Companies

£180k fine for pub with mouse droppings found in kitchen

10-May-2019 By Emily Hawkins

A south London pub has been fined £180,000 after inspectors found mouse droppings in its kitchen and dirty utilities.

People power rules at Free Spirit pubco

10-May-2019 By Nikkie Sutton

One award-winning licensee reveals his secrets to success after becoming a multiple operator – and they begin with staff who love what they do.

The lowdown on Rockpoint Leisure

10-May-2019 By Nikkie Sutton

Ahead of Manchester MA500 where he will be speaking about his new venture, Daniel Davies gives a preview of his Rockpoint Leisure project, which aims to regenerate high streets with retail and licensed sites.

Business Profile: The Liberation Group

10-May-2019 By Nikkie Sutton

From its conception in 2008, the Liberation Group has grown far and wide with expansion of the brand and its sites.

Parliament move could be blow to Westminster pub

10-May-2019 By Emily Hawkins

The relocation of the House of Commons could have ‘negative consequences’ for a pub in the heart of Westminster, its pubco has said.

JDW sorry after breastfeeding demand

10-May-2019 By Nikkie Sutton

Pub giant JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has apologised after a breastfeeding mother was asked to cover her baby’s head by a member of staff.

Greene King sales crowning

09-May-2019 By Nikkie Sutton

Greene King’s pub arm saw like-for-like volume sales for the 52 weeks to 28 April 2019 rise by 2.9%, the pubco revealed in a trading statement.

Estrella Damm pairs up with 14 top chefs and restaurateurs

08-May-2019 By Nikkie Sutton

Barcelona-based beer Estrella Damm has welcomed 14 leading chefs and restaurateurs in a bid to reinforce the brew’s association with food.

JDW plans two new pubs as profits rise

08-May-2019 By Nikkie Sutton

Pub giant JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has announced its like-for-like sales for the 13 weeks to 28 April 2019 have increased by 7.6% and total sales by 8.4% in its third quarter trading update.

McMullen reveals plans for Milton Keynes site

08-May-2019 By Stuart Stone

Hertfordshire-based independent pub company McMullen & Sons has announced plans to develop a recently purchased waterside site in Buckinghamshire.

‘Pubs will prosper’ under Heineken’s proposed £50m investment

07-May-2019 By Robert Mann

Heineken’s bold £50m investment programme, that will see the refurbishment of 150 pubs, has been hailed as a ‘much-needed’ boost to the industry.

Customers ‘devastated’ as award-winning gastropub announces closure

03-May-2019 By Stuart Stone

The closure of an east Lancashire gastropub once transformed by Michelin-starred chef Nigel Haworth has been described as the ‘end of an era’ by customers.

Kerridge’s Hand & Flowers names new head chef

02-May-2019 By Nikkie Sutton

Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge’s double Michelin-starred pub the Hand & Flowers in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, has a new head chef.

Star revises refurbishment plans for historic pubs

02-May-2019 By Emily Hawkins

Campaigners who lobbied a pubco to prevent the transformation of two historic pubs have celebrated a victory, as the company said it would revise its plans.

The Florist opens at £180m intu expansion

01-May-2019 By Stuart Stone

The New World Trading Company (NWTC) opened the latest branch of its award-winning bar and restaurant concept the Florist at intu Watford on 22 April.

Little interview

Beer sommelier: ‘I want to shape the future of the category’

30-Apr-2019 By Robert Mann

Being a beer sommelier is an important role that relies on them being one step ahead of what's happening in the market as well as keeping a close eye on consumer trends.

Hall & Woodhouse appoints new MD and chairman

30-Apr-2019 By Stuart Stone

Family-owned Dorset brewer and pub operator Hall & Woodhouse has revealed that a number of its directors are stepping down.

Oakman Inns acquires 7 pubs with £2.8m combined profit

30-Apr-2019 By Nikkie Sutton

Multiple operator Oakman Inns has completed the acquisition of seven freehold pubs with combined earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of £2.8m.

JDW to open pub following €3m investment

29-Apr-2019 By Nikkie Sutton

Pub giant JD Wetherspoon (JDW) is set to open a new site in Carlow, Ireland, after a €3m (£2.6m) investment alongside the creation of 65 new jobs.

MA500 study tour for Manchester unveiled

29-Apr-2019 By Nikkie Sutton

Next month, Manchester will play host to the MA500 business club conference and study tour and we can now reveal the vibrant venues included.

Little intervew

Sharp’s Brewery: ‘It’s crucial to focus on the quality of beer’

25-Apr-2019 By Robert Mann

Working hard to advise pubs on how to create the perfect cask range is of vital importance at Sharp’s Brewery.

Ei Group pumps £3m into West Midlands pubs

25-Apr-2019 By Nikkie Sutton

Pubco Ei Group has invested more than £3m into pubs across the West Midlands over the past six months, as part of the group’s capital investment of £80m a year across its estate.

In association with Knorr

How can we push sex equality in the pub trade?

25-Apr-2019 By Nikkie Sutton

Equality is a hot topic on the lips of everyone at the moment but hospitality needs to encourage more women to get into the trade and ensure they are treated equally once they get there.

Heineken promises £50m for 150 pubs

25-Apr-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Brewer and pubco Heineken has ring-fenced £50m to pump into 150 of its Star Pubs & Bars sites, a record sum for the business, which is estimated to create 1,200 jobs in the sector.

Pub chain pays lucrative weekly bonuses to keep bar staff

24-Apr-2019 By Robert Mann

Bartenders at a chain of upmarket pubs will be paid weekly bonuses worth as much as £3,000 a year in response to industry-wide recruitment problems.

Loungers raises £83.3m ahead of AIM listing

24-Apr-2019 By Stuart Stone

The company behind concepts the Lounge and Cosy Club has been valued at £185m ahead of a listing on London’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM).

Tiny Rebel expands into 60,000sq ft site

24-Apr-2019 By Nikkie Sutton

Welsh brewer and operator Tiny Rebel has announced it will be moving part of the business into a new site to accommodate its growing team and equipment.

North-west operators reopen local after £380,000 revamp

23-Apr-2019 By Emily Hawkins

North-west pub operator CJW Pubs has reopened a Greater Manchester pub after a £380,000 refurbishment in partnership with Star Pubs & Bars.

Residents petition Stonegate to retain bar’s ‘creepy aesthetic’

17-Apr-2019 By Emily Hawkins

A Dracula-themed bar will be turned into a Slug & Lettuce site, despite a petition protesting the transformation reaching more than 1,700 signatures.

Free pints in pubs next week – but there's a catch

17-Apr-2019 By Robert Mann

As Britons look set to enjoy a run of warm and sunny weather over the Easter bank holiday weekend – what better way than to pair it with a free pint?

Shepherd Neame adds two sites to growing estate

16-Apr-2019 By Stuart Stone

Kent-based brewer and pub operator Shepherd Neame has announced the addition of venues in central London and Kent to its growing stable of pubs.

Second site for award-winning concept after £100k investment

16-Apr-2019 By Stuart Stone

The entrepreneurs behind the award-winning Ale Rooms format have opened its second venue in the West Midlands.

Petition to save ‘historic’ pub passes 1,000 signatures in 24 hours

16-Apr-2019 By Stuart Stone

A petition backing the operators of a suburban pub in their efforts to purchase the site’s freehold from Ei Group has achieved more than 1,000 signatures.

Star pledges to cut licensees’ landfill costs by £1,000 per year

15-Apr-2019 By Stuart Stone

Operators of pubs leased from Star Pubs & Bars are poised to save more than £1,000 per year as a result of new commercial terms for recycling and waste collection.

Craft Union opens landmark pub after £130k refurb

15-Apr-2019 By Stuart Stone

The Tivoli Tavern in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, has become the 300th pub opened by The Craft Union Pub Company.

Houses near JDW pubs £70k cheaper than average price

15-Apr-2019 By Nikkie Sutton

Houses within walking distance of JD Wetherspoon (JDW) pubs are selling for more than £70,000 less than the local average house price, according to new research.

Big interview

'The ultimate success of Beacon is if I say, I’ve got to go now, I’ve got no pubs'

11-Apr-2019 By Ed Bedington

Struggling pubs are something we read about on a regular basis, with many pointing the finger of blame at large pubcos, but one big company is doing the exact opposite and working hard to revitalise those operations and it would surprise many to know...

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