The final party

I never even considered drinking alcohol on the London Tube – if asked I would probably have thought it was illegal, I still remember being told that smoking was banned throughout the system when lighting a cigarette in the open air at Turnham Green about 25 years ago. 
And, even if I knew it was allowed, [...]

Read Full Post »

Bleak outlook for Northern Ireland pubs

Northern Ireland’s pubs and bars are facing a “bleak outlook” a year on from the smoking ban, according to the Publican.
Stephen Kelly, chief executive of the Federation of the Retail Licensed Trade Northern Ireland, said he expects the country to lose seven per cent of its pubs over the next two years.
Figures released earlier this [...]

Read Full Post »

A Bologna beer shop

Some of the beer places I write about involve complicated treks by bus, train or taxi or long walks in strange neighbourhood. I am happy to tell you that this won’t be necessary in Bologna, as the beer shop La Tane del Luppolo is located just ten minute’s walk away from the main sights of the city, [...]

Read Full Post »

Not a pork scratching to be seen

From the Evening Standard about the changing face of London pubs, which is not as bleak as some portray it:
Bewilderingly, food is now considered as important as drink – pork scratchings do not count. The market is now increasingly about “food, family and females”.
A wail of lamentation can be heard from those diehards who are [...]

Read Full Post »

Next winter could be cold

We have discussed this before:
Euro MPs will debate whether or not to phase out the use of patio heaters today.
A ban on patio heaters would upset thousands of pubs which have invested heavily in heaters for outdoor smoking areas since the ban.
Lib Dem MEP Fiona Hall has compiled a report on energy efficiency which “urges [...]

Read Full Post »

67 pubs closing every month

I would say it is not my fault, but if we should, for once, believe what we read in the Sunday Mirror, there are 67 pubs in Britain closing every month.
Bars are selling 50 million fewer pints of beer a month than they were a year ago.
Beer sales dropped by almost 10 per cent during [...]

Read Full Post »

The other side of the smoking ban

I am not going to bore you with lots of posts about the smoking ban, but I’d like to mention that the Economist Certain ideas of Europe blog covers the issue. Their focus is on all the outdoor heating systems being installed to accommodate the smokers (which I have blogged about before).
What none of these [...]

Read Full Post »