Media frenzy's distorting reform truth
One evening last week I went out for a few drinks with reporters on the Daily Mail. We toured a dozen pubs in London near the Mail offices and when...
Archives for January 27, 2005
Legal advice: Age-old bias
Employers should be examining their ageism policy.By Rebecca Caws of thePublican.com's team of legal experts from London solicitors Joelson...
Licensee to tap into his cellar's spring
An enterprising licensee hopes to sell a new range of bottled water after discovering a spring in his cellar. The 13th-century cellar at the Ship...
It's war on under-aged: Blears
The Government has declared war on under-age drinking after the Christmas blitz revealed that almost one-third of targeted licensed premises were...
Poor regulations set to cause chaos
by Tony Halstead Pub companies and licensees face a raft of misleading information, ambiguity and inadequate Government guidance notes as they begin...
Landlady cleared of manslaughter
A licensee has been cleared of the manslaughter of her two sons and a customer who died in a fire at her pub. Kate Knight, 32, was cleared of three...
Westminster world's no joke
Fuzzy thinking. Rambling incoherent statements. Total amnesia. Blurred vision. Have our friends at the Home Office and DCMS been binge drinking? It...
Dining pub bans smoking for good
Customers at Britain's "best dining pub" have given an overwhelming thumbs up to the stubbing out of cigarettes on the premises forever. Nearly...
Hind bite
Three-Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal has now opened his first pub. He talks exclusively about his approach to MARK TAYLOR Best known for...
Under-18s serving alcohol
QSomeone has said that the over-18 rule will be scrapped with regard to bar staff and that you will be able to employ youngsters to serve drinks in...
Trade dealt £43m blow in licence fee U-turn
by Ewan Turney The Government has caved in to local authority pressure and increased licensing fees by 54%, raising an additional £43m from...
Trade up in arms over Alcohol Disorder Zones
by Ewan Turney Pubs and bars in problem areas could find themselves "yellow-carded" and dumped in Alcohol Disorder Zones, with the prospect of...
Genuine Imported Beer: Range
Drinkers are more discerning these days - be brave and vary your offer.Stocking the widest possible range of genuine imported beers is, for Tony...
Landmark jazz pub threatened
Famous jazz venue the Bull's Head in Surrey is hoping to win a reprieve from the local council after an injunction was placed on it to stop live...
Best Cask Pub of the year
Wadworth is sponsoring this award, which recognises the pub that has best promoted and sold real beer in the past year North: Brewery Arms...
New SIA problems as deadlines draw closer
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is continuing to struggle in its efforts to get door supervisors to sign up for its new licence.Police in most...
EU crackdown threatenedover pub menu labelling
by Max Gosney Pubs failing to adopt clearer menu labelling to tackle obesity could face a European Union (EU) crackdown. EU health and consumer...
SFI appoints advisor to consider its options
by The PMA Team SFI Group has appointed an advisor to look at refinancing or selling the company. The company, which saw its banks swap debt for...
Crazy for Ale
A celebrity endorsement for a brand usually costs thousands of pounds. But when Madonna swore her allegiance to Timothy Taylor's Landlord, the phones...
Punch pair are a Shining example
by MA Reporter A combination of entrepreneurial flair and outstanding attention to detail has been rewarded with a top licensed trade award for two...
Food trade caters for buyers' needs
A traditional village inn that has a reputation for providing quality dining has just been placed on the market at Caldwell, North Yorkshire....
JDW's rise in sales fails to impress City
by The PMA Team Managed operator JD Wether-spoon has reported a slight improvement in trading during its 12-week second quarter with like-for-like...
Gastro pubs cut bigger slice of Michelin status
by Max Gosney Pub food has received a major boost after one gastro pub was awarded a Michelin star and 12 other pubs won Bib Gourmands one step...
ESP Bar Team of the year
This award recognises the bar team that has demonstrated excellence in the following areas: quality of serve, teamwork and outstanding customer...
Sun yearn
A life behind a bar in sunny Spain may be the dream of many running pubs in chilly Britain, but as Tony Halstead discovers, it can lead to heartache...
Licensees glory in Wetherspoon smoking ban
JD Wetherspoon plans to introduce a smoking ban have been welcomed by other licensees - because it could mean more trade for them.The chain is to...
JDW to ban smoking across estate by 2006
by John Harrington JD Wetherspoon is to ban smoking in all of its 650 pubs by May 2006 because too many non-smokers are staying away from smoky...
Livingstone joins gay pub flag row
by John Harrington A row over gay Soho pubs flying rainbow flags has erupted, after London mayor Ken Livingstone condemned Westminster Council for...
Water, water everywhere
ANDREW JEFFORD entertains some impure thoughts as he discourses on the importance of water Water matters for earthlings. We live on the blue...
Going for Gould
Stephen Gould made the switch from major pubco to family firm two years ago, and will now take over as Everards' MD six months earlier than planned....
Trade turns on Daily Mail
Licensees and trade leaders have hit back at the Daily Mail, claiming they are planning to boycott the newspaper. They are furious at its campaign to...
The giving game
Charity collections in pubs may be fairly commonplace but the recent crisis insouth east Asia has raised the stakes. CAMILLA PALMER reports on the...
Genuine Imported Beers: Retailing
If customers are forking out for an imported beer, make sure it's served properly.In theory, specialist imported beers represent a terrific...
Government's pay-for-policing plans 'unworkable'
Government plans for pay-for-policing in "alcohol disorder zones" have come under fire from the UK's largest licensing authority for being...
Boddingtons supporters fail to save ancient brewery site
Interbrew UK is steaming ahead with the closure of the 226-year old Boddingtons brewery, despite the crusade to keep it open. The drinks giant first...
SIBA speaks out on behalf of small brewers
Pub companies are still failing to offer small brewers access to the market, according to the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA).The trade...
New Year, new broom
With the Christmas season over, January is often a time for reflection, resolution and literally, taking stock. Here are a few ideas that may help...
Get into the spirit of a haunted pub
A Lancashire pub that has been the target of "ghost busters" searching for evidence of a haunting is up for grabs. The Sun Inn, set in the village...
A speedy solution
MP Martin O'Neill, the man who led the Trade & Industry Select Committee's recent probe into the pubcos, tells Daniel Pearce why the subsequent...
Best Disco & Dance venue of the year
Sponsored by PPL, this award recognises the pub that has best established itself as a renowned live music venue North: Arch Hulme, Greater...
Drink Talking: John Madden
The culture secretary has disregarded the advisory group over licensing fees says John Madden, executive officer, Guild of Master Victuallers.The...
DCMS deals variation fee price hike
So, the local authorities have decisively won the argument on fee levels. They have persuaded the Government to boost their income direct from the...
Hours fixing' is next hurdle facing hosts
The latest twist in the sorry tale of licensing reform and the one probably most important for the majority of licensees is the "fixing" of...