Aldi denied permission to appeal Thatchers court ruling June 12, 2025 Aldi has been denied permission to appeal against a court ruling that it infringed on the British cider brand Thatchers’ trademark with its cloudy lemon cider product. The Court of Appeal found against the discount supermarket giant in January after the family-owned cider maker launched a legal battle in 2022. Thatchers claimed that the supermarket [...]
Greene King vs Spoons: Who is winning the great British pub battle? May 20, 2025 There are few well-populated areas of the UK where you can’t find either a Greene King or JD Wetherspoon pub. The two titans of the British pubs industry together operate thousands of locations each across the country and are staples of most urban areas. Both are major contributors to the UK economy – providing employment [...]
Splitting the G: Is Diageo gearing up to sell off Guinness? May 19, 2025 Drinks giant Diageo has announced a huge cost-savings programme which may see it shed brands and jobs. In an update to markets this morning, the Guinness and Johnnie Walker owner said it planned to save $500m (£373m) over the next three years through “appropriate and selective disposals” as well as tighter capital discipline and organic [...]
Greene King: Pub giant calls for ‘urgent help’ after losing £150m May 19, 2025 Pub giant Greene King has issued an urgent plea to the government for help after slumping to a near-£150m loss in 2024. The Suffolk-headquartered group fell to a pre-tax loss of £147.1m during its latest financial year, having posted a profit of £45.2m in 2023. Greene King, which operates around 2,600 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, [...]
Cricketing star Ben Stokes takes stake in alcohol-free Cleanco May 18, 2025 Cricketing star Ben Stokes OBE has taken a stake in reality tv star Spencer Matthews’ alcohol-free spirits brand Cleanco. Stokes partnership with the firm comes as part of a $5m fundraising round for the brand as it hopes for its first year of cash-flow positivty. Cleanco is also gearing up for global expansion with ambitions [...]
Wetherspoon, Marston’s and Young’s manage to fend off UK pubs crisis – for now May 13, 2025 Some of the UK’s biggest pub chains – JD Wetherspoon, Marston’s and Young’s – have all proved surprisingly resilient in avoiding the hospitality crisis predicted last Autumn. The London-listed companies have all reported better-than-expected trading over the last year, despite very low business and consumer confidence. In an update to markets this morning, Marston’s reported [...]
Champagne Lanson sales fail to fizz as prices rise May 9, 2025 Champagne Lanson suffered a sharp drop in its UK sales in 2024 as drinkers turned their backs on bars and restaurants amid the cost-of-living crisis. New accounts filed with Companies House show the brand’s turnover was slashed from £45.2m to £35.5m last year while its pre-tax profit also fell from £1.7m to £819,000. The champagne [...]
UK-India trade deal ‘transformational’ for Scotch whisky market May 6, 2025 The newly-announced trade deal between the UK and India has been lauded as “transformational” in opening Scotch up to the world’s largest whiskey market. Under the terms of the deal, the UK’s 150 per cent tariff on Scotch Whisky will be halved to 75 per cent, with the potential for further reductions in the coming [...]
More jobs lost at Dead Man’s Fingers maker as sales fall April 23, 2025 More jobs have been lost at the company behind Crabbie’s Ginger Beer and Dead Man’s Fingers spiced rum as sales fell and it remained in the red. Halewood Artisanal Spirts, whose brands also include Whitley Neill Gin, Liverpool Gin and Samuel Gelton’s Irish whiskey, cut its headcount from 472 to 390 in the 12 months [...]
Brits back Ryanair calls for two drink limit at UK airports April 22, 2025 Brits overwhelmingly back a two drink limit at UK airports to stop drunken passengers disrupting flights, a new survey has found. Yasper Communications agency polled more than 2,500 people and found 60.7 per cent either agreed or agreed strongly with the idea. Only 10.8 per cent of Brits disagreed or disagreed strongly with the introduction [...]