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Bar magazine’s round-up of the week’s news
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Profits boost for Pernod Ricard
Drinks giant Pernod Ricard has reported a 12.5% increase in profits for the year to the end of June
to €945million. The company, whose brands include Beefeater, Absolut, Jameson and Havana Club, predicted that the “overall stagnation” in the wine and spirit industry would continue for at least the next year. Chief executive Pierre Pringuet added
that “despite a particularly difficult environment, the group achieved a very satisfactory performance
in the year”. |
Bob Cotton to leave BHA
Bob Cotton has announced that he is leaving as chief executive of the British Hospitality Association next July after serving more than 10 years in the post. BHA chairman Dudley Osborn said the BHA would begin the hunt for a new chief executive later this year.
Extra costs for Scottish licensed trade
From Tuesday this week, happy hours were banned in Scottish bars, pubs and clubs under new licensing laws introduced to tackle alcohol-related problems. The authorities were given stronger powers to respond to local communities’ wanting problem premises to be shut down, and bars are now required to give tap water away for free. However, the Scottish Beer and Pub Association said the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 would cost the licensed trade £60million – between £3,000 and £4,000 per premises – which could force many of them out of business.
Responsible drinking campaig
n launches
Bar operators are being urged to back a new campaign to encourage young adults to drink more sensibly. The Campaign for Smarter Drinking has been launched by charity Drinkaware and features posters and other POS materials carrying the strapline: “Why let good times go bad?”
Punch stops ‘rentalising’ machine income
Punch Taverns has announced that it will no longer take income from machines into account when setting rent levels, saying that it needed to stop “rentalising” income to comply with the House of Commons’ Business and Enterprise Committee’s recommendations on transparency in its relationship with licensees. The changes will only apply to pubs that are re-let or have a rent review.
Profits up at Brown-Forman
Drinks group Brown-Forman, which owns Jack Daniel’s and Southern Comfort, has reported a rise in profits from $88.2million last year to $121.4million.
Britons drink less alcohol
Britons are drinking six per cent less alcohol than five years ago while overall spend on drinks in the hospitality sector is at its lowest level for 37 years, according to statistics in the British Beer & Pub Association’s new handbook. Consumption was at 8.9 litres of 100 per cent alcohol per head in 2008 compared to 9.2 litres in 2007. The on-trade saw the biggest fall, with sales of beer in cans and bottles overtaking draught sales last year for the first time, suggesting that more people were drinking at home.
Mark Ludmon
Editor
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