Scotland

Scottish venues £110k worse off

24-Jan-2024 By Nikkie Thatcher

A lack of support from the Scottish Government has left hospitality venues more than £100,000 worse off than their counterparts in England, figures have shown.

Scottish Budget ‘bitter pill to swallow’

20-Dec-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

Voices from across the Scottish hospitality sector have responded with disappointment in reaction to the Budget announcement.

Storm Babet forces pubs to close

24-Oct-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

A pub in Edinburgh has sustained thousands of pounds worth of damage after Storm Babet destroyed it "from top to bottom".

UKH Scotland calls for business rates action

04-Sep-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

UKHospitality (UKH) Scotland is urging the First Minister to address the multi-million pound hike in business rates that is set to hit hospitality this spring.

Sector calls for inquiry into ‘new deal’ on business rates

31-Aug-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The Scottish Beer & Pub Association (SBPA) is calling on the Scottish Government to investigate a ‘new deal’ for the nation’s pubs and bars on non-domestic rates, as the industry rebuilds from the pandemic.

Scotland visitor levy ‘yet more red tape’ for hospitality

27-Jun-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

As the Scottish Parliament’s consultation on the proposed visitor levy opens, UKHospitality (UKH) Scotland has urged venues to respond and outline the impact it will have on their business.

BBPA recommends scrutiny over MUP findings

27-Jun-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Scotland’s alcohol minimum unit pricing initiative has shown “positive” results but leaves much to be “considered” before a decision on its continuation is made.

Trade bodies 'welcome' DRS delay

19-Apr-2023 By Rebecca Weller

The delay to the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in Scotland has been welcomed by trade bodies across the sector.

SLTA calls for 'urgent reset' from new SNP leader

28-Mar-2023 By Rebecca Weller

The Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) has “congratulated” Humza Yousaf on his appointment as the new leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP).

New Scottish First Minister urged to champion hospitality

16-Feb-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Trade bodies are hoping for a new First Minister who will put business first and protect hospitality, after Nicola Sturgeon announced she would step down as the leader of Scotland’s government.

Lack of support hampers Scottish hospitality

16-Jan-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

A lack of business rates support for Scottish hospitality is unfairly hindering the sector in comparison to English businesses, according to UKHospitality (UKH) Scotland.

Scottish Budget dismay: no rates relief for pubs

16-Dec-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Scottish government has come under fire for not announcing business rates relief for hospitality in its Budget yesterday (15 December), with trade bodies warning this could wipe pubs out.

BBPA welcomes Deposit Return Scheme change

15-Dec-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has welcomed Circularity Scotland’s decision to reduce producer fees for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme.

The Black Bitch pub to be renamed

15-Nov-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Plans to rename the ‘offensively named’ Black Bitch pub in West Lothian, Scotland, are set to go ahead despite backlash from locals.

gboa 2022

Meet the finalists for Admiral Pub of the Year

30-Sep-2022 By The Morning Advertiser

With the Great British Pub Awards just days away from announcing and celebrating some of the best bars in the business, we take a look at some of the finalist that are in the running to take home some silver. Today it’s the turn of the bars that are competing...

gbpa 2022

Meet the finalists for Greene King Pub of the Year

27-Sep-2022 By The Morning Advertiser

With the Great British Pub Awards just days away from announcing and celebrating some of the best bars in the business, we take a look at some of the finalist that are in the running to take home some silver. Today it’s the turn of the bars that are competing...

Scotland to implement Deposit Return Scheme

22-Sep-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Scotland will implement a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) from August 2023, in order to reduce waste and tackle climate change.

‘Pubs at risk of being forgotten about’

10-Aug-2022 By Nikkie Thatcher

A trio of Scottish trade bodies have called on the Government to include pubs from current planning proposals with one labelling the exclusion as "nothing short of discriminatory".

‘We need further, immediate support’

02-Aug-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

UKHospitality Scotland new chairman Chris Wayne-Wills opened up on the sector’s struggles with housing infrastructure, skyrocketing costs and a shortage of staff.

Scotland's DRS scheme needs urgent review to avoid 'failure'

28-Jun-2022 By Rebecca Weller

Scotland’s Deposit Return (DRS) Scheme could “prove a costly failure” without urgent review and poses “inherent financial risks to hospitality businesses”, according to MSPs and trade body UKHospitality (UKH) Scotland.

UKH Scotland appoints new chairman

22-Jun-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Crerar Hotels chief executive Chris Wayne-Wills has been appointed UKHospitality Scotland chairman as the sector grapples with unprecedented financial pressures and workforce shortages.

Greene King seek new owner for haunted Scottish pub

04-May-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Suffolk-based pubco Greene King is offering a discounted rent to any operator brave enough to man the Osnaburg Bar in Forfar, Angus, which is fabled to be one of Scotland’s most haunted pubs.

Sector welcomes end to restrictions in Scotland

23-Feb-2022 By Rebecca Weller

Trade bodies across the hospitality sector have welcomed the lifting of Covid restrictions in Scotland but urge the end to restrictions must come sooner and further support must be given.

Star to double Scottish managed portfolio

21-Feb-2022 By Rebecca Weller

Large pub operator Star Pubs & Bars has announced plans to double the amount of its managed operator pubs in Scotland during 2022 as part of it Just Add Talent (JAT) estate.

One-off grant of up to £29,500 for Scottish breweries welcomed by sector

26-Jan-2022 By Rebecca Weller

The announcement of a one-off grant of up to £29,500 as part of the Scottish Brewers Support Fund has been welcomed by the sector.

'Long and arduous recovery' for Scottish pubs after restrictions lift

19-Jan-2022 By Rebecca Weller

The announcement of coronavirus restrictions in Scotland being lifted as from Monday (24 January) has been welcomed by hospitality trade bodies, however the sector has called for clarity regarding dancefloors.

Opinion

Infection rates and restrictions - has the anti-hospitality bubble burst?

14-Jan-2022 By Ed Bedington

While it’s good news that Wales has now pledged to lift restrictions on pubs, the question does remain - what purpose did they serve in the first place?

Review of the Week

Restrictions have had no impact on infection rates

14-Jan-2022 By Ed Bedington

The MA's Ed Bedington catches up with Castle Rock Brewery boss Colin Wilde to hear his thoughts on the weeks news, from the impacts of restrictions, frustrations over government behaviour and isolation rules changing.

Scottish hospitality businesses ‘left in limbo’

12-Jan-2022 By Rebecca Weller

Scottish hospitality businesses have been ‘left in limbo’ and ‘need answers now’ following Nicola Sturgeon’s latest coronavirus update as the sector saw another opportunity for recovery ‘snatched away’, according to trade bodies across the sector.

New isolation rules for Scotland welcomed by sector

06-Jan-2022 By Rebecca Weller

New isolation rules for Scotland, including reducing self-isolation time from 10 to seven days, have been welcomed by trade bodies across the hospitality sector.

New rules 'kill Christmas' for Scottish pubs

15-Dec-2021 By Rebecca Weller

Nicola Sturgeon announced yesterday (14 December 2021) the reinstitution of tighter coronavirus restrictions for pubs across Scotland such as social distancing and data collection for contact tracing.

Calls for Scottish Christmas parties to be cancelled ‘leaving trade in tatters’

10-Dec-2021 By Nikkie Thatcher

Health officials urging people to postpone their Christmas parties in a bid to stop the spread of the Omicron variant is already have an impact on the licensed trade in Scotland.

No extension of vaccine passport scheme to Scottish pubs

23-Nov-2021 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Vaccine passports will not be extended to further Scottish hospitality venues, announced the First Minister in a statement to MSPs in Holyrood today (23 November).

Hospitality sector shows support for DRS delay

18-Nov-2021 By Rebecca Weller

The hospitality sector has shown support for Scottish minister Lorna Slater following the postponement of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) indefinitely.

Scottish vaccine passport scheme expansion would be ‘extremely alarming’ for hospitality

10-Nov-2021 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

A potential expansion of the vaccine passport scheme to include more Scottish venues is “extremely alarming” news, with the current passport rollout already having a “catastrophic impact” on hospitality businesses, said UKHospitality Scotland’s executive...

Scottish vaccine passport scheme introduction ‘unmitigated disaster’

25-Oct-2021 By Nikkie Thatcher

The first weekend of Covid-status certification for nightclubs in Scotland has been slammed by one hospitality trade body.

Britain’s most remote pub saved by local community

13-Oct-2021 By Rebecca Weller

The Old Forge in Inverie, listed as the Guinness World Records most remote pub in mainland Britain, has received £508,000 through the Scottish Land Fund (SLF) after months of fundraising.

Scottish vaccine passport scheme launches after NTIA legal challenge rejected

01-Oct-2021 By Michelle Perrett

Scotland's vaccine passport scheme starts today after court action by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) was rejected.

NTIA launches legal action against Scottish Government over Covid passports

23-Sep-2021 By Michelle Perrett

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) is launching a legal challenge against the Scottish Government over its lack of consultation on vaccination passports.

Scottish vaccine passports ‘put already fragile night-time economy on dangerous path to devastation’

10-Sep-2021 By Nikkie Thatcher

The Scottish Government’s plans to enforce vaccine passports in nightclubs has been lambasted by sector bodies about a lack of detail about how they will be implemented.

Scottish hospitality bosses target over 50s to plug 'recruitment calamity'

08-Sep-2021 By Michelle Perrett

Bosses at Scotland’s top pubs, hotels and restaurants have said they are facing the worst recruitment crisis in living memory but believe a generation of ‘silver servers’ could be the saviour.

‘Last thing sector needs is another hurdle in place in the race to its recovery’

17-Aug-2021 By Nikkie Thatcher

The issues facing the supply chain and the knock-on effects to pubs and bars is the “last thing this beleaguered industry needs”, the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) has said.

Industry welcomes relaxing of Covid-19 restrictions in Scotland

03-Aug-2021 By Michelle Perrett

The industry has welcomed news that restrictions are to be lifted in Scotland on 9 August.

Over 200 pubs in Scotland could reopen for the first time since Covid-19 pandemic

02-Aug-2021 By Michelle Perrett

More than 200 pubs in Scotland could reopen for the first time on 9 August, if restrictions are lifted enabling pubs to trade viably again, the Scottish Beer & Pub Association (SBPA) has said.

BrewDog’s online sales growth fails to offset bar closures

22-Jul-2021 By Dominic Allport

BrewDog has reported a pre-tax loss of £13.1m during 2020 despite achieving 10% revenue growth during 2020. The strong growth in online sales was not enough to offset the impact of bar closures.

'Right time to return to normal levels of rent'

14-Jul-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Pub companies have set out their plans for rent payments beyond 19 July, with most expecting tenants to pay full price when restrictions end.

Scotland curfew will 'exacerbate' sector's financial woes

13-Jul-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Pub bosses in Scotland have bemoaned the continuation of a curfew when the country moves to its lowest level of Covid restrictions next week.

Urgent review of ‘massively disruptive’ Test & Trace isolation needed

02-Jul-2021 By Nikkie Thatcher

The Government has been urged to amend the Test & Trace system, which is forcing businesses to close and resulting in mass isolations, one trade association has warned.

Scottish venues able to open longer for Euros matches

24-Jun-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Scottish pubs have welcomed news that they will be allowed to open longer in the event of matches from UEFA Euro 2020 continuing beyond curfews.

Calls to mass vaccinate young Scots as pubs 'needlessly closing'

23-Jun-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Mass vaccinating young Scots would prevent hundreds of venues being forced to close their doors and help workers' mental health, pub bosses have claimed.