Wetherspoon sales could turn flat as cost pressures brew March 18, 2026 Never known to shy away from calling out the issues that push up the price of a pint, JD Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin looked to be setting expectations at the weekend when he warned the war in Iran will hit punters in their pockets. The UK’s best-known pub chain will announce its half-year finances on [...]
February showers dampen hospitality sales March 18, 2026 February’s wet weather kept Brits at home as hospitality sales fell compared to last year, extending a poor start to the year for the sector. The rainy month meant total like-for-like sales were 0.2 per cent lower than in February 2025, with sales having dropped 0.1 per cent year on year in January, according to [...]
Iran war: Independent pubs face ‘devastating’ energy costs March 17, 2026 Independent pubs could be left vulnerable to spikes in energy costs caused by the Iran war, while their larger competitors enjoy the security of fixed energy deals. Landlords across the UK could face “devastating” costs if energy prices continue to rise, trade body UKHospitality has warned. Blockages to the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping [...]
Brewdog US bars snapped up by beer firm’s UK buyer March 16, 2026 The US cannabis firm which bought craft beer giant Brewdog’s UK arm has agreed to buy some of its American bars and brewing facilities. Tilray Brands, a pharma firm which sells cannabis and alcoholic lifestyle products, struck the deal for a string of Brewdog’s US operations after sealing a £33m deal for the beer firm’s [...]
Hugh Osmond-backed restaurant group snaps up pubs to launch new brand March 6, 2026 The restaurant group backed by British businessman Hugh Osmond has bought four pubs for more than £11m as it launches a new brand. London-listed Various Eateries has bought the four sites – in the Cotswolds, Berkshire, Surrey and Hampshire – from Grosvenor Pubs and Inns for £11.5m. The group said “premium” pubs with rooms remain [...]
It’s a sad story from brewery to pub February 26, 2026 It was a balmy 17 degrees in the Square Mile yesterday, drawing crowds out for a lunchtime pint in the sun. But in other parts of the country the hospitality sector is still in the grip of winter. Bad news came thick and fast from my native Cornwall yesterday, starting with confirmation that Sharp’s Brewery [...]
Pubs to open late during World Cup – a life raft for hospitality? February 24, 2026 Though the Labour government and the country’s thousands of pub landlords have very rarely seen eye-to-eye in recent months, the World Cup could bring a summer truce to this fiery dispute. Hospitality trade bodies and one of the country’s biggest pub chains have told City AM they welcome the government’s move to allow pubs to [...]
Admiral pubs boss: business rates will ‘kill off the high street’ February 23, 2026 The boss of a northern-based pubs company has claimed business rates will “kill off” the high street as well as pubs unless the levy is fundamentally reformed. Chris Jowsey, chief executive of Admiral Taverns, told City AM the government must deliver on its pledge to overhaul the business rates system, which he said “penalises bricks [...]
Brewdog: HSBC could seize brewery if no buyer found February 23, 2026 Brewdog’s sprawling Scottish brewing estate could be seized by HSBC if the craft beer firm fails to find a buyer to steady its finances. Brewdog has agreed for its debts to be secured against its brewery in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, meaning it could lose its huge brewing estate if it cannot pay up. Co-founder James Watt [...]
‘Hundreds of outdoor drinkers’: City AM’s Pub of the Week is The Wren on Watling Street February 18, 2026 If you’re looking for a man in finance, go to TikTok, where videos streamed millions of times tell you to go to Watling Street. It’s the skinny lane with St Paul’s Cathedral at the end and four pubs along it, where in the summer hundreds tightly pack with al fresco pints. Ye Olde Watling, where [...]