‘Rachel Reeves, you must do better’: Chancellor urged to act before hospitality’s collapse hospitality Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been told to take urgent action to prevent the collapse of thousands of hospitality businesses across the UK. In an open letter Sacha Lord, who was until recently Andy Burnham’s night time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, said he no longer considers Labour to be the party of “business and growth”. [...]
Where to watch the 2025 Six Nations in London, from sports bars to posh pubs Sport The Six Nations seems to come around faster and faster every year, and the 2025 edition will kick off on Friday. Across five of the next seven weekends, beginning on 31 January, a total of 15 matches will be broadcast across London. So City AM has done the hard and collected the best pubs and [...]
Breakfast and brunch fuel sales surge at pub giant Butcombe hospitality A surge in customers ordering breakfast and brunch has helped sales surge at pub and brewing group Butcombe. The North Somerset-headquartered group has reported an increase in its total managed like-for-like sales of 7.8 per cent for the year to 25 January, 2025. Its food category jumped by 12 per cent while both accommodation and [...]
London pubs giant targets new openings after sales success January 27, 2025 One of London’s largest independent pubs and dining groups is preparing for further expansion after reporting a jump in sales for its latest financial year. Urban Pubs & Bars (UPB) has announced that its turnover increased by 16 per cent to £60.5m in the 12 months to 28 April, 2024. The group added that the [...]
JD Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin calls on Starmer to reduce pub taxes January 22, 2025 Wetherspoons chairman Tim Martin has once again called on the government and Keir Starmer to reduce the tax gap between supermarkets and pubs in his company’s latest trading update. Martin said following the government’s decision to hike the national minimum wage, business rates and employers’ national insurance, costs at Wetherspoon will increase by around £60m [...]
Pub giants allay fears of hospitality crisis despite higher wage bills January 15, 2025 Pub giants Mitchells & Butlers and Fuller, Smith & Turner have both expressed confidence as the firms adapt to higher wage bills, in a positive sign for an industry which warned of crisis last year. Mitchells, the owner of Harvester, Toby Carvery and All Bar One, reported like-for-like growth of 10.4 per cent over the [...]
Why you should still go to the pub in Dry January January 2, 2025 Dry January has crept up on us once again — a month in which avid pub-goers look to kickstart a healthier year ahead. For some, it’s a month to start fresh with new beginnings. For others, such as the hundreds of independent pubs across the nation looking for growth, it is yet another challenge. Especially [...]
Last orders: Pubs call for action as locals close across the country December 30, 2024 A top pub group has called for “swift and meaningful” reform to business rates today after new figures showed the number of boozers in England and Wales fell below 39,000 for the first time this year. According to official Government statistics, analysed by commercial real estate specialists at Altus Group, 412 pubs were either demolished [...]
Pubs boss: ‘We cannot allow the government to destroy family companies’ December 8, 2024 The boss of a seventh-generation pub and brewing giant has argued that “we cannot allow the government to destroy family companies” as they are the “bedrock of the UK economy”. In a post on LinkedIn William Lees-Jones, who owns and runs Manchester-based JW Lees, which has produced real ale since 1828, reiterated his opposition to the changes [...]
Marston’s rings in Christmas bookings as profit jumps in ‘defining year’ December 3, 2024 Pub operator Marston’s has surpassed market expectations as pre-Christmas bookings begin to introduce hope for another bumper year of trade. The Wolverhampton-headquartered firm told markets this morning that its total revenue for the year ending 28 September, 2024, increased to £898.6m, up three per cent from £872.3m the prior 12 months. Pre-tax profit for Marston’s [...]