Finance

Great springboard: on-premise drinks sales up 3% in the week to Saturday 19 November vs the same week in 2021 (Credit: Getty/ The Good Brigade)

Drinks sales 3% ahead of 2021

By Rebecca Weller

Average drinks sales across Britain's managed pubs, bars and restaurants exceeded 2021 levels for a ninth successive week, the latest Drinks Recovery Tracker from CGA by NielsenIQ has revealed.

High-class experience: Barkby Group acquires ninth site (Credit: Getty/Martin Barraud)

Barkby Group expands pub portfolio

By Rebecca Weller

Barkby Group has announced it has acquired the leasehold of a 19th Century village pub with accommodation in Gloucestershire.

Cultural and economic benefits: a new report has urged the Government to recognise the importance of the late-night sector (Credit: Getty/urbazon)

Gov urged to recognise club culture importance

By Rebecca Weller

A new report commissioned by the Electronic Impact Group in coordination with the Night-Time Industries Association (NTIA), B:electronic and the Association For Electronic Music (AFEM) has aimed to showcase the importance of electronic music and club...

Boost to trade: draught sales see 50% uplift during home nations World Cup opening games (Credit: Getty/FG Trade)

World Cup boosts pint sales by 50%

By Rebecca Weller

The FIFA 2022 World Cup boosted draught sales in the on-trade by 50% on Monday 21 November, the latest data from business management consultancy Oxford Partnership has revealed.

New rateable values: business rates to fall 17% for pubs but reductions do not go far enough according to Altus Group (Credit: Getty/John Lamb)

Business rates to fall by 17%

By Rebecca Weller

Business rates for pubs are set to fall by more than £247m under the 2023 revaluation of business properties, according to real estate advisers Altus Group.

Magnificent seven: The Wordsworth Hotel becomes The Inn Collection Group’s seventh acquisition of 2022

Inn Collection Group reaches 7th heaven

By Gary Lloyd

Newcastle-based pubs with rooms operator The Inn Collection Group has taken over the Wordsworth Hotel – its seventh acquisition of the year.

Job vacancies: despite initiatives such as higher wages, the sector is still short of labour (credit: Getty/Rowan Jordan)

11% of sector jobs remain vacant

By Gary Lloyd

One in nine hospitality jobs remain vacant despite successful recruitment processes post-Covid, such as offering higher wages, according to surveys by CGA by NielsenIQ and Fourth.

Christmas bookings in decline: BBPA data reveals bookings for the festive season are down 20% across the on-trade (Credit: Getty/eli_asenova)

Christmas bookings see 20% decline

By Rebecca Weller

Christmas bookings across the on-trade have shown a 20% drop, according to the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).

Human rights: Bars will encourage charity donations during World Cup (Getty/ Image Source)

Bars to donate to human rights charity during World Cup

By Amelie Maurice-Jones


Liverpool bars Bobo and Abditory in Merseyside are asking customers to support human rights charity Amnesty International during the Qatar World Cup to remind of the “wider issues at stake than football glory”.

CMBC's Kyle Le Vins on 5 myths surrounding cask ale

The cask project

Cask beer doesn’t sell – debunking 5 myths

By Gary Lloyd

Cask ale is difficult to keep and it doesn’t sell. Those are a couple of the 5 myths Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) on-trade category manager Kyle Le Vins has debunked about stocking cask beer.

Financial news: the Chancellor announced his Autumn Statement last week (image: Getty/SHansche)

‘Autumn Statement doesn’t go far enough’

By Nikkie Thatcher

The majority of pub operators do not think the Autumn Statement announced last week (Thursday 17 November) has gone far enough to help the sector, a flash poll has found.

Flourishing estates: KFC opens pub, Fuller's acquires sites, JDW set sights on 2023 O2 venue

PROPERTY ROUND-UP

KFC launches pub, Fuller's acquires 2 sites

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

This week's property round-up reveals Punch has ploughed more than £800k into its estate, as Fuller's acquires sites and KFC launches as a pub. The Alchemist and JD Wetherspoon look to open new sites in 2023.

Important role: OFGEM to investigate harm caused by bad practice regarding non-domestic suppliers (Credit: Getty/J J D)

OFGEM to investigate 'harm' caused by energy costs

By Rebecca Weller

OFGEM’s investigations into reports on the pressure and “harm” caused by non-domestic contacts amid the on-going energy crisis are an “important part” of the regulator’s role, the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has stated.

Operator opinion: has the Government's recent Autumn Statement gone far enough to help pubs? (image: Getty/CGinspiration)

Autumn statement 2022

What impact has the Autumn Statement had on pubs?

By Nikkie Thatcher

Following the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement announcement, we want to know it will help your business as the sector battles a myriad of rising costs including the ongoing energy crisis against falling consumer spending.

Saving Simpsons Tavern: Dispute between landlord and tenant continues (Getty/ simongurney)

Simpson's Tavern rent dispute continues

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The landlord of historic chophouse Simpson's Tavern said it had “no choice” but to lock its doors after the tenants failed to pay rent, a claim the tenants have rubbished as “a selectively remembered version of events”.

Businesses need more help: many say the Autumn Statement has not gone far enough (Credit: Getty/Aleli Dezmen)

autumn statement 2022

Business rates reform top of trade bodies’ wishlist

By Gary Lloyd

Sector bodies have demanded an urgent reform of business rates as their first priority of the Government after Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt delivered his Autumn Statement on Thursday 17 November.

Autumn Statement: Chancellor announces extension to rates relief (Credit:Getty/mammuth)

AUTUMN STATEMENT 2022

Rates relief increased to 75%

By Rebecca Weller

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has today (Thursday 17 November) announced an almost £14bn business rates support package for SMEs including an extension to business rates relief, as part of the Autumn Statement.

No relief: Jeremy Hunt made no mention of the rate of VAT (credit: UK Parliament 2022)

autumn statement 2022

VAT to stay at 20% despite calls to reduce it

By Gary Lloyd

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt has announced the 20% VAT rate will be maintained until March 2026 despite repeated calls from the hospitality sector for a reduction.

Wage change: the rise of 9.7% is the country's largest increase, according to the Government (image: Getty/MarianVejcik)

Autumn Statement 2022

NLW ‘biggest rise ever’ confirmed

By Nikkie Thatcher

The 9.7% increase in the National Living Wage (NLW) to £10.42 has been confirmed by the Chancellor in his Autumn Statement today (Thursday 17 November).

Unaffordable luxury: average cost of a pint sees biggest increase for 10 years (Credit: Getty/miodrag ignjatovic)

Pint sees biggest price hike in 10 years

By Rebecca Weller

The average cost of a pint of draught lager saw its biggest increase in 10 years between October 2021 and October 2022, figures released yesterday (Wednesday 16 November) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed.

Inflation continues to hit: almost all foodstuffs are experiencing double-digit inflation according to the CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index (credit: Getty/Henrik Sorensen)

Food prices rise by a fifth in 12 months

By Gary Lloyd

Food price inflation hit 19.9% in October – the ninth consecutive month of double-digit rises – according to the CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index.

Back of the net: Brian McDonald, licensee of the Canton Cross Vaults in Cardiff

Sky AdVans bid to push footy fans into pubs

By Gary Lloyd

With almost eight out of 10 sports fans looking to watch the World Cup in a pub, Sky has launched a fleet of AdVans across England and Wales to drive punters into sites.

Warning issued: Rob Easton says sites should be prepared for a big rise in footfall

Promotional content

Free support for hospitality to safeguard record festive turnover

By Rob Easton BSc, PgDip, MSc, MBA, of Shield Safety

Rob Easton, head of environmental health at Shield Safety, discusses the potential £4bn* revenue spike heading towards the UK’s hospitality sector during the 2022 festive period but warns venues could be at risk if they aren’t prepared for surging footfall.

Additional pressure: inflation hits highest level for more than 40-years with food prices making one of the biggest upwards contributions (Credit: Getty/ Ibrahim Akcengiz)

Inflation sees biggest increase in over 40-years

By Rebecca Weller

Record setting inflation figures will “undoubtedly cause anxiety” for businesses as keeping costs under control becomes “ever-more challenging”, according to leaders from across the sector.

Operator opinion: Gav Young from the Plough and Barleycorn hits back at recent price rises

opinion

A resignation by any other title

By Gav Young, the Plough and Barleycorn, Isle of Wight

The annual pantomime of brewery price rises has begun, kicked off by the same villain that brought you two price rises this year.

Numbers crunched: although managed groups have increased sales, other factors are cancelling out any gains (credit: Getty/andresr)

Sector sales growth wiped out by rising costs

By Gary Lloyd

Sales growth at hospitality sites during October has been wiped out by an onslaught of collective costs, such as inflation rising to 11.1%, according to the latest edition of the Coffer CGA Business Tracker.

Unprecedented conditions: staffing costs now a big worry for hospitality businesses (Credit: Getty/andresr)

Economic pressure holding recruitment back

By Rebecca Weller

Average regular pay rates saw the strongest growth outside of the pandemic from July to September 2022, figures released today (Tuesday 15 November) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed.

Clarity and certainty: BBPA calls for relief ahead of Autumn Statement to help sector survive difficult winter (Credit: Getty/Shaun Taylor)

Pint becoming 'unaffordable luxury'

By Rebecca Weller

The cost-of-living crisis is leading consumers to see having a pint in their local pub as an “unaffordable luxury” the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has stated.

Autumn Budget: pubs and breweries call for the beer duty freeze to be reinstated, a reduction to VAT and a reformation of the business rates system (Credit: Getty/Deejpilot)

Business rates could cost sector extra £900m

By Rebecca Weller

Business rates bill could see a £900m hike for the sector if it were to increase in line with inflation as part of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's Autumn Budget on Thursday (17 November).

Standing up for human rights: Would you say 'no' to the World Cup at your pub? (Getty/ Igor Barilo)

Would you boycott the World Cup at your pub?

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The Liverpool Arms and the Commercial Hotel & Bar in Chester, Cheshire, will boycott the upcoming World Cup due to worries over LGBTQ+ rights in Qatar where being gay is illegal.

Chris Jowsey of Admiral Taverns on government demands and future

Big Interview

BIG INTERVIEW: Great value key in next year says Jowsey

By Gary Lloyd

Admiral Taverns chief executive Chris Jowsey believes community wet-led pubs are going to be able weather the storms of the next 12 months more admirably than most so long as they provide great value and make every visit something to remember.

What's in the news 11 November

Reasons to be optimistic

By Ed Bedington

The MA's Ed Bedington caught up with Robinsons Brewery's William Robinson to discuss the economic outlook and grounds for optimism amid the challenges we're facing.

Lack of stability: NTIA claims UK is in recession as economy shrank in Q3 (Credit: Getty/atiatiati)

Trade body claims UK is 'in recession'

By Rebecca Weller

The UK is “in recession” as the sector continues to battle “onerous” rising costs, the Night-Time Industries Association (NTIA) has stated.

Out and about: Economic growth secure in cities but more support needed (Getty/ NORRIE3699)

Hospitality needs support to keep up growth

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Pubs, bars and restaurants are recording positive sales in Britain’s major cities – but high inflation is making real-terms growth very difficult, according to the latest Top Cities report.

Spotlight

(credit: Getty/ViewApart) Experts give comment for the Beer Report 2024 The Morning Advertiser's Lock In podcast episode 78 Making the most of your ghost Competition kicked off: entry for the 2024 Great British Pub Awards is now open Hunt is under way for the Great British Pub of the Year

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£ 60,000 - Leasehold

Busy location on coastal main road Extensively renovated detached public house Five trade areas (100)  Sizeable refurbished 4-5 bedroom accommodation Newly created beer garden (125) Established and popular business...

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