Scotland

Food distributors

Brakes launches Scotland-only business

22-Mar-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Foodservice distributor Brakes has launched a Scotland-only arm of its business, which will deliver to around 11,000 customers.

Legal advice: Unit pricing issue to return

26-Jan-2016 By Jonathan Smith, Poppleston Allen

The decision by the EU on minimum alcohol pricing has slipped under the radar. PMA legal experts Poppleston Allen provide a briefing.

Minimum pricing

New plans for minimum alcohol pricing revealed by Welsh government

16-Jul-2015 By Emily Sutherland

The Welsh government has published plans to introduce a minimum price for alcohol.

Gin

Chicken shed micro-distillery wins Shed of the Year

13-Jul-2015 By James Evison

A micro-distillery set up by Scottish-based Crossbill Gin, which is placed in a converted chicken shed, has just won Channel 4's Shed of the Year. 

Pubs code

MRO gains traction in Scotland

13-May-2015 By Emily Sutherland

The Pub Advisory Service has pledged to help Scottish pubs follow England’s lead in introducing a market rent only option for tied tenants.

Pubs Code

Scottish tenant campaigners call for pubs code north of the border

02-Apr-2015 By Mike Berry

Pub tenant representatives in Scotland are ramping up the pressure on the Holyrood Government to introduce similar protections enjoyed by their counterparts south of the border.

New call for lower drink-drive limit in England

09-Mar-2015 By Mike Berry

The drink-drive limit in England should be toughened up to bring it into line with other European countries, according to local councils and motoring campaigners.

Foreign Satellite

Premier League takes action against Scottish pubs over illegal broadcasts

05-Mar-2015 By Mike Berry

The Premier League has commenced legal action against a number of Scottish pubs which have made unauthorised foreign broadcasts of its matches.

Government rules out tougher drink driving limit in England

02-Feb-2015 By Helen Gilbert

The Government has confirmed it has no plans to follow in the footsteps of Scotland and reduce the drink-drive limit in England.

EVENTS FOCUS

Celebrate.....Burns Night

20-Dec-2014 By Sheila McWattie

Sheila McWattie looks at what licensees are planning for Burns Night in January

Lawyer warns publicans over personal licence renewal deadline

17-Dec-2014 By Ellie Bothwell and Helen Gilbert

A leading licensing lawyer has urged English and Welsh publicans to act swiftly in renewing their personal licences, following new figures that show thousands of Scottish licences are set to be revoked after holders failed to meet Government deadlines.

CAMRA says Scotland needs its own pubs code

31-Oct-2014 By James Wallin, M&C Report

The Campaign for Real Ale has called on the Scottish Government to introduce its own pubs code and adjudicator.

VIDEO: Beckham stars in Guy Ritchie-directed Haig Club advert

17-Oct-2014 By James Evison

David Beckham's whisky brand, Haig Club, has released its extended advert of the new product, directed by Guy Ritchie and featuring the former international footballer.

Trend Watch

Trend Watch - Haggis

04-Sep-2014 By Noli Dinkovski

Whether it’s the debate over independence that has stirred up a love of all things Scottish, or simply the fact that more people are growing to enjoy the often-maligned dish, haggis – so typically associated with Burns Night (January 25) – now appears...

Pub opens at top of 150ft high crane

11-Jun-2014 By Noli Dinkovski

Whyte & Mackay is tapping into the ‘Clydebuilt’ roots of its Scotch whisky brand by opening a pub with a difference – on top of the historic 150ft Titan Crane in Glasgow.

BrewDog double award winners at BII Scotland event, two years on from 'Trophygate'

13-May-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

BrewDog scooped two awards at the BII Scotland ceremony this week, two years after an embarrassing debacle at the same event.

Albert Roux and Tom Kitchin to champion Scottish produce

07-Apr-2014 By Lesley Foottit

Three-stared Michelin chef Albert Roux is one of 18 acclaimed chefs to promote Scotland as a Land of Food and Drink on the world stage this year.

SBPA chief Patrick Browne steps down

17-Mar-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Scottish Beer & Pub Association (SBPA) chief executive Patrick Browne has left the organisation after changes in the management and structure of the association were agreed at its AGM last week.

The decline of alcohol

10-Mar-2014 By Phil Mellows

Good news. Or at least it ought to be. Last week the Office of National Statistics published the 2012 figures on alcohol-related deaths in the UK and they're down – 4% on 2011 and 7.3% on 2008.

GP Generator: Burns' Night

17-Jan-2014 By Phil Mellows

With Burns’ Night, on 25 January, following hard on the heels of Christmas and new year, licensees have a perfect opportunity to keep the festive season going. The PMA reveals how to make the most of the celebration.

JW Lees set to splash the cash on new pubs

20-Nov-2013 By John Harrington

JW Lees managing director William Lees-Jones expects the company to spend between £10m and £15m buying 15 pubs a year.

More Scottish pubs recognised in Michelin guide

08-Nov-2013 By Lesley Foottit

More Scottish pubs are featuring in the Michelin Guide than ever before.

Pubs in Scotland urged to support tourism drive

28-Oct-2013 By Helen Gilbert

Pubs and bars in Scotland are being urged to share the fascinating tales behind their venues as part of a £120,000 major drive to attract tourists to the country.

Drinkaware urges promotion of lower-ABV products

28-Aug-2013 By Ellie Bothwell

Drinkaware is to launch a campaign to encourage drinkers to try lower-ABV products in pubs.

Pub fraudster appeal on BBC Crimewatch Roadshow

25-Jun-2013 By Gurjit Degun

A man targeting pubs with accommodation, by leaving before settling his bill, has been highlighted on BBC TV show Crimewatch Roadshow.

Whiskey tornado leaves Snifter in a spin

28-Mar-2013 By Snifter

For those among us not content with merely drinking whiskey, fear not. Snifter can report you can now breathe it instead.

Scottish Government looks to lower drink-drive limit

22-Mar-2013 By M&C Report

The Scottish Government has confirmed that it will look to lower the drink-drive limit in Scotland.

Maclay to sell Thistle Pub Company

22-Feb-2013 By M&C Report

Thistle Pub Company III, the operator of seven freehold pubs in Scotland and managed by Maclay Inns, has been put up for sale.

Tennent Caledonian freezes wholesale price of leading brands

11-Feb-2013 By John Harrington

Tennent Caledonian has said that it will not increase the wholesale selling price of its leading brands – Tennent’s Lager, Caledonia Best and Magners Golden Draught – for Scotland’s free on-trade this year.

Camerons Brewery completes £24.7m refinancing deal

17-Jan-2013 By John Harrington

Camerons Brewery, the Hartlepool-based brewer and pub operator, has completed a £24.7m refinancing deal with the Royal Bank of Scotland Corporate & Institutional Banking (RBS CIB) as it target further growth opportunities.

Minimum pricing: will damage limitation work?

19-Dec-2012 By Poppleston Allen

There has been much recent publicity concerning difficulties the UK on-trade is experiencing in competing in a marketplace where most alcohol sold is now consumed at home.

MSPs back plans to reduce the drink-drive limit in Scotland

05-Nov-2012

MSPs have given overwhelming backing to plans to reduce the drink-drive limit in Scotland.

No minimum pricing until ‘at least 2014’ confirms leading Tory politician

22-Oct-2012

Legal challenges across Europe are set to delay plans to introduce minimum pricing for alcohol in England and Wales for another two years at least, a leading Tory MP has admitted.

Scots drinkers believe pub closures will continue

20-Sep-2012 By John Harrington

Three out of four Scottish drinkers believe the trend of pub closures is set to continue over the next 10 years, new research shows.

Labour councillors in Northumberland want to lure Scottish drinkers across the border

24-Aug-2012 By Michelle Perrett

Labour councillors in Northumberland have recommended setting aside a fund to encourage Scottish drinkers affected by minimum pricing to drink south of the border.

Tennent Caledonian launches apprenticeship scheme in Scotland

09-Aug-2012

Tennent Caledonian, the C&C Group-owned Scottish brewer, has launched an apprenticeship programme for young people who want to work in the Scottish hospitality sector.

Legal battle over minimum pricing in Scotland set to begin

20-Jul-2012 By John Harrington

Drinks lobbyists from across Europe have applied for a judicial review of Scotland’s plans to introduce a minimum price of alcohol, while a complaint has also been lodged in Europe.

Alcohol anxiety and the Scottish Effect

04-Jul-2012

Scotland, or at least the Scottish Government, is proud to find itself at the cutting edge of global alcohol policy. The decision to pioneer minimum unit pricing is a symbol of that, as much as a practical measure.

Minimum pricing 'set for introduction in October 2014'

21-Jun-2012 By John Harrington, M&C Report

The Home Office has set a target of implementing a minimum unit price for alcohol by October 2014, a timetable described as “ambitious” by one trade expert.

Consumer spending on eating out expected to stay stable

28-May-2012 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Two-thirds of consumers say they intend to spend the same amount of money on eating out over the coming 12 months as they did in the previous year, with over 40% of 18 to 24-year-olds saying they will spend more, according to new figures from research...

Alcohol Minimum Pricing Bill gets passed by the Scottish Parliament

24-May-2012 By Michelle Perrett

The Scottish Parliament has passed the Alcohol Minimum Pricing Bill making way for its preferred minimum price of 50p per unit.

Trade raises concern about 50p minimum pricing plan for Scotland

16-May-2012 By Michelle Perrett

The trade has raised concerns after the Scottish Government confirmed its preference for a 50p-per-unit minimum price for alcohol in Scotland — 5p higher than originally mooted.

An absurd objective – public health and the licensee

15-May-2012 By Phil Mellows

Unless I missed something the three alcohol licence applications refused by Edinburgh Licensing Board at the end of last month are the first examples of a local authority invoking Scotland’s fifth licensing objective – the obligation on licence holders...

Scotland confirms plans for minimum price for alcohol at 50p per unit

14-May-2012 By Michelle Perrett

Scotland has confirmed that it wants to set the minimum price for alcohol at 50p per unit.

Minimum pricing 'would deter pre-loading'

12-Jan-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Minimum pricing would reduce pre-loading among young people on cheap supermarket alcohol, the charity Alcohol Focus Scotland has told a committee of MSPs in Scottish Parliament.

OFT agrees minimum pricing could cut alcohol consumption

10-Jan-2012 By Michelle Perrett

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has agreed minimum pricing could help cut alcohol consumption.

SBPA calls for trial period for minimum pricing bill

16-Dec-2011 By Gurjit Degun

The Scottish Beer and Pub Association (SBPA) has called for the Scottish Parliament to include a trial period as a provision in the minimum pricing bill, if it goes ahead.

Scotland to research the impact of minimum pricing

29-Nov-2011 By Gurjit Degun

A university in Scotland is to research the effects of minimum pricing on the country’s heaviest drinkers.

‘Use VAT to combat cheap drinks’

10-Nov-2011 By PMA Team

Trade leaders have urged the Government to use VAT as the lever to level the playing field with the cheap supermarket deals and combat binge drinking rather than follow Scotland’s lead on minimum pricing.

Scottish Beer and Pub Association voices minimum price concerns

02-Nov-2011 By Adam Pescod

The Scottish Beer and Pub Association (SBPA) has expressed “concern” about parts of the Minimum Pricing Bill published by the Scottish Government yesterday.