January 2010 bar enewsletter www.barmagazine.co.uk A round-up of some of this week’s industry news. Scottish brewer plans new bar chain BrewDog, the brewery behind the world’s strongest beer, aims to open a chain of bars by the end of this year, reports Scotland’s Daily Record. Directors James Watt and Martin Dickie, both 27, said they wanted to build on the “rapid growth” of their Aberdeenshire business, whose brews include the 32 per cent ABV Tactical Nuclear Penguin as well as Punk IPA, oak-aged stout Tokyo and honey-infused ale Dogma. The company bought the vacant Marischal Bar in Aberdeen last month and plans to have bars in Glasgow and Edinburgh by the end of 2010. HMV close to takeover of venue operator HMV was today close to a takeover of club and music venue operator Mama Group after a rival bidder pulled out of the bidding process. Investment vehicle SMS Finance made an unsolicited £38.3million approach last month b ut its offer lapsed without support. HMV’s bid of £46million came after it formed a joint venture with Mama a year ago, called Mean Fiddler Group, to run 11 venues including the Hammersmith Apollo, the Garage, the Jazz Café, Heaven, GAY Bar and the Borderline in London and Moshulu in Aberdeen. The buy-out would mean HMV gained control over all of Mama’s interests, including the Barfly nightclubs, Lovebox music festivals and an artist management business representing bands such as the Kaiser Chiefs and Franz Ferdinand. Bars and pubs caught selling short measures Almost 90 per cent of beers bought in bars, pubs and restaurants are sold short, according to trading standards officers after carrying out checks across Birmingham. The Daily Mail reports that the average drink was three-quarters of a fluid ounce (22ml) short of full, equivalent to 3.94 per cent of a pint. It concludes that this means that Britons are paying £400million too much for their pints each year. Laun ch of search for Miss Bundy UK A competition has been launched to find the face of Bundaberg Rum UK to build on the Australian rum brand’s party spirit. The search for Miss Bundy UK begins on Sunday January 24 at the Walkabout in Temple Bar, London, judged by dwink.com’s Tom Sandham, UK rum ambassador Ian Burrell and TNT magazine editor Daniel Landon. Competitors will be set a series of challenges with the chance to win £200 and a year’s supply of Bundaberg. To enter, people need to email a picture, name and contact details, along with 50 words on why they would make the ultimate Miss Bundy UK, to antoni@inspiritbrands.com. Bitters brand enters US market The Bitter Truth, a brand of cocktail bitters and flavourings, is set to arrive in the US later this month after its success in the UK and the rest of Europe. The products are being launched in the US in partnership with Domaine Select Wine Estates’ Classic and Vintage Artisanal Spirits Portfolio. Founded in 2006 b y mixologists Stephan Berg and Alexander Hauck, The Bitter Truth will be supplying American bars with Celery Bitters, Old Time Aromatic Bitters, Orange Bitters and Lemon Bitters as well as the Bittermens Xocolatl Mole and Grapefruit Bitters. “It will be nice to have easy access to these products after searching far and wide with limited availability in the US,” said mixologist H. Joseph Ehrmann of San Francisco’s Elixir. “The quality of their bitters is superior to many products on the market today and more consistent than homemade.” The Bitter Truth is handled in the UK by Love Drinks. Festival organiser nearly £1million in red Liquidators have been called in to the company behind last September’s Pub in the Park festival, which was cancelled at the last minute. Liquidators from insolvency practitioner Wilson Field say that the UK-based Custom Made Events is in the red by £936,765, owing money to partners such as Scottish & Newcastle, Carlsberg, Budweiser Budvar, BAT and HM Revenue & Customs. According to a report in the Daily Mail, its directors Sarah Traynor, David Wilson and Simon Craig themselves lost more than £500,000 from the venture after refunding ticket-holders’ money. The festival – a celebration of British pubs – was due to take place in Greenwich Park in south-east London, featuring acts such as T’Pau and Paul Young, but it suffered from poor ticket sales, blamed on the recession. Arthur’s Day pushes a million pints Promotional events to mark the 250th anniversary of Guinness’s Dublin brewery led to a million pints being sold on “Arthur’s Day”, September 24, Diageo GB has revealed. More than half of licensees said that Arthur’s Day increased sales, with an additional 27 per cent of consumers drinking Guinness Draught as a result of the day. More than 11,000 point-of-sale kits were sent to licensees, including the brand’s biggest-ever text-to-win mechanic with prizes such as the chance to win a trip into space. Licensees who ordered party kits, which included mini pints, inflatable hands and other items to help create a party atmosphere, also received additional promotion via party maps on DotMobi and iPhone applications, resulting in an increase of about 76 per cent in sales.

January 2010 bar enewsletter In the news...bar magazine A round-up of some of this week’s industry news.

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January 2010 bar enewsletter Advertise on the Bar eNewsletter. Wetherspoon set to buy 3DE clubs D Wetherspoon is in advanced stages of talks to buy 12 late-night venues from 3D Entertainment Group, the operator part-owned by club giant Luminar, according to a report in The Times. The 12 outlets are believed to be a mix of Chicago Rock Cafés and unbranded clubs, priced at about £4.3million. Wetherspoon, which has grown to 740 pubs, bought seven sites from 3D Entertainment in September. Luminar has a 49 per cent stake in 3D Entertainment, with the rest controlled by management and property group Prestbury.


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A round-up of industry news from Bar magazine

Wetherspoons "set to buy 3DE clubs" Wetherspoon “set to buy 3DE clubs”

JD Wetherspoon is in advanced stages of talks to buy 12 late-night venues from 3D Entertainment Group, the operator part-owned by club giant Luminar, according to a report in The Times. The 12 outlets are believed to be a mix of Chicago Rock Cafés and unbranded clubs, priced at about £4.3million. Wetherspoon, which has grown to 740 pubs, bought seven sites from 3D Entertainment in September. Luminar has a 49 per cent stake in 3D Entertainment, with the rest controlled by management and property group Prestbury.
Read more_>>

Scottish brewer plans new bar chain
BrewDog, the brewery behind the world’s strongest beer, aims to open a chain of bars by the end of this year, reports Scotland’s Daily Record. Directors James Watt and Martin Dickie, both 27, said they wanted to build on the “rapid growth” of their Aberdeenshire business, whose brews include the 32 per cent ABV Tactical Nuclear Penguin as well as Punk IPA, oak-aged stout Tokyo and honey-infused ale Dogma. The company bought the vacant Marischal Bar in Aberdeen last month and plans to have bars in Glasgow and Edinburgh by the end of 2010.

HMV close to takeover of venue operator
HMV was today close to a takeover of club and music venue operator Mama Group after a rival bidder pulled out of the bidding process. Investment vehicle SMS Finance made an unsolicited £38.3million approach last month but its offer lapsed without support. HMV’s bid of £46million came after it formed a joint venture with Mama a year ago, called Mean Fiddler Group, to run 11 venues including the Hammersmith Apollo, the Garage, the Jazz Café, Heaven, GAY Bar and the Borderline in London and Moshulu in Aberdeen. The buy-out would mean HMV gained control over all of Mama’s interests, including the Barfly nightclubs, Lovebox music festivals and an artist management business representing bands such as the Kaiser Chiefs and Franz Ferdinand.
Read more >>


Bars and pubs caught selling short measures
Almost 90 per cent of beers bought in bars, pubs and restaurants are sold short, according to trading standards officers after carrying out checks across Birmingham. The Daily Mail reports that the average drink was three-quarters of a fluid ounce (22ml) short of full, equivalent to 3.94 per cent of a pint. It concludes that this means that Britons are paying £400million too much for their pints each year.
Read more >>

Launch of search for Miss Bundy UK
A competition has been launched to find the face of Bundaberg Rum UK to build on the Australian rum brand’s party spirit. The search for Miss Bundy UK begins on Sunday January 24 at t he Walkabout in Temple Bar, London, judged by dwink.com’s Tom Sandham, UK rum ambassador Ian Burrell and TNT magazine editor Daniel Landon. Competitors will be set a series of challenges with the chance to win £200 and a year’s supply of Bundaberg. To enter, people need to email a picture, name and contact details, along with 50 words on why they would make the ultimate Miss Bundy UK, to antoni@inspiritbrands.com.

Bitters brand enters US market
The Bitter Truth, a brand of cocktail bitters and flavourings, is set to arrive in the US later this month after its success in the UK and the rest of Europe. The products are being launched in the US in partnership with Domaine Select Wine Estates’ Classic and Vintage Artisanal Spirits Portfolio. Founded in 2006 by mixologists Stephan Berg and Alexander Hauck, The Bitter Truth will be supplying American bars with Celery Bitters, Old Time Aromatic Bitters, Orange Bitters and Lemon Bitters as well as the Bittermens Xocolatl Mole and Grapefruit Bitters. “It will be nice to have easy access to these products after searching far and wide with limited availability in the US,” said mixologist H. Joseph Ehrmann of San Francisco’s Elixir. “The quality of their bitters is superior to many products on the market today and more consistent than homemade.” The Bitter Truth is handled in the UK by Love Drinks.

Festival organiser nearly £1million in red
Liquidators have been called in to the company behind last September’s Pub in the Park festival, which was cancelled at the last minute. Liquidators from insolvency practitioner Wilson Field say that the UK-based Custom Made Events is in the red by £936,765, owing money to partners such as Scottish & Newcastle, Carlsberg, Budweiser Budvar, BAT and HM Revenue & Customs. According to a report in the Daily Mail, its directors Sarah Traynor, David Wilson and Simon Craig themselves lost more than £500,000 from the venture after refunding ticket-holders’ money. The festival – a celebration of British pubs – was due to take place in Greenwich Park in south-east London, featuring acts such as T’Pau and Paul Young, but it suffered from poor ticket sales, blamed on the recession.
Read more >>

Arthur’s Day pushes a million pints
Promotional events to mark the 250th anniversary of Guinness’s Dublin brewery led to a million pints being sold on “Arthur’s Day”, September 24, Diageo GB has revealed. More than half of licensees said that Arthur’s Day increased sales, with an additional 27 per cent of consumers drinking Guinness Draught as a result of the day. More than 11,000 point-of-sale kits were sent to licensees, including the brand’s biggest-ever text-to-win mechanic with prizes such as the chance to win a trip into space. Licensees who ordered party kits, which included mini pints, inflatable hands and other items to help create a party atmosphere, also received additional promotion via party maps on DotMobi and iPhone applications, resulting in an increase of about 76 per cent in sales.

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