Latest news with #Butcombe
The Sun
20-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Huge brewer is introducing Friday beers discount and free pint loyalty scheme at more than 120 pubs
A MAJOR pub group is rolling out Friday evening drinks discounts and a free pint loyalty scheme in a fresh bid to win back customers. Butcombe, which runs more than 120 pubs across the UK including in the South West, is offering a 20 per cent discount on all drinks bought on Friday evenings – traditionally the busiest time of the week for locals. 2 The group is also giving away a free pint to customers for every five pints of Butcombe beer they purchase, as part of an upgraded loyalty programme aimed at boosting pub visits. Jonathan Lawson, chief executive of Butcombe, told the Financial Times that getting customers to return more frequently had become 'kind of the holy grail' for the industry. He said the biggest worry for pub operators right now is the drop in how often customers are visiting. With rising living costs, more people are choosing to drink at home, or cut down altogether. The Friday night drinks deal and beer club perks are Butcombe's answer to that trend. The loyalty scheme appears to be working – Butcombe said sales from loyalty card users made up 22 per cent of its total business in the first three months of this year. And Butcombe isn't alone. Greene King, which owns more than 2,700 pubs across the UK, is preparing to launch its first-ever app-based loyalty scheme. According to insiders, customers could soon earn discounts on everything from pints to pub grub and even overnight stays. The pub chain, which also runs the Chef & Brewer and Hungry Horse brands, recently made headlines by giving away 100,000 free pints during April. Customers just had to walk up to the bar and say, 'It's raining, can I have a free pint?' Other chains are following suit. Mitchells & Butlers – behind the likes of All Bar One and Harvester – is trialling a points system, while Fuller's is testing out rewards like two-for-one meals and free glasses of wine at 30 of its pubs. Industry experts say these kinds of offers are now becoming the norm. Saxon Moseley, hospitality lead at consulting firm RSM, said: 'Loyalty schemes are quickly becoming table stakes. "Pubs that don't offer one risk missing out.' It's all part of a wider effort to modernise how pubs attract and keep customers. Stonegate, the UK's biggest pub group with over 4,500 sites, spent £2 million developing its own loyalty app, which even includes a game where users can 'spin to win' a free pint. Chief executive David McDowall said loyalty schemes were now the industry's 'most important marketing tool'. He added: 'Pubs have been a little behind the rest of the hospitality industry. We are playing catch-up.' Meanwhile, more traditional players like Wetherspoons are staying out of the loyalty game – for now. Known for already offering some of the lowest prices on the high street, the chain says it has no plans to launch a points or rewards system. But with younger drinkers becoming more health-conscious and older customers tightening their wallets, loyalty offers could be what keeps some punters heading to the pub. NHS guidelines on drinking alcohol According to the NHS, regularly drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week risks damaging your health. To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level if you drink most weeks: men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis spread your drinking over 3 or more days if you regularly drink as much as 14 units a week if you want to cut down, try to have several drink-free days each week If you're pregnant or think you could become pregnant, the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all to keep risks to your baby to a minimum. You read more on the NHS website. 2
The Guardian
09-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Sunday with Nigel Havers: ‘We'll take the dog for a walk, she's a rare poodle-poodle'
Up early? I like to listen to Paddy O'Connell at 9am on Radio 4. It's a semi-political, opinionated show, with guests talking about the news. It's amusing, witty… and I've been a guest, so obviously highly next? We'll take the dog for a walk. She's called Charlie and she's a very rare breed – a black poodle-poodle. She does her own stuff, chasing this, chasing Maybe a bit of fruit, then I'll look at the papers. If I've got lines to learn, I'll do that. At 12.30, we walk to the pub for a pint of Butcombe. Then we walk back, have a brunchy lunch, scrambled eggs and to the tip? We might go to the tip, you're right. It's fantastic, but they're quite bossy: don't park there, reverse here. Sometimes I'm recognised. I'm very chatty at the activities? We'll watch a bit of racing. I don't gamble unless I actually go to the races, so I'll just do an imaginary bet – and I'll normally know your horses? I know a lot. It's about the going, whether it's soft, how long the race is, what the trainers say. Then anything can happen and you can get lucky or have no luck at for dinner? My gorgeous wife will usually do a roast chicken. I'll do jacket potatoes, even with a roast dinner, because it's healthier. Then she'll settle into Call the Midwife and I'll read. If I'm on telly, I'll go out of my way to avoid it. Why bother? I know what's going to thing before bed? My wife makes me a cup of Sleepytime tea. Sometimes I think she gives it to me to make me shut up. If I'm learning lines, then I'll have a look… I was told if you put the script under your pillow, you'll be word-perfect in the morning. It works brilliantly. Talking Bollocks, Nigel Haver's first ever live show, tours from 15 March
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Law change 'may lead to pub price hikes'
The price of the wholesale cost of some draft beers could be set to increase in Guernsey, brewer The Liberation Group has told its customers. It comes after changes to who qualifies as a "small brewer" in the States of Guernsey's November budget. This means the pub operator and brewing business now produces too much alcohol to qualify for any discount and may have to pass on price increases to its business customers, it said. The States of Guernsey was contacted to comment on the pricing change. In correspondence seen by the BBC, The Liberation Group told its business customers it faces raising the "wholesale price" of some Liberation and Butcombe kegs by between 30 and 50% because of the change. The Liberation Group said it was in active discussions with the States of Guernsey about the change. The threshold for what constitutes a small brewer has been lowered from 200,000 hectolitres to 5,000. The Liberation Group had previously received a 50% tax discount. Jonon Le Sueur, chair of the Channel Islands branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra), said the change could lead to price rises at the taps. "In real terms, previously the brewery would have paid 30% duty - now it's more like 60 pence a pint duty and that probably will end up being passed on to the consumer," he said. "Overhead costs to the pubs are increasing all the time so it is going to be detrimental to the industry as a whole and impact the drinking public." Some small-scale makers who will be in receipt of an extra 10% tax relief this year are supportive of the changes however. Guernsey producer James Meller, of Rocquette Cider, said it would enable his business to remain "competitive" alongside bigger producers. "I think the production levels for a small producer was quite high so the law change is wholly appropriate," he said. Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to The Liberation Group Limited Push to maintain healthy drinking throughout year What does the budget mean for you?
BBC News
28-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Draft beer 'could increase in price' due to law change
The price of the wholesale cost of some draft beers could be set to increase in Guernsey, brewer The Liberation Group has told its customers. It comes after changes to who qualifies as a "small brewer" in the States of Guernsey's November budget. This means the pub operator and brewing business now produces too much alcohol to qualify for any discount and may have to pass on price increases to its business customers, it States of Guernsey was contacted to comment on the pricing change. Active discussions In correspondence seen by the BBC, The Liberation Group told its business customers it faces raising the "wholesale price" of some Liberation and Butcombe kegs by between 30 and 50% because of the change. The Liberation Group said it was in active discussions with the States of Guernsey about the threshold for what constitutes a small brewer has been lowered from 200,000 hectolitres to 5, Liberation Group had previously received a 50% tax discount. 'Wholly appropriate' Jonon Le Sueur, chair of the Channel Islands branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra), said the change could lead to price rises at the taps."In real terms, previously the brewery would have paid 30% duty - now it's more like 60 pence a pint duty and that probably will end up being passed on to the consumer," he said."Overhead costs to the pubs are increasing all the time so it is going to be detrimental to the industry as a whole and impact the drinking public."Some small-scale makers who will be in receipt of an extra 10% tax relief this year are supportive of the changes producer James Meller, of Rocquette Cider, said it would enable his business to remain "competitive" alongside bigger producers. "I think the production levels for a small producer was quite high so the law change is wholly appropriate," he said.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Butcombe Brewing partners with UK trail running series
Butcombe Brewing Co has partnered with the Maverick Race Trail Running series. All race participants will be able to celebrate their achievements with a bottle of Butcombe's non-alcoholic beer at the finish line. This includes the award-winning Goram IPA Zero and the newly released Tall Tales Pale Ale Zero. READ MORE: Dorset bloodbike group seek new volunteers to join charity Runners to receive Butcombe's non-alcoholic beers as they finish Maverick Race (Image: Propaganda PR) Marketing director, Bruce Rowland, said: "We are delighted to be working with Maverick Race as its main beer partner. "We are passionate about getting involved with and supporting the communities we serve so this is the perfect way to meet people in some of the most beautiful parts of the UK and toast their athletic successes with our ever-popular Goram IPA Zero and our brand-new Tall Tales Pale Ale Zero non-alcoholic beers." Maverick Race's co-founder and CEO, Ben MacWilliam, said: "We can't wait to celebrate this partnership with all of you on race days—cheers to an exciting journey ahead."
