Diageo: freeze duty on spirits only
Diageo has called for spirits duty to be frozen — but the alcohol duty escalator on other drinks to remain until they are taxed at the same rate....
Archives for August 30, 2010
Councils hold all the aces
It would appear that the Home Office is not engaged in a debate about the merits of proposed changes to the Licensing Act.
Labour blamed for death of 3,500 pubs
A Tory minister has called on Labour to apologise for introducing policies that led to more than 3,000 pubs closing for good. Local government...
Orchid Group sells Bel & The Dragon chain
Orchid Group has sold its Bel & The Dragon gastro pub chain to Longshot, the London-based leisure group which formely owned the Groucho Club....
Longshot acquires Bel & Dragon from Orchid Group
Longshot has acquired the four-strong Bel & Dragon group of pub restaurants from the Orchid Group.
'Wine glass that can hold an entire bottle 'promotes heavier and irresponsible drinking''
Wine glasses that can hold an entire bottle 'promotes heavier and irresponsible drinking' say doctors. The 9in tall glass can hold an entire 750ml...
Citrus cachaça set for UK
A citrus-flavoured Brazilian cachaça is ready to hit UK pubs and bars — Salto has a lower alcoholic strength than other cachaça brands, at 24% ABV.
Roadworks destroying pub's trade
A licensee is being driven to distraction by roadworks that have put off punters and slashed his weekly takings by £800. And to add insult to injury...
'Labour should apologise for pub closures'
A Government minister has called for Labour to apologise for the net closure of 3,500 pubs in England during its reign. Local Government minister...
Alcohol Commission delivers minimum price blow
An influential report could scupper plans for minimum pricing in Scotland by dismissing it as a way of tackling irresponsible drinking. A report...
Peter Arkell passes away
Former Arkell's Brewery chairman Peter Arkell died peacefully at his home near Cirencester on Friday morning. He was 87 and had worked at the...
Scottish Labour suggests 'floor price' for alcohol
The Government should set a UK-wide "floor price" for alcohol based on the cost of production, duty and VAT rather than a minimum price, according to...
Pound stretchers: pub buying groups
Despite the recession officially being over, business is still tough, but canny licensees are joining buying groups to make their budgets go further....
Fears over Home Office record on licensing
A firm of top licensing solicitors has warned the Government it would be "wholly wrong" to implement changes to the Licensing Act in the autumn...
Chris Maclean: It's about making the cake bigger
There is an awful lot of rubbish talked about competition between pubs. I mention it mainly because the pub nearest mine is about to change hands...
Totally English wine list for south-west pub
English wine is to become a major feature of one south-west London pub from next month. The owners of the Bricklayer's Arms in Putney were so...
Are we on the verge of more deals?
Does TDR's deal to buy some of Mitchells & Butlers' (M&B) unwanted assets mean we're about to return to the Good Old Days™ of corporate...