Jonathan Davies

The British Beer & Pub Association, has today sent an open letter to Rishi Sunak Keir Starmer and Edward Davey stressing the important role pubs and breweries play in communities across the UK. The letter has been signed by Young's Pubs and over 80 leading pub and brewing companies. The British beer and pub sector is one of the most historical, culturally significant, economically successful and dynamic components of British identity generating over 930k vital jobs in every part of the UK. It is imperative that the next government provides a sustainable and proportionate fiscal and regulatory framework that allows the sector to do what it does best; invest in our businesses and teams, embrace changing consumer tastes, and provide the community hubs that are the crucial and often invisible glue to social cohesion. Please ensure you share this open letter with your local Member of Parliament and let’s get the pub and brewing sector back to doing what it does best! https://lnkd.in/e32jCnpB #pubs #people #brewing #BBPA #uk #GB #community #beer #hospitality #reform #businessrates

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Interesting watch I have asked If the mint sauce processed on a different line, and if the jars of mustard containing wheat are processed on different site or same site, if latter different lines? Great to see and understand process’s #mustard #allergen #14alkergens

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As the majority of our members struggle to trade profitably due to exceptional costs of doing business the Government chose to increase the already unfair level of taxes pubs face. Our recent member survey laid out the consequences of this decision with 80% of pubs expecting to be unprofitable due to additional taxes, 75% will cut staff hours, 40% will reduce opening hours and 1 in 3 will make staff redundant. Our members pubs are vital small businesses at the heart of every community providing accessible local skilled jobs and are foundational in local economies. They do not need handouts, they need a fair trading environment recognising they need to operate from physical buildings and need to employ large teams, with many part time workers meeting their needs for flexible employment. We urge Government to re-think and reverse the additional employer taxes and increase in business rates. BII #MyPub #HeartoftheCommunity 10 Downing Street Department for Business and Trade Keir Starmer Rt Hon Rachel Reeves Jonathan Reynolds MP Gareth Thomas MP

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Action, outcomes and initiatives - check out our latest Impact Report!

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For anyone looking to learn more about We Are Beer industry and our recently released whitepaper, please check our events below. Learn more about: Horizons report We Are Beer Insight We Are Beer Expo & Conference Membership See you there!

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Say hello to your new coffee machine! Coffee is an essential part of any thriving workplace, and having the right coffee machine can make all the difference. Whether you're looking to upgrade your current setup or investing in a new one, finding the perfect coffee machine can be a challenging task. To help you make the best choice, we have created a guide that will take you through the decision-making process. A few simple answers will not only provide valuable insights into your requirements but also help us tailor our recommendations specifically to your needs. But that's not all! As a token of appreciation, we are offering an incredible £350 discount on your new coffee machine plus a £100 ingredient starter pack. Yes, you read that right! This exclusive offer is available only to those who complete the quiz and proceed with a no-obligation consultation in February. So, if you're ready to take your coffee experience to the next level and save a significant amount in the process, click on the link below to access our short survey : https://lnkd.in/esNz5aRP Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity to enhance your workplace coffee experience while saving some serious money. Complete a few simple questions and let's get you closer to your dream coffee machine! #coffee #coffeelovers #coffeemachine #businessoffer #discount #officecoffee #newproduct #officemanager #facilitymanagement

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Food production for our communities can go back to basics - we can reclaim local home grown seasonality as our collective food source. Do our local communities know what the farmers around them produce and where it goes? Is it going to the right place and how can we help? Localise production and distribution - investment is the only way to help this happen - not just for the goal of reaching net zero targets (yes this is important) - but to ensure the health and wellbeing of our communities for the long term. #humbleandwholebakery #localfood #organicfarming #sustainablefood #wrexham #rossett #socialenterprise #womenownedbusiness #bakery #realbread #welsh #ukfarming

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𝗕𝘂𝘅𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 £𝟭𝟮𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬: 😍 Derbyshire brewer and retailer BUXTON BREWERY COMPANY LTD was acquired out of administration by local high-net-worth individual Jeremy Middleton, for a total consideration of £120,000, Propel has learned. Rick Harrison and Howard Smith, of Interpath Advisory, were appointed joint administrators to Buxton Brewery Company and Axe Edge Bars on 20 May 2024. Founded in 2009 and operating from a custom designed and built brewhouse in Buxton, Derbyshire, the business is a producer and retailer of craft ale, producing upwards of 30 distinct brews, with volumes of around 3,500 litres per brew, daily. Trading under the Buxton Brewery brand, it supplies several supermarkets and pub brands nationally, as well as exporting overseas. In addition, the group also operates four taprooms and bars located in Buxton, alongside a pop-up bottle shop and online store. Immediately following their appointment, the joint administrators sold certain of the business and assets of the group to Happy Place Investors, which is backed by Middleton, who lives locally to Buxton. Middleton is the former chief executive of Media Square and ex-chairman of Hangar Seven, which The Hut Group acquired in 2017. He was believed to be looking to inject equity into Buxton Brewery last year. Interpath received two offers for the business, with a rival bid to Middleton’s of £145,000 coming in from an unnamed party, which wished to acquire the business and assets of the brewery via a pre-packaged sale and the shares of Axe Edge Bars on a solvent basis. The administrators said that despite this offer having a higher headline price, with no insolvency of Axe Edge Bars, Middleton’s offer was considered to provide a greater return to creditors as a whole. The administrators report stated: “Subdued trading continued during the year to March 2023, which resulted in operating losses of circa £400,000 with a cash impact of circa £500,000. The business took on a Recovery Loan Scheme loan from Investec Asset Finance (£300,000) to support the company together with other short-term unsecured funding. However, cash flows remained constrained in part due to the increase in debt servicing costs. The business was unable to repay amounts due to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), which totalled circa £500,000 as per the most recent set of management accounts (January 2024). In December 2023, the director approached a number of the company’s lenders and asset finance providers in an attempt to secure the refinancing of existing liabilities. These efforts were unsuccessful, and as a result the business was unable to demonstrate the required future cash flows necessary for a Time to Pay agreement with HMRC to be agreed. In order to assess their options in view of the ongoing liquidity position, the directors therefore approached Interpath to explore the refinance and sale options for the group.”

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Kerim Suavi of Leyton-based Crowbond Foodservice cuts through the flammery of much of the business advice seen on LinkedIn to set out the core principles that he thinks make businesses succeed. Check out this week's What I learnt interview here: https://lnkd.in/eHg9udEv #scaleups #management #leadership #business

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Looking for an update about how the Autumn Budget could impact to you if your a Holiday Honey owner? Then take a look at the below for information on; Business rates, Capital Gains Tax, Inheritance Tax & Stamp Duty. From our partners Zeal and B2Bfinance.com

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We love having a cheese department. For us, it is far from trying to be all things to all people; but rather having experts to select some astonishingly great cheeses, for people who really care about cheese. It mirrors the way in which we approach the world of meat. We only select the top 1% of the best of produce- that cannot be available to everyone. It really is limited edition & we care about who we supply and ensuring we keep getting it right, rather than focusing on intensive growth. What do you focus on? High growth or growing with the clients you have?

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Responding to today’s draft Scottish Budget, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in Scotland has welcomed the extension of business rates relief to most of Scotland’s hospitality sector, but condemned the failure to include small retail and leisure businesses as “a bitter pill to swallow.” FSB Scotland policy chair, Andrew McRae, said: We welcome the extension of 40% rates relief to the majority of Scottish hospitality venues, who have borne the brunt of the pressures on small businesses in recent years. They continue to be squeezed hard by sharply rising costs and customers cautious about spending amidst ongoing economic challenges. We are also pleased the lifeline Small Business Bonus Scheme has been protected and will continue to offer vital support to tens of thousands of small businesses up and down the country. The freezing of the basic property rate, or ‘poundage’, is also welcome. However, the refusal to extend the same rates relief to our small retailers and leisure providers is a bitter pill to swallow. The pressures they are facing are exactly the same as those in England and Wales, where relief has continued to be available since July 2022 – the last time such relief was offered in Scotland. As a result, many retailers will face yet more difficult decisions in the months ahead as they look to protect the future of their businesses and employees. The extra investment in tackling retail crime through a new pilot initiative is a positive step. However, given the scale of the issue, and that the hoped-for cushion in the form of rates relief has failed to be extended yet again, it will offer little comfort to small Scottish retailers this December.

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Good timing on this article - I have spoken with my MP Katie White OBE MP about the pressures hospitality faces the week, and I made particular reference to the business rate relief that is set to end in April. As it stands, we would likely have to cut a job at the brewery if the rate relief is abolished - we simply can’t afford to absorb any more increases in costs. Personally, I think we would add more to the local economy by employing an extra person that we would by paying their wages on business rates. I also suspect some businesses will actually close from an increase in business rates, normally with a statement like this from a leader of a large pub group I would suspect hyperbole but it isn’t this case this time. I normally take Budgets in my stride but this one is definitely causing a lot of nerves. https://lnkd.in/esNNvs-u

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This Thursday it’s TEDxStaffordshireUniversity Time I am thrilled to be taking the stage to share my idea… Of course I’m not going spill the gastronomical beans before Thursday… but…I would like to share something today… My interest is in hospitality, place making and people. Specifically in how we enable people to develop their aspirations. Now, I’m going to share a story that is all too common in the conversations I have with young people. I meet some incredibly talented young people who have a profound love for food. To be accurate it’s their calling… So many of these young people are directed away from a career in hospitality as it’s not convenient for low aspiration to be desired by a student with higher academic potential. I don’t blame schools, although I could share a few stories I have experienced first hand. What I can say is it’s a huge PR challenge for hospitality… Hugely under staffed and undesired by many who want a career with solid prospects. A converstaion yesterday gave me incredible hope. A young man who is working partime with us who has been pushed away from hospitality and looking at becoming an engineer is thinking that an apprenticeship with F E A S T E D may be a valuable oppourtunity. His school didn’t feel they could support his learning in food studies and could only support him in a more academic route. He is gifted. He falls into the high functioning autism/ ADHD common in chefs. His knowledge is years above his peers. This applies to skills and contextual knowledge. Why is this not a good path for him? With great mentorship this young man can achieve great things. Like so many young chefs mentorship is often present. Within my TEDX Talk I hope to address this as I share my ‘big idea’ Hospitality can be an incredible career especially if we allow ourselves to realise its full potential to help those within it to develop their sense of ambition. It requires a sense of purpose and practice that is akin to other professions. A career pathway that engages and doesn’t put young people off. Please… all I ask is listen to this with curiosity #tedx #hospitality

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Are you seeing this pull through to your bills? Food inflation for the hospitality sector fell to 4.6% in May, it’s lowest level for 28 months, according to the latest CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index (FPI), suggesting a significant shift towards price stability across the foodservice sector. READ>>> https://lnkd.in/gSAeCWCS

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Investing in sustainability is not just about doing the ‘right thing’ it’s imperative in meeting consumer and, perhaps more pertinently, team expectations. Hospitality teams are generally young and eco-conscious, and if you don’t have a strong commitment to sustainability they may not stay with you for long: >> 43% say they would consider resigning over poor sustainability; >> 19% say say they have already done so. They want management to communicate with them better and want to be involved: >> 70% think a commitment to sustainability will save their business money; >> 66% say it makes them proud, with 50% saying it boosts staff morale; >> 61% think it increases customer satisfaction. The report makes compelling reading. Great work by Nutritics and CGA by NIQ , with a little help from me and Christine Martin. No excuse not to download and read. #sustainability #workforce #retention #recruitment

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