David Banks stresses the importance of the country pub. I live in a village that has no pub. It wasn’t always this way; the first bitter shandy I tasted as a lad of 16 was discreetly served by the landlord of the Blue Bell at Crookham in Northumberland. I honed my domino skills alongside my … read more
Twenty years ago, the infamous Beer Orders Act prompted a massive change in the pub industry resulting in that controversial beast, the pub company (pubco). For those of you too young and innocent to know about this entity, during the recession-hit post-Thatcher 1990s, the Beer Orders Act was a blunt instrument to separate the few … read more
Talk about breathing a sigh of relief! The pub trade had been expecting the budget to raise alcohol duty again, on top of the substantial rise earlier in the year. But the Chancellor didn’t touch it – in fact, he removed much of the last government’s increase on strong cider. However, VAT is to go … read more
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