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News

City News

News of all the latest deals, results, appointments and speculation from the City - all backed up with incisive, first rate analysis.

Gastropub pioneers secure third site

22-Feb-2012 - QHA Limited, the pub company run by gastropub pioneers Michael Kittos and Tony Wolfe, has secured its third site, a former Samuel Smith pub in central London.

Stonegate plans 80 refurbs in the year

22-Feb-2012 - Stonegate, the managed-pub operator, plans to refurbish 80 sites in the next 12 months, including a new template for its late-night bars and student-focused Scream brand.

Spirit boosts leased division

22-Feb-2012 - Spirit Pub Company has strengthened the management team of its c.550-strong leased division, appointing Stephen Worrall as its new head of commercial.

Loungers' signs more Cosy Club deals

21-Feb-2012 - Loungers, the privately-owned group bar led by Alex Reilley, has secured a further two sites for its Cosy Club format in Cardiff and Salisbury, in Wiltshire.

Carlsberg to buy Baltika; profits and sales up

20-Feb-2012 - Carlsberg, the international brewer, says it will buy the remaining 15% stake in its Russian brewery venture Baltika this year as it reported a rise in Q4 profits and revenues.

Inventive secures third Revolución site

17-Feb-2012 - Inventive Leisure, the Revolution Vodka Bar operator, has secured a third site for its stand-alone Revolución de Cuba rum-bar concept as it nears agreement on further acquisitions.

Green light for Carlsberg expansion

16-Feb-2012 - Brewer Carlsberg UK has been granted permission to add a new bottling line to its Northampton site that is to double its capacity for bottling beer.

Novus reviews strategic options

16-Feb-2012 - Novus Leisure, the bar and nightclub operator, is thought to have carried out a beauty parade of advisors as it considers a number of strategic options to aid the next stage of it development, the Publican's Morning Advertiser's sister title M&C Report understands.

Heineken UK reports rise in earnings

15-Feb-2012 - Heineken UK, Britain’s biggest brewer, has reported a rise in EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) in 2011 despite a decline in beer and cider volumes.

Mix of 74 closed pubs up for sale

15-Feb-2012 - Seventy-four closed freehold and long-leasehold pubs, including some belonging to the former Pubfolio and Goldtry estates, have been placed on the market, M&C Report, the sister title to the Publican's Morning Advertiser, has learnt.

Richards rejects M&B role

13-Feb-2012 - Steve Richards, chief executive of Novus Leisure, is reported to have rejected a possible move to Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) amid private equity interest in the bars and clubs operator.

Enterprise Inns reports 1% LFL income rise per pub

09-Feb-2012 - Enterprise Inns, the leased and tenanted pub company, has reported a 1% rise in like-for-like income per pub in its substantive estate for the 18 weeks to 4 February 2012.

Purity announces key appointments

07-Feb-2012 - Purity Brewing Company, the Warwickshire brewer, has announced two key appointments and revealed that it’s like-for-like sales increased 44% in December.

InnBrighton plans 25 pubs in London

03-Feb-2012 - InnBrighton, the Brighton & Hove-based licensed multiple retailer, plans to operate 25 pubs in London, the PMA's sister title M&C Report has learnt.

Fuller’s acquires £22.9m ETI package

03-Feb-2012 - Fuller’s, the London brewer and pub operator, has agreed to pay £22.9m to acquire 15 freehold tenanted pubs from Enterprise Inns.

Worthington brewery plans to increase production

02-Feb-2012 - International brewer Molson Coors plans to increase production at its William Worthington microbrewery almost four-fold in 2012 after reporting that it produced 1,600 barrels in its first year in operation.

Kornicus reports increase in festive trade

02-Feb-2012 - Kornicis, the operator of the Jamie’s Bar and Henry J Beans brands, is the latest bar group to report an increase in trade over the festive period, with like-for-like sales up 15% in the five weeks to 31 December.

Inventive announces new head of acquisitions

02-Feb-2012 - Inventive Leisure, the operator of the Revolution Vodka Bar chain, has appointed Kevin Norman, formerly of JD Wetherspoon (JDW), as its new head of acquisitions.

Walkabout refurb costs may hit £9m

01-Feb-2012 - Intertain is to spend around £7m to £9m on major refurbishments of 15-20 Walkabout bars, the PMA can reveal.

Fuller's appoints MD of Inns division

01-Feb-2012 - Fuller’s, the London-based pub operator and brewer, has announced the promotion of operations director Jonathan Swaine to the position of managing director of its 366-strong estate of pubs and hotels with immediate effect.

Financial strength of the pub sector fell last year

31-Jan-2012 - The financial strength of the pub, restaurant and wider leisure sector fell last year after an increase in the proportion of businesses failing, according to the latest insolvency index from Experian.

Brewdog to open 5th bar in Nottingham

30-Jan-2012 - BrewDog, the fast-growing Scottish brewer and bar operator, plans to open its fifth craft beer bar in Nottingham on 25 February.

Former Tchenguiz directors' pubs deal

30-Jan-2012 - Former associates of Robert Tchenguiz have bought 32 pubs previously part of the Iranian property tycoon’s R&L Properties pub empire, the PMA understands.

Fuller's buoyed by strong Christmas

27-Jan-2012 - Fuller’s, the London-based pub operator and brewer, has said a “strong Christmas” and good January trading helped it report a 5.1% rise in like-for-like sales in its managed estate in the nine weeks to 21 January.

Marston's reports like-for-like sales uplift

27-Jan-2012 - Marston’s, the brewer and pub operator, has reported a 5% rise in like-for-like sales in its managed estate in the 16 weeks to 21 January.