All news articles for November 2021

Heineken 0.0: The alcohol-free beer will be rolled out in pubs on tap next year

Heineken 0.0 available on draught from next year

By Amelie Maurice-Jones


Heineken has announced its alcohol-free beer, Heineken 0.0, will be available on draught in pubs from next year, answering a growing demand for no and low alcohol options.

Northern powerhouse: Robinsons is based in Stockport, Greater Manchester

Why Robinsons is a real Trooper

By Gary Lloyd

Independent family brewer and pub operator Frederic Robinson, or better known simply as Robinsons, has been running from its Stockport base for more than 180 years.

Trash to treasure: Operators advise on how to run a sustainable cocktail bar (Debby Lewis-Harrison)

Cocktail bar licensees give top tips for sustainability

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Operators across the country have given tips for running a sustainable cocktail bar after the collision of COP26 and national vegan month this November stressed the need for environmental responsibility.

Alcohol free: celebrity chef and pub owner Tom Kerridge is now teetotal

Kerridge: ‘I was 100% committed to drinking’

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Tom Kerridge, the owner of Marlow-based gastropubs including the Hand & Flowers, opened up about his past alcohol use, and said the “exhilarating” nature of the industry often drew in people prone to excess over moderation.

Sloppy Joe Burger: Garden Gourmet to feature at 1,200 Whitbread sites

Whitbread menus to feature plant-based 'Garden Gourmet' dishes

By Rebecca Weller

In January 2021 45% of meat-eaters aged 25 to 34 had cut down their meat consumption, research by Mintel showed, and the number of Brits adopting a vegan diet in 2020 skyrocketed by 40%, according to Finder, showing the demand for plant-based dishes has...

Race matters: your opinion will help form Be Inclusive Hospitality's report

Your opinion wanted on race equality in workplace

By Gary Lloyd

Social enterprise Be Inclusive Hospitality is calling for your opinions and is set to host a webinar with an array of people from all backgrounds and career levels to accelerate race equity and equality in the workplace.

Young people in hospitality: In 2019 of the 1.762bn people employed in the sector, 620,000 were aged 16 to 24

Poll: Would you employ under 18s in your pub?

By Rebecca Weller

More than a third (39%) of hospitality and leisure SMEs are expected to hire more staff this year, recent data from Barclaycard’s SME Barometer showed.

Opportunities are there: you could be running a pub (credit: Getty/gruizza)

Have you ever wanted to run your own pub?

By Gary Lloyd

Although pub operators have suffered in the past 18 months or so, the opportunity to run your own site or even expand is potentially greater than ever if you set your mind to it.

In-cider information: Sharp's Ed Hughes believes cider should be treated more like wine to show off its qualities

Cold River Cider offers the perfect balance

By Gary Lloyd

There’s a new cider on the block and it has the lot. Made by Sharp’s Brewery, in collaboration with Aspall, Cold River Cider offers “a unique blend of bitter-sweet and culinary apples creating a crisp, balanced, refreshing cider”.

What's in the news 19 October?

The MA's Review of the Week

"Feels like everything is difficult to do at the moment"

By Ed Bedington

The Morning Advertiser's Ed Bedington caught up with Vicki Williams from Almond Family Pubs to get her thoughts on the weeks events, from ongoing supply challenges, staffing shortages, through to Christmas ordering nightmares.

Christmas Plus One: bringing people together

Campaign to combat loneliness to launch

By Rebecca Weller

A new campaign that encourages customers to bring someone at risk of being lonely to the pub with them to combat loneliness in their area, and benefit pubs, has been launched.

Losing favour: Beer consumption decreased by 4 percentage points over the 2020 lockdowns (Credit: Getty/ STasker)

Brits abandon beer during lockdown

By Rebecca Weller

A decline in beer consumption over the 2020 lockdowns demonstrated the damage done to brewers, who lost a key route to market when pubs were forced to close during the Covid crisis.

Delay crucial for success: July 2022 unrealistic for the sector (Credit: Getty/ Daniel Grizelj)

Hospitality sector shows support for DRS delay

By Rebecca Weller

The hospitality sector has shown support for Scottish minister Lorna Slater following the postponement of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) indefinitely.

Portfolio expansion: the two latest acquisitions take Brunning and Price to 79 venues (image: Getty/Adam Gault)

Brunning and Price eyes 80 sites

By Nikkie Thatcher

Multiple pub operator Brunning and Price has acquired two new sites, taking its total estate to 79, with plans for an eightieth in the pipeline.

Top tips: Poppleston Allen urged operators to be prepared in understanding situations and circumstances (image: Getty/Henrik Sorensen)

Licensing hub - legal with Poppleston Allen

Taking care of taking care

By Andy Grimsey, partner at Poppleston Allen

Vulnerability comes in many shapes and sizes. Often people associate vulnerability with particular traits however it is important for operators of licensed premises and their teams to be aware of what makes a person vulnerable along with what can make...

Cost increase: wholesale food prices are expected to continue rising into the new year and beyond (image: Getty/Yagi Studio)

Food prices set to rise at least 3% by new year

By Nikkie Thatcher

Foodservice prices will be under severe pressure in the run up to Christmas due to rising demand, product shortages and distribution issues, new research has revealed.

Vegan options: Should pubs be offering greener menus? (Credit: Getty/Yagi Studio)

Poll - would you make your menu 100% vegan?

By Rebecca Weller

Plant-based dishes could encourage chefs to be more adaptable with their food but would incur higher labour costs and, while there is a clear desire for vegan options, an all-vegan menu would not suit all customers, according to publicans.

Marston's win three awards: The first pub group to achieve zero waste to landfill

Marston's wins trio of awards

By Rebecca Weller

Pub operator and brewer Marston's has won three awards at the 2020/2021 International Green Apple Environment Awards, which has recognised and rewarded companies globally for best environmental practice since it launched in 1994.

Awards back to pre-pandemic status: The Guild of Beer Writers 2019 Awards winners

The British Guild of Beer Writers 2021 shortlist

By Rebecca Weller

The British Guild of Beer Writers has announced its shortlist of 35 writers, journalists, and bloggers in its Annual Awards with winners to be announced in London on 2 December 2021.

Agonising impact: Covid Pass expansion would be

Late-night trade slashed by a quarter after Covid Pass rollout

By Amelie Maurice-Jones


The implementation of Covid Passes has considerably impacted the Welsh hospitality sector, with late-night businesses experiencing a 26% drop in trade since the rollout, which costs businesses approximately £398 per week in added cost, a poll...

Top spot: Cloudwater Brew Co has brewed 816 different beers

Cloudwater rated best independent brewery in UK

By Gary Lloyd

Manchester-based Cloudwater Brew Co has been ranked as the best independent brewery in the UK, according to new research that has taken Google ratings and RateBeer scores into consideration.

Getting delivery right: ensuring you have a good age verification policy is one aspect to consider

Licensing hub – legal with Poppleston Allen

Stay on the right side of the law with deliveries and takeaways

By Suraj Desor, solicitor Poppleston Allen

With the rise in home delivery and takeaway in recent years, accelerated by the pandemic, many operators such as our online delivery and restaurant clients have seen this as a great way to expand business.

Lucrative profits to be made: yield analysis could save your pub up to £10,000

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Are your products generating high profit levels to the till?

By Venners, expert food and beverage stocktakers and compliance auditors

A recent report looking at the often undervalued and neglected topic of product yield within the pub sector has been launched by Venners, the expert food and beverage stocktakers and compliance auditors to the hospitality industry.

Childish illustration: complaint against Mikkeller’s Side Eyes pale ale upheld

Mikkeller’s forced to redesign one of its beers

By Rebecca Weller

A complaint made by the Metropolitan Police against artwork for a pale ale, which was upheld by the alcohol industry’s Independent Complaints Panel, has resulted in a redesign for one beer.

Take advantage: Christmas makes up a large percentage of many sites' bottom line

How to make this Christmas a belter

By Gary Lloyd

The festive period is often the time when pub operators make most of their annual sales and this year, more than ever, needs to be a good one after the disasters suffered not just last Christmas (stop singing that Wham! song) but throughout the past 20...

Captain's orders: customers will be looking for serves they can't recreate at home

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Why rum-based spirits are must-stocks this festive season

By Samantha Newby, Category Director, Captain Morgan

Many consumers will have missed spending time with friends and family within the on-trade over the past year and we can expect people to flock back to pubs and bars this festive season to enjoy celebrating with loved ones.

Drivers are the heroes: designated drivers can take advantage of Coca-Cola's free drink scheme

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Coca-Cola's free drink campaign is returning for Christmas

By Coca-Cola Europacific Partners

Coca-Cola’s Hero the Driver campaign is returning to support the hospitality sector over the Christmas period and will be in operation in up to 9,500 venues across Great Britain.

Industry in peril: latest UKHospitality and CGA tracker showed sales were down (Credit: Getty/ sturti)

45% revenue drop shows 'industry in peril'

By Rebecca Weller

Full 12-month figures were nearly half what they were over the same period pre-pandemic, according to data from latest edition of the UKHospitality and CGA Quarterly Tracker.