Beverages

The latest news and updates on beverages, from the business journalists at Catering Today. We bring you the latest on what’s happening in the restaurants, bars and catering industry, with exclusive stories, analysis, best practice and industry comment.

Jul- 2022 -

28 July

Leon to roll out self-serve coffee kiosks

Leon has announced its intention to launch self-serve coffee kiosks in 68 EG-owned petrol forecourts across the UK. Using the group’s own branded, triple-certified coffee, customers will receive the same barista-quality coffee “at the touch of a button”. The roll-out of self-serve coffee kiosks has come about due to the…
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20 July

Follow Leisure acquires Belfast café chain District

Multi-venue hospitality operator, Follow Leisure, has revealed its acquisition of Belfast-based specialist coffee chain, District for an undisclosed figure. District opened its first premises in 2016 on Ormeau Road, adding additional locations throughout South Belfast in Lisburn Road, Stranmillis Road and Saintfield Road. In this acquisition by Follow Leisure, the…
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18 July

Fever-Tree profits ‘worsened’ by cost of headwinds

Fever-Tree has revealed that it anticipates gross margins of around 37% and an EBITDA margin of around 14% for the first half due to the reported impact of logistics and cost of headwinds having “worsened” in recent months. The business expects this to continue to impact the business during the…
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May- 2022 -

17 May

Vagabond opens first airport site at Heathrow

Vagabond Bar and Kitchen has announced it will launch its first airport site this week at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, following a £1.2m investment. The new site will be composed of 4,500 square feet, with space for 170 guests, and it will create 60 new jobs. Over 100 varieties of wine…
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Nov- 2021 -

29 November

Drinks sales ‘edge back’ above pre-COVID-19 levels, CGA says

On Premise drinks sales in the week to last Saturday (20 November) edged 1% above the same week in 2019, CGA’s Drinks Recovery Tracker shows. The association revealed it is the “first time” that average sales by value in Britain’s managed pubs, bars and restaurants have been in positive territory…
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Feb- 2021 -

12 February

Wine Drinkers UK calls for excise duty cuts

Wine Drinkers UK (WDUK) has written an open letter to the chancellor calling for a reduction to the UK’s wine tax. The group claims that wine has been singled out for excessive increases to wine duty, while other alcoholic beverages such as beer and spirits have seen successive duty freezes.…
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Jan- 2021 -

8 January

CAMRA calls on government to reconsider alcohol takeaways

Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has called on the government to give struggling pubs financial support by allowing them to be able to sell alcohol for people to take away. The current lockdown rules have prohibited the use of takeaway alcohol from venues which has meant that whilst shops can…
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Oct- 2020 -

12 October

CMA approves Carlsberg Marston’s merger

A merger between Marston’s Brewery and Carlsberg UK has been approved by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Despite its greater valuation of £580 million to Carlsberg’s £200 million, Marston’s will hold a 40% stake in the combined company. However, alongside the equity portion of the deal, Marston’s will also…
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Aug- 2020 -

14 August

BBPA welcomes no US tariff on beer for British brewers

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has welcomed the decision from the US not to place tariffs on beer imported from the UK. According to the trade union, the US Trade Representative (USTR) was considering revising the retaliatory tariffs it has placed on various goods imported from EU countries…
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10 August

The Great British Beer Festival goes virtual

The Great British Beer Festival, which usually takes place this week at Olympia in London, is making its virtual debut from 11-13 September 2020. For the first time ever, visitors to CAMRA’s beer event can purchase a ticket to a weekend of live beer tastings that will run from 2pm…
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