Craft Beer

Scottish operator: BrewDog CEO James Watt claims the business is 10% ahead of on-trade rivals

BrewDog’s ‘phenomenal’ Q1 2024 performance

By Gary Lloyd

Despite the hospitality sector and craft beer having a “very challenged” start to 2024, BrewDog’s performance has been “phenomenal”, according to CEO James Watt.

Kirkstall's Holt rescues North Brewing from administration

Kirkstall rescues North Brewing

By Ed Bedington

Popular Leeds-based brewery North Brewing has been rescued from administration by Kirkstall Brewery.

Tres bien: Wells & Co's two new French sites will add to the Sherlock Holmes and the Starfish (pictured below)

Wells & Co adds first new French sites since 2019

By Gary Lloyd

Bedford-based brewer and pub operator Wells & Co has expanded its French pub estate by two sites – welcoming the House of Parliament and HMS Victory in Bordeaux to its portfolio.

What are the best selling brands of 2023?

DRINKS LIST 2024

The Drinks List – top brands to stock in 2024

By The Morning Advertiser

Welcome to the Drinks List 2024 – a list of the top-selling beverages in the on-trade looking at 15 different categories during the past year.

Level the burden: Andy Slee of SIBA has called for fairness on taxation

OPINION

Unfair tax system must be fixed

By Andy Slee, chief executive, Society of Independent brewers (SIBA)

In a free market economy, Governments help things that are good for society and tax things that aren’t. Life should really be that simple.

Hook Norton brewer says US hopped kegged beers can go in cask

The Cask Project

Trendy US-hopped kegged beers are great in cask too

By Gary Lloyd

US brewers see cask as the pinnacle for beer and the latest craft innovations from the US can work just as well in the traditional dispense method, according to Hook Norton’s Andy Thomas.

Quality on show: SIBA's Neil Walker talking at his masterclass at the GBPA

GBPA 2023

SIBA showcases great independent craft beers at GBPA

By Gary Lloyd

The Morning Advertiser and the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) came together to give licensees and pub industry professionals the chance to taste some of the UK’s best independent craft beers at the Great British Pub Awards 2023 (GBPA).

Brixton Brewery research reveals consumers want craft beer to tell a story

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Brixton Brewery's research reveals consumers want craft to tell a story

By Brixton Brewery

Recent research from Brixton Brewery demonstrates that craft beer provides a real opportunity in the on-trade, with 61% of consumers preferring to purchase craft beer in this channel , and 84% saying they are happy to pay more for a craft beer vs a more...

Strait up: there's a ’90s vibe at the Strait & Narrow

My Pub

My Pub: the Strait & Narrow, Lincoln

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.

Award winning beer: (l-r)Elland Brewery brewing director Joe Francis, brewer Rob Thomas and sales and marketing director Scott Hutchinson

2023 Champion Beer of Britain unveiled

By Rebecca Weller

Elland Brewery's 1872 Porter has been crowned the golden Champion Beer of Britain at the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) 2023.

Is it possible to make cask beer stay fresh for longer?

The Cask Project

Extending the life of cask beer

By Gary Lloyd

One of the biggest challenges around delivering an epic cask offer remains shelf life, so the ability to extend the lifespan of what is a quintessentially British product could be just the silver bullet the category needs.

What has happened to Brew by Numbers?

Brew by Numbers enters administration

By Ed Bedington

Craft beer darlings Brew by Numbers has gone into administration citing a combination of the pandemic and escalating prices.

Cruz control: Will Rice says people are going out less but the good news is when they do go out, they spend more money

Feature – Heineken UK

FEATURE: Providing better experiences in thriving pubs

By Gary Lloyd

As Heineken UK commits £3m in funding to help selected pubs cover the costs of their first energy-saving audit plus £5,000 towards the any improvements needed, we caught up with interim on-trade director Will Rice to talk about that and much more.

SIBA homebrew competition winner picks up national listings

The Cask Project

Homebrew beer winner to hit UK pubs

By Gary Lloyd

A hazy pale ale named the best homebrew in the UK is set to hit pubs and bars across the UK after winning a competition run by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA).

Operator opinion: Dom Hope-Smith is the director and co-founder of Carnival Brewing Company in Liverpool shares his views on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's comments about cheaper beer prices (image: Colin Lane)

OPINION

Sunak’s smoke and mirrors won’t bring down the cost of a pint

By Dom Hope-Smith, director and co-founder, Carnival Brewing Company

During a recent trip to Japan on his way to the G7 summit, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gave a press interview in which he was quoted as saying: “We reformed the alcohol duties that mean this summer you will be able to get cheaper beer in pubs. These are...

Travel sites: the first in the roll out is at London Gatwick, which is due to open in December

BrewDog to open sites at travel hubs

By Nikkie Thatcher

Craft brewer and operator BrewDog is set to roll out expansion plans at airport and railway stations across the UK.

Otter Brewery launches 'new category' beer Fresh Ale

The Cask Project

Otter Brewery launches ‘new category’ beer

By Gary Lloyd

Family-run Devon business Otter Brewery claims to have launched a new category of beer that “bridges the gap between craft, cask and lager”.

On track: James Brown and the Duckpin bowling attraction at BrewDog Waterloo

BrewDog’s praise for ‘passionate believers’

By Gary Lloyd

BrewDog Bars CEO James Brown has heaped praise on fellow Publican Awards finalists for having the bravery to open new sites while the industry was exiting Covid-restricted times.

In the club: Stonegate's Clubhouse 5 sports bar opened on Thursday 5 May

Record GBPA winner moves to Stonegate’s Clubhouse 5 site

By Gary Lloyd

Multi-award-winning pub operator Paul Eastwood – whose Famous Three Kings site has scooped Best Pub to Watch Sport at the Great British Pub Awards (GBPA) an incredible FIVE times – has taken over new site Clubhouse 5.

Regal offerings: new drinks products specifically launched to celebrate the crowing of King Charles III (credit: Getty/CHUNYIP WONG)

New products for King's coronation

Raise a royal glass – new products for the coronation

By Gary Lloyd

To celebrate the King’s coronation, which takes place on Saturday 6 May, plenty of drinks producers are launching products to tie in with the festivities – here are some that could help you boost trade.

The Morning Advertiser Lock In Podcast episode 59

Lock In Podcast

Getting your cask offer right

By Ed Bedington

Cask beer is a key component of the pub operation, but are we getting it right? The Lock In team takes a look at where pubs are going wrong with cask and how you can up your game on a category that is key to a good operation.

Champions of cask and keg: the winners at MaltingsFest – Eight Arch and Yonder Brewing

Eight Arch and Yonder win best cask and keg SIBA titles

By Gary Lloyd

Eight Arch Brewing Co and Yonder Brewing have taken home the two Overall Champion awards in the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) South-West Independent Beer Awards, which took place last night (Thursday 20 April) at the MaltingsFest beer festival...

Cheers: plenty of beers, ciders and spirits will be available at MaltingsFest

SIBA launches renewal of MaltingsFest

By Gary Lloyd

The south-west of England will be home to a giant beer festival featuring 300 cask ales, craft beers, lagers and ciders from Thursday 20 April until Saturday 22 April.

Hop to it: 2022 has been labelled the worst year for UK breweries going insolvent (credit: Getty/Mike Harrington)

Craft breweries going bust rises threefold

By Gary Lloyd

The number of craft breweries going bust jumped more than threefold in 2022 as rising production costs and reduced consumer spending took their toll.

Rally call: Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I has launched a video to accompany the #ItStopsWithMe campaign

EXCLUSIVE

BBG launches campaign to end harassment in on-trade

By The Morning Advertiser

Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I (BBG) has called for unity in the hospitality industry in taking a stand against harassment and discrimination with its ‘It Stops With Me’ campaign.