Companies

Food businesses could be damaged by 'scaremongering campaigns'

10-Nov-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Pub food operators’ businesses could be damaged by “scaremongering” campaigns such as Jamie Oliver’s recent sugar tax campaign, a Yorkshire chef has claimed. 

JDW

Why I've visited 969 JDW pubs: 'No-one asks what a woman is doing in a pub on her own'

10-Nov-2015 By Oli Gross

A woman who has visited 969 Wetherspoon pubs puts her love for the operator down to the welcoming environment it provides for women.

Gastropubs debate

...And how one chef is still a firm believer in the gastropub term.

10-Nov-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

At a time when its validity is being questioned, chef Ollie Pudney is a staunch advocate of keeping the term ‘gastropub’ alive and kicking. Other than that, as Nicholas Robinson finds out, the owner of Highgate’s Bull & Last is an award winner who...

Pub openings

Brakspear opens first managed pub in London

09-Nov-2015 By James Evison

Shepherds Bush site reopens as neighbourhood local.

Enterprise announces new partnership with Booker Wholesale

09-Nov-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Enterprise has announced a new partnership with Booker and its cash-and-carry subsidiary Makro.

MA300

8 reasons why MA300 chose Nottingham

06-Nov-2015 By Emily Sutherland

The MA300 Business Club always has its fingers on the pulse of the most exciting cities for pubs and bars, having recently visited Newcastle, Shoreditch and Manchester. Next up, it’s Nottingham, a city becoming one of the best places to eat and drink...

Awards

Fuller's names The Rising Sun as Pub of the Year

06-Nov-2015 By Oli Gross

Fuller’s has named its Pub of the Year as The Rising Sun in Milland, Hampshire.

Enterprise publicans paint pub with poppies in memory of fallen soldiers

05-Nov-2015 By Emily Sutherland

Licensees Edd and Ruth Lowe have turned their pub into a touching memorial for soldiers killed in the first and second World Wars.

Finance

City digest - 6 November

05-Nov-2015 By PMA

This week's city news include Intertain, Meantime, PubLove.

Top 10 London food pubs: Hardens

Gastropubs flourish in London, says Hardens

05-Nov-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Gastropubs are continuing to flourish in London as easier access to prime sites over the years has allowed more chefs and landlords to take the plunge and run their own high-quality food-serving pubs, according to the 25th edition of Harden’s London Restaurant...

Chef recruitment crisis

HIT Chef Academy launched

05-Nov-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

A new chef training programme has been launched by HIT Training in a bid to tackle the growing shortage of skilled chefs in kitchens, which is expected to reach a peak of 11,000 in pubs by 2020.

Licensees' lease saved after heartwarming campaign from regulars

04-Nov-2015 By Oli Gross

Licensees have been overwhelmed a decision to renew their lease after a “heart-warming” community campaign to keep them running the pub.

City news

JD Wetherspoon profits from Rugby World Cup; plans freehold sales

04-Nov-2015 By James Evison

Wetherspoon's sees profit during Rugby World Cup and across early autumn period - and intends to sell some freehold sites.

Top 50 Gastropubs 2016

Top 50 Gastropubs is on Facebook

03-Nov-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

The Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs 2016 list will be revealed in less than three months and to help you keep up with the latest on the UK’s greatest food pubs, the Publican’s Morning Advertiser has launched an exclusive Facebook page.

Top chefs help Britain to become Great Food Nation

03-Nov-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Some of the country’s brightest food pioneers are joining forces with the government to help Britain become a Great Food Nation.

Menu focus

Focus on stocks and sauces: it's all gravy...

03-Nov-2015 By Alison Baker

Warming winter dishes are often made better with good stocks and sauces. Alison Baker discovers how you can improve your menu and maintain consistency whether you make your own or buy in

City news

Urban Leisure Group plans major London expansion

02-Nov-2015 By James Wallin, MC Allegra FS

Adrian Hartley, the newly appointed managing director of London-based Urban Leisure Group, has told M&C Allegra Report that the group will open five sites in six months — with a sixth planned for the end of 2016.

Hop Stuff: multiple site operators on how they stand out from the craft beer crowd

02-Nov-2015 By Emily Sutherland

An explosion in the choice of beers has proved to be a double-edged sword for some multiple-site operators.

City News

Greene King will reduce brands, analyst claims

02-Nov-2015 By MC Allegra FS

Leading analyst Jamie Rollo, of Morgan Stanley, has said he believes Greene King will look to achieve synergies from the integration of Spirit Pub Company through simplification and improvement of brands.

Heinz competition

Connecting to the community

02-Nov-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Independent pubs and restaurants that consider themselves to be at the heart of their community could win a total of £50,000 in prizes in Heinz’s Heartwarming Heroes competition, which is supported by the Publican’s Morning Advertiser.

Tom Kerridge pie to feature at Greene King festival

02-Nov-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

­Greene King has launched a pie festival at over 130 pubs across its UK estate, with one pie created by Tom Kerridge’s team at the Hand & Flowers available at selected sites.

Interview

Punch boss: I hope MRO will encourage investment

02-Nov-2015 By Ed Bedington

Ed Bedington finds out why the new man in charge of Punch Taverns is rolling with the punches

Publicans of the UK

Are we reaching peak managed pubs?

02-Nov-2015 By Tony Leonard

According to research last month the number of licensed restaurants in the UK now outnumbers wet-led pubs and bars for the first time.

VIDEO

Inside the Freemasons at Wiswell, Lancashire

02-Nov-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

It's been a year of considerable success for Freemasons at Wiswell chef patron Steven Smith and his team.

Michelin Pubs Guide 2016: pub scene going "from strength to strength"

02-Nov-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

The pub trade should be congratulated for moving with the times, according to Rebecca Burr, editor of the new Michelin Eating Out in Pubs Guide 2016.

Rare burgers ‘not worth the hassle’, PMA readers say

02-Nov-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Serving rare burgers “is not worth the food safety hassle”, according to a Twitter poll of Publican’s Morning Advertiser readers.

Pubs code

10 things we've learnt about the pubs code

30-Oct-2015 By Michelle Perrett

The Government has published its first draft of the pubs code and how it proposes the market rent-only option (MRO) will work in practice. Here are 10 key points from the draft code.

Business rates

Pubs to be charged to appeal business rates as part of system shake-up

30-Oct-2015 By Mike Berry

Licensees wanting to challenge their business rates bills will have to pay a fee in future under new government proposals.

Apprentices

Greene King apprentice accelerates towards own kitchen

30-Oct-2015 By Oli Gross

An apprentice who is making “rapid” progress has aspirations of running his own kitchen before long.

Pub chefs should look to street food traders for lamb inspiration, says AHDB

29-Oct-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Pub chefs should “absolutely” look to street food traders for inspiration when it comes to using different cuts of lamb, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has urged. 

CHEF FOCUS

Harder cuts: high quality British cooking in Brighton

29-Oct-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

It would be lazy to compare Tom Griffiths, the 28-year-old chef responsible for new pub kitchen Flank, with St John chef Fergus Henderson more than once in the same article.

Star Pubs & Bars launches new intensive cookery course for licensees

29-Oct-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Star Pubs & Bars has launched a new five-day cookery course aimed at helping licensees and members of their teams improve their food offers.

ALMR Autumn Event

Increasing regulatory strain ‘worries’ operators

28-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

More food and drink operators are worried by the increasing regulatory strain on the sector, which could mean the difference between success and failure.

Pub chefs must do more to tackle food waste: SRA

28-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Tackling food waste must be given more focus by pub chefs to help save their businesses money and benefit the environment, a spokesman from the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) has urged.

Future Pub

Pub of the Future: Marston's completes first phase of project

27-Oct-2015 By Ruth Williams, M&C Allegra

Marston’s has completed its year-long project to find out how to attract young people as regular pub goers and has said the results of the panel will be incorporated into its pubs.

'Worlds biggest' team darts tournament won by Durham pub

27-Oct-2015 By Oli Gross

The 'biggest darts team competition in the world' concluded this weekend with Durham pub The Ash Tree claiming the coveted title.

chef shortage

Celeb chef James Tanner: UK Colleges must put in more work to fight chef shortage

27-Oct-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

UK Colleges must work on keeping themselves up to date with developments in the hospitality industry, chef James Tanner has urged. 

VIDEO

Inside the Pipe & Glass Inn, Yorkshire

26-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Coming third on the Top 50 Gastropubs list 2015 has made Pipe & Glass chef patron James Mackenzie more determined to push the East Yorkshire Michelin-starred pub further.

The Bird in Hand

"It's a way of life" - licensee reflects on 40 years at Shrewsbury pub

26-Oct-2015 By Oli Gross

A 40-year licensee of a Shrewsbury pub puts his enduring achievement down to a love of the job.

Pub sign

Historic pub sign 'cock-up' to be rectified by Greene King

26-Oct-2015 By Oli Gross

Greene King will replace a historic pub sign after realising the symbolic name was being displayed incorrectly.  

Merrett to judge Pub Chef Awards

26-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Paul Merrett, the owner of three top London food pubs, will judge the British Beer and Pub Association’s (BBPA) Pub Chef of the Year Award, with the help of a panel of industry experts.

Top 50 Gastropubs Awards 2016

Top 50 Gastropubs Awards entry deadline extended

26-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

The entry deadline for the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs Awards has been extended to Friday 30 October, allowing more time for great food-serving pubs to get their entries in.

Michelin Pub of the Year 2016 crowned

26-Oct-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

A Gloucester pub has been named Pub of the Year by Michelin ahead of the release of its Eating Out in Pubs Guide 2016 next week.

Punch director: My frustration with pub food

26-Oct-2015 By James Evison

I have a couple of frustrations when it comes to pub food, by which I mean mainstream not the top end gastro-pubs.

Podcast

Wetherspoons’ food developer: ‘a winning kids’ food menu’

26-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Wetherspoons’ food developer Sophie Jennings has revealed how the high street pub chain was one of the top pubs for healthy children’s meals on the Soil Association’s Eating Out report yesterday (21 October).

BHA calls for new tipping and service charge legislation

26-Oct-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Businesses across the eating out sector should be required by law to provide customers with accurate information on how tips and service charges are distributed, the British Hospitality Association (BHA) has said.

NEW OPENING

Farewell to the city: leaving the Gherkin for the Grantley Arms

26-Oct-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Matt Edmonds recently ditched a high-profile role at Searcys at the Gherkin in the City to become chef-patron of Surrey pub the Grantley Arms, in Wonersh, ahead of its reopening under new management this month. Daniel Woolfson gets the lowdown on Edmonds’...

Fuller’s head of food: 'only education can solve chef shortage'

26-Oct-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

British schools and colleges are not doing enough to teach children what it takes to work in the hospitality industry, according to Paul Dickinson, head of food at Fuller’s.

Food safety

'Speedier fines' for law-breaking food businesses

26-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Law-breaking food businesses, including pubs, could expect speedier fines and prosecutions as a result of the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA’s) food law prosecution database and a strategy to improve the organisation’s digital technology.

City news

Brewhouse & Kitchen has potential to be 50-strong venture

23-Oct-2015 By MC Allegra FS

Brewhouse and Kitchen, the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) backed venture, has a vision of building a group of more than 50 pubs across the country.