Freehouse

Have you ever wanted to run your own pub?

22-Nov-2021 By Gary Lloyd

Although pub operators have suffered in the past 18 months or so, the opportunity to run your own site or even expand is potentially greater than ever if you set your mind to it.

Cold River Cider offers the perfect balance

22-Nov-2021 By Gary Lloyd

There’s a new cider on the block and it has the lot. Made by Sharp’s Brewery, in collaboration with Aspall, Cold River Cider offers “a unique blend of bitter-sweet and culinary apples creating a crisp, balanced, refreshing cider”.

Property round-up

Multiple operator takes third site with Star, Strike bowling alley with craft beer launches

17-Nov-2021 By Gary Lloyd

Among the latest property news this week is Star Pubs & Bars teaming up with Farr Brew for a third joint venture, McMullen unveils new site, Strike bowling alley opening in Wandsworth, Beavertown’s nitro stout-battered fish dish and the Flowerhouse...

More than 75% of sector could shut if Covid passport scheme extended

16-Nov-2021 By Gary Lloyd

More than 75% of Scottish hospitality businesses could shut permanently if the country’s Covid passport scheme is extended further in the hospitality sector, according to trade bodies.

Promotional content

Are your products generating high profit levels to the till?

16-Nov-2021 By Venners, expert food and beverage stocktakers and compliance auditors

A recent report looking at the often undervalued and neglected topic of product yield within the pub sector has been launched by Venners, the expert food and beverage stocktakers and compliance auditors to the hospitality industry.

Property round-up

The latest pub openings and sites on the market

03-Nov-2021 By Gary Lloyd

Brakspear brands its managed estate, Redhouse and Star team up and Valiant takes on 17 SA Brain sites are among the latest property moves.

Autumn Budget 2021

50% business rates discount for hospitality sector

27-Oct-2021 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

A 50% business rates discount will be put in place for the hospitality, retail and leisure sectors for one year, announced the Chancellor of the Exchequer at today's Autumn Budget (Wednesday 27 October).

Property round-up

Latest openings in the sector and sites for sale

26-Oct-2021 By Gary Lloyd

New openings for Coppa Club, Manahatta and Bulldog Gin are among the sector’s new openings. Meanwhile, estate agent Savills’ Paul Breen looks at the future for city centre-based businesses.

Return of students a ‘large boost’ for UK pubs

22-Oct-2021 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The return of students to universities across the UK this month has boosted business in pubs due to an increased footfall, a number of publicans have said.

GBPA 2021

Were you spotted at the GBPA winners' lunch?

21-Oct-2021 By Gary Lloyd

The best of the best in the pub world gathered for the Great British Pub Awards winners' lunch at The Pem restaurant In central London where the overall winner was named and category winners received their trophies.

GBPA 2021

Ring my Bell - GBPA winner announced

19-Oct-2021 By Ed Bedington

The pub sector has fought its way back from the brink of disaster and now a stunning transformation against the odds has seen one pub crowned champion of champions.

Publican Awards 2022

Entries open for Publican Awards 2022

19-Oct-2021 By Ed Bedington

The hunt is now on to celebrate the best companies in the pub and bar sector with the launch of the Publican Awards 2022.

Phones kill conversation say micropub owners

18-Oct-2021 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

UK micropub owners said that phones “kill” conversation and show a “lack of respect”, while pub phone-bans help promote social interaction after lockdown-induced isolation.

Managed pubs, bars and restaurants strong in September but challenges continue

18-Oct-2021 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Britain’s managed pubs, bars and restaurants saw their second successive month of year-on-year sales increases, up 8% on pre-pandemic levels of September 2019, and 42% from September 2020, according to the latest Coffer CGA Business tracker.

Property round-up

The latest pub openings and sites on the market

13-Oct-2021 By Gary Lloyd

This week’s property round-up includes openings for The Inn Collection Group and Roxy Lanes while BrewDog agrees a franchise deal for six bars in Italy.

Where are black leaders in the pub and brewing sector?

11-Oct-2021 By Gary Lloyd

The hospitality industry provided work for some 1.8 million people when the pandemic struck last year, of which 17% of the total workforce from the black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) category was represented.

Food and drink waste sparks staff concern

06-Oct-2021 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The majority of pub employees worry about food and drink waste, a new survey commissioned by the anti-food waste app Too Good To Go suggests.

FACT and Sky highlight dangers of illegal streaming to licensees

30-Sep-2021 By Sky Business

With the football season back in full swing, Sky and FACT, world leaders in intellectual property protection, are working together to warn licensees of the dangers of unscrupulous suppliers who may be approaching them with low-cost, but illegal, ways...

Sector sales set to soar to £3.5bn above equivalent period in 2019

30-Sep-2021 By Gary Lloyd

Pubs and fellow sector businesses are expected to contribute an extra £3.5bn more to the UK economy than during the same period in 2019 after rebounding strongly from the pandemic, according to Barclays Corporate Banking.

GBPA 2021

Having a blast on social media

29-Sep-2021 By Gary Lloyd

The Morning Advertiser looks at the social media activity of those involved in the Great British Pub Awards (GBPA) after the event and category winners were announced.

Property round-up

Opening date set for former O2 Newcastle Academy, City Pub Group takes site

29-Sep-2021 By Gary Lloyd

This week’s property round-up includes the former O2 Newcastle Academy, Cottage Tavern and the Savoy’s American Bar reopening.

BBPA estimates 18m pints will be served on National Hospitality Day

17-Sep-2021 By Gary Lloyd

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has called for pubgoers to support their local this Saturday (18 September) to help hospitality businesses and claims pubs will serve about 18 million pints on the day.

Managed pubs and restaurants almost treble delivery and takeaways sales

17-Sep-2021 By Gary Lloyd

Delivery and takeaway sales for managed pub and restaurant groups in August were almost treble their pre-pandemic levels, the latest edition of the CGA & Slerp Hospitality at Home Tracker has revealed.

Property round-up

Property round-up: The latest activity in the pub property market

15-Sep-2021 By Gary Lloyd

The latest property news includes the Arusha Group’s tie up with Star Pubs & Bars, a new Puttshack site, Beavertown’s first pub and “dive bar” the Bourbon.

Property round-up

Property round-up: The latest activity in the pub property market

08-Sep-2021 By Gary Lloyd

The latest property news includes Banwell House Pub Company, The Manor Reborn group, London Cocktail Club, Blame Gloria and The Castle Hotel.

The ‘soul-destroying’ no-shows facing the sector

07-Sep-2021 By Gary Lloyd

Operator Paul Berry describes the ‘no-shows’ situation facing food pubs across the UK as “soul-destroying”.

Community group saves last pub in Great Holland

06-Sep-2021 By Gary Lloyd

Local community group – The Manor Reborn – is set to be the new owner of the last remaining pub in Great Holland, in Essex.

Opinion

Pub PR: how can operators reassure customers returning after 'Freedom Day'?

20-Jul-2021 By Sarah Murray, client director at PR and digital agency Edson Evers

For the hospitality industry, the road to ‘Freedom Day’ on 19 July was a bumpy and tumultuous journey.

Content provided by Flipdish

Future-proofing your pub as restrictions begin to lift

17-May-2021 By Fionn Hart, UK country manager at Flipdish

As Boris announced the return of indoor dining from 17 May, the industry breathed a sigh of relief as pubs and bars were finally able to welcome customers over the threshold after a tumultuous year of lockdowns.

Retiring Welsh operators to give pub away in raffle

14-May-2021 By Stuart Stone

The husband-and-wife team behind the Raglan Arms in Llandenny, Monmouthshire, have opted to raffle off their fully-stocked pub as they retire from the industry.

Opinion

We need to talk about cask…

12-Apr-2021 By Sarah John, director, Boss Brewing

Like so many of us in this industry, I share in the hope that is being pinned on Monday 12 April – for England at least, if not for my home country of Wales.

Opinion

Will Uber ruling prevent publicans being taken for a ride?

08-Apr-2021 By Phil Dixon, trade adviser

When the Supreme Court finally ruled that Uber drivers were definitely not self-employed, it called into question whether so-called self-employed pub managers working under ‘a percentage of take’ model were also really self-employed.

13 community-owned pubs opened in 2020

31-Mar-2021 By Stuart Stone

A new report from community business charity The Plunkett Foundation has uncovered increased demand for support to help communities regain control of essential local services over the past year.

The MA’s Review of the week

Beer duty freeze ‘could have been bolder’

05-Mar-2021 By Ed Bedington

The Morning Advertiser’s Ed Bedington mulls over the Spring Budget with the help of Herefordshire-based freehouse operator Matt Slocombe of the Crown at Woolhope.

Opinion

Latest reports scapegoating pubs ‘arbitrary and unscientific’

17-Feb-2021 By Tim Tomlinson, the White Cross, Merchants 1688, Stonewell Tap, Lancaster, Lancashire

As we move nearer to the possibility of reopening, the debate about what restrictions hospitality venues would be placed under is already beginning.

THE GREAT BRITISH PUB AWARDS - PUB HEROES

Coca-Cola GBPA Pub Hero grants help winners fulfil passion projects

10-Feb-2021 By The Morning Advertiser

After being crowned Pub Heroes in September, The Morning Advertiser revisited a trio of operators who received grants from Coca-Cola’s Community Pub Fund to find out how they had used their five-figure spur.

Property round-up

£2.5m Fourpure revamp, 13 grassroots venues safe from ‘immediate threat’, community group buys local

10-Feb-2021 By Stuart Stone

This week’s property round-up includes the completion of a seven-figure refurb at Fourpure’s brewery and 13 grassroots venues being removed from the Music Venue Trust’s ‘red list’.

Opinion

Six Nations usually ‘the saving grace of the cold, winter months’ for pubs

09-Feb-2021 By Sarah John, director, Boss Brewing

As I settled on the sofa last weekend to watch the opening of the Six Nations, I couldn’t help but feel incredibly deflated.

Big Interview

'We really need to see some announcements coming from Government soon'

03-Feb-2021 By Stuart Stone

Roxane Marjoram, who operates five pubs under Suffolk-based Gusto Pronto, explains how the business has adapted to Covid conditions and that she now hopes the Government can break away from a ‘stop-start’ pandemic timeline.

Opinion

‘Dry January not about giving up on pubs’

02-Feb-2021 By Debbie Baisden, the Rayleigh Arms, Terling, Essex

The start of 2021 saw me take on the challenge of Dry January, to be totally honest it is not the first year I’ve completed this journey.

Opinion

‘We struggle with the daily barrage of newspapers guessing when we will be open’

02-Feb-2021 By Fiona Hornsby, the Denbigh Castle and the Bridewell, Liverpool

Last year was an interesting one. We secured a long lease on the Denbigh Castle in Liverpool city centre and 2020 began with great hope and excitement.

Pub market recovery from 'seismic shock' will not be uniform

26-Jan-2021 By Stuart Stone

Christie & Co’s annual business outlook report forecasts that the pub market’s recovery from Covid-19 in 2021 will be ‘pretty quick’ but varied as one-in-three operators plan pub sales.

Opinion

Forcing pubs to reopen with restrictions undermines ‘slim’ chances of recovery

26-Jan-2021 By Gav Young, the Plough and Barleycorn, Isle of Wight

The whole industry has been led into viewing restrictions and changes from a purely fiscal perspective. In doing so we are missing the long-term devastation being wrought on the trade.

Supreme Court business interruption insurance ruling due on 15 January

13-Jan-2021 By Stuart Stone

The Supreme Court has revealed its ruling on whether insurers should pay out on business interruption claims relating to March’s coronavirus lockdown will be handed down this Friday (15 January).

One-in-four operators yet to receive grants from second lockdown

12-Jan-2021 By Stuart Stone

A Morning Advertiser (MA) survey has revealed that a quarter of pub operators (24%) who applied for grants during November’s lockdown are still awaiting funds – with many citing outstanding payments of more than £10,000.

Tell us: Has your pub been able to access Government grants?

07-Jan-2021 By Stuart Stone

Amid new lockdown measures and a freshly pledged £4.6bn fund to support shuttered businesses, The Morning Advertiser (MA) wants to hear from pub operators about their experiences of applying for Government grants.

How has 2020 changed people and pubs?

On-trade reflects on 'ultimate bombshells' and 'David versus Goliath' clashes in 2020

04-Jan-2021 By Stuart Stone

From a brewer who took on Hugo Boss to an operator who swapped the pub for the pulpit, The Morning Advertiser shared a selection of standout stories to close the book on a tumultuous 12 months for the on-trade.

How has 2020 changed people and pubs?

Business support measures discussed ‘as if the owners don’t exist as people’

04-Jan-2021 By Liz Hind, the Old Millwrights Arms, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire

Liz Hind of the Old Millwrights Arms in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, looks back on 2020 and reflects on how business owners have been perceived amid the ongoing pandemic.

How has 2020 changed people and pubs?

‘It’s hard enough for any start-up to gain customers, especially when not trading as intended’

03-Jan-2021 By Mark Bates, the Three Bs Micropub, Bridlington, East Yorkshire

The Three B’s Micropub in Bridlington opened in April to a nationwide lockdown. Here publican Mark Bates looks back on opening a closed pub.

How has 2020 changed people and pubs?

Either 'pretty damn brave, or very foolhardy’ to launch a brewery during an international crisis

31-Dec-2020 By Russ Clarke, Amity Brew Co

Though West Yorkshire-based brewer Russ Clarke describes 2020 as ‘a dumpster fire’, it was also the year he fulfilled a dream by opening his own brewery.