Pubs and Bars
The Pubs and Bars section on Catering Today covers the business developments, market trends, and operational challenges shaping the UK’s pub and bar sector. It reports on acquisitions, brand expansions, drinks innovation, and regulatory updates, alongside insights into staffing, sustainability, and consumer behaviour. With expert commentary and commercial analysis, Catering Today provides industry professionals with the intelligence needed to navigate a competitive and fast-evolving on-trade environment.
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Jan- 2021 -8 January
Lockdown forces further borrowing for Arc Inspirations
Arc Inspirations, a bar group in the north of England, has been forced to borrow an additional £1m as the UK enters another lockdown, according to the BBC. Martin Wolstencroft, CEO at the chain that operates over 17 venues across the country, had already taken out £4m in loans to…
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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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8 January
Marston’s Q1 trading ‘materially disrupted’ amid festive sales slump
Marston’s has announced that its trading in the first quarter of this year was “materially disrupted” due to continuous Covid-19 restrictions. In its latest update, the pub chain revealed total revenues came in at £54m over the three-month period, compared with sales in 2019 of £1.17bn. With pubs remaining closed…
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8 January
Star Pubs & Bars invests £4m in lockdown rent concessions
Star Pubs and Bars will continue to offer all its leased and tenanted pubs a 90% rent reduction during the weeks in which hospitality businesses are required to close in England, Scotland and Wales. Its pubs will receive the concession regardless of whether or not they choose to operate a…
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7 January
Northern Ireland’s wet pubs receive £10m support package
Northern Ireland’s economy minister, Diane Dodds has announced a £10.6m relief fund for ‘wet bars’ that lost out due to Covid-19 restrictions in the summer months. The support is aimed at the “hardest hit” traditional pubs which do not serve food and were therefore forced to close between 4 July…
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7 January
Mitchells and Butlers succumbs to 67% Q1 sales drop
Mitchells and Butlers has announced a 67% decrease in first quarter sales for the 14 weeks ending 2 January 2021 which was attributed to the continuous impact of Covid-19 and the forced closures of all sites. The pub group has seen a steep reduction in sales and was heavily impacted…
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6 January
Flight Club eyes Bristol opening
Flight Club, a darts-themed chain of bars, has applied for a premises license at Corn Street, Bristol, according to Bristol Live. The chain already offers its mix of drinks and games in Birmingham, Manchester, and London, with a Leeds establishment also coming soon. With groups of up to 20 allowed…
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5 January
BBPA calls for additional support package amid third lockdown
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has called the third national lockdown “yet another blow” to the pub sector, and is now urging the government to provide a comprehensive pub support package to target businesses in the sector. In response to prime minister Boris Johnson’s lockdown announcement yesterday (4…
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Dec- 2020 -24 December
Star Pubs launches PCA appeal
Star Pubs and Bars has “lodged an appeal” over the £2m fine it was handed by Fiona Dickie, the Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) earlier this year. Dickie deemed in October that the company had “seriously and repeatedly” breached the Pubs Code across a timespan of almost three years. The “game-changer”…
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23 December
Marston’s to take over 156 Brains pubs, saving 1,300 jobs
Marston’s is set to take over the operations of 156 S.A Brains pubs in Wales, in a move that is expected to save 1,300 jobs. The pub group will run the Brains pubs on a combination of leased and management contract arrangements, continuing to trade under the Brains brand to…
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