Thursday, June 30, 2011

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Wi-Fi in Pubs Would Attract More Customers Reports Big Hospitality

A survey of customers in some of the largest pub chains around the UK has found that a decent Wi-Fi connection would encourage punters to visit more often.

Preliminary results from a Him! Research’s OnTrack 2011 report reveal that 6 per cent of pub customers say they’d be more frequent customers in a pub if they could log on to the internet there.

The report was prepared following interviews with 2,700 pub customers conducted earlier this month at Greene King, JDW/Lloyds Average, JD Wetherspoon, Lloyds, Shepherd Neame, Vintage Inns, Marston's, Punch, and Independent Pubs.

“Other foodservice outlets are increasingly offering this footfall driving service, which has already become an expectation in some parts of the world,” said Him!

“For example, Pizza Express e-mailed its customer database this week to let them know about their improved Wi-Fi service."

Another survey published in 2008 revealed similar results. Conducted by T-Mobile, the survey had found that almost half of British consumers want to be able to use the internet wherever they go, and they list pubs as one of the top locations they would like to surf the web.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Pubs, Planners & Planning Permission

Paramount Investments specialise in the sale of licensed and commercial properties and Sales Director, Steve Oliver has been selling pubs, wine bars, hotels and restaurants for the last 8 years.

"Planners believe a pub is as essential to village life as a shop or post office. The loss of pubs, whether in rural or urban areas, can undermine the local economy and community. Although not impossible it will be harder to get planning permission for changing the use if it's the last pub in the village as planners like to have a least one pub in the area. Your local planning authority will be able to give you their opinion on the feasibility of your plans and if a similar property has already been converted, then this will help your own planning application."

Follow the link for more on Planners & Planning Permission

Bradford-on-Avon Pub for Sale, Wiltshire













Wiltshire Pub for Sale

Beef & Barge
Widbrook
Bradford-on-Avon
Wiltshire
BA15

Gross Site Area: 1 acres*

£ 575,000 + VAT
Freehold

Beef and Barge Pub for Sale, Bradford-on-Avon

Monday, June 27, 2011

Birmingham Pub for Sale, West Midlands













West Midlands Pub for Sale

Lickey Banker
Ormond Road, Rubery
Birmingham
West Midlands
B45

Gross Site Area: 28291 sq/ft*

£ 400,000 + VAT
Freehold

Public house/development land for sale with full vacant possession. Unconditional offers are invited for our clients unencumbered interest.

The property represents excellent value for continued licensed use / owner occupation. There is also enormous potential for redevelopment (residential / commercial / mixed use) subject to gaining the appropriate Local Authority consents.

Lickey Banker Pub for Sale, Birmingham, West Midlands

Wales Pub News; Flat Holm Island Pub Opens.

The Gull and Leek, one of the most unusual pubs in Wales, has opened, reports the BBC. But, as Andy Gourlay found, a visit requires some planning, because it is on the nature reserve island of Flat Holm.

On the face of it, it's not the most promising site for a new pub.

In the middle of nowhere, you can't park and the locals are a noisy bunch intent on pinching your sandwiches.

But despite all that, the Gull and Leek, the new pub on the nature reserve at Flat Holm island is sure to be a hit with visitors who do manage to drop in.

Unless you happen to own a boat, there's no nipping over for a quick pint as a trip there takes a bit of forward planning.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Blackpool Pub Change of Use Planning for Conversion to Officess

Plans have been submitted to convert a legendary Blackpool pub into offices, reports the Blackpool Gazette.

The Oxford, in Oxford Square, Marton, had been a mainstay on the resort’s social scene for years but, after closing its doors a few years ago, saw a number of failed attempts to resurrect the business.

Now, following the purchase of the pub at auction for £120,000, plans have been lodged to convert the building into office premises.

They include the demolition of a rear storage building to form a car park, cycle and bin area, a first-floor extension to the side and rear, installing new windows and creating a new entrance feature.

The move flies in the face of a desperate plea from Blackpool landlords to re-open the building, as a pub.

The venue was famed in the past as a live music venue, with landlords having to work extra hard to attract customers due to a lack of parking spaces in the area.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

UK Pub Grub News; Pies For Pubs

The Pies for Pubs scheme aims to help non-food pubs start up a “quick, easy and profitable” pie service. The pie cabinets are designed to sit on the bar top and fresh pies and pasties will be delivered from 10 depots to anywhere in England or Wales with no minimum delivery.

Peter’s has signed a trading agreement with Punch Taverns.
“Peter’s has a great product and an excellent support package with many added benefits,” said Allan Todd, catering development manager for Punch Taverns. “I see remarkable potential with so many of our businesses and am thrilled that we’ve have reached this agreement.”

In South Wales where the scheme was piloted, several pubs are selling around 300 pies a months, enabling them to add £4-5,000 to their incomings. Peter’s recommends selling the pies for £1.99 each, which would result in 40% GP. In autumn the company plans to achieve 50% GP on each product. Peter’s provides marketing support to participating pubs.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Huddersfield Pub for Sale, Pub for Sale West Yorkshire











Freehold Pub for Sale, Huddersfield

Armitage Arms
Morley Lane
Huddersfield
West Yorkshire
HD3

Ground floor footplate: 1535 sq/ft*

£ 175,000 + VAT

Former public house for sale with full vacant possession.

Also included in the sale is a commercial unit next door on Market Street. Currently trading as a Barbers on an unlicensed premises lease until 2015 @ an approximate rent of £3,100 pa. (We await confirmation from the vendor on this information, so please contact the investments team for further information - 0207 644 2333)

Approx ground floor area of Pub: 1,535 sq ft*
Approx ground floor area of the Barbers: 442 sqft*

The property is located in a mixed retail/commercial area, approx 2.5 miles from Huddersfield town centre.

Trading area comprises main bar and games room. There is an unused meeting room on the first floor and a further 3 bedroom owners accommodation to the upper parts.
There is a small rear yard and a garage on the site.
Unconditional offers are invited for our clients unencumbered interest.

Armitage Arms Public House For Sale, Huddersfield

Thursday, June 23, 2011

People over 65 should drink less

Recommended safe limits for drinking alcohol by older people should be drastically cut, according to a reported by the BBC.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists says people over 65 should drink a maximum of only 1.5 units of alcohol a day.

That is the equivalent of just over about half a pint of beer or a small glass of wine.

The report says older drinkers are less able to process alcohol and the drink might also interact with medication they may be taking for other ailments.

It warns current advice - 14 units of alcohol for women and 21 for men each week - is based on work with young adults.

A group of experts from the Royal College of Psychiatrists says there is a growing problem with substance abuse among older people, who they describe as society's "invisible addicts".

The report says a third those who experience problems with alcohol abuse do so later on in life, often as a result of big changes like retirement, bereavement or feelings of boredom, loneliness and depression.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Heineken, Independent offer free Wi-Fi news

Heineken, Independent offer free Wi-Fi news

Fuller, Smith & Turner Question Capital Pub Rejection

Brewer and pub operator Fuller, Smith & Turner has responded to the rejection of their offer of 220p per share by Capital Pub's shareholders.

Fuller’s questioned the group’s growth strategy in the statement. “It has taken Capital over 10 years to grow its estate to 34 pubs and Fuller’s believes that the strategy to grow the estate by a further 11 to 16 pubs (which represents a 32 to 47% increase in the estate) over the next two years has considerable risks associated with its execution which could dilute the overall quality and attractiveness of the estate and which could have a negative impact on valuation over time.”

"Fuller's believes that the announcement yesterday of the acquisition of The Priory, a smaller leasehold site, reaffirms its concerns that in seeking to acquire sites quickly, Capital risks compromising the overall quality of its estate and diluting the freehold/leasehold mix."

Sunday, June 19, 2011

UK Pubs and Restaurants Report Post-Bank Holiday Slump

Spending on eating and drinking out-of-home flattened out in May, with a slight 0.3% decline in like-for-like sales - in contrast to a 3.8% uplift in the holiday month of April, according to latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker data. But the sector still outperformed retail sales.

Figures from the Tracker, which monitors sales performance across 22 major pub and restaurant operators, also showed total sales growth slowing among the sample – up just 1.7% on the same month last year, compared with a 6.2% increase in April. Month on month May was down -6.1% on April.

However, eating and drinking-out still held up better than retail. According to the British Retail Consortium / KPMG Retail Sales Monitor UK retail sales were 2.1% lower on a like-for-like basis in May, with total sales down 0.3%.

“Poorer weather after the hot spell and what looks like a post-Easter and Royal Wedding hangover among consumers will have played their part,” said Peter Martin of Peach Factory, the market consultancy which produces the sector Tracker in partnership with KPMG, UBS and the Coffer Group. “Nevertheless, the negative dip is disappointing as it marks the first month this year which as seen a fall in eating and drinking out sales, albeit a marginal one.”

“The good news is that if eating and drinking out are a better barometer of consumer confidence than retail, then the country is perhaps in better spirits than many think. Despite reports to the contrary, people are still going out,” he added.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Stoke on Trent Commercial Property for Sale












Staffordshire Property for Sale

New Hall Street
Stoke-on-Trent
Staffordshire
ST1

Gross Site Area: 7459 sq/ft*

£ 400,000 Freehold

Part single storey and part three storey commercial building sitting on a gross site of over 7,400 sq.ft.

The property is superbly situated in Hanley town Centre opposite a Tesco store and within immediate proximity of the Potteries Shopping Centre.

There is enormous potential for redevelopment with planning consent already in place for over 9,500 sq.ft of retail and 27 flats (13 x 1-beds, 13 x 2-beds and 1 x 3-bed).

There are also other angles with the site which might also include a 70-90 bed hotel.

Site assembly may also be possible with the site forming a strategic piece of the pie in a larger local regeneration project.

Please let us know should you have any queries or wish to arrange a viewing.

Commercial Property for Sale

Friday, June 17, 2011

Leeds Tetley's Brewery Closure-170 Jobs Lost

Tetley's brewery has finally closed after almost 200 years as a landmark on the southern approaches of Leeds.

The closure of the brewery that has been on the same site since 1822 means the loss of 170 jobs.

Although various campaigns criticised the closure, announced in 2008, they have had no impact on the decision.

Local beer writer Barrie Pepper said: "I'm shattered. It's been an integral part of the city playing its part in civic life in so many ways."

Parent company Carlsberg announced the closure in in 2008.

It claimed the beer market faced the "perfect storm of falling consumption, increasing costs and rising tax".

Tetley's is one of Leeds' oldest companies and the city has a long history of brewing.

At the time of World War I there were about 20 breweries in Leeds.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

UK Pub Sales News: Travelodge to target former pubs for sale













Budget hotel chain Travelodge will be seeking former pubs for sale in order to expand its operations by 100 new small hotels.

The company unveiled plans to develop Metro accommodation, which would see smaller sites containing between 20 and 40 rooms each being launched in prime locations.
Office space in London is one area Travelodge is looking to develop into hotels, along with old pubs, derelict cinemas and theatres, disused business parks and retail outlets.

Guy Parsons, chief executive of the chain, commented that a pilot scheme in Edinburgh showed how successful the Metro model could be.

"Downsizing our hotel building requirements will open hundreds of development opportunities for us. This will enable us to expand quickly and meet the growing demands from consumers who want low cost and good quality accommodation in prime locations," he added.

Meanwhile, Travelodge has also announced plans to link up with pub companies, including Greene King, Mitchells & Butlers and JD Wetherspoon, as part of a £100 million expansion project.

UK Pub Sales News

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Welsh Pubco Puts Seven Pubs on Market

Welsh pub operator SA Brain & Co Ltd has put seven pubs from its portfolio onto the market.

The brewer and pub operator has already disposed of eight of its tenanted pubs between 2009 and 2010, and is now marketing the freeholds of seven more, according to the Morning Advertiser.

Amongst the closed pubs up for sale include the Cardiff Arms in Splott, which has a price tag of £255,000; the Mitre Inn in Canton, with a price tag of £195,000; the Talbot in Pwll, Llanelli, Dyfed - £150,000 - and the White Horse in Llanelli, Dyfed - £165,000.

The other SA Brain pubs currently being marketed for sale by commercial letting agents Sidney Phillips include Bar Charlie in Haverfordwest, Dyfed - for £115,000; the Mardy Hotel in Gorseinon, West Glamorgan - £255,000 - and the Sawyers Arms in Maesteg, Mid Glamorgan, on the market for £165,000.

Chief executive of SA Brain, Scott Waddington, had previously said that the company was 'cautious' about 2011 trading prospects, and that it would 'continue to focus on controlling costs within the business.'

The pub operator's profit after tax fell from £6.4 million in 2009 to just £1.5 million last year, but this was partly due to the sale of its free-trade division to Heineken in 2009, which pushed up profits.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Licensed property news: Localism Bill 'could affect pub sales'

People thinking of buying a pub might be interested to hear that the government's Localism Bill could affect the way purchases are made.

The British Beer & Pub Association has called for changes to be made to the community right to buy proposals under the legislation, as in their current form the organisation fears pub sales could be hindered.

Martin Rawlings, director of pub and leisure at the association, commented: "We want to see as many pubs stay open as possible - and community right to buy definitely has a role to play in keeping community pubs open. But many pubs are successfully bought and sold every day, and thrive under their new ownership."

He said the organisation would like to see the transfer of ownership process remain free of costly delays but retain the benefits and safeguards of the community right to buy proposals.

Meanwhile, director of strategies at the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers Kate Nicholls told the Morning Advertiser that her organisation has raised concerns about assignment of leases.

Licensed Property News

Monday, June 13, 2011

Primrose Hill Pub Fights Mitchells ans Butler Take Over

The Morning Advertiser reports that a number of celebrities have thrown their weight behind the licensees of a popular Primrose Hill pub, after Mitchells & Butlers announced it would be taking back the premises as a managed house.

The Engineer was taken over in 1994 by Tamsin Olivier and Abigail Osborne, who invested £70,000 to refurbish the premises and transform it into a popular London gastropub. The pub is now taking in excess of £30,000 a week, up from £2,000 a week when the licensees took over.

However, the future of the pub has now been thrown into doubt as landlord Mitchells & Butlers served notice with intent to take occupation and possession in October, at the end of the lease.

Comedian and Engineer regular Harry Enfield has joined forces with local businesswoman Jane Robbins, along with other locals and celebrities including comedians Ben Miller and Alexander Armstrong, to launch the campaign ‘Engineered Out’.

Robbins told the Publican’s Morning Advertiser: “Primrose Hill is about free-thinking individual businesses and we managed to keep Starbucks out, so hopefully we can do the same to Mitchells & Butlers.”

Saturday, June 11, 2011

JD Wetherspoon Opens New Pubs in Dorset

New pub jobs are to be created in Dorset after JD Wetherspoon was granted permission to open a new venue in Wimborne, reports Caterer.com

The pub chain applied to East Dorset District Council to open a pub on the site of the former Old Conservative Club in West Borough and was given the nod by district planners, the Bournemouth Echo reports.

In addition, the chain's proposals for closing times - 00:30 BST from Sunday to Wednesday and 01:30 from Thursday to Saturday - were also given the green light.

The pub will be allowed to serve late-night refreshments and alcohol until midnight from Sunday to Wednesday and 01:00 from Thursday to Saturday, the newspaper noted.

It comes after plans to build a new venue in the Dorset seaside town of Weymouth were approved, which could create many hotel jobs in the area.

The multi-million pound proposals for the site on Mercery Road include a hotel, an office building, supermarket, petrol station and car park, View Online reports.