News

How pubs can survive rising food prices

03-Aug-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Reducing the number of dishes on the menu, tapping into technology and keeping staff at the forefront of the business are some of the ways operators can combat rising food prices, according to data experts.

Meet the GBPA nominees: Best Food Pub sponsored by Booker/Makro

02-Aug-2017 By Ed Bedington

The last in our first set of previews for this year’s John Smith’s Great British Pub Awards is the Best Food Pub category, sponsored by Booker/Makro.

Pub reprimanded over ‘Would you punch your ex in the face?’ advert

02-Aug-2017 By James Beeson

A pub has been told to remove a Facebook post after the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled it trivialised domestic violence. 

Harvester pub scores zero food hygiene rating for 'significant failings'

01-Aug-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

A popular Harvester pub was given a zero food hygiene rating for its cleanliness, condition of its restaurant and the management of food safety.

July's pub pest infestations

01-Aug-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

July seemed to be a popular month for pests visiting pubs with a glut of food hygiene offences committed. 

Michelin Guide pub chef to open second site

31-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

The chef-patron of a Michelin Guide-listed pub in Nottingham has taken on a second site with Star Pubs & Bars.

Licensees can now order bar snacks through Molson Coors

31-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Molson Coors customers will now be able to buy Walkers crisps, Nobby’s Nuts, Bacon Fries and Scampi Fries, which will be delivered as part of their drinks order.

Pubco hotel fined whopping £170k for pest infestation

31-Jul-2017 By James Beeson

Shepherd Neame has been ordered to pay almost £170,000 in fines and court fees after one of its hotels was found to be in violation of four hygiene safety standards.

Trauma after licensee loses £100k due to roadworks

28-Jul-2017 By Georgina Townshend

A publican from north Wales has spoken about his “traumatic 12 months” after losing around £100,000 in trade due to nearby roadworks and a 130% rise in business rates.

Weak pound keeps foodservice inflation high

28-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Exchange rates and a sharp rise in the price of fish were among the inflationary pressures affecting the sector, experts have said.

Trade bodies welcome pre-Brexit plans to assess EU worker contributions

27-Jul-2017 By James Beeson

The Government’s plan to assess the economic contribution of EU migrants has been welcomed by leading trade bodies within the food and drink industry. 

BrewDog rolls out major incident training in all its UK bars

27-Jul-2017 By James Beeson

Craft beer brewery and bar chain owner BrewDog has announced it will be indroducing a major incident-training programme across all its UK bars. 

Charles Wells secures fourth Pizza, Pots & Pints site

27-Jul-2017 By James Beeson

Pizza, Pots & Pints, the award-winning pub restaurant format, is set to open a new site – its fourth within two years. 

Men discuss issues at the pub, not on social media

27-Jul-2017 By Fred A'Court

When it comes to talking about serious issues with friends, men are more likely to want to discuss them in the pub than on social media.

Conman ‘scamming licensees’ through fake pub guide promise

26-Jul-2017 By Georgina Townshend

A publisher of UK pub guides and maps from Liverpool has warned publicans a conman is ripping off licensees across the country by trading under his name.

Christmas comes early for Bristol pub

26-Jul-2017 By Georgina Townshend

A publican has “bookings coming out of her ears” for the festive season after putting up a fully-decorated Christmas tree – five months early.

JDW pub kitchen forced to shut after ‘pests’ found in nearby bins

26-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Pests, thought to be maggots were discovered in nearby bins to a JD Wetherspoon (JDW) pub in Gloucestershire, forcing the kitchen to close temporarily. 

Bar deals with customer TripAdvisor review in the best possible way

25-Jul-2017 By James Beeson

A popular bar in Bristol has responded to a customer's criticism on TripAdvisor by naming a cocktail after his review. 

Bartenders among the most feared professions

25-Jul-2017 By Helen Gilbert

Bartenders and chefs have topped a list of the workers that customers fear the most, new research has found.

Barking up the money tree: dogs improve business in pubs

24-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Almost all (98%) dog-friendly pubs believe four-legged customers improve businesses, according to new Kennel Club research.

Star Pubs & Bars pumps more than £4m into pub kitchens

24-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Star Pubs & Bars has invested £2.7m in kitchens, and will stump up another £1.6m this year, as part of its fixtures and fittings (F&F) policy.

Rat-infested fridge and filthy kitchen lands pub with £42k fine

21-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

The owners of an Essex pub have been fined more than £42,000 and stopped from selling food after rats were found nesting under the fridge in its kitchen.

If TV soap pubs were real, this is how much disasters would cost

21-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Disasters at the UK’s favourite TV soap pubs would costs hundreds of thousands of pounds if the incidents happened in real life, according to security experts.

Coach stages dinner date

21-Jul-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Elite chefs met for the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs regional dinner and enjoyed a taste sensation from three of the very best in their field. Nicholas Robinson reports.

Frozen food: thawing profit opportunities

21-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

The stigma around frozen food is melting and operators should look at the segment to cut their costs and still deliver a great quality meal. Nikkie Sutton reports.

Parliamentary Pub Chef of the Year Competition returns

21-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) Parliamentary Pub Chef of the Year Competition is back, following its success in 2016.

Wetherspoon apologises after rat spotted in busy pub

20-Jul-2017 By James Beeson

Pubgoers were left horrified after a rat was filmed scurrying across a leather booth in a popular JD Wetherspoon pub.

We're at risk of another horsemeat scandal

19-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Unless every part of the food chain remains vigilant, the UK food industry is at risk of another horsemeat scandal, a top expert has warned.

Bidfood unveils Christmas range with 'free-from' focus

19-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Bidfood has revealed its Christmas range for this year, which includes more than 120 new products and taps into the ‘free-from’ trend.

Chefs no longer have to boil their own eggs

19-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Ready-made soft-boiled eggs are now available to pubs from a bulk ingredients supplier, which introduced them to help chefs cook quickly on a large scale.

Trade bodies join forces to outline Brexit priorities

19-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Pub industry bodies are among more than 20 organisations that have outlined 10 Brexit priorities to protect the UK’s food and farming sector.

Cod off the ‘endangered’ list

19-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

British cod is back on the menu and accredited as sustainable, more than a decade after North Sea cod stocks came close to collapse.

Major improvement in pubs' allergen awareness controls

19-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Allergen awareness in pubs has improved since the introduction of the Food Information to Consumers Regulations (FIC) in 2014, according to new research from the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

One in five diners consider alcohol in deciding where to eat

18-Jul-2017 By James Beeson

Alcoholic drink options are becoming increasingly important in diners choice of restaurants, according to new research by William Grant & Sons. 

Pub kitchen chip pan blaze sparks advice from fire service

17-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service has issued advice for operators to avoid chip pan fires in kitchens after a pub in the county was involved in an incident.

Polish steaks better than British

13-Jul-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Poland was announced the world’s best steak producer, above any other nation, at the annual World Steak Challenge awards earlier this month.

Michelin-starred chef doubles Lancaster Brewery's food sales

13-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Food sales at Lancaster Brewery sites have doubled after it hired Michelin-starred chef Steven Doherty.

Pub sparks outrage by offering free food to those over 25 stone

13-Jul-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

A northern pub famed for its Man v Food challenges has been criticised for offering free food to customers weighing more than 25 stone.

The nation’s favourite pies revealed

11-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

A mixture of sweet and savoury pies varied throughout the nation, according to a survey conducted by delivery company Hungry House.

TripAdvisor partners with Deliveroo creating global ‘one-stop shop’

11-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

TripAdvisor will be a “one-stop shop” following the integration of Deliveroo’s restaurant listings on to its review site.

Crimes against pub food revealed

11-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

From dodgy plate designs to seasonal frivolity, leading pub chefs and patrons tell The Morning Advertiser what their pet peeves are when it comes to serving pub food.

Music can alter the way diners taste, says neuroscientist

10-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Diners appreciate particular dishes more when listening to particular kinds of music, which is something pubs could tap into according to a leading scientist.

Brewhouse & Kitchen hits milestone with 1m brews

06-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Brewhouse & Kitchen has revealed it brewed a staggering 1m pints from its own in-house breweries over the past 12 months.

Robinsons Brewery invests £500,000 for pub revamp

06-Jul-2017 By Helen Gilbert

A Cheshire pub has reopened sporting a new ‘contemporary country pub look’ following a refurbishment exceeding £500,000.

Spend at lunch venues soars thanks to technology

06-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Customer spend at lunch venues has risen by 9% over the past 12 months thanks to technology, according to customer insight experts.

Generation Z ‘too awkward for pubs’

05-Jul-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

The next generation suffers from an obsession with social media and a limited desire to drink, which puts visiting the pub almost to the bottom of the list of where they want to spend their time.

On-demand eating and drinking is a thing

05-Jul-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Technology will shake up the way pubs serve food and drink to consumers who demand their meals in an instant and even on-the-go.

Most common hospitality food safety mistakes

05-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

The most common food safety mistakes made in the hospitality sector include reusing unclean cloths, inadequate allergen understanding and working when ill, according to public health experts.

Eating out sector 'under threat' despite PM’s visa assurances

04-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

The eating-out sector could be under threat if the Government doesn’t fill jobs in the UK with foreign workers after Brexit, according to a leading trade association.

Tom Kerridge: how the celebrity pub chef became who he is today

04-Jul-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge opened his first gastropub in 2005, gaining his first Michelin star within a year. The Morning Advertiser charts some of the highlights of his career.