27-Jan-2011 By Lesley Foottit
E.On has said it will step in to help a licensee whose electricity bills shot up from £414 a month to £2,700. The total bill for the Saddle Inn in...
19-Jan-2011 By John Harrington
Opus Energy is trying to claim more than £22,000 from a licensee who stopped paying electricity bills after they soared from £319 to £2,200 per...
Mitchells & Butlers pays out £200k to ex-directors
23-Dec-2010 By Hamish Champ
All Bar One operator Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) has shelled out £100,000 each to two former directors of the business. Denis Jackson and Ray...
28-Oct-2010 By The PMA Team
Many freehold pubs are changing hands despite talk of hamstrung banks unwilling to lend money, says The PMA Team.
16-Sep-2010 By John Harrington
A Punch tenant has criticised the pubco for adding a £25 plus VAT charge for every cash payment made to the company. Carol Anderson said she was...
10-Sep-2010 By John Harrington
British Gas Business has been ordered to pay a £2,000 "goodwill" payment to licensees who received a "service shortfall" over several years.
27-Aug-2010 By John Harrington
British Gas has put a licensee's account on hold while it investigates an out-of-the-blue gas bill of £10,543. Peter Saxon, of the freehold Swan...
Banks are lending, but at a price
26-Aug-2010 By Hamish Champ
Small pub operators looking to banks for funding may well get the money they are after but they'll have to pay higher fees and other charges, new...
Licensee's shock at £200,000 water bill
18-Aug-2010 By Matt Eley Matt
A licensee almost fainted with shock when she received a water bill for nearly £200,000 - 150 times the usual rate. Margaret Barrett, who owns the...
Diversify your business: Gold parties
08-Jul-2010
Gold teeth, a £1,000 cigarette lighter and gold coins are some of the items that have turned up in pubs under Stephen Pearson's direction. Pearson...
05-Jul-2010 By Peter Coulson
The Performing Right Society tariff known as LP is for pre-arranged ticketed events and is not a pub tariff, says Peter Coulson.
09-Jun-2010 By John Harrington
Music licensing body PPL is to add a 50% late payment surcharge for pubs during 2010, following a surge in delayed payments.
05-Feb-2010 By The PMA Team
A number of managed operators are seeing cash takes from AWP machines go up by 15%-20% thanks to good cash-hopper management, Sceptre Leisure chief...
02-Feb-2010 By Lesley Foottit
The Bugle Horn in Bassingham is thriving thanks to the success of a bartering system where locals swap services and goods for drinks.
11-Dec-2009 By John Harrington
The Energy Ombudsman has demanded an apology from British Gas for the way it treated a licensee who was hit with a £12,000 bill.
Debt collectors allowed to take cash from tills
24-Nov-2009
Pubs and clubs in Scotland that run into serious financial trouble can be raided by debt collectors, under UK law which became effective north of the...
20-Nov-2009 By Gemma McKenna
A licensee couple who received a water bill for £37,000 in March have just been hit with a shocking £12,000 electricity bill. Shannon Wells and...
29-Oct-2009 By John Harrington
British Gas says it has resolved more disputes over bombshell electricity bills after the Morning Advertiser intervened. Dave Foskett received a...
MA helps to save licensee's house
20-Oct-2009 By Gemma McKenna
A licensee who was in danger of losing his house over a backdated electricity bill for £5,000 doesn't have to pay a penny after the Morning...
06-Aug-2009 By The PMA Team & John Harrington
Both Enterprise and Marston's suggest tenants need to join buying groups to ensure they get the cheapest energy costs. The two tenanted operators...
Bailiffs demand cash over old pub debt
02-Jul-2009 By Matt Eley Matt
A licensee is furious with his council after bailiffs demanded payment from the evening's takings for an eight-year old debt racked up by the pub's...
25-Jun-2009 By John Harrington
An Enterprise Inns lessee has clawed back nearly £4,000 in fines for buying out after her bank agreed the money was taken without authorisation.
Scam artists targeting pubs with letting rooms
16-Jun-2009 By Matt Eley Matt
Pubs with rooms to let are being warned to be on guard against a scam that could cost them thousands of pounds. Craig Henry, tenant at Fuller's pub...
Punch Taverns to raise £350m via rights issue
15-Jun-2009 By Hamish Champ
Punch Taverns has announced a proposed £350m rights issue, aiming to use the funds to help pay down debt.Precise details of the rights issue, which...
There's money to lend - but reality bites
26-May-2009
Six months is a long time these days in whatever sector of the UK economy you happen to work. It's certainly not just the pub, bar and restaurant...
08-May-2009 By Andrew Pring
Taking ever longer to pay suppliers is a short-sighted policy and potentially disastrous for the industry, says Andrew Pring.
Heineken buys Globe Pub Co debt
20-Apr-2009 By Hamish Champ
Heineken's purchase of £60m-worth of bonds held by troubled Globe Pub Company (GPC) - around 30 per cent of its debt - was not part of a takeover...
23-Mar-2009 By Ewan Turney
High profile lessee rights campaigner Inez Ward has been forced to shut her pub after bailiffs cut off the electricity. Ward, Enterprise licensee at...
19-Mar-2009 By Gemma McKenna
Many licensees face big hikes in rates bills this year as the Government has abolished gradual rates increases. Instead, final payment is being...
Mystery leak leads to £37,000 water bill
04-Mar-2009
An angry licensee is struggling to keep his head above water after being ordered to pay £1,000 a month to cover the cost of a mystery leak. Shannon...
24-Feb-2009 By John Harrington
Diageo and Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch have been criticised for extending the time taken to pay smaller suppliers.
Fund launched to help campaigning licensee
17-Feb-2009
A campaigning licensee has spoken of her gratitude after discovering that a fund has been set up to help her avoid bankruptcy.Inez Ward, founder of...
Pubs at risk from food scam
14-Jan-2009
Pubs have been warned about a scam involving bogus letters claiming to be from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) demanding payments for breaches of...
John Porter: It's bad for you
07-Nov-2008
The other night at dinner, I cracked open a second bottle of wine and poured myself and Mrs P a large glass each. We'd both had long and challenging...
23-Oct-2008 By John Harrington
Opus Energy has backed down from demanding an extra £8,000 from a licensee and increasing bills by 75%. Furious Darren Tingle was told he owed...
Licensee wins back £7,000 owed to her by pubco
08-Oct-2008
A licensee owed nearly £7,000 by her pubco has finally had the money returned after a year of disputes.Sheila Lennox-Boyd sold the Brunel in...
07-Oct-2008 By Ewan Turney
The Federation of Small Businesses has called for interest rates to be cut this Thursday to help small businesses fight the credit crunch.
Cains to thrash out new rescue package with its bank
04-Aug-2008 By Hamish Champ
Cains Beer Company hopes to reach an agreement with its bankers within the next few days to stop the taxman from winding up the business next week.In...
Spirit Group plans to merge employment contracts spark staff fury
26-Jul-2008 By Hamish Champ
Proposals to replace dozens of existing Spirit Group employment contracts with a single set of terms and conditions have been condemned by staff who...
Chris Maclean: The price of being a good employer
30-Jun-2008 By Chris Maclean
My bookkeeper has told me my staff bill has gone up. There can be no surprises there I guess. This operation, with a hotel, restaurant and bar,...
Geoff Newton: There's no magic solution to the economy's woes
07-Apr-2008
Reading the Sunday papers has always been a rewarding experience for me - in a busy week I can make it last until the following Sunday unless my good...
Chris Maclean: Rates of decay
12-Mar-2008 By Chris Maclean
I've just received this year's non-domestic rate demand for 2008/9. They are charging me £8,200.50. That is a staggering amount of money. There are...
07-Feb-2008 By Ewan Turney
A Newquay couple has won a reprieve for the second time to stay at their Enterprise Inns pub. Inez and Craig Ward, who have been at Mavericks since...
18-Jan-2008 By Ewan Turney
ADZs must be scrapped or at least a level playing field on charges introduced
16-Jan-2008 By John Harrington
Off-trade venues likely to face some charges in alcohol disorder zones
Criterion chases Bowes' ex-wife
13-Dec-2007
Ida Bowes owes £60,000 to Criterion Asset Management under a privity of contract deal she signed with her ex-husband. She talks to John Harrington...
Back to Basics: Licensed Trade Charity
16-Oct-2007
Publicans tend to be an independent bunch, but there are times when misfortune means even the most self-reliant need a helping hand - and that's why...
Supplier pursuing host for old debts
20-Sep-2007 By John Harrington john.harrington@william-reed.co.u
Scottish Power is pursuing an Admiral Taverns host for the debts of the previous licensee - and demanding a £2,000 "security deposit" to recognise...
Pubco boss thwarts till-roll bandits
26-Jul-2007
A pub company boss has issued advice for licensees who receive payment- demands for goods they never ordered after being cold-called by a salesman....
Trade groups call for support for flood-hit pubs
26-Jul-2007 By James Wilmore
Trade associations have called for help for licensees affected by the devastating floods across the country.Tony Payne, chief executive of the...
