First date flutters come at a hefty cost for Londoners June 3, 2016 If you were planning on going on a hot first date this weekend, you might want to count your pennies first. New research has revealed, perhaps unsurprisingly, that London is the most expensive city in the UK to go on a first date. While prospective lovers in Bristol will spend £43 on the crucial first [...]
West Berkshire Brewery raises glass as it expands into Islington-based pub Shillibeers and puts pen to paper on new brewery June 2, 2016 Crowdfunding beer maker West Berkshire Brewery is raising a glass after it put pen to paper on a new £3m custom-built brewery and secured its first urban pub, Shillibeers, in Islington. The new brewery will allow West Berkshire to increase its brewing capacity tenfold and also to provide packaging for other breweries. The brewer has said the [...]
Megabrew: US Department of Justice set to give AB InBev green light for SABMiller deal June 2, 2016 The US Department of Justice is set to approve Anheuser-Busch InBev's takeover of British drinks giant SABMiller. The news follows the announcement on Tuesday that the Competition Commission of South Africa has provisionally approved the £71bn deal, which was agreed last October. It has been widely reported in US media that the antitrust regulator is poised [...]
London is still the indisputable hotbed of eating and drinking in the UK, but growth in licensed premises is booming in other cities June 2, 2016 London is still the indisputable hotbed of eating and drinking out in the UK, but restaurant and bar operators are shifting their focus towards urban regional hotspots for new openings. Food-led openings in the capital increased by 13.4 per cent over the last five years, though this trailed behind 22.4 per cent growth in other [...]
EU Referendum: Will these Brexit-based beers help you decide how to vote? June 2, 2016 As the three-week countdown begins for the EU referendum, one brewery has found one sure-fire way to engage the British voting public. The Yorkshire-based brewery Little Valley has launched three limited edition Brexit-themed beers aiming to "ignite the conversation" among the UK's undecided masses and encourage them to take a stance on the EU debate. [...]
How to do things differently in the pub industry: An interview with Marston’s chief executive Ralph Findlay June 1, 2016 It's fair to say it’s been a challenging decade for the UK's pub sector. First it was hit by the smoking ban in 2007, then by the recession in 2009. Revenues across the industry have also been affected by broadly falling levels of alcohol consumption. Pub companies have been forced to rethink their strategies to stay [...]
Sugar price rally continues as Thailand warns production could take hit as a result of El Niño weather phenomenon June 1, 2016 The recent raw sugar price rally continued today as the sweet commodity traded at around 17.30 cents per per pound, according to Nasdaq data. Prices have reached a two-year high over the past week in a positive swing that contrasts with many other commodities, particularly metals such as copper and iron ore, whose rally at [...]
Could champagne hold up TTIP? Francois Hollande has vowed not to sacrifice protected status as part of the deal June 1, 2016 French wines and cheeses could prove to be a sticking point in the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), according to the French President Francois Hollande. The president insisted France will not sacrifice any of its geographically protected labels, which include sparkling wine produced in the region of Champagne, as part of the free trade [...]
Putting the super back into the supermarkets: What the Co-op rebrand tells us about the current state of the sector June 1, 2016 The unveiling of the Co-op rebrand last week was the latest sign of a major shift in the supermarket arena. The brand’s decision to revert back to its origins, resurrecting – albeit also modernising – its 1968 logo, was a clear attempt to spark an emotional connection with an audience for whom loyalty is meaning [...]
Pret a Manger has just opened its first veggie pop-up in Soho June 1, 2016 The City's top lunch spot, Pret a Manger, has had a green makeover today as it opened the doors at its Little Veggie Pop-Up on Broadwick Street in Soho. The pop-up offers 45 new vegetarian and vegans recipes for the menu, including open rye sandwiches, courgetti and cauliflower rice "plant pots" and savoury yoghurt bowls – as well [...]
