The Heatwave: what does this mean for the drinks industry? This week’s weather has made history as the UK issued its first-ever red weather warning. Monday and Tuesday saw record-breaking temperatures and as expected, sales of fans, ice and ice creams rose significantly. Some drinks brands were quick to jump on government advice to avoid alcohol with York Gin Distillery suggesting consumers opt for water over gin and tonics for the first half of the week at least. As well as reaching for water and softs, Brits are also consuming alcohol. UK supermarket chain Aldi sold more rosé wine last week than any other weekend over the past 12 months, as did Majestic Wine where a bottle of rosé was sold every 12 seconds. It appears to be good news for cider too, PROOF’s research has shown that 1 in 5 consumers have consumed apple cider in the past week either on or off-trade, making it the third most popular alcoholic drink behind lager (36%) and white wine (28%). The impact on the on-trade remains to be seen as traditionally a heatwave has translated in more dwellers in beer gardens but given the extreme temperatures, it meant many consumers opted to stay at home. With air conditioning not being commonplace in many venues, some opted to close their doors as they are unable to control the temperatures, especially for kitchen staff. And in some extreme cases, the wildfires forced venues to close. Contact PROOF to find out what else consumers have been drinking in the heatwave.
Source: PROOF’s POURtrait panel, Spirits Business, The Guardian, Gov.uk, The Morning Advertiser |
Partnered pub advice praised by publicans. New market research commissioned by The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has found that more than three-quarters of licensees running a partnered pub praised the advice they receive from their pub company’s Business Development Managers (BDMs). In a survey of over 300 licensees across six UK pubcos, 80% of publicans responded positively to questions regarding the relationship with their BDMs, stating that they felt that advice given by them, on everything from market trends to renovations, was professional, transparent, and fair. BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin said the survey reinforces “how helpful it can be to have a pub company to turn to for advice” and that the partnership pub model is successful in “matching people embedded in the communities they serve with the market knowledge and oversight to ensure their pubs can thrive”. Three-quarters of respondents were also positive regarding their relationship with the pub company overall, partly due to the financial and broader support provided during the pandemic as well as citing an improvement in general since the passing of the Pubs Code in 2016; the statutory code introduced to regulate the relationship between pub tenants and the pub-owning businesses which rent the pubs to them. The positive relationship between licensee and BDM highlighted in the BBPA survey echoed earlier drinks market research conducted by the Pub Code Adjudicator, which found that 76% of tenants agreed their BDM was also fair in discussions. Source: Morning Advertiser, BBPA, Gov.uk |
New wedding laws could shake up the hospitality industry. The Law Commission has proposed an update of wedding laws that will put the UK in line with many other Western countries. Currently, venues must hold a wedding license to host a wedding. Licenses are subject to a plethora of restrictions and can cost each venue over £2000, meaning UK couples have a limited choice when choosing a venue. The Commission has described the existing laws as “unfair and inconsistent”, with new rules allowing venues to host weddings without the need for a license. The proposed rules would allow weddings to take place anywhere, provided the location is considered dignified and safe by the presiding official. The changes would open a wide variety of options for couples, such as getting married on a beach, in a pub or even at home or in the garden. The rules would likely cause a shift in the UK wedding industry, moving the focus away from hotels and specialised venues. Opportunities would open for other sectors of the hospitality industry, such as pubs and restaurants, who could provide wedding services without the need for costly licenses. The greater freedom also allows couples to marry in public spaces or even in their own homes, providing increased opportunity within the off-trade. Furthermore, we could see more weddings happening in the country, as the relaxed rules encourage couples who choose to marry abroad (no figures available) to have a wedding in the UK. Source: The Guardian |
Investments, Mergers & Acquisitions:
Sources: Big Hospitality, Propel, Harpers, The Caterer |
New Product Launches & Campaigns:
Sources: Campaign Live, Beverage Daily, British Guild of Beer Writers, Convenience Store, The Grocer, The Drinks Report |