Operations

UTILITY UPDATE WITH NATIONWIDE ENERGY

'Utility commodity and contract rates remain elevated'

21-Oct-2024 By Nationwide Energy

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East remains the most significant factor driving commodity costs.

On-trade YOY drinks sales fall for third week in a row

18-Oct-2024 By Gary Lloyd

Year-on-year drinks sales have fallen for the third week in a row, according to CGA by NIQ’s Daily Drinks Tracker.

Low-carbon Christmas meal initiative, Net Zero Festival imminent

18-Oct-2024 By Gary Lloyd

As customers become more demanding about where they spend their money out of home, offering more sustainable Christmas meals could give your pub the edge.

EXCLUSIVE

'Everyone focused on here & now but 2026 could be even worse'

18-Oct-2024 By Alex Probyn, president of property tax, Altus Group

Hospitality firms need to plan for longer-term pain as increases to business rates bills come April 2026 have the potential to be eye-watering.

Closure rates of independent breweries slows again

17-Oct-2024 By Felicity Giles

Figures from SIBA's UK Brewery Tracker have shown the net closure rate of breweries in the UK has slowed during the third quarter of 2024 while openings have increased in some areas.

How competitive socialising is influencing sector

17-Oct-2024 By Felicity Giles

Competitive socialising has become an increasingly crucial factor impacting for consumers when choosing a venue to visit, according to a recent report by CGA.

Punch debuts new initiative to bring children's artwork to life

17-Oct-2024 By Felicity Giles

Punch Pubs & Co has introduced a new "unique initiative" using Augmented Reality (AR) to bring children's artwork to life.

CAMRA unveils POTY finalists

17-Oct-2024 By Rebecca Weller

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has revealed the four finalists in its National Pub of the Year (POTY) 2024 competition.

EXCLUSIVE COMMENT

Asahi UK's £14m loss a 'bellwether for the industry'

16-Oct-2024 By Rebecca Weller

Asahi UK’s recent £14m pre-tax loss is a “stark reminder” of the challenges faced by hospitality firms, business finance specialists Aurora Capital has said.

UKH: Sept inflation rise means £48m biz rates increase for pubs

16-Oct-2024 By Rebecca Weller

September’s inflation figures indicate a potential £48m increase for business rates next year for hospitality firms, one trade body has predicted.

Record level of entries for Top 50 Gastropubs award

16-Oct-2024 By The Morning Advertiser

The 2024 One to Watch category for the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs has seen a record number of entries this year, showcasing the outstanding food and service offer across the sector.

Pub in the Woods project is uniting pubgoers outdoors

15-Oct-2024 By Felicity Giles

Pub in the Woods, located in Wild Park Derbyshire, is a family-run project centred around championing the outdoors and uniting pubgoers.

Publican Awards 2025

Publican Awards 2025 open for entry

14-Oct-2024 By Ed Bedington

Are you running the best business in the pub and bar sector? The search is now underway for the best in the business as entries for the Publican Awards 2025 are now open.

Burnt Chef reports reveals boost in numbers using services

14-Oct-2024 By Gary Lloyd

The Burnt Chef Project’s Social Impact Report 2023-24 has revealed a surge in people using its services and a plea to help with further funding.

Drinks sales start Q4 in year-on-year decline

11-Oct-2024 By Felicity Giles

On-premise drinks sales have been recorded at significantly lower than this time last year according to the latest CGA by NIQ’s Daily Drinks Tracker.

OPINION

OPINION: Alcohol is a force for good

11-Oct-2024 By Greg Pilley, managing director, Stroud Brewery

While sitting at a small village bar in Nigeria, I was struck by the common bond I shared with a group of strangers.

OPINION

OPINION: Mental health is everyone’s responsibility

11-Oct-2024 By Chris Welham, CEO, Licensed Trade Charity

Thursday 10 October was World Mental Health Day and the theme was the workplace. I’m curious to know how many of us took the opportunity to check in on our employees’ mental health and wellbeing?

PubAid new platform shows 'invaluable ways' pubs support communities

10-Oct-2024 By Rebecca Weller

PubAid has launched a new platform dedicated to celebrating the essential role pubs play as lifelines in their communities to mark World Mental Health Day (Thursday 10 October).

Village pub raises £35k for charity

10-Oct-2024 By Felicity Giles

The Cross Keys Inn located in Lydford on Fosse, Somerset, has raised £35,100 for charity over an 11 year period.

MA LEADERS CLUB

Comfort key in pub design

04-Oct-2024 By Nikkie Thatcher

Comfort should be at the front and centre of pub design, one expert has advised operators.

Pub charges people for extreme food waste

04-Oct-2024 By Felicity Giles

The Star Inn at Vogue in Cornwall has enforced stricter rules on customers leaving food during its Sunday carvery and has now begun charging people for leaving food on plates, according to reports.

MA LEADERS CLUB

Sector needs to be 'less nervous' calling out NLW struggles

03-Oct-2024 By Rebecca Weller

National living wage (NLW) increases have become one of the biggest challenges for pubs and the sector needs to “call it out” more ahead of the Budget, industry leaders have said.

Carlsberg acquisitions lead M&A activity for Q2 2024

03-Oct-2024 By Gary Lloyd

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deals have increased by almost a third in the food & beverage sector for the second quarter of 2024 versus the same period last year – with the Carlsberg-Britvic and Carlsberg-Marston’s deals cited as key.

CAMRA’s flagship festival to return next summer 

02-Oct-2024 By Rebecca Weller

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has revealed its flagship event will return next summer following a hiatus.

MA LEADERS CLUB

MA Leaders Oxford happening today

02-Oct-2024 By Rebecca Weller

The MA Leaders club will be taking to the streets of Oxford today (Wednesday 2 October).

Hospitality Action introduce new workplace wellbeing guide

01-Oct-2024 By Felicity Giles

Hospitality-based charity organisation, Hospitality Action has recently introduced a new guide centred around improving wellbeing in the workforce.

Staff shortages 'a perennial problem since Brexit'

30-Sep-2024 By Felicity Giles

Operators have shared their thoughts on staffing after official data found hospitality vacancies fell to below pre-pandemic levels.

GBPA 2024

GBPA 2024: Best Pub for Beer, sponsored by SIBA – the Tamworth Tap, Staffordshire

26-Sep-2024 By The Morning Advertiser

Overlooked by Tamworth Castle, the Tamworth Tap offers a wonderful and diverse range of beer with something sure to please all palates.

GBPA 2024

GBPA 2024: Punch Pub of the Year – the Red Lion, Cranford, Northamptonshire

26-Sep-2024 By The Morning Advertiser

Nestled in the parish of Cranford, Kettering, the Red Lion appears to be a pretty, yet unassuming 18th-century Northamptonshire sandstone pub.

GBPA 2024

GBPA 2024: Best Sustainable Pub – the Pig’s Head, Clapham, south-west London

26-Sep-2024 By The Morning Advertiser

Monitoring waste, growing produce and only working with sustainable suppliers were just a few of the ways the Pig’s Head in Clapham, south-west London impressed the judges.

GBPA 2024

GBPA 2024: Stonegate Group Pub Partners Pub of the Year – the Gloucester Old Spot, Bristol

26-Sep-2024 By The Morning Advertiser

If you are looking for that individual, vibrant pub with quirky charm – the Gloucester Old Spot, in Bristol – could be just what you are looking for.

GBPA 2024

GBPA 2024: Best Pub Garden, sponsored by Diageo – Myrtle Tavern, Leeds

26-Sep-2024 By The Morning Advertiser

The Myrtle Tavern, located in a conservation area in Leeds, has transformed its outdoor space into a unique garden with every corner packed with something for everyone.

GBPA 2024

GBPA 2024: Best Pub to Watch Sport, sponsored by TNT Sports – the Gardeners Arms/Murderers, Norwich, Norfolk

26-Sep-2024 By The Morning Advertiser

The road signs welcoming visitors to Norwich bill it as a “fine city” – and the twin-named Gardeners is top of the tree among its many fine pubs.

GBPA 2024

What the 2024 GBPA winners had to say

25-Sep-2024 By Nikkie Thatcher

Pubs from across the country were celebrated earlier this month (Tuesday 17 September) at the Great British Pub Awards.

GBPA 2024

GBPA 2024: Best Pub for Entertainment – the Trafalgar Tavern, Greenwich, south-east London

25-Sep-2024 By The Morning Advertiser

The Trafalgar Tavern has something to entertain all demographics and age groups with a regular fixture of varied entertainment hosted at the ornate and impressive riverside pub.

GBPA 2024: Marston’s Pub of the Year – the Griffin, Loughborough, Leicestershire

25-Sep-2024 By The Morning Advertiser

In the centre of Loughborough, on the edge of the shopping district, the Griffin is targeted at the Leicestershire town’s large student population – and it’s a great example of just how good a student pub can be.

GBPA 2024

GBPA 2024: Best Town Pub, sponsored by Molson Coors – the Bull & Swan, Stamford

25-Sep-2024 By The Morning Advertiser

This historic pub, a former coaching inn dating back to the 1600s, combines old-world charm with modern flair.

GBPA 2024

GBPA 2024: Best Pub for Families – Almondsbury Creative, Bristol

24-Sep-2024 By The Morning Advertiser

This unique venue in Almondsbury, near Bristol, which husband and wife team Garth and Beccy Jackson saved from closure five years ago, has risen from the ashes of an old social club, to become a vibrant family-friendly venue at the heart of its local...

GBPA 2024

GBPA 2024: Best Pub for Food, sponsored by Booker/Makro – the Hinds Head, Bray, Berkshire

24-Sep-2024 By The Morning Advertiser

Being a pub in the affluent town of Bray, Maidenhead, means your drinks have to be great but your food has to be outstanding – and that is exactly true of the Hinds Head.

GBPA 2024

GBPA 2024: Best Pub for Dogs – No.Twenty9, Burnham Market, Norfolk

24-Sep-2024 By The Morning Advertiser

In the heart of the bustling market town of Burnham Market is situated No.Twenty9 – an elegant venue primed for locals and tourists exploring the glorious north Norfolk coast.

GBPA 2024

GBPA 2024: Admiral Taverns Pub of the Year – the Royal Oak, Brandon, Warwickshire

24-Sep-2024 By The Morning Advertiser

If you want to drink and eat in a pub that has one of the most determined licensees at the helm – the Royal Oak in Brandon, near Coventry is the place.

FEATURE - Tech and reservations

FEATURE: Increase your footfall with the best bookings systems

23-Sep-2024 By Michelle Perrett

Technology is changing the way we work, communicate, socialise and even the way we eat and drink.

GBPA 2024

GBPA 2024: Greene King Pub of the Year – the Cott Inn, Dartington, Devon

23-Sep-2024 By The Morning Advertiser

With its thatched roof, ancient walls and country garden looks, steeped in 700 years of history and nestled in a fold of the Dart valley near Totnes, the Cott Inn is a pub that would make a chocolate box feel jealous.

GBPA 2024

GBPA 2024: Best Country Pub – the Tollemache Arms, Harrington, Northamptonshire

23-Sep-2024 By The Morning Advertiser

The Tollemache Arms stands out to anyone visiting due to its thatched roof that really attracts the eye.

GBPA 2024

GBPA 2024: Best Community Pub, sponsored by CCEP – the Swan, Windsor, Berkshire

23-Sep-2024 By The Morning Advertiser

The Swan in Clewer, near Windsor in Berkshire, is so much more than a pub to local people – it’s a wonderful community hub that is making a real social impact in its local area.

Gov details new measures to protect firms from 'rogue' energy brokers

20-Sep-2024 By Rebecca Weller

A new framework to protect firms from “rogue” energy brokers must be implemented “swiftly”, one trade body has warned.

GBPA 2024

In pictures: Great British Pub Awards 2024 winners

20-Sep-2024 By Rebecca Weller

Operators from across the country gathered at Manchester’s O2 Victoria Warehouse on Tuesday 17 September to celebrate the best in the industry at the 2024 Great British Pub Awards (GBPA).

OPINION

OPINION: The pub’s future through biodiversity

20-Sep-2024 By Hamish Stoddart, founder of Peach Pubs and coach, strategic adviser and non-exec to other smaller businesses

I am no scientist. I am an enthusiast for leaving the planet in the same or better state than it is now.

GBPA 2024

GBPA 2024 social media highlights

19-Sep-2024 By Felicity Giles

Operators from across the sector shared their wins and excitement on social media after a night of celebrating at the Great British Pub Awards (GBPA) 2024.

GBPA 2024

GBPA party pics: were you papped?

19-Sep-2024 By Gary Lloyd

The best in the business when it comes to running a pub gathered at the O2 Victoria Warehouse on Tuesday (17 September) to celebrate at the Great British Pub Awards.