BrewDog, Heavitree, Adnams, Safestay, Dalata, jobs, trading & other:

A DAY IN THE LIFE:

It occurred to me over the weekend that, even in this digital age of atomic clocks, no two timepieces in our house tell the same time.

And the car would have it that it’s another time altogether, normally GMT in the summertime and BST in the winter so, all things considered, how does this happen?

Well, obviously, it must be ghosts.

What other answer could there be? Or maybe it’s poltergeists or whichever of that bunch it is that can actually tamper with the physical because, as Sherlock Holmes made plain, if you’ve discounted all other possibilities then what you’re left with must be the answer.

Anyway, it’s the start of another five day week.

And the morrow will see us move into the second half of the current year and summer lethargy may well soon set in.

However, for the moment, let’s move on to the news: 

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PUBS & RESTAURANTS:

Trading:

CGA’s latest Daily Drinks Tracker has reported that drink sales in the weeks to 7 June fell by 6.8% on the same week in 2024 whilst sales in the following week, the week to 14 June, were up by 4.4%…

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Jobs market:

A report by Adzuna has suggested that AI is at least partly responsible for a one third drop in the number of new entry-level jobs being advertised since ChatGPT was launched in November 2022….

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Other news:

Sport in pubs: Lumina Intelligence has told attendees at the MCA’s Pub Conference that the current performance of the UK pub market was slightly under that of the overall eating and drinking out market in terms of value growth, with the pub sector forecast to reach £24.09bn in 2025 – up 2%, compared to a 2.6% uplift in the value of the total market….

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Economic growth: The CBI has reported that ‘private sector companies expect activity to fall at a firm pace in the three months to September (weighted balance of minus 18%).’ Its latest Growth Indicator shows that expectations are less negative relative to May, but they ‘extend a period of pessimism that began late last year….’

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Global demand. Drinks Business reports that new research from IWSR reveals that while global alcohol spending is under pressure, ‘Gen Z is engaging with drinking – and premium beer is outperforming wine and spirits….’

Extended Producer Responsibility: This could add 9p to a bottle of wine and 4p to a bottle of beer as part of its wider net-zero strategy.

COMPANY NEWS:

The Times reports that Brewdog has trained 200 staff as mental health first aiders as the “punk” craft beer brand aims to distance itself from historic claims of bullying and a “culture of fear”. The founders have stepped back from the day-to-day running of the business and, The Times reports, James Taylor, the new chief executive, insists the business is “well past” the previous controversies….

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The Heavitree Brewery on Friday reported H1 results to 30 April saying that revenue rose by 3.6% to £3.5m with operating profits slightly lower at £524k (2024: £546k). The company reports that exceptional profits on the sale of property, plant & equipment rose to £1.05m (2024: £0.30m) and the PBT for the period subsequently rose to £1.57m from £0.85m in the prior year…

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Adnams on Friday updated on trading in a statement read at its AGM. The company reiterates that the ‘increased employers’ National Insurance contributions, announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in October 2024, would add approximately £1m to the company’s employment costs in 2025…’

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Hawkstone Brewery investor Jeremy Clarkson, no stranger to making headline-grabbing claims, has said that he is aiming for ‘total domination of the British lager market’.

Starbucks in the US has announced the appointment of former senior Google employee and Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer to its board.

Campari CEO Simon Hunt is credited with having begun restructuring the company via the €100m sale of Cinzano and Frattina.

The FT reports that senior Bacardi family member and current head of the company in Europe and Latin America Ignacio del Valle, has said that he does not believe that the alcohol market is in structural decline.

HOLIDAYS & LEISURE TRAVEL:

Safestay has announced the signing of a 12-year lease agreement to operate a 300-bed hostel in the centre of Naples, Italy. It reports that subject to the final licensing requirement, the hostel, set inside a former monastery, is set to open in August 2025….

Dalata Hotel Group has announced its second Hotel in Germany. It will be its fourth in Continental Europe. The 274 Bedroom Clayton Hotel is set to open in Berlin in 2026. Shane Casserly, Deputy CEO of Dalata Hotel Group, says ‘we are very excited to announce our first hotel in Berlin, a leading global travel destination and a key strategic location in our European expansion strategy.’

The FT reports that holidaymakers, turning away from the US and the Middle East, are likely to turn up in Europe’s hotspots this summer and add ‘to growing concerns about overtourism on the continent.’

Heathrow on Friday reported that ‘in the five months to May 2025, we have seen strong demand in traffic at Heathrow with 32.6 million passengers travelling through the airport. For 2025, we continue to forecast passenger traffic of 84.2 million (+0.5% vs FY24) – in line with Q1 guidance and the December Investor Report…’

The BBC reports that Uber’s use of dynamic pricing ‘has led to higher fares for passengers and lower earnings for drivers, whilst increasing the company’s share of revenue.’

OTHER LEISURE:

The Daily Mail reports that the ‘craze for ‘holistic’ health pursuits such as yoga, Tai Chi and spirit dance has pushed memberships to record levels at the upmarket David Lloyd clubs….’

US President Donald Trump reports that he has a buyer for TikTok. He told Fox News that he had a group of ‘very wealthy people’ willing to acquire the platform. He said ‘I’ll tell you in about two weeks.’ The most recent of several deadlines for the sale or closure of the platform is 19 September.

FINANCE & MARKETS:

US President Donald Trump is reported to have muddied the water re his proposed tariffs….

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Small and micro businesses in the UK will have to disclose more information from April 2027 including details of their profit and loss statements. Abbreviated accounts will no longer be acceptable and all companies will be required to file their accounts using commercial accounting software, replacing traditional web and paper-based systems.

Sterling lower at $1.3721 and €1.1708. Oil lower at $67.63. UK 10 year gilt yield up 3 basis points at 4.50%. World markets better on Friday & London set to open around 3 points higher as at 6.30am.

RETAIL WITH NICK BUBB:

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