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- 2023 -19 December
Drinks sales down 9% as tough comparatives continue
Drinks sales in the UK’s managed venues dropped 9% for the week ended 9 December compared with the same period last year, according to data from CGA. Growth has now topped 1% just once in the last eight weeks as a result of sales being compared to the period during…
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18 December
Liberation Group promotes three to leadership roles
Liberation Group has announced the internal promotions of Alice Bowyer as the new director of food, Fred Vanderplank in the newly-created role of sales and commercial director and Ollie Fleming as the head of Free Trade in the UK. Bowyer’s promotion comes after she joined the company in 2016, in…
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15 December
McManus Pub Company sells four pubs to Valiant Pub Co
McManus Pub Company has announced that it has sold four pubs in Northampton to Valiant Pub Co. The properties sold include The Lord Byron, The Fox and Hounds, The Golden Horse and The Foundrymans Arms. McManus has taken this decision to “reduce its liabilities and establish more solid foundations for…
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15 December
RedCat partners with Hospitality Action on mental health campaign
RedCat Pub Company has partners with Hospitality Action to sponsor its #CheckPlease campaign in a bid to increase awareness around mental health. The campaign’s aim is to encourage companies, staff members and guests to check in with hospitality workers over the seasonal period to make sure they are okay. The…
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14 December
Amber Taverns to open four new pubs amid expansion plans
Amber Taverns, the operator of 170 freehold community, wet-led pubs, has announced that it has completed another four new sites, further expanding the company’s presence to four new locations, Derby, Bridgend, Airdrie and Motherwell in Scotland. A value-focused pub group, which is uniquely focused on the hybrid operator-managed business model,…
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13 December
UK hospitality groups welcome 4% sales growth in November
Britain’s leading hospitality groups achieved year-on-year sales growth of 4% in November, a new CGA RSM hospitality business tracker reveals. Restaurant and bar groups have now achieved 14 months of like-for-like sales growth in a row. November’s figure marks an increase from October’s figure of 3.2% and is close to…
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13 December
Proper Pubs opens 200th pub in Glasgow
Proper Pubs, the community wet-led operator division of Admiral Taverns, has opened its 200th pub, the Chrystal Bell, in Gallowgate, Glasgow, ahead of Christmas. The news of the group’s 200th opening comes after Proper Pubs invested over £10m into its estate to support local communities, with 17 pubs having opened…
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7 December
July wine bar to open on Charlotte Street in spring 2024
Alsatian-inspired restaurant and wine bar July is set to open on Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia in spring 2024. Open all day, the space will serve breakfast pastries and coffee in the morning, a concise lunchtime offering, and an evening menu featuring bar snacks, small plates, charcuterie and cheese. The kitchen will…
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6 December
Drake and Morgan EBITDA slides amid ‘record’ xmas bookings
Drake and Morgan has seen its adjusted EBITDA fall to £4.1m for the year ended 26 March 2023, down from £5m in the same period last year. However, the company saw its turnover increase to £43.3m up from the £35.9m it posted last year. The company put the EBITDA fall…
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5 December
Marston’s falls to £20.7m loss despite strong revenues
Pub chain Marston’s has fallen to a £20.7m loss despite reporting a 9.1% increase in revenues to £872.3m for the 52 weeks ending 30 September 2023. The loss comes in the face of a £163.4m profit a year earlier with the pub group attributing the performance to being hit by…
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