Public house - Hospitality

TV's Piers Morgan buys Kensington pub

02-Dec-2010 By Becky Paskin

Britain’s Got Talent host Piers Morgan has bought the leasehold interest in his local pub, The Hansom Cab, in Kensington, and has employed former La Trompette chef Ollie Couillard.

Ian Payne leaves Bay and Town & City

30-Nov-2010 By Becky Paskin

Ian Payne, the industry veteran who recently acquired a £373m pub package from Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) as part of the new start-up Stonegate, has resigned as chairman of both the Bay Restaurant Group and the Town & City Pub Company.

Good Pub Guide criticised for entry charges

02-Nov-2010 By Jo Bruce

Award winning licensees in the Good Pub Guide 2011 have criticised the guide's decision to introduce charges for the book's main entries

Punch Taverns facing strategy review following profit fall

12-Oct-2010 By Martyn Leek, The PMA Team

Punch Taverns, the leased and tenanted pub operator, is to carry out a "comprehensive" strategy review after a fall in profits

Corporate Responsibility: Orchid Group

30-Sep-2010 By Rachel Johnson

At 290 sites, Orchid is one of the largest food-led pub groups in the country, which is why Paul Cutsforth, the group’s operations director, is happy to give something back to the community, both at home and away.

Tofan Bars to open Narnia-style bar in Kilburn

22-Sep-2010 By Jo Bruce

A new London bar offering hot cocktails served in teacups and jam jars and a giant Narnia-style wardrobe seating area opens this Friday

CAMRA reveals 16 best British pubs

16-Sep-2010 By Rachel Johnson

The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) has named the 16 best real ale pubs in Britain in its yearly guide released today

Summer sales boost for restaurant and pubs

14-Sep-2010 By Rachel Johnson

Restaurant and pub chains are enjoying a sales boost this summer, according to figures released today, although experts warn that autumn revenue may take a tumble if bad weather continues

The Battlesteads named 2010 Great British Pub of the Year

10-Sep-2010 By Becky Paskin

The Battlesteads in Wark-on-Tyne, Northumberland, has been named the 2010 Great British Pub of the Year

Burnside pubs and hotels marketed following administration

25-Aug-2010 By Martyn Leek

The pub and hotel businesses owned by Burnside (UK) and Burnside Inns, which collapsed into administration last week, have been placed on the market

Mitchells & Butlers sells non-core pub package in £373m deal

20-Aug-2010 By Martyn Leek

Mitchells & Butlers, the managed pub operator, has sold 333 of its non-core pubs for £373m to Stonegate Pub Company, a new vehicle backed by TDR Capital, the private equity firm.

Finalists listed for Great British Pub Awards 2010

18-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

Over 100 pubs from across the UK have been shortlisted for the Great British Pub Awards 2010, due to take place next month

Grand Union to grow to 16 pubs in 2011

18-Aug-2010 By Gemma McKenna

Grand Union Group, the London-based multiple pub operator, will open three new pubs by the end of the year, and plans to grow to 16 in 2011

Brasserie Blanc set to make entry into pub market this week

16-Aug-2010 By Martyn Leek

Mark Derry, the entrepreneur behind Loch Fyne, has described Brasserie Blanc’s entry into the pub market as a 'watershed moment' for the company

Michelin-starred takeaway wraps from Benares and private karaoke in Paradise

13-Aug-2010 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, hotels and pubs, including Benares and Paradise by way of Kensal Green, tell us about the extra activities they're planning to attract customers

Marston's sees improved performance from its pubs

04-Aug-2010 By Mark Stretton

Pub company Marston’s Taverns has seen improved trading at its pubs, although it remains cautious about consumer spending in the coming months

Pub and bar rent reviews slow during economic downturn

03-Aug-2010 By Gemma McKenna

The economic downturn has meant a slowdown in the number of rent reviews being carried out, according to property agent Fleurets

Cross-country cooking with El Pirata de Tapas and medieval menus with Peckforton Castle

30-Jul-2010 By Becky Paskin & Joe Lutrario

Restaurants, hotels and pubs, including El Pirate de Tapas and Peckforton Castle, tell us about the extra activities they're planning to make their businesses more appealing

World Cup boosts trade for Enterprise Inns

20-Jul-2010 By Martyn Leek

The World Cup and recent spate of good weather has given a boost to trade at Enterprise Inns (ETI), the leased and tenanted pub operator revealed this morning

Faucet Inn buys 20th pub

19-Jul-2010 By Gemma McKenna

Faucet Inn Pub Company has purchased its 20th venue, Battersea gastropub the Prince of Wales

Travelodge acquires 52 hotels from Mitchells & Butlers

15-Jul-2010 By Becky Paskin

Travelodge has acquired 52 budget hotels from restaurant and pub operator Mitchells & Butlers for £91m, boosting its estate to 452 UK properties

JD Wetherspoons unveils sales growth

14-Jul-2010 By Martyn Leek

Pub group JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has unveiled recent sales growth and has reported that the performance of its latest openings have been ‘encouraging’.

Inspiring your bar team

02-Jul-2010 By Chris Druce

Working behind a bar can be a lot of fun but you’re on your feet for most of your shift and thirsty customers can be a demanding bunch. Keeping your bar team on top of their game is therefore vital to your business’s long-term success.

The Capital Pub Company buys rival Tomahawk for £5m

24-Jun-2010 By Martyn Leek

The Capital Pub Company has bought rival Tomahawk for £5m, as it looks to extend its estate to the 50 pub mark.

Charlie McVeigh targeting early 2011 for Draft House number four

21-Jun-2010 By Chris Druce

Pub operator and restaurateur Charlie McVeigh is targeting an early 2011 launch for Draft House number four, having just exchanged contracts on a third site at London’s Tower Bridge

Brasserie Blanc moves into pubs

14-Jun-2010 By Mark Stretton

Brasserie Blanc, the French casual dining chain, is moving into the pub market. It has acquired the leases of two pubs formerly operated by Massive, the London managed pub group

Four million to watch England World Cup opener in the pub

08-Jun-2010 By Martyn Leek

Up to four million people will watch England play the USA in the World Cup in the pub this Saturday, boosting sales by £35m, according to the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA)

Cumbria's Swan Hotel re-opens six months after floods

07-May-2010 By Emma Eversham

The Swan Hotel & Spa at Newby Bridge in Cumbria has re-opened for business six months after floods swept the county

Salisbury Pubs to open fifth site

19-Mar-2010 By Emma Eversham

Dining pub company Salisbury Pubs has added a fifth pub to its estate, the Black Horse in Fulmer

Admiral Taverns to sell 150 pubs

16-Mar-2010 By Emma Eversham

Pub company Admiral Taverns has confirmed it is selling off 150 of its pubs in England and Wales following a review of its estate

Great British Pub Food Awards 2010 announce winning pub chefs

12-Mar-2010 By Jo Bruce

Eleven pub chefs and four pub companies picked up awards at the Great British Pub Food Awards 2010 in London last night

The Peat Inn wins restaurant of the year at Scottish Restaurant Awards

23-Feb-2010 By Emma Eversham

The Peat Inn in Fife has been voted Restaurant of the Year at The Scottish Restaurant Awards where Leith's Restaurant Martin Wishart and Kings Wark pub also picked up accolades

Emily Hodgson opens second dining pub

03-Feb-2010 By Emma Eversham

Emily Hodgson, owner of The Rose pub in Fulham, will open her second pub, The Hillgate in Notting Hill later today

Rockliffe Hall and Missoni hotels appoint new restaurant staff

02-Feb-2010 By Emma Eversham & Becky Paskin

Rockliffe Hall Hotel in Hurworth appoints a new head sommelier for its fine dining restaurant while Hotel Missoni in Edinburgh has a new bar and restaurant manager

Recovery predicted in hospitality property market for 2010

15-Jan-2010 By Emma Eversham

Property values in the restaurant, hotel and pub sectors fell sharply in 2009, but there was an increase in transactions on the previous year as operators snapped up bargains across all three sectors

After hours with...Emily Hodgson

06-Jan-2010 By Emma Eversham

BigHospitality catches up with one of hospitality's top achievers for the lowdown on her career and thoughts about the industry

Review of the year 2009: Pubs

23-Dec-2009 By Becky Paskin & Emma Eversham

Beer tax continued to rise and a record number of pubs closed, but it wasn't all doom and gloom in the pub sector in 2009. As the year draws to a close take a look back with BigHospitality at the major events of this year

CAMRA to launch legal challenge to OFT

22-Dec-2009 By Gemma McKenna

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is calling on consumers to help fund a legal challenge against the Office of Fair Trading’s (OFT) report that ruled out action against the beer tie.

Oak Taverns to roll out microbrewery concept

12-Nov-2009 By Gemma McKenna

Oak Taverns plans to install microbreweries at seven of its pubs following the opening of one at its most recent acquisition, the Cross Keys in Oxfordshire

Business Profile: Rupert Clevely of Geronimo Inns

05-Nov-2009 By Paul Wootton

Geronimo Inns has eschewed a one-size-fits-all approach to pubs, opting instead to tailor each of its 28 sites to its location. And it's working, according to its founder Rupert Clevely

Pubs innovate to stay in business, report finds

02-Nov-2009 By Emma Eversham

More than 90 per cent of publicans have introduced innovative ideas to pull in trade during the recession, a poll of British Institute of Innkeepers has found

Poker leaflet helps pubs play their cards right

14-Oct-2009 By Jennie Pick

The Gambling Commission and the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) are backing a new leaflet designed to help landlords keep poker legal in their pubs.

Restaurant and pub groups report steady summer 2009 sales

15-Sep-2009 By Emma Eversham

Like-for-like sales at major restaurant and pub groups rise 0.8 per cent in August on the previous month and are up 4.9 per cent on the same period last year, according to the Coffer Peach Business Tracker

Ex-Bibendum manager to open second gastropub

14-Sep-2009 By Becky Paskin

Pierre Woodford’s Bristol-based pub company Flatcappers, is to open a second gastropub in Rode, Somerset next month

Guest chefs at The Pass and pub quizzes at Giraffe

11-Sep-2009 By Emma Eversham

BigHospitality rounds up the promotions, offers and marketing ideas being run by restaurants, hotels and pubs across the country.

Welsh hamlet pub named best in Britain

10-Sep-2009 By Becky Paskin

The Pen-y-cae Inn in Powys has scooped the prestigious title at the Morning Advertiser's Great British Pub Awards 2009

Restaurant and pub sales rise for third month running

18-Aug-2009 By David Barros

Latest figures from Peach Factory show like-for-like sales in restaurants and pubs were up 1 per cent in July with chains faring better than independents

Over 7,000 pub-goers oppose alcohol code

18-Aug-2009 By Becky Paskin

There has been widespread opposition to the Government’s mandatory alcohol code, as over 7,000 pub-goers sign up to the Axe the Beer Tax, Save the Pub campaign