All news articles for April 2004

Time to end moves to wipe out trade charities'

15-Apr-2004

I wish through the columns of the Morning Advertiser to make a heartfelt plea to all in the trade to oppose the surreptitious moves that have been...

BBPA's campaign call to off-trade

15-Apr-2004

by MA Reporter The British Beer and Pub Association is urging the off-trade to join its campaign to present a united front on issues affecting the...

A lighter shade of ale

15-Apr-2004

The conventional wisdom is that lager sells better on a hot summer's day. But Britain's ale brewers are fighting back and are adamant that a glass of...

Don't miss the boat at Ferry Inn

15-Apr-2004

The Ferry Inn, a former coaching inn in the village of Tayinloan, near Tarbert in Argyllshire, is on the market. Christie & Co's Glasgow office...

ID cards bill set for introduction

15-Apr-2004

A draft bill for compulsory ID cards could be out in the next four weeks, Home Secretary David Blunkett has said. Earlier this month Tony Blair gave...

Licence for a guitarist?

15-Apr-2004

QWe are thinking of hiring a guitarist to play at the pub. He plays acoustic guitar but has a small amplifier. As this is live music, would we need...

Pandy Inn steeped in 12th-century history

15-Apr-2004

An historic 12th-century freehouse, which is reputed to be the oldest public house in Herefordshire, has been placed on the market. The Bristol...

Mushrooms' raw deal axed

15-Apr-2004

by Max Gosney Raw commercially-farmed mushrooms are safe for use in salads according to new advice from the Food Standards Agency. The Food Standards...

Pub owner jailed for manslaughter

15-Apr-2004

A Kent pub owner has been jailed for 12 years for killing his accomplice when he torched his own premises. Keith Willoughby, 53, was convicted of...

No half measures

14-Apr-2004

With the possibility of smoking bans high on the industry's list of worries, Lorna Harrison speaks to the director of ASH (Action on Smoking &...

Bombardier bus hits the road for St George

14-Apr-2004

The battle to get proper recognition of St George's Day takes to the road this week in the run-up to April 23.A St George's Bus Tour featuring the...

Bar Med brand set for major surgery

14-Apr-2004

Bar Med, one of SFI's three core brands, is set for a major overhaul which could see the bar chain re-named.Executive chairman Stuart Lawson, who...

Licensee fights back against death threats

14-Apr-2004

A licensee who received death threats from vandals is fighting back by turning his pub into a fortress with hi-tech CCTV.Dave Powell who runs The...

Scottish food-led pubs face smoking ban

14-Apr-2004

Scottish food-led pubs could face a smoking ban if radical plans for an Ireland-style ruling go ahead.According to investigations by Scotland on...

Legal advice: The final draft guidance for the Licensing Act

14-Apr-2004

The final draft guidance for the Licensing Act might please the Home Office more than the licensee.By David Clifton of thePublican.com's team of...

Licensees 'upset' by local newspaper criticism

13-Apr-2004

Publicans Chris and Isabella Hartwell have been 'greatly upset' by criticism of their decision to ask a carer to calm down a disabled...

Debt for equity deal set to bail out troubled SFI

08-Apr-2004

by The PMA Team The syndicate of six banks supporting troubled high-street bar operator SFI Group is preparing to swap debt for an equity stake in...

Finance: Cut payroll problems

08-Apr-2004

A number of pub companies are now choosing to outsource control of payroll.There are few more sensitive matters between employer and employee than...

Nearly 100 licensees fleeced by fraudster

08-Apr-2004

More than 100 licensees have been fleeced out of tens of thousands of pounds by the conman targeting pubs across England and Wales. The man uses...

Trade blasts Tim Martin's call for smoking ban

08-Apr-2004

JD Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin has shocked and upset the trade by calling for an outright smoking ban in pubs.The outspoken chairman of the high...

Scottish trade set for reform

08-Apr-2004

Recommendations for the most radical overhaul of Scotland's licensing system in more than 27 years are to be made next month. A white paper will be...

Publican jailed after arson attack

08-Apr-2004

A Kent publican has been jailed for 12 years after a botched attempt to burn down his pub which ended in the death of his accomplice.Keith...

MPs fear gambling bonanza

08-Apr-2004

The government is set to scale back its plans to liberalise gambling law after a parliamentary committee sounded a note of caution.The joint...

Police launch probe into man's death

08-Apr-2004

Police have launched a murder inquiry after a man died following disturbances at a Torquay pub. Michael Duffy, 31, who is from the Torbay area, died...

Making

08-Apr-2004

headway ScotCo's new head injection tap was billed as the biggest innovation since the widget. John Harrington considers its impact one year on There...

Thanks Gordon, but it's small beer

08-Apr-2004

In the middle of last week's parliamentary kerfuffle about student fees, the BBC broadcast some comparative figures about university life in Britain...

Sheps plugs gap in village postal services

08-Apr-2004

Kent brewer and pub company Shepherd Neame has become the first in the country to launch mobile post offices at four of its rural houses. The pubs...

St George's Day holiday campaign gathers pace

08-Apr-2004

by Claire Hu A trade campaign calling for St George's Day to be made a national holiday is gaining ground, with the biggest number of pubs this year...

TV property show boost for InnSpired

08-Apr-2004

InnSpired's campaign to encourage new entrants into the pub trade received a prime-time TV boost this week. Dean and Samantha Brand starred in the...

Upward-only rent

08-Apr-2004

reviews face ban by John Harrington Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott is expected to begin consultation on legislation that would ban the...

Tim Martin's challenge to the Government to ban smoking in a

08-Apr-2004

The majority of licensees will howl with rage at Martin's call. They will smart at what they see as the arrogance of the man: how dare he interfere...

Former Catering sites under offer

08-Apr-2004

Three former Corporate Catering Company sites are under offer through Christie and Co. The venues are the Old Drill in Surrey, which was marketed at...

Geronimo dishes aid cancer cause

08-Apr-2004

A pub company is offering food and funds to help the battle against breast cancer. Geronimo Inns, which has 16 pubs in London, has collaborated with...

Get clarity for Good Fridays

08-Apr-2004

QCould you clarify the law for us about Good Friday? Is it still the case that you have to close at 10.30pm, like Sundays? We have a supper hour...

Heineken taps into David'

08-Apr-2004

Heineken UK has become the latest brewer to launch an innovative draught beer dispense system to improve service standards. Called "David", the...

Law firm offers "no-win, no-fee" package

08-Apr-2004

A London-based firm of solicitors has written to SFI Group's shareholders this week offering to help them recover their losses in the company on a...

InterbrewAmBev rocks beer stage

08-Apr-2004

Are the Channel Islands destined to play host to the world's biggest brewer? Such a possibility has arisen as Interbrew of Belgium and AmBev of...

Ivell's out of Premier deal

08-Apr-2004

Former S&N Retail boss Bob Ivell, left, has dropped out of the race to buy the Premier Lodge chain being sold by Spirit Group. Ivell was heading...

Council calls for sanity over transition timing

08-Apr-2004

by MA Reporter Westminster City Council has called on the Government to "use some common sense" and commit to realistic dates for the transition to...

Couple set to reign at England's oldest inn'

08-Apr-2004

The "oldest inn in England" the Royalist Hotel in Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire has changed hands. The Royalist, which dates from 947, has...

Altered state for changes to premises

08-Apr-2004

I keep finding instances where the new-style licensing laws differ from the existing ones. Recently, I have noticed that the control over the...

Bordeaux laid clear

08-Apr-2004

News reaches me that a fair number of regular readers are in a bit of a muddle regarding wines that come from Bordeaux in south-west France. The...

Blair gives his backingto ID card fast-track

08-Apr-2004

by John Harrington Tony Blair has given his personal backing to quicker introduction of national ID cards to reduce the threat from international...

Root out' the rogue licensees

08-Apr-2004

by Claire Hu Licensing minister Richard Caborn has delivered his strongest warning that irresponsibly-run pubs can expect to be targeted under the...

We operate well-run and orderly pubs'

08-Apr-2004

Ian Payne of Laurel (Morning Advertiser 1 April)criticises JD Wetherspoon for "irresponsible" pricing, yet the pub industry itself was found by...

Independents' day

07-Apr-2004

Last week saw the Society of Independent Brewers' annual conference take place in Southport and it showed an organisation that really has come of...

The great like-for-like debate

07-Apr-2004

Like-for-like sales are the usual barometer for the health of a business. But are they valid? By Mark Stretton.It was a classic triumph of spin over...

So many questions.....

07-Apr-2004

Hi,I have so many questions concerning Pub Life and I don't know if anybody will be able to help me with these, but let's hope so.Firstly, I should...

TV's Relocation spotlights Isle of Wight pub

07-Apr-2004

Pub trade novices Dean and Samantha Brand are to feature on Channel 4 show Relocation, Relocation tonight, which will put them behind the bar of the...