Openness is Punch's policy
Punch Taverns has outlined a strikingly frank view of the harsh forces buffeting its tenanted division. The PMA Team gives his view.
Archives for May 7, 2009
Government rejects minimum pricing call
The Government has rejected calls for a minimum price on alcohol and a different duty rate on draught beer to reverse the trend of drinking at home....
Police 'pressure' Derby pubs
A group of Derby licensees claim they're being pressurised by police to attend £300-a-day training courses to avoid possible licence reviews. The...
Government vows to slash licensing red tape
The government has promised to cut red tape around licensing this year, in response to an MP-led inquiry into community pubs. Minor variations to a...
Clean break for the kitchen
Pubs are subject to the same rules of hygiene as any other catering establishment, warns Peter Coulson.
Keg deposit scheme put on hold
Plans to charge licensees deposits on kegs have "hit a brick wall" and brewers will now focus on other measures of preventing thefts.
Fears grow over tenanted & managed price gap
The widening drinks price gap between tenanted and managed pubs grew further this week as the real effect of the Budget duty hike became clear. The...
Fake ID double standards
Youngsters using a fake proof of age to buy alcohol face little deterrent compared to licensees who may lose their livelihood, says Peter Coulson.
Spirit pub fined £50K over sewage problem
A Spirit Group pub in Lincolnshire has been fined over £50,000 for remaining open despite raw sewage being found behind the bar. The Gamekeeper,...
Sainsbury's banned from selling alcohol
A Sainsbury's in Portsmouth has been banned from serving alcohol for 48 hours after selling to under-18s. The supermarket on Fitzherbert Road,...
Shepherd Neame buys 13 Punch pubs for £15m
Shepherd Neame, the Kent brewer, has announced it has bought 13 freehold pubs from Punch Taverns for £14.9m in cash. The pubs, three managed and 10...
Pub celebrates 30th charity walk
An award winning pub is celebrating the 30th anniversary of a charity walk that has raised £450,000 for good causes.More than 300 people are...
The real cost of late payment
Taking ever longer to pay suppliers is a short-sighted policy and potentially disastrous for the industry, says Andrew Pring.
City Diary — 7 May
All the latest gossip and rumour from the City.
Tories: 'councils to sort binge issues'
The Tories will look to individual local authorities to sort out their own binge drinking problems, says Shadow Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt. "We...
James Wilmore: Hug a health lobbyist? I think you should...
"My father taught me many things here - he taught me in this room. He taught me - keep your friends close but your enemies closer" Michael Corleone,...
We get attacked on all sides over the tie
The BBPA has failed on lobbying and the ALMR have been disingenuous with their views on the tie, says David Elliott.
Oldham pubs sign away promo rights
Five Oldham pubs have agreed to controversial restrictions on drinks promotions proposed by the town's trading standards. The MA understands five of...
Comment: Cologne tour teaches service lessons
Looking at how other cultures do drinks and pubs can often throw light on our own ways of doing business.Over the bank holiday weekend, I spent a...
If the tie goes, regionals suffer
Ditching the beer tie would leave the healthy independent cask-ale sector on its knees, says Roger Protz.
Calls to cut alcohol intake among sensible drinkers
A health chief has told MPs that a national strategy is needed to cut alcohol consumption, to ease the strain on the NHS. Professor Mike Kelly,...
Minister renews responsible drinking culture call
The Government wants to foster a change of culture to encourage responsible drinking in the same way that it introduced seatbelts in the 1980s,...