In this video, The Morning Advertiser hits the streets of London and visits five pubs and bars to ask how trade is while also finding out what the go-to drinks are in the on-trade.
We talk to some of the best in the business with great models that are built for success and while sales may be thriving, it’s difficult out there as all will testify to.
Top sites
The venues visited include Little Door & Co’s Little Orange Door site in Clapham Common; Equal Parts in Hackney; Electric Star site the Star of Bethnal Green nearby; Urban Pubs & Bars’ City pub Harrild & Sons; and Inception Group’s Covent Garden favourite Mr Fogg’s Tavern.
Those who talked with The MA included Ronald Holmberg of Little Door & Co; Adam Montgomerie, general manager at Top 50 Cocktail Bars Hackney site Equal Parts; Electric Star pubco founder Rob Star; Urban Pubs & Bars sales & marketing director James Metcalfe; and Inception Group co-founder Charlie Gilkes.
Meanwhile, mixer brand Franklin & Sons has also noted some trends taking place in the on-trade across the UK.
Franklin & Sons UK brand ambassador Tommaso Cicala says: “One key trend that is really standing out right now is the elevated intentionality behind mixers, sodas and soft drinks within the serve. Rather than playing a supporting role, they’re being used as a primary structural tool, with bartenders putting just as much care into what lengthens the drink as what anchors it.
Real traction
“Spritz-style serves and longer cocktails are continuing to gain real traction, closely linked to the shift towards earlier drinking occasions. Consumers are increasingly looking for drinks that are more sessionable but still deliver depth and complexity. This has driven a rise in high complexity low-ABV serves where a premium, high carbonation mixer often becomes the hero of the drink, carrying both flavour and structure rather than simply topping it.
“Flavour remains a major driver, with bold, ‘flavour-maxxed’ profiles and globally inspired ingredients like yuzu and lychee shaping cocktail development. At the same time, texture is becoming just as important, with bartenders using the specific bite and effervescence of mixers to create a more considered and complete drinking experience.
“These standards are also extending beyond the bar. The precision and quality seen in Top 50 Cocktail Bars venues are directly influencing the RTD category, where consumers now expect the same level of vibrancy, balance and consistency in a canned format as they would from a freshly poured serve.”
