Public House

Bar Sport aims to open in ‘every major UK town and city’

30-Aug-2011 By Emma Eversham

The founder of American-style sports bar brand Bar Sport says he is aiming to see a branch in every town and city across the UK as the company’s second site opens in the Midlands.

Redefining the gastropub: Definition 3 - the food-led pub

24-Aug-2011

The fourth part of our feature series, first published in Restaurant magazine, continues to define the term 'gastropub' by looking at whether a pub serving great food would be better describing itself as 'food-led' than 'gastropub'.

Barracuda highlights importance of Smith & Jones brand with relaunch

23-Aug-2011 By Emma Eversham

Pub group Barracuda is highlighting the importance of its Smith & Jones brand with a nationwide relaunch of the 161-strong chain.

Redefining the gastropub: Definition 2 - the bona-fide gastropub

17-Aug-2011

The third part of our feature series, first published in Restaurant magazine, looks at what kind of pub really makes the grade as a 'bona-fide gastropub'.

Great British Pub Awards 2011 finalists revealed

12-Aug-2011 By Becky Paskin

The finalists for the 2011 Great British Pub Awards (GBPA), organised by BigHospitality’s sister publication The Publican’s Morning Advertiser, have been revealed.

Tintern residents fight to re-open their local pub

10-Aug-2011 By Kate Mead

Hundreds of residents in Tintern, near Chepstow have petitioned their local council to save a 400-year-old pub which closed at the end of last year.

Gordon Ramsay sells The Warrington to Faucet Inn

04-Aug-2011 By Becky Paskin

Gordon Ramsay and Chris Hutcheson have sold their Maida Vale pub The Warrington to pub and hotel group Faucet Inn for a sum in excess of £5m.

Pubs selling food escape sector sales declines, finds survey

03-Aug-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Almost half of UK pub owners have reported a fall in sales over the past year, although serving food has been the saving grace for many pubs, according to a new survey.

Redefining the gastropub: Why there's a need to do it

02-Aug-2011

When the term 'gastropub' was coined in the ’90s few could have predicted its use would become so widespread. What was once a useful descriptor for a serious food pub has become a catch-all for all manner of places.

Marston’s sales boost from premium beers and food

01-Aug-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Brewer and pub operator Marston’s has said sales of its focus on local beers and premium ales has helped boost its business performance in a difficult trading environment.

G1 Group launches new company to increase Edinburgh presence

26-Jul-2011 By Emma Eversham

Scottish hospitality and leisure operator G1 Group has announced it is creating a new company that will enable it to broaden its coverage of the leisure market in Edinburgh.

New music fee proposals 'totally unacceptable' says BBPA

21-Jul-2011 By Emma Eversham

Proposals to increase the rates that pubs, clubs, hotels and restaurants pay to host DJ nights or other special music-focused events are 'totally unacceptable' according to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).

Peach on track for 22 pubs by 2013

20-Jul-2011 By Lesley Foottit

Peach Pub Company is on track to reach its target of opening 22 pubs by 2013 and is hoping to secure its first pubs in London if suitable sites become available.

CAMRA calls for Pub Design Award 2011 entries

19-Jul-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The Campaign for Real Ale (CMRA) is calling for entries for its Pub Design Awards 2011, which are open to pubs that were refurbished or newly constructed last year.

British Country Inns put up for share sale

19-Jul-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Eight pubs under the British Country Inns portfolio have been put up for sale at a guide price of £5m.

Wetherspoon to open three hotels this summer

11-Jul-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Pub group Wetherspoon is preparing to open three new hotels this summer, bringing up the number of hotels in its portfolio to 23.

Punch: Spirit demerger set for 1 August

07-Jul-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Punch Taverns has confirmed that its Spirit managed pub division will demerge on 1 August, and will be positioned to exploit the growing eating-out market.

Newcastle Airport Hotel bought out of administration after 30 months

07-Jul-2011 By Becky Paskin

The Cairn Hotel Group (CHG) has acquired the Newcastle Airport hotel, which has been in administration since January 2009.

BII shortlists pubs for training awards

06-Jul-2011 By Lorraine Heller

BII, the trade group for the licensed retail sector, has announced the shortlisted companies selected for its NITA awards, which recognise training efforts in the pub sector.

Strong food sales help deliver record profit at Greene King

30-Jun-2011 By Emma Eversham

Strong food sales at pub operator and brewer Greene King helped deliver the group record sales and profit last year.

Ideas from your Peers

Jazz photography at the Midland Hotel and Sprit masterclasses at Zenna Bar

17-Jun-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels including The Midland Hotel and Zenna Bar tell us what marketing campaigns and promotions they’re running to attract customers.

Wi-Fi in pubs would attract more customers, finds report

16-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

A survey of customers in some of the largest pub chains around the UK has found that a decent Wi-Fi connection would encourage punters to visit more often.

CAMRA unveils Pub Design Awards winners

14-Jun-2011 By Emma Eversham

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), has unveiled the four winners of its annual Pub Design Awards.

Fuller's strong performance boosted by hotels and managed pubs

10-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Brewer and pub operator Fuller’s has seen sales and profits increasing in its managed pub and hotel divisions, although beer duty rises have hit performance in its tenanted pub arm and its UK beer sales.

Antic to expand with purchase of Clapham Walkabout

09-Jun-2011 By Emma Eversham

London pub operator Antic has bought the former Walkabout Bar in Clapham, with plans to develop it into a bar and music venue.

Orchid launches 'pizza pub' concept

09-Jun-2011 By Stefan Chomka

Managed pub operator Orchid is out for a piece of the ultra-competitive, but potentially lucrative, Italian casual dining market with the conversion of a Hertfordshire site to a new 'pizza pub' concept.

Travelodge considers pubs and offices for Metro expansion

31-May-2011 By Emma Eversham

Travelodge is pressing forward with the expansion of its Metro brand by converting pubs, office buildings and even snooker halls into small 20-40 bedroom hotels.

Montcalm luxury hotel opens doors in City

19-May-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The new five star Montcalm hotel will be opening its doors next week in a Grade II listed building, which formerly housed the Whitbread brewery.

April pub and restaurant sales up, but analysts urge caution

18-May-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The Royal Wedding, Easter Holidays and record sunshine all contributed to higher sales in pubs and restaurants this year, but market analysts warn that they also created new challenges for the hospitality sector, which did not trade as well as it could...

Restaurant and pub sales increase while retail sales fall

18-Apr-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The UK’s major pub and restaurant groups have recorded a slight increase in sales last month, demonstrating that consumers are still eating out despite spending less at the supermarket.

Barracuda grows Smith & Jones chain to 150 pubs

14-Apr-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Pub operator Barracuda Group is to open the 150th pub in its Smith & Jones portfolio later this month, following the conversion of some of its other pubs into the new brand format.

Daniel Thwaites acquires The Fleece Hotel as character inn

12-Apr-2011 By Becky Paskin

Brewer Daniel Thwaites has acquired The Fleece Hotel in Cirencester as part of ongoing plans to create a 25-strong group of character inns by 2016.

York’s Michael Ibbotson named Publican of the Year

07-Apr-2011

Michael Ibbotson, who runs the Durham Ox in York, was named Publican of the Year last night at the 20th Publican Awards.

Peach takes on former Novelli pub in Harpenden

30-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Peach Pubs has taken on its 14th venue, the former Jean-Christophe Novelli pub The White Horse in Harpenden, following the departure of its most recent owners Urban & Country earlier this year.

Prezzo, M&B and Compass big winners at Menu Innovation Awards

28-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Prezzo, Mitchells & Butlers and Compass’s Nick Vadis have all been named winners in the Menu Innovation Network’s annual Menu Innovation and Development Awards (MIDAS).

ETM to open two pubs at London Montcalm Hotel

28-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Tom and Ed Martin, owners of the eight-strong ETM Group, are to open two new pubs this summer on the site of Montcalm Hotels’ new five star property in the City.

Marco Pierre White buys six rural inns

24-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Marco Pierre White has acquired the operator of six rural inns, the Maypole Group, after it fell into administration late last year.

Pubs and restaurants report rise in February sales

15-Mar-2011 By Mark Wingett

Pub and restaurant groups reported a rise in like-for-like sales in February against a strong comparative period in 2010, helped by a month of fair weather and families eating out during half term.

Restaurants and pubs back Responsibility Deal

15-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The Department of Health has published full details of its Responsibility Deal, as well as a list of 170 companies and organisations that have already pledged their support on measures to help tackle poor diets and alcohol misuse.

Pub closure rate slows, but beer tax hike imminent

15-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

The rate of pub closures has slowed to 25 per week, although government plans for a 7 per cent rise in beer tax in next week’s budget could prolong damage to the sector.

Great British Pub Food Awards winners announced

11-Mar-2011 By Jo Bruce

Paul Salisbury, the managing director of gastropub operator Lovely Pubs has won the Great British Pub Food Awards' 2011 Special Achievement Award.

Punch launches Original Pub format

24-Feb-2011 By Mark Wingett

Punch Pub Company, the managed arm of Punch Taverns, is to roll out a new pub format – Original Pub Company – as part of its continued focus on concept strategy.

Daniel Thwaites to launch new ‘character hotel’ chain

23-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Daniel Thwaites, the brewer and pub operator, will be creating a new chain of coaching inns and character hotels throughout the country.

The Harp named first London National Pub of the Year

16-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

The Harp in Covent Garden has become the first London pub to be named National Pub of the Year by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).

Breakfast: Expanding your offering in pubs

14-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

With some of the biggest high street pub brands moving into the breakfast market, BigHospitality takes a look at why early morning trade makes sense – for some pubs.

Below-cost alcohol ban “won’t impact supermarkets”

18-Jan-2011 By Becky Paskin

The Government has announced a ban on the sale of alcohol below the rate of duty plus VAT – allowing supermarkets to sell beer for just 47p per pint.

Cougar Leisure goes into administration

18-Jan-2011 By Becky Paskin

Bar and club operator Cougar Leisure is marketing six of its venues in the north of England after going into administration last week.

Winter cocktails at Radisson Edwardian and New Year’s party at Fifteen London

17-Dec-2010 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels, including Radisson Edwardian Manchester and Fifteen London, tell us what they’re doing to attract customers.

Pub and bar failures up

16-Dec-2010

The number of pub and bar companies going bust is up nearly a third compared with last year, new research shows.

Pub and restaurant sales slow as Christmas approaches

13-Dec-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Pub and restaurant operators will likely face a tough trading environment as we head towards Christmas, as analysts say the latest sector sales figures reveal a challenging time ahead.