.8m loan from HSBC.

Plans to turn Yarm lingerie shop into micropub

30-Jul-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

A former retail site on Yarm High Street, Stockton-on-Tees, could be turned into a pub, a rare occurrence in the trade, which has seen vast declines over the years.

Star ploughs £7m into pub gardens

30-Jul-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Heineken-owned pubco Star Pubs & Bars has ring-fenced £6.73m to revamp the outside spaces of 230 pub gardens this year, as part of the pubco’s wider £50m investment plan.

Exclusive

Stonegate could ‘possibly improve’ drinks range across Ei Group

30-Jul-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Stonegate’s intention to buy Ei Group for £1.27bn could make the latter business stronger than ever under the leadership of boss Simon Longbottom, one industry spectator has ventured.

If you’re good enough you’re old enough

30-Jul-2019 By Stuart Stone

A blend of youth and experience is helping micro sports concept Sport Shack win big in the Steel City in time for the new season

Licensee shares advice after ‘challenging’ free-of-tie battle

29-Jul-2019 By Emily Hawkins

A Sheffield licensee has said she wants publicans who are thinking about beginning the process to go free of tie from their pubco/brewery to know “there is light at the end of the tunnel”.

Fuller’s plans to build on managed pub estate

29-Jul-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Former brewer Fuller’s will focus on building its pub estate over the next 12 months having pulled out of brewing following the sale to Asahi this year.

UK’s 3 big pubcos invest £600m in two years

29-Jul-2019 By Emily Hawkins

More than half a billion pounds has been invested into UK pubs by several of the country’s largest pubcos.

Pubco founders plot Lunar landing in west London

29-Jul-2019 By Stuart Stone

The founders of the Lunar Pub Company have revealed plans to open the pubco’s first venue this September.

Marston’s accelerates plans to tackle £200m debt

24-Jul-2019 By Stuart Stone

Against a backdrop of ‘modest growth’, pub operator and brewer Marston’s has outlined plans to wipe out £200m in net debt quicker than initially planned.

Greene King invests £350k into Blackpool pub

23-Jul-2019 By Emily Hawkins

A Blackpool pub has been given a £350,000 refurbishment by Greene King Pub Partners – and the team behind its revival have a personal connection to the site.

Rocket Leisure on track for fourth London venue

23-Jul-2019 By Stuart Stone

Cocktail and live music venue operator Rocket Leisure has announced plans to launch a fourth site in London this autumn.

235 pubs ‘vanished’ in first half of 2019

22-Jul-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

More than 200 pubs have closed their doors for the final time during the first six months of this year, according to new research.

Paul Ainsworth takes reins at village pub

19-Jul-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

Iconic chef Paul Ainsworth and his wife Emma have relaunched the Mariners in Rock, Cornwall, with a new menu and interior.

Punch reopens historic sites after six-figure investment

18-Jul-2019 By Stuart Stone

Punch has reopened two pubs following transformation projects costing close to £1m.

Exclusive

Ei Group and Stonegate deal only in the pipeline since May

18-Jul-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Ei Group and Stonegate had only been discussing an acquisition deal since May, before deciding on a “generous” £1.27bn price, The Morning Advertiser (MA) understands.

Exclusive

Stonegate to invest in Ei Group portfolio

18-Jul-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Stonegate is prepared to pump money into all aspects of Ei Group’s estate, should the deal go through, chief executive Simon Longbottom has told The Morning Advertiser (MA).

Stonegate to buy Ei Group for £1.3bn

18-Jul-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Stonegate Pub Company has today (18 July) agreed to buy pubco Ei Group for £1.27bn, which will see the operator’s estate rise by 4,000 sites, making Stonegate the UK’s largest pub owner.

Stonegate reaches 300 managers trained milestone

16-Jul-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

A whopping 300 staff have been trained up to management level through Stonegate’s Accelerator programme, following the recent graduation of 17 deputy managers this month.

Ei Group accused of £248k ‘scare tactics’ dilapidations bill by operator

16-Jul-2019 By Robin Eveleigh

A publican has accused Ei Group of scare tactics after being hit with a dilapidations bill for almost a quarter of a million pounds.

Big interview

How ‘a year’s experience’ turned into a 30-year career

12-Jul-2019 By Ed Bedington

He came for some experience, but 30 years later, Star Pubs & Bars property and strategy director Chris Moore, remains dedicated to the pub sector, and is leading the charge on investment within his expanded estate

Exclusive

Star Pubs & Bars will “cooperate fully” with PCA’s investigation

11-Jul-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars has said it will work with the pubs code adjudicator (PCA) during an investigation into the operator’s practices.

Oakman Inns’ annual sales exceed £40m

10-Jul-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Multiple operator Oakman Inns reached annual sales of more than £40m, it announced in a trading update.

JDW won’t be opening any more sites this financial year

10-Jul-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

Pub giant JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has revealed it expects to make no further openings during the current financial year.

LITTLE INTERVIEW

‘I want to redefine pub culture’ says south London operator

09-Jul-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Brimming with energy from the success of his first site, a south London pub operator has said he wants to open pubs that cater to every layer of the diverse communities they serve.

Blackrose completes first major pub refurbishment

09-Jul-2019 By Stuart Stone

London-based real estate investment company Aprirose’s nascent pub venture, Blackrose, has announced the completion of its first major refurbishment project.

French chef takes on Hawthorn pub

08-Jul-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

A French chef who has previously run more than 40 restaurants has taken on an Oxfordshire village pub with Hawthorn Leisure.

A night on the tiles with Deltic

08-Jul-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

When the DJ throws down a dirty beat, you’ve got to hit the dance floor – here is the latest on nightclub experts Deltic

Darwin & Wallace to open 8th bar

08-Jul-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

Independent group Darwin & Wallace is opening its first venue in Canary Wharf, east London, this year (November).

London operators to open 8 pubs in south-west

05-Jul-2019 By Emily Hawkins

A trio of multi-operators have partnered with Star Pubs & Bars to make a £350,000 joint investment to open their first pub outside of London.

Chef calls for more help on mental health

04-Jul-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

More help is needed to support mental health of those who work in hospitality kitchens, a chef-turned-lecturer has claimed.

Former Jamie Oliver Restaurants chef takes on pub

04-Jul-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

Jamie Oliver Restaurants’ former operations chef Kanwar Gurmohan has taken on the lease of a Surrey pub and is undertaking a joint £272,000 refurbishment of the site.

Managed pubs will drive sector growth in 2019

03-Jul-2019 By Emily Hawkins

The UK pub market will reach a value of £23bn this year, up 1.9% from 2018, according to a prediction from foodservice and hospitality research agency MCA Insight.

The Epicurean Club acquires Inn Places

03-Jul-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

The Epicurean Club has bought travel accommodation website Inn Places with a view to creating the “largest direct marketing channel and booking platform for premium inns and pubs”.

Ei Group Awards 2019 winners revealed

03-Jul-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

A glut of Ei Group pub operators have been named as the best businesses of the pubco’s sites, which number in excess of 4,400.

Heineken sells off 150 former Punch pubs

02-Jul-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

Heineken’s pub arm Star Pubs & Bars is selling 150 pubs that were originally acquired from Punch.

Shepherd Neame wins noise complaint appeal at threatened pub

02-Jul-2019 By Stuart Stone

Kent-based brewer and pub operator Shepherd Neame has successfully overturned a noise abatement notice served to a live music venue.

Tokyo Industries acquires Red’s True Barbecue from administration

01-Jul-2019 By Finn Scott-Delany, MCA

Tokyo Industries has acquired Red’s True Barbecue from administration, with one of the seven sites to close.

Average night out spend increases by the price of three pints

01-Jul-2019 By Stuart Stone

The average spend on a night out rose by 18.8% to £70.46 over the past 12 months, according to Deltic’s most recent Late Night Index.

How do family businesses survive and thrive in the modern drinks industry?

28-Jun-2019 By Rob Brown

It’s not all about the huge multinational companies when it comes to brewing and pubs – family-run businesses are the base of this great trade and they are more than capable of taking on the big guns

Charles Wells changes name to Wells & Co

28-Jun-2019 By Nikkie Thatcher

Family-owned operator Charles Wells has revealed it will be changing its name to Wells & Co alongside the construction of its new flagship brewery in Bedford, which is due to reach completion next year.

Summer rain dampens Greene King’s 2019 sales

27-Jun-2019 By Stuart Stone

According to latest trading figures, sales at Greene King pubs have been hit by poor weather after a ‘return to market outperformance’ in the year to 28 April.

B&K makes ‘1000 Companies that Inspire Britain’ list

26-Jun-2019 By Stuart Stone

Nationwide brewpub operator Brewhouse & Kitchen has been listed in the London Stock Exchange Group’s latest ‘1000 Companies that Inspire Britain’ after annual sales passed the £14m mark.

Bierschenke ploughs £800k into second beerhall venue

24-Jun-2019 By Stuart Stone

Bavarian beerhall concept Bierschenke has announced it will open its second site in London following an £800,000 investment.

Aprirose launches Blackrose pub management company

24-Jun-2019 By Stuart Stone

London-based real estate investment company Aprirose has launched Blackrose – its own pub management company.

Fuller's boss feels 'confident about future' following Asahi deal

21-Jun-2019 By Simon Emeny, Fuller's chief executive

Brewer operator Fuller's sold its beer business to Asahi in January this year. Chief executive Simon Emeny outlines what the future holds for the business.

Burnt out historic M&B pub Ye Olde Six Bells to reopen in autumn

20-Jun-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Vintage Inns pub the Ye Olde Six Bells in Surrey, which dates back to the 9th century, is expected to reopen this autumn following a full refurbishment after it was ravaged by fire last month, The Morning Advertiser can reveal.

Pub loses 75% of sales after fire rips through nearby hotel

18-Jun-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

A Greene King pub in Middlesbrough lost roughly 75% of its weekly takings following a fire at a nearby deserted hotel, which is also believed to have spread asbestos in the immediate area.