Food & Drink

Heineken sponsors 80,000 PASS training cards

06-Feb-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Heineken has sponsored the printing and distribution of 80,000 PASS training cards to raise awareness of the proof-of-age scheme to pubs across the UK.

Hendricks plays matchmaker

03-Feb-2012 By Matthew Moggridge

First Drinks’ gin brand Hendrick’s is putting its weight behind a variety of leap year events in the lead-up to February 29th when the normal rules of courtship are reversed.

VK fans’ flavour mission

03-Feb-2012 By Noli Dinkovski

Global Brands is asking consumers to come up with a new VK flavour in time for Freshers’ Week celebrations in September.

I’ve ad a laugh with Foster’s

03-Feb-2012 By Pete Brown

I don’t often write about mainstream standard lagers. That’s because I don’t often drink them. In most cases (but not quite all) I don’t have any ideological opposition to their existence; I just don’t like the taste.

All change for the mismeasure of drink?

03-Feb-2012 By Phil Mellows

As the government prepares to make a major statement on alcohol policy, probably some time in February, there have been some interesting manouvrings going on.

Worthington brewery plans to increase production

02-Feb-2012 By John Harrington, M&C Report

International brewer Molson Coors plans to increase production at its William Worthington microbrewery almost four-fold in 2012 after reporting that it produced 1,600 barrels in its first year in operation.

Net rate of pub closures hits 18 per week as beer duty escalator debate hits Parliament

01-Feb-2012 By Michelle Perrett

The net rate of pubs closures has increased by 50% with 18 pubs a week closing - up from the previous figures of 12 per week - the latest CGA-CAMRA Pub Tracker has revealed.

First Drinks adds key vodka brands to portfolio

31-Jan-2012 By Noli Dinkovski

First Drinks has snapped up distribution rights for Russia’s number one vodka Green Mark and Polish vodka Zubrówka.

The taxing issue facing pubs

31-Jan-2012 By Roger Protz

I blinked in disbelief when I heard a BBC business reporter announce that one reason for a fall in the rate of inflation was a drop in the price of alcohol. “Take me to your pub!” I yelled at the television set.

Truman's asks Londoners to find new brewery site

31-Jan-2012 By Adam Pescod

East London beer brand Truman’s is asking the capital’s ale drinkers to help find a site for its new brewery.

Hardys and Echo Falls renew Come Dine With Me sponsorship

27-Jan-2012 By Michelle Perrett

Hardys and Echo Falls have renewed their sponsorship of Channel 4 TV programme Come Dine With Me.

Pub Mentors: Optimising soft drinks service

27-Jan-2012

Martin Sampson, out-of-home shopper marketing controller at Coca-Cola Enterprises, reviews progress on improving soft-drink visibility at the Great Lyde in Yeovil, Somerset.

Benet Slay appointed Carlsberg UK CEO

26-Jan-2012

Brewer Carlsberg UK has appointed Benet Slay, former managing director of Diageo GB, as its new chief executive.

Equator targets the health conscious

26-Jan-2012 By Matthew Moggridge

Beverage Brands has launched what it believes to be a ground-breaking non-alcoholic beer in response to increasing levels of health-consciousness.

Condor brings out Argentinian wines

25-Jan-2012 By Matthew Moggridge

A new wine importer has introduced a range of Argentinian wines at both the value and premium ends of the market.

Soft drinks giants back regeneration

25-Jan-2012 By Noli Dinkovski

Britvic and PepsiCo UK are to help pubs forge closer links with their local communities in a nationwide cross-brand initiative to transform neglected green spaces.

Stella, Bud and Beck's get ABV cut

24-Jan-2012 By Noli Dinkovski

AB Inbev is to cut the ABV content of Stella Artois, Budweiser and Beck’s in a move that could be seen by industry observers to offset esculating duty costs.

Belhaven Black hoping to 'ignite stout market'

23-Jan-2012 By Matt Moggridge

Greene King-owned Belhaven Brewery, one of Scotland’s oldest brewers, has introduced Belhaven Black and hopes it will ignite the UK’s stout market.

Decline in beer volumes slowed in 2011

23-Jan-2012 By John Harrington

The decline in on-trade beer volumes slowed last year to the lowest rate since 2004, with sales falling 3.4%, according to the latest Beer Barometer from the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).

Call time on barstaff dabbling in telepathy

20-Jan-2012 By Pete Brown

There’s a fascinating new development happening in our hostelries late at night. In a bold, ground-breaking experiment, a rising number of pubs are experimenting with telepathy as a way of communicating with customers.

1,000 beer kegs worth £100k seized in raid

17-Jan-2012 By Adam Pescod

Police seized 1,000 aluminium beer kegs worth over £100,000 last Friday (13 January) after a coordinated raid on sites in north London.

Brancott completes makeover with app

16-Jan-2012 By Noli Dinkovski

New Zealand wine Brancott Estate is to be given a make-over that includes a QR (quick response) link to a new smartphone app on its bottles.

Aylesbury ends its beer duck

16-Jan-2012 By Roger Protz

Brewing has been restored to Aylesbury after a gap of 74 years. It seems scarcely credible that the town in Buckinghamshire, with a population of 60,000, has been without a beer maker since the Aylesbury Brewing Company (ABC) was taken over almost three-quarters...

Pub footy teams wanted for Carlsberg five-a-side tournament

13-Jan-2012 By Noli Dinkovski

Carlsberg has launched a nationwide search for best pub football team in the country to take on a team of European legends at this summer’s Euro 2012 Championships.

Licensee's husband battles wind for beer delivery

13-Jan-2012

The husband of a Punch licensee in Glasgow braved gale force winds to make sure a beer delivery could make its way into the pub.

Licensees face raft of beer price hikes in 2012

12-Jan-2012 By Michelle Perrett

Licensees have entered 2012 facing a raft of price hikes from major brewers.

Tetley refreshes ITV sponsorship

10-Jan-2012 By Noli Dinkovski

Tetley’s has refreshed its programme sponsorship of ITV4 to support the brand’s recent makeover in a £5m campaign.

Thatchers thinks inside box

10-Jan-2012 By Matthew Moggridge

Thatchers Cider has introduced a 20-litre bag-in-box for its Heritage draught cider to give publicans greater flexibility behind the bar.

Fake vodka gang member jailed for two years

10-Jan-2012

A ‘chemist’ in the middle of a major counterfeit vodka manufacturing and bottling plant in Leicestershire has been jailed for two years.

Hydes to close Queens Brewery and withdraw from free trade

09-Jan-2012 By Mark Wingett

Manchester brewer and pub operator Hydes has announced plans to close its Queens Brewery in Moss Side and move to a new facility as part of £2m investment.

Accolade Wines launches new wine website

05-Jan-2012 By Matthew Moggridge

Accolade Wines has launched a new wine website to help licensees sell and learn more about wine.

Heineken takes back Desperados brand

03-Jan-2012 By Michelle Perrett

Heineken is to take on the marketing, sales and distribution rights to Desperados premium tequila- flavoured beer.

Ombudsman investigates S&N pensions case

22-Dec-2011 By Mark Wingett

The Pensions Ombudsman is to investigate a complaint by thousands of members of Scottish & Newcastle’s (S&N) pensions fund brought against Heineken on commitments it made when it took over the UK brewer in 2008.

Marston's launches single-hop cask ales

21-Dec-2011 By Matthew Moggridge

Marston’s hopes to satisfy consumer demand for different taste experiences with the launch of 12 craft-brewed single-hop cask ales made with hops sourced from around the globe.

Beer market suffers £2.2 billion decline

21-Dec-2011 By Adam Pescod

The beer market has suffered a £2.2 billion fall in revenue since 2006, according to the latest figures from market research experts Mintel.

Wadworth launches 2.8% ABV beer

20-Dec-2011

Wadworth is launching a 2.8% ABV beer which will be on sale in their pubs during January.

Carlsberg UK to increase prices

19-Dec-2011 By Michelle Perrett

Carlsberg UK is to increase its wholesale prices by an average 7p a pint from January due to costs.

Diageo offers free water to Londoners for Xmas

19-Dec-2011 By Adam Pescod

Diageo GB is handing out tens of thousands of free bottles of water at central London Tube stations throughout the festive period as part of its ongoing commitment to promoting responsible drinking.

Buoyant Butcombe's bottled beer booster

16-Dec-2011 By Matthew Moggridge

West Country brewer Butcombe has launched a dedicated bottled beers website and a new retailer initiative in response to increased sales.

Hollywood glam for Aussie wine range

16-Dec-2011 By Matthew Moggridge

Jacob’s Creek Cool Harvest is the name of a new range of wines aimed at driving the ‘light and fresh’ market in the UK.

Red Bull ploughs £1.5m into sugarfree campaign

16-Dec-2011 By Matthew Moggridge

Red Bull have ploughed £1.5 million into a promotional campaign for its Sugarfree variant as it looks to drive awareness of the product's low calorific value among calorie-conscious customers in the on-trade.

Guinness dreams of a white and black Christmas

14-Dec-2011 By Matthew Moggridge

A £2 million media campaign for Guinness forms the backbone of Diageo’s masterplan to drive festive beer sales and satisfy hard-to-please men in the prezzie department.

Positive trends prevailing

13-Dec-2011 By Pete Brown

This is my last column of the year, and I find myself looking back on 2011 as an unexpectedly good year in many ways for the beer and pub world, and feel ing curiously optimistic about 2012. No, don’t laugh.

Innis & Gunn on the recruitment trail

12-Dec-2011

Innis & Gunn, the Scottish brewer, is to double its workforce with the creation of 13 new jobs as it reports a 68% rise in turnover to £6.167m in the year to the end of September 2011.

Molson Coors urges MP barley farmers support

09-Dec-2011 By Adam Pescod

Molson Coors has written a letter to 60 MPs across the UK to encourage support for barley farmers and to highlight the crucial relationship between farming and brewing.

Sambuca supplier questions rival's authenticity

06-Dec-2011 By Matthew Moggridge

The authenticity and legality of a rival drinks brand is being called into question by South West London drinks company Hi-Spirits, supplier of Antica Sambuca.

Dea Latis women switch from wine to beer in January

06-Dec-2011 By Gurjit Degun

Members of Dea Latis, the beer in women group, are set to switch from wine to beer in January in a bid to cut alcohol intake and shift the extra pounds from Christmas.

Revolution brews in Cumbria

06-Dec-2011 By Roger Protz

If you want to see at first hand the British brewing revolution going full bore, you should spend a few days in Cumbria. I was the guest speaker in November at the Cumbrian branches of the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA’s) annual dinner, held in a large...

Pubs reap rewards of eating out trend

05-Dec-2011 By Lesley Foottit

Pubs are taking the second largest market share of drinking and dining out occasions, according to The Taste of the Nation survey by Deloitte and BDRC.

Diageo launches responsible drinking campaign

02-Dec-2011 By Gurjit Degun

Diageo GB has teamed up with Transport for London (TfL) to support free New Year’s Eve travel for the next three years as part of its Responsible Drinking campaign launched today.