City News Rss news feed for Morning Advertiser

Heineken: beer and cider down in UK

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 08:00:00 GMT

Heineken has reported single digit volume decreases in both its beer and cider volumes in the UK for the first half of 2011.

Shorthouse to join Colliers from Christie

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 07:00:00 GMT

Colliers International has appointed James Shorthouse from rival agent Christie + Co, to the role of head of licensed and leisure.

Leisure sector 'will drive economic growth'

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 09:04:00 GMT

Businesses view the hospitality and leisure sector as a key driver of economic growth in the UK over the next decade.

Commercial leases 'the most flexible ever'

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 07:38:00 GMT

Commercial landlords are offering “the most flexible lease regimes ever”, leading to a greater take-up of longer leases. That’s according to the British Property Federation’s (BPF) Annual Lease Review for the Mary Portas high street review.

Barracuda unveils Smith & Jones rebrand

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 07:02:00 GMT

Managed pub operator Barracuda is to rebrand all its 161 Smith & Jones outlets in a bid to make the brand as well recognised as any others.

Leisure sector 'latent vehicle for growth'

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 07:01:00 GMT

The leisure sector is a “latent vehicle for economic growth” providing 27% of jobs undertaken by young people, says BISL.

Whitbread to sell Premier Inn sites

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:46:00 GMT

Whitbread is to sell seven Premier Inn sites to real-estate investment firm LaSalle Investment Management for £53.8m in a sale and leaseback deal.

Blue Star Pub Co pays down £14m

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 07:01:00 GMT

Blue Star Pub Company, the 400-strong freehold tenanted pub firm owned by Heineken, has paid down £14m of its original £180m purchase price.

Adnams: variable first half

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 09:14:00 GMT

Suffolk-based brewer and pub operator Adnams has reported a “variable” first half of 2011 due to a "rollercoaster" of consumer confidence.

Pub sales suffer in wake of riots

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 07:00:00 GMT

The rioting that took place across the UK last week led to an unwelcome dent in trade for pubs in affected areas, with some sites reporting sales falls of up to 40%. That’s according to the Publican’s Morning Advertiser survey of pubco bosses.

Cavendish in site launch

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 07:00:00 GMT

Cavendish Bars, the company led by Christian Arden, is to launch an entertainment venue close to its Wahoo site in Oxford.

BrewDog share issue raises £1m

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 07:43:00 GMT

BrewDog says it expects to have reached its £2.2m investment target via a share issue four months ahead of schedule.

Riots: 10% of retail and leisure businesses affected

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 07:10:00 GMT

More than 10% of UK retail and leisure businesses have already been directly affected by the looting and riots which have hit the country.

Renaissance Pubs to open sixth site

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:50:00 GMT

Renaissance Pubs, the London-based gastro pub group founded by Nick Fox, Tom Peake and Mark Reynolds, will open its sixth site this September.

Lees acquires Blue Moon pub

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 07:00:00 GMT

Manchester-based brewer and pub operator JW Lees has bought the freehold of a West Yorkshire pub from Blue Moon Pub Company

Young's pulls out of brewing

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 07:38:00 GMT

Young’s is to pull out of brewing after selling its 40% shareholding in Wells & Young’s Brewing Company to Charles Wells for £15.1m.

G&J Greenall under new ownership

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 07:00:00 GMT

G&J Greenall, the premium vodka and gin supplier and bottler, is under new ownership following a management buy-in, buy-out led by current chief executive Christian Rose.

Licensed trade administrations fall

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 07:00:00 GMT

The number of administrations in the licensed trade fell almost one third in the second quarter of 2011 against Q1, according to new figures from Baker Tilly that suggest a “remarkable recovery” for the sector.

Enterprise Inns: continued improvement in trading

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 07:49:00 GMT

Enterprise Inns has reported a “continued improvement” in performance with average net income per pub up by over 1% in the past 18 weeks.

Amber estate grows to 69

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 07:00:00 GMT

Amber Taverns, the northern England-based pub operator, has brought its estate to 69 sites with the purchase of three ex-pubco pubs for £505,000.

Red Bull marketing hits profits

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 07:00:00 GMT

Red Bull Company, owner of the energy drink brand in the UK and Ireland, saw pre-tax profits nearly halve in 2010.

Marston's: managed pub sales boost

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 07:36:00 GMT

Marston’s has announced a 2.9% uplift in like-for-like sales in its managed pubs division for the 42 weeks to 23 July.

VisitEngland reports rise in UK visitor numbers

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 09:29:00 GMT

The number of domestic overnight trips taken in the UK during the first quarter of 2011 increased by 5% compared with the same period last year.

'Hotel and tourism sectors most affected by insolvency'

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 09:21:00 GMT

The number of businesses on the verge of insolvency has risen 12% from three months ago, with the hotel and tourism sectors the most severely hit.

ALMR boosted by membership rise

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 07:10:00 GMT

The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) turned around a pre-tax loss of £11,918 in 2009 to record a £6,494 surplus last year.

Jamie all set to be a Brit hit

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 07:00:00 GMT

Union Jack’s, Jamie Oliver’s restaurant concept in waiting, will use only produce sourced from the UK.

SAB Miller: volumes and revenue up

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:56:00 GMT

SAB Miller has reported a 5% growth in beer and soft drinks volumes for the first quarter to 30 June with a 7% increase in group revenue.

Greene King to buy Capital for £93m

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:20:00 GMT

Greene King has agreed a deal to buy the 34-strong London-based Pub Company for £93m.

Loungers’ turnover boost

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 07:00:00 GMT

Loungers, the privately-owned group behind the Lounge and Cosy Club concepts, has reported a 55% growth in turnover.

Moorhouse’s £4.2m brewery

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 06:59:00 GMT

Moorhouse’s, the Lancashire brewer, has opened a new £4.2m brewery, visitor centre and bistro.

Castle Rock’s poppy pub

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 06:56:00 GMT

Nottingham-based Castle Rock Brewery has opened its first pub in four years — the Poppy and Pint.

Titanic buys sixth pub

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 02:18:00 GMT

Staffordshire brewer and pub operator Titanic has bought its sixth pub, a freehold from Punch Taverns, off an asking price of £300,000.

Punch to open 17th Flaming Grill

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 02:17:00 GMT

Punch Taverns is spending nearly £250,000 turning the Nosey Parker in Lincoln into a Flaming Grill.

Tally Ho expands to three outlets

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 08:53:00 GMT

Tally Ho Holdings, the operator of food-led pubs, run by the daughter of broadcaster Sir Terry Wogan and her husband, has secured its third site.

Seven closed Brains freeholds for sale

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 06:58:00 GMT

Welsh brewer and pub operator SA Brain has put the freeholds of seven closed pubs up for sale for an average asking price of £181,429.

SA Brain profit hit by slow economy

Fri, 27 May 2011 07:04:00 GMT

SA Brain, the Cardiff-based brewer and pub operator, has blamed the slow economic recovery for causing its results to fall behind target.

Pub market ‘will face greater rationalisation’

Fri, 27 May 2011 07:00:00 GMT

An analyst has predicted a greater rationalisation of the pub market and that will be to the benefit of the major managed operators.

Bulldog gets its teeth into fifth site

Fri, 27 May 2011 06:56:00 GMT

Bulldog, the Lincolnshire-based operator of coaching inns, has snapped up its fifth site — the Admiral Rodney in Horncastle.

Admiral Taverns ramps up BDM hunt

Thu, 26 May 2011 12:47:00 GMT

Admiral Taverns has ramped up its recruitment of business development managers (BDM) with a proven track record to supplement its existing core.

Guinness Peat sells Adnams stake

Wed, 25 May 2011 10:05:00 GMT

Guinness Peat Group, which has stakes in a number of the UK's leading brewers and pub groups, has sold its stake in Adnams for around £2.2m.

St Austell’s £2m splash on rooms

Wed, 25 May 2011 07:21:00 GMT

South-west family brewery St Austell has invested more than £2m in adding 33 letting rooms to the County Arms in Truro, Cornwall.

Weston Castle: Thwaites deal working well

Tue, 24 May 2011 07:13:00 GMT

Northern-based multiple operator Weston Castle has revealed its high risk strategy to work with Thwaites to reopen closed pubs is "working well".

No growth likely in eating out sector

Tue, 24 May 2011 07:08:00 GMT

Growth is unlikely in the eating-out market during 2011, with 2012 likely to be a difficult year as consumers seek value.

SABMiller to open £3m brewing research centre

Mon, 23 May 2011 11:56:00 GMT

SABMiller, the London-listed global brewer, is to open its £3m Nottingham-based global brewing research facility in June.

Cask Pub and Kitchen rollout

Mon, 23 May 2011 10:43:00 GMT

Award-winning licensee Martin Hayes is to expand beyond his Cask Pub and Kitchen pub in London.

Everards operating profit rises 2.1%

Mon, 23 May 2011 10:33:00 GMT

Leicestershire brewer and pub operator Everards saw operating profit rise 2.1% in the 52 weeks to 25 September 2010.

Illusions Magic Bars down to one site

Wed, 18 May 2011 10:06:00 GMT

Illusions Magic Bars, the operator of magic bars, has been forced to close its Manchester venue after the landlord declined to renew the lease.

Magners on the up in the UK

Wed, 18 May 2011 07:26:00 GMT

C&C Group has reported an increase in pre-tax profits on the back of a 3.6% volume growth of Magners in The UK.

13 pubco sites to go under the hammer

Wed, 18 May 2011 07:11:00 GMT

The freeholds of 13 pubco sites are due to go under the hammer at a Sidney Phillips auction at the end of next month.

Enterprise trials 'managed tenancy' agreement

Tue, 17 May 2011 01:08:00 GMT

Enterprise Inns, the leased and tenanted pub operator, is trialling a so-called “managed tenancy” agreement.

Enterprise Inns: net income per pub stable

Tue, 17 May 2011 08:03:00 GMT

Enterprise Inns has reported a “stable” performance from its tenanted pubs for the six months to 31 March despite the poor December weather.

Bob Ivell joins M&B as a non-exec director

Mon, 09 May 2011 12:40:00 GMT

Industry veteran Bob Ivell has been appointed non-executive director of managed pub and restaurant operator Mitchells & Butlers.

Grand Union in private equity talks

Mon, 09 May 2011 09:30:00 GMT

London-based pub operator Grand Union Group is in talks with private equity groups over a possible sale or investment in the company.

ALMR: membership up 20%

Mon, 09 May 2011 07:37:00 GMT

The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers welcomed 16 new companies into its fold in the first four months of 2011.

Worthington ales surge

Mon, 09 May 2011 07:33:00 GMT

Molson Coors UK and Ireland said production of William Worthington ale brands in the first quarter of 2011 exceeded that for the whole of 2010.

Spirit ‘years from profit of its peers’

Mon, 09 May 2011 07:12:00 GMT

Leading City analyst Geof Collyer has claimed that Punch Taverns’ Spirit is years away from being as profitable as its peers.

Market Town Taverns in Otley pub launch

Mon, 09 May 2011 07:02:00 GMT

Market Town Taverns, the Yorkshire-based operator led by Ian Fozard, has opened its 15th pub, an ex-Enterprise Inns site in Otley.

Pub sales market slowed by bank holidays

Mon, 09 May 2011 07:01:00 GMT

Pub property agents are blaming the bumper bank holiday weekends and a later Easter for the market stalling in April.

Faucet buys renowned pub

Mon, 09 May 2011 07:01:00 GMT

Faucet Inn has acquired the freehold of the renowned Sir Richard Steele pub in London’s Belsize Park off an asking price of £3.75m.

Posnett is a partner at Oakham

Mon, 09 May 2011 07:00:00 GMT

Adrian Posnett, managing director of Peterborough-based Oakham Ales, has been appointed partner in the firm.

Adnams sees uplift

Fri, 06 May 2011 02:43:00 GMT

Suffolk-based brewer and pub operator Adnams has reported a recovery in trade in the first quarter of 2011.

Molson Coors: we need an alcohol minister

Fri, 06 May 2011 09:11:00 GMT

The industry needs a designated alcohol minister, Molson Coors chief executive Mark Hunter has claimed.

Admiral Taverns merges divisions

Fri, 06 May 2011 09:01:00 GMT

Tenanted pub operator Admiral Taverns is to merge its Phoenix turn-around estate with its core pubs division to create one trading business.

Joule’s lands 20th outlet

Wed, 04 May 2011 08:04:00 GMT

Staffordshire-based pub operator and brewer Joule’s has bought its 20th pub as it edges closer to its aim of operating up to 30 sites.

Stephen Thomas to open first Greene Room cabaret club

Wed, 04 May 2011 07:59:00 GMT

No Saints, the bar and restaurant group run by ex-Luminar boss Stephen Thomas, is to open its first Greene Room cabaret club in Milton Keynes.

Wetherspoon reports 2.4% increase in like-for-like sales

Wed, 04 May 2011 07:31:00 GMT

JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has this morning reported a 2.4% increase in like-for-like sales for the 13 weeks to 24 April.

Pinegar nets new position with M&B

Wed, 04 May 2011 07:19:00 GMT

Nigel Pinegar, formerly of Paramount Restaurants, has joined Mitchells & Butlers as an operations development manager for Ember Inns.

Wilson exits Parkhill Pub Management

Wed, 04 May 2011 07:17:00 GMT

Magnus Wilson, the veteran pub operator, has left Parkmill Pub Management, the pub management arm of Orchid Group.

UK economy in growth in first quarter

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:31:00 GMT

The UK economy grew by 0.5% in the first three months of the year, according to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

Like-for-like sales up for Greene King

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 08:00:00 GMT

Suffolk brewer and operator, Greene King, reported like-for-like sales growth of 4.7% in its managed pub division for the 51 weeks to 24 April 2011.

Greene King buys Realpubs for £53.1m

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:51:00 GMT

Suffolk-based brewer and operator Greene King has bought London-based Realpubs, which runs 14 pubs, for £53.1m.

Beer sales fall by 3.8%

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:12:00 GMT

Beer sales fell by 3.8% in the first quarter of 2011 compared to the same period in 2010, according to the British Beer & Pub Association.

Enterprise lease for Byron

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:00:00 GMT

Byron, the chain of up-market burger restaurants, is set to open in Putney, after taking a new lease from Enterprise Inns

Pub restaurants at new Premier sites

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:00:00 GMT

Whitbread plans to open a Beefeater Grill and a Brewers Fayre at its two new Premier Inn sites in the coastal resorts of Weymouth and Weston-super-Mare.

Heineken hit with £10k fine over environmental breach

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 10:50:00 GMT

Heineken has had to fork out over £10,000 after sending 64,600 litres of cider and beer to a nearby effluent treatment plant.

Pubs sought for hostel profit 'bunk-up'

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 08:34:00 GMT

Journeys Hostels, the hostel operator, is looking for 15 to 20 pubs to take on its franchises and add a hostel operation.

Enterprise Inns signs up to price matching service

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 08:29:00 GMT

An online price matching service has been launched that helps licensees improve their profit margins.

Harveys to house community-owned power station

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 07:48:00 GMT

Harveys is set to provide a home at its brewery warehouse in Lewes for what is believed will be the first community-owned power station.

Sharp's Brewery: record sales; expansion planned

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:14:00 GMT

Sharp’s Brewery, the Cornish brewer bought by Molson Coors in February, has announced record sales and revealed plans to increase production.

S&NPC's waterside pub venture folds

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:08:00 GMT

Waterside Pub Partnership has fallen into administration after failing to secure further financing.

Travelodge in £100m pub group link up

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 08:46:00 GMT

Travelodge is to link up with several pub groups, including Greene King and Mitchells & Butlers, as part of a £100m expansion programme.

Capital: London pub market remains strong

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 07:33:00 GMT

Capital Pub Company, the London-based pub group, has reported a 24% increase in revenue for the year to 26 March 2011.

Tenanted Pub Company Summit speakers lined up

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 07:26:00 GMT

Senior figures from across the tenanted pub sector have been confirmed as speakers for this year’s Tenanted Pub Company Summit.

Scoff & Quaff buys up pub

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 07:23:00 GMT

Worcester-based pub operator Scoff & Quaff has bought its seventh site — a flood-hit Enterprise Inns leased pub.

Punch trials franchise-style agreements

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 08:18:00 GMT

Punch Taverns is trialling a franchise-style agreement where the licensee takes a proportion of the sales and has to meet certain running costs.

Bars and restaurants 'are most distressed'

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:49:00 GMT

Bars and restaurants are showing the biggest signs of financial distress amongst UK businesses, according to the latest Red Flag Alert released by administrators Begbies Traynor.

Graham Jones named new COO at Stonegate

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:22:00 GMT

Graham Jones, former operations director with Barracuda, has been appointed chief operating officer at Stonegate Pub Company.

Punch profits fall as Dyson heads up Spirit

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 08:00:00 GMT

Punch Taverns' current chief executive Ian Dyson is to head the group’s demerged managed division Spirit.

GK’s post-graduate training for BDMs

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 08:59:00 GMT

Greene King Pub Partners, the leased and tenanted pub division of Greene King, is claiming a first for the leased and tenanted sector by sending all its business development managers (BDMs) on post-graduate training in multi-site skills.

JDW spends £9.58m on latest shares buyback

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 01:02:00 GMT

JD Wetherspoon (JDW), the managed pub operator, has invested £9.58m on buying back 2.27 million of its own shares for cancellation.

Principle Leisure in administration

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 07:34:00 GMT

Principle Leisure, the Tyne & Wear-based operator, has been placed on the market after falling into administration.

Butcombe Brewery buys pub operator Triple Rock

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 07:18:00 GMT

Somerset brewer and operator Butcombe has added three pubs to its estate with the acquisition of local operator Triple Rock for an undisclosed sum.

Maclay Inns to expand this year

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 05:25:00 GMT

Maclay Inns, the Scottish pub operator, plans to add two or three sites to its estate in the coming year after reporting a 26% rise in operating profits.

M&B: Opportunity to grow market share

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 08:12:00 GMT

Food is increasingly the main driver of out-of-home occasions and there is plenty of market share for pubs to capture.

Greene King eyes 70 more Hungry Horses

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 08:11:00 GMT

Hungry Horse, the Greene King value brand, is set to increase by another 70 or so sites, according to chief executive Rooney Anand.

New foodier format for Ember Inns

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 08:07:00 GMT

The new format moves Ember’s traditional pub offer to a more premium food and family offer at mainstream prices.

Drake & Morgan's MacLean wins accolades

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 07:31:00 GMT

The woman behind Drake & Morgan has won the Outstanding Entrepreneur award at the Women 1st Shine Awards.

JDW is a top employer for 8th year running

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 07:12:00 GMT

JD Wetherspoon has been named as one of Britain’s Top Employers of 2011 for the eighth year running.

Historic site for gastropub

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 04:26:00 GMT

Restaurant operators Mark Friend and Steve Slater have opened a new gastropub inside one of Liverpool’s most famous buildings.

Revenue rise at Booker

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:52:00 GMT

Wholesaler Booker Group has recorded a 6.4% rise in revenue for the 12 weeks to 25 March 2011.