Sober January for alcohol stocks as Brits ditch the booze January 8, 2026 After a boozy festive period, it’s time for non-alcoholic stocks to raise a toast, as millions of Brits take on Dry January. Diageo shares have shrunk 0.23 per cent this week to 1,597.8p, while Amsterdam listed Heineken shares fell 1.7 per cent to €68.32 (£59.20). Beyond January, Brits are becoming more sober conscious. Nearly 50 [...]
‘A load of rubbish’: Pubs round on Starmer’s licencing offer January 7, 2026 Pub and hospitality bosses have rounded on Keir Starmer’s suggestion that relaxed licencing laws may compensate the industry for business rates bills having risen at the Budget, branding the proposal “a load of rubbish”. The Prime Minister confirmed his government was talking to industry leaders about “what further support” ministers could provide pubs and other [...]
Starmer risks killing the great British pub January 7, 2026 Everyone has a favourite pub. It might be one you go back to on holiday or it could be at the end of your road. It could be a stone’s throw from the office (City AM is blessed in this regard) or one that’s still going from your uni years. The City AM Toast Awards [...]
Knight Frank appointed for bumper Brighton Palace Pier sale January 2, 2026 Knight Frank has been instructed on the sale of Brighton Palace Pier, two months after the Grade II-listed landmark’s owners revealed their plans to offload the amusement park amid a barrage of economic headwinds. The Brighton Pier Group appointed the property giant to seek a buyer for the coastal attraction, which its operator said in [...]
Britain lost one pub a day in 2025 December 31, 2025 One pub a day closed its doors in 2025 as businesses were forced to battle mounting cost pressures and an increasingly heavy tax burden. Fresh analysis from global tax firm Ryan showed 366 pubs were demolished or converted for other uses in the last 12 months. Since 2020, nearly 2,000 pubs have closed for good, [...]
Are Britain’s independent pubs doomed? December 28, 2025 2025 has been a year of diverging fortunes for pubs. Listed pub chains – particularly those with a strong presence in London – are reporting record sales, buoyed by higher consumer spending and increased footfall as workers return to their offices. Independent pubs, meanwhile, are closing at the fastest rate this century, blaming unfriendly government [...]
Hospitality business rates set to nearly double by 2028 despite government tax cut claims December 20, 2025 Hospitality venues across England will see their business rates bill nearly double in the next three years as a result of the government’s controversial overhaul of the commercial property tax. A fresh analysis of government figures found that most pubs, restaurants and hotels will pay over £32,000 more on property tax by 2028, despite ministers [...]
Banks to set own contactless limit as FCA scraps cap December 19, 2025 UK banks will be able to set their own contactless limits under new rules set to be introduced by the City watchdog next year. In the current system, banks place a cap on payments of up to £100 per transaction when consumers are using physical contactless cards. But changes introduced by the Financial Conduct Authority [...]
Sir Devonshire Square: A new hotel embodying the City’s spirit December 18, 2025 Sir Devonshire Square: A new hotel embodying the City’s spirit Devonshire Square sits at the meeting point of Shoreditch’s creative energy and the City’s commercial core. Just two minutes from Liverpool Street station, Britain’s busiest by footfall, it offers a unique blend of history and modern vibrancy. Its restaurants and bars, including Cinnamon Kitchen, KöD [...]
Business rates overhaul to hit Square Mile hotels as row continues December 18, 2025 Hotels in the Square Mile are set to be among the hardest-hit by the property revaluations which have sparked a clash between the hospitality sector and the government. The business rates overhaul, introduced in the November Budget, will see the property values that determine this tax more than double across leading hotels in the City [...]