Rebel publicans threaten beer and rent strike - For more hospitality stories, see what the weekend papers say

Rebel publicans threaten beer and rent strike
Thousands of angry publicans are threatening a rent strike against Punch Taverns and Enterprise Inns in the wake of the Office of Fair Trading’s verdict that the beer tie between pubcos and tenants is not anti-competitive. The Pub Revolutionary Group, led by a Punch licensee from Southampton, claims to represent 2,000 disgruntled publicans who are planning to withhold payments for delivered beer and rent within the next few weeks. The group believes their protest will cost the pubcos £50m in the first three months. However, pubcos have dismissed the action as “irrelevant” and warned that licensees who refuse to pay rent will be in breach of their contract and risk losing their pubs. The rebels, who intend to buy their beer from other sources, are counting on safety in numbers. If faced with legal action, they say they will pay the money owed on the day before any court case. – 25 October, Read the full story in the Mail on Sunday >>
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OFT decision boosts share price at pubcos Punch and Enterprise
Britain’s leading pubcos, Punch Taverns and Enterprise Inns, saw their share price soar yesterday after the Office of Fair Trading threw out a super-complaint from the Campaign for Real Ale against the beer ties imposed by pubcos on their tenants. Enterprise Inns saw its shares rise by 28p to 147p while Punch saw a12½p rise to 97¼p. Analysts believe that any moves to remedy the beer ties could have cost the pub companies between 15% and 50% of their income. The tie obliges landlords to buy beer from the pub owners and critics say tenants are paying more than the market rate, putting them at a competitive disadvantage. – 23 October, Read the full article in the Daily Express >>

Savoy-trained chef plans chain of green, ethical restaurants
A Scottish chef who trained under Anton Edelmann at London’s Savoy hotel is planning to open a chain of green, ethical restaurant-delis called Pickedgreen across Scotland and the north of England. Steve Brown – who has also worked with Gordon Ramsay and Angela Hartnett - said he was inspired by the waste he has witnessed during his decade working in hospitality, such as leaving gas burners on in kitchens from seven in the morning to midnight. "We want to show that you can run a profitable, successful hospitality business with strong ethics behind it," said Brown. "We are using local suppliers and will use organic and free range where we can. Our kitchens will use no gas." Pickledgreen restaurants will be decorated with organic paint and fitted with energy-efficient fridges and cookers. Food waste will be recycled by a charity into fertiliser and each venue will employ at least one homeless person.  Brown and his Belgian business partner Mel Colmant will open their first branch in Edinburgh’s Rose Street next month, combining an upstairs dining room with a deli downstairs. They hope to open five branches before 2014. – 25 October, Read the full article in Scotland on Sunday >>


Food chief to join rival
It’s been announced that Philip Janesen, head of the European division of Sodexo, the French catering giant, is to join rival food firm Brakes as chief executive from next February. Jansen, 42, will continue to serve on the board of Sodexo’s  German arm. – 25 October, Read the full article in the Sunday Times >>


Sir Rocco Forte in restructure talks with bank
Sir Rocco Forte is in talks with HBOS bank about restructuring their joint-venture luxury hotel company, Rocco Forte Collection, to help it tackle the recession-fuelled downturn in business. A spokesman for Forte said the company was “over-geared”, adding: “Both companies are committed to the joint venture, but we are looking at some alternative structures. We are looking at ways to reduce our gearing at a difficult time for the hotel industry.” He said the talks were  “not unrelated” to the group’s decision to put its Le Richemond hotel in Geneva on the market. The group will this week announce that it has won the contract to manage the Shepheard hotel in Cairo while – 25 October, Read the full article in the Sunday Times >>


Lebanese chefs break hummus record in food war with Israel
Three hundred Lebanese chefs prepared a massive plate of hummus weighing more than two tons in a tent in downturn Beirut that used 2,976lb of mashed chickpeas, 106 gallons of lemon juice and 57lb of salt. The dish broke a world record previously held by Israel and is seen as part of Lebanon’s bid to reclaim ownership of the dish. Lebanese businessmen have accused Israel of stealing traditional Middle Eastern dishes such as hummus and marketing them worldwide as Israeli and last year Lebanon’s Association of Lebanese Industrialists announced plans to sue Israel over the issue. It is currently collecting documents and proof to formally register the product as Lebanese. "Lebanon is trying to win a battle against Israel by registering this new Guinness World Record and telling the whole world that hummus is a Lebanese product, it’s part of our tradition," said Fady Jreissati, vice president of operations at the International Fairs and Promotions group, which organised the event. – 25 October, Read the full article in the Sunday Express >>


Loch Fyne Oyster boss spells out benefits of employee ownership
Bruce Davidson, managing director of Loch Fyne Oysters, will be urging family firms to sell to employees rather than outsiders as a solution to succession problems at an Edinburgh event this week. According to the Scottish Family Business Association, only 33% of family firms make it to the second generation and just 9% to the third. Loch Fyne Oysters was sold to a trust representing its 100-plus staff in 2003 after the sudden death of co-found Johnny Noble. "Selling to employees provides more continuity than a sale to a third party,” said Davidson. “It rewards loyal staff who will be less likely to walk away and keeps the business in the community. At Loch Fyne we have a low absence rate and good staff retention." Davidson praised employee ownership for enabling longer-term planning and added that Loch Fyne staff had unanimously voted to take a six-month pay cut to aid cash flow in the recent downturn. Loch Fyne, which supplies sustainably-produced seafood from Scotland, is currently looking at a range of options to raise capital. – 25 October, Read the full article in Scotland on Sunday >>


By Angela Frewin

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