Food & Drink

Allied invests £1m in sherry

06-Feb-2004

Allied Domecq has added weight to talk of a sherry revival with a £1m investment in its leading Harveys brand.The spirits giant is looking to...

The turn of the screw

05-Feb-2004

You've no doubt all read the predictions for 2004 that appeared in our national newspapers at the beginning of the year. Apparently this year, we'll...

Calls for duty freeze to safeguard future of British beer

05-Feb-2004

The future of the British beer industry could be under threat unless the government acts on duty immediately, according to experts.The British Beer...

Bar for the course

04-Feb-2004

With service standards a key issue, beer, wine and spirits are taking staff training to the next level. Ben McFarland explains.What with it being...

Abbey Ales Brewery

29-Jan-2004

The brewery was founded in 1997 by Alan Morgan and became the first beer producer in Bath since the 1950s. Morgan worked for some the UK's leading...

W&DB makes move into nitrokeg sector

28-Jan-2004

Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries (W&DB) has further expanded its portfolio with its first foray into the nitrokeg "smooth" sector.WDB Brands,...

Import expert

27-Jan-2004

With a truly international portfolio of beers, Ubevco has rapidly become a brand builder of some repute. Ben McFarland reports.For overseas beer...

Brewers defend controversial decision to raise prices

23-Jan-2004

Several national brewers have piled pressure on cash-strapped licensees by cranking up prices for some of their leading brands. The decision by major...

Breakthrough in beer line cleaning

22-Jan-2004

by MA Reporter Beertech UK claims to have significantly improved a line-cleaning system that could mean savings for licensees of up to £2,000 each...

Long Island Iced Tea Shop

15-Jan-2004

Sutton, Surrey Neil Ainsworth, manager of the Long Island Iced Tea Shop in Sutton, knows exactly what he wants to give customers. "What we aspire to...

Ocean Spray gets it white with new juice range

15-Jan-2004

Ocean Spray is looking to strengthen its hand in the premium adult soft drink sector with the launch of a new range of clear cranberry juices.In an...

Cliquey IFBB shuns brewers

08-Jan-2004

This is written more in sorrow than in anger. I know all the companies that make up the Independent Family Brewers of Britain (IFBB) and some of the...

Carling launches sensible drinking campaign

18-Dec-2003

Carling has launched a TV advertising campaign to promote sensible drinking.The campaign, which airs across Scottish TV channels from Friday 19th...

Guinness cans fill draught void

18-Dec-2003

Guinness has been launched in a pint-sized can, aimed at venues that don't supply the stout on draught. The 530ml cans are designed to fill a pint...

Let's keep whisky pure and single

18-Dec-2003

Diageo and the Scotch whisky trade will need to work hard in the wake of the Cardhu row to solve single malt's identity crisis, says Andrew Jefford...

A merry wine list

18-Dec-2003

Over the last two weeks, I have received a number of e-mails from licensees, asking me to write about which wines go best with rich Christmas fare...

Diageo and SWA settle row over pure' Cardhu

11-Dec-2003

by John Harrington A compromise has been reached between the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) and Diageo in the row over the "pure malt" marketing of...

Malibu signs Shaggy

11-Dec-2003

Reggae singer Shaggy is set to be the new face of Malibu. It is expected the star will appear in ads for the coconut-flavoured rum next year, under...

Brits find Utopia in £100 bottle of beer

11-Dec-2003

by Claire Hu When is a beer not a beer? That was the question being puzzled over by the brewing industry this week as the world's strongest, and...

Cider puts the sparkle back into Merrydown

11-Dec-2003

Is cider recapturing some of its old strength? Life has not been easy for the cider men with the problems at HP Bulmer, the front runner, underlining...

Spain rises above global invaders'

11-Dec-2003

Spanish wines have, in so many cases, been overlooked in the rush to appreciate New World bottles. Yet Spain produces a dazzling array of wines that...

Heineken looks to usurp Stella as top premium lager

05-Dec-2003

Heineken's offensive on the premium lager market is gathering strength with a further £27m investment earmarked for 2004.The new imported Dutch...

Who are they? It's difficult to see the word Holsten and not

04-Dec-2003

Holsten UK is a subsidiary of Holsten Brauerei, Germany's largest brewer, founded in Hamburg in 1879. In 1965, Holsten Distributors was formed to...

Robinson's cup runneth over with Blackthorn

04-Dec-2003

As the England heroes returned from Rugby World Cup triumph, the assembled media and thousands of fans at Heathrow were eager to hear what they had...

Robinson's ups its stake in Jennings

04-Dec-2003

by Tony Halstead Stockport family brewer Frederic Robinson has increased its stake in rival Jennings Brothers to almost 20% after buying up another...

Taste of top Game

04-Dec-2003

Many licensees have an ambivalent attitude towards Christmas and the New Year; on the one hand it presents a chance to make some much-needed profit,...

Opportunities: Tea and coffee

03-Dec-2003

Licensing reform will offer pubs the chance to cash in with coffee and tea.For all its many uncertainties, the 2003 Licensing Act heralds an...

The special branch

28-Nov-2003

The label 'speciality spirits and liqueurs' groups together a diverse range of drinks that don't quite fit in elsewhere. Ben McFarland reports.If the...

Merger plan for Beer Seller and Waverley

27-Nov-2003

By Andrew Pring Customers and suppliers to Beer Seller will have to wait up to three months before Scottish Courage unveils its plans for merging the...

Ubevco to drive Birra Moretti into UK pubs and bars

26-Nov-2003

Heineken has teamed up with beer specialist Ubevco to drive Italy's No.2 beer into bars, pubs and hotels across the UK.Following on from the release...

Clarke's Organic Group hopes for net profit

21-Nov-2003

A new internet service providing real, organic and vegetarian beers has been set up by Clarke's Organic Group in an effort to champion beers from the...

Suffolk brewer Adnams has secured a deal to export its beers

20-Nov-2003

Also, from February 2004, Adnams Broadside Original will be stocked in outlets of Systembolaget, the Swedish state liquor monopoly that controls the...

Spike-proof RTD to fight date rape

20-Nov-2003

by John Harrington A new RTD will soon be launched in a supposedly spike-proof bottle, at a time when drink spiking remains in the media spotlight...

LVA chairman admits spirit substitution

20-Nov-2003

by MA reporter A Licensed Victuallers Association chairman has been found substituting spirit for a second time. Derek Haworth, landlord of the Fox...

In a class of its own

20-Nov-2003

In recent weeks I have covered areas such as life after Liebfraumilch and expanding your wine list. In the course of these jottings, one of the wines...

Shooting stars

19-Nov-2003

Everyone has an opinion about shots and shooters but never mind the puritans, says Ben McFarland, just think of the soaring profits.They may not be...

Whisky industry fires warning shot in battle with Diageo

19-Nov-2003

The scotch whisky industry has united against Diageo in an attempt to prevent it pushing ahead with its Cardhu pure malt brand.In a crisis that has...

Coors premium lager brand Grolsch beat off the challenge of

13-Nov-2003

The award was voted for by consumers and Vegetarian Society members and Grolsch topped fellow contenders Becks, Caledonian Brewery Golden Promise...

Unique deal hailed as start of new cask era

13-Nov-2003

by Claire Hu Cask ale brewers will for the first time be given direct access to thousands of tied pubs under a new supply agreement launched by...

Diageo defends 'foolish' decision to change whisky

13-Nov-2003

Diageo has hit back at claims that it has undermined the whisky industry by changing its Cardhu single malt brand.The drinks giant's decision to stop...

Wine Focus: Question of quality

13-Nov-2003

Wine research from The Publican in association with:The final part in our series on raising the profile of wine in pubs brings together the ideas of...

Big Brother' hot on trail of dodgy wines

13-Nov-2003

Have you ever wondered how legal your wine labels are? The expert authority in the UK is the Wine Standards Board. Its trained and experienced team...

We're talking to Budvar

13-Nov-2003

I am writing in response to last week's letter from Denis Cox of Budweiser Budvar, in which he questioned the accuracy of AC Nielsen data. It is...

Fine and brandy

12-Nov-2003

Brandy is synonymous with Christmas but there's more to the spirit than that. Ben McFarland looks at how cognac is driving the sector.Just like cute...

Diageo to raise profile of second string spirits

12-Nov-2003

Diageo GB has streamlined its spirits portfolio in response to an increased demand among pub-goers for premium brands.A bespoke sales and marketing...

Martell ends Grand National sponsorship

11-Nov-2003

Next year's Grand National will be the last sponsored by Martell Cognac.Owner Pernod Ricard, which took over control of both the brand and the...

Lager rivals in festive fracas

10-Nov-2003

A storm is brewing between two of the biggest players in the on-trade lager market.Interbrew UK has hit back at claims by rival brewer Coors that...

Staropramen returns to to its Czech homeland

06-Nov-2003

By MA Reporters Interbrew has done a U-turn on brewing Staropramen in the UK it will return all brewing to the Czech Republic to protect the...

Burton Ale rears its lovely head

06-Nov-2003

Hello, old friend," I said, "long time no see." Things have come to a pretty pass when I start talking to pump handles, but my outburst was caused by...