Food & Drink

Step up: the advanced course seeks to build upon the knowledge learnt in the foundation course

How to become a beer sommelier (Part Two)

By James Beeson

The Morning Advertiser returned to The Beer & Cider Academy to take its advanced course in beer - the next step on the journey towards becoming a beer sommelier.

Pressure: soft drinks businesses impacted by sugar levy

326 soft drinks makers hit by sugar tax

By Nikkie Sutton

HMRC has revealed that 326 soft drinks manufacturers have been affected by the ‘sugar tax’ according to research from a national accountancy group.

Here to stay: Mark Bentley insisted mainstream lager brands must remain stocked in pubs

Beer Summit

Why does mainstream lager have a bad reputation?

By James Beeson

The "lads and banter" marketing techniques employed by mainstream lager brands in the past has led to a negative image of brands such as Carling, Foster's and Carlsberg, according to Mark Bentley, on-trade category controller at Molson...

Off-trade beer: Richard Lee from Kantar Worldpanel talks supermarket sales

Beer Summit

Supermarket beer: a real threat to pubs?

By Nicholas Robinson

Craft beer sales in the off-trade have leapt significantly by 48% in the past year, with 4.6m households in the UK buying into the category, which is worth £136m to the off-trade.

Branching out: Lotte Peplow claims US beer exports don’t post a threat to UK brewers

Beer Summit

How big can US beer become in the UK?

By James Beeson

US beer exports are growing in the UK, fuelled by consumer “curiosity and experimentation”, according to Lotte Peplow, european representative for The Brewers Association.

On the up: sales of spirits are rising faster than any other drink segment

Beer, wine and spirits sales soar to £9.8bn

By Nikkie Sutton

Total value of beer, wine and spirits in pubs has risen by 1.8% to £9.8bn - with premium spirits accounting for £934m - in the year to 24 February this year, according to a new report.

Threat: beer is in good health, but there are real threats

Beer Summit

Threats to beer: ‘draught cocktails and soft drinks’

By Nicholas Robinson

The emergence of draught cocktails on the bar could pose a real threat to beer sales in pubs as font space becomes ever tighter in an increasingly competitive market, a leading analyst has warned.

Beer star: Chapel Down's Gareth Bath launches MA's Beer Summit

Beer Summit

Brewers are the ‘rock stars of our trade’

By Nicholas Robinson

Consumers have never been as excited about beer as they are now, with more talking about taste and flavours than a decade ago, Chapel Down Group MD Gareth Bath said at the opening of the Beer Summit today (12 July).

Controversial: the beer provoked a mixed reaction on its launch in March

Complaint over BrewDog Pink IPA upheld

By James Beeson

A complaint about BrewDog’s limited edition Pink IPA has been upheld by the Independent Complaints Panel, industry watchdog the Portman Group has revealed.

Recipe for success: three ideas for the perfect gin and tonic

In association with Fever-Tree

Three G&T serves you won’t be able to resist

By Nicholas Robinson

The humble gin and tonic; what can go wrong and what more can be done to such a simple drink? The answer to both questions is, actually, quite a lot.

Herbaceous accompaniments: keep your gin garnishes fresh

In association with Fever-Tree

How to grow a gin garnish garden

By Nicholas Robinson

Whether you’re growing them on the bar for staff to garnish drinks with or in your pub garden for consumers to pick and choose for themselves, a G&T garnish garden is a quirky way to create a bit of atmosphere and theatre.

Tasty tipple: rum is predicted to be the next big trend in spirits, according to experts

Top drinks trends from Imbibe 2018

By Nikkie Sutton

A continuing demand for gin, dark and fruity beers, and sparkling wines are three trends that operators need to look out for, according to four drinks producers at this year’s Imbibe Live show.

Dismissive: González called the mocktail menu the equivalent of “the kids menu in a restaurant”.

How to cater for people who aren’t drinking

By James Beeson

The on-trade needs to do more to “disentangle the notion that there needs to be a not-sober experience in every bar”, according to renowned bartender and self-care advocate Giuseppe González.

Whisky is on the up

In association with Diageo

Unravel the complexities of whisky

By Nicholas Robinson

The complexity of whisky as a category means there is a product or style for every customer, a situation made clear in new sales data that shows pockets of significant growth, as well as areas of real sales potential.

Industry threat: any plans to raise duty could impact alcohol sales

Booze sales could be damaged with duty freeze cut

By Nicholas Robinson

Scrapping the alcohol duty freeze put in place last year by Government is “counter-productive”, and will increase pressure on cash-strapped consumers, the Wine & Spirit Trade Association has warned (WSTA).

Claim: the Small Brewers Duty Reform Coalition has accused the Society of Independent Brewers of omitting its recommendations for reform of small breweries relief

Small Brewers Duty Reform Coalition rejects SIBA proposals

By James Beeson

The Small Brewers Duty Reform Coalition has rejected proposals by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) for reform of beer duty, and once again called for a Treasury led review of small breweries relief (SBR).

Endless combinations: most plants can be used in a gin mix so it offers creativity (image credit: DrPASk/CuCuRemus/iStock/Thinkstock.co.uk)

What is the future of gin?

By Nikkie Sutton

The gin bubble has been afloat for a while now and while some experts say it’s time to burst will come, others state that gin is here to stay.

Cheers: whisky can be young and fun

In association with Hi-Spirits

How can we increase whisky sales?

By Nicholas Robinson

Dark, moody and complex are three words few would deny succinctly describe the whisky category. However, though seemingly innocuous, such an ‘inoffensive’ handful of words is actually detrimental to whisky’s ability to step up its performance.

Call to arms: SIBA is calling on brewers, publicans and beer lovers to back its proposals

SIBA sets out Small Breweries’ Relief reform proposals

By James Beeson

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has set out its proposals for reform of the Small Breweries’ Relief Scheme (SBR), as it seeks to encourage growth and investment in British independent brewing, while protecting smaller craft producers.

Open and approachable: Ian Fozard has run a brewery and has experience in the pub trade

SIBA announces new chairman

By Nikkie Sutton

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has announced Rooster’s Brewery’s Ian Fozard as the organisation’s new national chairman.

The knowledge: The Beer & Cider Academy has various different levels of training available

How to become a Beer Sommelier (Part One)

By James Beeson

With the number of breweries in the UK now around the 2,000 mark, and beer imports showing no signs of slowing down, it’s more important than ever for bar staff to be educated about the different types of beer on the marketplace.

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