Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Mid-week on-trade spend in major Northern cities booms

Published: 12 March, 2020

Northern cities have started to shed their ‘weekend party image’ with ‘seven day socialising’ taking hold, according to new research.

Floods and coronavirus take their toll on on-trade

Published: 12 March, 2020

Trading in Britain's pub, restaurant and bar sector fell 3.3% in February as the developing coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis and the severe floods took their toll on eating and drinking out.

UK on-trade closures fall to lowest rate since 2018

Published: 09 March, 2020

Britain’s supply of restaurants, pubs, bars and other licensed premises fell by 1.8% in the 12 months to December 2019 - the lowest rate of year-on-year decline for nearly two years, according to the latest Growth Monitor from CGA and AlixPartners

Rum sales leap 7% in the on-trade

Published: 03 March, 2020

Sales of rum in the UK on-trade rose 7% year-on-year in 2019, according to the latest data from food-and-drink research analysts CGA.

Govt immigration plans to disrupt hospitality sector

Published: 24 February, 2020

The hospitality sector fears damage from the government’s new point-based immigration plan, a new survey has revealed.

On-trade kickstarts 2020 on a positive note

Published: 12 February, 2020

The on-trade sector has started 2020 on a positive note with like-for-like sales up 1.9% in January compared to the same month last year, according to the latest figures from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker.

Harpers looks at the on-trade trends CGA predicts for 2020

Published: 17 January, 2020

On the brink of the new decade, leading out-of-home food and drink expert CGA looks at the trends it predicts for the year ahead across GB pubs, bars and restaurants

Festive sales boost British on-trade

Published: 15 January, 2020

The festive season brought cheer for Brtiain’s on-trade, with like-for-like sales up 2.5% on the same six-week period in 2018, according to data from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker.

An ever lengthening festive period bodes well for on-trade

Published: 17 December, 2019

A bumper Christmas could be on the on-trade horizon driven by the festive period now extending across three weeks compared to the ‘historic’ two, according to CGA.

On-trade optimism flies in face of uncertainties

Published: 16 December, 2019

Optimism among leaders in the on-trade has risen to its highest point for 18 months despite political and economic uncertainty. But senior executives remain wary of squeezed spending and rising costs, according to the latest Business Confidence Survey from CGA and Fourth.

Drinks sales rescue on-trade from weak November

Published: 09 December, 2019

Drinks sales in Britain’s pubs helped the on-trade stay in growth in November, latest monthly food-and-drink data from the Coffer Peach Tracker has shown.

Low and no on-trade sales soar by nearly 50%

Published: 02 December, 2019

Sales of no- and low-alcohol drinks in the on-trade have risen nearly 50% in the last year, according to a new report from food-and-drink sector analysts CGA.

Veuve Clicquot to open London Champagne bar

Published: 17 October, 2019

Veuve Clicquot has partnered with award-winning US singer-songwriter Annie Clark, better known as St Vincent, to open a Champagne bar in London’s Covent Garden.

UK cocktail market passes £600m

Published: 16 October, 2019

UK spirits lovers drank £604m of cocktails in the last year, according to the latest quarterly Mixed Drinks report from market analysts CGA.

Berkmann hedges against Brexit Christmas chaos

Published: 14 October, 2019

UK distributor Berkmann Wine Cellars has invested £5m in increased stocks and storage capacity at bond in the run-up to Christmas.

On-trade shrugs off Brexit gloom

Published: 14 October, 2019

Like-for-like sales in the on-trade rose 1.2% in September, according to the latest data from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker.

On-trade sector confidence dips to two-year low

Published: 23 September, 2019

Business confidence among the leaders of Britain’s pub and restaurant groups has taken a hit amid fears about the long-term impact of Brexit, pushing market optimism to its lowest ebb for two years, according to the latest quarterly Business Confidence Survey from CGA.

Two to three big Christmases left for gin amid premium spirits boom

Published: 23 August, 2019

Pernod Ricard is banking on another big hurrah for gin growth this festive season, with its on-going popularity and major presence in the UK’s cocktail culture helping to boost growth of premium spirits.

Independents bear brunt of restaurant closures

Published: 21 August, 2019

Britain’s restaurant numbers have fallen for the sixth quarter in a row with independent operators having borne the brunt of the closures as group-owned restaurants prove more resilient despite some major brand failures.

Pubs and bars signal optimism as restaurant sector continues to suffer

Published: 15 July, 2019

The latest CGA Fourth Business Confidence Survey, canvassing opinion from hospitality industry leaders, has revealed concern over the frequency of consumer visits to pubs, bars and restaurants during the second half of 2019.