Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

The White Hart: On the trail of English wine

Published: 24 October, 2023

Jo Gilbert visited the White Hart pub & restaurant in East Sussex to find out how the venue is looking to become a hub for English wine.

Interview: Bradley Dorrington, The Wine Cellar BSE

Published: 26 September, 2023

Having opened in the regional foodie mecca of Bury St Edmunds, Bradley Dorrington talks to Andrew Catchpole about his different approach to food and wine at The Wine Cellar BSE.

Takeaway sales for pubs and bars extended

Published: 14 August, 2023

Pubs and bars in England and Wales will be able to continue selling takeaway drinks beyond the September deadline, meaning the on-trade will be able to continue to benefit from ‘hatch sales’ without having to apply for council permission.

British office workers excited about return to pub lunch occasions

Published: 03 February, 2022

Despite the inevitable trepidation surrounding the Omicron variant, 85% of British office workers say they are looking forward to a return to the office and getting to spend more time with colleagues – with work social events high on the agenda.

UK pub and bars predicted to recover fully by 2024

Published: 23 September, 2021

The UK pub and bar market is set to recover to 64% of its pre-pandemic value in 2021 to £14.8bn, Lumina Intelligence has revealed, with full recovery to follow by 2024, possibly exceeding 2019.

Managed restaurant and pub groups see strong delivery and takeaway sales in August

Published: 20 September, 2021

Delivery and takeaway sales of managed restaurant and pub groups were close to treble their pre-pandemic levels in August 2021, the latest edition of the CGA & Slerp Hospitality at Home Tracker has revealed.

Customers return to on-trade quicker than last summer

Published: 23 August, 2021

A total of 56% of consumers visited a hospitality venue in the first 10 days following July’s Freedom Day, according to a new UK Hospitality (UKH) survey, supported by data from CGA, released today.

Trade slams new lockdown ban on takeaway drink sales

Published: 02 November, 2020

In a new blow for England’s on-trade, the government has banned the sale of takeaway alcohol for the duration of the second national lockdown, which begins at midnight on Wednesday 4 November.

Restaurant outings rise increasingly driven by all age groups

Published: 17 September, 2020

UK consumer confidence to eat out continues to rise, with 10 million more people visiting bars and restaurants in August over June, with an additional 2.4 million also likely to venture out for the first time during the next fortnight.

Portman Group launches pandemic blog series

Published: 07 September, 2020

The Portman Group is launching a new bi-weekly blog to examine how the drinks sector is confronting the responsibilities and challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Takings down 45% for 4 July weekend as managed outlets feel the squeeze

Published: 10 July, 2020

New figures have put a sobering picture on ‘Super Saturday’ and Sunday, with takings for group-operated pub, bar and restaurant outlets down 44.5% compared to the closest 4 July weekend last year.

Pub reopenings: a frontline view

Published: 06 July, 2020

Jo Eames, creative director and drinks buyer at Peach Pubs, gives the lowdown on the staggered reopening of venues across England’s market towns and how it’s all rolling out post 4 July.

On-trade ‘test and trace’ guidance published

Published: 03 July, 2020

As pubs, bars, restaurants and cafés re-boot from 4 July, the new NHS Test and Trace guidance will mean that venues should maintain records of staff, customers and visitors, and share these with the health service if requested.

Quarterly rent day dampens relief over 2 metre relaxation

Published: 23 June, 2020

The quarterly rent due 24 June, just a day after PM Boris Johnson relaxed the 2 metre rule while confirming 4 July reopening for hospitality, comes as a sobering reminder that the on-trade’s woes are far from over.

Order-from-table mobile app gains traction

Published: 04 June, 2020

As the on-trade gears up to begin a safe reopening on 4 July, mobile ordering app OrderPay has signed up several more high street names looking to meet social distancing requirements.

Greene King gives 90% rent relief to tenants

Published: 21 May, 2020

Greene King has announced it will offer a major rent reduction to its tenants to give them a “fighting chance” of surviving the coronavirus pandemic.

Drinks brands should “radically rethink” B2C social media messages

Published: 08 April, 2020

Against the disruption of coronavirus (Covid-19), drinks brands “need to radically rethink their key messages when communicating with consumers on social media”, according to IWSR.

Greater urgency and clarity on business and on-trade support needed immediately

Published: 19 March, 2020

As the on-trade shuts down, suppliers and hospitality operators are continuing to press government and banks on the speed with which relief measures are needed by the trade.

Diageo unveils GB on-trade support package, including £1m pledge for bartender wages

Published: 17 March, 2020

Drinks industry giant Diageo has marked St Patrick’s Day with a pledge via its Guinness brand of £1m to support bartenders in the UK, with similar fund is being set up in Ireland.