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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Feb- 2022 -15 February
The Alchemist to relaunch Manchester site amid £550k refurb
Manchester-born group, The Alchemist, has announced it is set to undergo an “extensive refurbishment” of its original venue, The Alchemist Spinningfields. It said the transformation will unveil the next phase and a “new era” for the brand concept, which will be told through the new-look interiors and menus. The Alchemist…
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15 February
Managed groups see sales recover in January
Rising consumer confidence about safety and the easing of restrictions have boosted sales across managed pub, bar, and restaurant groups in January, according to the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker. Total sales across these groups were 3% higher than pre-pandemic trading in January 2019, and represent a “solid recovery” from…
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14 February
Historic Sheffield pub operators receive long-service award
The licensees of “one of Sheffield’s oldest and most iconic pubs” – Fagans on Broad Street – have received a “prestigious” long-service award in recognition of more than 35 years at the helm. Sheffield born-and-bred Tom Boulding and his wife Barbara – who hails from Barnsley – took over the…
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14 February
The Inn Collection Group sold to new owners in £300m deal
Leading pubs with rooms operator The Inn Collection Group has been acquired by a new company backed by The Harris Family Trusts, together with Kings Park Capital, in a deal thought to be worth around £300m. The deal will see the 31-site pubco continue “trading as normal” with its existing…
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10 February
Oakman sets out expansion plans amid positive trading
The Oakman Group has announced it has plans to increase the size of its estate by 25% after securing what it believes is its “strongest ever pipeline of new sites”. As part of the announcement the group also revealed a trading update for the 31 weeks ending 6 February, where…
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9 February
Wells & Co to take on The White Horse
The Managed house division at Wells and Co has announced it is set to take on the leased and tenanted pub, The White Horse in Balsall Common, Bedfordshire. The destination dining site will reopen on the 15 February, trading until mid-April when the site will then close for a two-month…
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8 February
PubAid hails ‘highest ever’ level of support from industry
PubAid has received its “highest ever” level of support from brewers, pub companies and industry suppliers, setting it on course to achieve its ambitions over this year and beyond to “promote pubs as a force for good in their communities”. PubAid revealed several existing supporters have renewed their commitment to…
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8 February
Leeds ‘most vibrant’ UK city for hospitality, report finds
Leeds has been named the most vibrant city for eating and drinking out in the UK, with only a -0.2% drop in sales compared with the same period in 2019, ahead of Glasgow, Bristol and Birmingham, where restaurant, pub and bar sales held up relatively well in late December and…
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8 February
Over 250 hospitality leaders call for VAT to be held at 12.5%
More than 250 business leaders from hospitality and leisure have written to the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, urging the Government to keep VAT at 12.5% beyond March 2022, according to UKHospitality. It revealed the letter calls on the Treasury to maintain the current level to enable many “fragile” businesses to continue…
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7 February
Star Pubs and Bars unveils partnership with Dunlop Heywood
Star Pubs and Bars has announced its new partnership with rating specialist Dunlop Heywood. It revealed the partnership is set to help ensure that its leased and tenanted pubs are not “excessively” assessed and overcharged for their business rates. According to the firm, Dunlop was appointed after an “extensive” tendering…
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