England-Ghana match offers pubs £20m boost, Scots benefit too
England’s World Cup match against Ghana has been predicted to deliver a £20m boost for the hospitality sector, new data has revealed.
Entertainment & Events
FEATURE
FEATURE: From Faulty Towers to food-filled film nights, guests want experiences
I mentioned immersive dining theatre once… but I think I got away with it.
World Cup pub WiFi demand surges among football fans
Almost two out of every three football fans visiting pubs to watch the World Cup expect to connect to WiFi while on-site.
Pub bookings up 300% for England’s 2026 World Cup debut
Pub bookings have surged by almost 300% ahead of England’s first game in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, new data has revealed.
Shortlist for the 2026 Great British Pub Awards unveiled
Venues across the nation are celebrating after being named as finalists in this year’s Great British Pub Awards.
Scotland World Cup win drives weekend draught sales
Scotland’s narrow 1-0 victory over Haiti in the World Cup was the driving force behind the sale of 12.1m pints of draught beer and cider across Great Britain at the weekend.
FEATURE: Howzat?! – Making cricket a pub all-rounder
Watching cricket is a lot like going to the pub. You meet old friends and make new ones; you share stories and jokes; relax and have fun. But is screening cricket in your pub a winning combination to drive trade?
‘There needs to be an operating environment to support growth ambitions’
The MA’s Ed Bedington caught up with Joules Brewery boss Vicky Colclough to get her take on the week’s news
7 pubs in UK’s top 100 UK restaurants
Seven pubs are among the UK’s best restaurants, according to this year’s National Restaurant Awards 2026.
From strategy to state of the nation: MA Leaders Club heads to Glasgow
This month (June), the MA Leaders Club head across the border and see what the city of Glasgow has to offer.
Chaos for Clarkson: 400 pint glasses a week stolen from pub
TV star-turned-publican Jeremy Clarkson has revealed all the quirky and costly items that get stolen from his pub on a weekly basis, from pint glasses to urinal traps.
Top bosses lead stellar line-up for Pub Conference
Leading operators from across the sector are set to take to the stage at this year’s Pub Conference.
Biggest commercial opportunity expected prior to kick-off during World Cup games
Later kick-off times, changing social behaviour and economic pressures are reshaping how consumers engage with major sporting occasions, new research has showed.
The Farmer’s Dog returns to screens in new series of Clarkson’s Farm
TV presenter turned farmer and publican Jeremy Clarkson’s Cotswolds pub is set to hit TV screens again this summer as the Amazon Prime series returns.
The Telegraph marks National Pub Day with free pints
National media outlet The Telegraph is celebrating the on-trade this weekend with a National Pub Day.
From Lego to lager - getting pub events right
Giving people a reason to get out to the pub has never been more important, so the Lock In team take a look at some of the wild, wacky and traditional ideas for pulling in the punters.
Karaoke no longer a novelty as experience-led visits boom
From spinning disco balls to live-band singalongs and private singing suites, karaoke is undergoing a major transformation in Britain’s pubs.
Sir David Attenborough’s unusual connection with city pub
As national treasure Sir David Attenborough celebrates his 100th birthday, The Morning Advertiser (The MA) takes a look at his unusual connection with a former London pub.
PubAid’s Community Pub Hero Awards 2026 opens
Not-for-profit organisation PubAid has launched its Community Pub Heroes Awards for 2026.
Extra time to be crowned best pub in the UK
There’s still time to enter the Great British Pub Awards with a deadline extension to next week.
Sacha Lord names pub set for £2,500 bank holiday bar tab
Sacha Lord has named the Manchester pub set to benefit from a £2,500 bar tab this bank holiday, after sourcing recommendations from his Instagram followers.
Punch Pubs & Co reveals National Publican of the Year award winners
A number of Punch Pubs & Co operators were honoured at the group’s National Publican of the Year Awards.
Key trading days for pubs this summer
With a packed sporting calendar, key occasions and the all-important bank holidays on the horizon, summer 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal trading period for pubs.
Greene King Pub Partners unveils Night of Excellence award winners
Numerous pubs took home gongs at the 2026 Greene King Pub Partners Night of Excellence awards.
Scaling culture: The challenge facing growing pub operators
Measuring sales, spend per head and covers is generally standard practice but, the people delivering those numbers are still largely understood via lagging indicators, one expert highlighted.
Lidl to open first pub
Supermarket giant Lidl has announced plans to open its first pub.
Over 30m pints sold over Easter as rural pubs shine
More than 30m pints were poured in pubs across the country this Easter, with rural pubs leading the charge and reinforcing the strength of destination-led drinking and food-led occasions.
Search for the nation’s best pub begins
The hunt for the best pubs in the country is now under way as the 2026 Great British Pub Awards returns.
PUBLICAN AWARDS 2026
Publican Awards 2026: Winners’ gallery
See pictures of the 2026 Publican Awards winners as they celebrated their success in this photo gallery.
What the 2026 Publican Awards winners had to say
This year’s Publican Awards champions shared their delight on their wins.
Publican Awards 2026 Best Partnership Pub Company (501+ sites): Greene King
Building on a long-established reputation as a trusted partner in the leased and tenanted sector, with around 1,000 partnership pubs, Greene King has grown its franchised division to 100 sites through the food-led Hive and wet-led Nest brands to offer a...
Publican Awards 2026 Best Partnership Pub Company (up to 500 sites), sponsored by Diageo: Laine Pub Company
Founded 30 years ago and now operated as an autonomous arm of the Punch Pubs empire, Laine has established itself as a specialist operator of pubs and bars aimed at Generation Z.
Publican Awards 2026 Best Sustainable Pub Company: St Austell Brewery
St Austell Brewery has been named Best Sustainable Pub Company in recognition of a mature, strategically embedded and future-focused approach to environmental leadership.
Publican Awards 2026 Best Pub Operations Team, sponsored by Asahi: Hickory’s Smokehouse
Judges were impressed with the strong structure, processes and initiatives of Hickory’s passionate and dedicated ops team, which alongside its huge passion for its people, is driving the brand’s ongoing success.
Publican Awards 2026 Best Pub Employer (501+ employees), sponsored by Illy: Butcombe Group
This year’s Best Pub Employer (501+ employees) impressed judges with its strong values, innovative approach to training and people-first attitude.
Publican Awards 2026 Best Pub Employer (up to 500 employees), sponsored by Carlsberg Britvic: Barons Pub Company
The 11-strong Surrey pubco Barons has reinforced an established reputation for nurturing talent and motivating its teams with its win in this year’s awards.
Publican Awards 2026 Best Pub Brand/Concept, sponsored by Funkin: BOX, Arc Inspirations
Arc Inspirations’ BOX brand has continued its rapid evolution as one of the UK’s most dynamic pub bar concepts, marked most notably by the opening of its seventh site – its first in London and its debut in the south of England.
Publican Awards 2026 Best Premium Food Offer, sponsored by Damm UK: Ardent Pub Group
Ardent Pub Group stood out to judges for its clear commitment to delivering truly premium pub dining, underpinned by strong culinary principles and a genuine passion for hospitality.
Publican Awards 2026 Best New Site, sponsored by Heineken UK: Molly Mc’s, Windmill Taverns
With an irrepressible sense of energy, Windmill Taverns has created something quite special with the launch of its latest new site.
Publican Awards 2026 Best Managed Pub Company (51+ sites), sponsored by Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I: Urban Pubs & Bars
Founded in 2014 by Nick Pring and Malcolm Heap, Urban Pubs & Bars has expanded rapidly through a combination of individual acquisitions and portfolio purchases.
Publican Awards 2026 Best Managed Pub Company (2 to 50 sites), sponsored by Molson Coors: St Austell Brewery
St Austell’s win in this category comes in the year that the company celebrates its 175th anniversary, but it was a reward that recognised the management team’s strategic skill, hard work and substantial investment rather than one weighted with big...
Publican Awards 2026 Best Experiential Operator, sponsored by Sky Business: Incipio Group
A bold commitment to creating unforgettable social spaces saw Incipio Group take the title of Best Experiential Operator.
Publican Awards 2026 Best Food Offer, sponsored by Square: Urban Pub & Bars
Urban Pubs & Bars stood out to the judges for its ability to achieve record-breaking profits and excellent like-for-like food sales growth across the multitude of different menus at its now 69-sites.
Publican Awards 2026 Best Drinks Offer, sponsored by Coca-Cola Europacific Partners: Cheshire Cat Pubs & Bars
Winning the same category at the Publican Awards three years in a row is almost unheard of but Cheshire Cat Pubs & Bars has done just that, taking home the Best Drinks title once again.
Publican Awards 2026 Best Community Pub Operator, sponsored by Atmosphere TV: Oak Taverns
Oak Taverns has been recognised for the heartfelt, community-first ethos that has shaped the business since its inception.
Publican Awards 2026 Best Brewing Pub Company, sponsored by Thatchers: Robinsons Brewery
With a heritage stretching back to 1838, it’s fair to say that Robinsons knows what its doing when it comes to running a brewery and a pub estate.
Publican Awards 2026 Business Leader of the Year, sponsored by Poppleston Allen: William Lees-Jones
An overwhelmingly popular choice for Business Leader of the Year, William Lees-Jones struck a chord with voters for his outspoken campaigning, and continuing to drive his family business onto greater and greater success.
Publican Awards 2026 Best Accommodation Operator: Chestnut
Chestnut delivers a distinctive pub‑accommodation offer across its 25 sites in the east of England, 22 of which provide overnight stays.
PUBLICAN AWARDS 2026
Publican Awards 2026: Social media highlights
The hospitality sector came together to celebrate the best in the business on Wednesday 25 March 2026.
2026 Publican Awards winners unveiled
This year’s winners of the industry Oscars have been revealed with businesses up and down the country honoured.