15 years ago: 2011
In July 2011, a Yorkshire pub made headlines after serving a 100lb fish and chips dish, featuring a 40lb halibut fillet and 60lb of chips, in one of the more unusual stories of the month.
The same month, Greene King agreed a £93m takeover of Capital Pub Company. The deal added 34 upmarket London venues to its portfolio, taking its Greater London estate to around 250 pubs and strengthening its position ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games.
Elsewhere, industry leaders warned “big egos” had damaged the sector over the previous decade, particularly in the tenanted model, as calls grew for fairer rents, better investment and a renewed focus on community pubs.
Policy pressures also remained in focus, with proposals to allow councils to set their own business rates cautiously welcomed by the trade.
The month closed with trials of draught Oasis in pubs, as operators explored new ways to drive soft drink sales and enhance food-led occasions.
10 years ago: 2016
In the month that Theresa May became Prime Minister, The Morning Advertiser (MA) highlighted the potential implications her tougher stance could have on the sector.
The same month, BrewDog launched a homebrewing competition offering amateurs the chance to have their beer stocked nationally and secure a full-time role within the group.
Policy pressures came into focus, as trade bodies called for fairer business rates and backed moves towards more frequent revaluations.
At the same time, Punch revealed plans to sell 400 pubs over four years as it reshaped its estate and redirected capital into core sites.
July also saw the launch of gaming app Pokémon Go, with operators quick to capitalise on the trend. Venues reported sales uplifts of up to 30% by using in-game “lures” to attract players, while pub crawls and themed events demonstrated how quickly digital trends could translate into footfall.
The month also highlighted compliance and licensing challenges, with one operator fined for short measures, a pub temporarily closed for serving under-18s, and a licensee admitting to drug-related offences, underlining continued scrutiny on standards across the sector.
5 years ago: 2021
In July 2021, England lifted almost all remaining Covid restrictions, allowing pubs to trade without limits for the first time in 16 months.
The month also saw Admiral Taverns’ acquire Hawthorn Pub Company for £222.3m, adding more than 670 pubs and taking its estate to around 1,600 sites. This was followed by Young’s £53m sale of 56 tenanted pubs to Punch, as operators continued to reshape portfolios and focus on core strategies post-pandemic.
Alongside this, Stonegate filed a £845m lawsuit against its insurers over business interruption claims, highlighting the ongoing battle between operators and insurers over Covid losses.
Despite reopening, the sector remained fragile. One third of hospitality staff were still on furlough at the end of May, while overall the industry accounted for a quarter of all furloughed workers during the pandemic. At the same time, every hospitality business reported recruitment challenges and the sector had an estimated shortfall of more than 200,000 workers.
Hospitality lost more than £100bn in sales compared to pre-Covid levels. Government policy remained central to recovery, with the launch of a new Hospitality Strategy focused on reopening, skills and long-term resilience.
Finally, July 2021 saw BrewDog apologise after describing a competition prize as a “solid gold” can, which turned out to be gold-plated, prompting scrutiny over the promotion and an investigation by the advertising watchdog.
