MA Leaders Club

Power and Thorley

18-Jul-2002

Giles Thorley speaks to Mark Stretton on the beer tie, licensing reform, flotation, and life in the executive chair at Punch.Giles Thorley wants the...

Turnaround in fortunes for Yates Group

13-Jun-2002

Yates Group, the owner of the Yates' and Ha! Ha! Bar & Canteen chains, claims to have turned the corner following its disappointing first half...

ALMR searches for Top of the Ops

22-May-2002

UK pub operators have just over two weeks to nominate individuals for the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers Operations Managers Awards.The...

The Batman of Broadstairs - Philip Thorley gives a tour of his pubs

30-Apr-2002

Taking a pub tour with Philip Thorley can be humbling, writes Mark Stretton.As the car door opened a thousand camera bulbs flashed. People stopped in...

Yates Group back on track

04-Apr-2002

Troubled operator Yates Group appears to have reversed its fortunes according to its latest trading update, released today (April 4).The company,...

Luminar boss Thomas slams Walkabout

04-Apr-2002

Steve Thomas, chief executive of Luminar, has launched a verbal assault on Australian bar-brand Walkabout, labeling it "violent and...

Hertford brewer McMullen faces sale threat

27-Feb-2002

Hertford brewer McMullen & Sons could be put up for sale in order to "satisfy the objectives of the shareholders".The McMullen board has...

Brokers back Luminar after strong New Year

14-Jan-2002

Shares in Luminar, the late-night bar and club operator were trading higher today (Monday, January 14) as stockbrokers Old Mutual Securities slapped...

Noble House to raise £50m from disposals

12-Dec-2001

Noble House Leisure, the pub and restaurant group headed by entrepreneur Robert Breare (pictured) is to raise £50m from the sale of half the 214...

G1 Group acquires Big Beat portfolio

15-Nov-2001

Glasgow-based G1 Group has emerged as the buyer for Big Beat's portfolio of pubs and restaurants.Big Beat, founded by Ron McCulloch, collapsed in...

Luminar lifts profits 123 per cent

14-Nov-2001

Luminar, the late-night club and bar operator, has seen its profits soar 123 per cent in the past six months.The group, which owns the Chicago Rock...

Morrells to grow Que Pasa concept with purchase of Yates pubs

12-Nov-2001

Yates Group has sold eight of the 18 pubs it put up for sale to the Morrells of Oxford group. Morrells will use the acquisitions to roll out its...

Yates suffers £4m hangover

08-Nov-2001

Yates Group plunged £4m into the red in its first half as the struggling operator bore the brunt of heavy restructuring charges.The company made a...

Noble House to buy Whitbread pubs

24-Oct-2001

Noble House Leisure, the private pub group run by Robert Breare (pictured), has confirmed it will buy 44 pub-restaurants from Whitbread. The deal,...

Noble House Leisure "in talks" to buy Old English Inns

16-Aug-2001

Pub entrepreneur Robert Breare is believed to be in talks to buy Old English Inns.Mr Breare, who heads Noble House Leisure, is pressing on with his...

Fuller's and Yates put pub packages on the market

16-Aug-2001

London brewer Fuller's and bar operator Yates Group are shaking up their pub estates by putting packages on the market.Fuller's has put its six...

Yates rebuilds team with new finance director

01-Aug-2001

Pub operator Yates Group has begun rebuilding its management team by appointing a new finance director.Stevan Fowler will join next month from...

Luminar buys up the rights to Life

20-Jul-2001

Luminar, the UK's biggest club and bar operator, has now bought the rights to Life.It has bought two late-night venues called Life (Liverpool's Life...

Yates presses on after takeover talks end

24-Jun-2001

Yates Group is pressing ahead with its expansion plans and a management shake-up after the end of talks over a possible takeover offer.It has...

Talks continue as Yates turns around Wine Lodges

14-Jun-2001

Yates Group has revealed it is turning around its troubled Wine Lodge chain as it ponders the sale of the business.It took "remedial action" after...

High-profile bar sold to Chorion

11-Jun-2001

High-profile new bar 10 Covent Garden has been sold and is set to be revamped only months after opening.City Bars & Restaurants has disposed of...

Yates in talks over takeover offer

08-Jun-2001

Shares in Yates Group soared today (June 8) after it emerged that it was in talks to sell the business.Chairman Peter Dickson admitted that the pub...

Corney & Barrow grows despite fears of downturn

08-Jun-2001

Corney & Barrow is about to open its first new outlet for three years despite worries that a downturn is hitting pubs in London and the south.The...

Luminar Leisure direct mailing ad is let off by ASA

29-Mar-2001

An objection to a direct mailing sent out by Luminar Leisure's Ikon/Diva nightclub in Luton has not been upheld by the Advertising Standards...

Charles Wells and the Queen's Award for Export

26-Jun-2000

Charles Wells has won the Queen's Award for Export. We attended the presentation ceremony. Charles Wells is one of the biggest independent brewers in...

Charles Wells shows its true international class

14-Feb-2000

With an international chain of pubs, licences for Japanese, Jamaican and Mexican lagers, and stakes in top music venues, Charles Wells is a family...

Palmers - one of the UK's most traditional brewers?

31-Jan-2000

Bridport-based Palmers lays claim to being one of the UK's most traditional brewers.While the big regional brewers grab the headlines with their...

JW Lees - breaking with tradition

15-Nov-1999

Tucked away 50,000 feet up in the French Alps, close to the snowy ski slopes of Mont Blanc, are two real ale pubs, the White Grouse and the Perdrix...

Luminar embarks on ambitious expansion

01-Mar-1999

Bar operator Luminar Leisure has snapped up a package of outlets as part of its ambitious expansion plans.It has completed a £3.7m acquisition of...

Isle of Man's Heron and Brearley sets sights on mainland

01-Feb-1999

After dominating the pub market on the Isle of Man for 100 years, Heron and Brearley is setting its sights on the mainland.For the past 100 years,...

Bumper bar opening for Davy

26-Oct-1998

Bar operator Davy & Co is investing in its first chains of retail concepts as part of its expansion.It initially plans up to six outlets branded...

How the West End was won (by Corney and Barrow)

12-Oct-1998

Through boom and gloom, Corney and Barrow has catered for the movers and shakers in the CityAs the global meltdown threatens the British economy, the...