15 years ago: 2010
JD Wetherspoon (JDW) boss Tim Martin condemned the “draconian” powers being lined up against the pub sector.
He warned that the new Conservative Lib Dem Government seemed to be determined to proceed with legislation impacting pubs.
Meanwhile, the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) urged the Government to “think again” over its licensing shake-up as it would threaten thousands of well-run pubs.
This was also the month where the knock on impact of the smoking ban was revealed. New research claimed the ban had been the main cause of pub closures in the UK.
Elsewhere, a pub sector analyst argued saturation of the eating out market would block the expansion of tenanted pubs into the market. Horizons managing director Peter Backman said: “There just isn’t enough business out there” for the whole tenanted sector."
The months also saw The Battlesteads in Wark-on-Tyne, Northumberland, owned by Richard and See Slade, crowned Great British Pub of the Year. The business also won the Green Pub of the Year award for making their pub environmentally friendly.
10 years ago: 2015
It was a month of pubco activity in September 2015 as New River Retail revealed plans to make more pub acquisitions while seeking to recruit an experienced pub operator to manage its portfolio.
The company operated a 202-strong pub portfolio acquired from Marston’s in 2013 and it had just acquired 158 pubs from Punch Taverns.
Stonegate Pub Company, which was the TDR backed managed pub operator in 2015, agreed to acquire the majority of Tattershall Castle Group for an undisclosed sum.
Cask also came back into the spotlight with the publication of the Cask Report. Beer writer Pete Brown and Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson gave their views on the tipple with Dickinson talking about his collaboration with Robinsons for Trooper while Brown revealed cask was forecast to hit 20% of on trade beer by 2020.
It was also predicted that pubs would serve 25m extra pints during the Rugby World Cup and Pubs Minister Marcus Jones popped into the Star Inn at Vogue near Redruth to look at the pub’s library on a recent trip to Cornwall. It was opened with the support from Pub is The Hub in a partnership with Cornwall Council.
5 years ago: 2020
This was a month of post-Covid fallout with the industry still reeling from the impact of closures.
The British Beer & Pub Association called on the Government to extend business rates relief to ensure pubs don’t fall foul of the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Pubs were also required to take customer contact details with venues that don’t follow guidance to be fined, Boris Johnson revealed.
The then Prime Minister revealed that pub staff and customers would be required to wear masks inside while there was reaction to the 10pm curfew.
Elsewhere, the Government also set out voluntary calorie guidelines for hospitality in a bid to cut obesity.
