Operations

Beer

Meantime reveals five-strong seasonal beer offer

21-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

The Meantime Brewing Company has revealed its five-strong seasonal beer offering for the year ahead, including brews for summer, autumn and winter.

Britvic soft drinks review

Premiumisation helps lift soft drink sales in the on-trade

21-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Soft drinks sales in the licensed and leisure channel grew by 3.2% in volume to 1.9bn litres last year, with trends such as all-day dining, premiumisation and food-led socialising driving the uplift, according to Britvic’s latest soft drinks review.

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.

Families still feel unwelcome in pubs

18-Mar-2016 By Emily Sutherland

Families visiting pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants still experience “covert or overt animosity” and are acutely aware of being unwelcome, according to new research.

Beer quality issues cost pubs £300m in lost profit

17-Mar-2016 By Ed Bedington

Quality issues on beer could be costing the pub sector more than £300 million a year in profit, a new report has claimed.

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.

Pub success

How to trade up your pub

17-Mar-2016 By Nigel Huddleston

When David and Linda Galea wanted a new challenge in their pub careers, they decided to head to the seaside.

Sugar tax

Will pubs pay for Osborne’s sugar levy?

17-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Pubs must not pay the price for George Osborne’s new sugar levy, trade bosses have warned, while soft drinks makers fear the plans could cripple innovation in the category.

The Publican Awards 2016: as it happened

16-Mar-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Comedian Michael McIntyre took to the stage at Battersea Evolution last night to ring in the record-breaking 25th anniversary of the Publican Awards.

The best of the Publican Awards social media action

16-Mar-2016 By Emily Sutherland

Guests at last night's glittering Publican Awards took to social media to celebrate their wins, praise other operators and share their experiences of the night. We take a look at the best of the #publicanawards

Guinness World Record for beer tasting broken at Publican Awards

16-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

A world record for the most people carrying out a beer tasting in one room was officially broken at last night's (15 March) Publican Awards, Guinness World Records revealed.

Sport

Creating a winning team when it comes to showing sport

15-Mar-2016 By BT Sport

Having a team that’s enthusiastic and able to engage with customers about sport will help make your pub a winning venue. Here are some tips for building a strong team and boosting sales.

Publican Awards 2016: Best new site

15-Mar-2016 By Ben Winstanley

Best New Site, sponsored by Heineken, is one of the most prestigious titles at the Publican Awards and this year’s recipients have bested some of the highest quality entrants in the awards’ 25-year history.

Pensions

Pension checklist: What you need to know about auto-enrolment

15-Mar-2016 By Ben Winstanley

Pension auto-enrolment is a term that strikes dread into the many uninitiated licensees who are fast approaching the deadline for setting up a scheme. Ben Winstanley finds out what you really need to know.

Greene King pledges to take on 10,000 apprentices

14-Mar-2016 By Emily Sutherland

Greene King has pledged to take on 10,000 apprentices over the next three years.

Publican Awards 2016: Best pub concept

14-Mar-2016 By Ben Winstanley

Reinventing the sports bar for the 21st century has netted the Sports Bar & Grill a top title in the Publican Awards.

Publican Awards 2016: Best pub ops team

14-Mar-2016 By James Evison

Late night operator Deltic capped off a hugely successful evening at the 25th anniversary of the Publican Awards by winning Best Pub Operations Team, sponsored by CGA Strategy.

Publican Awards 2016: Best community pub operator

14-Mar-2016 By Ben Winstanley

A North-west operator is celebrating success after being named Best Community Pub Operator, sponsored by Britvic Soft Drinks, at the industry’s Oscars, the Publican Awards in London.

Publican Awards 2016: Best food offer (51+ sites)

14-Mar-2016 By James Evison

London-based pub company Young’s is celebrating a hard-fought victory after being named Best Food Operator (51+ sites), in association with MCA, at the Publican Awards in London.

Events support

Checklist for celebrating the Queen's 90th birthday

14-Mar-2016 By Poppleston Allen

This year, the country will get together, hopefully on a hot summer’s day, to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday.

Crime

Illegal football: Majority of publicans would report venues as licensee fined £70k

14-Mar-2016 By Oli Gross

Publicans have little sympathy for fellow licensees who play Sky Sports illegally, with a poll indicating a majority (55%) are likely to report a pub in their area if they were screening live sport without a licence.

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.

Making the most of sport - in association with Sky

F1 and pubs: The perfect formula

11-Mar-2016 By Mike Berry

A new track, new drivers and a British World Champion to get behind once more. It’s time to rev your engines and get your pub set for the start of the 2016 Formula One season.

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).

Beer

Admiral partners with There's A Beer For That campaign

09-Mar-2016 By Mike Berry

Admiral Taverns is teaming up with the There’s A Beer For That campaign to help its tenants and lessees boost beer sales in their pubs.

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.

Operators

Brewdog: Twitter storm over James Watt's appearance on TV show Who's the Boss

09-Mar-2016 By Emily Sutherland

Brewdog co-founder James Watt has come under fire after appearing on BBC TV programme Who’s the Boss, which sees bosses give existing staff the power to employee a new manager.

#DigiPubs

Google: Last orders for pubs' digital marketing struggles

08-Mar-2016 By Shane Nolan, Google

Digital marketing doesn’t have to be difficult and costly as Shane Nolan, director UK & Ireland SMB at Google, explains.

Law

Pubco hit with record fine for playing Sky Sports illegally

08-Mar-2016 By Oli Gross

Punishments for pubs playing Sky Sports illegally are more severe than ever, with one pubco ordered to pay a record £23,907 for playing football without a licence.

Sport

World Twenty20 cricket: 'England have a good chance of doing something special'

07-Mar-2016 By PMA

As the World Twenty20 gets underway in India, the PMA caught up with former England cricket star Paul Collingwood, who captained the side to victory in 2010, to talk about England’s chances, spending more time in the pub… and Big Sam Allardyce!

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

Sky Sports Preview magazine

Licensee on sports offer: "Without Sky Sports as a driver, I wouldn't be where I am today."

04-Mar-2016 By Sky Sports Preview magazine

For the last 25 years, Duncan Townsend has been working in the licensed trade. A massive sports fan, live sport has always been a big part of his offering, and for Duncan, it’s a no-brainer.

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.

My Shout

BII Chairman Pender: "While the leadership is changing, the BII aim remains the same"

04-Mar-2016 By Anthony Pender, BII chairman and co-founder, Yummy Pub Co

As I’m sure the majority of you will have noticed, there are big changes afoot at the British Institute of Innkeeping.

Hiding photos of barred people is no safe option

03-Mar-2016 By Ed Bedington

We’ve come a long way since the (g)olden days when ne’er-do-wells would be placed in the stocks for punishment for misbehaviour.

Running a pub in association with Star Pubs & Bars and Punch

Pub Success: Part 1 - Starting out in the pub trade

03-Mar-2016 By PMA

Starting out as a newcomer to the pub trade can be a challenge. In the first of this three-part series, the Publican’s Morning Advertiser (PMA) talks to a selection of pub operators at the start of their pub career journey.

PMA sister title M&C Allegra FS becomes MCA

03-Mar-2016 By MCA

Today the Publican's Morning Advertiser's sister publication reveal a new look and a new name, as M&C Allegra Foodservice becomes MCA.

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.

Events

Exciting new trade show - The Bar & Pub Show - launches

02-Mar-2016 By Mike Berry

A new event dedicated to the bar and pub sector will run alongside this year's Restaurant Show at Olympia bringing together the best suppliers in the business with top operators that are transforming the UK’s on-trade.

THE BIG INTERVIEW

Young's' executive chef Chris Knights: rise of casual dining was 'double-edged sword'

02-Mar-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

The chef world has changed immeasurably since Chris Knights was peeling potatoes in the kitchen of his mum's pub at age 13.

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).

Business support

Making the most of horse racing in your pub

29-Feb-2016 By Nigel Huddleston

Nigel Huddleston looks at the opportunities that showing racing in your pub could present in driving footfall.

#DigiPubs

How your business can make the most of technology

29-Feb-2016 By Michelle Perrett

Whether you consider technology an advancement or a hindrance in the pub, Michelle Perrett discovers why it is here to stay and how your business can get real benefits from it.

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.

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.

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.

Crime

Scam: Beware of the bogus surveyor

29-Feb-2016 By Emily Sutherland

Licensees have been warned to be on their guard against a convincing phone scam by a man claiming to be a business rates surveyor.

The Guv'nor

Pub closures: Avoid the 'inn reaper' by attracting Millennials

29-Feb-2016 By Lee Price

We live on a planet where the thrifty, mega-multitasking Millennial is constantly sprinting, wolfing down a grab-and-go meal as they frantically finger the latest smartphone for their fix of infomania.