News

Research

Eating-out sector in vital need of innovation, warns analyst

23-Mar-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

The eating-out sector is in vital need of fresh ideas and innovation in the face of economic uncertainty throughout 2016, a leading analyst has urged.

Research

ALMR: 'Young foodies' shunning booze for dining out

23-Mar-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

A nation of 'young foodies' are increasingly choosing eating out over drinking out, according to new research by the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) and CGA Strategy.

Fuller’s chefs face off in Chefs’ Guild Scholarship finals

23-Mar-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Fuller's chefs enrolled in the London-based pub company's Chefs' Guild internal training and development programme faced each other at a cook-off at the University of West London yesterday (22 March).

Food distributors

Brakes launches Scotland-only business

22-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Foodservice distributor Brakes has launched a Scotland-only arm of its business, which will deliver to around 11,000 customers.

NEW OPENING

Celeb chef Simon Rimmer to open new Merseyside gastropub

21-Mar-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Celebrity Chef Simon Rimmer has unveiled plans to open a new gastropub in Merseyside later this year.

Gastropub star Dom Chapman heads to India for British food festival

21-Mar-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Acclaimed gastropub chef Dom Chapman has travelled to India to lead a major promotion of British food.

Food safety

Rare burger risk warnings ‘not enough to save you in court’

21-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Warning pub customers about the potential dangers of ordering and eating high-risk foods – such as oysters and rare burgers – is unlikely to be enough of a defence to stave off prosecution in the event of legal action.

Bidvest launches summer range with vegetarian and barbecue focus

21-Mar-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Bidvest Foodservice has unveiled its new 'Create Summer' summer product range.

Allergens: ‘May contain’ labelling unlikely to protect against prosecution

17-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

'May contain' warnings on pub menus to alert customers to potential food allergens in dishes may not be enough to safeguard operators against prosecution, an expert has warned.

Popular Brighton ‘nose-to-tail’ pop-up Flank moving to new site

16-Mar-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

The young chef behind a popular 'nose-to-tail' pub kitchen residency in Brighton has announced he plans to move his operation to a larger pub in the city.

Top gastropub chefs to host ‘epic food battle’

14-Mar-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Two of the country's top gastropub chefs are set to host an exclusive 'Battle of the Smiths' cook-off next month.

Kent pub goes 100% gluten-free

14-Mar-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

A Maidstone pub has launched a 100% gluten-free menu following a £130,000 refurbishment last year.

Diageo: tap into £100m opportunity by pairing cocktails with food

14-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Food-led pubs can cash in on an untapped £100m spirits opportunity by pairing cocktails with dishes, and stand out in an increasingly competitive casual-dining space, drinks giant Diageo has suggested after new research.

Harry Ramsden unveils new on-trade concept with Punch Taverns

11-Mar-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Fish & Chip chain Harry Ramsden's has unveiled its new on-trade concept in partnership with Punch Taverns. 

Hospitality operators' challenges in 2016 highlighted by new report

10-Mar-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Growth in the eating and drinking-out sector has fallen behind other major industries, according to new research. 

Menu ideas

Wetherspoon’s ‘vegan menu’ praised by PETA

10-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

JD Wetherspoon's (JDW) decision to highlight vegetarian and vegan dishes on a separate menu in each of its 900+ sites has been praised by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

EU REFERENDUM

Brexit staffing worries: eating-out businesses must invest in people

10-Mar-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Pub and restaurant operators need to invest in their current staff to weather recruitment issues Britain leaving the EU could potentially cause, a leading hospitality analyst has warned.

Mitchells and Butlers

M&B launches contactless payments across 1,700 sites - and hire 2,000 apprentices

10-Mar-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) has announced the launch of contactless payments and Apple Pay for customers across its 1,700-site estate. 

Healthy eating

Calorie counting "not important" for consumers

09-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Calorie labelling on pub food menus could be irrelevant, as new research from Mintel shows the information far from tops consumers' priorities when looking for nutritional guidance.

Supplier profile

Flexitarians push Paramount 21 to boost veggie offer

09-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Frozen fish and vegetarian foodservice supplier Paramount 21 is preparing to boost its veggie and gluten-free offering following rising demand, the firm's chairman and director Ali Hannaford has said.

Pub launches roast dinner delivery service

08-Mar-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

A Welsh pub has launched its own Sunday roast delivery service for local customers. 

Fish supplies and limited harvest set to increase prices

08-Mar-2016 By James Wallin

The increasing use of sea bass on pub and restaurant menus is putting pressure on supplies, while salmon prices have hit 30-year highs, a report has warned.

Death of the Sunday roast fears repudiated by PMA readers

08-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Fears that the Sunday roast is on its way out, following JD Wetherspoon’s (JDW’s) decision to scrub the dish from its menu, have been quashed by Publican’s Morning Advertiser (PMA) readers.

Cumbrian chef targets world sausage record

07-Mar-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

The chef of a Cumbrian pub plans to win a Guinness World Record for creating the world's largest sausage.

Crowdfunded Bison Arms to receive food from award-winning restaurant

07-Mar-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

The team behind critically-acclaimed Brighton restaurant 64 Degrees are set to create the food offer for crowdfunded pub the Bison Arms, which is set to open later this year. 

News analysis

Is this the end of the Sunday roast?

07-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

The decision by managed pub chain giant JD Wetherspoon to axe the Sunday roast has sent shock waves through the trade. Nicholas Robinson finds out if the reverberations will hit other pubs too

The Pie Report

Life of pie: making the most of Britain's classic dish

04-Mar-2016 By Alison Baker

They come in all shapes and sizes, with fillings as diverse as you could wish for, in savoury and sweet versions. So it should come as no surprise to find that pies are a popular option on pub menus up and down the land. Alison Baker lifts the crust on...

Bidvest Foodservice snaps up Caterfood

04-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Bidvest Foodservice has acquired the south-west-based distributor Caterfood in a bid to strengthen its reach, after the Publican’s Morning Advertiser (PMA) revealed the company's plans to continue its expansion.

Eating-out businesses must meet demands of digital natives

03-Mar-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Eating-out businesses need to adapt their marketing to attract the youngest 'Generation Z' consumers, a leading hospitality marketing expert has warned. 

Podcast

Ice boss: ‘Don’t shun frozen food as inferior, embrace its money-saving qualities’

02-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Frozen food should not be shunned by pub chefs who fear using non-fresh produce will taint their offer, but should embrace its nutritious and money-saving qualities.

Sugar fears branded 'collective madness'

02-Mar-2016 By Emily Sutherland

Discussions about how the Government tackles the UK’s growing obesity problem are taking place ‘against a backdrop of collective madness’ according to Institute of Economic Affairs director Christopher Snowden. 

Suppliers

Bidvest Foodservice reveals growth plans and biggest competitors

01-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Bidvest Foodservice will continue to acquire businesses and launch new sites to grow its customer reach, chief executive officer Andrew Selley has told the Publican’s Morning Advertiser (PMA).

NEW OPENING

Ex-Gordon Ramsay and Star Inn chef to open new gastropub

29-Feb-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

A chef who worked at Gordon Ramsay's three Michelin-starred London restaurant – and Andrew Pern's acclaimed Yorkshire pub the Star Inn – is set to open a new food-led pub in Berkshire.

Fowl Mouths’ Japanese comfort food stay at Clapham pub King & Co extended

29-Feb-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Japanese comfort food pop-up Fowl Mouths has extended its residency at Clapham pub the King & Co to the end of March, following demand from the sell-out concept's growing fan base.

Healthy options

Pubs urged to ‘save lives’ by tackling salt levels in food

29-Feb-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Pubs and similar food businesses must take action on salt to potentially save thousands of lives, the Local Government Association (LGA) has urged.

Mother’s Day is ‘bigger than Christmas’ for pubs

29-Feb-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

More than half of UK families (64%) head to the pub for food on Mother's Day, according to the most recent figures from Carlsberg UK's Consumer Insight Report.

Michelin-starred Somerset pub to celebrate 10th anniversary with tasting menu

29-Feb-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

The owners of an acclaimed Somerset pub are set to mark its 10th anniversary by putting on a celebratory tasting menu. 

Twisted Burger boosts the Yard’s food sales by 50%, but could rise to 300%

29-Feb-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Food sales at Yorkshire pub the Yard, Ilkley, have rocketed by more than 50% since the franchise Twisted Burger launched there in early February, the Publican’s Morning Advertiser (PMA) has learnt.

Menus

JD Wetherspoon scraps Sunday roasts leaving customers devastated

29-Feb-2016 By Oli Gross

JD Wetherspoon has scrapped traditional Sunday roasts to focus on its core menu in a move which has left its customers devastated.

Pie Report

10 facts to help boost your pub’s pie sales

26-Feb-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

With British Pie Week just around the corner, it’s time to swat up on your pie knowledge to help boost the quality of your offer. Here are our top 10 tips to the best pub pies

New Products

What’s new in casual dining?

26-Feb-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Boosting kitchen profitability was a major theme at this year's Casual Dining show and many suppliers aimed to please with a vast line-up of interesting new products. Here we've selected a few of the ones that stood out for us.

Menu trends

Macaroni cheese sales rise 550% as dish hits £10 mark

25-Feb-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Some eateries are charging almost £10 for a portion of macaroni and cheese, as sales of the dish have grown by 550% in the UK since 2010.

Casual Dining

National living wage 'could be positive for pubs'

25-Feb-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Pubs can thrive under the national living wage (NLW) when it comes into force on 1 April, two operators have said, despite dire warnings from other trade leaders who say otherwise.

Casual Dining

Pubs' casual dining growth bubble could be burst by Burger King's beer

25-Feb-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Three pub chains are providing a considerable boost to the massive growth of the UK’s casual-dining scene, but should be wary of increased competition – including Burger King’s beer offer – warns Horizons managing director Peter Backman.

HR consultant sues gastropub for £4.2m after tripping over rope

24-Feb-2016 By Oli Gross

A gastropub could be sued £4.2m by an HR consultant who fractured her wrist when she tripped over a low-lying rope in the beer garden.

Winners of the BBPA’s Parliamentary Pub Chef of the Year awards announced

24-Feb-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

The two winners of the British Beer and Pub Association’s (BBPA’s) Parliamentary Pub Chef of the Year awards were announced last night (23 February) at a ceremony in the House of Commons

Chef shortage

MPs and trade call for action to solve pub chef shortage

23-Feb-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Trade leaders and Members of Parliament have called for action to solve the pub chef shortage at an awards ceremony at the House of Commons last night (23 February).

Podcast

LISTEN: Pubs delivering 'pitiful' Asian food 'like buying flowers from a garage forecourt'

23-Feb-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Pitiful attempts at offering increasingly popular international cuisines – such as Vietnamese or Thai – by pubs are leaving businesses vulnerable to reputational damage, an analyst has warned.

C&B Bars set to expand after all-day dining offer revealed

23-Feb-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

C&B Bars, formerly Corney and Barrow, is set to launch an all-day high-quality food offer across its 10 bars, following a consultancy period with former Pret A Manger head of food Nellie Nichols.

Food trends

International cuisine and chicken cooked in cola top consumers’ 2016 wish list, says Premier

23-Feb-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Dishes from the Mediterranean, Mexico, Thailand and Vietnam top a list of foods consumers want to try, while a desire to eat more pulled meats – including chicken cooked in cola – also made the list, according to research from Premier Foods.