Finance

Economic hardship: Operating costs still suffocating the sector despite ease to inflation (Credit:Getty/fcafotodigital)

Sector 'suffocating' despite economy easing

By Rebecca Weller

Operating costs continue to “suffocate” hospitality firms despite a drop in food prices having helped drive the headline rate of inflation down to its lowest level in two and a half years.

Business plan: the strategy aims to return the company to profitability

Revolution Bars sets out restructuring plan

By Hannah Currie, MCA

Revolution Bars Group has revealed more details of its restructuring plan and future strategy, which it says comes in response to a series of external challenges affecting the business.

Licensees: publicans Chris Walsh and Beccy Keddie are dealing with extra costs

Rising costs hurting small pub businesses

By Gary Lloyd

Improving trade but ever-escalating bills is an issue several pubs are experiencing three years after sites were allowed to start serving again after the pandemic forced the on-trade to close its doors.

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.

What's in the news 12 April

Review of the Week

The art of keeping things simple!

By Ed Bedington

The MA's Ed Bedington caught up with Livelyhood non-exec director and business consultant Karen Bosher for her take on the weeks news which has seen a number of results and mergers

(image: Getty/gahsoon)

March consumer spending up 3.2%

By Nikkie Thatcher

FA Cup fixtures, the Six Nations tournament and St Patrick’s Day helped drive a 3.2% rise in consumer spending last month (March) up from 1.1% in February, according to reports.

Financial results: despite losses, RedCat has seen turnover more than double (credit: Getty/PeopleImages)

RedCat posts £31m loss

By Gary Lloyd

RedCat Pub Company has posted a pre-tax loss of £31m for the year in its latest annual report.

Number crunching: the average price of a pint of beer is £4.94, according the data from The Morning Advertiser (image: Getty/Rouzes

EXCLUSIVE: Average lager pint prices across GB

By Nikkie Thatcher

A survey of The Morning Advertiser readers has shown the difference in pricing of beer across a range of regions and has taken a closer look at the lager category.

Demand for parity: SIBA CEO Andy Slee says investors and Government are not listening to the sector

OPINION

OPINION: How are we viewed by the outside world?

By Andy Slee, chief executive, Society of Independent Brewers & Associates (SIBA)

I recently took a call from a broadsheet journalist wanting to do a piece on “Why all breweries are closing and why cask beer is dead?”

Sector impact: UKH boss Kate Nicholls says hospitality continues to suffer as collateral damage in the rail dispute (image: Getty/ coldsnowstorm)

Train strikes to hit sector for £387m

By Nikkie Thatcher

Industrial action on train services this weekend (Friday 5 April to Monday 8 April) is estimated to cost the hospitality industry £387m.

Pub operators urged to look for positives

OPINION

Trading is tough but we need to start sharing the positives

By Ed Bedington

It’s a little too easy to allow ourselves to wallow in pessimism, (particularly when you record a podcast with a fully qualified professional moaner), but sometimes we need to take a step back and appreciate some of the positives out there.

(image: Getty/georgeclerk)

Average hospitality salary drops

By Nikkie Thatcher

The average salary of hospitality workers has decreased this year when compared to 2023 a report has uncovered.

Menu changes: many chefs have started using lamb rump instead of a rack of lamb to help keep it at an affordable price (image: Getty/StockNinja)

Operators advised to put lamb on specials menu this Easter

By Nikkie Thatcher

With the cost of lamb high as a result of strong demand from across the globe and UK production reduced, one purchasing expert has urged operators to remove lamb from the main menu and offer it on the specials board instead.

Alarming rate: number of NTE firms in the UK drops by 15.5% (Credit: Getty/SolStock)

Number of NTE firms drops by 'staggering' 15.5%

By Rebecca Weller

The number of night-time economy (NTE) businesses in the UK has dropped by a “staggering” 15.5%, new research from Night-Time Industries Association (NTIA) has revealed.

Business results: the trading update from JD Wetherspoon covered the 26-week period to 28 January 2024 (image: Getty/PeopleImages)

JDW ‘has potential for 1,000 sites’

By Nikkie Thatcher

Pub giant JD Wetherspoon (JDW) identified the possibility of increasing its estate by just under a quarter (23%), in its latest trading update.

Price increases: lager costs up 5.6% year-on-year (Credit: Getty/ Jack Andersen)

Beer prices up 5.6% year-on-year

By Rebecca Weller

The average cost of a pint of lager in pubs saw a 5.6% uptick in the year to February 2024, new figures have revealed.

Priced out: Breweries battle soaring costs and the cost-of-living crisis (Credit: Getty/MontyRakusen)

Insolvencies of breweries jump 82%

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The number of UK breweries going insolvent has jumped 82% in the last year, according to audit, tax & advisory firm Mazars.

Trading update: Sarah Willingham-led Nightcap acquired The Piano Works in February 2024

Nightcap positive despite tough trading in 2024

By Gary Lloyd

Nightcap – the operator of about 50 bars under brands including The Cocktail Club, Barrio Familia, the Adventure Bar Group and The Piano Works – expects trading to continue to be tough in 2024 but is positive for the future.

Spotlight

The Morning Advertiser's Lock In Podcast episode 76 Winning ways! Competition kicked off: entry for the 2024 Great British Pub Awards is now open Hunt is under way for the Great British Pub of the Year Scrum down to the pub: the Albany in Twickenham is an England and Harlequins favourite pre and post matches My Pub: the Albany Pub & Dining Room, Twickenham, Surrey The Morning Advertiser's Lock In podcast shortlisted for award Lock In podcast shortlisted for top award

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