Opinion & Interviews

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.

OPINION

OPINION: Leasehold transactions driving London hospitality market

London’s pub and restaurant market is evolving at pace, and while persistent cost and staffing challenges weigh on operators, demand for well‑located sites remains remarkably resilient.

OPINION

OPINION: Younger pubgoers must learn the rules of the pub

Every publican has felt it at some point over the past few years: the sharp intake of breath when a group of young drinkers walks through the door on a Friday night.

THE CASK PROJECT

OPINION: Why nitro will be good for cask

The rise of nitro beer, led emphatically by Guinness and a stout category now delivering over 20% growth in both volume and value, is often framed as a symptom of cask’s struggles. And in part, that’s fair.

OPINION

OPINION: What’s the craic with low & no?

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a successful Mothering Sunday in your pubs and hopefully a few pints of the dark stuff were supped on St Patrick’s Day too.

OPINION

OPINION: Do we need a sense of perspective?

The vitriolic response to the Government heralded launch of an energy saving initiative might well have taken the powers that be by surprise, but perhaps the industry does needs to regain a sense of perspective.

OPINION: Cutting employment costs essential if pubs are to survive and grow

Costs, costs, and yet more costs. That’s been the overwhelming experience for publicans over the past two years.

OPINION

OPINION: Yet another sticking plaster for hospitality

The Government seems to be quite keen to fling money at problems at the moment, even if the problems are of their own making.

OPINION

OPINION: World events may focus Gov on British businesses

As Britian’s independent brewing community gathers this month at the award-winning event, Beer X, life for them has never been so full of both opportunity and challenge.

BIG INTERVIEW

BIG INTERVIEW: No time to paws for Cheshire Cat boss

Mary McLaughlin has opened restaurants at Euro Disney, taken La Tasca through an IPO and built a seven-strong rural pub group from a site that was “doing about £500 a week”.

OPINION

OPINION: Why being B Corp may be the secret ingredient

£714,500… that’s how much Stroud Brewery injected directly into its local economy during the 2024-25 financial year.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2026

OPINION: Why hospitality still struggles to get women into boardrooms

Despite a strong pipeline of female talent, hospitality continues to struggle with gender balance at board level.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2026

OPINION: It’s not enough to show women’s sport if spaces still feel designed for men

With International Women’s Day taking place on Sunday 8 March, now is the perfect time to reflect on progress and equality.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2026

OPINION: Progress is visible but the gender pay gap still needs attention

During my time at The Morning Advertiser, more women have stepped into leadership roles in pubcos, breweries and across the wider hospitality sector.

OPINION

OPINION: Why accessibility should be a priority for every pub

Making pubs more accessible benefits customers, staff and communities while helping build stronger hospitality businesses.

OPINION

OPINION: BrewDog are the punk pioneers who went out of tune

How appropriate that we say goodbye to BrewDog in the year we prepare to commemorate the 50th anniversary of punk.

OPINION

OPINION: Economic growth only exists in Reeves’ mind

I’m sure, as she reached towards the end of her statement, in the Chancellor’s head, a rousing orchestral score was swelling as she delivered her words with, well, sort of, passion.