Heath Ball

Story time: Heath Ball at the Red Lion & Sun writes stories about wines rather than tasting notes (credit: Getty/SolStock)

FEATURE: Wine

FEATURE: Let your pub shine with wine

By Michelle Perrett

There are some fantastic pubs serving amazing wines in the UK – but the pub sector does have some challenges to overcome in the category because it has a reputation for being focused on developing its beer menus rather than targeting wine sales.

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 39

The Lock In Podcast

Upping your game on food

By Ed Bedington

This week’s episode is brought to you from the number one Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropub the Unruly Pig in Bromeswell, Suffolk and includes licensee Brendan Padfield alongside rising chef star Ruth Hansom of the Princess of Shoreditch and Big Smoke co-founder...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In Podcast episode 33

The Lock In Podcast

The opportunities and pitfalls of review websites

By Ed Bedington

The latest episode of the Lock In Podcast sees the team focus on review sites such as TripAdvisor and Google from the Prince of Peckham in east London with the pub’s operator Clement Ogbonnaya as well as Tony Kent from Reputation.com.

What’s in the news 29 July

Review of the Week

Pingdemic fuels no-show excuses and wine woes

By Ed Bedington

The Morning Advertiser’s Ed Bedington and Frisco Group managing director Heath Ball reflect on the week’s headlines and how the pingdemic is ratcheting up and fuelling no shows.

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 30

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Season Finale!

By Ed Bedington

In the last episode of this series of the Lock In podcast, the team take a look back on the past year of ups and mostly downs, speak to a group of top operators and take a look forward at what the next few months might have in store. Tune in now!

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 29

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: tackling mental health

By Ed Bedington

With stress a major factor in running pubs under the current restrictive regime, the team take a look at mental wellbeing, from both operators own, through to how to ensure you’re staying on top of helping staff with their mental health, with some great...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 28

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Challenges keep on coming

By Ed Bedington

The continuing issues around a potential delay to 'freedom day', no news on any support extensions and proposed plans around smoking bans outside pubs are top of the agenda in the latest episode of the podcast. The team is also joined by British...

Improvement required: 'We need to stop talking about it and make serious strides to making this an industry to be proud of, not just a part time job before people move onto bigger and better things'

Opinion

Is the hospitality sector suffering from its reluctance to invest in staff?

By Heath Ball, managing director, Frisco Group

It’s no secret that that most hospitality businesses are suffering from a staff shortage – yes, even you Mr Martin – but while we look at Brexit and Covid-19 as the perpetrators of the problem, should we be looking closer to home for answers?

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 27

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: The show must go on!

By Ed Bedington

With the Euros on the horizon, the podcast team tackle the subject of hosting key events in your sites. We speak to a number of special guests to cover everything from hosting live music gigs, through to sporting triumphs and even a little bit of culture...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 26

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Food Glorious Food!

By Ed Bedington

With indoor reopening now well underway, the Lock In team tackle the subject of pub grub, how the crisis has impacted on offers, the challenges around growing your own chefs, calorie labelling on menus and we ask how sustainable is your pub food offer?...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 25

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: In, out, shake it all about

By Ed Bedington

With reopening just days away, the Lock In team get to grips with the challenges operators will be facing when it comes to opening up indoors under restrictions. We get extra input from special guests Andy Grimsey from Poppleston Allen, who shares insight...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 24

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Can't get the staff, literally...

By Ed Bedington

One of the key challenges of reopening has been on the staffing front, from re-energising long furloughed team members, through to recruiting replacements and training teams back up to speed. The Lock In podcast team take a deep dive into those issues,...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 23

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Fingers on the pulse...

By Ed Bedington

As the industry starts to reopen, the Lock In team take a sideways look to see what trends are starting to emerge in food, drink, operations and consumer behaviour. The achingly hip Heath Ball and his sidekick James Cuthbertson share their insights into...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 22

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Baby it's cold outside...

By Ed Bedington

The Lock In team tackle the first week or so of trade, how to handle freezing customers, and speak to special guests Brendan Padfield of the Unruly Pig, and Elaine Wrigley of Atlas Bar to hear their experiences of reopening to date. We also tackle some...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 21

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: The challenges ahead

By Ed Bedington

In the latest edition of the podcast, the team discuss the issue of staffing amid reopening alongside conflicting guidance from councils and many other challenges operators are facing and could face in the coming months. The team are also joined by Admiral...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 20

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Shape of things to come

By Ed Bedington

The podcast team look towards the future of the pub and bar trade, and discuss, with special guests Stosi Madi from the Parkers Arms and Clement Ogbonnaya of the Prince of Peckham, how the pandemic crisis is likely to shape operations as we move out of...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 19

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: What does the Government have against pubs?

By Ed Bedington

The Lock In team take a look at the challenges around reopening, from staff to stock levels, and get some top tips on marketing your business from guest marketing whizz Mark McCulloch. The team also get to grips with business minister Paul Scully and...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 18

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Show us the money!

By Ed Bedington

We're talking finance and funding in this week's episode of the Lock In podcast. From the growing rent debt problem to thoughts on how to crowd funding, the podcast team speak to a couple of special guests on the topics and also discuss how...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 17

THE LOCK IN PODCAST

A year to forget?

By Ed Bedington

It has been a year to the day when the Prime Minister told customers to avoid going to the pub. The podcast team take a wry look at what has turned out to be an unprecedented year of challenge and struggle, which has brought out the best and the worst...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 16

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Budget - bonus or bust?

By Ed Bedington

The budget has been revealed, some would say before the budget was revealed, and the podcast team give their reaction to the Chancellor's hand outs and what it means for their businesses and wider hospitality. We also get some more considered analysis...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 15

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Thanks a lot Boris!

By Ed Bedington

With the roadmap to reopening the podcast team give their thoughts to the news, (spoiler,the reaction is not that great) and look at how pubs should be approaching the reopening challenge. They also tackle the tricky subject of insurance with special...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 14

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Are we all going on a summer holiday?

By Ed Bedington

The ever-changing announcements on holidays is the theme of the latest edition of the podcast, tackling the question of are staycations an option for customers and how this could impact pubs. The team are also joined by Liberation Group managing director...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 13

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Lockdown, loneliness and livelihoods

By Ed Bedington

Ongoing restrictions, supply shenanigans and whether to invest or not - the team take a topical look at the latest issues for the pub trade in this week's episode of the Lock In podcast and we discuss misguided campaigners and the importance of pubs...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 12

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: People power

By Ed Bedington

It's all about the people in this episode of the podcast as the team talk training, furlough challenges, keeping teams engaged, future recruitment challenges and we speak to special guest Jamie Campbell from CPL Learning to get his advice and tips...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 11

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Show us the money!

By Ed Bedington

It's all about the money in this episode of the podcast as the team talk finances, and speak to grants expert Kevin Stewart to get his advice on how operators can prise the cash grants out of local councils. James and Heath also share their thoughts...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 10

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Legal issues, support challenges and more...

By Ed Bedington

Legal challenges and opportunities come under the microscope in the latest episode of the Lock In podcast as the team are joined by licensing specialist Andy Grimsey from Poppleston Allen. We also tackle some of latest challenges facing the sector, debate...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 9

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: New Year, new lockdown

By Ed Bedington

With the pub industry back under full lockdown, the podcast team review the Christmas that wasn't, discuss the current dilemmas facing the trade, and kick around some practical ideas of what pubs can be doing while we await the next government decision...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 8

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Review of the year and challenges ahead

By Ed Bedington

With 2020 drawing to a close, and the last episode of the Lock In podcast for the year, the team take a look back at a year which has had few highlights, but plenty of challenges for the sector and more on the way. We take a look forward at what 2021...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 7

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Food glorious food!

By Ed Bedington

With food the focus under the new government restrictions for pubs, the Lock In podcast team talk about how you can create a food offer during the crisis, what makes good, and bad, pub food, the practicalities of a food offer and debate what substantial...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 6

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Tiers and restrictions

By Ed Bedington

In this week's episode of the Lock In podcast, Ed Bedington, Heath Ball and James Cuthbertson talk about preparing to come out of lockdown, their reaction to the latest government restrictions and find out live which tiers their pubs fall into. Tune...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 5

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Christmas planning in a pandemic

By Ed Bedington

In this week's episode of the Lock In podcast, Ed Bedington, Heath Ball and James Cuthbertson talk about Christmas, what can we expect to get out of a Christmas with restrictions, and where they see things heading. Tune in for a listen the latest...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 4

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Lockdown blues

By Ed Bedington

In this week's episode of the Lock In podcast Ed Bedington, James Cuthbertson and Heath Ball talk about the challenges facing the sector in lockdown, how pubs can adapt and what the future might look like. Tune in to the latest episode of the Lock...

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 2

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Bad wine experiences, blind tasting and tier 2

By Ed Bedington

In this week's episode of The MA's Lock In podcast, Ed Bedington, James Cuthbertson and Heath Ball talk bad experiences drinking wine, tier two and Ball is treated to a blind wine tasting, but will he guess them right? Tune in to the latest...

What's in the new Lock In Podcast?

THE LOCK IN PODCAST

The MA launches new Lock In podcast

By Ed Bedington

The Morning Advertiser's new weekly podcast, The Lock In, sees editor Ed Bedington and co-hosts James Cuthbertson and Heath Ball explore different aspects of the pub trade over a drink or two.