Other news

Other May 2005 news.

Maxxium UK has posted a leap in trade over the Christmas period after a great performance by whisky brand, The Famous Grouse. In Scotland the whisky took 21% share of the market, according to ACNielsen stats, and in the impulse and convenience sectors sales increased 33% year on year for the brand.

Property tycoon Robert Tchenguiz is seemingly dominating our pages this month, as rumours reach us of a possible £200m offer for Yates bars. The Times reported that Mr Tchenguiz was planning on merging the chain with his Laurel Pub Company, which he acquired last year for £151m. This would create the UK’s biggest High Street bar operator.

We stick with consolidation in the UK pub and brewing sector to report that the Cumbrian-based Jennings Brothers has agreed an offer from Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries, which values the business at £45.8m. The real ale campaign group Camra, however, has hit out at the deal and is lobbying Jennings shareholders to reject the offer.

And of course we couldn’t sign off without mentioning that stellar performance from Tesco. The retailer posted a record £2bn annual profit this month, the first British retail business to do so. Sir Terry Leahy, Tesco’s chief, said further growth would come from the company’s international arm.