Private-equity bidders join fight for ailing SFI
by The PMA Team Two private equity bidders are known to have joined Yates and Laurel owner Robert Tchenguiz in bidding for troubled Slug &...
Archives for March 24, 2005
California's no longer dreamin'
I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. The Annual California Wine Tasting, held in London this month, offered a line-up of benchmark wines....
Grolsch given £5m ad boost
Coors is pumping more than £5m into a new TV marketing campaign for its premium lager brand Grolsch. Dutchman Ronald Topp returns as the central...
Stand up to threats against community pubs, says James Crawf
Driving home from work the other evening, too lazy to change stations when the irritating theme tune of the longest-running radio serial in the world...
Jonathan Adnams and Simon Loftus may be chalk and cheese. Bu
When Jonathan Adnams takes over from Simon Loftus as chairman of the family business next year, it will crown a remarkable period of transformation...
Meeting a need
Is there really sufficient demand for low-alcohol lager and can producers really deliver on taste? Low-alcohol lager's seen refreshment recently...
Cains takes on brewing giants with cask lager
A local Liverpool brewery is poised to compete with the major lager brands Most people's idea of a regional beer is a pint of frothy ale, but one...
Carlsberg delivers Export Extra Cold
Carlsberg has released a chilled variant of its Carlsberg Export lager Carlsberg Export Extra Cold completing the roll out of its entire...
Welsh Assembly will ban' smoking in public
by Ewan Turney The Welsh Assembly is expected to press ahead with plans to enforce a total smoking ban in public places after the general election,...
No turning back on reform
The chaos and confusion licensees are grappling with over their new licences has been predicted right from day one. So seeing it all unravelling is...
Extra Cold roll-out for Carlsberg Export
Carlsberg has announced that it is to launch Carlsberg Export Extra Cold across the trade.It is currently being rolled out in preparation for the...
Two men charged with pub murder
Two men accused of murdering a man outside a south Wales pub will have their case heard at an unnamed Crown Court on Friday next week. The case was...
Recycling ends as pubs won't pay for service'
by John Harrington Hundreds of pubs throughout the Midlands and north west England could be left with stacks of discarded drinks bottles after a...
The challenges ahead
If Jonathan Adnams faces big new challenges next year, so too does his personable anointed successor Andy Wood. Currently sales and marketing...
Guernsey hands hosts fees shock
by John Harington Hosts in Guernsey have hit out at plans for massive increases in licensing fees, which will be used to fund a campaign to cut...
The sum of all fearsAre you sitting down? Chances are you'll
Many licensees are about to receive a financial heart attack. If they haven't received one yet, then over the next few days they'll get a letter...
Tourist trap is ideal blend for Maltsters
The Maltsters Arms will appeal to buyers seeking to tap into a food-led operation in the tourist trap of north Cornwall. Graham Timmins, of Miller...
Pubwatch gives man life ban
by John Harrington Heanor Pubwatch in Derbyshire appears to have broken new ground by banning a serial troublemaker for life. National Pubwatch...
Police chiefs opposed to alcohol disorder zones
by Ewan Turney The Government's policy for combating alcohol-fuelled disorder appears to be in tatters after the Association of Chief Police...
PubChef goes live
The inaugural PubChef Live event was held last week at the Cock at Hemingford Grey in Cambridgeshire. Finding new menu inspiration can be a tough...
Adnams to spend £9m on modernisation
Adnams is to spend £9m modernising its distribution and brewing systems. A new £5.5m distribution centre will be built on an 85 acre gravel pit...
Licensees with letting rooms outraged at licence plans
Licensees who run hotels are up in arms because they are being told to provide new plans for their entire property - including bedrooms and car parks...
Licences are no longer removeable'
The "sweeping away of our antiquated licensing laws" is easier said than done. True, you can get rid of a whole host of laws which date from the...
Chris Stone
The White Horse Winterbourne Bassett Wiltshire "Because we are a tenancy, the brewery is doing our house licence for the first two years. We are...
Lager... in a minute
Now then, lager: it's probably the strongest drinks category in the world, isn't it? Well there was a time, but you can increasingly look towards...
Councils fear they won't meet the 6 August deadline
Some local councils already fear they will not be able to process the backlog of licensing applications before the 6 August deadline. The LGA says...
New Carling glass as C2 goes national
Coors is set to roll out C2, its low-alcohol version of Carling, on a national scale after a successful trial period. The 2% draught-only beer was...
Batemans mourns its soul and spirit'
Patricia Bateman, director of Batemans Brewery in Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, died on 7 March after a brave fight against leukemia. Pat, who worked for...
Lady of laughter
Meet the colourful landlady of a Norfolk village pub, who's into zany ceramics, loves people and still runs a successful business. Nigel Huddleston...
Crisis as licensing reform slips into meltdown chaos
Full scale of the bureaucracy and red tape is at last revealed by Tony Halstead Transition to the new licensing system is at crisis point this week...
the dish: Beef Stroganoff with latkas and sauerkraut
Served at: The Russian Tavern, Port Royal Hotel, Port Bannatyne, Isle of Bute Ingredients: A portion of "slow-grown" free-range Highland beef from...
It's high time the Mail & co apologised
The media reported last week that applications for extended pub opening hours had been made by "only a handful of pubs". Not a single application had...
Just can't get enough
The Morning Advertiser's Beer With Food campaign reached its climax last week and its success has left the trade hungry for more. TONY HALSTEAD...
Alcohol ads rules fair' say suppliers
by John Harrington Drinks firms have little to fear from the new draft guides for advertising alcohol, which help to clarify what can be used in...
Falcon's in full flight
After 20 years in the doldrums, the Gloucestershire pub's food trade is now soaring. MARK TAYLOR reveals how When former college friends Robin...
Marketing: Tell them about it...
The internet is a great way to market your pub, but is it working for you? By Phil Mellows.So are you happy with your pub's website? Nice picture....
Nightmare of form-filling
Licensed victuallers associations across the country say the sheer weight of form-filling and copying is a nightmare. Mike Stevens, of...
Ale-infused ice cream is a hit
A Yorkshire pub chef has perked-up profits with his Cumberland Ale flavour ice cream. Ian Minto, who runs the Gray Ox at Liversedge, near Brighouse...
Police on wrong foot if forcing hand on hours
Two very worrying trends are emerging during the pre-application "jousting" in the transition period. Licensees are understandably vulnerable,...
Blears praises strong' Pubwatch
Home Office minister Hazel Blears praised the effectiveness of Workington's Pubwatch scheme in the House of Commons. Speaking in reply to a question...
JDW axes jobs in cost-cutting move
Managed operator JD Wether-spoon has axed Egon Ronay's inspections team as part of cost cutting that will also see several jobs disappear at head...
Global vision
Niche imports are growing, but is the label brewed at source' really that important to the mass market? According to an old advertising slogan, real...
Minister rules out ban on upward-only rents
by Ewan Turney A ban on upward-only rents has been dismissed by the Government in a blow to pub tenants and lessees across Britain. The decision...
Will caution cost licence?
QCan you tell me whether a police caution will affect my chances of getting a new personal licence? I was visited and warned for serving early prior...
Licensee gets ASBO for porking sign
A licensee was hit with a two-year Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) after he put a sign up saying "porking yard" in his car park. Bristol...
In session...with Ben McFarland
Beer Writer of the Year Ben McFarland on beer and chocolate.How did you eat yours? Beer and chocolate are not designed to fraternise. Any suggestion...
Interbrew brings Brahma to Britain
Interbrew has launched Brazilian beer Brahma in Britain in a bid to help retailers "premiumise" business and harness the growing enthusiasm for...
Frozen
stiff The lager market is showing little sign of life. Will extra cold be its salvation asks NIGEL HUDDLESTON in this five-page special feature...
USP is key in premium market
With a cluttered premium draught market and key supply contracts with Greene King and Mitchells & Butlers up for grabs this year, it's an...
Emporio Peroni set to tease Sloane Street
London's stylish Sloane Street has another Italian designer shop to match the likes of Giorgio Armani, Gucci and Versace Peroni Nastro Azzurro...