12/01/2021
Pubs reopening dates speculation
The Daily Mail has reported that pubs & bars in England could be closed until the start of May with No.10 apparently "gloomy about the prospects of an end to the third lockdown next month". March 23 is being suggested as a more realistic date, with the May Day bank holiday, touted as a suggested likely date for boozers to reopen.
Chancellor introduces one off grants of up to £9,000
Reports from Sky News say that Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced one-off top up grants for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses worth up to £9,000 per property to help businesses through the latest lockdown. The extra funding is on top of existing £3,000 grants and is expected to benefit over 600,000 business properties.
Pubs as Covid vaccination centres?
Operators such as Brewdog and Loungers have offered their properties to the government for them to be used as vaccination centres. Meanwhile, Oakman Inns have gone even further, saying that if their venues are used by NHS Trusts as vaccination hubs, they will return £250,000 of government grants that are being made available to them as hospitality businesses, according to Big Hospitality.
C&C Group takes 8% equity stake in craft beer brewer Innis & Gunn
Drinks company C&C Group has taken an 8% equity stake in Scottish brewer Innis & Gunn. C&C Group will sell Innis & Gunn's craft beers across the on-trade through its distribution businesses Matthew Clark in the UK and through Bulmers in Ireland. Innis & Gunn's beers will continue to be produced and packaged in Glasgow, as well as at Innis & Gunn's brewery in Perth, reports The Insider.
Star Pubs & Bars extends 90% rent reduction for tenanted and leased pubs
Star Pubs & Bars has announced it will continue its 90% rent reduction for its leased and tenanted pubs forced to shut during lockdown in January. Caterlyst advise that the move brings the pub company's total investment in rent support to more than £44m since March 2020 - including over £4m this month alone for pubs in England, Scotland and Wales.
Arc Inspirations - we've borrowed £4m to stay closed
Arc Inspirations founder Martin Wolstencroft has told the BBC his company has had to borrow £4m to survive Covid. Wolstencroft told the BBC his company borrowed £4m to ensure the survival of 17-strong Arc Inspirations. The report suggests that this is not an isolated case with UK Hospitality saying that the closure of pubs, restaurants and hotels is costing business owners a total of £500m a month, even allowing for any government support.
Albert Roux passes away, aged 85
The Independent reported that the inspirational chef Albert Roux OBE KFO died on Monday (4 January). Albert is credited, along with his late brother Michel Roux, with starting London's culinary revolution with the opening of Le Gavroche in 1967, with many notable chefs such as Gordon Ramsey and Marco Pierre White beginning their careers there. It is understood that he had been unwell for a while.
And Finally...
How long did your New Year's resolutions last? According to reports in Beer Today, a total of 2.7 million of us had already given up on Dry January after only 5 days into the New Year. Nearly one-in-four of those who attempted 'Dry January' this month have already given in to temptation, according to a snap poll by KAM Media. Apparently, 30% of UK adults intended to take part in 'Dry January' according to research from December.
Happy New Year from all at Fleurets!