Food & Drink

#Unitedwestand

Care for draught lines vital when forced to shut cellar

26-Mar-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Experts have issued advice on how best to close down the cellar with tips on keg, cask and postmix drinks as well as what to do when it is time to reopen again.

#UnitedWeStand

Trade ‘disappointed’ as Chancellor set to collect March beer duty

24-Mar-2020 By Alice Leader

Trade bodies have shared their “disappointment” after, as The Morning Advertiser understands, the Chancellor announced not to cancel March’s beer duty.

#UnitedWeStand

Diageo pledges major support for on-trade

23-Mar-2020 By Nicholas Robinson

Global drinks supplier Diageo has pledged a £1m fund to help operators during the coronavirus pandemic, as well the launch of a new information line for the independent, licensed business owners.

Absolut launches passion fruit variant

16-Mar-2020 By Alice Leader

Absolut is set to continue its strong presence in the flavoured vodka category by introducing a tropical flair of passion fruit as its newest addition.

66% difference in cheapest and most expensive pint

13-Mar-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

The most expensive pint in the country costs two thirds more than the cheapest, according to new data from online healthcare service Treated.com.

Sharp’s kicks off brew series with Paul Ainsworth

13-Mar-2020 By Alice Leader

Sharp’s is “kicking off” its new brew series with its first release, Sublime Sundown, in collaboration with acclaimed chef and pub owner Paul Ainsworth.

Dead Man’s Fingers launches pineapple rum

11-Mar-2020 By Alice Leader

Tapping into the booming cocktails trend, rum brand Dead Man’s Fingers is taking tropical fruit to the dark side with the launch of its new pineapple rum.

Budget 2020

Pubs win in Budget 2020 with significant financial support

11-Mar-2020 By Nicholas Robinson

Teetotal Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak paid critical attention to the pub trade in the release of his 2020 Budget today (11 March), as the sector braces itself for a hammering by coronavirus.

Budget 2020

Budget 2020 – Duty increase on beer, cider, wine and spirits frozen

11-Mar-2020 By MA Reporters

Freeze on alcohol duties and business rates on pubs with rateable value under £51,000 abolished. Plus, national living wage to rise to £10.50 per hour by 2024. Here is a blow-by-blow account of Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak's first Budget.

Bombay Sapphire launches berry gin

10-Mar-2020 By Emily Hawkins

Premium gin brand Bombay Sapphire has released a berry flavoured variant, as flavoured gins continue to drive growth in the category.

No and low-alcohol entrepreneur wins £125,000 Dragons’ Den investment

10-Mar-2020 By Stuart Stone

Former Halewood, Bass, Molson Coors and Whitbread Brewers sales manager-turned-drinks maker Richard Clark has won £125,000 investment for alcohol-free business Drynks on BBC TV show Dragons’ Den.

Camden Town Brewery ‘looking at’ no-alcohol beer

10-Mar-2020 By Emily Hawkins

Camden Town Brewery founder Jasper Cuppaidge has said the brewery is looking at releasing a 0% ABV beer but signalled it may not be anytime soon.

Kopparberg launches new gin flavour

10-Mar-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Swedish drinks supplier Kopparberg has announced a new flavour to its gin portfolio – Passionfruit & Orange – which will be available this month (12 March).

Craft brewers call for tax relief to take on mainstream

10-Mar-2020 By Nicholas Robinson

Independent brewers across the UK are calling for drastic tax changes in tomorrow’s (11 March) Budget to allow the sector to take a bigger share of the beer market.

Brewhouse & Kitchen marks women’s history in brewing

09-Mar-2020 By Emily Hawkins

Pub group Brewhouse & Kitchen invited women to brew a beer to celebrate International Women’s Day yesterday (Sunday 8 March).

Beer duty cut could create £26.6m extra spending on draught beer

06-Mar-2020 By Alice Leader

New research has highlighted the importance of introducing a preferential rate of duty for draught beer as previous freezes have simply allowed the supermarket to undercut the pub with cheap alcohol.

Little interview

Women ‘less hesitant’ in drinks start-ups, says Double Dutch co-founder

06-Mar-2020 By Stuart Stone

Raissa de Haas, who co-founded premium mixer brand Double Dutch, looks forward to seeing the ‘next batch’ of young female entrepreneurs make their mark.

Little interview

Low and no drinkers need to ‘feel like part of the group’

06-Mar-2020 By Stuart Stone

‘Sociability’ is an essential ingredient in creating a successful low and no-alcohol product according to Richard Clark, founder and managing director of Drynks.

More than half of Brits think women’s football is underrepresented in pubs

06-Mar-2020 By Stuart Stone

British pubgoers would like to see women’s football established as a more regular fixture across the on-trade, according to research by Camden Town Brewery.

Brewery opposes branding ruling

04-Mar-2020 By Emily Hawkins

A brewery has refused to change the branding on one of its flagship beers after a watchdog decided its cartoon imagery appealed to children.

255 pints sold per second last year

04-Mar-2020 By Alice Leader

It seems beer was a popular ask in 2019 as total beer sales toppled those in 2018 by 1.1%, equal to 255 pints sold every second – reaching a total of 8,059,495,997.

In association with Diageo

From cigars and tartan chairs to 'third space', food pairing and cocktails – how has the 'whisky occasion' evolved?

03-Mar-2020 By MA Editorial

Ahead of The Publican Awards 2020 at London’s Battersea Evolution on 4 March, drinks giant Diageo has announced that it will be treating guests to on-draft Passion Fruit and Espresso Martinis alongside a selection of off-piste Johnnie Walker serves.

Rum on target to steal gin’s crown

03-Mar-2020 By Alice Leader

New data shows rum is on course to hit the same heights as gin, as sales rose by 7% year on year in 2019, according to CGA.

Wine duty ‘disproportionately penalises’ women

02-Mar-2020 By Alice Leader

Duty decisions focusing on beer is having an “unfair” impact on wine drinkers, thereby hitting its main consumer, women, harder than it does men, new insight shows.

'Consumer demand for adventurous flavours has grown substantially over the past two years'

02-Mar-2020 By Jonathan Watt

Keeping up to speed with the fast-moving mixer market is crucial for publicans looking to maximise their spirit sales and keep their experimental clientele happy

Vine-tuning your pub’s wine offer

02-Mar-2020 By Emily Hawkins

With some reports suggesting wine sales are down, what can pubs do to revive their offers and ensure they are making the most of the drink?

Innis & Gunn hits target for four in five consumers

28-Feb-2020 By Alice Leader

Scottish brewer Innis & Gunn is “absolutely made up” as it celebrates topping the list of most recommended beer and cider brand, new data shows.

Brothers launches Tutti Frutti and Marshmallow cider flavours

28-Feb-2020 By Stuart Stone

Fruit cider maker Brothers has followed up the successful release of its Rhubarb & Custard and Parma Violet variants by launching two new flavours inspired by sweet shop staples.

Little Interview

Brewers can lead British industry on sustainability

27-Feb-2020 By Stuart Stone

Good Things Brewing Co’s Chris Drummond explains how a new closed-loop brewery can more than treble its pub presence and that beer makers can lead other industries on green issues.

Bake-off winner Candice Brown protests pubs’ financial plight

27-Feb-2020 By Stuart Stone

Great British Bake Off winner-turned-publican Candice Brown trapped herself in a giant pint glass outside parliament to highlight the monetary bind facing local pub operators.

Big Interview

‘If there’s a lack of innovation in a category, then people migrate’

27-Feb-2020 By Nicholas Robinson

Despite a lengthy stint in the off-trade, Stephen Watt predicts a lot of energy will go into making the on-trade future for Heineken a bright one

M&B expand low-alcohol beer offer with Big Drop

26-Feb-2020 By Emily Hawkins

Pub group Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) has increased its range for pubgoers who do not want to drink alcohol by stocking new 0.5% ABV beers.

Gordon’s launches lemon gin

25-Feb-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Diageo-owned Gordon’s has announced its new Sicilian Lemon gin variant, which offers “a Mediterranean twist on the original recipe”.

Orange wine ‘one of the fastest growing categories’

24-Feb-2020 By Emily Hawkins

Wine from Eastern Mediterranean regions and orange variants have been dubbed as the trends for pubs to keep an eye on this year.

Licensees urged to ‘give CBD a whirl’

21-Feb-2020 By Emily Hawkins

Pub operators should take a chance on CBD drinks, one publican who stocks them has advised.

Future-proofing pub food

14-Feb-2020 By Emily Hawkins

Avoiding meat, consuming farmed fish or cutting out the distance food has to travel are all key aspects in creating a more environmentally friendly future.

The glass is always greener - how are drink makers embracing sustainability?

14-Feb-2020 By Alice Leader

As consumers remain concerned over sustainability issues, what is the industry doing to prove its commitment to being more environmentally friendly?

MA500

‘Selling one more coffee per day can add £800 to your annual revenue’

13-Feb-2020 By Stuart Stone

UCC Coffee UK & Ireland’s head of coffee excellence Gareth Davies’s hot take is that operators should beware of ‘cool baristas speaking in riddles’ and focus on nailing the basics.

MA500

‘I had to go where the beer guys were’ says Hawkes Cider founder

13-Feb-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Hawkes Cider moved to the Bermondsey Beer Mile to follow the beer crowd, founder Simon Wright told delegates at The Morning Advertiser’s MA500 conference in London today (13 February).

Five-year extension to Marston’s distribution deal with Kirin

13-Feb-2020 By Stuart Stone

Wolverhampton-based brewer and pub operator Marston’s has penned a five-year extension to its distribution deal with Japanese beer maker Kirin.

Good Things Brewing Co unveils £750,000 closed loop brewery

13-Feb-2020 By Stuart Stone

The saying good things come to those who wait has been proved true as a year-long, £750,000, refit of Good Things Brewing Co’s 17th century Sussex home nears completion.

St Austell launches the Proper Pub Quiz campaign

12-Feb-2020 By St Austell Brewery

St Austell Brewery has joined forces with quiz expert and TV personality, Mark ‘The Beast’ Labbett on its latest on trade campaign for its flagship IPA, Proper Job.