Operations

Pub smoking area tips

Top tips on pub smoking shelters

By Poppleston Allen

The smoking ban had a dramatic effect on the pub trade as operators up and down the country were tasked with ensuring that customers could still enjoy a cigarette as well as a pint. Many premises provide designated smoking areas or smoking shelters but...

Davison:

How to handle negative reviews on TripAdvisor

By Phil Davison

We have been open for seven months now at our new freehouse, the Fox at Peasemore, Berks, which Lauren and I have transformed into a welcoming country pub. The feedback we’ve received so far has been overwhelmingly positive, and we’ve built up an excellent...

A quiz is a great way to increase footfall, maximise dwell time and increase spending.

How to host a quiz night

By Fiona McLelland

Putting on a quiz won’t automatically get the tills ringing, but with a little thought and planning this pub favourite could boost takings significantly on quieter nights of the week.Licensees looking to reinvigorate quiet nights should consider the merits...

Research indicates pop songs encourage drinking

Are pop songs making us drink more?

By Robyn Black

It was with great bemusement I read of the bizzare interpretation of advertising regulations in France, where the courts have decided it is illegal to publish photos of people enjoying a tipple (so it’s a bloody good job the French look so miserable most...

Natwest Leisure Fund

Natwest and RBS add £150m to Leisure Fund

By Mark Wingett

NatWest and RBS have added a further £150m to their dedicated Leisure Fund aimed at small and medium-sized businesses after receiving “incredible” demand from across the industry.

Government BBPA ALMR gaming machine

Gaming machine maximum prize limits to rise

By Ellie Bothwell

The prize limit for ‘Category C’ or ‘fruit’ machines has increased to £100, and the stake limit has retained at £1, after the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) and Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) lobbied for the rise.

Generation Jones listened to the Pretenders

Keeping up with the festive Joneses

By Jessica Mason

They grew up on programmes such as Tiswas and Blue Peter, witnessed moon landings and the Falklands War. For escapism they listened to the Pretenders, Blondie, Pink Floyd, The Police and The Sex Pistols, while the threat of increasing unemployment made...

Northumbria Security Industry Authority training

Northumbria door staff training rolled out across UK

By Ellie Bothwell

A Northumbria training scheme for door staff is being rolled out across the UK after helping locals get home safely, the county’s police and crime commissioner Vera Baird has announced.

Christmas tips for pubs

Top tips on getting your pub ready for Christmas

By Phil Mellows

The Christmas party season is one time of year that busy publicans simply cannot afford to get wrong. December brings the heaviest drinks sales plus a customer who’s keen to trade up to a treat. Here are some top tips on getting ready for Christmas.

VAT cut hospitality

Campaigners hail Tax Parity Day a success

By Mark Wingett

Last Wednesday’s Tax Parity Day (25 September), which saw up to 15,000 outlets take part in a national day of action as part of the campaign to reduce VAT for the sector to 5%, helped increase sales for participating operators by up to 23%, while also...

Johnny Cash represented the same 'understated cool' as American whiskey

Old-fashioned cool: The trend for American whiskey

By Jessica Mason

Young hipsters are lapping up the chance to try American whiskey as they seek something cool and different, but not something their dad might drink. Pubs should capitalise on this trend.

Scroll down to see what's hot in the pub kitchen

A round up of must-have pub kitchen kit

By Alison Baker

It can be a time-consuming process looking for that all-important piece of kit for your kitchen, especially given the large amount of machines on the market. Here, the PMA takes a look at some of the top options

Strong heritage: niche brands are cementing their spot at the premium end

Vodka Report 2013

By Noli Dinkovski

So long the stalwart of the spirits rack, vodka hasn’t had things all its own way just lately.

Window of opportunity: promoting your rooms online should attract plenty of interest

How renting rooms can make your pub money

By Andrew Don

Your children have left home and their bedrooms are surplus to requirements. Becoming a genuine ‘inn’ for tourists can offer a lucrative add-on income stream.

SBPA Challenge 25

SBPA re-launches Challenge 25 campaign

By Ellie Bothwell

The Scottish Beer and Pub Association (SBPA) has re-launched its Challenge 25 campaign ahead of the Scottish Government expanding the range of valid forms of identification.

KNDL Unite strike

KNDL staff agree 24-hour strike action

By John Harrington

Staff at Kuehne + Nagel Drinks Logistic (KNDL) are to hold a 24-hour strike from 10am on Wednesday 11 September that could disrupt drinks deliveries to almost 30,000 licensed premises, the union Unite has said today.

British Gas pub bills

PMA helps resolve £3,000 British Gas bill row

By Ellie Bothwell

British Gas has agreed to pay more than £3,000 to resolve an electricity bill dispute with a Buckinghamshire licensee after the Publican’s Morning Advertiser (PMA) intervened.

BII licensees of the year Ashley Kelly McCarthy

BII Licensees of the Year join mentoring scheme

By Michelle Perrett

The BII Licensees of the Year Ashley and Kelly McCarthy, will share the secrets of their success with fellow publicans as part of the BII's Business Mentor scheme.

Top tips on kicking out time

Time, ladies & gentlemen, please

By Andrew Dom

Clearing the pub is a fine art says Andrew Don who, as a former barman, resorted to reciting poetry to successfully oust the most stubborn punters.

Pub music tips

Top tips on running a music event

By Poppleston Allen

We all know that a noisy pub disco or karaoke is a sure-fire way of ending up before the licensing committee following a review by residents or the environmental health officer. Here are a few pointers to bear in mind if you are hosting a music event.

Pub risk assessment

How to... Conduct a risk assessment

By Pat Perry

Every employer has a duty to undertake an assessment of the hazards and risks associated with work activities and to implement controls which either eliminates the hazard or reduces the risk to acceptable levels. Our guide explains how.

BT Sport launch

BT Sport launches today

By Gurjit Degun

BT Sport is set to launch at 6pm today, and will be free to view on the first day for anyone with Freeview, TV from BT or Sky.

JD Wetherspoon pub rent

Tim Martin: 'Pubs are still over-rented'

By John Harrington

JD Wetherspoon (JDW) chairman Tim Martin has told the Publican's Morning Advertiser's sister title M&C Report that a lot of pubs are still “greatly over-rented” as a legacy of the last financial boom.

Pub Olympics trade

Pubs report positive trading after Olympics

By Gurjit Degun

One year on from the Olympics, licensees around the park area in Stratford, east London, have seen good trading, and say they are optimistic about the future.

Novus jobs redundancies

Novus head office jobs in jeopardy

By Mark Wingett

Novus, the LGV Capital and Hutton Collins-backed operator of premium bars and restaurants, is entering into a consultation process at its London head office, which is likely to lead to a number of redundancies, the Publican's Morning Advertiser's...

Sales of Jagermeister are rapidly rising

The drinks you can't afford to ignore

By Jessica Mason

It’s nearing the end of the evening and the all too familiar question: “Who wants a shot?” has been asked. Shall we have Jägermeister, Tuaca, or maybe a black sambuca? But, still, in many pubs, the words: “Um, all they’ve got is some white sambuca” are...

Pub security advice

Security checklist for pubs and bars

By Steffan George

Licensees are often tied-up with day to day tasks, so it’s no surprise that security can be neglected, with only a break-in or vandalism prompting a review. But security measures should be viewed as an essential part of operating a hospitality business,...

Hot weather employee health

Top tips: Protecting your staff and customers in hot weather

By Perry Scott Nash

Whilst Britain is enjoying soaring temperatures, it’s a sad fact that with the glorious weather comes great health risks. For staff, a long day inside serving hot food from a stuffy kitchen can present a number of health risks. Equally, for some customers...

Sky pub prices

Sky Sports price freeze splits opinion

By Gurjit Degun

The pub trade has broadly welcomed Sky’s price freeze announcement, but many are pointing out that the broadcaster will be showing fewer top-flight football games.

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