Running your pub

CAMRA unveils 2023 Pub of the Year winner

12-Jan-2024 By Rebecca Weller

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has crowned its National Pub of the Year 2023.

Festive parties push spending up by almost 8%

09-Jan-2024 By Nikkie Thatcher

Consumer spending at pubs, bars and clubs was up by 7.9% in December, thanks to Christmas parties and gatherings, research has found.

The PUBLICAN AWARDS 2024

The Publican Awards: a trip down memory lane

05-Jan-2024 By Rebecca Weller

With the 2024 Publican Awards set to take place in less than 12 weeks, The Morning Advertiser has taken a look back at the last five years of the event.

Drinks sales up 7% during last two weeks of 2023

05-Jan-2024 By Rebecca Weller

Drinks sales were up 7% year-on-year during the final fortnight of 2023, indicating “positive trends” for 2024 despite continued “difficult trading conditions”, according to CGA.

Live music in pubs could skyrocket in 2024

04-Jan-2024 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Gigs in the ‘seed’ music industry – those staged in hospitality venues across the UK – soared 37% over the festive season, providing a boost for artists and the pubs they performed in.

Pub accommodation predicted to grow in 2024

04-Jan-2024 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Pubs with rooms website Stay In A Pub has predicted pub accommodation to grow in 2024 after it reported a 50% increase in voucher sales over the Christmas period.

POLL: How was trade at your pub over the festive period?

04-Jan-2024 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Despite concerns the festive season would be a disaster, operators have reported that trade was somewhat better than expected.

Motorcycle crash victim operating his own pub two years on

02-Jan-2024 By Gary Lloyd

A former landscape gardener, who stopped breathing after a motorcycle accident and was in a coma for six days, has become a licensee at his own pub just two years after the crash.

JDW boss Tim Martin knighted in New Year Honours

30-Dec-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

JD Wetherspoon (JDW) founder and chairman Tim Martin is among a number of people from the hospitality sector who have been recognised in the King’s 2024 New Year Honours list.

Challenges remain but positive changes may be in the offing on utilities

21-Dec-2023 By Ed Bedington

What to expect from utilities in 2024? We asked industry expert Gerry O'Hara of Nationwide Energy to give his perspective on what the coming year was likely to bring.

PUBLICAN AWARDS

2024 Publican Awards finalists revealed

20-Dec-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

With the first stage of the rigorous judging process complete, the 2024 Publican Awards finalists can now be unveiled.

The Lock In Podcast

Snowball anyone? Anyone?

18-Dec-2023 By Ed Bedington

The Lock In team take a look at Christmas, from how to handle the irregular customers (Doreen from Accounts, we're looking at you) through to nostalgic tipples!

OPINION

Everyone has to start saving the planet soon

18-Dec-2023 By Hamish Stoddart, founder of Peach Pubs and strategic adviser to Punch Pubs

COP26 was the moment the UK and our industry came together to commit to try to play our part in keeping global warming to below 1.5°C.

The Burnt Chef Project spurs pubs to boost morale over Xmas

17-Dec-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The Burnt Chef Project has joined forces with social media platform Morale to encourage hospitality businesses and operators to praise their colleagues this Christmas.

These pubs are serving up free meals this Christmas

15-Dec-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Enter one Wimbledon pub on 25 December and you’ll find a warmly lit sports bar twinkling with tinsel and abuzz with a mix of widowers, retail workers, au pairs, army lads and NHS staff sharing Christmas dinner over laughter and wine.

Cat & Wickets owner Stuart Broad is finalist for BBC award

14-Dec-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Recently retired cricketer Stuart Broad, who is also owner of Leicestershire-based The Cat & Wickets Pub Company, has been named a finalist for the 2023 BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

PDC darts stars’ shirts to be sponsored by PubAid

14-Dec-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Four stars of the darts world will be wearing shirts sponsored by PubAid during the prestigious PDC World Darts Championship over Christmas and the new year.

Tech investment high on agenda of hospitality leaders for 2024

14-Dec-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Three in five hospitality leaders plan to invest in new technology solutions in 2024 – with employees being their main area of focus.

Draw more customers with knockout boxing event

13-Dec-2023 By The Morning Advertiser

Pubs will potentially have the chance to gain extra footfall on the night before Christmas Eve when a huge night of boxing can be screened.

Help is at hand with your festive food offer

12-Dec-2023 By The Morning Advertiser

If you haven’t sorted out your food provider for the festive period – or maybe you’ve been let down at the last minute – help is at hand from Booker Wholesale.

Sky Sports to show record number of Premier League fixtures

08-Dec-2023 By The Morning Advertiser

Sky is set to show up to 100 more Premier League matches per season as part of a new four-year deal.

‘It’s hard to forecast anything at the moment’

08-Dec-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

The unpredictability of trade is just one of the challenges outlined by one gastropub operator in the lead up to Christmas.

Pub turns into Whoville for Christmas

05-Dec-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Lancashire-based pub the Hunters has boosted December trade through transforming into Whoville for the festive period.

The Lock In Podcast

We kid you not....

04-Dec-2023 By Ed Bedington

Children and pubs, a classic combination, or not! The Lock In team take a look at the joys of targeting the family market and how pubs can make it work.

The Burnt Chef Project to recognise success with new awards

30-Nov-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Mental health charity The Burnt Chef Project Is launching a new awards ceremony to recognise people and businesses that have gone the extra mile.

Guild of Beer Writers 2023 winners revealed

30-Nov-2023 By Rebecca Weller

David Jesudason has been crowned Beer Writer of the Year at the 2023 British Guild of Beer Writers awards.

10 most popular UK pub names revealed

29-Nov-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

The Red Lion remains the most popular pub name in the UK, research over the past three years has found.

Viral ad ‘reminder a pub is for life, not just for Xmas’

29-Nov-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

A festive advert from a Northern Irish pub that has been viewed by millions highlights the importance of pubs to communities, one trade organisation has said.

'Seed' music scene could boost sector by £2.4bn

29-Nov-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

A report published today (29 November) reveals the ‘seed’ music scene, gigging in the hospitality sector, could be the catalyst for a multi-billion-pound boost to venues and artists.

Pub’s Christmas ad about loneliness goes viral

27-Nov-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

A Northern Irish pub’s Christmas video has gone viral, racking up millions of views on social media.

More than half of managers are looking to leave

27-Nov-2023 By Ed Bedington

About 57% of managers in hospitality are looking for a new job over the next 12 months, according to one of the sector’s leading recruitment specialists.

Extra time to enter 2024 Publican Awards

24-Nov-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

The entry deadline for next year’s Publican Awards has been extended, meaning operators have an additional week to be in with a chance of being named the best of the best.

Training excellence recognised at BII’s NITAs

23-Nov-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Pubcos and individuals were honoured for their excellence in people development at the British Institute of Innkeeping’s (BII) National Innovation in Training Awards (NITAs).

Xmas overtime fears prompt Burnt Chef stress workshop

23-Nov-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Hospitality workers will work an average of 28 hours overtime over Christmas as four out of five battle stress.

POLL

VOTE NOW: do you sell gift cards at your pub?

22-Nov-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Hospitality gift cards could help “boost sales” during the quiet post-Christmas period, do you sell them at your pub? Have your say now in our snap poll.

TOP 50 BOUTIQUE HOTELS

Top 50 Boutique Hotels List 2023 revealed

22-Nov-2023 By Rebecca Weller

The Newt in Burton, Somerset, has been named the number one boutique hotel in the UK.

Organiser of Kerridge’s Pub in the Park festivals collapses

21-Nov-2023 By Gary Lloyd

The events organiser behind celebrity chef Tom Kerridge’s Pub in the Park food and music festivals has collapsed, leaving HMRC £1.1m out of pocket.

Popular Xmas party dates ‘will help push sales up to £12bn’

20-Nov-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Hospitality is set to benefit from a £12bn boost during the festive period when 40m-plus people eat and drink out as the most popular dates for Christmas parties have been revealed.

Home-hunters can now pick property based on proximity to pub

17-Nov-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Useyourlocal, the UK’s largest online audience of people looking to go to the pub, has joined forces with property website Zoopla to help home-hunters pick a new property based on the proximity to their local pub.

Community hero gets £10,000 boost

16-Nov-2023 By Ed Bedington

Community events at an award winning pub have been given a £10,000 boost from Coca-Cola, following its success at the Great British Pub Awards.

Drinks sales see strongest week since September

13-Nov-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Weekly drinks sales saw their best performance since September across the seven days to Saturday 4 November, data from CGA has revealed.

UK pubs raise vital charity funds by selling poppies

11-Nov-2023 By Gary Lloyd

The Blue Ball Inn is one of many pubs across the UK that have raised tens of thousands of pounds by selling poppies on behalf of the Royal British Legion.

'Atmosphere and community' key to GBPA's Best Pub for Sport

10-Nov-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Any pub can have amazing TVs and sound systems, but it's the sense of community and inclusivity that makes this year's GBPA Best Sports Pub winner a cut above the rest.

Drinks sales up 15% on average during Rugby World Cup

10-Nov-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Pubs and bars scored double-digit growth in drinks sales during the final stages of the Rugby World Cup, data from CGA by NIQ has revealed.

Plans to build office block next to music pub rejected

09-Nov-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Councillors have rejected an application for an office block next to a music pub in Sussex following a long-running community campaign.

£90,000 raised to help tackle loneliness

08-Nov-2023 By Ed Bedington

A charity to help solve the challenges of loneliness has been given a £90,000 boost thanks to a glittering gala ball hosted by Heineken UK.

POLL

POLL: Is your outside space appealing during winter?

08-Nov-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Outside space at pubs is a sure-fire way to increase footfall during summer but how does your site fare during the colder and darker months?

Spending up but consumers 'cutting back' ahead of Xmas

07-Nov-2023 By Rebecca Weller

Spending in pubs and bars grew 5.9% in the year to October, data from Barclaycard has revealed.

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.