Chris Maclean: Countdown to disaster
This morning I have had a very distressed telephone call from a friend who is also chairman of the primary school PFA. Every year they hold a village...
Archives for June 13, 2007
THE GUV'NOR
Yvonne Cleminson Pubs need to create an experience to get people out of their homes, says the licensee of the Cherry Tree in Rowledge, Surrey After...
Polish persuasion
Imported Polish beers are one of the fastest-growing sectors in the industry. Adrian Tierney-Jones reports on their rapidly-rising popularity We've...
Ale safe
Everards tenant Phil Jones tells Ewan Turney how a passion for real ale has helped increase turnover 30% in three months at the Black Horse,...
Remembering Claude Arkell
Donnington has the deserved reputation of enjoying the loveliest setting of any brewery in the country. It's in the Cotswolds, an area of gently...
BarTalk
Would you allow customers to breast-feed a baby in your pub? Chris Green Stansfield Arms, Apperley Bridge, Bradford, W. Yorks I have three children...
New deadline and sports in Sky deal
Sky is extending its cut-price football offer for pubs until 22 June and adding new sports to the package. Sky is freezing its basic subscription...
Summer stylin' with the LTC
A great evening of dinner and dancing helps another year of essential work After the success of last year's Paper Ball, the team at the Licensed...
Under-21s go on despite dismay
Following England's 3-0 win in the crucial Euro 2008 qualifier away in Estonia, most footballers have ditched their shorts and boots in favour of...
Quinn's dumped as sales slump
Diageo has pulled the plug on its Quinn's RTD, launched just last year with an £8.5m marketing spend. The company's new head of innovation, Liz...
Prepare for rent reviews, urges host
Tenants who prepare poorly for rent reviews are responsible, in part, for high rents - that's the stark warning from former BII licensee of the year...
Business Opinion
Cains pioneers new business model The story of the rise of Cains began a new chapter last week when the reverse takeover of managed operator...
Focusing on less, but better
The headlines this last week have made pretty depressing reading for anyone who likes alcohol, or who likes selling it. Media reactions to the...
NewsDigest
The Forum for Private Business has criticised InBev for changing its payment terms for suppliers as an "abuse of power". The company has changed its...
THE AGENTS
Paul Breen Director Colliers CRE Home-owners across the country were breathing a huge sigh of relief last Wednesday when the Bank of England revealed...
Pub HIPs set to hit the trade next year
From 2008 pubs will face energy checks that could hit the value of businesses All pubs that are sold, rented or built from 2008 will have to have...
Match point
Don't miss this opportunity to win £10,000 in Hardys' food-and-wine matching competition Hardys, in association with Matthew Clark, has launched a...
'Don't sign police forms': Marston's
Marston's Pub Company (MPC) has expressed concern at a police scheme that asks licensees to sign a document detailing how they will act to cut disorder.
Tobacco gel launched
A tobacco gel that is rubbed into smokers' palms has been launched in Britain ahead of the English ban. The controversial gel, produced by Advanced...
Smoke ban: councils need a soft approach
Local councils are being advised to take a "softly- softly" approach to pubs that breach the smoking ban. A new guide for councils on enforcing the...
Is snuff good enough?
Many of your smokers will not want to give up tobacco in time for the smoking ban. But you can at least encourage them to make their habit as...
Glass: police ignore Government's line
Police are continuing to call for blanket glass bans despite advice to the contrary from the Government, published in its National Alcohol Strategy....
Licensing@aol.com
Staff receiving a caution QI have just found out that one of my evening staff was cautioned last month for serving someone underage. She didn't tell...
There is life after the smoking ban
There is life after the smoking ban - that will be the message of a new series of forums run by The Publican in conjunction with Racing UK and John...
£1m tonic for dying Swan
Marston's has sold the Swan at Ascott-under-Wychwood, Oxfordshire, from the El-dridge Pope estate it acquired in January. The business has been...
Underage stings trap fewer pubs
Early indications from the Tackling Underage Sales sting campaign show pubs are performing well. Home Office statistics revealed that the failure...
£10,000 prize up for grabs from Hardys
Hardys wine, in association with Matthew Clark, has launched a competition to find the Hardys Chef of the Year. If you are a pub chef with a...
Building a launch pad for take-off
Creating a successful product is a challenge - as Diageo knows, after a few failed launches. Its head of innovation talks frankly to Nigel Huddleston...
Breare plans new dining pub estate
Entrepreneur Robert Breare has unveiled plans to open between 50 and 75 sites in the next five years within his Merchant Inns pub vehicle. The...
Cider, it's officially good for you
Researchers at the University of Glasgow have found that some ciders contain high levels of phenolics - antioxidants linked to protection against strokes, heart disease and cancer.
Poor timing on TENs
The temporary event notice (TEN) system has had its critics. It is seen as inflexible and unfriendly by some users, while local authorities sometimes...
Pubs forced to face smoke ban D-Day with no outside smoking shelters
Planning red tape means licensees could wave goodbye to their smoking regulars on July 1 as outdoor areas fail to materialise. Many pubs are expected...
InBrief
Analysts forecast alcohol sales fall Consumption of alcohol in the UK is set to fall across every drinks category except wine over the next few...
Licensee will reward staff who pass test-purchasing test
A licensee claims he is "turning the law on its head" by rewarding staff who pass test-purchasing stings with £80 in cash.When barstaff refuse sales...
Michael Howard is Proud of Pubs
The former leader of the Conservatives Michael Howard is the latest big name to throw his weight behind Proud of Pubs Week. The MP for Folkestone...
MARKETING MUSCLE
A round-up of the latest campaigns Mateus Rosé Mateus Rosé has invested £1.5m in a new TV advertising campaign for the summer. To drive home the...
Votes cast for Best of British
Enthusiastic ale-lovers recently had the chance to elect their favourite beer. Noli Dinkovski reports on the competition Isn't it refreshing to have...
MyShout
With so many age-related schemes, having a united front is not easy, says Stephen Crawley Just when there seemed some progress in the industry...
What the papers say - June 14, 2007
Pub regulars could turn to snuff when the smoking ban comes into force, creating a revival of the peppery tobacco powder for the first time in more...
Fuller's unveils leap in profits
London brewer Fuller's has unveiled a leap in profits in the wake of the acquisition of Hampshire brewer and retailer Gales. Chief executive Michael...
Witch hunt gathering pace
The tale of the Norfolk licensee who paid a proportion of his annual licence fee and then was pursued by the council in the courts should be a...
Battles against Opus rage on
Furious licensees are continuing to face problems with electricity supplier Opus Energy.The Publican is still receiving calls from licensees...
fhd
Orchid Group, the managed operator set up last year by private equity company GI Partners, has sold 16 sites, including a number of Bar Room Bar...
Licensees warned: 'stay responsible'
Licensees and pub operators have been warned against complacency as the Government looks to probe irresponsible drinks prices by supermarkets. The...