Technology

Come and tech a look: technology is now vital for smooth service across all aspects of the on-trade

FEATURE - Technology

FEATURE: Finding the right tech to fit your pub

By Fiona Griffiths

Pub operators everywhere are facing challenging times but choosing the right technology solutions can help your business to survive – and even thrive.

Screening deal: TNT Sports will start showing the FA Cup from the 2025-26 season

TNT Sports seals four-year deal to screen FA Cup matches

By The Morning Advertiser

Sports fans will be able to watch the Emirates FA Cup from the first round to the final at the pub after TNT Sports secured a four-year screening deal that will start in the 2025-26 season.

Access Hospitality acquires Wireless Social

Access Hospitality acquires Wireless Social

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Access Hospitality, a division of The Access Group, has acquired Wireless Social, the UK’s leading provider of guest wi-fi, analytics and marketing solutions.

Nearby pints: Zoopla and Useyourlocal have joined forces (Credit: Getty/Rossella De Berti)

Home-hunters can now pick property based on proximity to pub

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Useyourlocal, the UK’s largest online audience of people looking to go to the pub, has joined forces with property website Zoopla to help home-hunters pick a new property based on the proximity to their local pub.

Staffing fears: industry workers may be thinking about a different career but job satisfaction levels have risen (credit: Getty/Charday Penn)

Career change considered by 42% of industry staff

By Gary Lloyd

More than two in five workers in the hospitality sector are considering a career outside the industry despite job satisfaction levels increasing ‘significantly’ during the past 12 months.

Energy savers: here are 5 of the best eco-friendly pieces of equipment, according to Brewfitt

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Brewfitt's top 5 energy-saving products for dispense

By Brewfitt

In today's environmentally conscious world, reducing energy consumption is not only a noble endeavour but also a smart one, especially for businesses in the hospitality industry.

Be smart: technology can be used in front and back of house at your premises

FEATURE - Technology

FEATURE: How tech can free up time for your staff

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.

Should I install solar panels at my pub?

GREEN INITIATIVE

Solar panels – are they worth installing?

By Nikkie Thatcher

Solar panels can be a significant investment but what is the process around getting them installed? We’ve spoken with operators who have them in place at their sites to find out their experiences.

Big match: the Women's World Cup final is taking place in Sydney, Australia (credit: Getty/gradyreese)

Gov urged to allow early Sunday opening for World Cup final

By Gary Lloyd

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) is among many in the industry to call on the Government to allow pubs to serve beer from 10am this Sunday so both pubs and customers can benefit from England reaching the Women’s World Cup final.

Social storm: Is Threads a business tool or fleeting fad? (Credit: Getty/ WeAre)

Threads: a guide for pubs

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Threads, a new social media app from Facebook’s parent company Meta, amassed more than 150m downloads in just two weeks after launching earlier this month.

Digital opinions: the report asked the 5,000 participants their thoughts on technology's role in hospitality (image: Getty/Tim Robberts)

Growing consumer interest in tech during visits

By Nikkie Thatcher

While most consumers (55%) believe a balance between technology and human interaction provides the best experience in the on-trade, there has been a change in attitude towards digital solutions, new research has found.

Joining forces: ResDiary CEO 'thrilled' to merge with Access Hospitality

Access Hospitality acquires ResDiary

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Access Hospitality, part of the Access Group, has announced the acquisition of ResDiary – a provider of bookings and table management software to clients in the hospitality sector.

Susan Chisholm talks about quality control at Greene King

The Cask Project

VIDEO FEATURE: Quality time at Greene King

By Gary Lloyd

Greene King quality control manager Susan Chisholm has worked for Suffolk-based brewer and pub operator Greene King for 45 years so she knows a lot more than most in the business.

Is it possible to make cask beer stay fresh for longer?

The Cask Project

Extending the life of cask beer

By Gary Lloyd

One of the biggest challenges around delivering an epic cask offer remains shelf life, so the ability to extend the lifespan of what is a quintessentially British product could be just the silver bullet the category needs.

De minimums issue: billing customers to charge electronic devices could be 'counterproductive' (Credit: Getty/Adam Gault)

Poll: should pubs charge customers for electricity?

By Rebecca Weller

Despite pressure surrounding energy costs in the on-trade, allowing customers to charge phones at pubs should be a “value added service” and charging them to do so would be “counterproductive”, according to operators from across the sector.

Price hike: inflation was driven up by cost rises in vegetables, fish, sugar and jams & syrups categories (credit:Getty/fcafotodigital)

Foodservice inflation jumps back above 20%

By Gary Lloyd

Year-on-year foodservice inflation has jumped up to 21.4% after slowing at the end of March – the first time it had dropped below 20% since mid-2022.

Extra flavour: NQ64's Shoreditch opening is its first site to offer food

Inside drinks and gaming bar NQ64's 10th site

By Gary Lloyd

Arcade bar NQ64 has launched its biggest site to date and the first of its 10 locations to offer food. Here are some pictures to show you what to expect there.

Technological advances: Zonal's Glenn Tait highlights how AI can influence and aid businesses in the hospitality sector

MA LEADERS CLUB

AI’s role in hospitality

By Nikkie Thatcher

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to be the next piece of technology to help operators grow their businesses, one expert has revealed.

Digital insights: Footprint Digital staff talk all things SEO

MA Leaders Club

How to drive footfall to your pub's website

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Experts from the advertising agency Footprint Digital advised operators on how to get the most out of SEO, at the MA Leaders conference in Newcastle last week.

Otter Brewery launches 'new category' beer Fresh Ale

The Cask Project

Otter Brewery launches ‘new category’ beer

By Gary Lloyd

Family-run Devon business Otter Brewery claims to have launched a new category of beer that “bridges the gap between craft, cask and lager”.

Paying out: overall consumer spending grew by 4.3% in April, according to Barclays (image: Getty/mihailomilovanovic)

Slight sales uptick in April

By Nikkie Thatcher

Pubs, bars and clubs saw a rise of 3.7% in consumer card spending for the month of April, new data has revealed.

Venturing outdoors: the sunshine helped sales lift during Easter (credit: Getty/william87)

Sun shines on Easter weekend sales

By Gary Lloyd

Draught beer and cider sales throughout the Easter weekend surpassed figures from 2022 as the sun shone in the on-trade.

Plenty of irons in the fire: Jean-David Thumelaire of Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I

BIG INTERVIEW

FEATURE: Customers are demanding super premium beers

By Gary Lloyd

Pubs are seeing a significant switch of customers turning to high-end drinks and increasing spend per serve, according to Budweiser Brewing Group (BBG UK&I) on-trade director Jean-David Thumelaire.

Cheer we go: the Six Nations once again provided greater footfall and sales for pubs (credit: Getty/Drazen Zigic)

Thirstiest rugby fans are in Scotland

By Gary Lloyd

Pubs in Scotland proved to be the thirstiest during the Six Nations third matchday as the average site sold an extra 199 pints, according to insights expert Oxford Partnership.

Test purchases: Poppleston Allen issues a number of tips on gaming machines in pubs (image: Getty/SolStock)

Licensing hub - Legal with Poppleston Allen

Age verification for machines in pubs – a gamble not worth taking

By Felix Faulkner, solicitor, Poppleston Allen

Over the recent months I have noticed an increase in both industry and local/national media reports regarding gaming machines in pubs and test purchasing, especially post Covid.

Serial refunders: pubs lost an average of £81 a month to refunds between 2021 and 2022 (Credit: Getty/Igor Vershinsky)

Pubs lose an average of £972 a year to refunds

By Rebecca Weller

Pubs across the country lose hundreds of pounds a year to refunds as consumer spending behaviours change amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, new data has revealed.

Improving experiences: The Reputation platform is designed to monitor feedback (Getty/ Hispanolistic)

Greene King Pub Partners invests in Reputation platform

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Greene King Pub Partners, the leased, tenanted and franchise division of Greene King, has invested in a customer experience and online reputation management platform which all its leased and tenanted licensees will be able to use for free.

CBDC: sector needs more information (Credit: Getty/ MF3d)

Sector needs 'much more' info on CBDC

By Rebecca Weller

The Government needs to share “much more information” about how central-bank digital currency (CBDC) will impact the hospitality sector, according to one Suffolk based operator.

Plenty to cheer: an increase in pints sold and customers visiting pubs and bars was enjoyed by sites showing the rugby (Credit: Getty/The Good Brigade)

Six Nations brings 27% more visitors to pubs

By Gary Lloyd

The Guinness Six Nations rugby tournament, which kicked off at the weekend, gave pubs and bars a reason to cheer when almost 26m pints were served across Britain.

Glass act: trade bodies believe a lack of clarity on the DRS is delaying preparations for the implementation of the scheme. Credit: (Getty/Zero Creatives)

Many firms won’t meet DRS deadline

By Gary Lloyd

Trade associations have warned the Scottish government thousands of businesses are unable to meet the deadline to implement the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS).

Energy focus: Mark McDonald says smart meters have proved to be valuable in cutting costs

Smart meters rolled out to 1/3 of Star pubs

By Gary Lloyd

Star Pubs & Bars is installing gas and electricity smart meters at a third of its pubs to help reduce their energy consumption as utility costs soar and Government help is set to be vastly reduced withdrawn.