Drinks

Out of control: Breweries weather 111% rise in packaging recycling costs (Getty/ Mike Harrington)

Breweries crushed by extreme packaging costs

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Brewers saw prices for obligated recycling fees more than double in 2022 and trade bodies warn further rises are likely unless reforms come into place immediately.

Crowdfunding campaign: Exmoor Ales is looking to expand from the south-west of England

Two breweries bid to raise extra finance

By Gary Lloyd

Award-winning brewery Exmoor Ales and start-up business Havabier are both seeking crowdfunding to expand and launch their companies respectively.

How Robinsons is ensuring better quality cask at its pubs

The Cask Project

Robinsons rewards pubs for cask quality

By Gary Lloyd

Stockport-based brewer and pub operator Robinsons has rewarded 88 of its pubs after they achieved 90% or above in their 2022 cask beer quality audits.

Sad news: message of support have come from a variety of brewers (credit: Getty/VictorHuang)

Unity Brewing Co enters liquidation

By Gary Lloyd

Hampshire craft brewery Unity Brewing Co has gone into liquidation, according to a tweet by the Southampton-based business.

Lesser impact: consumers becoming accustomed to adjusting plans due to rail strikes (Credit: Getty/South_agency)

Feb rail strikes had 'lesser impact' on sector

By Rebecca Weller

Recent rail strikes had a “lesser impact” on drinks sales than previous ones as consumers become accustomed to “adjusting plans”, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NielsenIQ has revealed.

Temporary situation: C&C Group customers unable to place orders for several weeks due to system upgrades

C&C Group clients unable to place orders for weeks

By Rebecca Weller

Customers of drinks distributor C&C Group have been struggling to order stock for several weeks due to “major system upgrades”, forcing some operators to “waste time” scrambling between high-street shops to avoid shortages.

What is happening to Titanic Brewery?

The Cask Project

SOX acquires White Horse Brewery

By Gary Lloyd

South Oxfordshire Brewery has acquired neighbouring White Horse Brewery for an undisclosed sum.

London calling: Satan's Whiskers in Bethnal Green was named the number one cocktail bar in the UK

Top 50 Cocktail Bars

UK’s Top 50 Cocktail Bars revealed

By Nikkie Thatcher

The 2023 Top 50 Cocktail Bars sponsored by Franklin & Sons have been unveiled, with London’s Satan’s Whiskers taking the top spot.

Advice provided: the report shows how operators can identify counterfeit wine and spirits (image: Getty/draghicich)

How to spot fake alcohol

By Nikkie Thatcher

Advice on how to spot fraudulent alcohol has been unveiled in a new report from the Fraud Advisory Panel.

Drinks Recovery Tracker: latest data shows a dip in spirits sales (Credit: Getty/Sarah Mason)

Spirits sales 'flattened' during last week of January

By Rebecca Weller

Spirit sales “flattened” in the seven days to 28 January as consumers continued to reduce big nights out at the weekends, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NielsenIQ has revealed.

Raising a glass: Greene King and Jeff Stelling partner up to celebrate cask

THE CASK PROJECT

Greene King teams with Jeff Stelling to celebrate pubs

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Greene King has recently hosted its fifth event with sports presenter Jeff Stelling as part of a series of evenings that celebrate British pubs, cask beer and quizzes.

Something new: BrewDog announces stout headliner Black Heart

BrewDog releases new draught stout

By Rebecca Weller

Independent Scottish brewer and operator BrewDog has expanded its portfolio with the addition of a new draught stout, Black Heart, to its headliner range.

Beer focus: The MA's Ed Bedington urges operators to put cask back in the heart of business

The Cask Project - opinion

Are we missing the best footfall driver?

By Ed Bedington

As January makes way for February and the colder miserable months continue to bite, pubs will be eager to look for ways to drive punters over the threshold.

Year-on-year growth: drinks sales up but comparisons difficult due to disrupted trading during the pandemic in January 2022 (Credit: Getty/pjohnson1)

Soft drinks powering sales in January

By Rebecca Weller

Soft drinks were the driving force behind sales at managed venues in the seven days to Saturday 21 January, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NielsenIQ has revealed.

Government asks: the Campaign for Real Ale is urging the Chancellor to reveal support for pubs and breweries in the Spring Budget (image: Getty/Klaus Vedfelt)

CAMRA demands support to save further closures

By Nikkie Thatcher

Consumer organisation the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has called on the Government to deliver a support package to save the nation’s pubs and breweries from shutting.

Initiative comeback: The Shepherd Neame Cask Club was launched in 2019

The Cask Project

Shepherd Neame’s Cask Club returns

By Nikkie Thatcher

Kent brewer Shepherd Neame has announced it is bringing back its real ale initiative Cask Club next month (February).

New products: this week's round up features new serves from VK, Black Sheep Brewery, Sandford Orchards and Cawston Press

new products round-up

VK launches new sugar free range

By Rebecca Weller

This week's round-up features new products from RTD brand VK, Sandford Orchards, Cawston Press and Black Sheep Brewery.

Drinks Recovery Tracker: latest data shows drinks sales in pubs were 1% behind pre-pandemic levels in seven days to Saturday 14 January (Credit: Getty/Henrik Sorensen)

Drinks sales 1% down vs pre-pandemic levels

By Rebecca Weller

Average drinks sales in Britain’s managed venues in the week to Saturday 14 January were 1% down vs 2020, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NielsenIQ has revealed.

What will it take to save the cask ale category?

The cask project – opinion

Seeking the silver bullet(s) to save cask

By Gary Lloyd

Writing and compiling stories for The Cask Project has led me to believe the under-threat category of cask ale could be improved vastly with a handful of changes.

Why does SIBA want draught beer discount rise from 5% to 20%?

SIBA calls for 20% draught duty discount

By Gary Lloyd

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has urged the Chancellor to expand the draught duty relief to 20% to help the ailing pubs and brewing sector.

New products: this week's round up features new serves from Uncle Nearest, High Point, Provence Wine, Lockdown Liquor & Co. and Hogs Back

NEW PRODUCTS

Uncle Nearest whiskey launches in the UK

By Rebecca Weller

This week's round up features a UK launch from American whiskey brand Uncle Nearest alongside new products from Hogs Back, Provence Wine, Lockdown Liquor & Co, and High Point.

Drinks list: non-alcoholic beer was the second most popular no-ABV drink, according to the research (image:Getty/Instants)

1 in 5 opting for alc-free beer

By Nikkie Thatcher

Some 21% of UK adults would drink booze-free beer as an alcohol alternative at a social occasion where others were drinking alcohol, new research has found.

Smaller serving units for cask beer from Greene King

the cask project

Greene King to launch cask pins

By Gary Lloyd

Suffolk-based brewer and pub operator Greene King has claimed to be the first major cask brewer to launch cask pins – a 4.5-gallon unit container – to market this summer following a seven-figure investment.

Deal done: Wild Beer Co is now part of Curious Brewery

Curious to ‘double in size’ after Wild Beer buy

By Gary Lloyd

Curious Brewery will ‘double’ the size of its operations after acquiring Wild Beer Co’s range of beers after the Somerset brewer entered administration and reportedly made its workforce redundant.

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 53

The Lock In Podcast

Price of a pint

By Ed Bedington

How are you handling your pricing? The Lock In team tackle the difficult questions as inflation runs rampant - how much can you put your prices up by?

Hogs Back launches two low alcohol beers and PoS support

the cask project

Hogs Back releases two low alcohol beers

By Gary Lloyd

Surrey-based Hog Back Brewery has urged communities to support their local pubs this month by launching two low and no alcohol beers and adding new PoS support for its flagship beer.

Sip and sing: Robbie Williams has reportedly set plans in motion to launch a range of drinks (Getty/ kunst-mp)

Robbie Williams plans to launch drinks range

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Robbie Williams is reportedly set to rival former Take That bandmate Gary Barlow in the beverage business through launching his own drinks range.

Sad farewell: Another brewery bites the dust due to cost pressures (Getty/ Monty Rakusen)

Manchester Brewing Company ceases trading

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Manchester Brewing Company is the latest in a long line of operations forced to shut due to financial pressures, the business announced yesterday.

Get down the pub: some 85% of UK pubs serve low or no alcohol beers

BBPA urges alcohol-free visits to pubs

By Gary Lloyd

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has urged customers who are abstaining from alcohol to visit their local this month because 85% of pubs now serve alcohol-free beers.

New products: this week's round up features new serves from Guinness, Salcombe Distilling Co and Ellers Farm

NEW PRODUCTS ROUND-UP

Guinness 0.0 launches for the on-trade

By Rebecca Weller

This week's round-up features an on-trade debut from Guinness alongside a new gin from Ellers Farm Distillery and a festive relaunch from Salcombe Distilling Co.

Exceptionally challenging: sales in pubs ahead of 2021 levels but held back by inflation (Credit: Getty/The Good Brigade)

Drinks sales 15% ahead of 2021

By Rebecca Weller

Average drinks sales in Britain’s managed venues during the seven days to Saturday 10 December were 15% ahead of 2021 levels, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NielsenIQ has revealed.

What are the latest drinks releases before Christmas 2022?

New products round-up

New drinks in time for Christmas

By Gary Lloyd

The latest new releases to the market include beers from Hook Norton, Theakston and Chevallier while spirits include Johnnie Walker and Elusive Expressions from Diageo.

Molson Coors opinion on making cask a pub USP

the cask project

Let’s make cask ale a true USP

By Mark Bentley, category management controller and beer sommelier, Molson Coors

A fresh pint of cask ale, perfectly served, is one of life’s great pleasures and a genuine unique selling point (USP) of the great British pub.

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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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