Finance

The late-night levy – where are we now and what is next?

24-Jun-2022 By Suraj Desor, associate solicitor at Poppleston Allen

With the news that Nottingham City Council is considering removing the late-night levy that is currently in place, 10 years on from its introduction, how has it fared and what next for the levy?

Vote now: Which day of the week has the highest level of trade for your pub?

23-Jun-2022 By Rebecca Weller

Hybrid working and the cost-of-living crisis have had a significant impact to on premise trading patterns, new research from CGA and NielsenIQ has revealed.

Late-night sector losing up to 40% trade due to strikes

23-Jun-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Late-night hospitality businesses are losing up to 40% of trade because of the ongoing rail strikes, according to the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA).

100 days left of paper £20 and £50 notes

23-Jun-2022 By Nikkie Thatcher

The Bank of England has urged anyone who still has paper £20 and £50 notes to use them or deposit them to the bank, ahead of the cash being withdrawn later this year.

‘Urgent relief’ needed as inflation hits 40-year high

23-Jun-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Hospitality “urgently needs relief” as inflation hits a 40-year peak of 9.1%, further barring businesses from profitability, warned trade bodies.

Increase in spend and numbers eating dinner at pubs

23-Jun-2022 By Gary Lloyd

The number of people eating dinner at pubs has risen and their average spend during this day part has increased by 10%, according to data from Lumina Intelligence’s Eating & Drinking Out Panel.

Star Pubs & Bars strikes energy deal for its licensees

22-Jun-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Star Pubs & Bars has used its bulk-buying power to thrash out a money-saving energy deal for its licensees that will last for a year.

Operator calls on MPs to help sector amid soaring energy costs

22-Jun-2022 By Rebecca Weller

A Canterbury based operator has written to local MPs in desperation as his pubs utility bills face an increase of some £60,000, stating many hospitality businesses are already in survival mode.

Inflation hits 40-year high at 9.1%

22-Jun-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Rising food, energy and fuel costs has seen the rate of inflation hit 9.1% for May – the fastest rise in 40 years, according to the latest statistics from the Office of National Statistics.

PROPERTY ROUND-UP

Shepherd Neame and Brewers Fayre launch new sites, Christie & Co present chance to acquire village pub

22-Jun-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Shepherd Neame and Brewers Fayre launch new venues, and there are pub openings to look forward to in Suffolk, Stratford and Milton Keynes while Christie & Co presents the chance to acquire a village pub.

Punch explores possibility of Amber Taverns takeover

17-Jun-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Multiple operator Punch Pubs is looking into the possibility of taking over Blackpool-based Amber Taverns.

Spending stalls as managed pubcos lfl sales fall

17-Jun-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Like-for-like (lfl) sales at Britain’s leading managed pub groups in May fell by 1% versus pre-Covid-19 levels of 2019, the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker has revealed.

SLTA – rail strike will contribute to ‘perfect storm’ for Scottish hospitality

17-Jun-2022 By Gary Lloyd

The Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) has warned the upcoming UK-wide rail strike scheduled to take place next week could be “very serious” for the trade as it works to recover from the pandemic and could lead to a “perfect storm” this summer.

How pubs are capitalising on Father’s Day 2022

16-Jun-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Pubs across the country are making the most of Father’s Day (Sunday 19 June); celebrating dads with free pints, Sunday roasts and live music.

BrewDog launches £12m eco-friendly plant plan

16-Jun-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Scottish brewer and bar operator BrewDog has commissioned work to create a £12m bio-energy plant at its Ellon base that will power the production of 176m pints per year while reducing carbon emissions by 7,500 tonnes.

PROPERTY ROUND-UP

Greene King announces tenth Hive pub, Robinsons Brewery invests in 3 sites, Mayfair & Mersea Island venues open

15-Jun-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Greene King has launched its tenth Hive pub as Robinsons Brewery invests in three sites, while venues open or prepare for launch in Mersea Island, Mayfair, Birmingham and Harrogate.

Whitbread sales 'approaching pre-pandemic' levels

15-Jun-2022 By Shwetali Sapte

Whitbread has announced its food and beverage sales recovered throughout FY22 and are approaching pre-pandemic levels, with like-for-like (lfl) sales 566.5% ahead vs FY22 but 7.6% behind vs FY20.

Inglenook acquires 9 pubs from Bolton operator Tonge Leisure

15-Jun-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Multiple operator Inglenook Inns & Taverns has completed the acquisition of nine pubs from Tonga Leisure.

9 out of 10 financially hit by cost-of-living crisis

15-Jun-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Around 9 out of 10 consumers are financially impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, revealed new research by Hospitality Guest Experience Management (HGEM).

BEER DAY BRITAIN 2022

450m more pints sold in 2022 first quarter vs 2021

15-Jun-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Almost 450m more pints were sold in the first quarter of 2022 versus 2021 thanks to the ending of Covid restrictions in pubs, new data from the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) revealed ahead of Beer Day Britain today (15 June).

Pubs fear recession is on the horizon as economy contracts 0.3%

14-Jun-2022 By Rebecca Weller

The UK economy contracted by 0.3% in April, statistics from Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed earlier this week as some pubs feared they were already seeing a recession.

250 pubs sign up to grassroots sports campaign

14-Jun-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Some 250 pubs have signed up to the Grassroots Sports Champion programme, which supports venues that host any type of sports team.

Revolution Bars Group confident in trading update

14-Jun-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Multiple operator Revolution Bars Group has announced it is confident of delivering EBITDA results “slightly ahead” of market expectations that currently stand at £10m.

'Use local pubs' plea from operator as Gov funding reopens

14-Jun-2022 By Rebecca Weller

The Government has announced Community Ownership Funding applications have been opened once again, but one operator stated communities should use a pub to save it before it needs rescuing from funding.

JDW repeats call for tax equality between pubs and supermarkets

14-Jun-2022 By Nikkie Thatcher

Pub behemoth JD Wetherspoon has reiterated its request to the Government that tax between the on and off-trade is equal.

Sector suffers ‘discernible’ drop in confidence

13-Jun-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Confidence levels in the future of the hospitality sector have fallen dramatically between November last year and now, according to research by accountancy firm Haysmacintyre.

Jubilee weekend 'disappointing' for majority of operators

13-Jun-2022 By Rebecca Weller

Three quarters of operators did not see any boost to trade across the Platinum Jubilee weekend (Thursday 2 – Sunday 5 June), a snap poll by the Morning Advertiser (MA) has found.

Side dish prices rise by 9.1%

13-Jun-2022 By Nikkie Thatcher

Operators are having to push prices up in a bid to battle ongoing inflation and the cost-of-living crisis and Lumina Intelligence has broken down how much dishes are now costing.

Lending to hospitality drops by £1.4bn

13-Jun-2022 By Nikkie Thatcher

Bank lending to small and medium hospitality firms after the end of coronavirus loan schemes has fallen by more than £1.4bn to £14.61bn in April 2022.

Promotional content

Execute the perfect serve and win Coca-Cola stock and glassware

13-Jun-2022 By Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP)

The hospitality sector has firmly reopened, with soft drinks value sales up 72% year-on-year and cola sales up even more at 76% year-on-year[1].

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Big savings for operators with Heineken’s Buying Club

13-Jun-2022 By Heineken UK

Heineken UK has ramped up the number of money-saving opportunities through its Buying Club in recent months, offering exclusive deals to its on-trade customers.

Licensee forced to leave pub amid soaring energy costs

10-Jun-2022 By Rebecca Weller

A Northamptonshire licensee has been forced to give up her pub due to rocketing energy and operating costs.

Soaring prices to extend into 2023 after third month of double-digit inflation

10-Jun-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Foodservice prices in April were 10% higher than in April 2021 in what is the third month of double-digit inflation in a row thanks to high energy costs and unstable global supply, the latest edition of the Foodservice Price Index revealed.

Admiral Taverns invests £300k into Lancashire town pubs

09-Jun-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Community pub group Admiral Taverns has ploughed more than £300,000 into two pubs in Accrington, Lancashire.

Fuller’s pumped £26m into estate during last financial year

09-Jun-2022 By Nikkie Thatcher

London-based pub company Fuller’s has revealed it continued to maintain capital investment across its portfolio, putting £26m into its portfolio across the year.

Jubilee weekend 'not the major boost' trade expected

09-Jun-2022 By Rebecca Weller

The Jubilee bank holiday saw a lift in food and drink sales for Britain’s pubs, bars, and restaurants, however street parties dented trading over the weekend, according to CGA by NielsenIQ’s latest trading data.

Are we all doomed?

09-Jun-2022 By Ed Bedington

According to Luke Johnson, we might as well pack up our bags and go home, but are we as doomed as he suggests?

Sector still 'fragile' amid further fuel cost rises

09-Jun-2022 By Rebecca Weller

Continuously rising fuel prices have been feared to further impact supply chain issues and increasing food costs across the sector as petrol prices once again rocketed earlier this week.

3 in 4 worry about future food costs as inflation bites

08-Jun-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The cost of food is a future major worry for three out of four people in the UK according to research by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

Fresho advances plans to make UK food supply chains more sustainable

08-Jun-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Fresho, a company aiming to make food supply chains more sustainable between restaurants and suppliers, has accelerated its UK expansion plans after raising £8m.

City Pub Group like-for-like sales up 5% on 2019

08-Jun-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Multiple operator City Pub Group has said its like-for-like sales have continued to strengthen faster than predicted as its May 2022 figures are 5% ahead of the same period in 2019.

Industry facing 'two years of hell'

08-Jun-2022 By Ed Bedington

The industry is facing “two years of hell” and needs to “batten down the hatches and probably pray” according to one leading sector investor.

Licensee hit with injunction over illegal Sky Sports screenings

07-Jun-2022 By Gary Lloyd

A licensee has been made the subject of an injunction – the first of its kind – prohibiting her from screening Sky Sports at any pub unless she enters the correct commercial contracts with Sky.

CGA acquired by NielsenIQ

07-Jun-2022 By The Morning Advertiser

Global information services firm NielsenIQ has announced the acquisition of insight company CGA.

Spending slows for pubs due to cost-of-living crisis

07-Jun-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Consumer spending slowed by 1.2% for pubs, clubs and bars in May compared to the same period in 2021, as the cost-of-living crisis squeezes Brits’ budgets.

£3.5m pumped into first Revolution Bars to open since Covid

07-Jun-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Revolution Bars group has ploughed £3.5m into its new Exeter, Devon and Preston, Lancashire venues – its first openings since the start of the pandemic.

Night Time Enterprise Zones will boost London’s recovery

07-Jun-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The Mayor of London has announced today (7 June) a £500,000 programme to create Night Time Enterprise Zones in the capital to fuel London’s economic recovery.

Pub partnerships saw £360m cancelled rent during pandemic

07-Jun-2022 By Rebecca Weller

Just under three quarters (70%) of operators who received support from a pub company during the pandemic felt satisfied with the help provided, according to new research from insight agency KAM Media.

Liberation Group chief hails ‘sector-leading’ performance

07-Jun-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Channel Islands and West Country-based brewer and operator Liberation Group has announced its managed UK pubs have seen like-for-like (lfl) sales grow 18.6% for the final three quarters of its financial year ended 29 January 2022, versus the same period...

Red Oak Taverns renovates the Horseshoes pub

06-Jun-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Multiple operator Red Oak Taverns has renovated the Horseshoes pub in Blunham, near Bedford, to the delight of its licensees.