In a move likely to infuriate beer lovers around the world, landlord and landlady Peter and Debbie Gibson have been suspended for serving pints ‘too full’ of beer.
Peter and Debbie, who have run the Junction Inn in Greater Manchester, England, for 12 years were ordered to close the pub on New Year’s Eve of all days, the Mirror reports.
Brewery owner Humphrey Smith showed up and, in front of all the customers, told the Gibsons that he was shutting the Junction Inn because the heads on the pints of beer were not big enough.
The couple said they were told they owed brewing firm Samuel Smith $15,859 in lost stock for topping up costumers’ beers.
“It’s disgusting they’ve been treated this way,” their daughter, Lisa Gibson Hunt, told The Mirror.
“They’ve worked for Samuel Smith’s for 16 years. They’ve never been down in their stocks, they’re just not reaching the stock targets the brewery wants, it’s not right.”
31 Jan 2012
Pub landlord suspended for serving pints “too full” of beer - Yahoo!7
Stockport Pub For Sale, Stockport Property Investments For Sale
30 Jan 2012
Sunderland Pub For Sale, Sunderland Property Investments For Sale
Pubs’ poor prospects are turning the corner - FT.com
There are, of course, cyclical factors. My local’s takings started to fall off a year ago, getting worse from the midyear as the economy stalled. But it is on the fringes of the City and its customers are financial folk, lawyers and staff from the nearby teaching hospital. If they are short of the price of a pint, then we are all in trouble.
The real malaise is deeper. Aside from one-off shocks such as the smoking ban, it comes down to two factors: the price gap between the pub and the supermarket, and the malign structure of the pub industry. In both respects, there are glimmers of hope. The price gap mainly reflects a hard economic fact. Productivity gains are a lot easier to come by in manufacturing – brewing, in this case – than in a labour-intensive service industry such as the pub trade.
In 2010, the price of beer in UK supermarkets and off-licences was lower than it had been in 1998. Over that time the pub price rose by almost half.
That gulf has had a predictably dire effect on some pubs’ marketing strategies. If they invest in live TV coverage of the big matches, the young target customers increasingly respond with so-called “pre-lashing” – knocking back an advance dose of cheap supermarket drink at home, then nursing a single pub pint through the match itself.
There is more. A village I know in rural Shropshire has two pubs, one owned by the landlord and the other by franchisees of a big pub chain, or pubco. The first prospers, while the latter has had three landlords in the past decade, at least one of whom went bust.
The landlord of the first pub tells me why. As a sole trader, he can buy his beer for much less than the pubco charges the franchisee.
This is economic nonsense. Pubs are not standardised outlets like McDonald’s but quirky one-offs. The main thing a multiple owner can contribute is lower inputs through centralised buying. The pubcos do the reverse. Why? Because of leverage. The sad history of the industry has left almost all the pubcos with balance sheet gearing much higher than real estate developers or cyclical retailers, the two industries they most resemble.
Observe the results. A decade ago Whitbread, a big, old established brewer and pub operator, switched its entire business into hotels and restaurants. Its pub chain was bought by a pubco, Enterprise Inns. Today Whitbread has a market value of £3bn, book equity of £1.2bn and net debt of £500m. Enterprise stands that on its head: net debt £3.1bn, equity £1.4bn and market value £175m.
To put that in perspective, more than a fifth of the UK’s 51,000-odd pubs are owned by two companies, Enterprise and Punch Taverns. Their combined debt is £5.4bn and their market value £250m. In other words, a large chunk of the nation’s pub estate is a commercial disaster area.
In a fast-changing market, this is bad news. A company preoccupied with juggling billions of debt is unlikely to respond well to events on the ground. That was supposed to be the job of the franchisees and lessees. But they are crippled by the costs resulting from that debt.
Let us now turn to the good news. Last year, for the first time in at least two decades, off-sale beer prices rose in line with pub prices. By the year end, they were rising faster.
Also last year, pub beer volumes fell less than off-trade sales for the first time since 1996. And last year’s pub closures, while still high, were less than 2 per cent of the total compared with a peak of 4 per cent in 2009.
Meanwhile, some of the biggest pubcos are distressed sellers of their pub estates. So smaller, more agile operators with fresh ideas are starting to take their place.
There is also a resurgence in local microbreweries. In the Shropshire case, a new locally produced cider has driven the leading national brand off pub counters. And crucially, such products are turned out in volumes too small to be of use to the supermarkets.
In other words, market forces are finally starting to reassert themselves. The British pub is changing, in ways an old codger like myself might not appreciate. It may be turning the corner just the same.
Taxes Killing The British Pub
Falling UK pub beer sales demonstrate the pressing need for a change in government beer tax policy, according to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).
The BBPA's latest "Beer Barometer" shows that beer pub sales fell by 3.4% in 2011, with off trade sales down 3.7%. In addition, the year saw 9,000 job losses in the beer and pub sector. The figures have led the BBPA to urge the government to reconsider its tax policy, and to argue that changes could help create 5,000 jobs in 2012. BBPA figures show that beer sales support around 1m jobs and generate nearly GBP8bn (USD12.6bn) in tax revenues.
Beer duty was increased by 7.2% in Chancellor George Osborne's March 2011 Budget. The total increase in beer duty since March, 2008 stands at 35.4%. The BBPA maintains that the industry's decline could be halted - and thousands of jobs saved - if the government abandons what it believes are damaging plans for additional, above-inflation rises in beer tax in the March Budget. The government’s beer tax ‘escalator’ policy means increases of 2% above inflation until 2014/15.
Brigid Simmonds, Chief Executive of the BBPA, commented: “The decline in beer sales has slowed, but these figures show the sector cannot afford another round of inflation-busting, beer tax hikes in the Budget. This will delay any potential recovery in an iconic and economically vital British industry. A change of course, giving brewers and pubs a chance to invest and expand their operations, could create over five thousand jobs in 2012 which should be a great year for British beer and pubs with the Queen’s Jubilee, [the] Euro 2012 [soccer championships], the Olympics and Paralympics. These events could provide a real boost for the UK economy and boost employment - but this will only be possible if the government reverses planned tax increases and damaging over-regulation.”
Earlier this month, leading pub chain JD Wetherspoon joined the campaign to lower the rate of value-added tax (VAT) charged in pubs and restaurants from 20% to 5%. Releasing its latest interim figures, Wetherspoon argued the government must act on this as a priority, in order to maximise job creation and tax revenue. The chain argued that, with supermarkets not required to pay VAT on food, and with similar businesses in Ireland and France facing lower tax rates, the UK's pub and restaurant industry is at a disadvantage.
The VAT Club campaign is led by French lobbyist Jaques Borel, and big names including the British Hospitality Association, the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers & Attractions, the Federation of Small Business and the Tourism Alliance are also involved.
Osborne will deliver his 2012 Budget on March 21.
27 Jan 2012
Danesmoor, Chesterfield Pub For Sale, Danesmoor, Chesterfield Property Investments For Sale
26 Jan 2012
Horwich, Bolton Pub For Sale, Horwich, Bolton Property Investments For Sale
25 Jan 2012
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24 Jan 2012
Bollington, Macclesfield Pub For Sale, Bollington, Macclesfield Property Investments For Sale
23 Jan 2012
Alfreton pub for Sale, Derbyshire
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Freehold Pub For Sale In Alfreton, Derbyshire
Station
Mansfield Road
Alfreton
Derbyshire
DE55
Gross Site Area: 7755 sq/ft*
£ 275,000 + VAT
Freehold
LOCATION
The Station Hotel occupies a prominent position on a corner plot on Mansfield Road in Alfreton. The property is under half a mile from Alfreton Railway Station and is in close proximity to the M1 motorway providing excellent transport links.
PROPERTY
Large two storey brick building with good size car park accessible via Parkin Street.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Vacant possession
Development potential (STPP)
Approx gross site area: 7,755 sq ft*
Approx ground floor foot plate: 3,494 sq ft*
Rateable Value: £5,900
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19 Jan 2012
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18 Jan 2012
UK Pubs For Sale - UK Freehold Pubs For Sale: JD Wetherspoons Announces Current Trading
JD Wetherspoons Announces Current Trading
JD Wetherspoon plc announces an update on current trading before entering its closed period for its interim results for the six months ending 22 January 2012, which are expected to be announced on 9 March 2012.Current trading
For the first twelve weeks of the second quarter (to 15 January 2012), like-for-like sales increased by 3.6%, compared to 1.1% growth in the first quarter (to 23 October 2011). Total sales, including new pubs, for the first twelve weeks of the second quarter increased by 9.9%, compared to 7.3% in the first quarter. In the year to date (25 weeks to 15 January 2012), like-for-like sales increased by 2.3% and total sales increased by 8.5%.
December LFL sales were strong, mainly due to adverse weather conditions last year. Sales growth for the period before and after December was approximately in line with the first quarter.
We expect the operating margin for the half year ending 22 January 2012 to be slightly below that achieved in the first quarter of this financial year, with the potential for further decline in the second half of this financial year due to continuing cost increases. We expect the Company’s corporation tax rate for this financial year to be around 29%.
Property
The Company has opened 18 new pubs and closed 2 pubs since the start of this financial year. We have a number of sites under development and, in line with previous estimates, intend to open approximately 50 pubs in the current financial year.
Financial position
There have been no significant changes in the Company's overall financial position, since the publication on 6 October 2011 of the annual report and accounts for the year ended 24 July 2011.
Outlook
Our sales, profit and cash flow remain resilient. As previously stated, the main challenges for the Company, in this financial year of 53 trading weeks, will be the continuing cost pressures resulting from government legislation, including further increases to excise duty, business rates and carbon tax. In addition, as previously stated, pubs pay VAT on food, whereas supermarkets do not, and also pay far higher rates of VAT than similar businesses in Ireland and France, for example. In order to maximise job creation and taxation revenues, we believe the government needs to reduce VAT for pubs and restaurants as a priority. Notwithstanding these issues the Company is aiming for a reasonable outcome in the current financial year.
17 Jan 2012
BBC News - Oxfordshire loses 35 pubs in 2011
Oxfordshire loses 35 pubs in 2011
Thirty-five pubs closed in Oxfordshire last year, including 11 which will never reopen, the Campaign for Real Ale has said.
The British Beer and Pub Association said nationally 14 pubs closed every week, down from 52 a week in 2009.
But the chief executive, Brigid Simmonds, said beer taxation was still a "big problem" for the industry.
She said: "We pay 40% of all beer tax in the whole of Europe and that is killing pubs."
'Got to be good'The Lamb at Satwell just outside Nettlebed closed two weeks ago.
Its co-owner Chris Smith said it was difficult to compete with the price of supermarket alcohol.
"You see the drinkers getting less and less all the time," he said.
Paul Clerehugh, from The Crooked Billet at nearby Stoke Row, said pubs were the most important part of the village and could be made to work.
"Pubs have got to be good to have any value to the community," he said.
Holywell Pub For Sale, Holywell Property Investments For Sale
12 Jan 2012
UK Pub Sales Agents News - Ban on Pubs & Bars Selling Below Cost Alcohol
Property News - Ban on Pubs & Bars Selling Below Cost Alcohol
Licensing Legal looks at the introduction of the ban on below-cost alcohol. This means that shops and bars will no longer be able to sell drinks for less than the tax they have paid on them. The Government believes that this move will reduce alcohol-related crime but how will this affect most businesses?
There is little known about the implications, as with most new legislation the outcome can only really be assessed once it becomes a reality. Speculation is rife as to what effect this will have; the honest answer is that we simply don’t know.
The ban has been calculated using a duty plus VAT rate, which will prevent the following:
- a litre of vodka being sold for less than £10.71
- 440ml of lager being sold for less than 38p
- a litre of cider being sold for less than 40p
To put this into perspective – in the run up to Christmas, several supermarkets were offering deals whereby alcohol could be purchased for as little as 43p per pint. One leading supermarket chain even offered three for £20 on a range of cases of beers and ciders.
It is probably realistic to say that the ban will have little impact on most pubs and bars; and it is doubtful that it will go far enough to ensure that supermarkets raise their prices and level out the playing field for their competition. Representatives of the ‘on’ trade specifically called for more support to be offered to pubs by raising the price even further so that they could compete more fairly.
In truth, most pubs and bars cannot afford to lower their costs significantly in order to return a higher profit.
The reality is that the ban has been implemented to assist in the reduction of alcohol-related crime and health issues. Is it another blow to the industry? Perhaps, but then a survey conducted using a focus group revealed that only large price increases would have an impact on Crime & Disorder and on consumption. This ban will probably be a barely noticeable bump in the road for most Operators.
10 Jan 2012
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8 Jan 2012
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7 Jan 2012
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6 Jan 2012
Resilient Pubs May Appeal to Investors More Optimistic on U.K.
Shares of pubs may attract investors who predict the U.K. economy will grow more than forecast, as consumers keep hoisting pints.
Sales rose 2.1 percent in November at managed pubs and restaurants open at least 12 months, according to the Coffer Peach Business Tracker. This marks six consecutive months of so- called like-for-like increases at 24 major chains amid renewed concerns about a U.K. recession, said Peter Martin, chief executive officer at Peach Factory, which tracks the data with KPMG LLP, UBS AG and the London-based Coffer Group.
"The frequency of eating out has remained quite solid," said Martin, in Southport, England. "The pub industry has outperformed casual dining" as an "affordable treat."
The data -- a proxy for the industry -- cover pubs that are managed by operators such as Mitchells & Butlers Plc and Spirit Pub Co., Martin said. December figures, due later this month, probably will reflect continued increases, as value-minded consumers choose pub fare in lieu of more expensive meals, he predicted, adding that bad weather in December 2010 also may help the comparison.
Even as sales remain positive, the newly-created Bloomberg U.K. Pub Index -- which includes Greene King Plc and Mitchells & Butlers -- has fallen 25 percent since Dec. 31, 2010, while the FTSE 350 Index is down 6 percent. That's because investors have focused on "capital preservation," shunning companies -- including pubs -- that are highly leveraged, said Robert Griffiths, a London-based pan-European equity strategist at Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc.
Felsted, Dunmow Pub For Sale, Felsted, Dunmow Property Investments For Sale
Pubs let sales go to their heads - with 1992 prices
Two pubs are turning back the clock this week as they party like it’s 1992.
To celebrate the start of 2012, The Regal, in St Andrew’s Street, and The Tivoli, in Chesterton Road, are both taking a walk down memory lane to relive the prices on offer at many locals a mere 20 years ago.
Pub-goers can expect a few bargains in this January sale as they pick up a pint until Wednesday, January 11.
Bar staff will be selling pints of Greene King Ruddles Best Bitter for £1.29 and Carlsberg lager for £1.99, while a bottle of Beck’s will also be £1.29 and a cup of coffee 79p.
Sarah Hemingway, manager at The Regal, told the News: “I am sure my customers will welcome the reduction in prices, especially at the start of the year when pockets are a little lighter.
“Department stores and shops hold their sales in January and I believe that given the choice of a trip to a sale at the shops or a sale at The Regal, most people would prefer a visit to the pub.
“We are looking forward to going back in time with our prices and welcoming our regulars and new customers along.”
According to the Campaign for Real Ale, the last time an average price of a pint of beer cost £1.29 was in 1992. Paul Ainsworth, from Camra’s Cambridge branch, said the figures “say it all”.
He told the News: “There has been a huge increase in beer prices, in excess of inflation, over the past 20 years and it is in large part due to the rise in tax from the Government.
“For each pint you buy now, at least £1 goes to the Government in duty and that amount has increased by 26 per cent in the last three years – the second highest rate in Europe.
5 Jan 2012
UK Pubs For Sale - Freehold Pubs For Sale: Liverpool City Council considers bar and pub limit
Councillors in Liverpool are considering proposals to restrict the number of city centre pubs and bars, reports the BBC.The number of licensed premises has risen from 498 in 2007 to 683 in 2011.
Merseyside Police has warned a further increase could "see a rise" in alcohol related crime and would have "a clear knock-on effect" for policing in other areas of the city.
Nick Small, Labour councillor for Liverpool Central, said the council could not afford to "do nothing".
The council's licensing and gambling committee is due to look at different options later that range from taking no action to restricting new licences in individual zones or across the whole of the city centre.