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.

Feb- 2020 -

11 February

Blind Tiger Inns announces three new lease sites

North West pub company Blind Tiger Inns has announced it is taking leases on three new pubs with Star Pubs and Bars. The new sites include The Station at Preston, The Victoria at Aigburth and Burnley-based the Park View, taking its estate to 18 leased sites, 17 of which are…
Read More »
10 February

Dry January drives low and no-alcohol sales increase at Greene King

Managed pub company and brewer, Greene King, has announced year-on-year sales of low and no-alcohol drinks were up 58% across its managed estate in January. Heineken 0.0% and Peroni Libera accounted for more than 50% of all low and no-alcohol sales overall, with year-on-year growth also driven by the new…
Read More »
10 February

BrewDog announces new sustainable initiatives

BrewDog has announced it is to start serving cans upcycled from other brands to reduce environmental impact as part of a six-point pledge. In an update BrewDog said: “We recognise our contribution and the limitations of our industry. But change isn’t happening fast enough.” As such, the ‘BrewDog Tomorrow’ initiative…
Read More »
6 February

Lincoln’s Prince of Wales pub reopens following £260,000 investment

Ei Publican Partnerships has supported local publican, Gordon Reeves, by revitalising the Prince of Wales pub in Lincoln, which has recently reopened following a £260,000 joint investment. Located in the Bailgate area of Lincoln, the reopening follows a “significant transformation” to bring the well-known and historic site “back to its…
Read More »
Jan- 2020 -

30 January

Fuller’s reports strong sales growth over Christmas period

Fuller, Smith and Turner has reported a 4.3% increase in like-for-like sales of managed pubs and hotels over the Christmas trading period. The group also saw a 2.5% increase in sales during the 42 weeks ended 18 January 2020, with all areas of the business, including food, drink and accommodation,…
Read More »
29 January

Roseacre Pub Company takes on fourth Star Pubs & Bars site

Midlands-based Roseacre Pub Company has taken on its fourth Star Pubs and Bars site at the Beacon Hotel in Burton on Trent, bringing its food led pub restaurant estate to nine. The operator and Star Pubs and Bars are together investing £500,000 in a “major upgrade” of the Beacon Hotel,…
Read More »
28 January

Star Pubs and Bars records rise in leased pub sector

Star Pubs and Bars has reported a 10% rise in applications for its pubs and an increase in the percentage of licensees on substantive leases over the last 12 months. This follows on from a 12.5% increase in applications in 2018, and the company said it also witnessed a “higher…
Read More »
22 January

Wetherpsoon sales jump 4.7% in Q2 results

JD Wetherspoon has reported a 4.7% increase in like-for-like sales for the first 12 week period ended 19 January. The pub giant also reported an 4.2% increase in total sales. For the 25 week period to 19 January 2020, like-for-like sales increased by 5% and total sales by 4.9%. Since…
Read More »
20 January

UK pub sector expands for first time since 2009

In 2019 there was an annual net gain of 320 pubs across the UK, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Since 2009 pubs across the UK have been closing at a rate of around 700 per year. Paul Collins, a licensed trade specialist at…
Read More »
13 January

City Pub Group warns on profits as ‘one-off factors’ hit earnings

The City Pub Group has warned that its earnings will come in slightly below expectations after a series of “one-off factors” dented its profitability. The owner and operator of 47 premium pubs across Southern England and Wales, revealed that for the 52-week period ending 29 December 2019 turnover was up…
Read More »