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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Dec- 2019 -10 December
JD Wetherspoon reveals £200m expansion plan
JD Wetherspoon has announced an investment of over £200m in order to develop new pubs and hotels, as well as expanding existing ones in the UK and Ireland, creating about 10,000 new jobs. The pub and hotel chain said the majority of the investment will be channelled into developments in…
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6 December
Licensed premises, pubs and restaurant numbers dip in 2019
The number of licensed premises has declined by 2% in the past year, according to CGA and AlixPartner’s latest market growth monitor. This equates to a steady rate of 46 closures of licensed premises a week in the 12 months to September 2019. The result also marked the ninth quarter…
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6 December
Stonegate Ei merger must address local concerns, CMA finds
Stonegate Pub Company’s proposed £1.27bn purchase of Ei Group does not raise UK-wide competition concerns but could damage competition in 51 local areas, the CMA has found. The two pub groups operate close to 5,000 pubs across the UK, including popular chains such as the Slug and Lettuce and Yates,…
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Nov- 2019 -28 November
Old Rope Walks opens fifth pub
Old Rope Walks has announced the opening of its fifth site, following a £750k investment scheme with Star Pubs and Bars. The new site, named The Butterfly and the Grasshopper, will open today (28 November) in Renshaw Street, Liverpool. The pub marks the third collaboration between Old Rope Walks and…
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27 November
Marston’s profits drop by £3m
Marston’s has reported a £3m drop in profit, despite a rise in revenue for this financial year. In the year ending 28 September, underlying pre-tax profit fell to £101m, down £3m from £104m the previous year. The group also reported a pre-tax profit loss of £20m, compared to the £54.3m…
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22 November
Fuller, Smith & Turner to open new pub in Wembley Park
London-based premium pubs and hotels business, Fuller, Smith and Turner, has signed up to open a brand-new pub and restaurant in the heart of Wembley Park. The group said the exact details of the 8,200 sq ft venue on Wembley Park Boulevard will be kept “under wraps” until opening day,…
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22 November
Fullers reveals its ‘Pub of the Year’
The Half Moon in Herne Hill, London, has been named the winner of the annual Pub of the Year competition. The award, held by Fullers, followed an “extensive” selection process. Eight finalists of The Griffin Trophy were visited by chairman Michael Turner, CEO Simon Emeny, and corporate affairs director Richard…
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21 November
Mitchells and Butlers celebrates ‘strong year of trade’
Mitchells and Butlers has announced a “strong year” of trading and profit growth in its latest full-year report. The pub and restaurant group’s like-for-like sales increased by 3.5%, despite “challenging market conditions” facing the industry. Operating profits leapt to £317m, up £14m from last year’s results of £303m. Meanwhile, pre-tax…
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19 November
Ei Group earnings slip following large-scale property disposal
Pub company, Ei Group, saw earnings slide by £11m to £276m for the financial year ended 30 September 2019, largely affected by the disposal of 354 commercial property assets. The group’s total portfolio now amounts to 125 properties, compared with 412 last year, but it added that average net income…
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14 November
Plans to transform Eagle and Child pub into hotel unveiled
The Eagle and Child pub in Oxford is set for a major revamp as the landlord plans to turn it into a hotel. Once famous as a meeting place for CS Lewis and JRR Tolkein, the application for the revamp was approved by Oxford City Councils west area planning committee…
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