Archives for December 5, 2008

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So far not so bad, Home Sec

By Andrew Pring

The Queen's speech revealed plans for a new restrictive code for pubs, but not the draconian crackdown we feared, says Andrew Pring.

Dispense innovation brings sales

What have the Grolsch swing-top bottle, Magners and Guinness Extra Cold all got in common? When they were first launched, they were all examples of...

Top MP: ban on below-cost selling vital

By James Wilmore

Alcohol-related problems will only be solved if the government takes action against supermarkets selling alcohol below-cost, a senior Labour MP has...

'Illegal booze chemist jailed'

A disgraced chemist was behind bars last night for operating an illegal moonshine distillery which made him a staggering £10 million. Mridyul Das...

Brandy: The story behind the spirit

We all know the French smoke in an inimitably stylish way. The image of one of our cousins from across the Channel giving a gallic shrug while...

Marston's holds dividend as profits drop

By Ewan Turney

Marston's has held its final dividend to shareholders despite recording a 13% in profit before tax for the year to 4 October. Several other pubcos...

SIBA backs Publican's Make it the Minimum

By James Wilmore

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has become the latest group to back The Publican's Make it The Minimum campaign. At a SIBA council meeting...

Brandy: Shedding old-fashioned image

DO MANY of your customers slip on a velvet smoking jacket after dinner and retire outside to puff on a cigar, stroke their bushy military moustaches...

Gas rules to change

By John Harrington

Pubs with older cellar cooling and air-conditioning systems may have to upgrade them to abide by European rules from the start of 2010. New checks...

Copyright is still a battle of wills

By Peter Coulson

Although it takes the form of a licence, copyright in music still presents the trade with a thorny problem. It is not a simple licence with a fixed...

Wickwar launched credit crunch beer

By Sonya Hook

A Gloucestershire brewer has created a credit crunch beer to help cheer up drinkers during the current financial crisis. Wickwar Brewing Company has...

Consumer promotion for Echo Fall Spritz

In an effort to drive sales of its ready made spritzer brand Echo Falls Spritz, Constellation is running a promotion with 15 Bristol bars on the...

Gloom deepens as on-trade sales fall

By Tony Halstead

On-trade drink sales have continued their depressing decline with a drop in volumes of 8% for the year to the end of September, according to Nielsen....

Young's beer brands relaunched

Wells & Young's is to relaunch its Young's Bitter and Young's Special cask beer brands with new pump clips and above the line advertising...

Vote Labour? Never again

By Roger Protz

What on earth is the Government trying to do to pubs? Roger Protz can't believe its latest tax moves.

Who are the trade's friends?

By Peter Coulson

I was intrigued to read the comments of political journalist Adam Boulton recently on the thorny question of how Government departments treat the...