Pub industry says end of beer tie system could lead to closures and job losses November 19, 2014 Britain’s pub groups woke up with a hangover yesterday after MPs voted in favour of a shake up of Britain’s nearly 400-year-old beer-tie system, warning that a change to rules could lead to further pub closures across the country. Companies. including Enterprise Inns and Punch Taverns – two of the UK’s largest tenanted [...]
Magna Carta 2015: Raise a glass to the creation of the pint for Beer Day Britain June 15, 2015 If you think the Magna Carta celebrations are all about the lofty ideals of democracy, property and habeas corpus, think again. There is one particular article that appeared in the 1215 document sealed by King John that you really should raise a glass to – the creation of the pint. Article 35 [...]
Transport for London secretly make a geographically accurate Tube map and it’s strangely hypnotising September 17, 2015 The London Tube map that's been in use since Harry Beck designed it in 1931 may (rightly) be lauded as a classic feat of design, but with all those 45-degree corners and straight lines, it doesn’t come particularly close to reality. Journeys that appear only a few hundred metres in length on the map sometimes [...]
Consumer spending surges as UK chows down and drinks up June 8, 2015 CONSUMER spending shot up in May as shoppers splashed out on pubs and restaurants. Spending rose by 4.2 per cent in May compared with the same month last year, according to figures released today by Barclaycard. Non-essential spending grew 6.2 per cent, which was boosted by a 16.7 per cent jump in the amount spent [...]
Young’s toasting a stellar year May 21, 2015 UK PUB chain Young and Co Brewery recorded bumper growth in the year ending 30 March, with pre-tax profits up by a third annual results revealed yesterday. The pub operator, more commonly referred to as Young’s, owns or manages several well known City pubs including the Lamb Tavern in Leadenhall and Dirty Dicks on Bishopsgate. [...]
Hangover for Mitchells & Butlers as drinks revenues slide lower July 30, 2015 PUBS and restaurants group Mitchells & Butlers disappointed investors yesterday with a decline in third-quarter drinks sales and a warning that the increase in minimum wage will increase its costs. Shares in the FTSE 250 firm fell around 1.4 per cent by early afternoon, before closing 1.62 per cent down at 388.4p. Like-for-like drink sales [...]
Our secret envy of Lords: Why we shouldn’t expect – or insist – on our Lords being more lordly than us August 4, 2015 Only the media and legions of middle England curtain-twitchers appear to have taken a sharp and judgemental intake of breath at the ‘shocking’ revelations that guess what – another over privileged life peer likes a line and spending company with ladies of the night. And Lord Sewel accompanied his session by openly taking the [...]
Venezuela’s “dear comrade” Jeremy Corbyn puts Labour’s moral authority at risk – The City View September 13, 2015 It's Saturday afternoon in a central London pub, and a newly victorious Jeremy Corbyn can be found leading supporters in a rousing rendition of The Red Flag. At the same time, just under 5,000 miles away, Venezuela’s opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez is beginning a 13 year prison sentence after a court of questionable legitimacy [...]
Can you Adam and Eve it? Cockneys gather in the City for a right old-fashioned knees-up September 27, 2015 It's Harvest Festival season, and to celebrate the City traded sharp suits and brogues for pearls and pinnies as cockneys dominated the financial district on the weekend. Glistening pearls, donkeys, shire horses and music hall favourites – the Pearly King and Queen Harvest Festival had it all. Pearly Kings and Queens joined Aldermen and [...]
Wetherspoons’ Tim Martin sticks by Heineken pub snub in the City after brewer halts beer supply to Dun Laoghaire site December 9, 2014 We love a good bar brawl in The Capitalist and Wetherspoons’ Tim Martin has just smashed a metaphorical bottle over Heineken’s head. Following Heineken’s refusal to sell Heineken and Murphy’s Irish Stout in the British pub chain’s latest Irish outpost, in Dun Laoghaire (because of the below average price point), Wetherspoons’ mulleted founder and chairman [...]