Weekend new bulletin for pubs - 25 and 26 April

Further reading:

• Councils ‘letting pubs down’ with slow payment of grants​ - About 10% (31) of the country’s 325 councils have paid out less than a quarter of grants to eligible businesses with Birmingham, Manchester and Brighton among the “worst culprits”, new research has found.​
• Campaigners demand grant threshold be raised to £150k​ - A new campaign has urged ministers to expand the rateable value threshold for pubs from £51,000 so they can access a grant to see them through the closure period​.

• Licensees despair over ‘no communication from billionaire pubco owners’​ - Wellington Pub Company licensees have told The Morning Advertiser of their concern about the pub group’s lack of communication amid the Covid-19 pandemic.​

• Admiral to resume rent contributions for some operators​ - Admiral Taverns has announced the latest steps in its response to the coronavirus crisis, with some operators now being asked to contribute towards rent for May and June.​

• ‘Hospitality will be among last areas to open’ cabinet minister confirms​ - Pubs, restaurants, hotels and other hospitality businesses will be one of the last sectors to exit lockdown, minister for the cabinet office Michael Gove has said​.

• Rent statutory demands and wind-up notices banned by Government​ - The Government is set to temporarily void statutory demands and winding-up petitions issued to commercial tenants amid the coronavirus pandemic.​

• Pubs need ‘minimum of 3 weeks’ notice to reopen’​ - The pub trade needs notice of at least three weeks, but ideally four, to give sufficient time to reopen, one industry body has said.​

• What could the lifting of Covid-19 lockdown around the world mean for UK pubs?​ - As drinkers tentatively return to bars in mainland China and a number of countries announce cautious plans to emerge from lockdown, what can we glean about how and when pub trading could resume in the UK?​