ON-TRADE NEWS

Wetherspoon chills…Brothers plan cains chain…All Bar One cider deal…Smoking ban set for wales…Well-Endowed bar at Langham’s

Wetherspoon chills

Jd wetherspoon has invested £15 million in a new cooling system for draught beer, according to its full-year results for 2005/06. In last month’s announcement, the company’s chairman, Tim Martin, explained that this system would allow the pub chain, “to produce lower temperatures of dispense than are currently achieved by any major pub company”.

The chain now guarantees a temperature of between one and three degrees Celsius for all draught beers.

The new Australian cooling system is glycol-based, and located in the cellar, allowing for more bar space.

Wetherspoon currently operates 657 pubs, of which 200 are already making use of the new cooling system, with plans to roll it out to the remainder of the estate by January.

The chain also revealed plans to open a further 15 new pubs in the next year.

The rest of the chain’s full-year results were promising, despite the further opening of non-smoking pubs in the chain’s portfolio. Entirely non-smoking pubs account for 14% of Wetherspoon pubs. The company reports what it describes as a short-term drop in sales and profits in these pubs, trusting that the long-term benefits will, “outweigh the short-term issues”.

Brothers plan cains chain

Following their successful revitalisation of the Cains brewery in Liverpool, the Dusanj brothers are now focused on increasing their retail presence.

Sudarghara and Ajmail Dusanj recently revealed plans to open a chain of branded bars where the main emphasis will be on beer.

The first of these new high street bars is set to open in  Liverpool in January next year, and will apparently cost about £500,000.

The plan is to have three sites by 2008, and to continue to spread Cains’ presence nationwide.

The brothers have drawn comparisons with the café industry’s focus on coffee, saying that the “hero” of these bars would be beer, and specifically Cains.

The brewery was opened by Robert Cain in 1850, but changed ownership frequently during the 1900s. The Dusanj brothers bought Cains for £3.4 million when it was on the verge of closure in 2002.

All Bar One cider deal

Aspall Suffolk Cyder became All Bar One’s only bottled cider last month. As a result of a successful introduction of the brand into the Browns restaurant group which, like All Bar One, is owned by Mitchells & Butlers, Aspall was chosen to replace the chain’s existing cider brand.

In addition, All Bar One staff will participate in a training programme run by Aspall about various aspects of the brand, including a perfect serve that simply involves serving the drink chilled, in a traditional, branded glass.

Barry Chevallier Guild, sales and marketing director at Aspall, explains that the company: “operates at the top end of the cider market where consumers are searching for authenticity and heritage and demand the highest product quality, all of which has a perfect synergy with All Bar One”.

Smoking ban set for wales

wales has settled on 2 April 2007 as the date for the implementation of its smoking ban, well before England’s plans to implement the ban in summer next year.

First Minister Rhodri Morgan announced the date for the ban on smoking in enclosed public places last month, saying, “This is a decision which has been supported by all political parties across the [Welsh] Assembly and has been strongly advocated by health spokespeople of all other parties.”

Proposed regulations are currently undergoing a public consultation, and include definitions of “enclosed” spaces, as well as the signage that will be required by licensees.

Morgan said the ban would be implemented on the proposed date, “if all the legislation goes through Assembly procedures as expected”.

The announcement was met with criticism from the licensed trade, which suggested that setting the date before England’s was a political move.

Well-Endowed bar at Langham’s 

Artesian is the name of the Langham Hotel’s new bar, set to open this December. The style and service aspects of the London hotel’s bar, previously known as the Chukka Bar, will be developed by the Gorgeous Group.

Named after the well that was the source of the hotel’s water in the 19th century, the cocktail-focused Artesian will specialise in rum, whisky and Champagne.

The cocktail list will incorporate both old and new, and an extensive Champagne and wine list will also be available. Food will be available throughout the day.

© db October 2006