News

Top 50 Gastropubs

Truscott Arms takes Wine List of the Year at Top 50 Gastropubs

26-Jan-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

After stiff competition, the Truscott Arms, Maida Vale, London, has taken the prestigious Wine List of the Year Award at this year’s Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs.

Top 50 Gastropubs

Enterprise lease wins highest new entry on gastropubs list

26-Jan-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge’s gastropub the Coach in Marlow has rocketed onto the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list as this year’s highest new entry for the first time.

Truscott Arms launches new Born 1983 fine-dining concept

26-Jan-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Award-winning London gastropub the Truscott Arms, in Maida Vale, west London, has launched a new fine-dining restaurant called Born 1983 in its upstairs dining room.

Food

Anger over Fuller's plans to reopen former live music venue as food-led pub

25-Jan-2016 By Emily Sutherland

Fuller’s has come under fire from campaigners fighting to keep a South East London pub as a grassroots music venue.

Opinion

How was the top 50 Gastropubs list constructed?

25-Jan-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

What a difference 12 months can make. The Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list 2016 is very different to the one we saw this time last year.

Top 50 Gastropubs

Gastropub Chef of the Year is Staith House chef-patron

25-Jan-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

North East gastropub chef John Calton of the Staith House in North Shields, near Newcastle, has secured the title of Gastropub Chef of the Year at the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list and awards reveal.

Top 50 Gastropubs

Pubs in north take more than 20% of Top 50 Gastropubs list 2016

25-Jan-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Pubs in the north of England are fighting to take more of the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list than their southern counterparts, and now hold more than 20% of the spots.

Top 50 Gastropubs

Sportsman retains top spot on Top 50 Gastropubs list

25-Jan-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

The Sportsman, Seasalter, Kent, has been named the top pub for food in the country for the second consecutive year at the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs Awards 2016.

Table size can determine how many calories diners consume, experts claim

22-Jan-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Diners will eat more food if it is served on a smaller table, according to new research from academics. 

Mexican not just for Monday as sales of tortilla dishes rise

22-Jan-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Mexican food sales have risen steadily over the past six years, with the number of tortilla dishes on menus rising by 20% since 2010, according to the latest Horizons statistics.

What’s next for vegetarian food in pubs?

22-Jan-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

More people are considering meat-free dishes when they eat out and want to see more choice on the menu. Michelle Perrett unearths a potential new order

10 things you need to know about selling vegetarian food

21-Jan-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

More people are considering meat-free dishes when they eat out and want to see more choice on the menu. Here are 10 things to consider when putting vegetarian options on your menu.

Food

Bidvest relaunches own brand after name change

21-Jan-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Foodservice giant Bidvest has relaunched its own brand portfolio of food, drink and non-food products, less than a year after the hospitality supplier changed its name.

Street Food

Pub kitchen serves up vegan burger created by metal singer

19-Jan-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

The singer of metal band Bring Me the Horizon has created a vegan burger for the menu of a street food-style burger residency, which is set to launch at the Yard pub, Ilkley.

Awards

AA rosette pubs: North Yorks pub gets coveted four rosette rating

15-Jan-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

A North Yorkshire pub has been awarded a coveted four-rosette rating for culinary excellence by the AA.

Independents face tough year against large chains

12-Jan-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Independent food operators worried about competing with larger groups need to "fight back" by demonstrating their individuality in 2016, an industry expert has advised. 

Healthy food ‘could make Brits fatter'

08-Jan-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Dishes labelled as 'healthy' could be making Britons fatter, academics have warned.

New meat education programme for chefs

08-Jan-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

AHDB Beef & Lamb has launched its Meat Education Programme, a new resource for chefs and professionals in the food industry.

food safety

BHA: It's 'not the case' all rare burgers are unsafe

07-Jan-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

The British Hospitality Association (BHA) has responded to claims made about the safety of serving medium and medium rare burgers in the Channel 4 TV show Tricks of the Restaurant Trade this week.

Slow growth fears for UK pubs and restaurants

06-Jan-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Overcapacity in the eating-out sector could lead to slow growth for operators and pressurise like-for-like sales in 2016, analysts warn.

Awards

Winners of Chefs' Choice Awards announced

06-Jan-2016 By Oli Gross

Restaurant magazine has announced the results of its annual Chefs’ Choice Awards, which throw a spotlight on the hospitality sector’s best products, suppliers, brands and equipment. 

new opening

Butchery-focused pub to open on London's Old Street

05-Jan-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

The team behind successful London butcher and cookshop Hill & Szrok, in Broadway Market, have announced the opening of their first pub on Old Street.

UK Floods

Lancashire gastropub owner describes Christmas flooding 'nightmare'

04-Jan-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

The owner of a successful Lancashire gastropub has told of the ‘nightmare’ effect of recent flooding on her business. 

#TryJanuary

Vegetarian food draws customers to pubs in January

04-Jan-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Heavily-promoting healthy food options in January can tempt fat-fighting consumers through pub doors during the period of self-restraint, a vegetarian and vegan food distributor has claimed.

'Burnt, inedible' Xmas dinner at zero hygiene rating pub slammed

04-Jan-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Furious customers have slammed a Newcastle pub for serving “inedible” Christmas Day dinners. 

Trends

Healthy food options: what's coming in 2016?

04-Jan-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

As more people decide they know what’s best for their own health, Alison Baker looks at how pubs can offer food and drink to meet requirements

Trends

The top pub food for 2016? Jamaican Jerk and 'dude food'

04-Jan-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Turtle Bay’s planned rollout across the UK will drive demand for Jamaican Jerk in pubs, Spirit Pub Company’s former menu development executive Carl Newey has predicted.

Trends

Top 12 food trends for 2016, reveals Mintel

04-Jan-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Alternatives to meat and dairy will be the top of consumers’ priorities this year, according to market researchers Mintel.

Christmas

Harvester donates 5,000 meals to local causes

22-Dec-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Harvester, the Mitchells & Butlers-owned chain, has treated a multitude of charities local to its 230 sites to free Christmas meals. 

Food

Revolution Bars Group to strengthen food offer

22-Dec-2015 By M&C Allegra Foodservice

Revolution Bars Group, the premium bar and dining operator, has announced the creation of three new group management positions in its catering team.

Chefs

Masterchef pub star: “In England we've been brought up on pubs - restaurants are French”

22-Dec-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

A Michelin-starred pub chef who previously won Masterchef: the Professional has told how he was proud to represent the sector again on the show this year. 

2015 review: the year in pub food

21-Dec-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

As 2015 draws to a close, Daniel Woolfson takes a look back at some of the events and trends that shaped the sector throughout the year.

Whitbread to launch first city centre Beefeater in 'evolved' format in Birmingham

18-Dec-2015 By Mark Wingett

Whitbread, operator of Premier Inn and Costa, is set to launch an evolved version of its Beefeater pub restaurant format in Birmingham city centre next year, M&C has learnt.

Christmas

Licensee who served in army with Prince Harry offers free Christmas dinner to lonely veterans

15-Dec-2015 By Emily Sutherland

A Northumberland licensee and veteran who served with Prince Harry in Afghanistan will give out free Christmas dinners to current and ex-service men and women who might otherwise spend Christmas Day alone.

gastropubs

Closure: Great British Menu winner to shut award-winning Hampshire gastropub

15-Dec-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Acclaimed chef James Durrant has announced he plans to close his Hampshire gastropub the Plough Inn, Longparish.

Yorkshire pub chef slams police after assault arrest

14-Dec-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

A North Yorkshire chef has slammed police who arrested him after he confronted a man he discovered near a fire at the pub where he lived and worked. 

Teesside pub attempts world record for biggest Christmas dinner with massive £70 eating challenge

14-Dec-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

A pub claims to have broken the world record for biggest Christmas dinner by creating a massive £70, 23lb eating challenge.

Eight finalists announced for Parliamentary Pub Chef Awards

14-Dec-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Eight UK pub chefs have been named as finalists in the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) and All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group’s Parliamentary Pub Chef awards.

Food safety

Dirty pub kitchen lands boss with fine

11-Dec-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

A pub kitchen boss has been fined almost £3,000 after environmental health (EH) discovered an array of hygiene issues at the Stourbridge, Dudley, site.

Analysis

Flexitarian diets set to rocket in 2016

10-Dec-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

The popularity of flexitarianism is set to reach new heights in 2016, following recent figures from consumer analyst Mintel that showed 35% of Brits now identified as ‘semi-vegetarian’.

All day dining boosts pub food sales

10-Dec-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

As consumers become increasingly demanding and more inclined to turn their backs on traditional mealtimes, pubs need to change tack to keep pace. Nicholas Robinson reports on an All Day Dining Event that looked in detail at this trend

Legislation

Allergens law anniversary: pubs struggle with consumer demand

09-Dec-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Pubs are still failing to provide a wider enough choice of dishes for customers with specialist diets since the introduction of EU legislation on allergens one year ago, new research claims.

Buy British

Pubs should ‘follow McDonald’s food labelling lead’

08-Dec-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

More pubs should follow the lead of fast-food chain McDonald’s and make a bigger play of sourcing and labelling British meat, the results of a recent consumer poll have revealed.

How to match beers with your festive food offer

07-Dec-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

The Christmas rush is getting into full swing: kitchens are pumping out roast potatoes faster than machine gun fire and the sector’s chefs are most likely already bored to death of prepping winter veg. 

Food prices

Foodservice Price Index launched

07-Dec-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

A Foodservice Price Index (FPI) has been launched to give operators access to more accurate data about commodity costs specific to the hospitality sector.

Top 50 Gastropubs 2016

UK’s top gastropubs fight it out for Best Wine List award

04-Dec-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Judging for the best wine list offered by the UK’s top 50 Gastropubs has begun, after high demand for the accolade’s return.

Cheesecake tops the UK’s favourite desserts list

04-Dec-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Cheesecake is the UK’s favourite out-of-home dessert, followed by fruit crumble and ice cream, according to a poll of 2,000 consumers.

CHRISTMAS

Christmas Day bookings surge as consumer stress spikes

04-Dec-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

An increasing number of Brits plan to have their Christmas Day meal out at a pub or restaurant, as the stress of cooking at home proves too much to handle, new data suggests. 

News analysis: sugar tax

First shots in sugar tax wars

03-Dec-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

With billions being spent on trying to combat Britain’s growing obesity crisis and its subsequent diabetes epidemic, Nicholas Robinson and Daniel Woolfson take an in-depth look at the arguments for and against the latest quick fix to grab the headlines...

Research

Exclusive: Almost 60% of adults eating out in pubs once a month

03-Dec-2015 By Chris Wisson

The PMA has partnered with market researcher Mintel to provide insight from its new leisure tracker, which covers pub visiting habits. Senior analyst Chris Wisson reveals more.