Companies

Pubs warned over business rates info request

16-Mar-2015 By Mike Berry

Licensees have been urged to respond quickly to requests for information from the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) about their pub’s trading performance, if they want to avoid fines and unnecessary red tape.

Ex-Gordon Ramsay head chef to open Kent Pub

13-Mar-2015 By Mark Wingett

Mark Sargeant, Gordon Ramsay’s former right hand man and former Head Chef of Claridge’s, is to open his first pub, M&C Report understands.

UK pub & restaurant sales up 5.8% year-on-year

12-Mar-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

UK pub and restaurant groups saw their 23rd consecutive month of like-for-like sales growth, continuing a trend of consistent post-recession growth.

Business Support

Star Pubs & Bars launches compliance training for licensees

12-Mar-2015 By Mike Berry

Star Pubs & Bars has launched a new e-learning package to give its tenants and lessees a low-cost way of meeting their obligations to train staff in due diligence and legal issues.

Video

Video: Publican Awards - Judging day

12-Mar-2015 By James Evison

The Publican's Morning Advertiser caught up with judges and finalists to find out what makes the Publican Awards 2015 the industry gold standard.

Excitement builds for Publican Awards Ceremony 2015

11-Mar-2015 By Jo Bruce

In under one week the Publican Awards, in association with Sky, will take place at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on Monday, 16 March, presented by comedian and television personality David Walliams.

M&B launches new apprentice scheme

11-Mar-2015 By Mike Berry

Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) is launching a scheme that gives apprentices from the age of 16 experience across front and back of house roles.

Industry figures welcome inquiry into review websites

11-Mar-2015 By Ellie Bothwell

PMA readers have been urged to respond to a government-backed consultation on the use of review websites like TripAdvisor.

Business News

JDW confirms it bid for Sports Bar & Grill but denies valuations

11-Mar-2015 By James Wallin, M&C Report

JD Wetherspoon has confirmed its recent interest in Sports Bar & Grill, but denied the reported valuation and suggestions that it dropped its bid by £4m one day ahead of completion.

New campaign to help publicans that are pressured to serve drunks

10-Mar-2015 By Ellie Bothwell

A new poster campaign to help licensees raise awareness of the laws on buying alcohol for and selling alcohol to a drunken person has been launched today.

Legal

Legal advice: Beware of the clocks changing

10-Mar-2015 By Poppleston Allen

Twice a year the clocks change, and we are unfortunately coming to the change that requires us to get up an hour earlier.

BrewDog gets £1.5m government grant

10-Mar-2015 By James Wallin, M&C Report

Scottish brewer and pub operator BrewDog has been awarded £1.5m by the Scottish Government.

Shepherd Neame eyes potential for managed estate growth

10-Mar-2015 By James Wallin, M&C Report

Jonathan Neame, chief executive of Kent-based brewer and pub operator Shepherd Neame, has said the company is in a good position to grow its managed estate.

McMullen pubco announces new food development manager

09-Mar-2015 By Jo Bruce

Lee Brooks, who was been promoted from his role as training development chef at the company, replaces Paul Robbins who has worked for the company for 25 years. 

Josh Eggleton of the Pony & Trap opens standalone fish concept the Salt & Malt

09-Mar-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Head chef and co-owner of Michelin-starred gastropub the Pony & Trap Josh Eggleton has opened the restaurant of his new standalone fish & chip outlet the Salt & Malt to the public.

SIBA publishes manifesto for beer

09-Mar-2015 By Ellie Bothwell

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has today launched a ‘Manifesto for British Beer’, calling on prospective parliamentary candidates (PPCs) to pledge their backing for the thriving local brewing sector and the thousands of jobs it supports.

The Slug & Lettuce gets new spring food and drink menus

09-Mar-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Stonegate Pubs owned chain the Slug & Lettuce’s new spring food and drink menus include a range of new breakfast and brunch options as well as an extended selection of healthy, low calorie meals.

New call for lower drink-drive limit in England

09-Mar-2015 By Mike Berry

The drink-drive limit in England should be toughened up to bring it into line with other European countries, according to local councils and motoring campaigners.

Team Margot Foundation launched with support from Beds & Bars

09-Mar-2015 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Industry figure Yaser Martini has set up a charity in memory of his daughter Margot, who lost her battle with Leukaemia last year.

Greene King makes new apprenticeships commitment

09-Mar-2015 By Mike Berry

Greene King has pledged to offer a further 2,000 apprenticeships in its outlets over the next 12 months.

Men Behaving Badly star Neil Morrissey opens new Staffordshire pub

06-Mar-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Neil Morrissey’s new pub opened today (Friday 6 March).

St Austell sells 28.8m pints in a year

06-Mar-2015 By Ellie Bothwell

St Austell Brewery, the Cornish brewer and pub operator, sold a record 100,000 barrels - the equivalent of 28.8m pints – of its beers in the past year.

Brighton pub wins licence review battle

06-Mar-2015 By Ellie Bothwell

A Brighton pub is celebrating winning a battle to keep its opening hours, after police took it to review for not trading like a restaurant.

Government watchdog launches inquiry into online review sites

05-Mar-2015 By Ellie Bothwell

Publicans are being urged to share their views on the use of online review websites like TripAdvisor as part of a government-backed probe on the impact of the sites.

Foreign Satellite

Premier League takes action against Scottish pubs over illegal broadcasts

05-Mar-2015 By Mike Berry

The Premier League has commenced legal action against a number of Scottish pubs which have made unauthorised foreign broadcasts of its matches.

Pub library gains support from Fifty Shades of Grey author

05-Mar-2015 By Ellie Bothwell

A Liverpool pub has opened its own library and community centre after launching an appeal to locals for any unwanted books.

Two more pubs issued Article 4 Directions

05-Mar-2015 By Ellie Bothwell

The Chesham Arms in Hackney, east London, and The Wellington in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, are the latest pubs to be issued immediate Article 4 Directions, following long-standing campaigning from locals.

Tim Bacon scoops top prize at Retailers' Retailer of the Year Awards

05-Mar-2015 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Tim Bacon, the driving force behind the continued growth, evolution and success of Living Ventures Group, has been singled out by his peers as the stand-out individual in the eating-out and drinking-out market.

Cheshire police slammed for 'disgraceful' evidence in licence reviews

05-Mar-2015 By Ellie Bothwell

Publicans in Warrington, Cheshire, have escaped revocations of their licences after it was found police presented contradictory and misleading evidence at review hearings.

Future Pub Conference

Pubs will 'reinvent their mojo' to achieve future success

04-Mar-2015 By Mike Berry

Future pub market growth will come as pubs “reinvent their mojo” and increasingly meet the needs of a wider range of customers.

London "speakeasy" bar to sell cider and salad cocktails

04-Mar-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

London self-styled speakeasy Barts has announced the launch of countryside Aspall Cyder and salad cocktails.

David Cameron hints at third beer duty cut

04-Mar-2015 By Ellie Bothwell

David Cameron has hinted that the Chancellor will announce a third beer duty cut in the upcoming Budget.

GENERAL ELECTION

Pub hosting election debates sees trade hike

04-Mar-2015 By Ellie Bothwell

A publican committed to bringing politicians to the people said trade increased by 3,000% after he hosted the first in a series of hustings-style debates ahead of the general election.

JD Wetherspoon named top employer

03-Mar-2015 By James Wallin, M&C Report

JD Wetherspoon has been named one of the Top Employers United Kingdom 2015.

Future Pub Conference

Dry bar founder tells operators alcohol-free trend 'is here to stay'

03-Mar-2015 By Mike Berry

Peoples’ relationship with alcohol has changed and the pub operators of the future will need to adapt their businesses to cater for it, according to Catherine Salway, founder of dry ‘gastro-bar’ concept Redemption.

Punch Taverns announces new chief executive

03-Mar-2015 By James Wallin, M&C Report

Punch Taverns has appointed Duncan Garrood, former president of food at international franchise operator MH Alshaya, as its new chief executive.

Former chef to Prince Charles buys pub lease

03-Mar-2015 By Ellie Bothwell

The former head chef to the Prince of Wales has promised to serve up food fit for royalty after taking over the Duchy Arms in Kennington, London.

FUTURE PUB CONFERENCE

Alcohol 'not a priority' in pubs for Generation Z

03-Mar-2015 By Ellie Bothwell

Licensees that concentrate on creating an environment that attracts the next generation of pub-goers will reap the rewards, research suggests.

Sports Bar & Grill rejects JDW acquisition bid

03-Mar-2015 By Rob Willock

Bar Holdings – the company behind the Sports Bar & Grill chain – rejected an acquisition bid from JD Wetherspoon earlier this month that initially valued the estate of seven London sites at more than £17m.

Hospitality sector tops zero-hours contracts use

02-Mar-2015 By Ruth Williams, M&C Report

There are more people working on zero-hours contracts in the hospitality sector than any other industry, with 53% of companies making use of transitional and seasonal staff working on no guaranteed hours contracts.

Catford Bridge Tavern will still re-open following fire, confirms owner

02-Mar-2015 By Ellie Bothwell

The owner of a south-east London pub that was damaged by a fire last night said it plans to re-open the premises this year.

CAMPAIGN Q&A

Q&A: ALMR and BII on supporting Drop the Duty campaign

02-Mar-2015 By Mike Berry

The Drop the Duty campaign is calling on Chancellor George Osborne to cut alcohol duty by 2% in the forthcoming Budget. The campaign has recently been supported by both the Association of Licensed Retailers and British Institute of Innkeeping. Here we...

CHARITY

JD Wetherspoon reaches £10m fundraising milestone

02-Mar-2015 By James Wallin, M&C Report

JD Wetherspoon has announced a fundraising milestone, after reaching £10m raised for its chosen charity CLIC Sargent.

Report

Only 5% of Brits keen to try new drinks in 2015

27-Feb-2015 By James Wallin, M&C Report

Only 5% of British adults plan to try a new alcoholic drink in 2015, compared to 16% who want to experiment with different food, the latest Greene King Leisure Spend Tracker has shown.

Home Office rules out locally-set licence fees

26-Feb-2015 By Ellie Bothwell

The Government has decided not to introduce locally-set licensing fees, one year after launching a consultation on the move.

Entertainment

Birmingham pub gets trade bounce from new Quiz Nights show

26-Feb-2015 By Mike Berry

A Birmingham pub has reported an uplift in trade for its weekly quiz after featuring in the new Sky One reality show Quiz Nights.

Pubs enjoy a happy Christmas with food and drink sales up

26-Feb-2015 By Ruth Williams, M&C Report

A total of 165 million visits were made to pubs, bars and clubs over the festive period - an increase of 15 million from the previous year - with total food and drink sales up 2% on the 2013 period.

Cheltenham nightclub boss jailed for VAT fraud

26-Feb-2015 By Ellie Bothwell

A nightclub director from Cheltenham who submitted false invoices in an attempt to steal almost £40,000 in VAT has been jailed for eight months, following an investigation by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

BT Sport signs Serie A TV football deal

26-Feb-2015 By Mike Berry

BT Sport has secured the TV rights for Serie A Italian football for another three years.

PICA-Service report shows self-regulation 'is working'

26-Feb-2015 By Mike Berry

Pub industry self-regulation is not dead — far from it. That is the message from Pub Governing Body (PGB) chairman Sir Peter Luff MP following the publication of the PICA-Service (PICAS) annual report.