All news articles for April 2022

Rapid growth: Nightcap CEO Sarah Willingham says the Bristol opening for Blame Gloria is set to take place later this year (credit: Nicky Johnston)

Nightcap announces first Blame Gloria opening outside London

By Gary Lloyd

Nightcap, the owner of The Cocktail Club, the Adventure Bar Group and the Barrio Familia group of bars, has announced another opening for the rapidly expanding group in the form of a Blame Gloria site, which sits under the Adventure Bar Group umbrella,...

Gastropub galore: Three pubs amongst London's top restaurants

Three pubs crowned in London’s top 100 restaurants

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Three gastropubs have been credited in SquareMeal’s list of London’s best 100 restaurants, after they were acknowledged by the Top 50 Gastropub awards at the start of the year.

Boss comment: 'Through the pandemic, we are justly proud of how H&W has resolutely stuck to its purpose and lived by its values despite the extreme pressure,' says H&W chairman Anthony Woodhouse

Hall & Woodhouse returns to profitability

By Nikkie Thatcher

South England-based business Hall & Woodhouse (H&W) has returned to profitability with an underlying profit before tax of £1.6m in the 2021/22 financial year, after a loss previous period of £10.5m.

Improve your offer: if you a new pub operator who wants to add cask ale to your range, we can help

The Cask report

Call for new cask ale operators

By Ed Bedington

With cask beer being a unique product for UK pub operators, it’s important to ensure pubs are maximising the opportunity and getting it right and The Morning Advertiser (MA) is now seeking new operators to the trade to help them lay solid foundations...

Staffing issues: operators are offering a variety of incentives to attract and keep employees (image: Getty/ablokhin)

1 in 10 roles remain vacant

By Nikkie Thatcher

Recruitment and retention are still major concerns for the sector with staffing issues looking to set back the sector’s recovery from the pandemic, according to new research.

The Morning Advertiser Lock In Podcast episode 41

Tackling the crippling cost increases

By Ed Bedington

With sky-rocketing costs across all aspects of the trade, the Lock In team take a look at what's driving those, and any steps operators can take to mitigate and make savings.

Cider specialists: The Ciderologist Gabe Cook (above right) has lots of advice as do Thatchers, Kopparberg and Westons, among others

The Cider Report

FEATURE: Facts, stats and advice to push your cider offer

By Gary Lloyd

The Chinese new year began a couple of months ago, ushering in the Year of the Tiger, but operators of hospitality businesses will be hoping 2022 will be the ‘Year of the Pub’ as sites return to full use across the UK.

Inquiry submissions: Michael Kill and Sacha Lord are two industry leaders quizzing the Government

NTIA fires broadsides at UK and Welsh governments

By Gary Lloyd

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has joined forces with leading figures within the sector in criticising the Government’s draft terms for its inquiry into the full impact Covid has had for hospitality.

Welcome news: SLTA MD Colin Wilkinson says the move is long overdue

SLTA: end of mandatory face coverings ‘not before time’

By Gary Lloyd

The Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) has welcomed the announcement by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon that the legal requirement to wear face coverings on public transport and in some public places – including licensed hospitality – will move...

'Public health guff': health warnings are not supposed to make products unappealing (credit: Getty/sturti)

Health warnings on alcohol make drinking ‘unappealing’

By Chris Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics, Institute of Economic Affairs

Institute of Economic Affairs head of lifestyle economics Chris Snowdon looks at how a study by the University of Stirling has made young adults more likely to shun drinking over the use of health warnings on them.

Trade hits back: The Oakman Group's Dermot King says businesses must be able to trade under a fair tax system

Give the Government credit WHEN credit is due

By Dermot King, CEO, The Oakman Group

The Oakman Group chief executive Dermot King responds to Lord Smith of Hindhead’s reaction to the hospitality sector over funding.

A good week for gin enthusiasts: Bombay Sapphire, Whitley Neill and Edinburgh Gin all release new variants in this weeks new products round up

NEW PRODUCTS ROUND UP

Bombay Sapphire and Whitley Neill announce new gins

By Rebecca Weller

A good week for gin enthusiasts as this weeks round up features four new flavours from Bombay Sapphire, Whitley Neill and Edinburgh Gin while Northern Monk expands into the soft drinks category and other new products from Thatchers Cider, Hardys, Salford...

Recognising hard work: Fuller's celebrate Pride of Fuller's awards winners with Sunday lunches hosted by TV chef Brian Turner CBE

Fuller's celebrates Pride of Fuller's awards

By Rebecca Weller

Large multi-site pub operator Fuller, Smith and Turner has celebrated the Pride of Fuller's awards after receiving more than 250 nominations and selecting 20 winners.

Mandatory introduction: the ratings scheme is compulsory in Wales and Northern Ireland but not in England (image: Getty/navorolphotography)

Call for mandatory food hygiene rating display

By Nikkie Thatcher

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has renewed its call to introduce a mandatory food hygiene rating for food businesses, such as pubs, in England.

Thank Brew: Trade bodies back limited edition beers sold for the Jubilee (Getty/ GeorgePeters)

Limited edition beers brewed for Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Limited edition beers will be sold by UK pubs and bars in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in the Thank Brew initiative, backed by trade bodies as a “fantastic opportunity” to celebrate the sector and bring people together.

Should calorie labelling apply to pubs?

Calorie labelling an unnecessary disaster for pubs

By Ed Bedington

Once again the fun police have been let loose on the hospitality sector, and while the sector is used to handling and weathering well-intentioned, but ill-thought out legislation, the timing of the introduction of calorie labelling on menus couldn’t be...

Accolade received: North was awarded Best Brewing Pub Company at the 2022 Publican Awards

Exclusive

North eyes London and Birmingham openings

By Nikkie Thatcher

Leeds-based operator and brewery North Bar/North Brew Co is looking to open sites in London and Birmingham, one of the co-founders told The Morning Advertiser.

Important part of a ‘proper’ pub: the appreciation of cask ale remains

The cask project

Licensees must realise the trouble cask is in

By Pete Brown

It’s 15 years now since I wrote the first edition of the Cask Report – an initiative organised by cask brewers and industry bodies to reinvigorate attitudes around cask ale. Now, The Cask Project is a new initiative with the same goals.

Top advice: tips on how to utilise TENs (image: Getty/buzbuzzer)

Licensing hub with Poppleston Allen

Top tips on TENs

By Andy Grimsey, senior consultant solicitor, Poppleston Allen

We all know how useful temporary event notices (TENs) can be. Particularly in the years 2022 and 2023, when the Government has, in order to support business following Covid, increased the limits for TENs from a maximum of 15 per premises to 20, and a...

What is craft: consumers consider things like independence and locally brewed to be important (Credit: Getty/LauriPatterson)

What defines craft beer?

By Rebecca Weller

According to Statista 1.24bn hectolitres (hl) of craft beer were sold in the UK on-trade in 2019, but just 36% of the 829 surveyed by the website had a ‘good’ understanding of what craft beer means with many consumers looking to better understand the...

Thatcher's Blood Orange Cider: the cider makers latest variant is to be launched alongside Thatcher's biggest campaign to date

Thatchers announces new Blood Orange cider

By Rebecca Weller

Thatchers Cider yesterday (Monday 11 April) unveiled its latest offering, Thatchers Blood Orange Cider (4% ABV), with the new product launch set to be supported by the company’s biggest multi-media campaign to date.

Eco-friendly and a homely feel: This year's interior design trends revealed (Getty/ archigram)

2022 interior design trends revealed

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Sustainability, homecoming and artistry are just a few of the interior design trends that have proved popular in the hospitality sector throughout 2022 according to commercial outfitter Novograf.

Official figures: data from the Office of National Statistics found total GDP for the UK in February 2022 grew by 0.1% (image: Getty/atiatiati)

Sector ‘main growth driver' of economy

By Nikkie Thatcher

The accommodation and food services sector activities grew by 8.6% in February 2022 and was the main contributor to the service industry’s growth in that month, official figures have revealed.

A week of ups and downs: average drinks sales hovered just below pre-pandemic sales in the week to 2 April (Credit: Getty/Henrik Sorensen)

Drinks sales down 2% in the week to 2 April

By Rebecca Weller

Average drinks sales by value in Britain’s managed pubs, bars and restaurants were 2% down in the seven days to Saturday 2 April when compared with the same week in 2019, the latest CGA Drinks Recovery Tracker has shown.

Deep dive: the inquiry aims to examine the UK's response to Covid-19 (image: Getty/Creative Crop)

UKH responds to Covid-19 inquiry consultation

By Nikkie Thatcher

Trade body UKHospitality (UKH) welcomed the opportunity to comment on the Covid-19 Inquiry draft terms of reference, particularly the specific mention of hospitality.

Sites pipeline: BrewDog’s James Watt has revealed the business will open dozens more venues this year

BrewDog to open 27 sites this year

By Gary Lloyd

James Watt, co-founder of craft brewer and bar operator BrewDog, has revealed the business is set to open 27 new sites during 2022.

Company stance: 'our feeling was we needed to absorb as much as we possibly could for the longer term', Joules MD Steve Nuttall says (image: Getty/Jonathan Knowles)

Joules holds beer prices

By Nikkie Thatcher

Shropshire-based operator and brewer Joules has made the decision to hold the prices on all its craft beers, including its Lager Green Monkey.

Falling numbers: CGA statistical analysis shows where cask ale is failing

The Cask Project

The decline of cask ale in numbers

By Gary Lloyd

The short shelf life of cask beer is a major factor in why the category has suffered a continued decline throughout recent years, according to statistics from data insights expert CGA.