Archives for June 28, 2006

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Proving the brewery wrong

When Paul Clerehugh took on the Crooked Billet in Stoke Row, Oxfordshire, the pub was on its knees, but he's made it a £1m turnover outlet by dint of sheer hard work, sticking to basics and listening to his locals

Pubs need more time for smoking ban

Large numbers of pubs in England and Wales say they need more time to prepare for the smoking ban than the government is factoring in. More than half...

Tchenguiz shifts stake in Mitchells & Butlers

By Mark Stretton

Violet Capital, the vehicle used by Robert Tchenguiz to build a stake in Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), has declared that it no longer has a notifiable stake in the pub and restaurant group.

E-Pub: A fresh look at efficiency

Chefs tend, by their nature, to be a bit on the independent side. All of which is fine when you're asking them to develop signature dishes for a top...

Mill House moves into hotel market

By The PMA Team

Mill House Inns, the managed operator led by Ted Kennedy, is to operate a hotel division after buying the two biggest venues in its history for a...

Independence days could soon end

By Roger Protz

Gordon Brown could well be the next Prime Minister so we should listen carefully to what he says. His remarks now are an indication of the policies...

Football free pubs report good return

The Three Arrows in Middleton, on the outskirts of Manchester, is seeing soaring food sales with a range of promotions. Giving free bottles of wine...

Licence holder need not always be present

By Peter Coulson]

Much play is being made of the recent letter by Tessa Jowell, Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) to South Yorkshire MP Eric Illsley about the police insisting on a personal licence-holder always being on premises

Seafood... and eat it

Where would pubs be without seafood? Fish and chips, prawn cocktail and scampi are all mainstays of the pub menu. Beyond the classics, though, there...

Pub company websites failing disabled

Pub company websites are failing to meet the minimum requirements for the visually impaired. More than three-quarters (86 per cent) of businesses in...

Gadgets galore

Buying new equipment can be a minefield, so we've gathered together all the latest gadgets on the market to ensure licensees pick what's right for...

Bring on your people to help bring in business

Staff training is essential for any successful pub. In the first of a new series, award-winning licensee ALISON CARTER explains how investing in your workers will pay off handsomely

'Boring' checks stifle local pubs

High-profile licensee Paul Clerehugh has voiced his support for the Morning Advertiser's Save Our Local Pubs campaign slamming his local authorities...

Room for more

Pubs are an increasingly popular option for overnight stays. STUART RIDOUT gets the lowdown on how licensees can make the most of the bedroom boom

The pies have it

By Lucy Britner

Despite criticism from Stella McCartney and celebrity chef James Martin, camel pie is proving popular in Notting Hill. Lee Dunning's dogged...

Teaching an old Dog new tricks

Richard and Sherry Martin have transformed the Dog Inn at Wingham, Kent, but it's the 78-bin-strong wine list that makes the pub really stand out

Village people

Have you set up an internet café in your cellar? Maybe you host regular meetings of the local ferret-keepers club in your function room. You might...

City Comment: Hamish Champ

By Hamish Champ

It seems that barely a week goes by without yet another bid being launched or a deal being completed for one pub estate or another.According to a...

Star rating slashes pub trade

A Lincolnshire pub landlord is claiming his council's new health and safety star rating guide could bankrupt him. East Lindsey District Council's...

Rulings boost Premier League's position

The Premier League has claimed that two court rulings last week have bolstered its fight against foreign satellite operators. Sean Bennett, licensee...

No smoke-ban extension

By Andrew Pring

It's hard to know what to make of last week's bombshell "hint" that Government might also be banning smoking outside very shortly. But the safest...

Satellite battle to break monopoly

By Iain O'Neil

Confusion still reigns over the question of whether it is legal to use foreign satellite stations to show Premiership football in pubs. IAIN O'NEIL examines the issues

What EPoS can do for you - Feature

EPoS suppliers offer a variety of software modules to cover different aspects of the business, with licensees able to pick and choose which programs...

Finding the E-PoSitives - Feature

Pressures on profits and cutting costs mean more licensees are turning to technology to monitor their businesses. GRAHAM RIDOUT says it's good timing, as the price of EPoS systems is coming down

High street matures as regime beds down

By The PMA Team

The new licensing regulations are just a little over six months old, but in that time they have had a noticeable effect on behaviour on the town pub...