Food & Drink

What's in the news 13 September?

Review of the Week

'We pay suffocating levels of tax'

By Ed Bedington

The Morning Advertiser's Ed Bedington met up with SIBA boss Andy Slee to get his take on the week's news, from budgetary requests through to brewery successes and failures.

Opportunities ahead: Harvey's Brewery beats pre-Covid sales record (Credit: Getty/Adermark Media)

Harvey's beats pre-Covid sales record

By MCA

Harvey and Son, the Sussex family brewer and pub operator, increased turnover by 8.3% to £24.m in 2023, exceeding pre-covid records.

Immensely proud: Jonathan Adnams stepping down as chair due to health issues

Jonathan Adnams stepping down as chair

By Rebecca Weller

Suffolk-based brewer, Adnams, has announced chairman Jonathan Adnams has stepped down with immediate effect due to health reasons.

Optimistic: Heineken UK Beer Report 2024 shows beer market is worth £13.5bn to the on-trade (Credit:Getty/Jonathan Knowles)

Beer market worth £13.5bn to pubs

By Rebecca Weller

The size of the total UK on-trade beer and cider market has grown to £13.5bn, a new report from Heineken has found.

Legal duty: How to detect and prevent counterfeit spirits at your pub (Credit:Getty/SolStock)

Detecting and preventing counterfeit spirits

By Rebecca Weller

Following warnings of counterfeit vodka earlier this week, The Morning Advertiser (MA) has looked at how operators can protect themselves and customers from potentially harmful products.

Benefits of installing an alcohol free beer line for pubs

THE LOW & NO PROJECT

POLL: Would you install an alcohol-free beer line at your pub?

By Rebecca Weller

Following the successful trials of Guinness 0.0 on draught and a surge in consumer desire for low and no products, The Morning Advertiser (MA) has looked at the benefits of adding alcohol free lines in pubs.

More venues to be added: Diageo has stated Guinness 0.0 will be available at football grounds

Guinness 0.0 variant trial to be expanded

By Gary Lloyd

Guinness owner Diageo has announced its zero-alcohol variant will be available at a select number of pubs in Great Britain after successful trials in London sites such as the George and the Devonshire.

Very happy: Devonshire pub becomes first to sell Guinness 0.0 on draught (Pictured: Peter Couch pulls the first pint of Guinness 0.0 / Credit: Oisin Rogers)

The Devonshire introduces Guinness 0.0 on draught

By Rebecca Weller

Having a no and low range that is comparable in “flavour, taste, texture and look” to popular full-strength serves is “very important”, Oisin Rogers told The Morning Advertiser (MA).

Cocktail specialists talk about low & no at their sites

THE LOW & NO PROJECT

Cocktail specialists on the rise of low & no alcohol drinks

By Gary Lloyd

Bars specialising in cocktails believe low & no alcohol drinks are here to stay but say the way in which people socialise is going to play a larger part in reducing alcohol consumption in the future.

Mitigating costs: Asahi lowers ABV of one of its core beers but keeps on-trade price the same (Credit:Getty/Monty Rakusen)

Asahi reduces Hophead ABV

By Rebecca Weller

Asahi has lowered the alcoholic strength of one of its core beers as costs hit an “all-time” high, The Morning Advertiser (MA) has learned.

Year-on-year increases: Pint costs up 0.4% during Q2 2024 (Credit:Getty/SolStock)

Beer costs up 0.4% during Q2

By Rebecca Weller

Pint prices increased by 0.4% during the second quarter of 2024, down 0.1 percentage points compared with Q1.

Welsh fire: Roger Protz talks to the people at Brains about its resurrection

FEATURE – Brains

FEATURE: Reigniting the Brains trust

By Roger Protz, beer writer, journalist and campaigner

The famous chimney, with the word Brains emblazoned on the brick work, still stands proud alongside Cardiff Central Station.

Low & no alcohol beer sales from CGA in late 2023

THE LOW & NO PROJECT

How the Drinks List charted sales of low & no beers

By Gary Lloyd

Data from The Drinks List – Top Brands to Stock in 2024 charted the start of when the sector appeared to appreciate how strong sales for Low & No beers were becoming.

National Rum Day: Raise a glass and celebrate with these recipes (Credit:Getty/SolStock)

Recipes to celebrate National Rum Day

By Rebecca Weller

Today (Friday 16 August) marks national rum day, to celebrate the distilled beverage, the Morning Advertiser (MA) has taken a look back at some of the best rum-based recipes from the Drinks Masterclass series.

On board: former PwC man Feargal O'Rourke was at the company for 37 years

C&C confident of meeting forecast, O'Rourke appointed

By Gary Lloyd

C&C Group, the Irish drinks distributor and manufacturer, has announced it remains confident of achieving its earnings expectations for its financial year and has appointed Feargal O’Rourke as an independent, non-executive director.

Liberation/Butcombe sales up with help from low & no

THE LOW & NO PROJECT

Rising sales of zero alcohol beers key to Liberation

By Gary Lloyd

Channel-Islands-based Liberation Group recently announced a boost in its H1 financial results and cited low & no drinks as a key part to this success through its Butcombe arm.

St Austell puts cask at centre of London Craft Beer Festival

THE CASK PROJECT

St Austell to put cask at heart of craft beer festival

By Gary Lloyd

South-west based St Austell Brewery is backing cask ale by putting its flagship Proper Job IPA front and centre at London Craft Beer Festival this weekend (Friday and Saturday 9-10 August).

Brewing opinion: 'We must allow independent beer the opportunity to thrive' says Lincoln Green Brewing Company's Anthony Hughes

OPINION

A new dawn for independent beer?

By Anthony Hughes, director, Lincoln Green Brewing Company

Two articles in The Morning Advertiser recently caught my eye – Pete Brown’s piece on Marston’s sale of its stake in British brewing and Andy Slee’s (CEO for The Society of Independent Brewers, SIBA) article comparing cask ale as ‘Britain’s Champagne’....

Evolving environment: the MA has looked at key beer trends for 2024 (Credit:Getty/Atiwich Kaewchum)

Five beer styles to be aware of in 2024

By Felicity Giles

In the ever evolving environment of hospitality, expanding menu and beverage options may be key ways in which operators can maintain consumer interest, and ensure customer engagement remains high

St Austell launches Summer Sun cask beer to help RNLI

THE CASK PROJECT

St Austell launches Summer Sun ale to support RNLI

By Gary Lloyd

South-west England brewer and pub operator St Austell Brewery has joined forces with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in its 200th anniversary year to launch a cask beer.

Scheme return: the Beer Sommelier programme has been relaunched

Cask Marque relaunches Beer Sommelier programme

By Nikkie Thatcher

With support from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and Institute of Brewers and Distillers (IBD), Cask Marque has relaunched the Beer Sommelier programme.

Price hikes: Cost of a pint in a pub rises by 4.5% year-on-year (Credit:Getty/Klaus Vedfelt)

Pint prices jump by 4.5%

By Rebecca Weller

The cost of a pint of draught lager in pubs jumped 4.5% in the year to June 2024, marking the third biggest increase in the past five years.

Geographical issues: global brewers miss the point of a 'regional' offer says Andy Slee of SIBA

OPINION

OPINION: Give cask the chance it deserves

By Andy Slee, chief executive, Society of Independent Brewers & Associates (SIBA)

Pete Brown recently made some excellent points on Carlsberg’s change of approach to the UK beer market.

Drinks trends: CGA top tips for operators (Credit/Getty:Anchiy)

Growing drinks trends for pubs

By Felicity Giles

Speaking at the CGA Imbibe Live event earlier this month, CGA by NIQ client director Chris Sterling shared an expert overview on current drink trend

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