Soft & Hot Drinks

Typical Glasgow pub Rab Ha's

Designated Driver

Inside Rab Ha’s

By Liam Coleman

Rab Ha’s is named after a 19th-century lover of great food and drink. Manager Karen Pringle talks about how the site now aims to deliver great food and drink for the 21st century

New Inn, Sandwich, Kent, is one of 20 Thorley Taverns sites

Designated Driver

Inside Thorley Taverns

By Liam Coleman

Christmas may be a time for groups of revellers to let their hair down and party like there’s no tomorrow, but it also a time for licensees and pub operators to face up to their responsibilities and reward the designated drivers in those parties with...

Soft options: pairing food and soft drinks works well

Designated Driver

Food and soft drink pairing

By Andrew Don

No one bats an eyelid when wines are paired with specific dishes, and it should be no different with soft drinks. Andrew Don reports

Best of the booze-free beers

Designated Driver

The rise of alcohol-free beer

By Nikkie Sutton and Jane Peyton

They may have endured snide remarks and sidelong glances in the past, but low and no-ABV beers are enjoying a renaissance on the back of the current trend towards healthier living Nikkie Sutton and Jane Peyton report

Swap shop: how to swap alcohol for softs

Designated Driver

Soft swaps for alcoholic drinks

By Sara Hussein and Jane Peyton

This month, the on-trade will witness the highest sales of alcohol compared with the rest of the year. Can soft drinks equal the likes of beer, spirits and Champagne, or are they likely to wane during the festive cheer? Sara Hussein and Jane Peyton report

European Adventurer: Rob Harris moved to GB from the Netherlands

Designated Driver

Coke boss talks sugar levy and new products

By Nicholas Robinson

From the long-running Designated Driver campaign to the sugar levy proposal, Rob Harris has plenty on his plate as the ‘new boy’ at Coca-Cola European Partners

'It's much like marathon training'

Designated Driver

Embrace the soft drink opportunities afforded by Christmas

By Guest Editor, CCEP's Paul Grace

Well it’s been quite a year, with Leicester City winning the Premier League, Trump’s election, the Referendum and the biggest upset of all, Danny Baker being the first out of the jungle.

Getting better: Alcohol-free beer is progressing

Designated driver

Revisiting ‘near beer’ category

By Pete Brown

Are brewers finally managing to create no and low-alcohol beers that are genuinely palatable, rather than the curate’s egg we have endured for so many years before?

Good or bad? Drink-drive related crimes are reducing

Designated Driver

Death by drink driving: changing a nation

By Nicholas Robinson

The festivities around Christmas are always tempered by warnings about the dangers of drinking and driving, and the mayhem it can cause to the lives of victims and perpetrators alike. But there is an underlying message of hope behind the grim stats –...

Drinks Trends: big categories this year and what is to come

Drinks trends

Drinks Trends: what was big in 2016 and what is to come

By Nikkie Sutton

We all know that gin and craft beer are the big movers and shakers in drinks trends right now. But what else is making the ground move for licensees, and what’s around the corner?

Not so soft: some pubs are making a mint from soft drinks sales

In association with CCEP

How important are soft drinks to pubs?

By Nicholas Robinson

A quarter of sales come from soft drinks in many pubs, The Morning Advertiser (MA) has learned during a Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) Pub & Bar Tour. Here, we take a look at the pubs and bars making a mint from softs.

Retro lads: the men behind Suede

In association with CCEP

Suede, Nottingham’s 1990s-themed bar

By Nicholas Robinson

A 1980s/90s retro theme is pulling in the punters to an eaterie in Nottingham, with Coca-Cola lending a hand with a neon sign and its iconic glass bottles.

Glasgow's club, bar and restaurant

In association with CCEP

The Òran Mór, Glasgow

By Nicholas Robinson

Sandy Gourlay knows a thing or two about catering for almost 2,000 customers on a busy night and has seen an ongoing uplift in soft drink sales at Glasgow pub Òran Mór.

How responsible are you? The Riverside promotes the Designated Driver Offer

In association with CCEP

How the Riverside pub in Avon works

By Nicholas Robinson

Putting a much stronger soft drinks offer in place has helped one operator in rural Avon encourage drivers to do the right thing on a night out.

New Queen Inn owner Will Everingham

In association with CCEP

Inside the New Queen Inn, Christchurch

By Nicholas Robinson

Destination pubs encounter problems not faced by others in built-up areas, but one operator based in deepest Dorset is using location to his advantage.

People relied on soft drinks as herbal remedies at one point in our history

In association with CCEP

How soft drinks started

By Nicholas Robinson

Softs have played an important role in society for centuries, but their history and value is too often overlooked. There’s a lot more to soft drinks than first meets the eye.

Sugar warning: pubs to be pressured into making food healthier

Legislation

Pubs to be ‘shamed’ into sugar reduction by Government

By Nicholas Robinson

Pubs and other food and drink-serving outlets will be "shamed" into reducing the sugar content of their food by the Government, warns health secretary Jeremy Hunt and Public Health England (PHE) chief executive Duncan Selbie.

Hot and spicy: Adding heat and spice to your soft drinks in the colder months will keep things current

Soft drinks

Soft drinks heat up for the winter

By Sara Hussein

Summer will soon be fading and punters are going to be looking for drinks to excite them in the colder, darker months. While the alcohol categories have this covered, soft drinks are often associated with the summer only. Here’s how to keep your soft...

Profit booster: reap the rewards of a premium drinks offer

Premium

Top-end tipples: premiumise your drinks offer

By Nicholas Robinson

With the premium drinks category now worth more to the on-trade than ever before, here’s how you can take stock of your offer and navigate the busy waters of products on offer, Michelle Perrett reports

Yarr! Set sail for new Slingsby gin

New products

Navy-strength Slingsby gin

By Nicholas Robinson

TOP SHELF:Ignite your gunpowder even if it’s soaked in gin, says independent alcoholic drinks company Slingsby with its newly-launched 57% ABV navy-strength variant of its Artisan Gin.

Why the ALMR is opposing the sugar tax

Sugar tax

Why the ALMR is opposing the sugar tax

By Chief executive of the ALMR, Kate Nicholls

With rising levels of obesity, particularly among children, so strong in the public consciousness, it’s no surprise the Government wants to appear firm on health concerns. The Government is keen to be seen to tackle health problems and demonstrate that...

Sugar tax 'won’t solve UK obesity crisis', new campaign urges

Sugar tax 'won’t solve UK obesity crisis'

By Daniel Woolfson

A coalition representing thousands of small businesses has called on the Government with a new campaign to ditch former Chancellor George Osborne’s tax on soft drinks.  

From zero to cofee hero: Your guide to coffee in pubs

Your guide to coffee

What’s hot, black and sells well in pubs?

By Nicholas Robinson

More than 3.6 million cups are sold in pubs every week and coffee sales in the boozer are growing faster than in branded coffee shops. Find out how to go from zero to coffee hero ALISON BAKER REPORTS

Smooth not crunchy: Tailgate launches Peanut Butter Milk Stout in the UK

New Products

Peanut Butter Milk Stout lands in the UK

By Nicholas Robinson

TOP SHELF:This smooth (not crunchy) 5.8% ABV Peanut Butter Milk Stout has been imported into the UK for the first time by global drinks importer Heathwick from American craft brewery Tailgate Beer.

What are premium soft drinks?

Premium soft drinks

Hello Softie… you’re all grown up

By Nicholas Robinson

For many years children were the only connoisseurs of soft drinks, but the category is now more sophisticated than ever. Treat Softie with respect and in return you could be treated to margins as high as those available from alcohol

How is your premium soft drinks offer?

Premium soft drinks

10 things you need to know about premium soft drinks

By Nicholas Robinson

Soft drinks are no longer the preserve of children, adults are turning to the category in their thousands. Here are the top 10 things you need to know about premium soft drinks in pubs.

Hartridge: 'Consumers are going to the pub to drink soft drinks'

Premium soft drinks

Soft drinks in pubs are getting sexy

By Nicholas Robinson

Soft drinks have arrived late to the premium and craft party, but operators must try to tap into better quality products now if they are to take better advantage of consumer demand for new and exciting non-alcoholic drinks.

World's first: Diageo backs Seedlip alcohol-free spirit

Spirits

First non-alcoholic distilled spirit wins Diageo cash

By Nicholas Robinson

Diageo-backed Distill Ventures is to invest in the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit made by Seedlip, which is expected to be added to the spirit giant’s alcohol-free drinks portfolio.

Survey: Soft options outdo coffee

MCA

Survey: Soft options outdo coffee

By James Wallin

Soft drink consumption during eating-out occasions saw a significant spike in the first quarter of 2016 — just as the debate over the sugar tax peaked.

Do you add water to your whisky?

World Whisky Day

Exclusive: Franklin & Sons launches whisky water

By Nicholas Robinson

Premium soft drinks maker Franklin & Sons has launched a new line of Scottish artesian waters – sourced from the Scottish Highlands – for the on-trade to mix with whisky.

New Schweppes mixers

Soft drinks

New-look mixers range for Schweppes

By Nicholas Robinson

Schweppes has revealed a new-look range of mixers, including tonic, bitter lemon and soda water, in a bid to make the brands stand out more as mixed drinks ingredients.

All Coke taste with no sugar

Soft Drinks

Coca-Cola drops Coke Zero brand for Coca-Cola Zero Sugar

By Nicholas Robinson

Coca-Cola Great Britain has replaced its Coke Zero brand of sugar-free cola with Coca-Cola Zero Sugar in a bid to get more consumers to choose sugar-free soft drinks, a move that will be backed by a £10m marketing campaign.

J2O Flamingo Fling drink

Soft drinks

J2O’s new limited edition Flamingo Fling

By Nicholas Robinson

Britvic-owned adult soft drink brand J2O is introducing a limited edition Flamingo Fling variant of its drinks range after showcasing it at the pub trade Oscars the Publican Awards last month.

Barcelona beer Moritz is one of the first international beers on Interbev Brands' list

Distribution

New global drinks distributor launched for UK on-trade

By Nicholas Robinson

International drinks distributor and retailer Interbev Limited has launched a new UK arm of its business – Interbev Brands – aimed at providing the on-trade with exclusive access to overseas brands.

Consumers want a better served premium soft drink, new research shows

Britvic soft drinks review

Premiumisation helps lift soft drink sales in the on-trade

By Nicholas Robinson

Soft drinks sales in the licensed and leisure channel grew by 3.2% in volume to 1.9bn litres last year, with trends such as all-day dining, premiumisation and food-led socialising driving the uplift, according to Britvic’s latest soft drinks review.

Could Pret replace the pub?

Analysis

Could Pret replace the pub?

By Emily Sutherland

There are plenty of obstacles in the way of pubs, and it’s not just coming from Government taxation, there’s also coffee shops and fast-food businesses to beat. Emily Sutherland reports.

Britvic will continue to innovate and launch products

Budget 2016

Britvic boss ‘surprised and ‘disappointed’ by sugar levy

By Nicholas Robinson

Britvic will continue to reformulate its soft drinks in line with targets the company set for itself before the government-announced sugar levy last week, managing director of Britvic Great Britain Paul Graham has said.

How will the sugar tax affect your pub?

Sugar tax

Will pubs pay for Osborne’s sugar levy?

By Nicholas Robinson

Pubs must not pay the price for George Osborne’s new sugar levy, trade bosses have warned, while soft drinks makers fear the plans could cripple innovation in the category.

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KENT - HIGH QUALITY FAMILY FRIENDLY PUB

£ 60,000 - Leasehold

Busy location on coastal main road Extensively renovated detached public house Five trade areas (100)  Sizeable refurbished 4-5 bedroom accommodation Newly created beer garden (125) Established and popular business...

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