Pubs and Bars

The latest news and updates on pubs and bars, from the business journalists at Catering Today. We bring you the latest on what’s happening in the restaurants, bars and catering industry, with exclusive stories, analysis, best practice and industry comment.

Jan- 2021 -

7 January

Northern Ireland’s wet pubs receive £10m support package

Northern Ireland’s economy minister, Diane Dodds has announced a £10.6m relief fund for ‘wet bars’ that lost out due to Covid-19 restrictions in the summer months. The support is aimed at the “hardest hit” traditional pubs which do not serve food and were therefore forced to close between 4 July…
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7 January

Mitchells and Butlers succumbs to 67% Q1 sales drop

Mitchells and Butlers has announced a 67% decrease in first quarter sales for the 14 weeks ending 2 January 2021 which was attributed to the continuous impact of Covid-19 and the forced closures of all sites. The pub group has seen a steep reduction in sales and was heavily impacted…
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6 January

Flight Club eyes Bristol opening

Flight Club, a darts-themed chain of bars, has applied for a premises license at Corn Street, Bristol, according to Bristol Live. The chain already offers its mix of drinks and games in Birmingham, Manchester, and London, with a Leeds establishment also coming soon. With groups of up to 20 allowed…
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5 January

BBPA calls for additional support package amid third lockdown

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has called the third national lockdown “yet another blow” to the pub sector, and is now urging the government to provide a comprehensive pub support package to target businesses in the sector. In response to prime minister Boris Johnson’s lockdown announcement yesterday (4…
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Dec- 2020 -

24 December

Star Pubs launches PCA appeal

Star Pubs and Bars has “lodged an appeal” over the £2m fine it was handed by Fiona Dickie, the Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) earlier this year. Dickie deemed in October that the company had “seriously and repeatedly” breached the Pubs Code across a timespan of almost three years. The “game-changer”…
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23 December

Marston’s to take over 156 Brains pubs, saving 1,300 jobs

Marston’s is set to take over the operations of 156 S.A Brains pubs in Wales, in a move that is expected to save 1,300 jobs. The pub group will run the Brains pubs on a combination of leased and management contract arrangements, continuing to trade under the Brains brand to…
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22 December

Leicestershire County Council offers one-off payment to pubs

Leicestershire County Council has announced it is offering a one-off payment of £1,000 to support small village pubs which are unable to open due to Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. The council said the initiative has been designed to keep people in jobs, maintain the role of the pub as a community…
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22 December

Maxwell’s Restaurant Limited calls in liquidators, 400 jobs lost

Maxwell’s Restaurant Limited has gone into liquidation resulting in 400 members of staff being left redundant. The restaurant group, which owned popular London venues such as Maxwell’s Bar and Grill, Cafe de Paris and Palm Court Brasserie said “reduced customer numbers” due to Covid-19 was one of the reasons for…
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18 December

Deltic saved by Nordic buyout

Deltic, the UK’s largest operator of late-night bars and clubs, has been bought out of administration by Rekom UK, the British subsidiary of the Nordics’ largest nightlife group. The deal will see Rekom takeover 42 bars and pubs across the UK, possibly saving over 1,300 jobs in the process. Rekom…
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17 December

Revolution Bars swings to £32m loss in full-year results

Revolution Bars Group, the city centre bar chain that trades as Revolution and Revolución de Cuba, has announced a statutory loss before tax of £31.7m for the full-year ended 27 June 2020. The group, which had operated over 74 properties at the period end, also saw total revenue fall from…
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