All news articles for July 2022

Recovery Loan Scheme extended: Kwasi Kwarteng confirms RLS extension (Credit: Getty/sturti)

Recovery Loan Scheme to be extended

By Rebecca Weller

Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Kwasi Kwarteng yesterday (Wednesday 20 July) announced the Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) was to be extended for a further two years in an effort to support businesses grappling with rising costs...

Dining out: City of London pubs will be offered 'alfresco' dining licences free of charge (Getty/ Caia Image)

Free ‘alfresco’ licences up for grabs to city pubs

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Pubs and bars in Square Mile, central London, are gearing up for a summer of ‘alfresco’ dining after the City of London Corporation agreed to grant free pavement licences to hospitality businesses.

Sinking pints for summer: Brits urged to go to the pub

British holidaymakers urged to visit pubs

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) is urging Brits to visit pubs as part of their staycation this summer, with warm weather set to continue after this week’s heatwave.

Fighting fire: Pubs impacted by blazes around the country (Getty/ Gannett77)

UK heatwave: Pubs tackle wildfires

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Pubs were hit by the impact of wildfires yesterday (19 July), with some battling flames and others hosting evacuees as the UK sweltered in unprecedented 40°c heat.

Jolly June: Good news for hospitality yet rising costs pile on pressure (Getty/ 10'000 Hours)

Like-for-like sales up 5% in June

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

June’s like-for-like sales at Britain’s top managed pub, bar and restaurant groups were 5% ahead of pre-Covid levels in June 2019, the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker has revealed.

Undue emphasis: Independent Complaints Panel found Dead Man's Fingers did not breach any codes

Complaint against Dead Man's Fingers not upheld

By Rebecca Weller

A complaint by a member of the public against Dead Man’s Fingers (DMF) Super Spiced Rum and Dead Man’s Fingers Tequila Reposado was not upheld by the alcohol industry’s Independent Complaints Panel (ICP).

Recruitment crisis: official figures from the Office of National Statistics show the number of job vacancies in the hospitality sector equates to more than 10% of all empty job roles (image: Getty/Charday Penn_

Sector job vacancies rise again

By Nikkie Thatcher

Empty job roles in the hospitality trade have increased again, highlighting the ongoing staff shortages, according to official figures.

New punishment for recreational drug use: NTIA says some measures suggested by Home Secretary already in place (Credit: Getty/Image Source)

Drug use 'won't be stopped' by new measures

By Rebecca Weller

Recreational drug use, in particular within hospitality settings, “will not be stopped” using the suggested methods by Home Secretary Priti Patel, according to the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA).

Deposit Return Scheme: a 20p deposit will be added to drinks containers to maximise recycling (credit: Getty/Monty Rakusen)

Biffa to run Scottish Deposit Return Scheme

By Gary Lloyd

Waste disposal business Biffa has been appointed as the logistics provider to ensure maximum recycling of drinks containers for the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in Scotland.

Property deal: two Berkeley Inns sites have been acquired by RedCat Pub Company (image: Getty/Cecilie_Arcurs)

RedCat acquires two Berkeley Inns sites

By Nikkie Thatcher

The investment vehicle founded and chaired by former Greene King boss Rooney Anand, RedCat Pub Company has bought two pubs from Berkeley Inns.

CGA Drinks Recovery Tracker: average sales down 1% vs 2019 in the seven days to Saturday 9 July (Credit: Getty/william87)

Drinks sales down 1% vs 2019

By Rebecca Weller

Average sales by in Britain’s managed pubs, bars, and restaurants in the seven days to Saturday 9 July were 1% down on the same week in 2019, the latest CGA Drinks Recovery Tracker has shown.

Price hikes: Sector suffers with soaring food costs due to supply chain disruption (Getty/ Henrik Sorensen)

Operators’ food costs soar by up to 40%

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Spiralling costs and supply chain disruption are having a dramatic and unprecedented impact on hospitality operators’ food and drink bills, new research from Fourth has revealed.

Consumer ideas on how to improve the cask category

the cask project

Could cooling cask create a greater customer base?

By Marc Walker, consumer journalist and cask ale lover

As someone who came of age in the late 1990s, my journey to cask ale drinker might be considered fairly typical; as a student, I simply went for the same drink as my peers: big brand, non-descript lager, entirely unaware that an alternative, boasting...

BBG staff take further strike action: GMB union states three percent pay offer

BBG staff continue strikes after 'cruel' pay offer

By Rebecca Weller

Strike action has continued at a Budweiser Brewing Group (BBG) site in Lancashire after workers downed tools for 36 hours from 7pm on Saturday 16 July to 7am on Monday 18 July amid pay disputes.

Building back: BBPA urges new PM to support pubs and brewers (Getty/ Scott E Barbour)

New Prime Minister must support pubs, says BBPA

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Amidst the race to become the new Prime Minister, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has issued all Conservative candidates a manifesto setting out what action needs to be taken to help the industry.

Upwards trends: Barkby Group has seen positive growth to all sides of its business (credit: Getty/John Lamb)

Barkby Group reports 122% revenue boost to pub arm

By Gary Lloyd

Gastropub operator Barkby Group has reported revenue rise of 122% in its latest FY results ended 2 July 2022, and added it will look to dispose of non-core assets to focus on its property development business and pub arm.

Important relationship: 80% of licensees operating under a pub partnership praised advice given according to BBPA survey (Credit: Getty/sturti)

Publicans praise advice from pub companies

By Rebecca Weller

More than three quarters of licensees operating a partnered pub have praised the advice they receive form their pub company’s Business Development Managers (BDMs), new research conducted by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has revealed.

Government help: BII survey sheds light on a struggling sector (Getty/ Vladimir Vladimirov)

15% of pubs say business no longer viable

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) has called for Government support to ensure the future survival of pubs, after a survey of its members revealed the fragility of the sector as it battles huge economic challenges.

Recent news: pubs code adjudicator Fiona Dickie recently appeared in front of a select committee, among others, to discuss how the pubs code is working

opinion

Showing progress in the tied pub relationship

By Fiona Dickie, pubs code adjudicator

I was grateful for the opportunity to appear before a parliamentary select committee this week, to give evidence about the progress of the pubs code in bringing fairness to the tied relationship in the regulated pub trade.

Absolutely right: new legislation withholds employers from keeping staff tips (Credit: Getty/ Peter Muller)

Allocation of Tips Bill 'welcome boost'

By Rebecca Weller

The terms outlined in the Allocation of Tips Bill were “absolutely right” and a “welcome boost” according to trade bodies and industry leaders across the sector.

(Credit: Getty/Instants)

spirits & wine report

FEATURE: Make spirits and wine work for you

By Gary Lloyd

You’ve got your lovely range of craft beers, scrumptious cask ales and ever-popular mainstream pints and cracking ciders on the bar but something’s missing… sort out your spirits and wines and you’ve pretty much got it perfect.

Catastrophic: further rail strikes could lead to irreparable loss for hospitality sector (Credit: Getty/gregobagel)

Further rail strikes 'catastrophic' for sector

By Rebecca Weller

The Night-Time Industries Association (NTIA) has raised further concerns over the sector’s post-pandemic recovery amid confirmation of more rail strikes, set to have a “catastrophic” impact on the industry.

Relentless pressure: CGA data shows foodservice sector inflation hit 10% in May (Credit: Getty/Zorica Nastasic)

Inflation in foodservice sector tops 10%

By Rebecca Weller

Inflation in the foodservice sector topped 10% for the fourth successive month in May, the latest edition of the CGA by NielsenIQ and Prestige Foodservice Price Index has revealed.

Rule change extension: off-sales will be permitted for a further year (credit: Getty/Paper Boat Creative)

NTIA welcomes extension to off-sales

By Gary Lloyd

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has welcomed the Government’s move to allow hospitality sites to continue selling alcoholic drinks to be consumed outside their premises.

Pint price: drinkers at more than 700 JD Wetherspoon pubs can buy a pint of Ruddles Best for under £1.50

JDW serving pints for under £1.50

By Nikkie Thatcher

Pub giant JD Wetherspoon is selling pints of beer of £1.49 in a large majority of its pubs across the nation.

New products round up: Black Sheep Brewery launches new cider and Freixenet Copestick expands its wine portfolio

NEW PRODUCTS ROUND-UP

Black Sheep Brewery launches new cider

By Rebecca Weller

This week's round-up features new products from Black Sheep Brewery and Spirit of Manchester Distillery as well as a tongue in cheek nod to outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson while Freixenet Copestick expands its wine portfolio.

Record year: Nick Collins and Alex Reilley (right) of Loungers

Loungers plans to open ‘at least’ 500 sites

By Gary Lloyd

All-day bar-restaurant brand Loungers said it expects to open at least 500 sites across its Lounge and Cosy Club brands, after reporting a record year of financial and operational progress.

Greene King creates new role to champion cask ale

the cask project

Cask has to be perfect to attract younger drinkers

By John Malone, head of brewery customer engagement, Greene King

Brewer and pub operator Greene King has created a new role that is set to champion the most British of drinks – cask ale. Here, head of brewery customer engagement, John Malone, explains what he and the Suffolk-based business is doing to help the cask...

UK economy grew 0.5% in May: accommodation and food service activities saw a decline of 0.2 percentage points (Credit: Getty/Peter Cade)

GDP grows 0.5% but sector remains behind

By Rebecca Weller

The hospitality sector saw a decline in May despite the UK economy having grown by 0.5%, the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed.

Top tips: Poppleston Allen has some advice on licensing rules in outside areas (image: Getty/Muenz)

Licensing hub - legal with Poppleston Allen

What are the licensing rules for beer gardens?

By Alex Tomlinson, trainee solicitor, Poppleston Allen

British summertime has well and truly arrived and beer gardens across the country are back in full swing, with Covid restrictions now a distant memory.

RMT announces more rail strikes

By Rebecca Weller

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) has announced further strike action to take place later this month amid ongoing disputes around pay and job security.

The Admiralty pub suffers fire: Fuller's site to remain closed until further notice  (Credit: Getty/Ricky Deacon)

Fuller's pub suffers 'serious' fire

By Rebecca Weller

A Fuller, Smith & Turner site in Central London will remain temporarily closed until further notice after a “serious” and “challenging” fire broke out at the premises yesterday (Tuesday 12 July) afternoon.

Scandalous and unfair: Industry officials criticised the Pubs Code

Pubs code labelled ‘wholesale failure’

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The pubs code came under fire as a “wholesale failure” at the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) committee meeting yesterday (12 July), designed to assess the usefulness of the code.

Urgent reforms called for: Colliers says business rates reduction must not be gradual (credit: Getty/AlexKozlov)

Next Tory leader must reform business rates

By Gary Lloyd

Tory leadership hopefuls must reform business rates and rule out a phased downwards transition to cut tax and save the high street, according to commercial estate agent Colliers.

Discovery Forum 2022: why pubs make great venues for corporate meetings (Credit: Getty/Extreme Media)

Corporate meetings 'big opportunity' for pubs

By Rebecca Weller

Pubs offer a versatile space to hold corporate meetings but the industry needs to do more to utilise what pubs already offer to capitalise on this market, according to leaders across the industry.

Fierce competition: the pubs will now be visited by judges before winners are decided

Great British Pub Awards

2022 GBPA finalists unveiled

By Nikkie Thatcher

The shortlist for this year’s ‘pub Oscars’, the Great British Pub Awards have now been announced.

In the running: there are a number of MPs in the race to become Conservative Party leader (image: Getty/_ultraforma_)

Rishi Sunak ‘most suitable of PM contenders’

By Nikkie Thatcher

While former chancellor Rishi Sunak was the most popular of the contenders vying for the role of Prime Minister with The Morning Advertiser (MA) readers, most of the votes were in favour of none of the candidates.

Licensing Act 2003 post legislative scrutiny: review comes at

Licensing Act review comes at 'critical' time

By Rebecca Weller

A new House of Lords select committee follow up report on the Licensing Act 2003, Post-Legislative Scrutiny, has come at a “critical” time and, while things have improved, some areas of inconsistency have remained, according to trade bodies across the...