Alcoholic Beverage

BBPA: beer should have been included in low-strength consultation

21-Mar-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has hit out at the Government’s low-strength consultation, which focused on wine and cider, because beer was not included.

Category update

How the RTD category can grow sales in pubs

20-Mar-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Ready-to-drink (RTD) brands must change their image if they are to remain relevant to modern consumers and thrive in the coming years, WKD producers SHS Drinks has claimed.

JD Wetherspoon to slash 7.5% off food and drink at 900+ pubs

16-Mar-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

JD Wetherspoon (JDW) chairman Tim Martin will hack 7.5% off all food and drink prices for one day across his 900+ pub estate later this year to demonstrate the effect a VAT cut could have on the hospitality industry. 

Heineken launches new Desperados 'Dos' double Tequila flavoured beer

13-Mar-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

Heineken has launched a new variant of its Tequila-flavoured beer, Desperados, aimed at drawing in younger, late-night drinkers. 

Shift in drinking habits presents ‘significant’ opportunity for manufacturers

10-Mar-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Brits are “actively moderating” their drinking habits, with more than half of the nation’s beer, wine and cider drinkers claiming they drink less than a few years ago, according to research from Mintel.

Spring Budget: Majority of pubs to get £1,000 business rate discount

08-Mar-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Chancellor Philip Hammond has vowed to protect local pubs and the “valuable work they do” by giving 90% of them a £1,000 business rate discount in the spring budget today (8 March).

Pubs lose out to supermarkets in Christmas fizz sales

08-Mar-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

More than 45m bottles of sparkling wine were sold in the UK at Christmas, but just 5m of those were bought in the on-trade, the rest being purchased in supermarkets.

Spring Budget: duty rises for beer, cider, wine and spirits

08-Mar-2017 By Liam Coleman

Alcohol duty will rise for beer, cider, wine and spirits, the chancellor has announced in the budget.

Budget 2017: six things for pubs to look out for

07-Mar-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Concerns about rises in business rates and the potential fallout of Brexit means pubs up and down the country are hoping chancellor Phillip Hammond will offer them some financial respite in the budget on 8 March.

Soft drinks: little mix can pay off big

07-Mar-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

The rise in popularity of soft drinks isn’t just down to thirsty designated drivers or those on a health kick. It is the flavour they provide in cocktails and mixed drinks that is helping the category push on.

Blaze a trail: the pros and cons of being part of a pub crawl

07-Mar-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

A pub crawl may not be the best thing to happen at your business if you are worried about infringing licensing guidelines, but don’t dismiss the idea because a variation of the theme can bring great profit.

Jägermeister ‘premiumises’ with Manifest

02-Mar-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Jägerbomb this and you’ll be in serious trouble because the launch of Jägermeister’s first super-premium herbal liqueur Manifest has been developed for the discerning drinker.

Dark Star to open fifth site

28-Feb-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

Brewer and pub operator Dark Star Brewing Co will open its fifth site in Crawley, West Sussex.

Pub beer sales down 2.9%

24-Feb-2017 By Liam Coleman

More than 100,000 fewer barrels of beer were sold in pubs in the final months of 2016 compared to the year before, while off-trade beer sales continued to rise, according to figures from the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).

Responsible drinking messages in pubs 'largely ignored'

22-Feb-2017 By Liam Coleman

Alcohol Research UK has called for a "multi-pronged" approach to responsible drinking in pubs after a study revealed that posters encouraging drinking in moderation are largely ignored in a pub environment.

Black Sheep founder cuts fine figure as a beer font

21-Feb-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

The Morning Advertiser looks at this week's top drinks products.

JDW will be first pub chain to show drinks calories

19-Feb-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Calorie information for all pub giant JD Wetherspoon’s (JDW) drinks will be shown on its menu and website for the first time from next month.

Bar staff insider: customer's rights

15-Feb-2017 By Bar staff insider

When refusing to serve a customer for theirs and your own sake, said customer doesn’t always see it the same way.

2017 drinks trends: what to stock

13-Feb-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Gin will give way to Tequila and more consumers will seek to buy only locally-made alcoholic drinks, including craft beer and spirits.

Carling offers pubs up to £30k support in Premier League tie-up

10-Feb-2017 By Liam Coleman

Carling is offering licensees ‘Bottoms Up’ pint dispensers, access to 4K HD coverage of football matches and discounts for Sky TV as part of a Premier League partnership promotion.

Disney pub crawl pairs drinking and dressing up

10-Feb-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Glasgow's pub scene will be awash with Disney fans who will dress up as their favourite fairytale characters for a magical pub crawl in March.

Outrage over supermarkets’ cheap Valentine’s meal deals

09-Feb-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Supermarkets are throwing their low tax rates in the faces of Britain’s pubs by selling cheap Valentine’s Day meal deals, which can cost up to 300% less than similar out-of-home dinners.

2017 wine trends: Prosecco reigns but Italian reds poised for growth

08-Feb-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

Prosecco may be Brits' favourite wine, but lesser-known Italian regions are poised for greater popularity, according to a leading wine expert.

BBPA rebukes calls for wine and spirit duty cut

06-Feb-2017 By Liam Coleman

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has dismissed the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA)'s calls for a cut in wine and spirit duty at the upcoming Budget and reiterated its own call for cuts to beer duty.

Gap in the market for no-booze pub, claims pop-up bar owner

27-Jan-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Alcohol-free pop-up bar owner Jamie Walker has said there is a gap in the market for a booze-free pub.

Why Dry January is no longer a period of doom and gloom

19-Jan-2017 By Sara Hussein

The emptiness of a pub in January after a hectic Christmas can strike fear into the heart of any licensee but perhaps this month has the potential to be as fruitful as any other when pubs make the most of the opportunities

Scottish pubs struggling with legislative burdens

18-Jan-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Drink-driving legislation and rising business rates are the biggest challenges facing pubs in Scotland, new research from the Scottish Licensed Trade Association has revealed.

Meet the Publican Awards nominees: Best Drinks Offer, sponsored by Coca-Cola European Partners

17-Jan-2017 By Liam Coleman

Five companies with exceptional drink offers will be hoping to be named as the best in the trade at the upcoming Publican Awards.

North Bar Co switches to fully printed cans

16-Jan-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

The brewing arm of North Bar Co is set to move away from its current paper labels after updated designs were approved for printed cans.

Percy pledges Government support for community pubs

16-Jan-2017 By Liam Coleman

Pubs minister Andrew Percy has called on UK pub companies and drinks manufacturers to support community pub movements, such as Pub is the Hub.

Dry January

More than half of consumers want more support from pubs for Dry January

12-Jan-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

More than 50% of consumers have said pubs and bars should promote non-alcohol drinks to help support non-drinkers through Dry January, according to reports.

gastropubs

Ex-Gordon Ramsay chef: 'Pubs can be as good as the best restaurants'

11-Jan-2017 By Daniel Woolfson

Steven Ellis worked at some of the country's top Michelin-starred restaurants before opening Windsor gastropub the Oxford Blue. He tells Daniel Woolfson why he fell in love with the pub trade.

My Pub

My Pub: GBPA Winner The Bull, Ditchling, East Sussex

04-Jan-2017 By Ed Bedington and Sara Hussein

Set in the heart of East Sussex, the Bull has come a long way in the past 14 years. Now crowned Great British Pub of the Year 2016, this historic pub is, according to owner Dominic Worrall, ready to take on new challenges in this charming little village.

Health

Men push women off #DryJanuary wagon

04-Jan-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Men are more likely to push their female partners off the #DryJanuary wagon, goad them into breaking healthy drinking plans and consume more alcohol than the other way round.

Pubs code

Industry welcomes stocking rights clarification

23-Dec-2016 By Michelle Perrett

The industry has responded positively to the recent announcement from the pubs code adjudicator (PCA) over stocking rights but said more clarification is needed. 

Community

Heineken campaign to reinforce pubs' community role

22-Dec-2016 By Nikkie Sutton

Heineken has joined forces with a national poetry champion to shine a light on the important role pubs play in building community spirit. 

2017 Predictions

2017 Predictions: Mountstevens outlines key forecasts for next year

19-Dec-2016 By Nikkie Sutton

Star Pubs & Bars managing director Lawson Mountstevens predicts 2017 will be about “experimentation, premiumisation, unusual mixers, flavoured spirits and authentic artisan food”.

Drink-driving

Pubs tackle drink-driving with free soft drinks and bus rides

19-Dec-2016 By Michelle Perrett

Pubs are backing the safer drinking message and helping to crack down on drink-driving during the festive period.

JDW

2017 predictions: JDW boss slams BBPA Brexit warnings

16-Dec-2016 By Nikkie Sutton

JD Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin has hit back at BBPA chief executive Brigid Simmonds following her claims that Brexit and its consequences will be the main challenge for the sector next year.

Legislation

‘Targeted by supermarkets’: Save the Pub Group could protect pubs under amended planning law

13-Dec-2016 By Sara Hussein

The Parliamentary Save the Pub Group has put forward an amendment to planning proposals that would give more protection to pubs. 

Bar Talk

Bar talk: how do you encourage drivers not to drink alcohol?

13-Dec-2016 By Nikkie Sutton

This week's bar talk hones in on what operators offer to their customers who are driving rather than drinking alcohol.

Drink driving

Pub staff should 'chat with customers' to help discourage drink-driving

12-Dec-2016 By Helen Gilbert

Publicans have a role to play in spreading the anti drink-drive message this Christmas, the chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association has said.

Designated Driver

Go soft or go home

06-Dec-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Designated drivers amongst a group of Christmas revellers can boost the dwell time of the whole party as well as their spend, here we explore how to give the drivers just as good a time as the drinkers.

Designated Driver

How Scotland’s drink-drive law has changed pubs

06-Dec-2016 By Phil Mellows

Scotland’s lower drink drive limits have had a profound effect on the pub trade, leaving a significant amount of sites with a decline in trade. Has this led to a crisis or opened up opportunities for change? Phil Mellows reports

Designated Driver

Death by drink driving: changing a nation

06-Dec-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

The festivities around Christmas are always tempered by warnings about the dangers of drinking and driving, and the mayhem it can cause to the lives of victims and perpetrators alike. But there is an underlying message of hope behind the grim stats –...

Designated Driver

Food and soft drink pairing

06-Dec-2016 By Andrew Don

No one bats an eyelid when wines are paired with specific dishes, and it should be no different with soft drinks. Andrew Don reports

Designated Driver

Soft swaps for alcoholic drinks

06-Dec-2016 By Sara Hussein and Jane Peyton

This month, the on-trade will witness the highest sales of alcohol compared with the rest of the year. Can soft drinks equal the likes of beer, spirits and Champagne, or are they likely to wane during the festive cheer? Sara Hussein and Jane Peyton report

Spirits

'First Scottish white rum' to be launched

30-Nov-2016 By James Evison

Boilermaker Drinks has announced the launch of what it claims is the first white rum to be distilled on Scottish soil, SeaWolf.

Drinks trends

Drinks Trends: what was big in 2016 and what is to come

29-Nov-2016 By Nikkie Sutton

We all know that gin and craft beer are the big movers and shakers in drinks trends right now. But what else is making the ground move for licensees, and what’s around the corner?

Property

Redcomb adds Potters Bar pub to fast-growing estate

24-Nov-2016 By James Evison

Multi-site operator Redcomb Pubs has added a further site to its fast-growing portfolio of outlets having only acquired its previous site in October.