Companies

Star Pubs & Bars' retail standards show 'significant improvement'

22-Aug-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Retail standards of Star Pubs & Bars outlets have risen 10% in the past three years, with the gap between the highest and lowest scoring pubs smaller than ever, an independent audit has revealed.

Paddy McGuinness hands £5k to ‘Only Ordinary by Name’ pub winners

21-Aug-2017 By MA Editorial

Paddy McGuinness, comedian and star of ITV’s dating show Take Me Out, presented £5,000 to the national winner of John Smith’s ‘Only Ordinary by Name’ pub competition, which echoes its ale marketing campaign launched last spring.

Heineken: ‘we will find buyers for 30 pubs’ as part of Punch deal

21-Aug-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Heineken has committed to find “viable buyers” for the 30 pubs it proposes to sell as part of its deal to purchase 1,900 Punch pubs, The Morning Advertiser has learned.

Restaurant chains edge ahead of pub groups

21-Aug-2017 By Fred A'Court

Restaurants have performed marginally better than pubs over the past year, according to the latest tracker figures.

TripAdvisor quick to remove review about ‘swearing pub chef’

18-Aug-2017 By Fred A'Court

A critical review of a pub on TripAdvisor has been removed in double-quick time, appearing to fly in the face of the typical experience of many licensees who struggle to get reviews removed.

CMA greenlights revised Heineken deal to buy Punch pubs

18-Aug-2017 By Georgina Townshend

The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) has accepted proposals from Heineken to address concerns that its purchase of 1,900 Punch Taverns would undermine competition in certain areas.

Critics shame pub food as unhealthy

18-Aug-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Pubs have been criticised for supplying unhealthy food to children that falls “far behind” the standards of the retail sector.

Flaming Grill pub blasted over serving ‘raw’ burger to child

16-Aug-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

A Flaming Grill pub in Derby has been criticised on Facebook after it served an undercooked burger to a child.

MA500 Edinburgh study tour unveiled

16-Aug-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

The MA500 crowd is heading north of the border for the first time and will hit the streets of Edinburgh to visit some of the city’s most exciting and vibrant venues.

North-west pub operator Ian Molyneux opens fifth site

15-Aug-2017 By Fred A'Court

North-west pub operator Ian Molyneux is halfway to his goal of creating a 10-strong pub group.

Pubco launches door-to-door G&T service

14-Aug-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Publican Award winners New World Trading Company (NWTC) has launched its first mobile cocktail bar called 'The Wanderer'.

6 ways to become a better pub chef – the basics

14-Aug-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

There are six steps to take if you want to become a better pub chef, according to a recently released Unilever Food Solutions guide.

Would you let customers charge their phones behind the bar?

14-Aug-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Following national reports that JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has banned customers from charging their phones behind the bar of its pubs, The Morning Advertiser spoke with licensees about their policies on the issue.

How can tied pubs still host beer festivals?

11-Aug-2017 By James Beeson

The hot summer weather may be but a distant memory, but for many pubs the arrival of summer is hailed as the perfect opportunity to increase trade and footfall by hosting a beer festival.

Avoiding jargon can increase interest in beer and food pairings

10-Aug-2017 By James Beeson

Using less specialist vocabulary can help pubs and restaurants sell beer and food pairings to customers, according to the US Brewers Association (BA).

Stonegate spends £1m on second Salsa! site

10-Aug-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Pubco Stonegate plans to spend £1m on converting its Australian-themed Walkabout site in Temple into its second Latin-American inspired Salsa! bar.

Pubmaster founder John Sands passes away

08-Aug-2017 By James Wallin, MCA

Tributes have been paid to Pubmaster founder John Sands who has died at the age of 69 after a 16-month struggle with cancer.

D&G Pub Company and Star Pubs & Bars invests £300,000 in two Darlington pubs

08-Aug-2017 By Fred A'Court

Two Darlington pubs are having a £300,000 makeover to better cater for drinkers' and diners' changing tastes.

Ex-TRG directors launch new pub venture

07-Aug-2017 By Mark Wingett, MCA

A pair of former The Restaurant Group (TRG) directors have launched a new pub and restaurant venture, which is set to open its debut site in the West Midlands later this summer.

My Pub: the South Causey Inn, Stanley, Co Durham

07-Aug-2017 By Phil Mellows

Susan Moiser and her family are celebrating their 10th year at the South Causey Inn on the outskirts of Stanley, Co Durham, a decade in which the business has been transformed from a pub attached to a riding school to one of the north-east’s most popular...

Stonegate 'repositions' Slug & Lettuce brand to lure Millennials

07-Aug-2017 By Georgina Townshend, Helen Gilbert

Stonegate has repositioned the Slug & Lettuce pub brand to appeal to the Millennial market.

BrewDog to open site on US-Mexico border

04-Aug-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Scottish brewer BrewDog has announced plans to open a new craft beer bar on the border between the US and Mexico.

Arc Inspirations reports record results

03-Aug-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Multiple operator Arc Inspirations has reported record financial results as its total sales rose by 18% to £22.5m.

Triple opening plans for The Alchemist

03-Aug-2017 By Mark Wingett, MCA

The Alchemist, the Palatine Private Equity-backed cocktail bar and restaurant concept, is to invest £4.5m on three new openings, including its first moves into the south west and Wales.

New managing director for Dark Star

03-Aug-2017 By Mark Wingett, MCA

James Cuthbertson has become the new managing director of the Sussex-based brewer and pub operator, Dark Star.

Hungry Horse school bag promotion earns rap from ad watchdog

02-Aug-2017 By Ed Bedington

Greene King has come under fire from advertising watchdogs after promotional leaflets for a Hungry Horse site was sent out in school bags.

Mobile pub in an old VW van goes viral

02-Aug-2017 By Fred A'Court

There are mobile sandwich vans, mobile shops and mobile libraries …..and now there is a mobile pub.

Marston’s cuts 53 jobs as Charles Wells integration reaches completion

02-Aug-2017 By James Beeson

British pubco and brewing giant Marston’s has made 53 people redundant as a result of its acquisition of Charles Wells, according to managing director Richard Westwood.

Charles Wells beer recipes won’t change following acquisition by Marston’s

02-Aug-2017 By James Beeson

Changing the recipes to Charles Wells’ beers would be “bonkers”, according to Marston’s managing director Richard Westwood.

Stonegate makes conditional proposal to acquire Revolution Bars Group

01-Aug-2017 By James Wallin, MCA

Revolution Bars Group has confirmed it has received a conditional proposal from Stonegate to acquire the company, which values it at c£100m.

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BII chairman’s concerns for pub industry after this year's 'exceptional summer'

28-Jul-2017 By Georgina Townshend

The chairman of the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) has warned pubs of the potential “quick downturn” in sales after this year’s “exceptional summer” – which will show the full impact of rising costs within the trade.

Heineken invests £4.6m into north-west locals

27-Jul-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Heineken is investing £4.6 million into a selection of its Star Pubs & Bars sites in the north-west, including £1.2m in the Liverpool area, as part of a £20m investment programme.

JD Wetherspoon denies paying its staff below the minimum wage

27-Jul-2017 By Fred A'Court

JD Wetherspoon has denied it pays some of its staff below the national minimum rate.

Men discuss issues at the pub, not on social media

27-Jul-2017 By Fred A'Court

When it comes to talking about serious issues with friends, men are more likely to want to discuss them in the pub than on social media.

Stonegate acquires Punch pub

27-Jul-2017 By Fred A'Court

Stonegate is spending £400,000 in revamping a coastal pub in Kent and creating a further 25 jobs.

JDW pub kitchen forced to shut after ‘pests’ found in nearby bins

26-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Pests, thought to be maggots were discovered in nearby bins to a JD Wetherspoon (JDW) pub in Gloucestershire, forcing the kitchen to close temporarily.

How to avoid rat and other pest infestations in your pub

25-Jul-2017 By James Beeson

Preventing rubbish build-ups and filling up gaps in walls and floors are just two of the ways pub landlords can prevent rat and other pest infestations, according to a leading hygiene expert.

Fuller’s managed lfls grow 6.6%

25-Jul-2017 By James Wallin, MCA

Fuller’s has said it has made a “good start” to the year, with like-for-like sales across its managed estate up 6.6% for the 16 weeks from 2 April to 22 July 2017, aided by the “perfect weather”.

Coach stages dinner date

21-Jul-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Elite chefs met for the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs regional dinner and enjoyed a taste sensation from three of the very best in their field. Nicholas Robinson reports.

Hawthorn Leisure reveals 'strong' third year results

21-Jul-2017 By Mark Wingett, MCA

Hawthorn Leisure, the Avenue Capital-backed pub operator, saw group EBITDA increase 10.1% to £9m in the year to 25 December 2016, its third year of “significant growth” since its creation in May 2014.

Special feature: The lessons of Upton Park

20-Jul-2017 By Roger Protz

East End pubs around the Boleyn Ground in Upton Park, lived and died by their claret and blue credentials, so it’s little wonder a year after West Ham upped sticks and moved to Stratford that some have already put the shutters up.

Pub Skills: How pubs can add to their bottom line with employee engagement

20-Jul-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Employee engagement can help pubs be more profitable, according to industry insiders, as “happy staff equal happy customers”.

Huddersfield pub aims to take JD Wetherspoon’s ‘biggest UK pub’ title

20-Jul-2017 By Georgina Townshend

A new pub in Huddersfield believes it can beat JD Wetherspoon’s claim to have the biggest boozer in the UK.

Crowdfunding page set up to save Cornish pub

19-Jul-2017 By Georgina Townshend

A local has set up a crowdfunding page on behalf of licencees to raise enough money to buy their pub to save it from being closed and prevent their family “from being turned out”.

Charity chairman demands apology after pub ejection

19-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

A cancer patient has criticised pub giant JD Wetherspoon after being thrown out of the group's Liverpool sites for “touting” and demands an apology.

Big Interview: Be At One's Steve Locke and Andrew Stones

18-Jul-2017 By Claire Churchard

Be At One’s Steve Locke and Andrew Stones reveal how speedy yet great cocktails have been the basis for a business that is still keeping the party going.

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