Food & Drink

Brakspear expands managed estate

01-May-2014 By John Harrington

Brakspear, the Oxfordshire-based pub operator, is set to open its third managed site.

Can serving school lunches provide a boost to rural pubs?

01-May-2014 By Helen Gilbert

Picture a school lunch and chances are images of bland, boiled cauliflower and stodgy puddings spring to mind. But public houses could play a vital role in changing this perception by providing ‘good quality food’ for local pupils.

Bad weather and late Easter blamed for poor beer sales in 2014

30-Apr-2014 By James Wallin

Beer sales in pubs were down 4.2% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2014, according to figures released today by the British, Beer & Pub Association.

Amaretto cider enters the 'spider' market

30-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

Cider with amaretto is the latest entrant into the burgeoning spirit cider (spider) category, a sector set to be worth £50m by 2018 according to SHS Drinks.

Brains master brewer retires after 40 years in the industry

30-Apr-2014 By James Wallin

Don Jeffrey, one of Brains’ longest serving master brewers and the creator of The Rev. James ale, retires  today after 40 years of brewing.

Star of US TV's Storage Hunters takes up Hobgoblin's ale challenge

30-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

Storage Hunters star, Jesse McClure, is set to visit the Wychwood Brewery, after the brewery issued a challenge to the lager fan on Twitter.

Thatchers Cider invests £6.5m in 'craft cider' marketing campaign

29-Apr-2014 By Jessica Mason

Thatchers Cider has invested £6.5m in a marketing campaign to “position the brand nationally as the first choice for craft cider lovers” as well as boosting its presence in London.

BrewDog doesn't 'give a sh*t' about Portman Group ruling

29-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

BrewDog has reacted with characteristic outrage to the recent Portman Group ruling over its 3.8% ABV Dead Pony Club beer.

Thatchers to become the official cider of Glastonbury

29-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

Thatchers will be the official cider of the Glastonbury Festival in a new three-year deal.

Southampton pub sells pints for 10p

28-Apr-2014 By Helen Gilbert

A Hampshire pub relived the swinging sixties in more ways than one when it served up 10p pints to mark 45 years of being in business. 

3.8% ABV BrewDog beer falls foul of the Portman Group

28-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

BrewDog has fallen foul of the Portman Group code again, this time for its 3.8% ABV Dead Pony Club beer.

Britvic launches new dispense solutions into on-trade

28-Apr-2014 By Rob Willock

Britvic is launching a range of new carbonate draught dispense solutions into the on-trade to help pubs deliver “the perfect serve every time”.

Record investment for South African cider Savanna

28-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

Savanna cider is to get a record level of investment this year, as the company looks to drive distribution in the UK.

Don’t be scared of niche beer

25-Apr-2014 By Pete Brown

Some brewers and retailers still think drinkers need to be eased in gently when trying craft brews. Not so, argues Pete Brown.

Taylor Walker partners SIBA for ale festival

25-Apr-2014 By Helen Gilbert

Spirit Pub Company’s Taylor Walker brand has joined forces with the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) to profile the best beers from micro-breweries across the country.

The Big Interview: Peter Bronsman, Kopparberg Brewery

25-Apr-2014 By Mike Berry

Kopparberg owner Peter Bronsman tells Mike Berry all about his near-death experience in the South China Sea, how he won over pear cider sceptics in the UK, and why he will never do a toffee flavour.

BrewDog opens first craft beer bottle shop in London

24-Apr-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

BrewDog, the Scottish brewer and pub operator, has opened its first craft beer bottle shop.

Chapel Down profits fall 83% but beer sales soar

24-Apr-2014 By James Wallin

English winemaker Chapel Down saw profits slump from £414k to £68k last year but said strong beer sales and a good harvest in 2013 were reasons to be cheerful.

A 75.5% ABV spiced rum to hit UK pubs

24-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

The “world’s first” 75.5% ABV spiced rum is about hit UK bars.

St Austell Brewery opens its first coffee shop

23-Apr-2014 By James Wallin

Cornish brewer St Austell has opened the first of its Brewer & Bean outlets at the Great Western Hotel in Newquay.

Skye's the limit for brewery rebrand

23-Apr-2014 By James Wallin

The Isle of Skye Brewery has targeted a 30% hike in production and unveiled a new look as part of a rebrand.

News of the Brews: A new look for Black Sheep, plus the best new beer releases for spring

23-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

This week our pick of the best new beers include a new look for Black Sheep, a smoked porter and a vanilla ale.

If your pub is threatened, follow the Fox

22-Apr-2014 By Roger Protz

Roger Protz says we should all be inspired by the battle to save a much-loved pub in West Yorkshire.

Punch teams up with new brewers for its spring range of cask ales

22-Apr-2014

Punch Taverns is working with seven new brewers in its Finest Cask scheme this spring.

Black Sheep becomes Cask Marque training centre

22-Apr-2014 By James Wallin

Black Sheep brewery has been designated as a Cask Marque Training Centre of Excellence. 

Why did Diageo launch a grain whisky?

17-Apr-2014

Global drinks giants aren’t known for going against the grain, so why has Diageo launched a grain whisky?

Two thirds of UK drinkers mistakenly believe wine is healthier than beer

17-Apr-2014 By James Wallin

A poll carried out for the Campaign for Real Ale has shown most British drinkers think wine is a healthier tipple than beer.

Cuvana ditched as Dead Crow wins the battle of the speers

16-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

SHS Drinks has ditched its Cuvana rum beer, to bring it under a revamped Dead Crow brand and is investing in a campaign, as it looks to get a bigger slice of the growing spirit beer (speer) category.

Publican hopes his beer vending machine will become a talking point

16-Apr-2014 By Will Hawkes

An East London publican has installed what is thought to be the first beer vending machine in a British pub.

PMA partners Hotelympia's Craft Beer Takeover

15-Apr-2014 By Jo Bruce

The Publican’s Morning Advertiser is the exclusive media partner of Craft Beer Takeover, which takes place at trade show Hotelympia next week.

Heineken invests in multi-million pound campaign for Bulmers

15-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

A multi-million pound campaign for Bulmers will launch at Easter.

Thwaites announces winners of its awards for excellence

15-Apr-2014 By James Wallin

A Ramsbottom pub has swept the board at the Thwaites Awards for Excellence 2014, winning pub of the year and the dining title.

Brewery's first female signwriter reaches final of apprentice of the year awards

14-Apr-2014 By Helen Gilbert

A Wiltshire brewer is painting the town red after its apprentice signwriter secured a place in the final of the Dulux Decorator Centres Apprentice of the Year awards.

Halewood International launches US-style cider

14-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

Halewood International is re-launching its Lazy Jack’s brand as a US-style cider,  in what it is calling its first brand roll-out “with scale” since Crabbie’s.

Thwaites and Charles Wells among nominees for International Beer Awards

14-Apr-2014 By James Walli

The shortlist for the International Beer Awards 2014 has been released.

Thwaites launches Spinal Tap-themed ale

14-Apr-2014 By James Wallin

Thwaites is hoping to strike a chord with its latest ale from the Signature Range, Louder Than 10.

Speak up if you're suffering

11-Apr-2014 By Pete Brown

Depressed and overworked licensees should seek help, argues Pete Brown.

Porter takes CAMRA's top winter beer award for second year running

10-Apr-2014 By James Wallin

Dunham Porter has been announced the Campaign for Real Ale's Champion Winter Beer of Britain.

English Wine Week to be bigger than ever

10-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

English Wine Producers (EWP), the body in charge of promoting English wines, is promising to “step up” activity around English Wine Week this year.

Red Army vodka 'gun' breaches alcohol marketing code

10-Apr-2014 By Mike Berry

A vodka packaged in a bottle the shape of a gun has been found to breach alcohol responsibility rules for its association with violence and aggression.

New £2m campaign for Old Speckled Hen

09-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

A £2m campaign for Old Speckled Hen, the brand’s biggest to date, will see the beer back on TV this month.

Dewar's redesign aims to boost UK blended whisky sales

09-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

Scotch whisky Dewar's has been given a new look, to capture its status as the “definitive” blended whisky.

Former SA Brain director launches new business

09-Apr-2014

Philip Lay, the former retail director at SA Brain, has launched a new business called PHL (Pubs, Hotels & Leisure) Ventures.

Brewers unite in Brighton pub venture

08-Apr-2014 By Helen Gilbert

Two regional brewers have joined forces to open their first pub in Brighton on Thursday.

Craft Beer Co's first festival a 'huge success'

08-Apr-2014 By Helen Gilbert

Craft Beer Co moved away from its traditional ‘meet the brewer' events to hold its first pub beer festival last weekend, which saw more than 11,000 pints sampled.

David Beckham to launch a whisky

08-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

David Beckham is to launch a whisky in partnership with Diageo.

A street fighter with Budvar in his blood

08-Apr-2014 By Roger Protz

Roger Protz on how retiring Budweiser Budvar UK PR man Denis Cox has fought tirelessly to plug the Budvar brand and protect it from the Americans.

British cider producers predict export boom

08-Apr-2014 By Ruth Williams

British cider producers have predicted a rise in exports of an extra 704m pints a year by 2018 led by the growth in popularity of cider in recent years.

Pernod seeks UK partners for new vodka brand

07-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

Pernod Ricard is looking for UK partners to help make the first “global vodka with local roots.”

Pub delivery problems persist after five-week Carlsberg computer glitch

07-Apr-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Licensees are still experiencing problems receiving stock, after a Carlsberg UK computer glitch has left some pubs with delayed and incomplete deliveries for the fifth week running.