Public House

Review of the Week

'We do it for love, it's certainly not for the money'

22-Mar-2024 By Ed Bedington

The Morning Advertiser's Ed Bedington met up with award winning publican and campaigner Emma Gibbon of the Plough and the Hewlett Arms to get her take on the week's news, from falling inflation to pub closures.

St Austell and Harbour to open new venue in summer

28-Feb-2024 By Gary Lloyd

Cornwall-based brewer and pub operator St Austell has teamed up Harbour Brewing Co to open the Harbour Beer House this summer.

The Lock In Podcast

Going to the dogs...

06-Nov-2023 By Ed Bedington

With dog ownership booming, the Lock In team get to grips with how pubs can best embrace man's best friend and create the paw-fect (sorry) doggy offer.

Best pubs in Punch estate celebrated

09-Oct-2023 By Ed Bedington

The best Punch pub operators have been unveiled following a rigorous process to pick out the best from the company’s 1,300 businesses.

Pubs urged to support rate relief campaign

05-Oct-2023 By Ed Bedington

Pubs are being called upon for one final push to campaign for continued business rates relief ahead of the Autumn Statement.

The Lock In Podcast

Has customer behaviour got worse since Covid?

03-Oct-2023 By Ed Bedington

The Lock In podcast is back, and we're taking a look at customer behaviour - are they getting worse? Are we getting worse?

Stick or twist: Will Stonegate's dynamic pricing gamble pay off?

12-Sep-2023 By Ed Bedington

Stonegate’s decision to run dynamic pricing in some "select pubs" in its managed estate has opened up quite an interesting can of worms.

Feature – Rugby World Cup

FEATURE: Scrum down to make money with the Rugby World Cup

14-Aug-2023 By Matt Eley

There’s nothing quite like a world cup to encourage sports fans into the pub to collectively enjoy the thrill of the action.

Big Interview

'There's no silver bullet'

03-Aug-2023 By Ed Bedington

With challenges facing the sector and pub closures rising, how can CAMRA play a positive role to help the sector move forward?

Lock In Podcast

Getting your cask offer right

24-Apr-2023 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.

Chef Gary Usher's first pub off to a flying start

31-Mar-2023 By Ed Bedington

A chance encounter and a life-long love for pubs has seen one of the north-west’s leading chefs open his own site to great success and he’s already eyeing up a second!

The Lock In podcast

How to run a pub quiz

20-Mar-2023 By Ed Bedington

The Lock In team tackle the topic of pub quizzes, much to the delight of Heath - the do's and don'ts of running a great quiz!

Gov considers extra hours for coronation celebration

19-Dec-2022 By Ed Bedington

The King’s Coronation celebrations could see pubs being given the chance to extend opening hours, Government ministers have proposed.

Long-serving licensee calls time on career

22-Aug-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

A Shepherd Neame licensee is calling time on her career behind the bar after 28 years with the Kent-based independent brewer.

Village pub launches café to tackle loneliness

19-Aug-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The Blue Bell in Stoke Ferry, Norfolk has opened a community café which helps combat loneliness through providing a place for locals to socialise.

British holidaymakers urged to visit pubs

20-Jul-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) is urging Brits to visit pubs as part of their staycation this summer, with warm weather set to continue after this week’s heatwave.

The Lock In Podcast

The ongoing impact of the Pubs Code...

22-Jun-2022 By Ed Bedington

The Lock In team take a look back at the Pubs Code and the impact of MRO - how has the legislation reshaped the UK pub market for the better or worse, and what does the future hold?

Brewers Fayre to open first site in 5 years

20-Jun-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Whitbread’s family pub brand, Brewers Fayre, has announced its first opening in five years with the launch of a new site, the Willen Dragon, in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.

PROPERTY ROUND-UP

Greene King announces tenth Hive pub, Robinsons Brewery invests in 3 sites, Mayfair & Mersea Island venues open

15-Jun-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Greene King has launched its tenth Hive pub as Robinsons Brewery invests in three sites, while venues open or prepare for launch in Mersea Island, Mayfair, Birmingham and Harrogate.

Are we all doomed?

09-Jun-2022 By Ed Bedington

According to Luke Johnson, we might as well pack up our bags and go home, but are we as doomed as he suggests?

Industry facing 'two years of hell'

08-Jun-2022 By Ed Bedington

The industry is facing “two years of hell” and needs to “batten down the hatches and probably pray” according to one leading sector investor.

"We've been here before"

27-May-2022 By Ed Bedington

The MA's Ed Bedington catches up with Kuckoo's Rich Powell for his take on the current headlines, from rising costs and brewery sales through to continued confidence and business expansion.

PROPERTY ROUND-UP

Revs bar, Hydes pub and Timothy Taylor's pubs undergo revamps, J&S takes on fifth Star venue

24-May-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Plenty of pubs are set for six-figure glow-ups just in time for summer, while J&S takes on its fifth Star venue and Little Door & Co plans to open a Soho site.

PROPERTY ROUND-UP

A big week for London bars, and first pub opens at Luton Airport

27-Apr-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

It's been a big week for London bars, with the Saint opening in the capital, and a retro gaming bar coming to Soho in May, and pubs have also opened their doors after makeovers around the country.

PROPERTY ROUND-UP

Greene King launches eighth Hive Pubs site, and pubs reopen after revamps

19-Apr-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Amongst other news, Greene King Pub Partners has launched its eighth Hive Pubs site, with the Green Room in Leeds and the Royal Oak in Sussex set to open soon.

11 pubs nominated in list of UK’s best 100 restaurants

19-Apr-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Eleven pubs have been named as some of the UK’s best sites, in SquareMeal’s new list of the UK’s Top 100 Restaurants.

PROPERTY ROUND-UP

Nightcap opens several sites and countryside inns placed on market

12-Apr-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Nightcap dominates the property market this week, with sites opening in Cardiff and Liverpool with a Birmingham opening to launch later this year, as countryside inns are placed on the market.

2022 interior design trends revealed

11-Apr-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Sustainability, homecoming and artistry are just a few of the interior design trends that have proved popular in the hospitality sector throughout 2022 according to commercial outfitter Novograf.

The Great British Pub Awards 2022

Are you running the Great British Pub of the Year?

11-Apr-2022 By Ed Bedington

The hunt is on for the UK’s best pub with the launch of the leading pub competition in the sector.

PROPERTY ROUND-UP

Greene King and Roxy Leisure launch new sites and old pubs reopen doors

06-Apr-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

New sites have been launched by Greene King and Roxy Leisure, while England's oldest pub and a 500 year old venue have reopened their doors.

The Lock In Podcast

Why are pubs so bad at wine?

03-Mar-2022 By Ed Bedington

When it comes to beer and spirits, pubs are ahead of the curve, but why do they let the side down on wine so often?

National Pubwatch Conference concludes working together key for sector’s recovery

25-Feb-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Leading industry members stressed that working in partnership was the way forward in rebuilding pub sector, at the National Pubwatch Conference on Tuesday (22 February).

The MA's Review of the Week

The economic impact of Ukraine invasion will be felt across the world

25-Feb-2022 By Ed Bedington

The MA's Ed Bedington catches up with Valiant Pub Co boss Gerry Carroll to get his take on the latest headlines hitting the industry, from managing the exit of restrictions through to the impact of war in Europe on the trade.

2022 BII Licensee of the Year Award open for entries

01-Feb-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Entries are now open for the 2022 BII Licensee of the Year award, run by the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) and sponsored by Sky.

13 sites a day lost since pandemic’s onset

20-Jan-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

While Britain’s hospitality sector grew modestly in the last quarter of 2021, tough trading conditions now threaten to halt the sector’s upturn, the Market Recovery Monitor from CGA and AlixPartners has revealed.

Cumbrian pub opens only shop in village

19-Jan-2022 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Publicans of the Royal Oak Hotel in Beckermet, Cumbria have come to the rescue of local residents by opening the only store in the village.

Inglenook Inns & Taverns acquires 7 pubs

24-Dec-2021 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Lancashire-based pub operator Inglenook Inns & Taverns has acquired seven pubs for £2.4m.

Pub to serve free meals to those alone on Christmas day

15-Dec-2021 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The Alexandra in Wimbledon, London, will serve free Christmas dinners to guests spending the 25 December alone to combat loneliness, a scheme the owners started in 2014.

Red Oak Taverns acquires 8 Euphorium Pubs venues

13-Dec-2021 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Red Oak Taverns has completed the acquisition of eight free-of-tie pubs in Bristol from Euphorium Pubs for an undisclosed sum.

Micropubs ‘bring communities back together’

08-Dec-2021 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Micropubs strip pubs back to traditional values of “friendship” and “conversation” and “bring communities back together” said the founder of the world’s first micropub Martyn Hillier.

No extension of vaccine passport scheme to Scottish pubs

23-Nov-2021 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Vaccine passports will not be extended to further Scottish hospitality venues, announced the First Minister in a statement to MSPs in Holyrood today (23 November).

Heineken 0.0 available on draught from next year

23-Nov-2021 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Heineken has announced its alcohol-free beer, Heineken 0.0, will be available on draught in pubs from next year, answering a growing demand for no and low alcohol options.

Teaching an old dog new tricks: Britain’s best pub for dogs reveals secrets to success

26-Oct-2021 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Dog beer and handmade peanut butter treats are just a few of the dog-related delicacies that won Derbyshire’s the Flying Childers Inn the title Best Pub for Dogs at this year’s Great British Pub Awards.

Mike Byrne: ‘silent killer’ carbon monoxide is serious business for UK pubs

11-Oct-2021 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Open fireplaces in pubs could cause lethal carbon monoxide poisoning if they are not serviced, one expert has warned.

NTIA in Scotland reacts to Covid passport 'shambles'

05-Oct-2021 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Scottish consumers were left frustrated by the “chaos and confusion” of the Government’s vaccine passport rollout last Friday, according to the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA).

Coronavirus recovery: small brewers seeing strong support from customers despite ongoing challenges

04-Oct-2021 By Michelle Perrett

Small brewers are facing challenges after the Covid-19 pandemic as they attempt to get back to normal trading.

Budget: trade bodies call for Chancellor to lower VAT for the sector

01-Oct-2021 By Michelle Perrett

Trade bodies have called on the Chancellor Rishi Sunak to cut VAT and duty rates in the Budget on 27 October to help the sector recover after the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Natasha’s Law comes into force on Friday

01-Oct-2021 By Michelle Perrett

New allergen legislation requiring food businesses to provide full ingredients labelling on food that has been pre-packed for direct sale is set to come into force on Friday (1 October).

Government published proposals for plan B including mandatory vaccine passports

01-Oct-2021 By Michelle Perrett

The Government has revealed that all nightclubs and other venues open after 1am with alcohol, music and dancing could be required to have vaccine passports should England need to resort to ‘Plan B’ of its Autumn and Winter Plan 2021.

Trade bodies join forces to call for lower VAT rates to help recovery

01-Oct-2021 By Michelle Perrett

Trade bodies representing the UK’s hospitality and tourism sectors have joined forces to call on the Chancellor Rishi Sunak to introduce a permanent lower rate of VAT.