Food & Drink

Brewing and pubs to feature in BBC series The Apprentice tonight

08-May-2013

The brewing and pub industry is set to feature in tonight’s BBC show The Apprentice.

Pernod Ricard adds an ultra-premium gin to its Beefeater brand

07-May-2013 By Robyn Black

An ultra-premium version of Beefeater gin will be launching in the UK this June.

Forget the feuds, love the beer

06-May-2013 By Pete Brown

We should celebrate the diversity of the beers we have and not get caught up in needless debates, Pete Brown argues.

Southern Comfort launches range of PoS kits for summer

03-May-2013 By Mike Berry

Southern Comfort has created a range of new visibility kits designed to help licensees capitalise on the longer summer days.

Beer duty cut delivers spending boost to pubs

03-May-2013 By John Harrington

Spending on credit and debit card in pubs has increased by 4% following the cut in beer duty in the Budget, new research from Barclaycard shows.

Heineken to paint London pubs green ahead of UEFA Championship League final

02-May-2013 By Robyn Black

Fifty London pubs will be painted green as part of Heineken’s campaign to promote the UEFA Champions League final in Wembley on 25 May.

Building on the beer duty campaign success

02-May-2013 By Brigid Simmonds

The cut in beer duty was a great victory for beer and pubs. It was unexpected to many, and on a scale greater than most of us dared hope for, so a few reflections are timely, says BBPA chief Brigid Simmonds.

Brakspear returns to brewing, launches microbrewery in Oxfordshire

01-May-2013 By Gurjit Degun

Pub operator Brakspear is returning to its brewing roots by launching a microbrewery in Henley, Oxfordshire.

Cider and lager part of expansion plans for Hogs Back Brewery

01-May-2013 By Robyn Black

Surrey’s Hogs Back Brewery has launched a cider and is developing a lager, as part of a raft of activity planned for its 21st anniversary this year, including plans to double capacity at its Tongham base.

ASA upholds three complaints against Hi-Spirits Fireball Whisky brand

01-May-2013 By Michelle Perrett

The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld three complaints against Hi Spirits and its Fireball Whisky brand.

Beer group chairman Andrew Griffiths labels VAT cut campaigners as "deluded"

01-May-2013 By Michelle Perrett

The chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group Andrew Griffiths has derided VAT-cut campaigners as “deluded”, and embarking on an “exercise in fantasy politics”.

Clipper Teas founder looks to heat up hot drinks market with FruitBroo

30-Apr-2013 By Robyn Black

The founder of posh tea brand Clipper Teas, Mike Brehme, has launched a new range of hot drinks that he hopes will create a new category.

Why McEwan’s Red was not what I expected

30-Apr-2013 By Roger Protz

Roger Protz says Wells & Young’s could be missing a trick with the launch of its new 3.6% ABV beer.

New look for Fuller's bottled ales

29-Apr-2013 By Mike Berry

Fuller’s has unveiled a new design for its Premium Bottled Ales portfolio, including London Pride.

Pub beer sales drop again in first quarter of year

29-Apr-2013 By John Harrington

Beer sales in UK pubs fell 5.5% in Q1 against the same period last year, the equivalent of 49.8m fewer pints sold across the three months.

WKD unveils traffic cone cocktail pitchers

26-Apr-2013

Traffic-cone shaped cocktail pitchers have been unveiled as part of a summer bank holiday campaign for WKD.

Russian soft drink Zeo to make UK debut

25-Apr-2013 By Robyn Black

A new Russian soft drink, which has been developed to mimic the kick of vodka, but without containing alcohol, will be launched into pubs and bars in London and Brighton at the end of this month, alongside an £8m marketing campaign.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company takes two awards at International Brewing Awards 2013

25-Apr-2013 By Gurjit Degun

US firm Sierra Nevada Brewing Company won two awards at the International Brewing Awards 2013, at a ceremony in London’s Guildhall yesterday.

Carlsberg to cut Tuborg to 4% ABV

24-Apr-2013 By Noli Dinkovski

Carlsberg UK is to reduce the ABV of Tuborg to 4% in an attempt to make the Danish lager more “accessible” to drinkers.

Diageo launches new Pimm’s flavour for summer

23-Apr-2013 By Robyn Black

Diageo has launched a new variant under its Pimm’s brand in a bid to boost sales this summer.

Molson Coors employees balloted for strike action

23-Apr-2013 By Gurjit Degun

Molson Coors workers in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, are being balloted on strike action after the brewer announced that it is consulting on the loss of up to 26 jobs.

Embracing new ideas with Brains Brewery

22-Apr-2013 By Pete Brown

Brains’ micro ‘test plant’ is allowing free rein for experimentation. Pete Brown gets stuck in.

The Big Interview: Inge Plochaet, AB InBev

22-Apr-2013 By Jessica Mason

Inge Plochaet, president of AB InBev UK & Ireland, tells Jessica Harvey about dealing with big brands, ongoing marketing plans and why she is a perfectionist when it comes to glassware.

Gluten-free beers win awards at FreeFrom Food Awards

22-Apr-2013 By Jordan Chamberlain

Gluten-free beers Green’s Lager Dry Hopped and Celia Premium Czech Lager were awarded top prizes at the FreeFrom Food Awards.

Heineken to brew Kingfisher beer as part of new UK agreement

19-Apr-2013 By Mike Berry

Heineken is to brew Kingfisher Beer in the UK, making the packaged beer available across its Star Pubs and Bars estate.

Magners Cider back on TV

19-Apr-2013 By Jessica Mason

Magners Cider will be back on TV this month to mark the start of a multi-million pound campaign to encourage people to get together.

Wells & Young's launches McEwan's Red

18-Apr-2013 By Jessica Mason

Wells & Young’s has launched a new beer under its Scottish ale brand McEwan’s named McEwan’s Red.

Marston's teams up with Shipyard Brewing to launch American Pale Ale

18-Apr-2013 By Jordan Chamberlain

Marston’s is to launch Shipyard Brewing's 4.5% American Pale Ale in May, in an extension of the breweries 15-year pan-Atlantic collaboration.

JW Lees launches Manchester Pale Ale

18-Apr-2013 By Robyn Black

Manchester brewery JW Lees is launching a new beer, which it hopes will do for the brewery what London Pride has done for Fuller’s.

Jacques Borel: Beer-duty escalator scrap is 'good sign' for VAT campaign

18-Apr-2013

The Government’s decision to scrap the beer-duty escalator is a “good sign” for the campaign to reduce VAT on the sector to 5%, the man leading the industry’s lobbying effort on VAT has said.

Good things come to those who serve quality pints of Guinness

16-Apr-2013 By Robyn Black

Guinness teams will be visiting some 6,000 pubs and bars between now and the end of June in a bid to drive sales of the Black Stuff in the on-trade.

How to... Avoid food poisoning at your pub

16-Apr-2013 By Pat Perry

Any pub, hotel or restaurant faces the risk of food poisoning and it’s every owner/manager’s job to ensure measures are taken to prevent it happening, says Pat Perry.

Alcopop brand VK to come in larger bottles

15-Apr-2013 By Robyn Black

Global Brands has put its RTD range, VK, into bigger 500ml bottles, to tap into the trend for longer, over-ice drinks and mixed drinks served in pitchers.

Leaving a legacy of brewing excellence

15-Apr-2013 By Roger Protz

Licensee Graham Yates retires from a career championing truly great beer. Roger Protz provides the plaudits.

Price of a pint of cask ale tops £3

15-Apr-2013 By John Harrington

The average price of a pint of real ale has exceeded £3 for the first time, according to new figures from the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).

Adnams launches first Jack Brand beer Innovation

12-Apr-2013 By Antonia Hawken

Suffolk-based brewer Adnams has launched ‘Innovation’, the first of its new Jack Brand beers.

Alcoholic whipped cream to launch in UK

11-Apr-2013 By Robyn Black

An alcoholic squirty cream from the US is set for UK pubs and bars.

Thwaites unveils 2013 Awards for Excellence winners

11-Apr-2013 By Helen Gilbert

A husband and wife team have triumphed for the third year running in the 2013 Thwaites Awards for Excellence.

Innis & Gunn to launch its first lager

11-Apr-2013 By Robyn Black

Oak-aged beer brewer Innis & Gunn has launched its first lager.

The future’s green with Element 29 vodka

11-Apr-2013

A new British vodka brand, which comes in an eight-litre bag-in-box, claims to be the only ‘green’ vodka on the market.

Aspall relaunches blonde beer as Outlier

10-Apr-2013 By Robyn Black

Aspall, the cyder and vinegar maker, has relaunched its Suffolk Blonde beer as it looks to increase its presence in the beer market.

CaskFinder app upgrade aims to further boost cask ale category

09-Apr-2013 By Jordan Chamberlain

The popular CaskFinder app is being upgraded following consumer feedback, in the hope that it will reach 100,000 users a month by the end of the year.

Fighting the new evil of binge-drinking scare stories

09-Apr-2013 By Pete Brown

Why must we put up with this relentless tide of poorly-researched scare stories about binge drinking, asks Pete Brown.

New Kent microbrewery to pay rent in beer

09-Apr-2013 By Helen Gilbert

A new independent Kent-based microbrewery has struck a novel deal to pay its rent in beer.

Arkell's pledges to keep upskilling staff

08-Apr-2013 By Helen Gilbert

Arkell’s has pledged to continue up-skilling pub staff by opening up courses to its tenanted houses.

Pear Gold to join J20 portfolio as alternative to cider

05-Apr-2013 By Robyn Black

Soft drinks company Britvic is hoping to lure cider fans into choosing a non-alcoholic alternative with the latest limited edition flavour to join the J20 portfolio.

My daunting date at the Drifty

05-Apr-2013 By Roger Protz

Roger Protz enjoys delightful beers and fascinating chat at the Driftwood Spars in Cornwall.

Chancellor George Osborne: beer duty cut is “just the beginning” of Government help for the sector

04-Apr-2013 By John Harrington

Chancellor George Osborne has said the beer duty cut is “just the beginning” of Government help for the sector.

Aspall's to cut the alcohol in its Perronelle’s Blush cider

04-Apr-2013 By Robyn Black

Aspall is dropping the ABV of its Perronelle’s Blush cider from 5.4% to 4%.

Adnams speeds up pub disposal plans

04-Apr-2013 By John Harrington

Adnams plans to accelerate its pub disposal programme in 2013, with around five or six sites expected to be sold this year, chairman Jonathan Adnams has said.