Exclusive: Punch suffers double blow
New national ops director Darren Topp has decided against joining the company — and a senior operations director has defected to Stonegate.
Archives for November 18, 2010
Pubs needed for Olympic effort
Pubs are being urged to do their bit to help tourists feel at home when the Olympic Games roll into town in 2012. Mayor of London Boris Johnson has...
Adnams Distillery: Spirits from the coast
Trying to interview Jonathan Adnams in one of his own pubs is a challenge. Not least after he has just treated selected guests to some brand new...
Fury over supermarket Xmas price war
A bumper pre-Christmas price war on alcohol among major supermarkets has sparked fury within the pub trade. Despite the threat of government...
Licensing: let's keep up the good work
James Brokenshire offered glowing praise of pub industry schemes that target alcohol-related problems when he spoke at RDR last week.
Property Law: Is your public house a house?
Subject to meeting relevant criteria under the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 a leaseholder may be able to forcefully acquire the freehold of his/her pub....
Social Media Marketing: Wooing the under-30s into your pub
They are typically single, have fewer demands on their time, and have more disposable income because they are generally mortgage-free. So is it any...
New pub for Bosi brothers
Claude Bosi, chef-patron at two-Michelin star Mayfair restaurant Hibiscus, is to take on a pub with rooms with brother Cedrick. The Fox &...
City Diary — 18 November
All the latest rumour and gossip from the City.
Majority of pubs expect food profit boom next year
Food sales will continue to be a key driver in making pubs profitable in 2011 according to findings in The Publican's Food Report 2010. Around 400...
Peter Brook leaves Admiral Taverns
Peter Brook has left Admiral Taverns after two years overseeing the pubco's 'Phoenix' division of around 700 under-performing sites. A statement...
The problem with minimum pricing
In an industry where it sometimes seems that business leaders struggle to agree on anything at all, there is one issue that has divided opinion like...
Palmers' £400k pubs fund
Dorset brewer Palmers has invested £400,000 revamping three Grade II-listed tenanted pubs located in a small harbour resort. The Bridport Arms...
Punch bid to bulldoze pub rejected
A licensee is celebrating after a pubco's bid to demolish his pub and turn it into eight homes was rejected. Paul St John Campbell said he only...
St Austell to launch new bitter next spring
St Austell is planning a major launch of a new draught bitter, containing Australia hops, next spring. The as-yet-unnamed beer will be 3.8 per cent...
Exclusive: M&B buys under-performing Chef & Brewer site
Mitchells & Butlers' plan to expand key brands has taken one more small step forward — after it bought a Chef & Brewer site.
Alcohol chiefs advising on public health policy is 'naïve', says Diane Abbott
High profile Labour MP Diane Abbott has branded a government plan to take advice from the drinks and food industry on public health policy as...
Exclusive: Gov't promises levy flexibility
Home Office minister James Brokenshire says the Government plans to be flexible when applying discounts for the late-night levy — and promised that...
Golden Boar, golden standards
Luke Spyrou talks to Noli Dinkovski about staff checklists, set price menus, takeaways, delivering leaflets and mixing pub food with fine dining.
Adnams: Industry deserves more respect from government
A brewery chief has argued the industry deserves more respect for its work on promoting responsible drinking after taking a "pasting" from the...
City source: GMB Punch debt-for-equity call 'laughable'
A senior City source has dismissed the GMB's call for Punch Taverns to swap debt for equity as "laughable". The GMB has called on Punch's board to...
Peroni fuels Miller Brands volume growth
Miller Brands, the UK subsidiary of SABMiller, saw lager volumes grow 25% on an organic basis for the six months to September. The uplift was...
Exclusive: Graham Jones to join Stonegate in February 2011
Sources at Stonegate Pub Company report that Graham Jones, the current Punch operations director, will join the company in February 2011.
Property Law: Are keep open clauses enforceable?
In the current market where there is very little interest in taking on pub leases, solicitors are being asked to advise pub owners on the...
Gastropubs: waving the flag of excellence
The Morning Advertiser's Top 50 Gastropubs list highlights the amazing progress that pub food is making, says The PMA Team.
Coastal pub for TV chef
TV chef Richard Phillips is opening a pub in Whitstable, Kent — the Pearson's Arms — on 1 December.
Exclusive: Magners launches its golden coldie
A new version of Magners, one which is designed to be served without ice, will be rolled out in England and Wales next year. Magners Golden Draught,...
'Off-trade to eat up beer sales by 2018'
The off-trade is set to account for 70% of beer sales by 2018, according to Molson Coors chief executive Mark Hunter. That represents a significant...