Red Stripe looking to become face of live music
Red Stripe is looking to become the face of live music in the UK over the next two years.Wells & Young's (W&Y), which brews the brand under...
Archives for January 11, 2007
Why did Bond give gin the sling?
The marketing value of the new Bond film has boosted sales of a little-known French vermouth, but Adam Edwards is feeling bitter January is when I...
Political protest grows over off-trade prices
High-ranking MPs and police officers are speaking out in growing numbers against irresponsible drink promotions in the UK's supermarkets Senior...
Licence review for 'disorderly' Blackpool Walkabout
Walkabout in Blackpool faces a licence review after police complained of disorder at the venue. Grounds for the review, due this month, are given as...
DoneDeals
The Crystal Fountain Cannock Staffordshire The sports-orientated pub has been purchased by first-time buyer Val Smith. She has previously worked at a...
The GUV'NOR
Paul Clerehugh The Licensing Act has not been all bad, says the licensee of the Crooked Billet, Stoke Row, Oxfordshire Doesn't time fly - where has...
Prosecution sets out case in poker trial
The jury who will be asked to decide if poker is a game of skill or chance continued their lesson in card room parlance today.
London
Anchor & Hope Southwark, London SE1 Robert Shaw says that when he and three other business partners took over the Anchor & Hope nearly...
Woodward targeting pub food market
A little healthy competition never hurt anyone, so they say - but there may have been a few food suppliers to the pub trade reaching for the aspirin...
THE AGENTS
Stephen Taylor Managing Director, Guy Simmonds Firstly, I would like to wish all the readers of the Morning Advertiser and our past, present and...
North West
The Oak Kelsall, Cheshire Drinking and dining in style is the watchword phrase for business partners Max Baker and Steve Cooper. The pair have...
South East
The Swan at the Vineyard Lamberhurst, Kent "A quintessential English village pub" is the best way to describe the Swan at the Vineyard. It is located...
Marston's directors' pay down by 20%
The five executive directors of Marston's, formerly known as Wolves & Dudley, saw a drop of just over 20% in their total pay packages in 2006...
Six Nations: score with rugby
Within the past year, England have flopped at football, been hit for six at cricket, and been tackled into touch in the rugby. These failures by the...
Property boom is bust for pubs
Why are so many rural pubs closing, at the rate of a dozen or more a month? Is it lack of consumer demand, or some new force at play in society? The...
East and West Midlands
Crown Inn Oakengates, Telford, Shropshire Variety is the spice of life at the Crown Inn. Hardly a day goes by without the lively town-centre...
West Country
Harbour Inn Porthleven, Cornwall When Paul and Ellie Pitt took over the Harbour Inn two-and-a-half years ago, the St Austell Brewery managed house...
The Publican launches campaign against supermarket alcohol prices
The Publican is taking on the off-trade over its irresponsible promotion of alcohol. We are writing to all major supermarket chains (see letter...
LETTERs
Open letter to Home Secretary Rt Hon Dr John Reid MP I am writing to ask you to help me and my team fully understand the purpose and objectives of...
West Country
Ley Arms Kenn, Devon Nothing depicts the Ley Arms' commitment to village life more than the goodwill shown by members of staff when a local resident...
Seven days in sporting heaven
Whether your guests are hoping to watch rugby or football in your pub, they'll be well catered for over the next seven days. Over the weekend,...
East Anglia
Red Lion Preston, Hertfordshire The Red Lion claims to be the first pub bought by village power. In 1982, residents of the small village of Preston...
South East
Bull Inn Sonning, Berkshire Dennis and Christine Mason are seasoned professionals with nearly 30 years in the trade and have been at the Bull Inn for...
East Anglia
White Horse Bedford, Bedfordshire Nigel and Sue Anstead show that good training pays dividends. Last year, they increased wine sales by over 40% at...
Premier League plans more action against suppliers
The FA Premier League (FAPL) is planning further legal action against suppliers of foreign satellite equipment following proceedings launched last...
East & West Midlands
Holly Bush Church Broughton, Derbyshire Subtly changing the offer to attract new customers without alienating the existing solid support from the...
£1m pre-tax gain for Brunning & Price
Brunning & Price, the only pub company in the UK to to win The Good Pub Guide's Pub Group of the Year award three times, has hit the £1m pre-tax...
London
Three Compasses Hornsey, London N8 In less than three years, Mike Smith and brother and sister duo Nigel and Alison Oxford have totally transformed...
South East
Peat Spade Inn Longstock, Hampshire The picture postcard village of Longstock lies in the tranquil Test Valley with attractive thatched cottages...
So, who is responsible now?
Not for the first time, I am a little confused about the theory and practice of the new licensing laws. This concerns the holding of the premises...
Poker League takes action against West Mercia Police
The Issue of poker in pubs could be heading to court as Nuts Poker League claims it is about to take action against Worcester-based West Mercia...
Welsh Dragon slain by trading standards
Pubs who have had problems with their local trading standards officers will be interested to hear they are not alone.A smoked meat producer and pub...
Law lets pubs down says McMullens
McMullens boss Peter Furness-Smith has written to Home Secretary John Reid slamming British law enforcement for not doing enough to support pubs. The...
What do the smoking ban regulations say?
Government delays over the final details of the smoking ban are continuing to spark frustration among licensees. With five months before the law...
MLC welcomes food provenance campaign
The Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) has thrown its weight behind a new campaign which wants pubs to tell customers where food on the menu comes...
Wales
Carne Park Hotel Abercynon, Mid Glamorgan Abercynon was a mining village until the local pit closed in the early 1970s. Although the mining has long...
Police must help Trade says Andrew Pring
MA Editor says New Labour must fulfill election pledge.
South East
Royal Oak Southampton, Hampshire Alan and Suzie Dreja took on the Royal Oak as their first pub in 2005, and quickly turned the depressed boozer into...
East Anglia
Brewery Tap Peterborough, Cambridgeshire The Brewery Tap bills itself as Europe's largest brew pub. Customers can view Oakham Ales' 35-barrel...
North West
Sun Hotel & Bar Lancaster, Lancashire In just three years since its launch, the Sun Hotel & Bar has established itself as one of Lancaster's...
BarTalk
What do you think of David Beckham's move to America? John Ellis Crown Inn Oakengates Shropshire "Good riddance to him. Some of these so-called stars...
European rugby at its finest
Following the footballing thrills and spills of the FA Cup last weekend, this time round rugby union takes a turn in the spotlight. It's round five...
Yorkshire and North East
Cook & Barker Inn Newton-on-the-Moor, Northumberland Diners head in their droves up and down the A1 to enjoy the fine food and welcome at one of...
Wales
Bunch of Grapes Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan When a pub's food revenue starts to far outweigh its wet sales there are many who would say it should be...
Yorkshire and the North East
Golden Lion Ripon, North Yorkshire There is no shortage of pubs in the North Yorkshire market town of Ripon, so turning a struggling business around...
Yorkshire and North East
Black Bull Wylam, Northumberland Licensee Paul Bowes has made the Black Bull a focal point for community activities in the small village of Wylam...
BII NITAs: Top trainers
The winners of the BII Nitas were announced at a prestigious ceremony at the Tower of London in December. The awards aim to recognise and reward...
Budweiser in shock deal with Budvar
The brewing industry is reeling at the news that US giant Anheuser-Busch has formed an alliance with long -time adversary Budejovicky Budvar to...
Licensing@aol.com
Traditions die hard QI have a running dispute with a customer who is a historian and has written a book about pubs and inns. He maintains that until...
Rise in licence fees 'may deter new door staff'
Trade bodies and door supervisors fear plans for a 29% hike in door staff licences could deter people from starting the job. The Security Industry...
Wales
Ty Gwyn Hotel Llanfair PG, Anglesey For any non-Welsh family buying its first pub in the principality, relocating to...
Wales
Morlais Tavern Dowlais, Mid Glamorgan During the industrial revolution, Dowlais had over 100 pubs to quench the thirst of the village's foundry...
London
Teddington Arms Teddington, Middlesex When the Teddington Arms opened nearly four years ago, one of the key objectives was to cement relationships...
Pubs main target in underage sales fight
Fifty times as many instant fines were issued to bar and shop staff for serving under-18s than to children for drinking underage in 2005, new...
Postcode lottery for underage stings
Pubs tested in underage sting operations are subject to a postcode lottery. Councils are taking a very varied approach to underage sting operations,...
Help the helpers
Following the highly successful fundraiser at the ALMR lunch, the Licensed Trade Charity is appealing for support at the start of an ambitious year...
East and West Midlands
Fountain Inn Clent, Worcestershire A decision to provide customers with al-fresco dining and drinking facilities is playing a major role in boosting...
Legal loophole for Smartbox victims
The MA has learned there may be a way out of onerous lease agreements for hundreds of Smartbox victims. About 750 licensees were owed hundreds of...
East & West Midlands
Waggon and Horses Halam, Nottinghamshire "Keeping things simple" is a motto that is serving Daniel Thwaites' tenant and head chef Roy Wood in good...
East and West Midlands
Red Hart Kington, Worcestershire People power has paid off in Worcestershire, where the Red Hart has hit back from the threat of demolition to become...
Smoke ban cuts 10% from Scots pub trade
Scottish licensees are suffering a dramatic 10% loss in trade following the introduction of the smoking ban last March, the most exhaustive survey so...
Arkell's 'swamped' by red-tape deluge
Swindon-based Arkell's Brewery has complained of new regulations "swamping its management team" in annual accounts recently filed at Companies House....
West Country
Puesdown Inn Compton Abdale, Gloucestershire The Puesdown Inn is a glorious roadside tavern that looks as if it has welcomed customers for centuries....
Reviews of licences are a lotta do'nuts
Reviews of premises licences are thankfully rare. But they remain an ever-present threat to licensees, because they can be started at any time, not...
MyShout
The anti-binge drinking campaign needs a ministerial champion, says John Grogan Never has a "My Shout" article of mine had as strong a reaction as...
West Country
Old Inn St Breward, Cornwall Darren Wills has always lived in St Breward and has witnessed "good and bad landlords" running the Old Inn. Darren...
NewsDigest
Scottish & Newcastle UK (S&NUK) will close the bottling plant at its Dunston brewery in Gateshead on 16 February 2007 with the loss of 66...
One step ahead
Any pub thinking of taking the plunge and going smoke-free before the ban kicks in can take heart from the story that has unfolded at the Bull in...
North West
Red Lion Withington, Manchester Licensees do not come much more experienced than pub managers Kevin and Janat Connor. The couple recently celebrated...
Root of the Oak's success
Mark Taylor finds out from Henry and Katherine Cripps what has helped to make their business grow at The Greene Oak, Oakley Green, near Windsor,...
BarTalk
What do you think of super-markets selling cheap alcohol? Alison Oxford Three Compasses Hornsey London N8 "It's a bad thing as supermarkets do not...
Wales
Penrhyn Arms Penrhynside, Conwy Ex-grave digger John Sumbland brought a "dead" pub to life when he and wife Sharon bought the Penrhyn Arms. It was a...
West Country
The Cow Parkstone, Dorset David Sax has certainly got the Midas touch. He used to run a financial consultancy practice, and business often coincided...
London
The Blackfriar Blackfriars, London EC4 The resplendent Art Nouveau design of the Blackfriar has been a magnet for Londoners and tourists for over 100...
East and West Midlands
Litten Tree Hereford, Herefordshire Value for money and attention to detail are the watchwords at the Litten Tree in Hereford. It's a policy that's...