- The Portman Group is undertaking a public review of its Code of Conduct. Comments are invited, and the consultation ends on 5th January 2007. Details here.
- Hundreds of marginally profitable pubs in Scotland face a bleak winter as the smoking ban starts to hit profits for the first time since it was introduced in March. Industry sources predict that scores of licensed premises, particularly in rural areas, could be forced to close down under the extra burden of rising costs for labour, energy and council rates. They add that pubs have already started to shut their doors. At least four in Fife and three in Aberdeenshire have been forced to close. “For many, the smoking ban was the final straw,” said Steven Mudie, a vice-president of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association. It is also believed that the smoking ban was a contributing factor in the Swallow hotel and pub group’s collapse into receivership two weeks ago. A number of its premises in Scotland had posted declines in patronage since March. According to industry insiders, as many as 10-15% of the nation’s 5200 licensed premises, a sector which produces a combined revenue of about £1.5 billion a year and is a major tourism earner, will struggle to stay out of the red this winter if smokers opt to drink at home. Indeed, the sharp growth in sales of packaged beer suggests that is what many have already started to do. Sunday Herald
- Carlsberg is urging pubs to usher in a new relaxed drinking concept using its premium Export brand. The Scandinavian relaxed drinking concept of Hygge (pronounced hoo-ga) looks to bring a 'home from home' environment into the pub. Darran Britton, marketing director for Carlsberg UK, said: "Carlsberg UK has done extensive research into the growing trend towards relaxed drinking. Research suggests that Hygge is the ideal way to make the most of the opportunities that this presents, and that Carlsberg Export is the ideal brand to bring this to the trade." The Publican
- A bar owner shut his customers in and called the police after suspecting most of them were underage. Ronny Carter said he took the drastic action at Oxford's G-Bar on Friday night to strike back against under 18s going into pubs and clubs. Each of the 23 people in the downstairs bar had produced apparently authentic identification - such as a driving licence, student card or birth certificate - on the door to prove they were 18 or over. However, after consulting staff at 8.30pm at the bar in Penny Farthing Lane, Mr Carter suspected the IDs might be fake. So he turned the lights on and told those in the bar the police were on their way to check their IDs. continued... Officers arrived within 15 minutes and when a Pc told anyone who was carrying fake IDs to sit down, only one person remained standing, he said. Mr Carter said police agreed there was no way to differentiate between the fake and the real IDs. He said: "It is ridiculous. As a responsible bar owner what am I up against? They buy them on the Internet and they are perfect copies. "I want to send a clear message to any youngsters that try to get in that we won't tolerate it. Sometimes people look 18 and if they have got ID to back it up it is very difficult for the door staff. Unless we have got access to a national database it's almost impossible." Oxford Mail
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