What the Sunday papers say - 07 October

The Sunday Telegraph​​

Punch Pub Company is poised to appoint Phil Cox, the former finance director of Asda and chairman of Virgin Rail, as a non-executive deputy chairman in preparation for its float next spring. The appointment follows the news that Giles Thorley is joining as executive chairman from Unique. Punch has chosen Cox due to the breadth of his corporate experience in public and private businesses.

Weekend FT​​

The US Chamber of Commerce has warned that more than 1million workers in the US hotel and restaurant sector could lose their jobs within weeks.

The Independent on Sunday​​

In an interview Philip Bowman, chief executive of Allied Domecq said the horrors of September 11 will exacerbate the current global economic downturn. He said that according to company statistics, during the Gulf War people stopped eating out to spend more time at home. He expects a similar pattern to emerge now.Bowman also believes that in five years' time there could be just three big-league drinks producers, and one of them will be Domecq. The man in charge of Beefeater gin and Ballantine's whisky says the current theme of consolidation will continue, and he suspects the industry will look very different, to how it does today.

The Observer​​

The Office of Fair Trading is later this month expected to accuse BskyB of acting anti-competively when it comes to charging its rivals for premium channels. Analysts and media insiders say the OFT is likely to conclude that BskyB has 'abused its dominance' in the market.

New research shows health-conscious consumers are cutting down on beer, wine and spirits and turning to bottled water and soft drinks. Mintel, the consumer trends analysts, examined drinking habits in pubs, clubs, bars and restaurants and found that, after 20 years of rising alcohol consumption, the number of people drinking regularly, fell by almost 5 per cent between 1990 and 2000. However, the number of people going to the pub continues to rise. Of 25,000 adults questioned, almost half said the pub remained the focus of their social life - a 3 per cent rise over the past decade

The Sunday Times ​​

No industry-related stories

The Express​​

The sharewatch column says that 566p represents good value for potential investors interested in Enterprise Inns. The company is now the third-biggest pub owner in Britain. Strong earnings growth and a good management track record make Enterprise worthy of a look.

The Mail on Sunday​​

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport has admitted it may take two years to reform outdated licensing laws. The whole issue of licensing control and flexible opening hours will not be addressed in Parliament until November 2002 at the earliest. The news will further outrage pubs owners and licensees already angered by the Government's failure to include its licensing White Paper in the Queen's Speech, this year.

The loss of two chief executives in close succession could mean Nomura, the Japanese investment bank, pulls back from plans to merge its pub divisions. The departures of Giles Thorley from Unique Pub Company, and John Denning from Voyager Pub Group will see merger plans shelved.

A mystery investor has taken a 14 per cent stake in Belgo, the restaurant group that owns London's celebrity eateries The Ivy and Le Caprice, leading to speculation of a possible bid.

Sunday Business​​

Sir Anthony Fuller, chairman of Fuller Smith & Turner, says getting into the export business and selling ale out of the country was the best business decision he ever made. The company now supplies 48 American states as well as significant orders to Italy and Scandinavia. In the paper's weekly feature "My Best and Worst Decisions" he says his worst decision was deciding to paint Fuller's 1970s chain of off-licences bright orange, both inside and out. Eleven people have died in southern India after drinking illicitly-brewed liquor. Dozens of poor people die in India every year after drinking local brews, often laced with poisonous substances such as methyl-alcohol, rectified spirit and varnish, which are added to provide a quick "high".