JD Wetherspoon share price drops as founder Tim Martin attacks living wage July 15, 2015 Tim Martin, founder and chairman of 900-strong pub group JD Wetherspoon, has hit out at chancellor George Osborne’s living wage policy, claiming it could have an adverse impact on pubs. Martin warned: “The recent government announcement regarding the living wage adds considerable uncertainty to future financial projections in the pub industry.” He said: [...]
Six reasons why the UK’s pub industry is dying December 10, 2014 It looks like Britain's pub industry is struggling to get over a nasty hangover. Around 21,000 pubs have disappeared since 1980 and analysts expect thousands more to close before the decade is out, according to a new research by the Institute of Economic Affairs. But isn't Britain supposed to be a nation of binge drinkers? [...]
Focus On Acton: Ealing’s up-and-coming neighbour in London’s property market November 2, 2015 For years, Acton has been seen as the poor relation of more affluent or trendy neighbours like Chiswick or Ealing. But it’s a place of mixed perceptions that’s only going to go up in the world. The name comes from the old English for “oak farm”, alluding to the time it was a rural part [...]
Earnings season tails off as City awaits Osborne – London Report November 22, 2015 THE WEEK will be dominated by the chancellor’s Autumn Statement on Wednesday as companies wait on tenterhooks to see how expected cuts to the budget could affect them. In the meantime there are still plenty of companies reporting results as we near the end of the third quarter earnings season. This morning FTSE 250 outsourcer [...]
Restaurant review of Jason Atherton’s Sosharu and Soho’s Oliver Maki, London’s newest Japanese upstarts April 5, 2016 Oliver Maki 33 Dean St, W1D 4PWS | Tel: 020 7734 0408 Food ★★★☆☆ Value ★★★☆☆ Atmostphere ★★☆☆☆ Cost for two with beer and cocktails: £170 There’s no easy way to make a million in the restaurant business. It’s a Sisyphean struggle, an endless, mostly thankless, battle against astonishing odds. Every year is the year it could all come [...]
Wet summer weather cools sales at Magners and Bulmers owner C&C October 28, 2015 Wet and windy weather in Ireland and Scotland made ice-filled pints of cider a more chilly affair for pub-goers this summer, C&C group said, as the Magners owner reported a drop in sales and profits. The Irish company, which also owns Bulmers and Tennent’s beer, reported a 9.5 per cent fall in operating profit to €62.6m (£45.4m) [...]
Five classic meals that are improved by adding beer March 1, 2016 I was making risotto the first time I poured beer into my dinner. The recipe called for a glass of wine; I was drinking a bottle of lager and I figured that I’d use that instead. It was delicious. In the 10 years since, I’ve cooked with every kind of beer there is, using it [...]
Ladies who don’t lunch: Maike Currie talks to Hermes Investment Management’s Harriet Steel about success, failure and building things May 26, 2016 Most people detest building. Whether it’s a new build, extension or renovation, chances are it will feature somewhere on the list of life’s more stressful events, perhaps only a few notches below death, divorce, starting a new job and moving home. Harriet Steel, global head of business development at Hermes Investment Management, however, relishes it. [...]
Al Murray vs Nigel Farage: Pub Landlord’s FUKP takes on Ukip in old South Thanet January 14, 2015 The fight for the South Thanet seat in the next general election is turning out to be a battle of the beer swiggers, featuring two pub landlords and one ale loving MEP. David Cameron’s distant cousin-cum-comedian Al Murray, aka the Pub Landlord, threw his lager into the ring yesterday. He joins Ukip’s Nigel Farage and, [...]
Sunday trading: Liberalising retail laws is a win-win for staff, shoppers and business November 11, 2015 Yesterday saw – amidst what is best described as confusion – the Government enact a classic reverse ferret on plans to devolve the regulation of Sunday trading hours to Local Authorities, after members of the SNP joined Labour and some Tory dissenters in registering their opposition to the plans. It is deeply disappointing. It is, [...]