Paul Charity

I leave you with 10 industry plus points

17-Nov-2011 - This is my last leader after 10 years on the magazine and much has changed in the pub sector in my time here. I thought I’d offer up 10 positives about the industry.

Multi-sites prove pubs are alive and kicking

10-Nov-2011 - This magazine has been charting the rise of the multi-site operators for a while now, through our MA250 programme, adding around 50 companies a year to the membership.

Time for change: an open letter to Bob Ivell

03-Nov-2011 - Dear Bob, I trust you’re well. Welcome back to the pub trade. You will have noticed that right now our industry’s collective voice is as fragmented as ever. I know there have been a few distractions at Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), Bob, but things need to change.

Shining light on the best in a changing industry

27-Oct-2011 - It has always been the way. At any given moment in any given market there are winners and losers. No matter how dire the market conditions are, somebody — invariably quite a few people — will be prospering.

Greene King and M&B — perfect partnership?

20-Oct-2011 - The move by Joe Lewis to decide against tabling a bid for Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) will surprise many who thought an offer ahead of the 17 October deadline was a foregone conclusion.

Pubbiness of gastro sites is a winning recipe

13-Oct-2011 - It’s a decade since the first pub in the UK won a Michelin star for the quality of its food. Now there are 13 pubs — three new ones this year — that hold a prestigious star.

Consistent excellence is the route to success

06-Oct-2011 - It was one of those really meaty discussions at the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers’ autumn debate last week. Should pubs brand themselves or not? It can be argued either way, of course, depending on what your definitions are.

Gov’t needs to relieve tyranny of rising costs

29-Sep-2011 - The past week has been dominated by the latest round in the on-going tenant and pubco debate. But there’s one issue that we can all agree on. Businesses have been hit by wave after wave of cost increases in the past decade. The increase in regulatory and tax burden, in particular, has got worse year after year.

Lewis’s move on M&B should worry all of us

22-Sep-2011 - My money is on Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) being taken private some time very soon. Billionaire trader Joe Lewis has been exerting ever greater control on the company for some time.

Excellence prevails, in spite of the economy

15-Sep-2011 - Adversity often brings out the best in people. This has more than been revealed in this year’s Great British Pub Awards (GBPA).

Opinion

GMB’s grand claims were so much hot air

08-Sep-2011 - It’s not known how many tenants paid to join the GMB on the back of its big claims. But for those that did, there’s a case for asking for your money back, says Paul Charity.

Fresh news from the real world of rents

02-Sep-2011 - Some things have changed for the better in tenanted pubs, some haven’t. At some of the bigger companies, rent-setting mechanisms have taken a step backwards in recent years.

Jim Walsh: his restless energy will be missed

25-Aug-2011 - Pub entrepreneur Jim Walsh, who has died aged 69, was the kind of character that leaves a strong impression on all those who were lucky enough to have known him, says Paul Charity.

Correction: there's been a few mistakes

18-Aug-2011 - It is almost exactly a decade since the publication of the finest novel, for my money, of the past 25 years — Jonathan Franzen's The...

5,000 freeholds for sale as pubcos shrink

11-Aug-2011 - The formal demerger of Punch Taverns into managed and leased companies at the start of this month was a symbolic moment, writes Paul Charity.

A masterclass in how to be a better boss

28-Jul-2011 - There is a component of success in the pub trade that's really powerful if it can be harnessed — the relationship between you and your staff, writes Paul Charity.

The boom: a field day for spivs and sharks

14-Jul-2011 - It's good to see justice arrive on Shaun Kiely's doorstep, writes Publican's Morning Advertiser editor, Paul Charity.

Bold investors can still do well on the high street

30-Jun-2011 - The Stonegate-Town & City merger displays that the high street can still bring rewards with big investment, writes Paul Charity.

The truth on pubs is too complex for the Mail

23-Jun-2011 - Consumers have become more value-conscious and discerning, but still like to treat themselves, writes Paul Charity.

Franchises: new deal for tenants

21-Jun-2011 - Tenanted pub companies are trialling franchise agreements. Paul Charity takes a look at progress so far.

Punch tenants first up in hunt for bargains

16-Jun-2011 - The obvious and rather high hurdle for tenants remains the need to raise a lot of equity to obtain the necessary bank lending, says Paul Charity.

Steady-as-you-go is no longer adequate

09-Jun-2011 - Franchising is a development long overdue in the tenanted pub world, says PMA editor Paul Charity.

The art of re-invention key to staying ahead

02-Jun-2011 - There comes a time, no matter how successful you've been, when your offer needs refreshing, says Paul Charity.

Nightclub king signals big market change

26-May-2011 - The traditional nightclub has been well and truly side-swiped by a half dozen different crunching factors, says Paul Charity.

Greene King harnesses the power of franchising

19-May-2011 - The tenanted pubco model is not dead. Especially not if you happen to run a managed division, says Paul Charity.