Operators

Reverse mentoring scheme expanded at Greene King

30-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Suffolk-based brewer and pub operator Greene King has expanded its reverse mentoring scheme following great success as senior leaders learn from more hands-on employees.

Arkell’s toasts long-serving licensees

29-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Wiltshire brewer and pub operator Arkell’s Brewery has celebrated the 25-year milestone of Nicholas Tilt and Anne Andrews running of the Duke of Edinburgh, in Winkfield.

Manchester ‘perfect fit’ for new Escapism Bars venues

29-Aug-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Escapism Bars are gearing up for their first foray into Manchester, with two new sites launching under the Mean Eyed Cat and Tiki Hideaway brands.

Shepherd Neame reopens pub after £1.8m makeover

29-Aug-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Independent family brewer and pub company Shepherd Neame has reopened historic pub the Duke of Cumberland in Whitstable, Kent after a £1.8m transformation.

BIG INTERVIEW

Why the JAT model is a Star for Heineken’s pubco

25-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

In the week Star Pubs & Bars announced it was set to boost the number of it Just Add Talent model pubs by 67%, operations director Mick Howard explained more about the move and what he would like to see from the current Government to help the sector.

Admiral invests £16m in refurbs so far this year

25-Aug-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

Chester-based pub company Admiral Taverns has pumped £16m across 199 pubs in its portfolio since the beginning of 2023.

The Chickpea Group ploughs £200k into new pub

25-Aug-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Wiltshire-based operator the Chickpea Group has invested £200,000 into its sixth pub which is set to open in late summer.

Review of the Week

'I don't feel represented'

24-Aug-2023 By Ed Bedington

Top chef and pub and bistro operator Gary Usher calls for more passion from lobbyists, greater support for independent businesses, a reduction in VAT and talks about the challenges around recruitment in the MA's Review of the Week.

Admiral and new licensee pump £250k into Glasgow pub

24-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Glasgow’s Millwood pub has reopened after a combined £250,000 investment from pubco Admiral Taverns and new licensee Jacqueline Kyle.

The Cask Project

Greene King’s £250k pledge for women’s sport

23-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Suffolk-based brewer and pub operator Greene King has pledged to donate more than £250,000 towards women’s sport after the England Lionesses’ amazing football World Cup campaign.

JDW announces new Heathrow Airport site

23-Aug-2023 By Rebecca Weller

JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has confirmed the opening date of a new pub at Heathrow Airport.

Greene King site reopens as a Hive pub after £500k refurb

22-Aug-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Former Greene King managed site the Ainsty in North Yorkshire has reopened as a Hive Pub after a £500,000 transformation from the pub operator and brewer.

Star to increase JAT pubs by 67% in 3 years

21-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Star Pubs & Bars is set to accelerate openings of its Just Add Talent (JAT) managed operator pubs business to 250 sites within three years.

Review of the Week

'Recruitment is getting a bit easier'

18-Aug-2023 By Ed Bedington

The Morning Advertiser's Ed Bedington met up with Yummy Collection's Anthony Pender to chat through the week's news, from takeaway pints to energy and new openings.

My Pub

My Pub: the Strait & Narrow, Lincoln

18-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

The Strait & Narrow is set in the centre of Lincoln and was deemed best-in-class when it won Best City/Urban Pub in the Great British Pubs Awards 2022.

JDW issues second ‘correction’ on Daily Mail articles

18-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has issued a “correction” to “a number of factual errors” in an article posted in the Mail Online from Tuesday (15 August).

Admiral pumps more than half a million pounds into refurbs

16-Aug-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

Chester-based pub company Admiral Taverns has ploughed £576,000 into refurbishing a trio of pubs.

Beach towel reservations permitted for garden seats

16-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

As the weather begins to show signs of getting sunnier, one pub is allowing customers to reserve their seat in the garden with beach towels.

Town hero celebrated at red-carpet pub party

15-Aug-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

A man has been crowned a ‘local legend’ in a red-carpet style celebration at a town pub after he was nominated in a nationwide campaign from Punch Pubs for his devotion to helping others.

Greene King: 19% of parents would not urge kids to go to university

15-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

One of five parents would not encourage their children to go to university, according to brewer and pub operator Greene King.

H&W sees underlying profit before tax up by £2.8m

15-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Dorset-based brewer and pub operator Hall & Woodhouse (H&W) has announced a 175% rise in underlying profit before tax in its 2022 financial year ended 28 January 2023.

Star ploughs £60k into online help for licensees

14-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Pub company Star Pubs & Bars has invested more than £60,000 in creating a one-stop online support platform for its licensees that it said is tailored to their pub’s offer.

Brits ‘at their happiest’ in a pub garden

14-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Despite almost constant rain across the UK for most of July and August, a survey has discovered Brits are happiest when relaxing in a pub garden.

Take a look inside new Admiral Taverns pub

11-Aug-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Admiral Taverns pub the Maindee in Newport, South Wales, re-opened on Wednesday 9 August following a major investment of £215,000.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Jodie Kidd: owning a pub is rewarding but a ‘steep learning curve’

11-Aug-2023 By Rebecca Weller

The Morning Advertiser caught up with pub operator, former racing driver, model and TV personality, Jodie Kidd, to talk about her time in the industry and the ongoing challenges faced by the sector.

Review of the Week

'We're cheaper than McDonalds!'

11-Aug-2023 By Ed Bedington

The Morning Advertiser's Ed Bedington caught up with Revolution boss Rob Pitcher to get his take on the week's news from inflation to late night closures and the opportunities for AI.

CAMRA demands pubs be rebuilt ‘brick by brick’ after illegal demolition

11-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

CAMRA has demanded pubs that have been converted or demolished illegally must be rebuilt “brick by brick” after finding more than 30 sites may have suffered such fates in the past six months.

The Botanist bars owner appoints Amber Wood as COO

10-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Bar operator New World Trading Company (NWTC) has appointed Amber Wood as its new chief operating officer.

Seven Bro7hers smashes £250k funding target

10-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Seven Bro7hers Brewery has smashed its latest Crowdfunding target of £250,000 with 26 days of the campaign remaining.

My Shout

Where is the outrage for all pubs?

10-Aug-2023 By Heath Ball

The justified anger and passion from the general public, members of parliament, and the press regarding the suspected arson of the beloved Crooked House near Dudley has truly captured the nation's attention and fuelled our collective outrage.

Crooked House pub blaze treated as ‘arson’

10-Aug-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

A fire, which tore through Britain’s ‘wonkiest’ pub just a month after its sale, is being treated as arson, according to police.

‘Britain’s wonkiest pub’ burns down a month after sale

08-Aug-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Police are “reviewing all the available evidence” on the cause of a fire that destroyed “Britain’s wonkiest pub” after it was sold to a private buyer last month (July).

Rising costs force ‘heartbroken’ licensee to close pub

07-Aug-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

A pub in Worcestershire formerly run by the England football team’s chef will shut its doors due to rising costs, its licensee has announced.

JDW accuses Daily Mail of 'hyperbole and exaggeration'

04-Aug-2023 By Rebecca Weller

JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has accused national newspaper the Daily Mail of causing “unnecessary alarm” regarding recent reports of its pub disposals.

Punch Pubs like-for-like revenue up to £233.9m

04-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Punch Pubs has increased its like-for-like revenue by £22.6m for the 40-week period to 21 May 2023.

Review of the Week

'Can't see it getting a lot better'

04-Aug-2023 By Ed Bedington

The MA's Ed Bedington caught up with Frisco Pubs boss and podcast legend Heath Ball to get his take on the week's news, from duty changes and utilities profits to the weather.

Heartwood Collection boss: 'rebrand symbolises the business we are trying to be’

03-Aug-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

The recent rebrand for Heartwood Collection from Brasserie Bar Co is part of the company’s strategy to branch out into pubs with rooms.

BrewDog to launch new bar in Australia

02-Aug-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

BrewDog is set to open a new bar in Perth, Australia, at the end of the year.

My Pub

My Pub: the Red Lion, Shepperton, Surrey

02-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Riverside pub the Red Lion in Shepperton is a Great British Pub Awards winner – and with good reason.

Yummy Pubs to launch seafood restaurant in the capital

01-Aug-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Multi-site operator Yummy Pubs is gearing up to launch a new seafood restaurant concept, Faber, after acquiring a site in Hammersmith.

Liberation Group to invest in more rooms across estate

01-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Liberation Group will invest in expanding its accommodation offer after announcing like-for-like (lfl) sales on the rooms side of its UK business has risen by 14.7% in the first half (H1) of its current financial year (FY23).

£1bn water pipeline could put UK's #1 gastropub out of business

31-Jul-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Plans to replace a water pipeline running through Lancashire will be a "complete disaster" for Britain’s No.1 gastropub, the Parker’s Arms, according to its licensee.

My Pub

My Pub: Greene Oak, Oakley Green, Berkshire

28-Jul-2023 By Gary Lloyd

James Lyon-Shaw is the owner of Brucan Pubs, which includes the Greene Oak, which won Green King Pub of the Year in the Great British Pub Awards 2022. Here he gives The Morning Advertiser a virtual tour around the site.

Review of the Week

'We've got to support each other'

28-Jul-2023 By Ed Bedington

The MA's Ed Bedington caught up with the Vaulkhard Group's Ollie Vaulkhard to talk about challenges, positivity and the price of a pint.

Like-for-like sales up 8.9% at M&B

27-Jul-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) believes it will “continue to outperform the sector” after reporting like-for-like (lfl) sales in the year to date were up 8.9% versus last year.

Town’s ‘longest-serving’ licensee marks 30 years behind bar

26-Jul-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The “longest-serving publican” in town has celebrated his 30th anniversary at the Poachers pub in Bedwell Crescent, Stevenage.

Marston’s delivers ‘strong performance’, food tie-ups to be extended

26-Jul-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Pub operator Marston’s has “delivered another strong trading performance” and is also set to increase the number of food-led partnerships in its sites after a successful trial.

Late-night trade challenging for Revolution Bars Group

26-Jul-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Revolution Bars Group has admitted late-night trading continues to be a struggle as it posted overall like-for-like (lfl) sales were 8.7% down versus pre-Covid.

Big Smoke Pub Co appoints administrators

25-Jul-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Big Smoke Pub Co has been acquired by Esher ABC Limited after going into administration.

Admiral invests £10m-plus into estate

25-Jul-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Admiral Taverns has invested more than £10m into upgrading its community pubs throughout the first half of 2023.