Weekend round-up: Happy hour to be outlawed

Published: 24 November, 2008

Sunday Mirror
Happy hour and cut-price drink promotions in pubs and clubs will be outlawed under a Government crackdown. Ministers plan to unveil new proposals in their war on binge-drinking ahead of a Christmas campaign against drink-driving. They hope the clampdown will cut booze-fuelled violence and slash the bill for alcohol misuse which could cost up to £25billion a year. A strict code of conduct will aim to outlaw promotions which encourage drinking large amounts of booze or drinking at speed during happy hour, say Whitehall sources.

The Sunday Telegraph
Enterprise Inns joined a high-profile club last week - but it is a club the pub company would rather not have joined and its membership is growing less exclusive by the day. The 90pc club is home to the UK stock market's biggest victims of the credit crisis, those companies which have seen their shares fall to less than 10pc of their peak value over the last three years. Enterprise was trading at a high of 770.5p last May but financing concerns, the consumer downturn, higher taxes, the smoking ban and soaring costs have all since taken their toll. Last week's slump came on fears that the company will have to scrap its dividend next year to shore up its balance sheet and accelerate debt repayments.

The Sunday Herald
Pubs group Mitchells & Butlers, with some 2000 outlets, could lighten some of the gloom around its sector onWednesday when followers look for annual profits of up to £175m and a fatter dividend despite falling beer sales.The owner of the Harvester and All Bar One chains will point to the success of its carveries and other food offerings which enabled it to sell well over 100 million meals last year, accounting for two-thirds of total sales.

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