OPINION: Storm still brewing over cask ale as Marston’s brewery bids farewell
Hello hospitality heroes.
Opinion & Interviews
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.
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.
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.
OPINION
OPINION: Hospitality’s pressures don’t end when a shift does
This Saturday (10 October) is World Mental Health Day and, as we enter one of the most pressurised times of the year for the sector, there’s never been a more critical time to prioritise mental wellbeing.
OPINION: Why an organic pint is worth an extra 40p?
Walking past a Cotswold barley field this summer – dotted with bright red poppies and the headland borders rich in flora – reminded me of the quiet power of organic farming. It made me smile to see.
OPINION
OPINION: The Monday that reminded me why I love hospitality
Monday marks the start of the week, the dawning of a new chapter, a clean slate.
OPINION
OPINION: Cask beer’s future is brighter than you think
On one of the hottest days of the year, a group of independent brewers gathered in Birmingham at the wonderful Wellington pub on Bennetts Hill.
BIG INTERVIEW
BIG INTERVIEW: How Nick Payne is reigniting the dragon at Brains
Nick Payne is buzzing. He seems to be excited all the time and that energy is infectious.
OPINION: We publicans need to make our own luck
Resilience sounds like a dull topic.
OPINION: What every operator should know about the climate’s impact on food and drink
MCA deputy editor Georgi Gyton examines how climate disruption is reshaping food availability, pricing and procurement risk for hospitality operators.
OPINION
OPINION: Hospitality must bridge gap from classroom to career
As pupils return to the classroom this September, it is a timely reminder to reflect on the value of education.
OPINION
OPINION: The new type of ‘red flag’ customers you need to be aware of
As a publican of almost 20 years, I’m struggling to keep my cool with a new breed of customer that ghosts our calls.
OPINION
OPINION: Prices up, profits down
Two separate news stories caught my eye this week, both perfectly illustrating the challenges the hospitality sector and particularly pubs are facing.
OPINION
OPINION: No one is coming to our rescue
There is a trend emerging across the pub trade that frustrates me more than rising costs, staffing challenges or Government policy.
BIG INTERVIEW
BIG INTERVIEW: Andrew Turner – from free cola to the St Austell boardroom
“I used to wander around collecting glasses and before I knew it, I was getting paid in free Coca-Cola by the landlord.”
OPINION
OPINION: Pub rates cut worth less than two pints a day
We recently received an unexpected business rates bill.
OPINION
OPINION: VAT cut must be #1 priority
Hello everyone. I am delighted the industry has been given a lift with warmer weather and, of course, the World Cup.
OPINION
OPINION: Damn it, she’s right!
Lovely to see that the Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has come out in support of pubs, describing them and other small businesses as the “only” real drivers of economic growth.
OPINION
OPINION: Gov must back indie brewers to revive UK’s beer market
If you have one chance to make a good first impression, then Andy Burham and John Healey seem to have read the script.
OPINION
OPINION: Giddy up Government!
Straight out of the gates with a 20% cut in Business Rates is a promising start from our new Prime Minister, although many in the industry will be treating the move with caution.
OPINION
OPINION: Why the pub is the ‘cultural anchor’ for everyone
As a brewer and business owner, I’m acutely aware we’re in the business of hospitality.
BIG INTERVIEW
BIG INTERVIEW: Haarsma – why humility beats hero leadership at Heineken
Despite having a high-impact career across the world, Heineken UK managing director Boudewijn Haarsma rejects the idea of being a ‘hero leader’.
OPINION
OPINION: The human toll of the VAT crisis in hospitality
I’m sure you are no stranger to the ongoing struggles the hospitality world is experiencing.
VIDEO
‘We’re just pawns in a bigger game’
The Morning Advertiser editor Ed Bedington meets up with Mike Dove and Tommy Higgs of the Three Horsehoes in Witney, Oxfordshire.
OPINION
OPINION: Making beer at 40°C
As the country once again finds itself wondering who might be running the show next, I found myself thinking less about Westminster and more about what’s happening at our two breweries.
VIDEO
‘Not every pub will benefit from 5am football U-turn’
The Morning Advertiser editor Ed Bedington chats to Justine Bedford, who operates the Royal Dyche in Burnley about the Government U-turn that will allow pubs to open until 5am for the Mexico v England World Cup match on Monday 6 July.
OPINION: Dealing with heatwaves now and in the future
We are seeing the start more extreme weather variation that the climate change scientists correctly forecast 15 or 20 years ago.
OPINION
OPINION: Neurodiversity is an opportunity, not a challenge
The Licensed Trade Charity (LTC) has published the latest edition of its neurodiversity guide for hospitality employers, which is titled ‘Building a Neuroinclusive Workforce’.
OPINION
OPINION: Give me the diary of a pubgoer over CEO Bartlett any day
As a publican of almost 20 years, it’s fair to say I’ve encountered a few joy-sucking challengers in my time, but none has given me quite the ick of Steven Bartlett.
‘Burnham is more hospitality-friendly than most Labour MPs’
The Morning Advertiser editor Ed Bedington caught up with Parogon Group managing director Richard Colclough to get his take on the week’s events.
‘Unfair tax burden’ means costs are up but demand to go out remains
St Austell Brewery chief operating officer Andrew Turner believes customer demand is still alive in hospitality but Government decisions and taxes are making it more difficult to do business.
OPINION: Is VAT cut for children’s meals all puff and little help?
I was just wondering what people’s thoughts are about the proposed VAT cut for children’s meals over the summer.
BIG INTERVIEW
BIG INTERVIEW: Ardent boss remains ardent about pubs
Dom Jacobs has designed cocktails for the Spice Girls, opened one of Mayfair’s oldest pubs at 24 and built Ardent Pub Group into one of London’s most ambitious modern pub operations.
Heineken vows to continue £40m per year investment despite over-taxation of sector
Heineken UK’s Boudewijn Haarsma has backed the UK pub sector by continuing to invest £40m per year despite beer volumes across the board shrinking.
OPINION
OPINION: Time for a wine?
Hello to all in hospitality. As I embark on this latest opinion piece, I am getting a little grumpy.
‘What are we losing that we may never see again?’
The MA’s Ed Bedington caught up with hospitality expert and non-exec director Karen Bosher to get her take on the week’s events.
OPINION: Not the VAT cut anyone wanted
We asked for a VAT cut, and we’ve been given a VAT cut, but as with anything this Government touches, it’s as much help as a paper raincoat.
BIG INTERVIEW
BIG INTERVIEW: How Heartwood CEO learned from the floor up
Having the ability and being capable of getting stuck in when it comes to all aspects of work are qualities to be respected.
OPINION
OPINION: Why water quality is every brewer’s business
Step outside Stroud Brewery and you’re between two waterways: on one side is the River Frome and on the other is the Severn Canal.
OPINION: Kindness, not competition, can help save hospitality
I sincerely doubt I am the first person to tell you that it is a particularly tough time for the hospitality industry at present.
OPINION: The UK is ungovernable
The world – and Britain’s role within it – is changing dramatically before our eyes.
OPINION: Time to stop giving ministers a propaganda platform
For the love of god, can industry conference organisers stop inviting Government ministers to speak at their events!
OPINION: Growth hasn’t disappeared, it’s become more selective
It’s no secret that the sector continues to operate against a challenging backdrop. Rising costs, cautious consumers and ongoing economic uncertainty are factors forcing us to think harder about where and how we invest.
OPINION: Let’s get real on the £10 pint issue
Let’s be realistic for a minute: despite the national media nonsense claiming that the £10 pint has arrived in London, it hasn’t. Yet.
THE LOW & NO PROJECT
OPINION: ‘Proper Job 0.5% should be treated like cask’
There’s been a noticeable groundswell in the popularity of no and low beers, and with it a tendency to move fast, grab shelf space and plant a flag. With Proper Job 0.5%, we chose a different pace - and it’s paid off.
‘Don’t be a d!@k’ - The rules of the pub
With modern society going through seismic changes (is it jam first, or cream first) the Lock In team decided to take a look at the unwritten rules of the pub - do people actually know what they are?!
OPINION
OPINION: Sustainability and wars – what should we do?
What do we need to do to improve things?
OPINION
OPINION: Pubs must be at heart of tourism growth, not hit with new taxes
Visitor levies and rising costs risk undermining one of Britain’s strongest tourism assets at a time when pubs should be recognised as central to growth, jobs and the wider visitor economy.
OPINION
OPINION: Cutting wellbeing is costing hospitality
With hospitality under growing pressure and margins tighter than ever, cutting back on wellbeing can feel like a way to reduce costs – but the evidence shows it’s a costly mistake.