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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Sep- 2020 -15 September
JD Wetherspoon confirms 66 staff Covid cases but insists pubs are ‘low risk’
Pub chain JD Wetherspoon has confirmed 66 of its 41,000 members of staff have tested positive for Covid-19, but insists its pubs remain safe for customers. In a statement published on Monday (14 September), Wetherspoon reported an estimated 32 million visitors to its 861 establishments in the 10 weeks beginning…
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8 September
Red Fox & Peacock to open first freehold site
Red Fox and Peacock, formerly known as Lytham Hospitality Group, is to open its first freehold site later this month, a new bar, restaurant and live entertainment venue called Lytham House. The new venture is the latest addition to a portfolio which includes The Queens Hotel, Lytham; The Eagle at…
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8 September
Thwaites launches redundancy programme
Thwaites is set to initiate a programme of redundancies in a bid to shore up cash following the crisis. Despite noting that trade has “built steadily” since its estate reopened in July, the pub operator said it has “become very clear in reopening that the visibility we had last year…
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7 September
The Inn Collection Group acquires Cumbrian Inn
The Inn Collection Group has acquired the Churchill Inn in the Cumbrian town of Ambleside for an undisclosed sum. The coaching Inn features 18 en-suite guest rooms and sits in a five-storey detached property dating back to circa 1854. To the rear of the property there is also a separate…
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3 September
North East pub company expands its portfolio
A North East hospitality company is expanding its portfolio of restaurants and pubs in the region. The Northumberland Pub Co, which owns The Blackbird in Ponteland, has acquired The Northumberland Arms, based in Felton. The group has spent over £70,000 on refurbishments and renovations to update the former coaching inn…
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Aug- 2020 -27 August
Greene King partners with Prince’s Trust to create 1,000 new jobs
Greene King is ‘‘strengthening its partnership’’ with The Prince’s Trust, with a new five-year agreement to create 1,000 job opportunities for young and BAME people. The pub company and brewery has worked alongside the charity for the past four years, supporting 440 young people across the country in getting job…
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26 August
Greene King announces rent concessions for tied tenants
Greene King Pub Partners has announced a further £6m of financial support for its leased and tenanted partners, as they work to rebuild their businesses following the Covid-19 closure. The current rent concessions from Greene King Pub Partners are due to come to an end eight weeks after reopening. The…
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24 August
Prospect Bars and Pubs adds second site
Prospect Bars and Pubs’ Dan Shotton and Mark Draper have taken on a second site, The Victoria in Woodham. The former owners of Redcombe pubs are undertaking a joint £580,000 refurbishment with Star Pubs and Bars, owners of The Victoria, which has been closed for 14 months. Following the launch…
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24 August
JD Wetherspoon warns of loss following pandemic
JD Wetherspoon has announced that like-for-like bar and food sales were down by 16.9% in the 44 days to 16 August 2020, adding that it expects to make a loss for the year ended 26 July, 2020. In its latest trading update, the pub chain noted that sales have gradually…
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20 August
Greene King swings to loss in full-year results
Greene King has swung to a pre-tax loss of £273m in the full-year ended 26 April, down from a profit of £172.8m reported in 2019. It comes after exceptional and non-underlying costs hit £380.6m in the period, up from £74.1m the year before. In the same period, revenue fell by…
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