Equipment: Catering to all its needs
STEEPED IN history, the renovated King's Arms pub in Abergavenny, Wales, aims to recapture the pub's traditional place at the heart of the town....
Archives for July 9, 2008
Equipment: Dishwasher lops 1k off yearly energy bill
FOR A food-led business, squeaky clean plates are something of a priority. So, when Peach Pub Company took over the Embankment Hotel in Bedford...
Equipment: Greener King?
In the June 23 issue we featured the findings of The Green Paper 2008, compiled by equipment supplier Gram to assess the approach of pubs and other...
The agent
Bill Colquhoun, director, Christie+Co Ipswich Despite daily reports of doom and gloom in the economy, the Ipswich office of Christie+Co is pleased to...
Licensees must plan hard to get round inflexible reforms
The joy and celebration of the Spanish football team on winning Euro 2008 will have lasted long into the night in their home country and in many...
Q&A
Bring your own Q. We have a city-centre pub in a back street near the main shopping area. Recently, we have had reports from our staff of people...
Power to the BDMs
The much-criticised area manager is a vital part of the formula for successful pubs, but does he feel empowered or emasculated? As the industry...
S&NUK's price rises hit Punch pubs this week
Pubco's deal means increases are delayed Punch licensees face higher charges for beer and cider from this week. Scottish & Newcastle UK's...
The Guv'nor Dennis Griffiths
Stopping below-cost sales would help us all As any regular reader of this column will know I am not a massive fan of supermarkets. But I am, if...
Business boosters
Ideas for driving food sales at your pub 2-in-1 pies Where: Weighbridge Inn, Longfords, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire www.2in1pub.co.uk The idea:...
South Africa set to test England
Helen Bendell helen.bendell@william-reed.co.uk England's Test cricket side recorded a series victory against the visiting Kiwis during May and June,...
Police urged to act on fake ID
A pubco boss has urged police to take more action against youngsters using fake ID to try and get into pubs. Staff at Kai's Bar in Louth,...
Cask ale heading for a premium future
While cask ale is experiencing welcome steady growth in volume, the premium category is doing particularly well. Adrian Tierney-Jones reports As the...
Fat Buddha takeaway is doing well
Utopian Leisure, the company headed by former Ultimate Leisure boss Bob Senior, has opened its first Fat Buddha takeaway in Darlington. The company...
Knight departs as Tye takes the reins at Spirit
Punch welcomes ex-Whitbread executive Spirit boss Andrew Knight is to leave the business and is being replaced by former Whitbread executive Michael...
Keep cards for the football pitch
I have not yet commented on the new red and yellow-card scheme for "backsliding" licensees because it seems to me to be yet another Home...
Here comes the sun —hopefully
Long days and summer holidays are good for trade and we could really do with a sunny summer. But what if it's terrible again — how can I make the...
Smells like teen spirit
Fifteen teenagers sit in a classroom transfixed by a video in which teacher Barbara Pierce describes how her life was changed forever by a...
Restaurants must follow pubs to survive
A market analyst has urged the restaurant sector to follow the example set by pubs if they are to avoid the credit crunch. Peter Backman of Horizons...
Agilo sells just one of six freeholds up for auction
Agilo, the London-based fund that invests in distressed companies, was looking to sell six of the freeholds it acquired out of Candu Entertainment...
Greene King joins with Vintage man
Joint venture sees opening of d'Arry's Greene King has opened its first joint venture business on the managed side. The company has teamed up with...
Townsend: 'Tie is not the problem'
Enterprise chief quizzed at inquiry The pubco model has nothing to do with the problems faced by some community pubs — that's the view of...
Sky freezes price of sports packages
Sky has announced a price freeze on its sports packages which could provide a boost to licensees struggling to make ends meet. Letters have been sent...
Host fined for fire breach
A Berkshire licensee has been forced to pay nearly £8,000 for breaching strict new fire safety regulations. Paul Dailey is among the first licensees...
A modest proposal for helping pubs
Last man standing is the phrase on the lips of many pub bosses these days. They mean that if you can just hang on in there, chances are your rival...
Whisky
Whisky remains one of the least understood areas of the bar, but potentially one of the most profitable. Dominic Roskrow explains why These days...
Bar Talk
Have there been many pub closures in your area recently? Geoff Holland Holly Bush Inn Salt Staffordshire Three in the immediate vicinity; two...
A Mars a day
Over the past year, Mars has spearheaded a nationwide initiative to demonstrate the sales opportunities to be gained by offering chocolate in pubs....
Leader of the herd
Alison Ashworth tells Amanda Wragg all about trade secrets at the Craven Heifer Chef/patron Nick Wharfe, his partner Susie Dinsdale, and Alison and...
Widening gin's appeal
Diageo's Kathy Sawtell tells Jessica Harvey what the future holds for the company's Gordon's and Tanqueray brands and the gin category in general...
What's happening at Greene King?
Hungry Horse refurb scores big Greene King has seen takings per week rise by £5,000 at each of the first 26 Hungry Horse sites it has refurbished....
Wind of change
The Windmill looks and feels like a wine bar/coffee shop and yet it is still being run by Ron and Sonia Colbron like a boozer. Ali Carter reports Not...
Electric supply cut before funeral wake
Scottish Power fails to transfer host's name A licensee's electricity supply was cut off hours before a funeral wake. This followed a dispute with...
Mix and match
The standard G&T may still dominate the gin serve, but premium varieties and classic cocktail recipes offer more adventurous possibilities As...
Sky announces price freeze
Sky has announced a price freeze on its football packages for next year but some operators will see a large increase if they took advantage of last year's price freeze.
Interesting choice of logo
Not surprisingly perhaps the July issue of Drinks Business runs quite a long article on the InBev bid for Anheuser Busch, brewers of Budweiser. Very...
WKD plans footie-related pub kits
Beverage Brands will be offering licensees the chance to receive football-related pub kits, downloads and offers for its WKD brand in the run-up to...
Equipment: The right stuff
. LainoxThe combi-oven is the workhorse of any big pub kitchen - it can steam, bake, roast, and braise. For pubs with limited kitchen space yearning...
Pubs set to take share from restaurants
Pubs are better placed to ride out the credit crunch than restaurants, according to the latest research by Horizons.Investment by managed pub...
Clean up your act in the kitchen
A kitchen refurb is a good time to update cleaning processes.P&G Professional, owner of brands such as Fairy and Flash, has undertaken research...
My pub juke box
Georgina Wald, public relations manager at Fuller's chooses her favourite tracks I notice that everyone talks about how their music tastes have...
Going green from the grass roots up
The LocAle scheme is working hard to reduce "beer miles" by encouraging pubs to stock local brews If I ask you for your view of the average Campaign...
Celeb hangout faces delayed re-opening
The re-opening of a pub to the stars, which was gutted by fire, has been delayed by at least two months. Greene King pub the Hawley Arms, in Camden,...
Proud message goes to the top
Publicans will be taking the proud message of the pub trade to the top next week as the second Proud of Pubs Week blazes a trail across the UK.After...
Whitbread names kitchens of the year
The top chefs from Whitbread's pub restaurants have taken the honours in the company's kitchen of the year contest after a hard-fought cook off.Nine...
Raising the spirits
The rise of premium and super-premium varieties of gin is creating a major buzz in pubs. Richard Woodard reports The rekindled interest in gin has...
Councils to target noisy pubs
"Potential" noise is public nuisance Pubs face pre-emptive strikes against their licence for noise outside their premises. Councils are being told...
Staff wages cost 27% of pubs' turnover on average
Pubs are spending more than a quarter of their turnover on staff payroll costs, according to new research from the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR).
All things being equal...
It is the lot of every solicitor that there will be a dinner party question folk cannot resist asking for every area of law. For the criminal lawyer...
MPs who are Proud of Pubs this year
Gerry Sutcliffe, Bradford SouthThe Six Acres, 119, Westgate Hill St, Tong, Bradford,West Yorkshire, BD4 0SFGreg Hands, Hammersmith & FulhamThe...
Welcoming you to beer heaven
The Great British Beer Festival opens its doors in three weeks' time at Earls Court in London. Adrian Tierney-Jones previews the event and examines...