News

sustainability

Government must reward sustainable businesses, says top gastropub operator

07-Oct-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Sustainability must "become the norm" rather than the “eccentric oddity” for food businesses, a top operator has urged. 

Exclusive

Pint Shop second site coming soon

06-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

The Cambridge-based Pint Shop will open its long-awaited second venue soon, following last summer’s announcement to expand, The Publican’s Morning Advertiser understands.

Pint Shop appoints Rosie Sykes as development chef

06-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Meat, bread and beer specialist the Pint Shop has appointed chef and Guardian food writer Rosie Sykes as its new development chef, in a bid to take its food offer to “the next level”.

AA announces Britain’s top 3 food pubs

06-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

The AA announced its top three British food pubs at the AA Hospitality Awards in London last night (5 October).

‘Haggle on your turkey prices,’ operators told

06-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Operators are being urged to take advantage of low inflation by haggling on the prices they pay for their Christmas produce, such as turkey and other meats.

Jamie Oliver drops into Crown pub for lunch

06-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver surprised staff at the Crown in Sevenoaks after dropping in for lunch with friend and television co-host Jimmy Doherty while filming in the area.

Top 50 Gastropubs Awards 2016

Win a Top 50 Gastropubs Award

06-Oct-2015

You and your pub could be immortalised as a winner of one of the three specialist awards categories open to entry at next year’s Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs Awards.

Nottingham pub wins Best Roast Dinner 2015 competition

06-Oct-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Nottingham pub the Larwood & Voce, was this Sunday (4 October) named as the best place to eat a Sunday roast in the UK.

Pub in clear over oyster poisoning

06-Oct-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

There is no evidence that oysters served at a pub were responsible for an outbreak of illness among several customers last month, an investigation has revealed.

Double pub food sales with neurogastronomy?

06-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Encouraging diners to use more senses than just the taste buds could boost your profits. Nicholas Robinson explains how neurogastronomy can be used to enhance every diner’s experience

My PUB

My Pub: the Marksman, Hackney

06-Oct-2015 By Joe Lutrario

Chefs Tom Harris and Jon Rotheram reopened archetypal East Endboozer the Marksman to rave reviews earlier this year. Joe Lutrario catches up with the pair to talk beef and barley buns and keeping the locals sweet.

Trade misses out on vegan food market

06-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Pub chefs must work harder to cater for the UK’s growing vegan population, following criticism by one industry expert who claimed most pubs couldn’t be trusted to serve 100% vegan food.

‘Stop imported steak culture’ urges supplier

06-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Pub chefs must source more British meat and use alternative and more profitable cuts to ensure animal protein does not become an overpriced luxury, a leading supplier has urged.

COMMENT

Food and beer pairing: evolving the palate

05-Oct-2015 By Adam Dulye, Brewers Association executive chef

Everything on the menu should reflect what is in season and what a chef wants to cook right now, just as craft beers reflect what a craft brewer wants to brew right now.  

Hampshire pub goes completely gluten-free

29-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

The Compass Inn, Winsor, has made the transition to an entirely gluten-free menu.

Authentic Pub Co launches Thai delivery service

29-Sep-2015 By James Wallin, M&C Report

Authentic Pub Co has started a delivery service as part of the rollout of Thai cuisine across its estate, M&C understands.

Rare burger rules ‘won’t keep diners safe’

28-Sep-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Food businesses won’t be able to guarantee consumer safety when serving rare burgers, even after implementing the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA’s) new guidance, experts have warned.

Food-focused pub accommodation booking site launches

28-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

A new website has been launched to showcase and arrange bookings for food-led pubs with rooms.

ALLERGEN LEGISLATION

Pubs and restaurants struggling with "unreliable" allergen warnings, report claims

28-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Pubs and restaurants’ claims that meals ‘may contain’ traces of various allergens are often based on unreliable information, according to new research.

Apprenticeship levy could cost sector £100m

28-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Failure by the hospitality industry to have its say on proposals to introduce a levy on apprenticeships could lead to a “complex and unmanageable system”, according to charity People 1st.

sustainability

North Sea cod returns to menus

28-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

North Sea cod has been removed from the Marine Conservation Society (MCS)’s list of fish to avoid serving and eating.

Smartphone use can stop diners fully appreciating meals, says new study

28-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Using smartphones at the table can desensitise diners and stop them from fully appreciating food when eating out, according to new research by Digital Blonde.

What do pub chefs think are the most iconic British dishes?

28-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

The pub is widely accepted to be the spiritual home of traditional British cooking, with pub chefs across the country becoming renowned for their dedication to fresh, local produce.

Pub operators in list of 1,000 most influential Londoners

22-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Pub operators have been included in the Evening Standard’s ‘Progress 1,000’ list of the most influential people in the capital.

New Opening

"We want to leave our mark on London" - the Hour Glass opens for business

21-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

The operators behind a successful London deli have opened their first pub, the Hour Glass in South Kensington, to the public.

Pub focus

What's next for the Staith House?

21-Sep-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

When the Staith House was unveiled two years ago, it took just £500 in its first week. Nicholas Robinson discovers how this pub is now an award-winning phenomenon

Stonegate launches new street food menus for Common Room pubs

21-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Stonegate has updated the food offer at its student-focused ‘Common Room’ concept pubs.

Top chef urges others to ‘buy British’

21-Sep-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

A top chef has joined forces with royalty and government ministers to urge food businesses to be more supportive of local produce by displaying the provenance of the food on their menus during British Food Fortnight.

Food pub openings up by 9%

21-Sep-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Branded food pubs bucked the wet-led pubs closure trend over the past 12 months with a 9% growth in openings.

Pubs react to #piggate

21-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Pubs have taken to twitter to poke humour at allegations that Prime Minister David Cameron once inserted "a private part of his anatomy in a dead pig’s head". 

Publicans amongst least likely to have jobs taken by robots, claims research

18-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Publicans and licensed premises managers are amongst the jobs least likely to be automated – given to robots – in the next 20 years, according to data from Oxford University.

Customers report falling ill after eating oysters in Hove pub

18-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

An investigation has been launched after 10 diners said they fell ill after eating oysters at seafood and craft beer pub the Urchin, Hove.

Food and Health

Smaller portion sizes and “life-saving” ban on trans fats encouraged

18-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Food businesses have been urged to consider serving smaller portions to combat growing obesity levels in the UK.

Top 50 Gastropubs Awards 2016

Top 50 Gastropubs Awards launched

18-Sep-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

The opportunity to enter the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs Awards 2016 has arrived. Nicholas Robinson tells you what you need to know

Top tips for serving Rugby World Cup food

16-Sep-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Food-serving pubs will make a bigger play of Rugby World Cup-themed dishes this year, after Deloittes reported the event would bring £2.1bn to the British economy, the majority of which would be spent in the hospitality sector.

Christmas

Pub should embrace restaurant status to steal back Christmas party bookings

16-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Pubs need to embrace marketing themselves as restaurants to steal Christmas party bookings back from the traditional restaurant sector, according to Steven Pike, managing director of HospitalityGEM.

Comment

Michelin stars: which pubs could win?

16-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

It’s always great to see pub chefs gaining the recognition they deserve for the work they do. 

SRA: food operators unengaged with sustainability could put businesses at risk

16-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Food operators who don’t engage with sustainability issues could be putting their businesses at risk as new research suggests diners have become increasingly likely to pick eating out locations based on their sustainability credentials.

Christmas

Pubs losing out to restaurants in the battle for Christmas bookings

15-Sep-2015 By Emily Sutherland

Pubs are losing out on the battle to win Christmas party bookings according to new research from HospitalityGEM.

Oakman Inns & Restaurants launches Christmas portfolio

14-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Oakman Inns & Restaurants has launched its Christmas party portfolio, featuring menus devised by ex-British Larder chef owner Ross Pike.

£35k challenge to replace food with powder

14-Sep-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

A meal-replacement firm has challenged consumers to replace their traditional diets for a year with its powdered food range for £35,000 to discover its impact lifestyles.

Five-second rule is false: scientists

14-Sep-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Scientists have debunked the myth that food dropped on the floor for five-seconds or less is still safe to eat.

JD Wetherspoon’s food sales slow

11-Sep-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

JD Wetherspoon’s food sales have slowed compared with last year, as the pub giant’s chairman criticises excessive food taxes on pubs and a leading City analyst blames a rise in casual dining.

Chef Shortage

Emily Watkins: standard of training for chefs "no good"

10-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

The standard of professional training for chefs has dropped, contributing to the industry-wide skills gap, according to Emily Watkins, chef patron of award-winning Oxfordshire pub the Kingham Plough.

ETM sets out plans for expansion after "incredible" year

10-Sep-2015 By Ruth Williams, M&C Allegra Foodservice

ETM Group, the London-based gastropub operator led by Tom and Ed Martin, is planning to add four London venues to its estate in 2016, M&C has learnt.

Rare burger rule change ‘costly’ for pub chefs

10-Sep-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Serving rare burgers in UK food businesses could be expensive and remain potentially dangerous, even with new Food Standards Agency (FSA) controls in place, a leading food safety consultant has warned.

Brunning and Price to create 90 chef roles

10-Sep-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

More than 90 chef roles could be created by the Brunning and Price (B&P) group, after it announced plans to open three new pubs this year and buy up to six more in 2016.

Newcastle’s pub scene has ‘transformed’ – MA300 to discover

10-Sep-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Newcastle’s pub and bar sector has switched from venues offering cheap and plentiful drink, to one filled with “quirky” and “stylish” pubs serving great food and upmarket drinks, commentators have said ahead of the latest MA300 event.

Fuller's hosts Chef's Guild graduation for rising kitchen stars

09-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Fuller’s has marked the achievements of chefs across its 189-site managed estate with the first graduation ceremony for Chef’s Guild scholars.

Lifestyle Hospitality Group eyeing food-led managed estate

08-Sep-2015 By Ruth Williams, M&C Allegra Foodservice

The Lifestyle Hospitality Group (LHG), which operates multiple restaurant brands under franchise, is planning to build a managed pub estate following the launch of its first pub.