Dorber's expansion
Mark Dorber changed my life. OK, so I'm being a little dramatic but it was dining at his place that opened my eyes. For those who don't know him,...
Archives for February 17, 2005
Budget bedroom
bait Small hotels and guest houses are often as attractive for the lifestyle they offer the purchaser as they are for the profits they generate....
Brains puts 21 leases on market for first time
by The PMA Team Cardiff-based brewer and retailer SA Brain is offering its first leases in a new initiative called Positive Partnerships at 21...
Match-making
With Beer With Food Week looming fast from 14 to 20 March chef RICHARD FOX presents some ideas for beer dishes to cook up that are certain to...
Prevailing northerlies
In the second of our two-part series looking at brewers making waves in the north of England, Tony Halstead casts his eye over Robinson's while...
Pub set to carve Dame Ellen in wall
The home village of Ellen MacArthur, world record holder for sailing around the globe non-stop, is set to celebrate her achievements by creating a...
Pubs shut for 24-hours in protest at reform'
by Ewan Turney Three Leicestershire licensees slammed their doors shut for 24 hours in protest at the increasing cost, frustration and pressures of...
Chance for slice of Manor life
A property that's part of Rosewarne Manor in Cornwall has just come onto the market the first time in more than two decades. The manor, which is...
Scotland could set pricing
Local authorities in Scotland could be allowed to set minimum pricing under new legislation. Licensing boards may also be given the power to close...
All set for National Pubs Week?
National Pubs Week is to start with a bang on Saturday with pubs up and down the country launching a series of events.The week, organised by the...
Tsunami event shows trade's true face
Do you sometimes feel you are stuck in a gap between reality and fantasy? It happened to me last week when I read the Morning Advertiser's report of...
Laurel drops kids in favour of food
by The PMA Team High-street bar operator Laurel Pub Company, which runs 157 sites, is to move away from the "extreme end of the youth market" and...
Setting the record straight on pricing
I am not sure that I entirely agree with the conclusions of the front page story last week on minimum pricing, and in particular that the Office of...
Beer & Food: Savour flavours
Pubs are beginning to boost the image of beer by matching it with food. But there is still much more that could be done. Phil Mellows reports.For a...
FSB steps up campaign for new deal for tenants
by John Harrington The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) plans to lobby accountants and surveyors in the next stage of its drive to get a better...
Man in pub shot by masked assailants
A man has been shot after two masked men burst into a Sheffield pub on Tuesday last week. The 34-year-old victim has since been discharged from...
Time to stand up and reveal our trade's good side
The time has come for a strong defence of the good that the pub and drinks industry does, argues Jonathan Neame, chief executive at Shepherd Neame...
Thorley nets £10m share-option benefit
Punch chief executive Giles Thorley netted £10m on Tuesday after exercising share options in the company. Thorley, right, who will face a tax bill...
Harley and Budvar part company
Budweiser Budvar UK chief executive John Harley, right, has left the company. According to Budvar's UK public relations controller Denis Cox, the...
Smoke ban could stub out 900 pubs in Wales
by MA Reporter One public house in every four in Wales could close if smoking is banned on their premises, according to the Welsh trade. Profit in...
Tread carefully withinthis licence minefield
I am pleased to note that, in accordance with what I predicted last week, there has not been an IKEA-style rush to be first in line for a premises...
Fat Cat lands top Camra award for a second time
by Ewan Turney The Fat Cat in Norwich has been crowned Campaign for Real Ale's National Pub of the Year for a record second time. The Fat Cat,...
Wales fears all-out smoking ban
Hopes that licensees in Wales would avoid a blanket smoking ban have been dashed after the Welsh Assembly committee on smoking admitted it intended...
DTI shuts down companies after publicans' complaints
The department of Trade & Industry (DTI) has started its clampdown on the first raft of rogue recruitment companies. Three companies based in...
Battle of the Butties
The search is on to find the Best Pub Sandwich in Britain. Read on to find out how your pub can get involved Does your pub have an excellent...
Licensee excluded from pubco discount scheme
A former Enterprise licensee who lost his pub because of financial difficulties has accused the company of failing to treat all licensees...
Back-bar lighting can weaken spirits
Free pourers that haven't been dried and high-intensity back-bar lighting could mean licensees are unwittingly serving weakened spirits and putting...
Licence for microbrewery
Q I am building a microbrewery in the yard of my licensed premises, I have been told by the magistrates that I do not need to apply for a licence for...
IR offers tax break for tips
by Max Gosney Industry experts have welcomed new Inland Revenue guidelines relaxing the taxing of tips at pubs and restaurants. The Government's...
Millionaire's wife wants to shut rural inn
The wife of millionaire fashion guru George Davies has upset the drinkers in a Cotswoldvillage by revealing plans to close the local pub and turn...
Snap up the throne of Rose & Crown
The Rose & Crown, a historic 400-year-old pub and restaurant, is up for grabs in Wiltshire. The pub, set on a roadside position on the A360, is...
Put a hand up for Horse & Groom
The Horse & Groom, a former winner of the North Oxfordshire Campaign for Real Ale's Pub of the Year, is seeking new owners. The traditional...
Spirit Group in pensioner cap row
Spirit Group has defended itself against accusations that it banned a pensioner from his local for wearing a flat cap.John Lalor, 71, who lives near...
Coke sets sights on J2O's crown with Deuce
Soft drink company Coca-Cola is looking to wrest a share of the adult fruit juice drink sector from rival Britvic's successful J2O brand.Launching in...
It's the right time to say no to drunks at the bar'
Pubs and bars seem under attack from all quarters: the chief police officers, the Daily Mail and the Conservative Party have all mounted an...
Collins fears poaching' chaos
A huge wave of doorstaff poaching is set to hit pubs and clubs if police decide to prosecute unlicensed doorstaff immediately after the Security...
Though the Daily Mail hysteria has abated, its malign effect
Levying taxes on a whole swathe of pubs if one of them is consistently misbehaving seems the logic of the madhouse. Why should those who retail...
Alcohol disorder zones won't halt bingeing'
Government to be told that ADZs are unfair and miss the target by Tony Halstead Trade groups are to tell the Government that proposed new alcohol...
Labour election pledge will push up pint price'
by Ewan Turney The price of a pint will rise if Tony Blair delivers on his pre-election promise to further increase the national minimum wage,...
Heinz's saucy soap contest
Heinz is offering fans of TV show Emmerdale the opportunity to meet the stars of their favourite soap. Heinz Tomato Ketchup, sponsors of Emmerdale,...
Loud and clear...
Publicans and drinkers refute accusations by Alcohol Concern that music is played at full volume to encourage drinking. Jackie Annett gets the...