'SABMiller passes Diageo as No 1 drinks company'

SABMiller surpassed Diageo as the largest UK drinks company by market value for the first time yesterday as it share price rose 3.4 per cent to £17.4 - The Times​

Brewer Fuller, Smith & Turner reported a strong set of first-half results this morning, but warned that the second half would be tougher. Profits climbed 26 per cent to £15.1m in the six months to 26 September, with revenues up 10 per cent to £116.9m - The Guardian​

Cheap supermarket fizz sparkled in a consumer taste test - while expensive Moet & Chandon fell flat. The luxury label bubbly, which sells for £28.88 a bottle, was humbled by seven own label champagnes - including one for less than a tenner from budget store Aldi - The Mirror​

Pub landlords are diversifying into weird and wonderful new areas. From takeaway chips to live theatre. Pubs ain't what they used to be. Despite the large profits reported by Fullers' this morning, the nation's boozers are still shutting at a rate of 52 a week, and for those still in business diversification is the current buzzword - The Guardian​

Pubs and brewing group Young & Co has reported an "encouraging" start to its second half after bucking tough market conditions to deliver a 3.7 per cent lift in interim profits. The London-based firm, which has 123 managed and 99 tenanted pubs, reported underlying pre-tax profits of £12.3 million in the six months to September 26 - Daily Mail​

Emerging market beer drinkers failed to compensate for a decline in sales in the developed world for SABMiller, pushing pre-tax profit at the world's second-biggest brewer down by a quarter. Lager volumes declined 6 per cent in Europe and 5 per cent in North America, dragging overall lager volumes down 1 per cent - Financial Times​

A responsible drinking message is to be included in all future adverts and printed point of sale materials for Scotch whisky, it has been announced. The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) is imposing the measure to help discourage the misuse of alcohol and help tackle Scotland's problem drinking culture - BBC​