Hope for automatic rate relief
Local Government minister Sadiq Khan says the Government won't rule out automatic rate relief for small firms "as an option for the future
Archives for March 6, 2009
McMullens' chef wins pie competition
With steak and ale pie one of the most popular dishes on pub menus, a McMullens chef has won a competition to have his recipe used across the family...
We are your good news bible
Calling all MA readers, calling all MA readers: is there any good news out there? Or is it really the end of the world and we're all off to hell in a handcart?
It's time to question our business models
Peter Linacre says it is time to question the models we use following the trouble experienced by banks.
Blackthorn cider relaunched
Gaymer Cider Company is to relaunch its best-selling brand Blackthorn with a new liquid, new packaging and a £1.5m marketing campaign.The relaunch...
Germaine Greer calls for ban on supermarket alcohol sales
Writer and academic Germaine Greer has emerged as unlikely defender of the pub trade, while arguing passionately that supermarkets should be banned...
Complaints about drinks products soar
The number of complaints recorded by industry watchdog the Portman Group has surged to its highest annual level in the past decade.According to the...
Sam Smith's: 10p beer rise would hit production
Brewer Sam Smith ruled out beer price increases as a means of boosting pub revenues and chose to cut staff hours to reduce costs, an employment...
Pub company profile: Sliced to size before your eyes
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. That philosophy sums up the approach of multiple lessee Ted Docherty - and is the only time you will...
Roy Beers: Hooray for the SNP - it's giving minimum pricing to Britain
I hope it works, even if I don't think it will make a decisive difference to Scotland's massive overall drink problem, and that it works well enough...
Adnams buys three pubs from Punch Taverns for £2.7m
Adnams has bought three prime pub sites in Suffolk from Punch Taverns for £2.7m. The Suffolk based brewer's purchase includes the Maybush at...
Fresh produce: Grow your offer
For publicans looking to go green, energy-saving light bulbs and kitchen equipment are a good start - but paying attention to the pub's outdoor areas...
Darts champion gives winnings to pub
The champion of the John Smith's People's Darts competition has ploughed his prize money back into his local pub where he plays darts. After...
National Pub Day launched
Justice for Licensees and the Save the Great British Pub campaign has launched a National Pub Day on 4 April to highlight the positive role played by...
Minor variations could go
Readers of this paper will know me as a mild-mannered chap, along the lines of Clark Kent, not given to histrionics or violent outbursts. But even I...
BBPA unhappy over release of KPMG information
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) claims it is being blocked in its attempts to obtain key information regarding the KPMG report.
Blackthorn £1.5m overhaul
Blackthorn cider is set to undergo a major overhaul to include an improved flavour, reduced abv and a new look. Gaymer Cider Company is investing...
Three brewers forced to take new SIBA membership terms
Three major brewers - Shepherd Neame, Marston's and Fuller's - have been excluded from full membership of the Society of Independent Brewers...
Welsh Lib Dems urge beer tie reform
The group also wants lower alcohol duty in its new campaign to save Welsh pubs.
S&N launches biggest on-trade promotion
Scottish & Newcastle UK (S&N UK) has launched its biggest ever on-trade promotion for Fosters with 'Game On', an initiative designed to capitalise on men's passion for games.
St Austell searches for sites for new flagship London pub
Cornish brewer St Austell is searching for a suitable site to open a new flagship pub in London - it's first outside of the South West.Managing...
Mark Daniels: Be nice to your Business Development Manager...
I don't like the amount of money I'm currently paying in rent. I don't like the price difference between my pubco supplier and the nearby cash &...
Punch sells two freeholds to TRG
Punch Taverns has sold two freeholds to The Restaurant Group for £1.5m — the sale is in line with the Punch policy of offering sitting tenants the chance to buy their pubs.
SIBA re-jigs full membership structure
Marston's, Fullers and Shepherd Neame have been excluded from full membership of the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) following the introduction of a 200,000 hectolitre threshold.
Careless talk costs pubs
So you thought things couldn't get worse for the pub trade at the hands of the present Labour Government. Well, sit down and pour yourself a stiff...