Monday 27/2/17
Propelinfo.com – UK pubs urged to put further focus on non-alcoholic drinks offering as fifth of under-25s revealed as teetotal: UK pubs are being urged to retain focus on providing a good selection of non-alcoholic drinks as Office for National Statistics figures reveal a fifth of under-25s in the country are teetotal, with numbers on the rise. Motivated by health and income concerns, the new generation are bucking the trend of their parents and opting to drink in moderation, or not at all. Laura Willoughby, founder of Club Soda, a guide that rates pubs based on the quality of the non-alcoholic beverages they sell, told The Guardian: “Young people are drinking less but pubs aren’t keeping up with what they want. Club Soda is a ‘mindful drinking’ movement. It’s about changing the way you think and feel about alcohol. For a lot of people, mindful drinking means switching to a lower-percentage drink, cutting down for a week, doing a sober sprint or trying out an alcohol-free for size. The pubs that get this, that realise not everyone is drinking – they’re the ones that are thriving.” Draft House pub chain owner Charlie McVeigh said offering a decent selection of non-alcoholic drinks had made all the difference to the traditionally quiet start of the year. He said: “Historically we haven’t been that great at stocking non-alcoholic drinks but we now really focus on it. We had a record January.”
Tuesday 28/2/17
Morningadvertiser.co.uk – ‘No post-Brexit cliff edge’ for pub trade
By Liam Coleman, 28-Feb-2017
Brexit discussions with the Government are progressing well, Kate Nicholls of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) has revealed. Read More
Wednesday 1/3/17
Morningadvertiser.co.uk – BBPA and CAMRA divided over planning law amendment
By Nikkie Sutton, 01-Mar-2017
The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) and the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA) have weighed in over potential changes to permitted development rights for pubs. Read More
Propelinfo.com – Cambridge-based restaurateurs to start expansion with Varsity sister site: Matthew Marshall, owner of Varsity restaurant in Cambridge, is set to open a sister site in the city. The new site will be called Trinity and is set to open on Friday, 7 April at a site that formerly housed Coast fish and chip restaurant. Sisters, rather than twins, Trinity will have a different menu to Varsity, with a greater emphasis on seafood. Where Varsity offers its unique Claret Card, with bin ends of interesting reds, Trinity will have its own Fizz Card, offering a choice of champagne and sparkling wines. The head chef will be Jonno Khan, formerly of Jamie’s Italian, while the general manager will be Richard Kruller, former manager of The Tickell Arms and Cambridge Chop House. Kruller told the Cambridge News: “Cambridge has a lot of good restaurants but I think where we’re different is the level of service. The staff of Trinity are all friends and we’ve all worked in the industry for a long time. It’s all about very good food with excellent service, which has always been at the heart of Varsity. Trinity will offer a set lunch and pre-theatre menu, from Monday to Friday, between midday and 7pm.
Thursday 2/3/17
Boutiquehotelier.com – Marston’s submits plans for renovation of historic Hull hotel: Marston’s has submitted a planning application to transform its hotel in Hull into a stylish, modern property at the heart of the city. The Kingston Hotel dates back to 1870 and could be given a refresh if the proposal is given the go ahead when the council give a decision on the project in April. Its owners want to give the hotel’s interiors a complete makeover, to ‘improve the flow without damaging the feel of the building’. The building itself is Grade-II listed and has a Victorian heritage. The project will involve taking out the bar, refitting it and extending it to a new position, and redecorating the pub, with new flooring and a new entrance. Marston’s said the design has been created to ‘refresh and enhance the existing site’, without changing the feel of the building, but after years of ‘wear and tear’ the interior is in need of a freshen up.
Catererlicensee.com – Peers Vote to Protect Pubs: CAMRA welcomes a House of Lords vote today to close a planning loophole which allows pubs to be unfairly targeted by unruly property developers. Lords voted by a clear majority of 90 to support an amendment tabled by Lord Kennedy of Southwark to the Neighbourhood Planning Bill. The amendment sought to remove ‘permitted development rights’ from pubs. Currently, a pub can be demolished or converted into a number of other uses without a developer needing to submit a planning application. This not only denies local communities a say on their beloved local’s future, but also makes pubs a ‘soft target’ for developers, leading to 21 pubs closing every week. CAMRA members have been lobbying the House of Lords during the passage of the Bill to gain the support from Peers. CAMRA Chairman, Colin Valentine, says: “There is a huge appetite for pub protection across the country. At CAMRA, we see thousands of campaigners across England and Wales fight tooth and nail in local campaigns to save their beloved pubs. Over 5,000 people have contacted Peers in the past two months to ask them to help protect their local pub through this legislation. This shows us just how important this issue is to many local communities. Read More
Friday 3/3/17
Propelinfo.com – Marston’s bids to add 27-bedroom lodge to Lincoln pub: Marston’s wants to add a 27-bedroom lodge to its Lincolnshire Poacher pub in Lincoln by developing part of its car park. The company is seeking planning permission for the two-storey building south east of the pub to run parallel to Sympson Close, with its front elevation facing into the car park. Paul Harris, from Marston’s planning agent Creda Planning, said the development was “good news for jobs”. He added: “The Lincolnshire Poacher is evidently a successful business providing 29 full and part-time jobs. Typically, the employment catchment radius for a Marston’s pub is about ten miles and the Poacher is no exception. It therefore represents a significant source of employment for local people. It is asserted that the employment opportunities available at the site will grow, not only as a direct result of the roles that will be created to facilitate the running of the lodge but also as a result of the uplift in sales in the pub a lodge will effect as a result of its introduction.” Harris added that sales had risen by an average of £8,000 a week at other Marston’s pubs where lodges had been built.