Food & Drink

Tyrrells Crisps and Chase Vodka founder moves into wine

07-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

Tyrrells Crisps and Chase Vodka company founder, William Chase, has moved into wine with the launch of Williams Chase Rosé, the first release from his new French vineyard.

Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter to get its own beer

04-Apr-2014

Beer-lovers in Birmingham will be asked to name a new brew aimed at promoting their area.

Ginger Grouse announced as the 'official pint' of Tough Mudder

04-Apr-2014

Ginger Grouse will be the official pint partner for the endurance event, Tough Mudder.

Honey and coffee flavoured tequilas launch into the UK

03-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

The trend for flavoured spirits continues apace with the launch of a honey tequila in the UK this month.

US shot brand Fire Eater launches in the UK

02-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

Roll up! Roll up! A new circus-inspired shot brand from the US is about to hit UK pubs and bars.

WKD ads fall foul of ASA rules

02-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

Alcopop brand WKD has been rapped over the knuckles by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for three of its adverts.

London Wine Fair to showcase beer for the first time

02-Apr-2014 By Robyn Black

The London Wine Fair is moving into beer for the first time in its 34 year history.

News Of The Brews: This week's pick of the best new beers

31-Mar-2014 By Robyn Black

This week’s pick of the newest beers in the block, include a beer by cricketer Alastair Cook, an ale made with six varieties of hop and the return of a Yorkshire favourite.

Managed pubs the winners as leisure sector soft drinks volumes fall

31-Mar-2014 By John Harrington

The value of the soft drinks market to the leisure sector was static in 2013 at £2.8bn, while volumes fell 1.8%, according to the Britvic Soft Drink Review 2014.

Low calorie Champagne launches

31-Mar-2014 By Robyn Black

A low calorie Champagne has been launched ahead of the summer.

Fizz is no longer for the few

31-Mar-2014 By Robyn Black

As reported in the Independent last week, global sales of Prosecco have (just about) overtaken Champagne.

Brewery's ale trail gets its first champion

28-Mar-2014 By James Wallin

A real ale aficionado has completed a Cornish brewery’s epic bar crawl of 150 watering holes.

Ham is where the heart is for dynamic duo

28-Mar-2014 By Pete Brown

Pete Brown reports on why Anthony and Clare Kitching’s splendidly simple cheese and charcuterie outlet - Friends of Ham - is a winner.

Brewery’s annual awards celebrate the perfect pint

27-Mar-2014 By James Wallin

McMullen has revealed the winners of its annual Cellarman of the Year awards.

Heineken announces services moving to Poland and 55 job cuts

27-Mar-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Heineken UK is relocating some of its “transactional” services to Poland and will axe 55 jobs at the beginning of next month, as part of a series of changes to its finance team, the Publican’s Morning Advertiser has learnt.

Cider performs better than total beers, wines and spirits

27-Mar-2014 By Jessica Mason

Cider performs better than total beers, wines and spirits, draught cider is now outperforming packaged and recent floods may have threatened future harvests, according to Westons' media briefing.

Heineken launching a kiwi-flavoured Kiwi cider

27-Mar-2014 By Robyn Black

A cider from New Zealand is the latest entrant to the budding world cider sector.

Re-launched Brighton pub first outside London to sell 'Tank Beer'

26-Mar-2014 By James Wallin

A Brighton pub is re-opening this evening after being given a facelift, and will become the first pub outside London to offer Meantime's 'Tank Beer'.

Team behind Wallace & Gromit develops the "Vimtoad" for Vimto

25-Mar-2014 By Robyn Black

A cheeky toad created by Aardman Animations (the team behind Wallace & Gromit) will spearhead the biggest campaign for Vimto to date, said the company.

Rock band Elbow on their new beer and love of pubs

25-Mar-2014 By Pete Brown

Rock band Elbow’s new ale Charge, named after their song of the same name, highlights how the magic of the pub will always remain despite a multiplicity of changes in both beer tastes and clientele. Pete Brown joins them for a pint.

Pub deliveries hit by Carlsberg computer glitch

25-Mar-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Licensees across the country have been hit by a Carlsberg UK computer glitch leaving them with delayed, incomplete, or no deliveries for more than three weeks.

Camerons marks beer duty cut with pints penny promo

25-Mar-2014 By John Harrington

Camerons, the Hartlepool-based brewer and pub operator, is giving customers 1p ‘cash back’ for every pint sold to mark the penny cut in beer duty announced in the Budget.

Marston's to create 3,000 new jobs following Chancellor's beer duty cut

24-Mar-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

A 1p cut in beer duty has enabled Marston’s to create 3,000 new jobs over the next two years, the pub company has announced on the same day Chancellor George Osborne visited the brewery.

'No frills' pub concept to offer half a pint for £1

24-Mar-2014 By James Wallin

A new “no frills” pub concept is being launched offering a pint for £1.50 and a half for £1.

Strongbow calls for five-a-side teams to face Brazil's finest female footballers

24-Mar-2014 By Robyn Black

It’s not just amateurs versus professionals, but men versus women in the latest Strongbow Challenge, as a British five-a-side football team go up against one of Brazil’s best professional female teams in Rio de Janeiro this summer.

Bombardier fires up St George's Day holiday campaign

24-Mar-2014 By Robyn Black

Bombardier is calling for St George’s Day to be made a bank holiday.

Hardy's becomes official wine partner of England Cricket

21-Mar-2014 By Mike Berry

Hardys has signed a three-year deal to be the official wine partner of England Cricket.

Fuller’s gets rights to Sierra Nevada

20-Mar-2014 By Robyn Black

Fuller’s premium drinks arm, Westside Drinks, has confirmed it will be the sole importer of US craft beer Sierra Nevada.

50 new beers for Wetherspoon beer festival

20-Mar-2014 By Robyn Black

A plum porter, a juniper beer and a hazy wheat beer will be among some of the more exotic brews on offer at the next JD Wetherspoon beer festival.

Budget 2014: Pubcos pass on beer duty cut

20-Mar-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Pub companies are promising to pass on the beer duty cut announced in yesterday’s Budget to licensees.

Historic Vaux beers back in rude health

20-Mar-2014 By Roger Protz

Despite the closure of the Vaux brewery in 1999, a small team of former employees have been working to bring the brews back to life.

Budget 2014: Chancellor scraps alcohol duty escalator and announces 1p cut for beer

19-Mar-2014 By James Wallin

The 2014 Budget has brought some cheer for the pub industry with the scrapping of the alcohol duty escalator and a 1p cut for beer.

Piña Coladas will be key to Malibu's success this summer

18-Mar-2014 By Robyn Black

Pernod Ricard will be pushing the Piña Colada this summer, as part of a drive for its Malibu brand.

Arkell's strikes gold at SIBA's BeerX awards

18-Mar-2014 By James Wallin

Wiltshire brewer Alex Arkell has described the Gold award presented to his company at last week’s BeerX celebrations as “the ulitmate endorsement of our beer”.

The trade is alive and kicking

18-Mar-2014 By Pete Brown

The number of pub closures may be on the up but innovation is rife in the industry, says Pete Brown.

Value of wines and spirits to pubs set to grow

18-Mar-2014 By John Harrington

The value of wines and spirits to the UK on-trade is set to increase over the coming years as new outlets sell a greater proportion of these products, new research shows.

No ginger for new Crabbie's flavours

17-Mar-2014 By Robyn Black

The Crabbie’s range is moving away from its position as just an alcoholic ginger beer brand, with the launch of two new varients that contain no ginger.

Trend watch: pub caterers embrace Scandinavian trends

17-Mar-2014 By Jo Bruce

PubFood reveals how pub caterers are capitalising on what’s hot

Mother's Day campaign for Appletiser

17-Mar-2014 By Robyn Black

Mums are in for a treat this Mother’s Day (30 March) with a new on-trade promotion from Appletiser.

Butcombe Brewery takes top prize at SIBA Business Awards

14-Mar-2014 By Jo Bruce

Butcombe Brewery has been awarded the top prize at the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) Business Awards.

SIBA announces National Beer Competition 2014 winners

13-Mar-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has announced three ‘supreme champions’ and 60 medal winners in its National Beer Competition 2014 at its BeerX event in Sheffield.

Robert Humphreys to step down from Parliamentary Beer Group

13-Mar-2014 By John Harrington

Robert Humphreys is to step down from his role of honorary secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group after 21 years, which he has held since the group’s formation in 1993, the Publican's Morning Advertiser has learnt.

Retro wine Mateus gets a £2m boost this year

12-Mar-2014 By Robyn Black

Retro wine brand, Mateus – that of the distinctive oval bottle – is being prepared for a big UK push this year.

SIBA names new chairman and unveils revised structure

12-Mar-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Exe Valley Brewery co-founder Guy Sheppard has succeeded Keith Bott as the Society of Independent Brewers’ (SIBA) new chairman, it was announced at the organisation’s AGM in Sheffield today.

News of the Brews: get the lowdown on the best new beers

11-Mar-2014 By Robyn Black

Californian craft brewer North Coast brings several of its beers to the UK for the first time, including its Thelonius ale and Old Rasputin Imperial Stout. Plus, Castle Rock releases Traffic Street Specials, Joules Brewery launches a spring special and...

Most Britons want cut or freeze in beer duty, says new YouGov poll for BBPA

11-Mar-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

The majority of the British public supports a cut or freeze in beer duty and say they delay visiting  a pub until pay day because they cannot afford it – that’s according to a new YouGov poll commissioned by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).

Healeys unveils new cider for St Austell Brewery pubs

11-Mar-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Cornish cider company Healeys has launched a new crafted pouring cider to be distributed by St Austell Brewery.

Industry figures call for beer duty freeze in open letter to Osborne

10-Mar-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Senior industry figures have written an open letter to Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne MP, calling for a freeze in beer duty in next week’s Budget and further measures to support the pub trade.

Aspall to redesign and add to range

10-Mar-2014 By Robyn Black

Aspall, the Suffolk Cyder maker, has promised a fresh look for its range and a raft of new product development for 2014.

Beer Innovation Summit: Big plans for Let There Beer campaign after 'mixed' first year

06-Mar-2014 By Robyn Black

After admitting the first year of Let There Be Beer, the cross industry campaign to revive the beer category, had been “mixed,” brewers unveiled big plans for 2014.