Burnham vows to tackle youth unemployment
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to overhaul the welfare system to help young people into work, describing the number not in education, employment or training as a “moral failure”.
News
Pub People ramps up wet-led investment as acquisition hunt resumes
Pub People Company is increasing its focus on drinks led investment, competitive socialising and acquisitions as it looks to strengthen returns across its near 40 strong estate.
THE CASK PROJECT
Market Taverns backs London brewers with 59-beer cask festival
London pubco Market Taverns will put almost 60 independent cask ales onto the bars of 11 pubs for a 12-day beer festival with pints costing just £5 each.
UTILITY UPDATE WITH NATIONWIDE ENERGY
Iran keeps pub energy prices up until the US vote
A fortnight ago wholesale energy prices were easing as Gulf oil flowed again.
James May brands alcohol duty system ‘completely baffling’
Ex-Top Gear presenter and co-owner of a pub and gin business James May has labelled the alcohol duty system as “completely baffling”.
Nightclubs ‘left behind’ on business rates
Nightclubs must be included in targeted business rates relief, the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has warned, with more than a third lost since the pandemic.
OPINION: Storm still brewing over cask ale as Marston’s brewery bids farewell
Hello hospitality heroes.
LICENSING HUB: LEGAL WITH POPPLESTON ALLEN
How TENS can help pubs make the most of the festive season
With the busiest time of year fast approaching, now is the time for operators to start preparing for the various events they may have planned.
‘Representation is incredibly important’
The MA’s Ed Bedington caught up with BIH Chef of the Year and Queen of Cups patron, Ayesha Kalaji, for her take on the week’s news.
Pubs await support as Chancellor outlines Budget priorities
Chancellor John Healey has vowed to protect the UK economy from global pressures in his upcoming Budget as pubs continue to call for action on rising operating costs.
DRINKS MASTERCLASS
HOW TO MAKE: Classic Espresso Martini
Few cocktails have a story as iconic as this month’s Drinks Masterclass star, the original-style Espresso Martini.
Stonegate joins hospitality drive to create 100k jobs for young people
Stonegate Group has joined Fuller’s and M&B in a Government-backed commitment to create 100,000 paid hospitality jobs for young people over the next three years.
Urban Pubs & Bars invests £1m in third Bat & Ball capital venue
Urban Pubs & Bars has invested £1m into the opening of its third Bat & Ball venue in London.
JDW signs Ask for Angela national venue pledge
JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has signed the Ask for Angela National Venue Pledge, committing its 800 pubs across the UK to support the customer safety scheme.
Blind Tiger Inns celebrates success at third annual awards night
Multiple operator Blind Tiger Inns honoured achievements and reinforced its investment in team appreciation at its third annual Tiger Awards.
THE CASK PROJECT
Allsopp’s launches cask IPA based on 200-year-old recipe
Famed cask ale brand Allsopp’s has launched an IPA beer inspired by a 200-year-old recipe from the brewing family records.
NEOS: ‘It’s been a transformational year’
CEO Russell Quelch says the group’s programme of site conversions is driving significant returns with recent relaunches in Bristol and Southampton leading to revenue increases of up to 500%.
Fuller’s and M&B join drive to help 100,000 young people into work
Hospitality businesses are set to take part in a Government-backed scheme aimed at helping up to 100,000 young people into work.
Draught volumes return to growth
Draught beer and cider volumes returned to growth in September, rising 1.3% year-on-year, according to the latest Market Watch data from Oxford Partnership and Vianet.
EXCLUSIVE: Pub groups unite behind Help for Heroes campaign
A number of pub groups have joined forces with Alf Turner and Hogs Back Brewery to raise funds for Help for Heroes through sales of Hero IPA during the Remembrance period.
VAT petition delivered to Downing Street
Industry leaders have delivered a petition for the #VATsTheProblem campaign to 10 Downing Street after securing more than 400,000 signatures.
Diageo strike action suspended as Cameronbridge talks begin
Planned strike action a Diageo-owned distillery in Scotland has been suspended.
CAMRA unveils National POTY finalists
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has revealed the final four pubs in the running to be crowned its National Pub of the Year (POTY).
Queen of Cups chef-owner Ayesha Kalaji named BIH Chef of the Year
Queen of Cups chef-owner Ayesha Kalaji has added another top honour to her mantlepiece after scooping the Chef of the Year award in the Be Inclusive Hospitality (BIH) Spotlight Awards.
Chris Jowsey: ‘If you don’t invest, you go backwards’
Admiral Taverns will increase capital investment to £38.4m in FY27, with CEO Chris Jowsey saying the group would invest even more if the tax and regulatory environment improved.
Biz rates: What you need to know ahead of the Budget
Business rates remain one of the biggest fixed costs facing pub operators, with the sector waiting to see whether the Autumn Budget will deliver wider reform.
Three Top 50 Cocktail Bars named among world’s best
Three UK bars have been named in The 50 Best Bars 2026 list, with all three also featured in the Top 50 Cocktail Bars ranking.
PROPERTY ROUND-UP
PROPERTY: Inside Loungers first international site in Germany
This property round-up includes updates from Loungers, Flight Club, Young’s, Castle Pubs, and more.
Stop the slop: Is it last orders for humans as AI take over the pub?
With AI use rapidly growing the Lock In podcast goes on a mission to Stop the Slop! We take a look at the good, the bad, and the Heath in the latest episode, and ask how pubs can make better use of this rapidly evolving technology.
THE LOW & NO PROJECT
Low & no shift from abstinence to alcohol ‘management’
Low & no is no longer about quitting alcohol – it’s about controlling it.
Flight Club to open 17th venue as UK expansion continues
Flight Club will open its 17th site in Exeter on 11 December.
BIG INTERVIEW
BIG INTERVIEW: ‘I’m an accidental MP’ - Tonia Antoniazzi on her unlikely route to Westminster
From teacher and rugby player to chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, Tonia Antoniazzi’s route to Westminster has been anything but conventional.
Marston’s profit set to beat expectations
Marston’s has said annual profit is expected to beat market expectations, as the pub group prepares to accelerate its estate investment programme.
Chestnut strengthens balance sheet after loan note conversion and equity raise
Chief executive Philip Turner said the group was now in a “much more robust” position than when its latest accounts were signed in May, after completing or nearing completion on the measures referenced in those accounts.
Hunt for the top pub companies begins
The search for the best in the sector is once more underway as the Publican Awards 2027 are open for entries.
FEATURE
FEATURE: What will drinkers order at the bar this winter?
Cocktails have officially earned their place in pubs while spirits are gaining greater share and frequency this year.
BBPA warns 360 pubs could close this year without Budget reforms
Almost 300 UK pubs have permanently shut in the first nine months of the year with a predicted 360 victims by year-end, unless the Government delivers on its promises for hospitality.
NEOS secures £10m facility to support further growth
NEOS has secured a £10m revolving credit facility from HSBC to support the continued execution of its growth strategy.
Kerridge says ‘keep banging the drum’ as VAT petition surges past 400k signatures
The VATs The Problem petition has reached 400,000 signatures as hospitality operators continue to call for a reduced rate of VAT for the sector.
Vaulkhard: ‘Victory for common sense’ as Newcastle scraps late-night levy
Newcastle’s late-night levy (LNL) will be scrapped from the end of October in what Vaulkhard Group boss Ollie Vaulkhard has hailed as a ‘victory for common sense’.
World’s first community-owned distillery enters administration
Sustained financial headwinds saw GlenWyvis Distillery Limited enter administration on 5 October 2026.
OPINION
OPINION: Why draught duty could be the best way to back pubs
For all the diversification we have seen in pubs over the last generation, I am privileged to represent the category that is most synonymous with them – beer.
FEATURE
FEATURE: It’s not too late to create an Oktoberfest experience
Despite its name, Oktoberfest is known to begin in September but it’s not too late to put your own beer festival on.
Top 50 Cocktail Bar Sister Ray launches debut dining menu
Liverpool cocktail bar Sister Ray has launched its first dining menu as it looks to broaden its offer beyond drinks.
OPINION
OPINION: Why the end of Marston’s Brewery should surprise no one
Should we be surprised? Beer is an emotional business and it would feel wrong not to be shocked by Carlsberg Britvic’s decision to close the historic Marston’s Brewery in Burton-upon-Trent by next summer.
‘This is an opportunity for smaller brewers’
The MA’s Ed Bedington catches up with JW Lees boss William Lees-Jones for his take on the week’s big stories.
Wine must ‘work harder’ in pubs as drinking habits change
The relationship between alcohol strength, price and customer demand is changing the role wine needs to play in pubs.
BII unveils 2026 NITA finalists
The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) has revealed the shortlist for this year’s National Innovation in Training Awards (NITAs).
Marston’s brewery closure an ‘absolute disgrace’
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has lambasted Carlsberg Britvic’s plans to close Marston’s historic Burton brewery.
CAMRA opens nominations for 2027 Pub Design Awards
CAMRA has opened nominations for its 2027 Pub Design Awards, celebrating the UK’s best examples of pub architecture, refurbishment and conservation.