The Capitalist: Ian Mckellen goes off-script at Olivier Awards Opinion Dispatch from the Olivier Awards, Jeremy King and AI sermons; catch up on the latest gossip in this week's The Capitalist.
Wetherspoon shares tumble as profit disappoints Hospitality Shares in the country’s best-known pub chain have tumbled after profit failed to meet expectations even after they were downgraded. Pre-tax profit at JD Wetherspoon fell by 32 per cent to £22m for the first half of this year, and operating profit fell 18 per cent to £53m, below analyst expectations of an eight per [...]
Shepherd Neame braces for energy price shock as Iran war drives up costs Hospitality Shepherd Neame has become the latest pub company to express concern over the spectre of rising energy costs after the war in Iran sent the price of oil soaring. The Kent-based brewer, pub and hotel group, which is listed on the Aquis stock exchange, said its energy was “heavily hedged” into the next financial year [...]
Pub industry ‘screaming for a reset’ amid wave of closures, says Shepherd Neame boss March 5, 2026 The beer and pub industry is “screaming for a reset”, the boss of the UK’s oldest brewer has warned, as companies brace for more venue closures under the strain of sharp tax hikes and minimum wage rises. Jonathan Neame, chief executive of Aquis-listed Shepherd Neame, which traces its roots back to 1698, said the “real [...]
The Capitalist: AI Jesus, banter bans and tales from the Westminster Arms April 17, 2025 Banter bans, AI Jesus and tales from the Westminster Arms; catch up on the latest gossip in this week's edition of The Capitalist.
Shepherd Neame: Pub prices to rise as Budget costs hit March 19, 2025 UK hospitality chain Shepherd Neame, Britain’s oldest brewer, has said it will increase prices at its pubs to deal with cost pressures from the government’s tax raid on businesses. The national living wage and employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs) will both increase from April, as announced in last October’s budget. The increase in labour costs [...]
Marston’s ditches brewing and switches to ‘pure play hospitality’ October 16, 2024 Pub group Marston’s has officially ditched brewing and announced a new strategy, which will see it focus entirely on pubs. In a vote of confidence for the UK’s hospitality sector, it will “embark on a new chapter” as a pure-play hospitality business, its chief executive Justin Platt said. “We are outlining a differentiated strategy for [...]
Hospitality needs a magic spark of confidence to boom, brewery boss says October 10, 2024 The boss of Britain’s oldest brewer, Faversham-based Shepherd Neame, has suggested that the hospitality industry is nearly ready for a return to a boom period, but only is we serve up a spark of confidence. Neame suggested that if fundamentals remain strong and mortgages continue to fall, consumer spending on hospitality would follow a similar [...]
Shepherd Neame: Britain’s oldest brewer ups dividend on ‘positive and encouraging’ results October 2, 2024 Britain’s oldest brewer Shepherd Neame have reported record revenue for the full financial year despite ongoing cost headwinds. The Faversham-based brand, which owns and operates 291 pubs across the southeast, told markets this morning that revenue for the 53 weeks to 29 June grew by 3.6 per cent to a record £172.3m, from £166.3m in [...]