Food

Charlotte Vincent: ‘Rural pubs are having to reinvent the wheel’

08-Dec-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The Morning Advertiser caught up with Charlotte Vincent on shifting food trends in the pub sector after she took home the title of Best Chef at The Great British Pub Awards 2023.

‘It’s hard to forecast anything at the moment’

08-Dec-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

The unpredictability of trade is just one of the challenges outlined by one gastropub operator in the lead up to Christmas.

Chef Dominic Chapman to open Henley restaurant

08-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario, Restaurant

Berkshire-based chef Dominic Chapman is set to open his first restaurant, in Henley, offering ‘his unique take on classic British dishes’.

ESTRELLA DAMM TOP 50 GASTROPUBS

Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list 2024 unveiled

05-Dec-2023 By The Morning Advertiser

The 2024 Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list is set to be revealed in full next month (December).

The Lock In Podcast

We kid you not....

04-Dec-2023 By Ed Bedington

Children and pubs, a classic combination, or not! The Lock In team take a look at the joys of targeting the family market and how pubs can make it work.

Dominic Chapman leaves the Beehive

01-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario, Restaurant

Chef Dominic Chapman is moving on from his highly-rated The Beehive pub in Berkshire having sold on the lease to Tangy Treat Ltd for an undisclosed sum.

Foodservice price inflation drops 20%

30-Nov-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Foodservice price inflation (FPI) decreased for the fifth consecutive month in October, the CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index has revealed.

MY PUB

My Pub: the Red Lion, Freshwater, Isle of Wight

27-Nov-2023 By Gary Lloyd

The Red Lion in Freshwater, on the Isle of Wight, is located in a building more than 1,000 years ago and is a foodie heaven for many.

Most pubs charge more than £30 for Xmas dinner

23-Nov-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Almost a third of pubs will charge in excess of £30 for Christmas dinner, a snap poll conducted by The Morning Advertiser has revealed.

Organiser of Kerridge’s Pub in the Park festivals collapses

21-Nov-2023 By Gary Lloyd

The events organiser behind celebrity chef Tom Kerridge’s Pub in the Park food and music festivals has collapsed, leaving HMRC £1.1m out of pocket.

Why are pubs hooked on fish and chips?

20-Nov-2023 By Ed Bedington

Fish and chips are a staple of the pub menu, but why is that? The Lock In team cast their net to find out where the tradition comes from and why it's such a popular menu item.

How a brewery creates a festive beer

17-Nov-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Norfolk brewery Woodforde’s wants to set the scene for enjoying a pint at Christmas.

POLL

How much should pubs charge for Xmas dinner?

15-Nov-2023 By Rebecca Weller

How much should pub operators charge customers for Christmas dinner? Have your say in our snap poll.

MY PUB

My Pub: the Shibden Mill Inn, Halifax, West Yorkshire

14-Nov-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Perennial award-winning pub the Shibden Mill Inn is a dream destination for foodies across the UK.

Loungers opens four sites, roll-out plans on track

13-Nov-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Loungers boss Nick Collins has expressed his joy at opening four sites since mid-September and confirmed the company’s fast-track roll-out plans are on track.

POLL

POLL: Is your outside space appealing during winter?

08-Nov-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Outside space at pubs is a sure-fire way to increase footfall during summer but how does your site fare during the colder and darker months?

JDW hikes Christmas dinner price by 13%

07-Nov-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has raised the price of its Christmas dinner by 13% for 2023, but the pub goliath claims it’s still “excellent value”.

Spending up but consumers 'cutting back' ahead of Xmas

07-Nov-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Spending in pubs and bars grew 5.9% in the year to October, data from Barclaycard has revealed.

The Lock In Podcast

Going to the dogs...

06-Nov-2023 By Ed Bedington

With dog ownership booming, the Lock In team get to grips with how pubs can best embrace man's best friend and create the paw-fect (sorry) doggy offer.

MY PUB

My Pub: the Beresford Arms, Morpeth, Northumberland

30-Oct-2023 By Gary Lloyd

The Beresford Arms in a food-led gastropub in the north of England that was a finalist in the Great British Pub Awards in the Best Pub for Food category.

PROMOTIONAL CONTENT

Explore a world of flavours with Mission Foods

30-Oct-2023 By Mission Foods

Looking to make your pub menu really stand out this autumn-winter season?

OPINION

Sober October deniers’ pubs will struggle to survive

30-Oct-2023 By Hari Fell, Tudor Farmhouse Hotel, Clearwell, Gloucestershire, and founder of NoLo Cocktails

As a hotelier of 20 years and having given up alcohol more than four years ago, I read Gav Young’s opinion piece ‘A Pub is for life not for 10 months of the year’ with dismay.

Pubs counter ‘no-shows double’ research claim

27-Oct-2023 By Gary Lloyd

The unwelcome sight of increased numbers of ‘no-shows’ has reared its ugly head once again in the sector but not all pubs The Morning Advertiser spoke to are convinced the situation is getting worse.

FEATURE - FOOD TRENDS

FEATURE: Food trends for winter

27-Oct-2023 By Emma Eversham

Shorts and T-shirts have finally been replaced by sweaters and sou’westers as the UK’s weather resumes its usual service following an unseasonably warm and dry September and October.

‘We need to be busier than ever to break even'

20-Oct-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

London’s first vegan pub just celebrated its busier summer on record, but despite this, it has not been making any money.

OPINION

Company culture: how we can stand out from the pack

20-Oct-2023 By Kamran Dehdashti and Jamie Hazeel, founders, Little Door & Co

In the current economic climate, many hospitality businesses are finding the conditions tougher than ever – margins are being squeezed across the board, and revenue is less reliable and consistent than before.

Stephen Harris: 'I’d forgotten what it was like to have a spare table'

18-Oct-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Oysters ornament the windswept pilgrimage from Whitstable to the Sportsman in Seasalter, Kent.

Review of the Week

'Sober October is probably a damn good thing'

13-Oct-2023 By Ed Bedington

The Morning Advertiser's Ed Bedington met up with top gastropub operator Brendan Padfield to get his take on the week's news.

My Pub

My Pub: the Bulls Head, Holymoorside, Derbyshire

13-Oct-2023 By Gary Lloyd

The Bulls Head pub is located in Derbyshire and operated by Great British Menu 2022 chef Mark Aisthorpe but it's not just food that the site is excelling with.

St Austell joins forces with Olio to 'fight food waste'

13-Oct-2023 By Rebecca Weller

St Austell Brewery has partnered with food waste app Olio to distribute surplus items from its South-West pubs.

World Steak Challenge awards record number of gold medals

12-Oct-2023 By The Morning Advertiser

A record 134 gold medals have been awarded at this year’s World Steak Challenge, which recognises the best quality meat across the globe.

‘I need people to come through the doors’

10-Oct-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Times are tough for one Michelin-starred gastropub, which, despite slashing the menu by £25 midweek, is not as busy as it would like to be.

EXCLUSIVE

M&B to launch US-style barbecue venue

09-Oct-2023 By The Morning Advertiser

Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) are set to go head-to-head with Greene King with the launch of a new operation focused on "Slow ‘n Low" US-style barbecue food.

What makes a Michelin Star pub?

06-Oct-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

21 gastropubs have gained Michelin stars since the trailblazing Stagg inn became the first pub to win the accolade in 2001. But what makes Michelin-starred pubs a cut above the rest? We spoke to chefs of some of the country's most prestigious venues...

Apprenticeships are changing the face of the sector

05-Oct-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The Morning Advertiser joined a chef masterclass at Billingsgate Fish Market, east London, to see how apprenticeships are driving the industry’s future.

5 key food and drink trends for 2024

05-Oct-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Consumers will be looking for adventurous flavours, healthy and hearty recipes and playful experiences from the on-trade in 2024, according to Bidfood’s 2024 Food & Drink Trends report.

Over 50% of firms opening at reduced hours amid supply chain issues

04-Oct-2023 By Rebecca Weller

More than half of hospitality firms have been forced to operate at reduced hours as costs soar by 30% due to supply chain issues.

Food price inflation drops but remains above 20%

03-Oct-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

Foodservice price inflation fell for a third consecutive month in August yet, it is still above 20%, new data has revealed.

Top 50 Gastropub closes its doors

02-Oct-2023 By Restaurant

Stephen Terry’s Abergavenny restaurant The Hardwick has closed suddenly after nearly two decades in business.

GBPA 2023

Meet the winner of the Best Young Pub Chef 2023 sponsored by Booker/Makro

29-Sep-2023 By The Morning Advertiser

Confidence and innovation were just two of the reasons why Karl Quirante was named Bes Young Pub Chef at this year’s Great British Pub Awards.

GBPA 2023

Meet the winner of the Best Pub Chef 2023 sponsored by Booker/Makro

29-Sep-2023 By The Morning Advertiser

This year’s Best Pub Chef thrived under pressure during a live cook off to take home the coveted title.

‘Record revenues’ achieved by Shepherd Neame

27-Sep-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Shepherd Neame CEO Jonathan Neame is confident “the turmoil of the past few years is now settling” as the company achieved “record revenues” in the 52 weeks ended 24 June 2023.

Bubbles and cheese concept launched for pubs

26-Sep-2023 By Ed Bedington

Pubs are being offered the opportunity to introduce a bit of French glamour to their operations thanks to a Covent Garden-based business.

GBPA 2023

Meet the winner of the Best Pub for Food 2023 sponsored by Booker/Makro

26-Sep-2023 By The Morning Advertiser

The Loch & Tyne is a pub with a stellar food offering, with a focus on ‘sustainable British luxury’ making it a clear winner for Best Food Pub of the year.

Ex-England cricketers’ pubco empowers staff

25-Sep-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Teamwork certainly makes the dream work at The Cat & Wickets Pub Company, which is owned by ex-England cricketers Stuart Broad and Harry Gurney.

Majority of pubs would not charge 'cakeage'

25-Sep-2023 By Rebecca Weller

More than three quarter of operators would not charge a ‘cakeage’ fee at their pub, a snap poll by The Morning Advertiser has revealed.

FEATURE - Technology

FEATURE: How tech can free up time for your staff

25-Sep-2023 By Fiona Griffiths

Times are tough right now. Pub and bar operators are being hit from all sides with consumers tightening their belts, struggles over recruitment and costs soaring across the board.

Bidfood workers to vote on strike action

22-Sep-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Bidfood workers have started voting on strike action after a “breakdown of pay negotiations”, the GMB Union has claimed.

GBPA 2023

Pics of all the GBPA 2023 winners

20-Sep-2023 By Gary Lloyd

For those who attended, the Great British Pub Awards (GBPA) 2023 will live long in the memory. If you were there and have forgotten who won, here is a picture special to remind who the winners were.

Spill the beans: What times of day should pubs serve food?

19-Sep-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

It's important not to put all your eggs in one basket when it comes to food service, but pubs need to be careful not to overwhelm staff or dilute their offering.