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licensed trade news
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UK Pub Guide Pub Forum News Desk licensed trade news
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Working with the UK food and drink industry to grow business at home and overseas |
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Page Index ____________________ Pub Forum Suppliers Listing Click here All the trades and services you are likely to need ____________________ Need a Telephone Number? directory enquiries 118 737 Royal British Legion directory enquiries service? (Cheaper than BT) It’s 118 PDQ (That’s 118 737) Did you know that The Royal British Legion offers a directory enquiries service? Cheaper than BT and Yell and when you call 118 PDQ – that’s 118 737 - you get a service that’s pretty damn quick and which gives 10p to the funds of the Legion every time you use it. So remember, if you need a number just dial 118 PDQ - they will even connect you when they have found the number you want
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Licensed Trade News ‘Spoons Up. JD Wetherspoon seems to be showing the way in offering value for money food and drink and realising the benefits, with sales up over the past 11 weeks, compared with the same period last year. Other pubcos, such as M&B, who used to offer their customers value for money but have now lost out in playing games with the boys from the City, should take note.Stella Deal Anheuser-Busch has been acquired by Stella Artois brewer InBev in a $52m deal to form the world’s largest brewing group, with over a quarter of the worldwide market and three of the top 5 global beer brands. The deal, which has been in the offing for some time, was reportedly opposed, not just by the Busch family but also by presidential hopeful Barack Obama. Punch DownThe market continues to write down debt-strapped Punch Taverns despite CEO Giles Thorley’s statement that the pubco’s borrowings are secured at fixed rates well into the future. Punch shares are trading at about the 187p per share mark – a far cry from the giddy heights of £14 per share last summer. Magners Fizzles Out. C&C Group reports falling sales for its cider brand and blames the bad weather. A more likely cause is the fact that the fad has run its course and at up to £4 a bottle the trendies have moved elsewhere. Endangered SpeciesThe demise of the pub and the local post office as core elements in society has been given further emphasis according to reports in the City press. The money men, it would seem have cooked their golden goose by over borrowing against the bricks and mortar of their pub estates. One high profile confirmation of what motivates these guys has emerged with reports of a investor spat at M&B. M&B, once a thriving pub business, based on those old fashioned virtues of providing what the customer wants – good beer, good food and good service – has itself become embroiled in the thorny demands of the City money men – through the hedging crisis reported here. In an attempt to rebuild the profits of the group, M&B CEO Tim Clarke had sought to buy out the Spirit chain of managed pubs from Punch Taverns. This, one might naively have thought would be a nice fit with the M&B estate, which is all managed outlets. Not so say the M&B major shareholders, one of whom, Robert Tchenguiz, is quoted as saying “M&B shareholders are mostly real estate investors”. What Tchenguiz is saying is that Punch Taverns have already been at the pot and remortgaged the Spirit Estate up to the hilt so that there is no free equity left – particularly in a falling property market – for those M&B shareholders to get their hands on. When is a pub not a pub? When it might make a nice block of flats or another convenience store. Those planning long term careers with a pubco and punters wanting to enjoy the delights of a local pub take note.Apprentice Publicans.With many Publicans bemoaning the drop-off in revenue, a glimpse at Week Three of the BBC’s, Alan Sugar led hit The Apprentice (www.bbc.co.uk/apprentice) may provide a lead. A seasoned old pub trade hand was heard to comment, “That’s how we used to drum up business in the past – with theme evenings. Alan Sugar’s teams showed how to generate extra custom and profit and today’s landlords should take note.”Pernod gets Absolut. Absolut, the world’s number two vodka brand after Smirnoff, has been sold to Pernod Ricard for £4.5bn. The deal is to be financed by a restructuring of existing debt – a move that did not please the markets where the price paid was thought to be too high, resulting in a mark down of the Pernod Ricard share price. In addition to the brands that form its name, Pernod Ricard also owns Jameson whiskey and Beefeater gin. About Time.As Prime Minister Brown appeared to concede that 24 hour drinking has contributed to an increase in street crime, supermarkets are taking super strength lagers and ciders off the shelves and councils are banning street drinking. At the same time industry watchdog, The Portman Group, has announced an independent audit to expose irresponsible alcohol packaging.Portman has appointed management consultancy, PIPC, to devise and implement a rigorous, random audit of 500 beer, wine and spirit drinks on sale in convenience stores, off-licences, bars in several locations across the UK and from on-line retailers. Publicans may take a jaundiced view of this sudden urge to grasp the moral high gound. With supermarket groups such as Tesco reportedly wishing to wage war on cheap booze, pub owners may say ‘too little too late’, when they consider the damage that has been done to the pub trade by such cheap offerings. The downturn in pub trade is indubitably due to, not just the smoking ban, but stay-away consumers who can buy cut price tipple for home or (for the anti-social) street drinking. Enterprise Offers SupportEnterprise Inns plc (ETI) has indicated that the smoking ban has had an adverse impact on many of its pubs and in the face of a marketplace that will remain difficult. the company is producing a strategy to help and support licensees. ETI has worked towards developing a broader offering, which has, to an extent served well in a market where beer volumes have fallen. The company seems to have had an eye on the success of smaller rival M&B (managed houses), where the emphasis on food has seen trade remain strong, to the extent that ETI are now acquiring, what they term, high quality pubs and are perhaps more mindful of supporting its largely tenanted estate, than perhaps was the case in the past. Despite all the avowed good intent, being an Enterprise tenant is never going to be a bed of roses. The company remains a slave to the City with earnings per share far more important than the needs of consumers, and where the greatest requirement on the part of licensees is that they should pay their rent on time. Further evidence of Mammonism is revealed in the company’s statement that: “ETI is continuing discussions with HMRC regarding a potential conversion to REIT status … designed to enhance shareholder returns and optimise the benefits of our proposed refinancing..” ETI Tenants should perhaps enquire as to what support will be available to them once their magnanimous patrons decide to turn their pub (and home) into a block of flats. British Brewing – the end is nigh! According to pundits in various national newspapers the possible takeover of Scottish & Newcastle, by Carlsberg, heralds the end of British Brewing as we know it. The fact is that the brewing industry in the UK was transformed by the Beer Orders of 1989 – a totally bad piece of legislation which simply served to destroy many brewers and put in place vast estates of pubcos – largely owned by financial institutions. However the intervening period has seen a return to some old fashioned quality with the upswing in micro and not so micro brewers producing ale that consumers plainly long for and which the pubcos, for all their faults, have had the good sense to support. The National Trust and Mitchells & Butlers restore The Crown pubOne of Belfast's most loved pubs, The Crown, has been restored to its former glory after the National Trust and Mitchells & Butlers completed a comprehensive six month conservation and restoration project. A team of National Trust experts from across the UK have worked tirelessly on the pub since the conservation project commenced six months ago. The project was unique from the outset as all of the conservation work was carried out in full view of the regular customers of the pub. Hilary McGrady, the National Trust's Director for Northern Ireland, said: "This project has been a huge success for everyone involved. We are so grateful to Mitchells & Butlers for helping to fund this project which enables The Crown to really shine. "It has been a fantastic team effort which has brought together experts in woodwork, glass, tiling, painting and conservation and everyone involved has had a real sense of engagement and learning with this project." John Wyper of Mitchells & Butlers, added: "Everyone has embraced this project with enthusiasm and excitement, making it a real team effort. We're grateful to the manager George Greig and his team for their dedication and enthusiasm, and to Gilbert Ash who led the day-to-day work and delivered this project without impacting upon customers' enjoyment of the pub. Karen Murphy's appeal High Court judges today dismissed part of licensee Karen Murphy's appeal against a conviction for screening foreign satellite football – but the matter is not complete yet.” Karen Murphy is licensee of the Red, White & Blue, in Southsea, Hampshire, Karen was not in court when the judgment was handed down. Karen is appealing against a crown court conviction for showing Premiership football via the Greek Nova channel. The appeal lawyers are hoping to prove that signals were broadcast from Greece after Nova took the Premier League's feed and added its logo and Greek commentary. The case continues. Portman Group to stop issuing Proof of Age Card The Portman Group will not be issuing its Proof of Age card to young people from the end of September although the card remains valid and should continue to be accepted by retailers. This move has been prompted by falling demand for the card caused by the emergence of other national and local schemes. The Portman Group is now focusing on raising standards of drinks producer activity.
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