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Enterprise Inns re-organises divisions

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:22:00 GMT

Enterprise Inns has had an internal re-organisation that has changed some of the its division boundaries.

Oyster card style payments in pubs

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:54:00 GMT

Pub customers will soon be able to pay for a pint with Oyster style credit or debit cards without the fuss of entering a pin number.

M&B pubs have the X-Factor

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:53:00 GMT

Mitchells and Butlers, the managed pub operator, is showing the X-Factor on big screens at its Scream pubs on Saturday nights.

Enterprise to raise £10m more at auction

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:46:00 GMT

Enterprise Inns is hoping to raise a further £10m by selling the freeholds of seven pubs at an Allsops auction planned for 3 December.

M&B denies blanket 90 days' payment

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Mitchells & Butlers has denied that it is moving to a blanket policy of introducing 90 days’ payment for suppliers.

Abbey Inns adds fourth pub

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:36:00 GMT

Abbey Inns has taken a fourth pub in its home city of Bath — it’s added the pub next door to its brewery, Bath’s famous jazz pub, Ye Old Farmhouse.

Cavendish to open third Wahoo bar

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:19:00 GMT

Cavendish Bars is opening their third Wahoo site this week — the Oldham site opens on Friday 13 November.

Marjoram buys two pub freeholds

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:59:00 GMT

Operator Marjoram Leisure has acquired two freeholds in Essex for an undisclosed sum through Christie + Co.

Eclectic Bars reports profit boost

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:31:00 GMT

Eclectic Bars has reported total sales for the 12 months to the end of June 2009 up 19% on last year.

4C Inns shelves plans to sell business

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:42:00 GMT

4C Inns, the niche pub group based in the Home Counties, has shelved plans to sell the business.

Aston Manor buys Devon Cider out of administration

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:35:00 GMT

Birmingham-based Aston Manor Brewery has bought Devon Cider Company out of administration.

Ritblat to regain control of Merchant

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:30:00 GMT

Sir John Ritblat, the former chairman of British Land, is set to buy back Merchant Inns after the company went into administration.

Doom Bar buoys Sharp's

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:33:00 GMT

Cornish brewery Sharp’s saw turnover growth of 36% in 2008 driven principally by a “tremendous demand” for its Doom Bar brand.

Lowlander in pre-pack restructure

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:01:00 GMT

Lowlander, the fledgling Belgian beer concept, has been restructured via a pre-pack administration.

City Diary — 5 November

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:58:00 GMT

All the latest gossip and rumour from the City.

Kemp takes up top role at De Vere Hotels

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:03:00 GMT

Deborah Kemp, the former head of Punch Taverns leased division, has been appointed chief operating officer at De Vere Hotels and Resorts.

Pubs get New Year's Eve VAT concession

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:28:00 GMT

Pubs that open past midnight on New Year's Eve can continue to charge 15% VAT on sales until the early hours of 1 January.

Sales flat at JD Wetherspoon

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:34:00 GMT

JD Wetherspoon has reported a small increase in like-for-like sales for the 13 weeks to 25 October.

Marston's to open second site with Travelodge

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:02:00 GMT

Marston’s is to open its second site in partnership with the budget hotel operator Travelodge in Wadebridge in Cornwall.

C2's Jackson scoops top MA 150 gong

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:48:00 GMT

C2 Original Inns founder Matt Jackson was crowned the Best Individual at the Morning Advertiser 150 club awards for the country’s top multiple managed operators.

Barracuda: ‘new pub openings unlikely’

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:01:00 GMT

Managed operator Barracuda, led by Mark McQuater, has indicated that new openings are unlikely in the short term, given market conditions.

Gusto’s two tie-free sites

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Southampton-based pub group Gusto Inns has added another two sites to its portfolio, bringing its total to eight.

Shotton branches out with own pubs

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:59:00 GMT

One of the founders of Urban & Country Leisure, Dan Shotton, has left the company to launch his own pub group.

Orchid 'to buy PBR on 30 November'

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:34:00 GMT

Industry sources report that a date of 30 November has been set for managed company Orchid to complete its acquisition of stricken Premium Bars and Restaurants.

Heineken to take over Globe

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Heineken will takeover the Globe Pub Company in late 2010 – following its £180m acquisition today by a holding company.

Little Gem restructures

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Steve Wilkins, the serial bar and restaurant entrepreneur, has led a restructuring of the Little Gems Country Dining business.

Forest Inns buys second outlet

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:29:00 GMT

London operator Forest Inns has bought its second site — Ye Olde White Bear in Hampstead.

Top hosts’ second pub site sealed

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:22:00 GMT

A pair of award-winning Yorkshire licensees, Ashley and Kelly McCarthy, have taken on a second pub.

Heineken: beer volumes up in UK

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:43:00 GMT

Heineken has reported its beer volumes are improving in the UK market and it has increased its market share in beer and cider to around 29%.

Millionaire saves pub

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:33:00 GMT

A Kent multi-millionaire who didn’t want to see his local pub turned into flats decided to buy it to safeguard its future.

7.7% of town centre pubs closed this year

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:34:00 GMT

A total of 7.7% of town centre pubs and bars closed from January to September this year, according to a new survey.

Brakes appoints new chief exec

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Food wholesaler Brakes has appointed Philip Jansen as chief executive officer — he succeeds Frank McKay who is to retire.

BrewDog looks for new brewer

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:30:00 GMT

Controversial Scottish brewer BrewDog, whose beers include Punk IPA, 77 lager and Trashy Blonde is looking for a new brewer.

Mauldons takes second pub

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:16:00 GMT

Norfolk micro-brewer Mauldons has bought its second pub — the Cottage will be run by Clive and Sally Mann.

Punch to buy back remainder of bonds debt

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:39:00 GMT

Punch Taverns is to buy back the remainder of its convertible bonds a year ahead of schedule.

Eighth pub for Thurlby

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:01:00 GMT

Lincolnshire pub owner Michael Thurlby is set to open his eighth pub — the Woolpack Inn in Newark.

Pubco shares rise after OFT report

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:34:00 GMT

The country's two biggest tenanted and leased operators saw share prices rise yesterday after the OFT delivered its report on the beer tie.

City Diary — 22 October

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:25:00 GMT

All the latest gossip and rumour from the City.

Agent Christie's selling nine ex-Regent sites

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:28:00 GMT

Christie + Co is selling the leasehold interests of nine ex-Regent Inns sites on behalf of administrator BDO Stoy Hayward.

Luminar: sales down 14% in seven weeks to mid-October

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:59:00 GMT

Nightclub company Luminar has reported it is focus on very tight cost control in the current tough market.

OFT will take no further action on pubcos

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMT

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) will take no further action following the Campaign for Real Ale's super-complaint over pubcos and the beer tie. It found that the beer tie is not having an adverse impact on consumers.

Saffron Leisure buys 2nd freehold

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:58:00 GMT

Family-owned pub company Saffron Leisure has opened a second site — Grandison in Bramfield, Hertfordshire.

Foundation’s sixth site ready

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:37:00 GMT

Foundation Inns is gearing up to open its sixth site, following a £500,000 refurbishment at a pub in Oxfordshire.

Brulines: beer flow equipment more important than ever

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:14:00 GMT

Beer flow monitoring company Brulines believes its products will become more important than ever before in a challenging trading environment.

Regent completes pre-pack administration

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:02:00 GMT

Regent Inns has gone through a pre-pack administration with 60 sites emerging in a new company, Intertain, led by previous management.

3DE to be marketed for sale

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:41:00 GMT

The board of 3D Entertainment (3DE), the late-night bar and club group, has appointed advisers to launch an official sale of the business.

BrewDog looks to raise £2.3m

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:22:00 GMT

Controversial micro-brewer BrewDog is hoping to raise £2.3m through a share rights issue to fund a carbon neutral brewery in Aberdeen.

M&B makes committee changes

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:21:00 GMT

Mitchells & Butlers has appointed Tony Bates, Denis Jackson and Ray MacSharry to its Audit and Renumeration Commitee.

Be At One group sales rise by 37%

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:29:00 GMT

Nine-strong bar group Be At One has reported six month like-for-like sales growth from £2.32m to £2.69m.

Punch boss granted share options

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:10:00 GMT

Punch boss Giles Thorley has been granted the option to buy over 1.1m shares at a price of 90p in the pubco.

Barracuda invests in pub refurbishments

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:07:00 GMT

Managed operator Barracuda is to refurbish 22 of its pubs between August and December 2009 as part of a multi-million pound investment.

MBO fails at Regent Inns

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:02:00 GMT

The future of Walkabout operator Regent Inns, is said to be in doubt after a management buy-out collapsed.

Capital bags 26th pub

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:07:00 GMT

London-based Capital Pub Company has acquired the Wishing Well in SE15 for £880,000 out of administration.

IPC welcomes RICS pub rent findings

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:46:00 GMT

The newly formed Independent Pub Confederation (IPC) has welcomed the findings of the report into the fairness of rent setting.

Greene King to withdraw from BBPA

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:03:00 GMT

Greene King, one of the UK’s biggest integrated brewing and pub groups, plans to withdraw its membership of the British Beer & Pub Association.

Auction success for Enterprise pubs

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:32:00 GMT

Private buyers have bid way above guide prices to acquire Enterprise Inns pubs at an Allsops auction this afternoon. The five pubs sold on the day went for around £13.15m.

AB InBev confirms £2.3bn disposal

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:15:00 GMT

AB InBev, the world’s largest brewer, has announced it has agreed to sell breweries in nine eastern European countries to CVC Capital Partners.

SAB Miller: UK volumes on the rise

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:52:00 GMT

SABMiller, the brewing giant, reported a 15% rise in first half 2009 like-for-like volumes in the UK, but saw overall lager volumes fall 1% on an organic basis.

Marston's: 30 hosts sign up for new "Advance" agreement

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:44:00 GMT

Marston’s has reported that 30 tenants out of a group of 60 licensees offered one of its “Advance” leases has taken up the offer.

Pub quartet complete Kilimanjaro climb

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:27:00 GMT

Four pub operators have returned to the UK after successfully climbing Mount Kilimanjaro — 5,895 metres high — for charity.

Analyst: BBPA reforms could prevent inquiry

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:52:00 GMT

A City analyst has questioned whether any licensees, outside of the “tiny vocal minority”, have signed up in support of the Independent Pub Confederation.

Britvic posts 2.5% on-trade decline

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:47:00 GMT

Britvic, the soft drinks maker and distributor, has this morning reported a 2.5% decline in licensed on-trade volumes for the year to July.

Marston's: we're trading in line with expectations

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:44:00 GMT

Earnings at brewer and pub operator Marston's for the year will be in line with expectations, the company said in a pre-close statement.

Finance house offers funding to buy pub freeholds

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:10:00 GMT

A corporate finance specialist is offering to provide finance to multiple lessees who want to buy their freeholds.

Charles Wells soars in list of top private companies

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:06:00 GMT

Bedford-based brewery and pub operator Charles Wells climbed 27 places in the Sunday Times HSBC Top Track 250 league table.

Marston's: hitting new-build home runs

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:39:00 GMT

Marston’s plans to build 60 new pubs in three years. Paul Charity met managed division boss Derek Andrew to talk about the company’s strategy.

Fair Pint: nothing to fear from free of tie future

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:28:00 GMT

There is nothing to fear from a free-of-tie future, argues Fair Pint campaigner and Enterprise tenant Karl Harrison.

Barracuda ops director to oversee new Punch division

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:07:00 GMT

Graham Jones, operations director at Barracuda, has joined Punch to oversee the roll out of Punch Pub Company's new concepts.

Resilient trade at Nexum Leisure

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:48:00 GMT

Nightclub operator Nexum Leisure has reported a like-for-like sales drop of 1.3% for the six months to the end of September.

Punch: time to pull together in partnership

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:59:00 GMT

Roger Whiteside took over as boss of Punch’s leased division a year ago. He talks about what he has discovered — and the way forward.

Spirit set to introduce new concepts at up to 400 pubs

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:49:00 GMT

Punch has reported that as many as 400 of its pubs may be converted to a bank of new concepts it has in development within its 835-strong Spirit managed division.

Net sales down 6% at Diageo

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:50:00 GMT

Drinks giant Diageo has reported organic net sales down 6% on last year for the three months to September 2009.

Analyst: Punch could return to paying dividends next year

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:30:00 GMT

Punch Taverns could return to paying dividends next year, analyst Douglas Jack, of Numis Securities, has forecast.

Punch takes £663m hit on pub estate value

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:48:00 GMT

Punch Taverns has taken a £663m write-down on the value of its leased and managed pub estate. The pubco recognised impairment losses of £483.4m in its leased estate and £179.7m in its managed estate.

Orchid to look at re-opening north-east base for PBR

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:44:00 GMT

Orchid boss Rufus Hall has said that the company will look to re-open a base in the north-east for Premium Bars and Restaurant (PBR) after Orchid completes its take-over plan.

Sam Smith's appeals against tribunal decision

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:11:00 GMT

Brewer Sam Smith’s is to appeal against the decision of an employment tribunal which ruled it unfairly sacked one of its pub management couples.

Merchant Inns placed in administration

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:45:00 GMT

Merchant Inns, the pub operator founded by Robert Breare, has been placed into administration with Deloitte and its six pubs are now up for sale.

Booker reports strong sales growth

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:07:00 GMT

Booker, the UK’s leading food & drink wholesaler, has increased its like-for-like sales to catering customers by 12.6% for the 24 weeks to 11th September 2009, driven by a continued focus on choice, price and service.

S&N to close Dunston brewery

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:02:00 GMT

Scottish & Newcastle has announced its intention to close its Dunston brewing operations in Gateshead, by mid 2010.

'Robust' trading at Whitbread

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:49:00 GMT

Whitbread has reported that its 400 or so pub restaurants have continued to deliver a “robust performance as customers appreciate its value propositions”.

Diageo workers call for Walsh meeting

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:26:00 GMT

Angry Diageo workers at the Johnnie Walker plant in Kilmarnock have called for a face-to-face meet with chief executive Paul Walsh.

No action against pubs over England game

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:17:00 GMT

The firm that broadcast Saturday's internet-only England football match has "no plans" to take action against pubs that screened the game.

Charles Wells: beer tie essential to industry

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:47:00 GMT

Abolishing the beer tie would be another nail in the coffin of the British beer industry — that's the stark warning from Charles Wells.

Punch pays off £102m chunk of debt

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:35:00 GMT

Punch Taverns has paid off a further £102m worth of debt after buying back convertible bonds.

Pub Revolution calls for mass 'beercott'

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:01:00 GMT

A group of tied tenants is threatening to stop paying rent and buying beer from their pubcos in a bid to kill their cashflow.

Suburban Style Bar Company in administration

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:46:00 GMT

The Suburban Style Bar Company (SSBC) has gone into administration — Zolfo Cooper has been appointed to market properties for sale.

Big profit rise for Inventive Leisure

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:00:00 GMT

Revolution vodka bar chain Inventive Leisure has reported a large increase in pre-tax profit for the year to 30 June.

City Diary — 8 October

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:23:00 GMT

All the latest gossip and rumour from the City.

Martin slams ‘artificial’ pub rents

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:30:00 GMT

JD Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin has called for action to make the pub property market more transparent and counter the “huge” potential for “artificially high” rents on the high street.

The high price of dishonest property deals

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:01:00 GMT

Wetherspoon successfully sued its former property agent Van de Berg for fraud this year. Boss Tim Martin says questionable deals may have distorted the high-street pub property market.

Up to 30 Taybarns possible

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:01:00 GMT

Whitbread, the leisure group, may convert as many as 30 locations to its Taybarns all-you-can-eat concept from its existing pub-restaurant estate.

Lord Bilimoria: I plan to clear Cobra debts

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:35:00 GMT

Lord Karan Bilimoria has pledged to clear money owed to Cobra Beer’s unsecured creditors out of profits from his joint venture with Molson Coors.

Magners volumes in the UK stabilise

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Magners producer C&C Group has reported that its UK volumes are stabilising with a fall of just 2% in the six months ended 31 August.

Thomas to retire from M&B

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:53:00 GMT

Peter Thomas, the highly-regarded director of Mitchells & Butlers 86-strong franchised division, is set to retire at the end of this year.

Profits slide at Shepherd Neame

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 07:49:00 GMT

Shepherd Neame has reported a 24.6% drop in operating profit as it faced “one of the most challenging and difficult years”.

Regent Inns eyes pre-pack

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 07:47:00 GMT

Regent Inns, the troubled bar operator, is thought to be considering some form of financial restructuring — possibly a pre-pack administration.

OFT to look at Tennent's lager deal

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:28:00 GMT

The Office of Fair Trading is to look at ABInbev's sale of Tennent's lager to Magners producer C&C Group.

Colliers CRE announces re-financing deal

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:07:00 GMT

Pub sales agent Colliers CRE plans to raise £20m through a share issue to supplement £8.9m raised from a private equity group.

Barracuda rolls out new Varsity pub design

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:00:00 GMT

Barracuda is rolling out a new design format across its 35 student-led Varsity bars in a bid to attract a wider audience.

St Austell opens bottling plant

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:11:00 GMT

Cornish brewer and operator St Austell has officially opened its new £750,000 bottling line.