Archives for March 6, 2008

← 2008

Madge buys her local for £2.5m

Pop icon Madonna has gone into the pub business after forking out a reported £2.5m to buy the historic Punch Bowl in Mayfair, London. And it's a...

Rates threat to vacant pubs

By Joe Lutrario joe.lutrario@william-reed.co.uk

A pubco property boss has said that the empty-property relief rate changes will not alter how his company looks at empty sites. Punch Taverns...

MyNewPub

The Pear Tree Hildersham Cambridgeshire Agent: GA-Select John and Gillian Harris have just taken on the Pear Tree, a village pub in an affluent area...

LETTERs

Supermarket smoke screen Re: "Scrap cheap deals - now" (MA, 28 February 2008), Asda and the other supermarkets need to go much further. For...

MyShout

Being a good businessman means dealing with failure as well as success, says Peter Linacre I am sure we all have our own personal soundtracks to our...

Annabel throws down the gauntlet

CHILDREN'S FOOD is undoubtedly picking up momentum in pubs, with the importance of quality, healthy dishes increasingly recognised. But one celebrity...

Breakfast focus: Say cheese!

The changing breakfast habits of Britons offer new challenges as well as opportunities for pubs, according to Bel UK Foodservice, producer of several...

BrandsBriefs

Tenth flavour for Corky's Global Brands has added a 10th flavour to its Corky's range of vodka shots. Corky's Cappuccino, which will be available...

Land with a silver lining

Foreign investment in Argentina has elevated it to fifth place among the world's largest wine producers. Fiona Sims reports How have things changed...

The Agents

John Clyne Public houses negotiator Christie+Co The effects of the credit crunch have been widely reported and Christie+Co's own statistics showed...

Connect to dream machines

Ensure a good payout by installing amusement machines that give punters a more interactive experience Revenue from amusement with prize (AWP)...

City diary

By The PMA Team

Opening bars of the Bluus Marston's is lining up a City of London opening for its Bluu Bar Brasseries chain, acquired from the Fat Cat Group a few...

Coping with the unthinkable

Do you have an emergency plan to help you deal with the harsh reality of a terrorist attack on your venue? John Harrington offers advice from the experts

Coors UK rejigs sales director role

Coors Brewers has split its sales director role following the departure of John Holberry, who is to leave the group later this month to join Magners...

Sizing up the way to sell or expand

Peter Hansen, partner with MA100 sponsor Sapient Corporate Finance, explains finance-raising and selling Smaller companies have the same financial...

Hosts face red-card clampdown

By Tony Halstead THals22851@aol.com

Government proposes opening restrictions and soccer-style card scheme to cut bingeing The Government has ruled out significant changes to the...

MP asks for new probe into pubcos

By John Harrington john.harrington@william-reed.co.u

A Liberal Democrat MP has called for the Competition Commission to investigate pubcos and how they "exploit" licensees. Tim Farron has written to the...

New regulations spell end to BOGOF

Pubs will have to be more careful about the wording of promotions if legislation restricting use of the word 'free' gets the go-ahead.The Consumer...

Foreign satellite supplier could face jail

By James Wilmore

A supplier of foreign satellite football equipment is facing jail after pleading guilty to eight charges of supplying decoder cards to pubs. Mark...

Food pubs urged to serve free tap water

By Joe Lutrario joe.lutrario@william-reed.co.uk

The Government and the UK's biggest water provider are urging the hospitality industry to offer free tap water to customers as a matter of course....

NEWS OF THE BREWS

Hogs Back Brewery Surrey brewer Hogs Back is to take over the sales and distribution of a leading Hampshire cider maker from this month. With both...

Power rangers

No-one is more surprised about the result of the Efficiency Factor competition than the winner ­ Simon Taylor-Williams, licensee of Ye Olde Albion...

PubChef's winners

A former London PR director turned pub owner and self-taught chef has been crowned PubChef of the Year 2008. Ross Williams, who left London five...

Breakfast focus: Up for the cup

However else we start the day, for most of us a cuppa is essential - and a profitable tea and coffee offer is an opportunity many pubs still have...

Music to the ears

Jukeboxes are part of the furniture in most pubs. And new technology means customers can choose a tune without leaving their seats The humble jukebox...

Licensing@aol.com

No report of accident Q One of my part-time bar staff who has worked at this pub for many years slipped on the cellar steps and has now been off work...

Snifter salutes Jock Woodhouse

Snifter is saddened to hear of the death of John "Jock" Woodhouse, former commander of the Special Air Service Regiment, former chairman of regional...

Fleurets warns sellers of dip

By Joe Lutrario joe.lutrario@william-reed.co.uk

In a frank assessment of the market, Fleurets has warned sellers that they will have to expect less for their business this year than in 2007, in...

Game for a profit

Offering poker in pubs has really caught on. Graham Ridout leads off a four-page special on entertainment with a look at how to make poker a success...

THE GUV'NOR

Graham Earl Dennet The licensee of the Rams Head, Grappenhall, in Cheshire, says using alternative energy sources can help your finances As most...

Proof of the pudding

The old saying about how to gauge the worth of a pudding has been put to the test by family brewer McMullens - a test its pub chefs passed with...

Trade lays in to new measures on alcohol

By James Wilmore

Trade leaders have questioned a raft of tough new government measures to tackle underage sales and alcohol-related problems, announced off the back...

Tories' three-strikes underage sales plan

By John Harrington john.harrington@william-reed.co.u

The Conservative Party wants a "three strikes and you're out" rule for underage booze sales and a ban on selling alcohol below cost price. The Tories...

Pompey play Devils' advocate

By Helen Bendell helen.bendell@william-reed.co.uk

Portsmouth suffered with the absence of five key players during the Africa Cup of Nations but their squad has been restored to full strength....

Copper Dragon Brewery to double capacity

By The PMA Team

Copper Dragon Brewery, the Skipton-based cask ale producer, is to double its brewing capacity by moving to a larger £2.5m site in the town,...

Sign of the times?

According to a new marketing report, badly written chalkboards in pubs can be enough to make sure customers do not visit again.Marketing company...

Forced to display pub hours

Some issues in licensing crop up regularly in correspondence, and once again there is a dispute about the display of pub opening hours, which is...

BarTalk

How was trade on Mothers' Day? Nigel Anstead White Horse Bedford It was a very good day for us. We didn't do anything different but we had about 200...

Hot pub grub for Grantham schools

A Grantham pub is to provide hot meals to its neighbouring primary school in a scheme which brings the pub to the hub of its local community. The...

Ingredients for success

Joe Cussens tells Mark Taylor why identifying what customers want has made the Marlborough Tavern one of Bath's best food pubs Why our food business...

Supermarkets plan Easter price wars

By Ewan Turney ewan.turney@william-reed.co.uk

Supermarkets are hotting up for an Easter beer price war despite last week's responsible retailing rhetoric. Last week, Tesco said it wants to raise...