Rebuilding the Pub Sector

Villagers rally to save their last pub

07-Dec-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Villagers have come together to save the last pub in King’s Walden which has been labelled the “heart of the community”.

Fears for Grade II-listed pub's future after closure

28-Nov-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

A Grade II-listed pub in Greater Manchester is shutting doors after owners sold the property, but its operator is worried about the building’s future.

Drinks sales flat ahead of Xmas period

24-Nov-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Drinks sales were 0.5% up compared to 2022 levels in the week to Saturday 18 November, remaining virtually flat ahead of the crucial run-in to Christmas for operators and suppliers.

Confidence rises but business rates must be addressed

22-Nov-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Almost half of hospitality chiefs said they are confident about the sector during the upcoming 12 months despite a multitude of cost pressures, including business rates.

OPINION

Lack of guide books means people are not finding pubs

20-Nov-2023 By Tim Bird, owner of Cheshire Cat Pubs & Inns

Where have all the guides gone? That is my question and I am not referring to the helpful folk who talk us around a stately home or indeed the younger version who help the community, collect badges and, in my experience, bake rather nice cakes for charity.

Managed pubs provide bright spot despite sales growth slowdown

15-Nov-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Sales growth slowed at managed pubs in October due to poor weather, including Storm Babet.

Lord: Gov must make major statement on 22 November

09-Nov-2023 By Gary Lloyd

The Government must make positive changes in the upcoming Autumn Statement because pubs are already in a precarious position says night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester Sacha Lord.

68% of pubs allow non-paying guests to use toilets

06-Nov-2023 By Rebecca Weller

The majority of pubs allow non-paying guests to use their toilet but urge customers to ask permission first and consider charity donations in lieu of a purchase, adding hospitality venues are “public houses not public conveniences”.

POLL

Should pubs allow non-paying guests to use the toilet?

01-Nov-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Should pubs allow non-paying customers to use the toilet? While it may be seen as the hospitable thing to do, there can be a cost to operators involved and rude guests to contend with.

Storm Babet sees drinks sales fall after eight weeks of growth

27-Oct-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Year-on-year drinks sales by value fell for the first time in eight weeks during the week to Saturday 21 October.

Pubs counter ‘no-shows double’ research claim

27-Oct-2023 By Gary Lloyd

The unwelcome sight of increased numbers of ‘no-shows’ has reared its ugly head once again in the sector but not all pubs The Morning Advertiser spoke to are convinced the situation is getting worse.

Sector backs wellbeing scheme for staff in big numbers

26-Oct-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Pubcos including Greene King, BrewDog and St Austell Brewery are among more than 100 hospitality groups that have pledged to improve training and support for their staff.

Storm Babet forces pubs to close

24-Oct-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

A pub in Edinburgh has sustained thousands of pounds worth of damage after Storm Babet destroyed it "from top to bottom".

Weather and sport boost weekly drink sales

20-Oct-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Drinks sales in the on-trade rose by 3% in the week to last Saturday (14 October) with the Rugby World Cup and good weather cited as the key drivers.

Sacha Lord: Inflation to cause ‘continuing difficulties’

18-Oct-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Sacha Lord, the night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, has said the unchanged Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rate released today (18 October) will pile further pressure on small business, especially those in hospitality.

Managed groups register 12 months of sales growth in a row

18-Oct-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Managed pub, bar and restaurant groups have completed 12 consecutive months of year-on-year sales growth in September, according to the CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker.

55% of operators lack confidence about winter trade

17-Oct-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Most operators lack confidence about trade in the coming winter months, with gastropubs reporting they are quieter than usual, new data has revealed.

Drinks sales growth 'holding up well'

13-Oct-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Drinks sales “holding up well” as the final quarter of 2023 begins, data from CGA has revealed.

Drinks sales up 3.8% but real-terms growth 'hard-won'

13-Oct-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Drinks sales in the on-trade were up 3.8% overall during the last six months, though inflation, rail strikes and soaring costs make real terms growth "hard-won", CGA data has revealed.

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.

'Youth culture is lost’

04-Oct-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Britain has lost 30% of nightclubs since Covid, and the ex-owner of the UK’s longest running club has argued that Gen Z need to spark a cultural shift to revolutionise nightlife.

POLL: How do you feel about trade in the coming months?

02-Oct-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Greene King and Mitchells & Butlers are among leading hospitality businesses that have urged unions not to enact Christmas rail strikes in an open letter.

The Crooked House tragedy: as it happened

29-Sep-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The burning down of Britain’s wonkiest pub, the Crooked House, last month, sparked national outrage. Investigations are ongoing, and several people have been arrested under suspicion of arson. We take a look back at events to see how the tragedy unfolded.

Government secures £1.2m for 4 pubs

29-Sep-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

More than £1m has been earmarked for four pubs as part of the Government’s community ownership fund scheme, which UKHospitality (UKH) has celebrated as “really positive news”.

‘If you don’t diversify you get stuck behind’

22-Sep-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

A pub in Kent has celebrated the launch of its community café, and has advised operators to focus on quality coffee, keep adapting, and diversify the offering if they want to do the same.

70% of hospitality leaders face staffing challenges

20-Sep-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Around 70% of leaders in the hospitality sector are facing challenges with tough trading conditions expected to continue, according to the new Lumina Intelligence Top of Mind Report 2023.

Vanishing pubs ‘stark reminder’ of harsh reality

19-Sep-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Trade bodies have called for Government to help the sector, after new data revealed 77 pubs closed per month in the second quarter of 2023, issuing a “stark reminder”.

Two pubs per day vanishing in England and Wales

18-Sep-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Some 77 pubs per month shut their doors in England and Wales between 1 April and 30 June (Q2 2023) at a rate of two per day.

Pub sales growth in August 'encouraging'

13-Sep-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Pubs overcame wet weather to record almost 5% growth in sales during August, which one trade body celebrated as “encouraging”.

Peter Marks: ‘You can’t just open the door and see who comes’

08-Sep-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Rekom UK's chairman is more cautious about business than he's been for a while, but the late-night operator is focusing on value to keep clubbers coming out amid the cost-of-living crisis.

Firms 'not making any profit' despite increase in revenue

07-Sep-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Revenues have been estimated to be up across the sector but businesses are “not making any margin or profit” as inflation makes it “near impossible” for pubs to keep up with costs.

Village pub shuts doors after a decade

06-Sep-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The Bromley at Fiskerton, Nottinghamshire has closed after nearly 10 years as part of the owners’ retirement plan.

NTIA celebrates as future of E1 club secured

04-Sep-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

East London nightclub E1 has been working with Tower Hamlets and Big Yellow Storage to safeguard the future of the nightclub in new development plans.

Confidence high despite costs and staffing issues

29-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Optimism among hospitality bosses has risen for the third quarter in a row despite pressure on consumers’ disposable income.

Good weather helps sector drinks sales back in growth

25-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

On-trade drinks sales bounced back into year-on-year growth last week – ending a run of five weeks of negative numbers.

Hospitality to feel 'crushing weight' of weekend rail strikes

25-Aug-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Rail strikes will cast a “dark cloud” over the upcoming bank holiday weekend according to the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA).

Rain ruins summer trade at 82% of pubs

22-Aug-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Wet weather has ruined summer trade for more than 80% for operators, a recent survey by The Morning Advertiser has revealed.

UK economy growth ‘positive’ step for hospitality

15-Aug-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The UK economy grew 0.5% in June, which trade bodies have celebrated as “positive” for the pub sector while also warning of ongoing challenges.

Cost-of-living crisis: Party-goers cut back on nights out

14-Aug-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The cost-of-living crisis continues to impact Brits’ social lives, according to a new survey commissioned by late-night operator Rekom UK.

Drinks sales hit hard by wettest July on record

14-Aug-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Managed UK pubs recorded their worst weekly sales figures at the end of July versus last year as rain turned trade into a damp squib.

Has wet weather spoiled summer trade?

11-Aug-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Sunny days are few and far between this summer, with July seeing rain sweep the UK.

Sacha Lord calls for general election after bar closure

09-Aug-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The night time economy adviser for Greater Manchester has called for a general election after a popular bar and pizza spot called last orders, citing soaring costs.

Pub closures hit highest quarterly figure in a decade

07-Aug-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Pub closures reached the highest quarterly figure in more than a decade in the second quarter of 2023 (Q2), smashing the previous record set in Q1, according to data obtained by Price Bailey.

Energy costs biggest worry for over 30% hospitality businesses

02-Aug-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Rising energy prices are still the biggest concern from more than a quarter of hospitality businesses, new research from the Business Name Generator has revealed.

Smaller businesses hit hardest as one in 18 sites close in past year

26-Jul-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Small, independent hospitality businesses are bearing the brunt of the 5,736 sites lost in the past year said UKHospitality (UKH) in reaction to new research.

Drinks sales in growth for tenth successive week

10-Jul-2023 By Rebecca Weller

On-trade drinks sales have shown year-on-year growth for the tenth consecutive week.

APPBG highlights sectors 'immense contribution' to economy

06-Jul-2023 By Ed Bedington

With growing challenges facing the beer and pub sector, the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group (APPBG) has pledged to continue to press for change on beer duty and business rates.

Drinks sales up 7%

03-Jul-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Drinks sales in the on-trade were ahead of 2022 levels at the end of last month, marking the ninth consecutive week of year-on-year growth.

Drinks sales up, inflation rises, calls to scrap duty hikes

30-Jun-2023 By Rebecca Weller

June saw a variety of ups and downs for the sector, from year-on-year growth in drinks sales to rising food inflation, to DRS delay's and pleas to scrap alcohol duty hikes and pubcos "named and shamed".

London’s hospitality sector stabilises in first quarter of 2023

27-Jun-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Central London’s hospitality sector is recovering after suffering hundreds of closures of licensed premises during the turmoil of Covid, according to the latest Hospitality Market Monitor from CGA by NIQ and AlixPartners.