News

Company & City News

The latest news from the industry's top companies, as well as deals, results and appointments from the City - all backed up with incisive, first rate analysis.

Charles Wells to launch franchise agreement

11-Apr-2012 - Charles Wells (CW), the Bedfordshire brewer and pub operator, is trialling a franchise-style agreement that could be rolled out to half a dozen sites this year.

Piper acquires stake in Loungers

10-Apr-2012 - Piper, the private equity group, which formerly backed Pitcher & Piano and Las Iguanas, has taken a significant minority stake in Loungers, the fast-growing cafe/bar restaurant group led by Alex Reilley.

Brasserie Bar Co secures new funding

10-Apr-2012 - Brasserie Bar Co, the operator of the Brasserie Blanc and White Brasserie brands, has secured a new £6m facility from Barclays to support its expansion and development plans.

Thorley Taverns reports FY losses

10-Apr-2012 - Thorley Taverns, the Kent-based operator of 28 pubs, restaurants and hotels, has reported steep losses for the year to 30 June 2011 after incurring an exceptional property impairment charge of almost £1m.

Beds & Bars plans to open six sites in America

10-Apr-2012 - Beds & Bars, the pub-meets-hostel operator, is planning to open six sites in America over the next three to five years and could eventually float or sell the US business, according to managing director Keith Knowles.

Geronimo plans to add five pubs per year

05-Apr-2012 - Young’s-owned pub operator Geronimo Inns plans to add five outlets per year, its co-founder revealed, as the company took back control of its first-ever site.

First round of bids for Alchemy-Partners backed TCG due

05-Apr-2012 - The first round bids are due by end of play today for TCG, the 96-strong pub and bar operator, which was placed on the market by its private-equity backer Alchemy Partners at the start of the year.

Harveys reports profit fall

04-Apr-2012 - Harveys, the East Sussex-based brewer and pub operator, has reported a fall in profits in 2011 after experiencing increased pensions contributions and lower income from property sales.

Longshot seeks £10m growth

04-Apr-2012 - Longshot, the business led by entrepreneurs Joel Cadbury and Ollie Vigors, has launched a new round of fundraising as it looks to raise up to £10m to expand its four-strong Bel & The Dragon brand.

Thomas snaps up four sites

04-Apr-2012 - Steve Thomas, the former head of Luminar, has picked up four sites formerly operated by his old company after landlord X-Leisure assigned the leases of the units to his nightclub-operating firm We Are Dance.

Town & Country secures 10th site

03-Apr-2012 - Town & Country Inns, the North West-based multiple pub operator, has taken on its 10th pub in Lancashire, the Tithebarn in Preston.

Bravo Inns eyes expansion

30-Mar-2012 - Bravo Inns, the Warrington-based pub operator, plans to secure at least seven pubs this year as it nears completion on another two sites.

Singer Inns snaps up seventh site

30-Mar-2012 - Singer Inns & Taverns, the Devon-based pub operator, has taken its estate to seven sites with the acquisition of a water-side bar-restaurant in Plymouth from Cornish brewer St Austell.

Collapsed Calco owes £23m

30-Mar-2012 - Calco Pubs, the 79-strong pub group, which was placed into administration in January, collapsed with debts of £23.4m.

Miller & Carter adds rooms

29-Mar-2012 - Mitchells & Butlers is to launch the first site under its Miller & Carter steakhouse concept to include letting rooms next month.

UCL in talks with private equity firms

29-Mar-2012 - Urban & Country Leisure (UCL), operator of the Lazy Cow boutique hotel and steakhouse concept, is in talks with two private-equity firms about investing in the company and is eyeing moves to be listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM).

M&B gives Elpida man role on board

29-Mar-2012 - Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), the managed pub operator, has appointed a representative of Elpida, a significant shareholder in the group, to its board as non-executive director.

Sector to support job creation

28-Mar-2012 - The UK hospitality and leisure industry is still planning to create new jobs this year, with smaller operators leading the way, according to the second Barclays Job Creation Survey 2012.

Pub industry veteran John Miller plots return with new group

28-Mar-2012 - The former boss of JM Inns, which operated circa 50 pubs across the south coast in the 1980s and 1990s, is eyeing plans to start a new pub group in the UK, M&C Report has learnt.

Profit per pub up 15% at Adnams

28-Mar-2012 - Adnams, the Suffolk brewer, distiller and pub operator, has reported a 15% rise in profit pub, while turnover climbed to £54.6m (2010: £50.9m) for the year to the end of 2011.

Minimum pricing ‘would earn industry £850m per year'

27-Mar-2012 - The alcohol industry would earn £850m per year if the Government goes ahead with plans to introduce a minimum alcohol unit price of 40p, according to research form the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).

BBPA reports 10% decline in income

22-Mar-2012 - The continuing pub-disposals programme among major pubcos, and the on-going decline in beer sales, contributed to a 10% fall in income for the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) in its most recent accounts.

Freehold deals signed by Admiral

21-Mar-2012 - Admiral Taverns, the tenanted pub operator, has signed its first handful of tenants to the agreement that gives them the opportunity to purchase the freehold of their pub from three years into a lease.

Luminar opts for sale and leaseback

21-Mar-2012 - Luminar, the nightclub operator bought out of administration by a consortium led by industry veteran Peter Marks in December, has appointed advisors to oversee a £32m sale and leaseback of 15 freehold sites.

City Pub Co buys first three pubs

21-Mar-2012 - City Pub Company, the new Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) funded venture from serial entrepreneurs David Bruce and Clive Watson, has acquired its first three pubs for circa £3.5m.