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 [...]
Brewdog: James Watt ‘frustrated’ as brewer loses almost £60m October 16, 2024 Brewdog remains in the red despite a sharp uplift in its sales during its latest financial year, founder James Watt has revealed. In a post on social media, the former CEO said the Aberdeenshire-based business increased its revenue by 14 per cent to £366m in 2023. He added that it cut its operating loss to [...]
Big NFL fan? These are the top London sports bars to watch American football October 4, 2024 The NFL returns to London this weekend for the first of three matches and, unsurprisingly, every one of them is sold out. So here’s where you can watch the NFL in London. P.S. Reservations recommended for all! Passyunk is NFL hot spot If you ask any NFL fan where they’ll be during a match the [...]
Pubs face ‘double whammy’ of tax hikes as hundreds call last orders for good September 23, 2024 Around 50 pubs per month ‘vanished’ from England and Wales in the first half of the year as hospitality struggled with costs and tax rates. The overall number of pubs in England and Wales, including those vacant and being offered to let, fell to 39,096 at the end of the first half of 2024, down [...]
The Debate: Wetherspoons – is it magical or miserable? September 12, 2024 Wetherspoons, JD Wetherspoon, or Spoons as most of us call it. Should we be proud or ashamed?
Cheers! The Square Mile is officially the easiest place in the UK to find a pint September 11, 2024 If you’re on the hunt for a pint, look no further than the City of London, which has been named the easiest place in the UK to find one, new research has revealed. The square boasts an incredible 615.92 pubs per 1,000 hectares, putting it miles ahead of the UK average of 10.77, according to [...]
Wetherspoons pubs to make huge price cuts in VAT protest September 5, 2024 Pub giant JD Wetherspoon will make a huge cut to its prices next week in a bid to highlight what it describes as the benefit of a permanent VAT reduction in the hospitality industry. The London-listed giant, which has sites across the country, will be reducing the price of its food and drink by 7.5 [...]
JD Wetherspoon: Tim Martin’s chain reveals when its new London Waterloo pub will open August 27, 2024 Sir Tim Martin’s JD Wetherspoon will open a new pub in Waterloo Station next week, creating 70 jobs and serving Brits waiting for delayed trains. The budget boozer said it has spent £2.8m on developing the new watering hole, called the Lion & the Unicorn, inspired by a building from the 1951 Festival of Britain. [...]