Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

UK pub culture in partial resurgence says new survey

Published: 09 December, 2024

Reports of the terminal decline of the quintessential British boozer have been greatly exaggerated, according to a new survey by SumUp.

UK government increases number of alcohol licenses despite post-budget concerns

Published: 18 November, 2024

The UK’s ailing hospitality sector is showing modest signs of recovery, with the number of licensed premises increasing for a second successive quarter and 661 net new openings in the third quarter of 2024.

Sales drop in pubs and bars as weather cools and rugby boost fades

Published: 04 November, 2024

Sales at managed venues edged up by a modest 0.1% in the week to Saturday 19 October, just surpassing the same week in 2023. However, figures soon declined, with sales finishing 5% lower in the following week to Saturday 26 October. Drinks sales have now fallen in four of the past five weeks.

Calling the Budget

Published: 28 October, 2024

Long-time spirits industry commentator and MD of Mangrove Global, Nick Gillett, speaks out ahead of the new Labour government’s Autumn Statement, arguing that ‘the best hospitality can hope for is to be left well alone’.

Pubs and hospitality warn of job cuts if rates relief ends

Published: 28 October, 2024

A survey of pubs, breweries and hospitality businesses has revealed that jobs and investment plans would be threatened if business rates relief expires in April, causing bills to quadruple.

Drop in hospitality insolvencies ahead of Budget masks ongoing difficulties

Published: 21 October, 2024

New government data indicates a slight reprieve for the hospitality sector, as accommodation and food service insolvencies fell 16% month-on-month in August 2024.

Friday read: Is the outdoor smoking ban a smoking gun for hospitality?

Published: 06 September, 2024

London’s D&D restaurant group isn’t the only major player in UK hospitality to significantly invest in outdoor spaces over the past 17 years.

Euro 2024 set to drive footfall to pubs and bars, reveals CGA research

Published: 10 June, 2024

Recent findings from CGA by NIQ's latest BrandTrack survey indicate a significant interest in the upcoming Euro 2024 football tournament among British consumers, with nearly half (46%) planning to tune in. Among these viewers, two in five (40%) intend to watch matches in pubs and bars.

Distillers and bar owners call on chancellor to cut alcohol duty

Published: 05 February, 2024

A group of award-winning small distillers have penned an open letter to Jeremy Hunt calling for a cut to alcohol duty in the Spring Budget.

Welsh hospitality calls for business rates relief

Published: 14 December, 2023

UKHospitality Wales has called on the Welsh government to boost beleaguered pubs, hotels and restaurants in Wales and provide vital business rates relief in next week’s Budget.

Scotland calls out government for pubs closing at twice the rate of England

Published: 05 December, 2023

The Scottish Beer & Pub Association (SBPA) and the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) have issued a joint appeal to support their sector after it emerged that English businesses will receive a 75% reduction in rates bills for the financial year 2024-25.

Licenced premises down by a third since 2003

Published: 30 October, 2023

The number of licenced premises in Britain has fallen below 100,000, marking a 31% decline in the two decades since 2003.

No-shows in hospitality double

Published: 18 October, 2023

The latest research from Zonal and CGA by NIQ, reveals the number of consumers not showing up for reservations in pubs, bars and restaurants has doubled since September last year.

Pub closures surge again in Q2 breaking Q1 record

Published: 07 August, 2023

Pub closures reached back-to-back quarterly records in Q2 2023, smashing the previous unwanted benchmark set in Q1.

Flaming June offers some respite for hospitality

Published: 26 July, 2023

A scorching June helped Britain's managed restaurant, pub and bar groups achieve a ninth successive month of year-on-year sales growth, according to the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker.

Live sport essential for UK pub and bars

Published: 13 July, 2023

With a summer of sport in full swing and the women's World Cup just around the corner, new research by CGA has revealed the increased spend and dwell times pubs can enjoy when screening live sports.

Pub closures reach decade high

Published: 19 June, 2023

Pub closures reached the highest quarterly figure in a decade in Q1 2023, according to top 30 accountancy practice Price Bailey.

Scotland on-trade facing ‘tidal wave’ of challenges, says SLTA

Published: 31 January, 2023

Scotland’s pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels face an unprecedented cocktail of challenges, according to the most recent Scottish Licenced Trade Association (SLTA) survey.

On-trade closures tally one an hour as economic crisis bites

Published: 20 October, 2022

Hospitality has lost 2,200 licenced venues in three months as crippling costs and staffing issues continue to hit business operators.

UKH urges government to issue on-trade rescue package

Published: 31 August, 2022

UKHospitality (UKH)chief executive Kate Nicholls has written an urgent letter to the UK government, outlining the potential disaster facing thousands of businesses in light of the energy crisis.