All eyes on the Irish
Always a big occasion for pubs, this year's St Patrick's Day falls on a Monday - so why not start the celebrations early? Noli Dinkovski reports
Archives for February 21, 2008
BII makes personal licence test easier
Compulsory questions are being abolished from a popular BII exam for licensees in England and Wales. Currently, candidates for the BII's Level 2...
Act in haste, repent at leisure
It is a truth universally recognised that people never read the small print on contracts. How often do you happily sign a supply agreement with the...
Reaction to Tesco's move on alcohol prices
Why not add your voice to the debate? Click on the link to the right and have your say...Andy Bond, CEO of ASDA "We are already talking to government...
Ramos aims for English spurs
One London manager will secure his first piece of English silverware in Sunday's Carling Cup final. Juande Ramos's Tottenham booked their place in...
Doctors slam government for being too close to alcohol industry
Senior doctors have added weight to calls for a rise in alcohol tax in next month's Budget - and slammed the government for working too closely with...
Enterprise lessee wins arbitration
An award-winning lessee has won in arbitration after her pubco tried to double her rent. Enterprise Inns proposed increasing rent at the Seven Stars,...
North West Focus: Upbeat Moorhouse's bucks the depressing trend
Last month, as I waded through the depressing pile of New Year press releases and statements all warning of ill-fortune for brewing, an email caught...
Council gets tough over pub marquee
A disgruntled couple are being forced to tear down a marquee at the back of their pub because council chiefs say it looks out of place. Marian...
Coulson: Making a mockery of the Licensing Act
MA legal editor Peter Coulson considers cumulative impact zones
ALMR: Tesco all talk and no action on cut price booze
The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers has slammed Tesco for ducking its responsibilities
Barracuda defends cheap party deals
Barracuda has defended a £1 drinks night at a Newquay bar, attended by Prince William, that ended in a violent attack. The Barracuda Bar runs a £1...
Portrait of heroes
It's a long way from the National Portrait Gallery on London's Trafalgar Square to the Feathers pub in the village of Hedley-on-the Hill, near...
MyShout
The prospect of an M&B/Punch merger is changing the landscape of the industry, says Neil Morgan Can you name one of the few pub groups to report...
NewsDigest
Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) and Carlsberg have restated warnings that beer prices will rise. In its full-year results, Carlsberg said raw...
Acquisitions boost Premium Bars & Restaurants
Living Room operator Premium Bars & Restaurants (PBR) is pinning its hopes on its acquisitions and investment in its existing business to help...
Strategic review at Churchill
Churchill Taverns, the Midlands-based pub group, has launched a strategic review and appointed ad- visers after receiving a number of approaches for...
Pubs face more sting ops
Around 100 pubs, clubs and shops face legal action for serving drunks and for other offences in the Christmas sting campaign. Further Government...
Laurel prepares to close 22 pubs
Robert Tchenguiz's Laurel Pub Company is to close 22 pubs next week
Supermarkets urged to follow Tesco's lead
Trade leaders have urged other supermarkets to follow Tesco's lead and ask the Government to legislate against cut price promotions. In an...
Females
With Mother's Day on 2 March, the timing is ideal for capturing the female market - but you'll need to think beyond the normal stereotypes. Kelly...
Licensees feeling the pressure
Worrying new figures have highlighted the plight licensees are facing under current tough trading conditions. The Licensed Trade Charity (LTC) has...
Action on pub scams
New national "Scambuster" teams are to target rogue firms that con pubs. The Government is investing £7.5m in the specialist trading standards...
Some independent thinking
Is the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) gaining a bigger voice in the industry?Former chairman Keith Bott raised the profile of the organisation...
First past the post
Giving a community back its post office is the latest project successfully supported by the Pub is the Hub. Adrian Tierney-Jones went to the opening...
Pubs' vandal threat
Yorkshire police and fire services are urging licensees to protect vacant pubs after a spate of fires and vandalism in the area. A disused site in...
Knife arches not the answer to stopping crime
A licensee whose pub was twice targeted by armed robbers has said knife arches are not the answer to cutting crime. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has...
BarTalk
Should 16 to 18-year-olds be allowed to drink in pubs? Jessica Luke Brewery Tap Peterborough Cambridgeshire Absolutely not. We should preserve the...
InBrief
Coaker call to keep alcohol off streets Hundreds more alcohol-free zones on British streets should be introduced to reduce drunkenness, Home Office...
'Tesco wants ministers to ban cheap alcohol'
Supermarket giant Tesco will today break ranks and call on the government to ban the sale of cut-price alcohol. The move comes amid growing outcry...
North West Focus: Robinsons takes stock
It could have been a stupid question - asking 400 pub tenants whether they're being charged a fair rent. But the exercise produced a pleasant...
Value perception gap blighting property deals, says operator
The market for certain freehold pubs is currently being distorted by a large gap between what vendors and prospective buyers believe a site is worth,...
The Big Smoke-easy
It's 2.13am and I'm sat at the bar next to a chain-smoking biker, a cavewoman and a Labour councillor. My eyes sting as the air is thick with the...
Free metal detectors to help pub security
Pubs and clubs could get free metal detectors under a new government scheme. The Government is donating 100 portable knife arches and 400 search...
Stellar cellar
CaskForce, the beer-quality initiative driven by Marston's in conjunction with the Morning Advertiser announces its first monthly winners. After...
Tesco: we WANT a ban on cut-price booze
Tesco has laid down the gauntlet to the other supermarkets with an announcement that it is actively calling for a law banning the sale of cut-price...
Champions of perfection
Kelly Smith asks the people behind some of the industry's top training courses what it takes to run the perfect pub Steve Abbott Senior category...
North West Focus: View from the top
Manchester has no interest in being England's second city, it has no interest in being provincial. The city looks to models such as Barcelona. Ask...
City diary
We know a man who can Anyone on the managed side looking to recruit a highly-regarded former JD Wetherspoon (JDW) operations director with 10 years'...
Right track for Winner's Tipple
John Smith's has reinforced its sponsorship of horse racing's biggest race with the launch of a new limited- edition ale. Winner's Tipple, which was...
Protz: Breaking the silence
Beer expert Roger Protz considers why bad pub news is better than good pub news
BrandsBriefs
Singha's 30th anniversary Singha Beer side-banners are visible on more than 100 London black cabs for a three- month spell until the Thai New Year,...
North West Focus: Hydes seeks food incentive for managers
A matter of two years after taking the bold decision to franchise out food operations in most of its managed pubs, Manchester brewer Hydes is seeing...
Licensing@aol.com
Licence for pub garden Q Is there any need to license the garden of our pub in some way? I never did anything about this during transition and we...
Hamish Champ: What do they mean "Down with pubs"???
It's not often I'll implore you, dear reader, to check out the website of a rival publication. However in this instance I'm making an exception. As...
All spiced up
Sameer and Sheetal Malik are making their mark with a North Indian food offer at the Zan Zi Bar, in Middlesex. Humayun Hussain reports Why my food...
Greene King absorbs insurance rise
Greene King (GK) is to absorb a 20% hike in insurance premiums and hold back beer price increases until May. The aim is to help its 1,450 tenants and...
Ramsay buys fourth pub
Top chef Gordon Ramsay has bought his fourth pub - the York and Albany, in Camden, north London. The chef is rumoured to have paid around £4m for...
MyNewPub
Three Wheat Heads Inn Thropton, Northumberland Agent: Davey & Co The team behind this pub has completely turned business around since taking over...
Thatchers pushes single variety ciders
Thatchers' range of single-variety ciders, led by the best-selling Katy, has been given a new look for 2008. A new lightweight 500ml bottle is being...
Arsonists target Northampton pubs
Two pubs in the same Northamptonshire street have been targeted in separate arson attacks.The Brave Old Oak and Pickled Pig in Towcester were both...
Tesco move to raise alcohol prices welcomed by trade
Tesco's proposal to ban alcohol promotions has been welcomed by the pub trade and campaigners alike - and thrown down the gauntlet to other...
THE GUV'NOR
Peter Gatling The licensee of the Merry Harriers, in Clayhidon, Devon, gives top tips to get your business through the winter Have you had that...
Noctis is the new name for Beda
The trade body for the late-night sector, the Bar Entertainment and Dance Association (Beda), has changed its name to Noctis, the Latin word for...
The Agents
Stephen Taylor Managing Director Guy Simmonds To what extent will current economic woes influence the licensed property market and people's desire to...