Hardy and Hansons pubco tipped for takeover
Hardys and Hansons, the brewer and pub operator, is being tipped as a possible takeover target after saying that profits would fall short of expectations. – The Times, 8 October

Scottish pubs fight to keep happy hour promotions
Pub industry leaders fighting to keep control over drinks promotions are to report the Scottish Executive to the Office of Fair Trading over its plans to ban "happy hours". The Scottish Beer and Pub Association, (SBPA) which represents about 1,500 of the country's 5,200 pubs, claims the Licensing (Scotland) Bill, which is passing through Holyrood, will dictate how much pubs can charge customers for drinks. – The Scotsman, 8 October

Whitbread admit shareholder pressure
Alan Parker, the Whitbread chief executive, has acknowledged to his senior executives that the company is under pressure from investors to prove that it should be allowed to remain independent. An internal memo outlines a “major transformation to the organisational structure of Whitbread”, involving the merging of the hotel and pub-restaurant divisions. – The Times, 8 October

More Holiday Inn sites get for sale sign
A package of 11 Holiday Inn hotels in the UK has been put up for sale by LRG Acquisition with an estimated price tag of £60m. – The Times, 8 October

Smoking ban will be total
The Government is to ban smoking in all bars under new proposals to protect drinkers and bar staff from passive smoking. Ministers have ditched plans to exempt pubs that do not serve food and are preparing to allow pubs to have segregated "smoking rooms". The U-turn follows an outcry from cancer charities and warnings that its proposals to exempt "vertical drinking" pubs - those that do not serve food - are unworkable. – The Independent, 9 October

Burger King shun low salt and fat to bring back flavour
Burger King has snubbed the Government’s attempts to reduce levels of salt, fat and sugar in food to make it healthier. It has pulled out of a joint initiative between the food industry and the Food Standards Agency to reformulate its foods to make them less unhealthy. The chain will instead concentrate on making its burgers and other products as “tasty” as it can — a decision that will mean no further cuts in salt, fat or sugar. – Sunday Times, 9 October

Costa Coffee may spin off from Whitbread
Sir Richard Branson has fuelled speculation of a Whitbread break-up by revealing that he has a team eyeing up parts of its David Lloyd leisure chain. Rumours have also emerged that the management of Costa Coffee, another division of Whitbread, has been talking to private equity firms about a possible buy-out of the chain. – Scotland on Sunday, 9 October

Pub food revenues continue to grow
The British public is set to rack up a record £28b eating out this year. The figure, revealed in a study carried out by Mintel and released by soft drinks group Britvic, will represent a £2b jump on the previous year and a 25% hike since 2000. The research also found that pubs were the most popular places to eat, accounting for £6.4b of the total - a 30% rise on 2004. – The Independent, 9 October

Jurys Doyle deal close to completion
Sean Dunne will hand over a cheque for €260m for the Jurys Ballsbridge site on Tuesday or face an interest penalty of €2.6m per month. The payment of the Dunne cheque is expected to be followed promptly by an offer for the hotel company from the Doyle and Beatty families. – Sunday Times (Irish edition), 9 October

Hospital food waste leves grow higher
One in 10 hospital meals is thrown away untouched, according to figures which raise fresh concerns over the hidden scandal of malnutrition among NHS patients. More than 17 million platefuls went into the bin last year. The amount of food wasted has risen despite the introduction of more appealing menus. – The Observer, 9 October

BA and Gate Gourmet close to settlement
The turbulent relationship between British Airways and caterer Gate Gourmet is finally set to be resolved this week. Although the two sides have agreed new contract terms, BA has so far refused to sign. The airline wants assurances that certain "operational issues" are sorted out, including establishing a date when food will be available again on short-haul flights, before it puts pen to paper. – The Independent, 9 October

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