Industry news: Greene King's neighbourliness; Bargain Booze expansion

• From the Morning Advertiser: Greene King is to withdraw its High Court appeal to gain costs from a group of local residents who opposed the opening hours at one of its pubs. The dispute – over extended hours at the Dog and Partridge pub in Bury St Edmunds – has been ongoing for 22 months.

Greene King had been pushing to recoup its legal costs after it won its case [heard by magistrates at appeal] over extended hours but was not awarded costs. Now the parties have agreed to resolve the issue out of court.

Greene King Local Pubs managing director Jonathan Lawson said:

"We have taken the decision to abandon our appeal to prevent wasting the time and resource of all those involved and to spare the individuals from going through a High Court hearing.

"It was never our intention to make life difficult for them, or to take anything more than token costs: our aim was simply to challenge what we regarded as an unjust decision by the Magistrates."

• The decision to go to the High Court in the first place seems somewhat aggressive, especially since the residents who appealed against the Dog and Partridge decision live in the shadow of Greene King's brewery and HQ. 

Greene King made an operating profit of £218M last year.

• Bargain Booze is rolling out its convenience format nationwide after seeing strong sales in 10 trial stores in the north west and Wales. The shops, called Bargain Booze Select Convenience, will be expected to generate an annual turnover of between £25,000 and £30,000, according to joint managing director Matthew Hughes.

They will typically have floor space between 1,200 and 3,000 sq ft, around two -thirds of which will be devoted to groceries.  Hughes said the shops will have a separate identity to Bargain Booze stores. "They will be fitted out at the premium end rather than the discount end of Bargain Booze," he said. Wine and beers will be displayed in open-deck chillers rather than using traditional shelving and the shops will be "bright and modern" with tiled floors , Hughes added.  Off License News