The Debate: Should you be fined for playing music on the bus? Opinion Local authorities could be empowered to give out £100 fines to 'loudcasters' on buses. We hear the case for and against in this week's Debate
Greene King boss: Pub industry ‘reaching breaking point’ Hospitality The finance boss of Greene King has warned that soaring taxes and employment costs have pushed the UK’s hospitality industry to “breaking point”. Jonathan Fearn, finance chief of the privately-owned pub chain, said decisions taken by the Labour government have “created a cocktail of costs, which have made it ever harder for a pub to [...]
Meet the designers making London restaurants less loud and clattery Life&Style Why do so many restaurants get their acoustics all messed up? Is sound the final frontier of luxury? Adam Bloodworth spoke to the experts attempting to quieten the cacophony A pal’s in town. You’ve booked a trendy new restaurant. It’s been a while and you’re looking forward to catching up. There’s one issue: the place [...]
Marstons shares soar as pub firm bets on sports bars October 13, 2026 Shares in Marstons soared on Tuesday after the hospitality firm said it would ramp up efforts to convert more than 100 of its pubs into sports bars. The London-listed pub company said its new “Grandstand” format, which offers big screens and match-based food and drink offers, has been its “standout” performer this year. The World [...]
The search for Nigel Farage’s elusive wristwatch October 5, 2026 We investigate the mystery of Nigel Farage’s wristwatch. Could the so-called man of the people really wear a £40,000 Patek Philippe Calatrava? Andy Blackmore starts digging and finds a surprising answer… Sometimes the watch we wear tells more about us than we would care to admit, far more than any session with a psychologist. With that [...]
As it happened: Oil stockpiles ‘scarily thin’; BT jumps on TalkTalk rescue deal October 5, 2026 Welcome back to City AM‘s FTSE 100 liveblog. Markets are hoping to claw back some of last week’s losses to kick off the week after a global bond rout set ripples through the world’s top exchanges. The FTSE 100 is gaining on Monday, reversing some of its losses from Friday. This morning, Brent crude – the international [...]
Wetherspoon boss blasts Soho’s ‘barmy’ vertical drinking crackdown October 4, 2026 JD Wetherspoon boss Sir Tim Martin has blasted Westminster Council’s “barmy” curbs on vertical drinking, which he said are “inhibiting business”. Martin, the chairman of Britain’s best-known pub chain, has waded into a row over the Council’s restrictions on so-called “vertical drinking” in Soho and an effective ban on new pubs and bars in the [...]
Wetherspoon boss attacks Labour for ‘high street dereliction’ as profit falls October 2, 2026 Pub chain Wetherspoon has hit out at the government for causing “high street dereliction” by hiking taxes, as the company’s profit slipped by a quarter. The London-listed pub group saw revenue jump by five per cent to £2.2bn in the year to July – in line with analyst forecasts – though pre-tax profit fell further [...]
Can Brewdog get ‘equity punks’ onside in bid to move on from James Watt? September 30, 2026 Craft beer giant Brewdog has launched a reset under its American owners Tilray. Felix Armstrong explores whether the company can truly move on from James Watt Dessert-flavoured beer, provocative ad campaigns, waxy-mustached artisans – much about Brewdog’s long-anticipated reset feels familiar, as if the recently-collapsed craft brewer is really getting back to its roots. But [...]
Next boss Wolfson tells Healey: ‘You can’t spend your way out of a crisis’ September 17, 2026 Lord Wolfson, Next’s chief executive, has urged Chancellor John Healey to cut spending at next month’s Budget, warning, “you can’t spend your way out of a funding crisis”. The retail boss has urged the government to clamp down on spending, avoid further tax hikes and slash planning red tape to boost economic growth. He told [...]