Uk

Analysis

What support has been available to pubs and bars across Europe?

14-Oct-2020 By Stuart Stone

How does the UK Government's support for the hospitality sector stack up against what's being offered on the continent?

Liberty Games crowns Britain’s pub capital

27-Apr-2018 By Stuart Stone

Games room specialists Liberty Games analysed the addresses of 51,566 pubs and crowned Portsmouth as the pub capital of the UK, based on the number of pubs per square mile.

Pubs ahead of restaurants and supermarkets with consumer spending

07-Mar-2018 By Nikkie Sutton

February saw consumer spending in pubs grow by 10%, which was 0.3% more than in restaurants, new data has revealed.

British gin outsells beef

13-Feb-2018 By Huw Cross

Britain exports more gin than beef, according to new figures that show overseas sales reached £530m in 2017.

Experience economy 'clear winner' in 2017 despite 'cautious' consumer spending

02-Jan-2018 By Georgina Townshend

The experience economy came out on top in 2017, boosted by spending in pubs that saw double digit year-on-year increases of 12.2% in 2017, according to Barclaycard.

Food trends continue to be a picture of health

02-Jan-2018 By Nikkie Sutton

Vegan and gluten-free foods will become even more dominant on menus this year, according to an ingredients supplier.

The Morning Advertiser round-up: the biggest stories in 2017

21-Dec-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Beer launches, buy outs and terrorism all hit the pub industry hard this year but this isn’t to say there wasn’t some positive news too.

UK beer distribution model ‘fundamentally messed up’

20-Nov-2017 By James Beeson

The warehouse model employed by most beer distributors is “broken” and should be “done a completely different way”, according to one of the UK’s leading online retailers and wholesale suppliers.

Hackney bar celebrates Living Wage Week with beer festival

07-Nov-2017 By James Beeson

Mason & Company, the craft beer bar in Hackney Wick, east London, is celebrating Living Wage Week with a beer festival dedicated to breweries that pay their workers the national living wage.

Underage alcohol sales in UK pubs hit record low

06-Nov-2017 By Stuart Stone

A survey of more than 12,000 schoolchildren has revealed that the number of underage alcohol purchases taking place in the UK’s pubs is at an all-time low.

Mock pub aims to drive UK tourism and beer exports

24-Oct-2017 By Fred A'Court

A British pub set-up complete with bar, seating areas and even an iconic red telephone box at overseas trade shows could also be used to boost beer exports – with the added bonus of visiting a pub as a ‘must do’ activity during a visit to the UK.

‘Migrant workers can stay,’ says PM

19-Oct-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Pubs employing EU migrants will be allowed to maintain their contracts once the UK leaves the European Union, Prime Minister Theresa May has confirmed for the first time.

Want pints, will travel: the rise of beer tourism in the UK

09-Oct-2017 By James Beeson

What makes a place a hotbed for beer tourism and why has the concept become so popular?

More than half of UK diners prepared to pay more for home-grown food

26-Sep-2017 By James Beeson

Stocking British produce could enable pubs to charge up to 25% more for their food, according to new research.

Brexit transitional deal ‘a necessary first step’ for wine and spirits industry

13-Sep-2017 By James Beeson

A transitional arrangement that enables the UK to remain within the single market and customs union is “a necessary first step” to promote confidence in the wine and spirits sector, according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) chief executive...

Rum to break £1bn sales barrier this year

29-Aug-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Rum sales are expected to top the £1bn mark this year if current consumption trends continue, the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has said.

Staycations grow hospitality sales by more than 8%

25-Aug-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Brits are now more inclined to holiday in the UK, providing the on-trade with a substantial boost, although the uncertain economic climate is preventing them from really splashing the cash.

6 ways to make black truffles go further

24-Aug-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

They are potentially the most expensive fungi known to man, with prices regularly exceeding £30 per gram, but there are ways to extend the use of truffles beyond thinly shaving them over a dish.

UK's first alcohol-free drinks festival attracts 2,500 attendees

16-Aug-2017 By James Beeson

The UK’s first ever ‘mindful drinking’ festival took place in London on Sunday (13 August).

Brexit: Politicians 'cannot deliver for wine and spirit trade'

23-Jun-2017 By Michelle Perrett

The UK and EU wine and spirit trade does not believe it can rely on politicians to deliver a Brexit that avoids disruption for the industry.

Hospitality wages '62p higher than national living wage'

07-Jun-2017 By Georgina Townshend

The hospitality industry’s average hourly pay of workers outstrips the national living wage (NLW) by 62p, a global software provider for the leisure and hospitality industries has claimed.

More than 150 pubs open doors for Pint of Science festival

17-May-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Selected pubs across the UK have taken part in a three-day festival that embraces a “time-honoured tradition” of dissecting complex topics over a pint.

General Election 2017

Pubs want Conservative Government

09-May-2017 By Ed Bedington

The pub industry seems to be leaning towards a continuation of Conservative Party rule according to the results of our general election survey, with many citing Brexit as the key battleground for their votes. Ed Bedington reports.

General election 2017

Drinks industry calls for ‘protection’ of £23.1bn pub trade

08-May-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Demands for a more prosperous pub and drinks industry have been set out by sector organisations the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and the Wine and Spirits Trade Association (WSTA) ahead of the general election.  

US flavoured craft beer invasion gaining pace

26-Apr-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Flavoured craft beer is the juggernaut powering the growth of Tennessee’s self-proclaimed largest craft beer producer across The Pond to the UK, a trend TailGate Beer founder Wesley Keegan does not envisage slowing.

WSTA warns Government over post-Brexit bootlegging

27-Mar-2017 By Georgina Townshend

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has warned Government that if Brexit talks do not achieve frictionless borders, delays and gridlocks at ports will “encourage the resurgence of alcohol smugglers”.

Article 50 trigger date prompts calls to ‘protect pubs’

21-Mar-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Concerns about the future of beer exports and the rights of EU nationals working in pubs have been restated by industry groups after the Prime Minister announced she would trigger Article 50 on Wednesday 29 March.

2017 drinks trends: what to stock

13-Feb-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Gin will give way to Tequila and more consumers will seek to buy only locally-made alcoholic drinks, including craft beer and spirits.

BBPA rebukes calls for wine and spirit duty cut

06-Feb-2017 By Liam Coleman

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has dismissed the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA)'s calls for a cut in wine and spirit duty at the upcoming Budget and reiterated its own call for cuts to beer duty.

Tipping

Diners confused over tipping

10-Jan-2017 By Michelle Perrett

More than half (54%) of British diners find the UK tipping culture awkward, the latest AA survey has revealed.

Drink Driving

Budweiser's 'biggest ever' anti drink-drive campaign hailed a success

13-Dec-2016 By Helen Gilbert

Budweiser’s ‘biggest ever’ responsible drinking campaign in partnership with Uber has so far been ‘well received’, according to AB InBev’s marketing director for the UK and Ireland.

pubs code

MRO quote plea from 24 Greene King licensees

30-Nov-2016 By Michelle Perrett

Greene King has revealed that 24 licensees requested a quote for the market rent-only option (MRO) in the first three months of the pubs code.

In association with CCEP

How soft drinks started

20-Nov-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Softs have played an important role in society for centuries, but their history and value is too often overlooked. There’s a lot more to soft drinks than first meets the eye.

CHEF SHORTAGE

Chef shortage will hit hard over Christmas, warn recruiters

15-Nov-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Recruitment agencies will struggle greatly to meet demand for chefs from pubs and restaurants this Christmas, the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) has warned.

Spirits and fizz ‘taking over beer’

Spirits and wine make up 50% of drinks sales in new pubs

12-Sep-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

Spirits and wine are giving beer a run for its money, with the two categories now accounting for almost half (49%) of value sales in new pubs, bars and restaurants.

New Products

Peanut Butter Milk Stout lands in the UK

01-Aug-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

TOP SHELF:This smooth (not crunchy) 5.8% ABV Peanut Butter Milk Stout has been imported into the UK for the first time by global drinks importer Heathwick from American craft brewery Tailgate Beer.

BrewDog: pledge your death to a good cause

12-Jul-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

BrewDog has launched a campaign encouraging drinkers to become organ donors alongside the launch of its new ‘temporary’ beer, Born to Die.

Spirits

Knowledge and taste key to unlock £585m on-trade spirits growth opportunity, Maxxium claim

22-Jun-2016 By James Evison

Spirits distributor Maxxium has launched 'A Winning Mixx' category vision which it claims shows potential for growth in the on-trade.

Scotland

New alcohol-limiting proposals branded "one step away from prohibition"

20-Jun-2016 By Oli Gross

A proposal to limit the sale of alcohol at Scottish pubs has been labelled “one step away from prohibition”, amid renewed fears that licensees will become increasingly responsible for the health of customers.

CGA/AlixPartners data

Analysis: The food-led pub juggernaut rolls on

09-Jun-2016 By Mike Berry

While UK pub numbers generally are in decline — with wet-led outlets losing out to food-led sites — vibrant city centres across the country are bucking the trend. Mike Berry reports.

Beer

Top beer innovations of 2016 so far

27-Apr-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

From vagina-infused beer to ale claiming to taste like joy, the trade appears to have seen it all so far this year when it comes to innovation. While we’ve had our fair share of novel launches, there have also been many legitimate new products brought...

Bedlam Brewery: market saturation is challenge for independent brewers

22-Apr-2016 By Daniel Woolfson

Beer market saturation created by triple-digit growth in the UK brewing sector could make it more challenging for new entrants into the market, a popular Sussex brewer has said.

EU referendum

Heading for the Brexit: How leaving the EU will impact pubs

19-Apr-2016 By Adam Bernstein

Adam Bernstein takes a look at some of the key areas that will affect the pub sector following the British public vote to leave the European Union, and how a rejection of the continent could shape the landscape for pub operators in years to come.

Beer

Cyclops Beer scheme reaches quarter of UK breweries

21-Jan-2016 By Ben Winstanley

Cyclops Beer, a scheme which aims to help consumers choose beers based on helpful tasting notes, has reached a key milestones at the beginning of 2016.

10 things you need to know about selling vegetarian food

21-Jan-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

More people are considering meat-free dishes when they eat out and want to see more choice on the menu. Here are 10 things to consider when putting vegetarian options on your menu.

Cheesecake tops the UK’s favourite desserts list

04-Dec-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Cheesecake is the UK’s favourite out-of-home dessert, followed by fruit crumble and ice cream, according to a poll of 2,000 consumers.

Pubs paying second highest business rates bill in UK

23-Nov-2015 By Emily Sutherland

British pubs are carrying one of the heaviest tax burdens in the UK economy according to a new report from Oxford Economics, paying six times more than justified.

Publican Awards 2016

It's your time to stand out from the crowd

02-Nov-2015 By PMA

With the deadline fast approaching, now’s the time to enter one of the pub sector’s most prestigious events — the Publican Awards 2016.

Cocktails sold in quarter of on-trade outlets

07-Oct-2015 By MC Allegra FS

Cocktails are now sold in around a quarter of the UK’s on-trade outlets with restaurants an increasingly popular destination to drink them, according to new research.

What makes a Great British Pub?

17-Sep-2015 By Ed Bedington

The UK pub sector is, without a doubt, a diverse and exciting sector — pubs and bars come in a wide range of flavours, but there’s no getting away from the fact it’s a dynamic and fast-moving business for those at the top of the game.