Financial

Responsibility Deal: Companies pledge to cut 1 billion units

23-Mar-2012

Drinks companies, brewers, wholesalers and supermarkets have pledged to cut a billion units of alcohol as part of the Responsibility Deal with the Government, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley announced today.

Men jailed for £5m keg theft plot

28-Feb-2012 By Adam Pescod

Five men from the Midlands have been handed jail sentences totalling 14-and-a-half years for their part in a plot to steal £5 million worth of beer kegs from across the region.

Unlicensed security director ordered to pay £550K

15-Feb-2012 By Michelle Perrett

Unlicensed security director Ernest Bewick has been ordered to pay £550,000 from his business or face five years in jail.

PMA Powersaver: Switch and save on your utility bills

03-Feb-2012

The Publican's Morning Advertiser has teamed up with Utilities Direct to relaunch the PMA PowerSaver to help licensees get the best deals on electricity and gas bills.

Business Profile: The Bull, Great Totham, Essex

18-Jan-2012 By Matt Moggridge

David Milne, owner of the Bull at Great Totham, near Maldon, Essex, talks Champagne dinners, learning from pricing mistakes and spirit pourers with Matt Moggridge.

Business profile: The Phoenix Tavern, Faversham, Kent

17-Jan-2012 By Alison Baker

Licensee David Selves, of the Phoenix Tavern in Faversham, Kent, talks game nights, the Battle of Trafalgar and presidential elections with Alison Baker.

Festive trading brings positive results

12-Jan-2012

Pub operators saw positive trade over the festive period, hailing the two long weekends and Christmas falling on a Sunday as an excuse for more people to go out.

GMB calls for trading standards action over 'under-filled' pints

20-Dec-2011 By Michelle Perrett

The GMB has called on a range of trading standards offices to take action against pubs serving short pints.

SBPA calls for trial period for minimum pricing bill

16-Dec-2011 By Gurjit Degun

The Scottish Beer and Pub Association (SBPA) has called for the Scottish Parliament to include a trial period as a provision in the minimum pricing bill, if it goes ahead.

Business Focus: Shaws Booksellers, London

15-Dec-2011

Licensee Adam Sykes, of Shaws Booksellers in the City of London, talks Star Wars, Toptable success and evening tapas with Sheila McWattie.

BII sets up scheme to accredit brokers

08-Dec-2011 By Adam Pescod & Gurjit Degun

The BII (British Institute of Innkeeping) is working with Punch Taverns to improve access to finance for licensees wishing to purchase the freehold of their pub, or to buy another pub on the open market.

Host sells bonds to clear pub debts

17-Nov-2011 By Gurjit Degun

A publican is issuing bonds after failing to secure a bank loan to cover cash-flow over Christmas.

Going the extra yard to deliver great results

15-Nov-2011 By Jamie King

So another English team fails in its bid for World Cup glory and Martin Johnson’s band of merry men come home with their tails between their legs, offering a list of excuses as to why they failed to match their potential with our expectations.

NPower fined £2m for complaints failure

31-Oct-2011 By Gurjit Degun

NPower has been fined £2m by energy regulator Ofgem for failing to handle complaints from small businesses and domestic users properly.

Pub host struggles to pay £13k utility bill

25-Oct-2011 By Adam Pescod

A Warwickshire licensee has advised others not to “bury their head in the sand” over utilities bills as he struggles to repay British Gas for two years’ worth of electricity.

Business Focus: The Old Bore, Rishworth, West Yorkshire

13-Oct-2011 By Sheila McWattie

Scott Hessel, chef at the Old Bore in Rishworth, West Yorks, tells Sheila McWattie about the pub’s reputation for great food.

Business Focus: The Castle Inn, Chiddingstone, Kent

01-Oct-2011 By Lesley Foottit

John McManus of the Castle Inn, Chiddingstone, Kent, knew he was going to be a chef from the age of 13. Having worked with some of the biggest names in the restaurant business, he tells Lesley Foottit how he turned his hand to running a pub

£200k fighting fund to battle PPL

29-Sep-2011 By Adam pescod

Three leading trade associations have raised over £200,000 as a fighting fund to cover the costs of a potential legal battle with music royalties company PPL.

Steamin’ Billy buys up the Dog & Gun

21-Sep-2011

Steamin’ Billy Brewing Company, the Leicester-based brewer and pub operator, has acquired the freehold of the Dog & Gun in Syston, Leicestershire, from Punch Taverns, taking its estate to six sites.

Brakes’ parent losses up 37%

19-Sep-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Cucina Lux, the parent company of foodservice supplier Brakes, saw losses increase 37% in 2010, with UK operating profits before exceptional items down 20.3% as sales growth slowed.

Price increases at 3663

16-Sep-2011 By Gurjit Degun

Food-led pubs are set for more doom and gloom over food prices, as foodservice company 3663 has confirmed that it will increase the cost of 35% of its products this month.

Dragons Done?

15-Sep-2011 By Publican Sam

It’s not often that the TV makes me want to write about it, but the latest episode of BBC TV’s Dragon’s Den (series 9, episode 7) caught my attention to such an extent that I want to share a few thoughts.

Taking it and making it

08-Sep-2011 By Alastair Scott

How pub operators need to strike the right balance between making and saving money.

Nightclubs slated over £1 drinks

05-Sep-2011 By Gurjit Degun

Nightclubs in Leicester have come under fire for offering drinks for as little as £1 on certain nights.

Jim Walsh: his restless energy will be missed

25-Aug-2011 By The PMA Team

Pub entrepreneur Jim Walsh, who has died aged 69, was the kind of character that leaves a strong impression on all those who were lucky enough to have known him, says The PMA Team.

Leisure sector 'will drive economic growth'

23-Aug-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Businesses view the hospitality and leisure sector as a key driver of economic growth in the UK over the next decade, according to a survey by...

Leisure sector 'latent vehicle for growth'

23-Aug-2011 By Ewan Turney

The leisure sector is a "latent vehicle for economic growth" providing 27% of jobs undertaken by young people, says BISL.

It's time to sell GBBF to the wider world

22-Aug-2011 By Tony Jennings

The Great British Beer Festival is becoming a venerable British institution but could benefit from a bit of a rethink, says Tony Jennings.

Sir John Fitzgerald reports £1.4m loss

22-Aug-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

North-east managed pub operator Sir John Fitzgerald (SJF) has reported a loss of £1,437,321 in the year to 31 January 2011.

Further growth for Faucet

22-Aug-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Faucet Inn is planning further acquisitions and is to open its first new-build sites before the end of the year.

Blue Star Pub Co pays down £14m

19-Aug-2011 By The PMA Team

Blue Star Pub Company, the 400-strong freehold tenanted pub firm owned by Heineken, has paid down £14m of its original £180m purchase price in the...

Riots: Losses could reach £392m

11-Aug-2011 By Michelle Perrett

The riots and looting across the UK have already cost retailers £80m in lost sales, according to research from Kelkoo. The figures, produced by the...

Banks comply with small-firm lending

10-Aug-2011 By Michelle Perrett

The Project Merlin banks are on track to meet their lending commitments this year, the British Bankers' Association (BBA) has revealed.

£2.5m British Gas fine 'not enough'

04-Aug-2011 By Gurjit Degun

Licensees have welcomed the £2.5m fine issued to British Gas for not handling complaints from small businesses and domestic users appropriately.

Premium brands drive on-trade spirit growth

28-Jul-2011 By John Harrington

Premium spirits are driving growth in the on-trade spirits category, fuelled by a growth in cocktails and premium drinking venues and the continued...

Sceptre: profits at lower end of expectations

26-Jul-2011 By Ewan Turney

AWP supplier Sceptre Leisure is in "great financial health" despite full-year profits being at the lower end of expectations.

BrewDog share issue raises £500k in two days

18-Jul-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

BrewDog, the Scottish microbrewer and pub operator, has raised over £500,000 via a share issue in two days as it looks to raise £2.2m to finance a...

Whiting & Hammond in growth plan

18-Jul-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Whiting & Hammond, the award-winning south-east multiple led by Brian Whiting, is looking to eventually build an estate of 20 pubs and hopes to...

Fair Pinter keeps pub but has to pay £135k S&NPC debt

15-Jul-2011 By Adam Pescod

A founding member of Fair Pint, Mark Dodds, has three years to pay back around £135,000 he owes Scottish & Newcastle Pub Company (S&NPC)....

Brewdog launches second fundraising campaign

13-Jul-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

BrewDog has launched a second round of fundraising as it looks to raise £2.2m to finance a new eco-brewery and the opening of more bars across the country.

Coulson: Peers playing it long in Bill talks

12-Jul-2011 By Peter Coulson

There are still major issues to be debated on licensing, but I do not get the impression that many peers are up for the fight, writes Peter Coulson.

Admiral announces £5m capital investment programme

29-Jun-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Admiral Taverns has announced plans to spend £5m on capital investment programmes at around 165 pubs this summer.

Capital pre-tax profits up 48%

21-Jun-2011 By Michelle Perrett

Capital Pub Company, the London-based manage pub chain, has reported adjusted pre-tax profits up 48% to £6.8m for the 52 weeks until 26 March. The...

Meeting the bank manager

16-Jun-2011 By Robert Sayles

Blogger Robert Sayles tells readers of his recent meeting with a bank manager to discuss buying a leased pub.

No Saints seeks £2.1m for growth

14-Jun-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

No Saints, the leisure group run by ex-Luminar boss Stephen Thomas, has launched a new round of fundraising for a further £2.1m towards its...

Lost Property...?

06-Jun-2011 By Mark Daniels

Mark Daniels considers what to do with his stash of lost property and how to return an item to an owner.

Marston's wins franchise agreement accreditation

06-Jun-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Brewer and retailer Marston's has won British Franchise Association accreditation for its Retail Agreement. Marston's introduced the Retail...

Banks slammed for strict pub loans criteria

01-Jun-2011 By Gurjit Degun

Banks are being increasingly "pernickety" about lending to pubs, experts claim as figures released by the Bank of England show that Britain's top five banks fell short of their target to lend £19bn for the first three months of the year.