News

Revealed: the worst areas for pub food hygiene

13-Feb-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

Four London boroughs have been named and shamed as having some of the worst pub food hygiene standards in the country.

'Pan-Asian tapas' restaurant group plots move into pub sector

13-Feb-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

Pan-Asian restaurant group Tootoomoo is poised to take its first steps into the pub sector, The Morning Advertiser (MA) can reveal.

Acrylamide reduction to become legal obligation

10-Feb-2017 By Andrew Don

Reduction of the potential carcinogen acrylamide will shortly become a legal obligation for food businesses. Here is what lies behind the headlines and how the pub trade will be affected.

Outrage over supermarkets’ cheap Valentine’s meal deals

09-Feb-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Supermarkets are throwing their low tax rates in the faces of Britain’s pubs by selling cheap Valentine’s Day meal deals, which can cost up to 300% less than similar out-of-home dinners.

Scotch Egg Challenge 2017: Drapers Arms named winner

09-Feb-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

Top London gastropub the Drapers Arms, in Islington, has been crowned champion of this year's Scotch Egg Challenge.

Mitchells & Butlers apologises to ‘mocked’ job candidate

09-Feb-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Mitchells & Butlers has apologised to an interviewee who was ‘mocked’ in a text message when applying for a job at its Miller & Carter steakhouse format.

My Pub: The Guinea Grill, Mayfair

09-Feb-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

Well-known pub manager Oisin Rogers took charge of historic Young's pub the Guinea Grill, Mayfair, in mid-2016, moving over from popular Islington site the Canonbury. He gives the Morning Advertiser the low down on what it takes to run one of the...

Pubs warned customers 'will leave in droves' over food hygiene ratings

07-Feb-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

Pubs and restaurant that fail to achieve good food hygiene ratings should be prepared to lose customers to their competition, new research warns.

Ex-licensee hit with bill for almost £3,700 over pub “ingrained with dirt and grease”

03-Feb-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

A former licensee was slapped with a £1,600 fine and ordered to pay more than £2,000 in costs after environmental health officers discovered dozens of food hygiene violations at his pub.

Food suppliers blame Brexit as record price hikes hit pubs

03-Feb-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

Food companies issued a record number of price rise notifications over the past four months, citing Britain’s impending exit from the European Union as a major cause.

Top gastropub the Falcon Inn on the market for £1.4m

03-Feb-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Historic gastropub the Falcon Inn in Fotheringhay, Peterborough, is on the market with Christie & Co for £1.4m.

How pubs got serious about British cooking

01-Feb-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

Gastropubs occupy a unique space in the eating-out sector, largely free of the hyperbole of the city-focused restaurant scene, but offering some of best food in the country.

The best of the Top 50 Gastropubs social media action

31-Jan-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Guests at yesterday's prestigious Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropub Awards took to social media to celebrate their wins, praise other operators and share their experiences of the day. We take a look at the best of the #top50gastropubs.

TV's Matt Tebbutt: hosting Top 50 Gastropubs is great honour

31-Jan-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Food Unwrapped and Saturday Morning Kitchen star Matt Tebbutt called unveiling and presenting the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list awards a great honour.

Top 50 Gastropubs 2017: Yorkshire pub steals the top spot

30-Jan-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

Yorkshire pub the Star Inn, Harome, has been named the best gastropub in the country at this year’s Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs Awards.

Booker boss claims there are no plans for job losses following Tesco merge

27-Jan-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Booker CEO Charles Wilson has stated that following the wholesaler’s merge with supermarket giant Tesco, there are no plans for job cuts.

Booker merges with Tesco in £3.7bn deal

27-Jan-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Booker and supermarket giant Tesco have announced they have agreed terms to merge in a huge £3.7bn deal.

Great Sausage Roll Off 2017 winner announced

26-Jan-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

The winner of this year’s Great Sausage Roll Off was Bedfords Bar head chef Charlie Hodson.

Farm Frites launches new chips range

24-Jan-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Potato specialist Farm Frites has launched a new product in a bid to satisfy consumer demand for crispy, coated, tasty chips with greater heat retention.

TripAdvisor launches new features for pubs and restaurants

23-Jan-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

TripAdvisor has announced the launch of new premium features for pubs and restaurants on its website.

Pubs could face £10,000 fine over using illicit wholesalers

18-Jan-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Pubs trading with illicit wholesalers could face a fine of up to £10,000, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has warned.

Food and drink industry supported by PM in Brexit speech

18-Jan-2017 By Sara Hussein

Industry bodies have welcomed Teresa May’s “recognition” of the value of the food and drink sector in her Brexit speech.

Food safety

Zero hygiene rating for pub with encrusted fly killer and E.coli

13-Jan-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

A heavily “encrusted” electronic fly killer, the presence of E.coli and a lack of hand-washing facilities has left an historic Northamptonshire pub with the lowest food hygiene rating.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Pub regular chokes to death on pickled eggs

12-Jan-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

A regular at a Devon pub choked to death on pickled eggs after betting £5 he could eat four of them in one minute.

Food

JD Wetherspoon apologises to 'disgusted' customer for 'half' eaten dish

11-Jan-2017 By Sara Hussein

JD Wetherspoon has apologised for not replacing a woman’s dish that had been already partially eaten by another customer.

Tipping

Diners confused over tipping

10-Jan-2017 By Michelle Perrett

More than half (54%) of British diners find the UK tipping culture awkward, the latest AA survey has revealed.

Food Scares

Researchers develop new 'food scare' categories system

10-Jan-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Chefs and licensees will be able to manage food scares more efficiently using research from the University of Surrey.

Top 50 Gastropubs

Matt Tebbutt announced as Top 50 Gastropubs presenter

04-Jan-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Saturday Morning Kitchen and Food Unwrapped star Matt Tebbutt will host the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropub list reveal and awards later this month.

FOOD HYGIENE

'Dirty and greasy' pub fined £2.5k for food hygiene violations

22-Dec-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

A pub was slapped with a £2,500 bill after environmental health officers discovered a range of potentially dangerous food safety violations.

TRIPADVISOR

Pub manager outraged after TripAdvisor refuses to take down “xenophobic” review

20-Dec-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

A London pub manager was stunned when TripAdvisor refused to remove a customer’s outrageous review saying their experience had been ruined by “groups of POLISH people”.

EVENTS

Great Sausage Roll Off returns for 2017

20-Dec-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Chefs from across the UK are preparing to put their bar snack-making skills to the test for the fifth annual Great Sausage Roll Off.

Branded food pubs

Branded food pubs up 19% in past year

14-Dec-2016 By James Wallin, MCA

The number of branded food pubs increased 19.1% in the year to September – equivalent to more than one new addition everyday - the latest Market Growth Monitor has claimed.

Food safety

Rare burger crippling health risk warning

13-Dec-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

A food safety watchdog has warned of the crippling health threats undercooked burgers can cause now that the category is in steep growth and as a result of more consumers specifying how their burgers should be cooked.

ONLINE REVIEWS

Customer 'tried to blackmail' pub with TripAdvisor food poisoning allegation, claims licensee

06-Dec-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

A licensee has told of his outrage after a customer who was refused a refund left a negative review claiming to have come down with food poisoning in retaliation.

Designated Driver

Food and soft drink pairing

06-Dec-2016 By Andrew Don

No one bats an eyelid when wines are paired with specific dishes, and it should be no different with soft drinks. Andrew Don reports

Food Safety

Diners demand pubs be forced to display hygiene ratings

05-Dec-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Public support is overwhelmingly in favour of legislation that would force pubs across England to publicly display their food hygiene ratings.

Healthy menu planning

On a health kick

29-Nov-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Once the Alka-Seltzers have been returned to the medicine cabinet after the festive binge, customers will emerge from their party mentality in search of health food sanctuary. Enter the pub... Andrew Don reports

In association with Booker

Keeping it clean and easy

29-Nov-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Pubs are under ever-increasing scrutiny – whether it is how good at sourcing from the local area a venue is or how many stars it has been given by the Food Standards Agency’s Scores on the Doors scheme, it can be tough

FOOD SAFETY

Salmonella warning: salad juices 'encourage growth of poisonous bacteria'

23-Nov-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Green salad juices found in bagged salads can encourage the growth of debilitating Salmonella bacteria, academics have warned.

FOOD SAFETY

Scores on the doors: the evolution of food safety regulations

15-Nov-2016 By Andrew Don

With moves afoot to introduce a new regulatory system that would see pubs and other food businesses mandated to display food hygiene ratings, it has never been more important for publicans to get on top of food-safety systems to ensure they don’t fall...

TOP 50 GASTROPUBS

Top 50 Gastropubs 2017: finalists announced for specialist awards

14-Nov-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Six pubs have been shortlisted for specialist awards in this year’s Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs Awards.

Pub food

Pioneering pub 'patisserie' hopes to taste sweet success

11-Nov-2016 By Helen Gilbert

A north Somerset pub has debuted a patisserie serving pastries, artisan breads and chocolate in a bid to tempt customers ‘from far and wide’.

NEW OPENINGS

Young’s to open new pubs in Bristol and Cambridge

11-Nov-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

London-based pub company Young’s has set its sights on opening further pubs outside the capital with acquisitions in Bristol and Cambridge.

FULLER'S

Fuller’s names the Hydrant as Pub of the Year 2016

10-Nov-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

London pub group Fuller’s has named Monument pub the Hydrant as the winner of its Pub of the Year competition.

marketing

“This isn’t a food bank” – pub in hot water over “sickening” comments

09-Nov-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

A Mansfield pub has sparked outrage after an employee called a customer who asked for a bowl of mash for his child a “beggar”.

NEW OPENING

Dark Star opens new site with top London gastropub owner

09-Nov-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Sussex brewer Dark Star has opened its new pub, the Lockhart Tavern, in Haywards Heath.

GASTROPUBS

Grantley Arms owners to sell award-winning gastropub

07-Nov-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

The owners of the Surrey gastropub that won Best Turnaround Pub in the Great British Pub Awards 2016 are to sell the site to a local pub group in the new year.