Latest news with #BritishPubs
The Sun
05-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Wetherspoons confirms return of ‘mouthwatering' menu item that was quietly axed from pubs across UK
WETHERSPOONS has confirmed that a hugely popular menu item is finally back on menus nationwide — months after it mysteriously vanished from pubs across the UK. For weeks, customers were left scratching their heads as the dish quietly disappeared, with no official explanation. Now, the mystery has been solved — the £6.49 meal, which comes with 10 crispy chicken breast bites, golden chips, and a choice of dipping sauces, had been marked as 'temporarily unavailable' on digital and printed menus since around April. Its quiet disappearance left punters puzzled, with many turning to social media to express their frustration and confusion. One fan took to Reddit to vent: 'It has been over one month without the chicken bites on the menu and I physically can't do this. Where have they gone? 'My beautiful, mouthwatering, crisped bites, that even the heavens have blessed with an angel's touch, where have you gone. "I suffer with agony and mourn every second without you in my Spoons pub.' Another joked: 'Whatever it is give me a waiver to sign and give me those chicken bites.' Some customers said the dish still appeared on their local menus but was never actually in stock, leading to even more confusion. Now, Wetherspoon has confirmed that chicken bites have made a full return. A JD Wetherspoon spokesperson said: 'Chicken bites are now available in all Wetherspoon pubs.' The pub chain didn't give a reason for the disappearance, but fans are simply relieved to see the cult favourite back in action. Inside Wetherspoons huge new pub - it's a hidden gem 'off the beaten track' and has a major pricing difference Since the return was confirmed, customers have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to share their joy. One wrote: 'I am delighted to confirm that the iconic Wetherspoon chicken breast bites are back. Goodness knows what that was all about. "On the downside, I just ordered the last portion in the Brit, Plymouth, so don't rush down.' Another said: 'I love you, Wetherspoon chicken bites.' Others joked that their weekly pub routine is 'finally complete again.' The chicken bites have become a go-to option for customers looking for a quick and tasty bite — especially as part of Wetherspoon's value-for-money deals. The return comes as part of a broader menu refresh, with several other fan favourites also making a comeback. Other dishes back on the menu Customers have also spotted the return of other missing items, including salt and pepper squid, Southern-fried chicken strips, and the vegetarian roasted vegetable lasagne — all of which had been quietly dropped over the last year. Some breakfast classics are also back, such as the large breakfast wrap and black pudding, which had been removed during previous menu cuts. The return of these items has been welcomed by regulars who were left disappointed when their go-to orders disappeared without warning. But not everything's coming back Despite the excitement around returning items, Wetherspoon has confirmed that some dishes are gone for good. On May 14, steaks, mixed grills, and gammon were officially removed from the menu and will not be making a return. The move sparked a wave of backlash from long-time Spoons lovers who saw the grill range as a staple part of the menu. JD Wetherspoon said the decision was part of a 'streamlining' of its food offering to focus on more popular and faster-serving dishes. While the loss of the grill range has been a blow to some, the return of chicken bites and other customer favourites has helped soften the disappointment. 2
Sky News
25-06-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Is a comeback on for the British pub?
Something unexpected is happening in British pubs. Buy a pint in Our Gracie's, Rochdale, and that's just what you'll get - no live band, no televised football match, no food - except, perhaps, a pork pie. Sandwiched between a Wetherspoon's and a Hogarths, the independent, wet-led boozer is exactly the kind of pub many landlords and industry experts said would not survive a "death by a thousand cuts" being wrought upon the industry when they spoke to Sky News a year ago. But figures suggest Our Gracie's, which opened in December 2023 for just three days a week and now operates on all seven, may be a sign of the industry staging something of a comeback. Fewer, better pubs "Pubs always adapt. They always manage to work out a way to survive," says Katie Gallagher, hospitality expert at consumer data firm Lumina Intelligence. "What you've seen is less pubs, but not necessarily less market value, because the pubs that are left are notably better." The market, which was worth £23bn before the pandemic, lost 61% of its value in 2020, and took three more years to return to 2019 levels, according to Lumina Intelligence. Thousands of closures ensued, exacerbated by the ever-inflating cost of ingredients and energy, customers with less cash to spend, supermarkets offering cheap booze and, as revenues stuttered, landlords intent on selling up for a quick buck in real estate. "Last orders for the British pub" was a headline filling phone screens, as more than 4,000 closed their doors between 2019 and 2024. But now industry turnover is forecast to hit 2% growth next year for the first time since the pandemic and sustain it until 2028, outpacing growth in the three years before COVID-19 hit. Average weekly sales revenue today is 15% higher than pre-pandemic levels, and closures are forecast to slow, with a decline of 214 pubs expected between 2025 and 2027. Who survived? "Taking it back to what a pub used to be." That's what Jon Riley, 51, who runs Our Gracie's with his father-in-law, John McFarland, says is behind his pub's part in the sector's recovery. "We get a lot of people coming glad that we don't do food and they're glad that we haven't got a rock band playing in the rear of the pub," he says. "They're not forced to sit with a large group watching football, all screaming and cheering, and a group of families all eating Sunday roasts." But at the other end of the country, business is also booming at The Devonshire in Soho, London, famed for its on-site restaurant, butchery and bakery. Food has been central to the pub's success, winning accolades from the Good Food Guide and the National Restaurant Awards, and it hosts live music - including the likes of Ed Sheeran. Its landlord, Oisin Rogers, dismissed media reports of pubs in decline. "I think the narrative that pubs are becoming less important and that Gen Z don't get them and they don't give a shit about pubs is actually completely untrue." So what is it, then, that Our Gracie's and The Devonshire have in common? How can these two ships - one a canoe and the other more of a cruise liner - both be steering through the industry's choppy waters? And how can other pubs emulate their success? How pubs rode out the storm Despite becoming one of the most well-known pubs in London, Rogers says The Devonshire's unique circumstances mean it does not offer a blueprint other pubs can easily copy. His business, which opened in 2023, is lucky to be located in an area that needed a big pub and has "incredible footfall", he says. Its restaurant is run by Ashley Palmer-Watts, the mind behind the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Dinner by Heston. That kind of talent is available to few. "It would have been beyond any of my hopes and dreams in 35 years of running pubs every day to go into business with somebody at that level," says Rogers. But Morgan Schondelmeier, tax and trade policy expert at the Beer and Pub Association, suggests The Devonshire and the likes of Our Gracie's do have something in common. "Pubs that can hone in on their niche and what added value they bring to their area, whether it's food, drink or the community value, is what you really need to succeed. "Each community, each area of the UK, is going to be different. So it's recognising just exactly why people would want to come to your pub." Wet-led, gastro and... coal? For some, like The Devonshire, that means food, which comes with higher costs but better margins. For others, food just means "more money, more effort, and you won't see the return", she says. Meanwhile, there has been a "resurgence of the community wet-led pub" in some parts of the country after residents rediscovered their local during the pandemic, hospitality expert Katie Gallagher adds. For other pubs, diversity has been the key. This means maximising the space by hosting book clubs, mum and baby groups, music gigs or sports broadcasts, Schondelmeier says. "You have to be a bit more diverse. I think that people who are doing well or even just breaking even are diversifying their offer," says Chris Black, who runs pub company Cornish Inns. Between his five venues, he sells takeaways and ready meals, caters weddings, hosts charity events and coffee mornings - even opening a convenience shop inside each pub selling everything from ingredients to logs and coal. "[We're] thinking a bit more broadly about what a pub can mean. It's not just about people going out and drinking. We're seeing a massive increase in people not drinking in our pubs - the sale of low and no alcohol is huge." In a sign his approach is working, Cornish Inns has opened its sixth venue in its sixth year, the Bloody Bones cocktail bar. "We're aware that it's a strange time to be opening a business when everyone else is struggling." The next hurdle And he's right. Despite the positivity felt in parts of the industry, April brought with it a raft of additional business costs. The minimum wage rose 6.7% for staff aged 21 and over (£1,386 annually for a 40-hour work week) and 16.3% for employees aged 18 to 20 (£2,500 annually). Discounts on business rates for hospitality were reduced from 75% to 40% (capped at £110,000). Employers' National Insurance contributions rose from 13.8% to 15%, and businesses started paying it sooner. They're now taxed per employee once staff are earning more than £5,000 a year, down from £9,100, which particularly affects industries with part-time workers. "When you've only got a small margin and the new costs go up, it can be extremely painful. And I think that is the crux of the issue that the pub business as a whole has," says The Devonshire's landlord, Rogers. A government spokesperson said it is supporting pubs with the 40% business rates relief for 250,000 businesses, a 1p alcohol duty cut on draught pints, capping corporation tax and protecting the smallest businesses from the employer National Insurance rise. They pointed out that the NI increase is helping to fund the NHS. The government will introduce a "new, permanent lower [business] rate for retail, hospitality and leisure" in April next year, they added. But Ash Corbett-Collins, chairman of the Campaign for Real Ale, said that "much-loved community locals will have to close their doors" if the government doesn't reduce business rates, VAT on pub food and drink, or duty on pub beers and ciders. "None of this is helped by the increase in National Insurance contributions, and we are being very clear with consumers - price hikes at the bar are the fault of the government's decisions, not the licensees." Defying expectations Yet mitigating these costs is an area where independent, wet-led boozers may defy expectations once again, like the Old Bakehouse in Welshpool. Landlords Paul Morris, 67, and his wife Janice, 55, say they are shielded from the hikes more than others due to their small size. They bought and renovated the derelict bakehouse and run the micropub themselves, turning over £120,000 while only paying wages for the odd shift taken by friends and family. By contrast, pub companies face larger wage bills and higher rent and energy costs for bigger spaces. "We have judged success on the fact that we're still open and still enjoying it, and making a living," said Paul.
The Sun
15-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Pubs could rake in £32m if Trooping The Colour was a bank holiday, booze bosses claim
BRITISH pubs could rake in a massive £32 million if Trooping the Colour was designated a bank holiday, beer bosses believe. The British Beer and Pub Association say an extra 6.5 million pints would be pulled, pouring £5.5 million into the Treasury in VAT and £3 million in beer duty. 1 Booze bosses called for the King's birthday to be marked every year with a three-day weekend. Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the BBPA, said: 'This weekend was a celebration of British tradition, nation and community. 'Our pubs are central to that story—bringing people together and boosting the economy. 'A bank holiday would not only honour our heritage but deliver a tangible economic and social dividend as communities come together and raise a glass to Beer Day Britain as well as celebrate everything that is great about Britain.' She added that ministers should support pubs with a long-term plan that includes a cut to beer duty and fairer business rates.
The Sun
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
First Dates' Merlin Griffiths teams up with supermodel for an unexpected new project after cancer battle
FIRST Dates star Merlin Griffiths has teamed up with a top supermodel for a new podcast after his cancer treatment. The barman from the Channel 4 reality show will be working alongside Jodie Kidd for the brand new project. 4 4 4 Titled Three Landlords Walk into a Bar, they will do a deep dive on British pubs from ghost stories to industry analysis and will be chatting with some of the UK's most successful publicans and industry leaders. "Expect everything from ghost stories in Britain's most haunted pub to tales of the Beatles, building inclusive spaces, and the importance of the perfect pint (of course)," read the announcement on Instagram. In the accompanying video to the social media post, fans are given a preview of some of the guests and conversations that can look forward to hearing in the coming season. Jodie shared it to her Instagram stories saying: "I loved doing this podcast." The supermodel is landlady at 16th century boozer, Half Moon in Kirdford, West Sussex, who has often spoken out about the importance of pubs to local communities. 'People are always surprised when they find out I run a pub. It's one of the toughest yet most rewarding jobs," she said in a statement about the podcast. "There's a whole world behind the bar that most punters never get to see – the highs, the graft, the sheer heart landlords pour in." Merlin who is the landlord of the Dog & Gun in Leicestershire also wants to raise awareness about the pressures facing pubs in the U.K. "Being a landlord isn't just about pulling pints and hosting quizzes – it's late nights, leaky pipes, and learning to adapt fast," he said. "Amidst turbulent times for the industry, we wanted to sit down and explore how Britain's pubs are evolving to stay at the heart of their communities – whether that's finding new ways to get people in the door or embracing game-changing tech to serve up top-quality pints more efficiently and sustainably.' Merlin's new project comes as the bartender recovers from cancer treatment. He was diagnosed with bowel cancer and had chemotherapy and two operations to remove a tumour in 2021. Despite getting the all-clear from doctors that he was cancer-free, Merlin admitted to struggling after his treatment and that he still needed to be closely monitored. 4
