General news - Pubcos Rss news feed for Morning Advertiser

AWP income up after stakes and prizes increase

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:19:00 GMT

AWP operator Gamestec has seen a 13% increase in income since the new £1 stake and £70 prize limits were introduced.

Wear Inns buys two Punch pubs

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:01:00 GMT

North East based operator Wear Inns has purchased two freehold pubs from Punch Taverns for an undisclosed sum.

Punch beefs up menu options

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:04:00 GMT

Punch has added new meal options to its cut-price food deal for tenants at set prices of £1.99 and £4.99.

Three MPs plan pubco workshops

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 01:31:00 GMT

hree London Labour MPs — including a serving minister and an ex-minister — are to hold workshops with local licensees about how pubcos affect them.

Top barrister to steer pub trade reform

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 01:26:00 GMT

A renowned barrister who specialises in commercial mediation has been appointed to lead the process of self-reform within the pub trade.

Brulines: we offer transparency

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:09:00 GMT

Beer flow monitoring equipment will continue to be in "strong demand" because of the transparency it offers operators, says Brulines.

Pub trade split on new trade body

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:00:00 GMT

BII boss Neil Robertson has spoken against plans for a new pubco-funded trade group to represent tenants, which this week received backing from Punch chief Giles Thorley.

Enterprise beer price freeze ends

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:59:00 GMT

Prices of five key beer brands have increased for Enterprise licensees, after the pubco’s price freeze ended on 4 July.

Hosts buy Punch freehold

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:34:00 GMT

Amanda and Chris Baker have acquired the freehold of their Punch pub in Buckinghamshire £525,000.

'Restrictive covenants on pubs a disgrace'

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:56:00 GMT

Restrictive covenants on pubs being sold are a “revolver to the head” of local authorities but small changes in planning could make a huge difference.

Punch to attend Fair Pint talks

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:44:00 GMT

Punch Taverns has agreed to hold talks with anti-beer tie brigade Fair Pint at Westminster next week.

Punch receives £3.9m of bonds tendered for sale

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:22:00 GMT

Punch Taverns has announced that holders of £3.9m of its 2010 convertible bonds have offered to tender their bonds back.

GMB pulls out of trade mediation talks

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 02:58:00 GMT

Trade Union GMB has pulled out of the industry's crunch mediation meeting on Thursday, claiming it is a "sham" process.

Greene King targets tenanted army

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:30:00 GMT

Greene King Pub Partners has ex-army personnel in its sights as it ramps up its recruitment drive.

Bristol pub banned from using glass

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:57:00 GMT

A Bristol pub has been banned from serving any drinks in glass and running drinks promotions following an incident involving a police officer.

Licensee bids to be Lib Dem MP

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:43:00 GMT

A Dorset licensee is bidding to become a Lib Dem MP at the next general election.

Marston's £176m rights issue approved

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:41:00 GMT

Shareholders have rubber-stamped Marston's £176m rights issue this morning — it plans to use the money to fund new build pubs.

Marston's pub re-opens after six month closure

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 06:50:00 GMT

Red Kite Inns has re-opened a Marston's pub in Nuneaton, six months after it closed.

Mulholland: Enterprise offer a 'sick joke'

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:52:00 GMT

Fierce anti-pubco MP Greg Mulholland has slammed Enterprise's offer to fund a new tenant's body as a "sick joke".

Payne: I won't lead new tenant body

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:00:00 GMT

Trade chief Tony Payne has said he doesn’t want to lead a new pubco--funded trade body for tenants.

Inez Ward evicted from Enterprise pub

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:47:00 GMT

High profile tenant rights activist Inez Ward will be evicted from her Enterprise Inns pub on Thursday next week (9 July).

S&NPE lends marketing support to tenants

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:07:00 GMT

Scottish & Newcastle Pub Enterprises (S&NPE) is rolling out a new website offering bespoke promotional material for its tenants.

Anand: pragmatic view on bottom-end pubs

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:29:00 GMT

Greene King has found solutions for more than 25% of the 400 tenanted pubs contained within its turn-around Independence Pub Company division.

Luff gives pub trade till October to change

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:45:00 GMT

Business and Enterprise Committee chairman Peter Luff has urged the Government to give the industry until October to change.

Greene King 'cautiously optimistic'

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:28:00 GMT

Greene King is looking forward with “cautious optimism” after a 1.3% rise in revenue to £942.3m for the 52 weeks to 3 May.

Tuppen: ‘We’d pay £100k to new body’

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:27:00 GMT

Enterprise boss says his company would happily pay a levy of £100,000 or more to set up a body to represent individual licensees.

Ex-JDW managers lift pubs’ fortunes

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:01:00 GMT

A pair of former Wetherspoon managers have transformed the fortunes of two West Yorkshire pubs, after crossing the trade divide.

Should pubcos go free of tie?

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:01:00 GMT

Is there an argument for turning more pubs free-of-tie? Paul Charity examines the idea.

St Austell buys four Punch pubs

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:16:00 GMT

Cornish-based brewer and operator has bought four freehold pubs from Punch Taverns.

London Town reports £24.7m loss

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:14:00 GMT

Tenanted and leased operator London Town Taverns made a loss of £24.7m last year and is in breach of its bank loans.

Analyst: Marston's to receive £18m new-build boost

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:24:00 GMT

Marston’s should be able to open between 20 and 25 new-build pubs per annum after ear-marking £140m, says an analyst.

Capital reports strong trading

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:28:00 GMT

Capital Pub Company has reported a 7% increase in pre-tax profit to £2.1m on turnover up 5% to £19.8m.

S&NPE puts 20 freehold pubs on market

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 02:28:00 GMT

Scottish & Newcastle Pub Enterprises (S&NPE) is putting 20 freehold pubs on the market with Fleurets this week.

Joule's Brewery adds 14th pub to estate

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:55:00 GMT

Joule’s Brewery has added a fourteenth pub to its estate, with the purchase of Punch pub the Duke of York in Lichfield, Staffordshire.

Dark Star Scotland in administration

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:41:00 GMT

One of Scotland’s largest bar, restaurant and hotel businesses, Dark Star Scotland, has been placed in administration.

Union inundated with calls from distressed licensees

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:55:00 GMT

Trade union Unite and Inez Ward's Justice for Licensees have been contacted by 117 licensees facing eviction in the last four weeks.

Fair Pint invites Punch & Enterprise to talks

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:54:00 GMT

Anti-pubco lobby group Fair Pint has invited Punch and Enterprise to a summit meeting to discuss a way forward for the pub industry following the damning Business and Enterprise Committee report.

Dixon: it’s time to change not churn

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:45:00 GMT

There’s a lot of work still to be done on the part of pub companies, says industry expert Phil Dixon.

Ex-Sports Minister calls for beer tie review

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:25:00 GMT

Kate Hoey, Labour MP for Vauxhall, has voiced her support for the Fair Pint campaign and promised to write to Peter Mandelson to urge a Competition Commission investigation into the beer tie. Includes video.

Buying-out fines taken back by host

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:06:00 GMT

An Enterprise Inns lessee has clawed back nearly £4,000 in fines for buying out after her bank agreed the money was taken without authorisation.

Punch puts 50 pubs on the market

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:01:00 GMT

Punch Taverns has put a further 50-strong package of pubs on the market — it is thought the pubs are from the managed division.

Batemans offers free of tie

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Lincolnshire brewer and retailer Batemans has written to its tenants offering them discussions on going free of tie.

Pubcos bite bullet on AWP tie

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:58:00 GMT

A host of tenanted pubcos are to make changes to the AWP machine tie in the wake of the critical BEC report on tenant/pubco relationships.

Villagers unite to land Punch pub

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

More than 80 Kent villagers have clubbed together to save their local pub — the 400-year-old Farriers Arms in Mersham.

More pubs go down the auction route

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

As the summer hots up so do auction sales, with 44 pubs set to go under the hammer in three sales at the start of July.

Punch host buys pub for £500,000

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

A Punch lessee in Brighton has bought the freehold of his pub — the Preston Park Tavern — for just over £500,000.

Hook Norton lands Paveley as chairman

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:01:00 GMT

Former Punch commercial director Jonathan Paveley has been appointed as non-executive chairman of Hook Norton.

Enterprise hosts lose pub in court battle

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:55:00 GMT

Licensees David and Anne-Marie Ball today lost their court battle to prevent Enterprise Inns obtaining an order for repossession of their Sheffield pub.

Enterprise rebels join forces with GMB

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:11:00 GMT

Rebel Enterprise Inns licensees are to join forces with the GMB union to strengthen their hand in a bid to get a better deal from the pubco giant.

Green light for rent adjudication scheme

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:29:00 GMT

Hosts will pay between £1,000 and £2,000 under the BII-led scheme that is to see the light of day in the "near future".

Punch lessee buys £1m freehold

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:41:00 GMT

Punch lessee and gastropub operator Michael Kittos has bought the freehold of his pub the Queen's Head & Artichoke in London.

Charles Wells commits to AWP reform

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:40:00 GMT

Charles Wells Pub Company is promising a fairer deal on machine income for its tenants.

Rent review help on offer at BII event

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:36:00 GMT

The BII is running another of its popular rent review roadshows in Surrey at the end of June.

S&NPE launches new food support website

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 07:34:00 GMT

Scottish & Newcastle Pub Enterprises (S&NPE) has launched a new food website for its lessees.

Realpubs buys five Punch freeholds

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Realpubs have acquired five freehold London pubs from Punch Taverns in a deal estimated to be worth under £10m. The company has bought the freehold of two Punch pubs it currently leases plus three more sites.

Opinion: upbeat vibe at landmark mediation meet

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 04:45:00 GMT

The landmark mediation talks have been likened to solving the pub trade's equivalent of Northern Ireland or the Middle East. Ewan Turney was there.

Punch sells nine pubs to Charles Wells

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:08:00 GMT

The latest sell-off by Punch sees Charles Wells add 26 pubs to its estate in the past six weeks.

Update: mediation meeting 'constructive'

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 01:41:00 GMT

Today's crunch talks on the future of the pub industry are expected to be the first of many mediation meetings.

Crunch talks on pubco reform

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:14:00 GMT

The trade is facing a day of destiny as crunch talks get underway on how to reform the beer tie and pubco model.

'Reform or face up to Competition Commission inquiry'

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:18:00 GMT

The pub industry must accept real reform if it is to avoid a Competition Commission inquiry, vociferous anti-tie MP Greg Mulholland has warned.

Punch Taverns directors increase stake in pubco

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 06:56:00 GMT

Punch's managing directors of both its managed and tenanted division have acquired 14,287 shares in the company.

Orchid acquires 10 Bar Room Bar sites

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 04:35:00 GMT

The Orchid Group has acquired 10 sites back from Bar Room Bar — it originally sold the sites in 2007.

Enterprise cuts tie to rescue pub

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:24:00 GMT

Enterprise Inns has agreed to relax its strict tied beer rules to help a microbrewer rescue a remote Cumbrian village pub.

Luff may intervene to give trade time on BEC

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:15:00 GMT

Peter Luff MP says he may intervene with Government to give the trade more time to respond to the report’s findings.

PM may refer pubco probe to OFT

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:57:00 GMT

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said he will refer the investigation into pubco power to the Office of Fair Trading if the the evidence is strong enough.

Punch Taverns offers to buy back bonds

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Punch Taverns has launched a tender offer to buy back convertible bonds due for redemption in 2010.

Punch Taverns shares down 30%

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:58:00 GMT

Punch Taverns and Enterprise Inns — Britain's two biggest pubcos — were the biggest fallers on the stock exchange yesterday.

Punch Taverns raises £375m

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:01:00 GMT

Punch Taverns has confirmed the successful raising of £375m through the issue of new shares.

Thorley: 300 hosts lined up to buy pubs

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:09:00 GMT

The number of individual Punch licensees who end up buying their pub is likely to end up well in excess of 300. This morning, Punch said there were around 300 deals either complete or going through legals.

Lloyds looking for equity investor in Admiral Taverns

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:40:00 GMT

Lloyds Bank has been looking for a new equity investor to take a stake in Admiral Taverns, the tenanted pub operator.

Punch makes BEC promises

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:43:00 GMT

Punch has confirmed that it will be backing a range of recommendations contained within the highly critical BEC report.

Punch Taverns hoping to raise £350m

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:26:00 GMT

Punch Taverns has announced its intention to raise £350m via a firm placing and an open offer of new ordinary shares.

Punch: leased and managed divisions stable

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:24:00 GMT

Punch Taverns has reported that it has stabilised performance in both its leased and managed division for the 40 weeks to 30 May.

Dixon: 10 areas for pubco change

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:16:00 GMT

Industry expert Phil Dixon has told tenanted pub company chiefs that the pubco/tenant relationship must change in ten areas.

Enterprise: parts of BEC hard to argue with

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:13:00 GMT

A senior executive at Enterprise Inns has stated that there are recommendations within the BEC report, which was highly critical of pubco/tenant relations, that “are difficult to argue with”.

BBPA will attend crunch tie talks

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:10:00 GMT

The BBPA (British Beer and Pub Association) will attend the crucial pub-trade mediation meeting being held in London next Thursday.

SA Brain chair steps down

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:49:00 GMT

Christopher Brain, chairman of SA Brain & Co, is to retire from the regional brewer and pub operator, the company has confirmed.

Punch: We agree with many BEC points

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:21:00 GMT

The boss of Punch Taverns leased division Roger Whiteside has stated that the company agrees with seven major areas of criticism within the highly critical BEC report.

London Town re-opening seven more pubs

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:08:00 GMT

London Town, the tenanted operator headed by Billy Buchanan, has teamed up with Punch Taverns to re-open seven of its pubs in Scotland.

Licensee trade bodies to discuss rent adjudication scheme

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:05:00 GMT

Two licensee trade groups are to attend the next round of talks on plans for an independent, low cost rent adjudication scheme.

New petition to save the British pub

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:39:00 GMT

A new petition has been launched to save the great British pub by campaigners — it calls for Government action to help.

Dixon to give BEC update at BII event

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:27:00 GMT

Industry guru Phil Dixon will headline speakers at the BII East Midlands event — he will provide an update on the BEC report.

Fair Pint: talks no substitute for inquiry

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 04:22:00 GMT

A negotiated agreement for reform should not be seen as an alternative to a full Competition Commission inquiry, Fair Pint has said.

Punch up for ALMR crunch talks

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 03:51:00 GMT

Punch Taverns has said it will attend the meeting to discuss plans for reforming the pubco model.

Mulholland: pubco bosses should step down

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 03:20:00 GMT

The bosses of Britain's biggest pubcos should step down with immediate effect — that's the call from staunch anti-pubco MP Greg Mulholland.

ALMR: give us 6 months to sort it out

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:16:00 GMT

The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers has written to BEC chairman Peter Luff asking for six months to sort the industry's problems out.

Brulines working with Trading Standards

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 07:59:00 GMT

Brulines is working with Trading Standards to establish steps to improve the calibration of its equipment.

Greene King snaps up 11 Punch pubs

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 07:32:00 GMT

Greene King has bought a batch of 11 freehold pubs from Punch Taverns for a total price of £30.4m.

Punch: tied model needs to evolve

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 03:40:00 GMT

Punch has admitted that the tied model must evolve to offer greater protection for its tenants, in a letter to its licensees.

Punch re-brands tenanted and managed pubs

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:23:00 GMT

Punch Taverns is to re-brand its leased and tenanted division as Punch Partnerships.

Admiral puts seven pubs up for sale

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:15:00 GMT

Admiral Taverns has put a further seven pubs on the market through Paramount Investments.

Punch boosts training regime

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 08:42:00 GMT

Punch licensees have completed over 1,485 days worth of training since the new year, the pubco has said.

Patton returns to Punch part-time

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 03:26:00 GMT

Punch Taverns has asked former director of customers services Francis Patton to return to the company to to help with media relations.

Pub groups meet to discuss BEC

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 02:19:00 GMT

Key figures from some of the industry's leading leased and tenanted pub groups have met to discuss the recommendations of the BEC report.

Turner: beer tie inquiry hugely damaging

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 01:42:00 GMT

Fuller’s chairman Michael Turner has warned of the negative consequences of a referral of the beer tie to the Competition Commission.

MATV: Guild calls for an end to beer tie

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:26:00 GMT

Watch video footage from MATV at the Guild of Master Victuallers conference as members call for an end to the beer tie.

Fair Pint and GMB to meet Prime Minister

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:11:00 GMT

The Prime Minister is to meet Fair Pint and the GMB at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool’s Winter Gardens.

Punch: ‘We’ll listen and change’

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:10:00 GMT

We are far from perfect, but we are listening and we are willing to change — that is the message from Punch Taverns.

Fair Pint marches on Europe

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:02:00 GMT

A powerful alliance of anti-pubco campaigners is looking to Europe for a new front in their battle to break the beer tie.

Hosts ‘kept in dark’ as Punch sells pubs

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:01:00 GMT

Two licensees have accused Punch of selling their pubs “behind their backs” to regional brewers while they were busy still bidding for the freeholds.