James Watt eyes entire Brewdog UK business in comeback swoop Hospitality James Watt’s shock comeback bid for Brewdog would see him take control of the craft beer firm’s entire UK and Australian operations, Morning Wire has learned. The Scottish entrepreneur, who co-founded Brewdog, has proposed to buy back the company’s entire operations excluding its US arm. Watt’s bid marked a new twist in the dramatic Brewdog [...]
Why Gen Z are paying to go to ‘house parties’ Opinion London hospitality is struggling as Gen Z rein in nights out, so why are Little Door’s house party-style bars thriving, asks Anna Moloney.
Would a £10bn VAT cut really save hospitality? Hospitality Calls for the government to slash VAT on hospitality firms have been backed by pub and restaurant bosses, and Prime Minister hopeful Andy Burnham. What would this tax break really mean for the economy? The UK’s pubs, hotels and restaurants say they are at breaking point. Higher business rates, hikes to national insurance and minimum [...]
Where can I watch the Fifa World Cup from in London? June 8, 2026 Book your tables and pre-order those booze towers because the World Cup is here – for more than a month – and Morning Wire has you covered. Here are the sport desk’s top nine non-traditional spots to enjoy the footie from. Brigadiers The City staple is an ideal place for those early 8pm kick-offs. Its [...]
Office foodies, the working lunch needs YOU! May 21, 2026 Amid a hospitality crisis, it's up to workers to take longer, boozier lunches and power the economy, says Nicole Gordon.
How bakers became the rock stars of London’s post-booze era April 22, 2026 Bakers have developed the clout of mixologists, finds Adam Bloodworth Anna Higham finds it extremely stressful when a queue forms outside her Quince bakery in Islington. She feels that, by definition, a line means she can’t give her best service, but she acknowledges that for many of the capital’s bakery touring elite, the absence of [...]
Bar of the week: Flipdog, the Shoreditch spot stoking its cocktails with a hot poker March 18, 2026 Hot pokers and experimental cocktails? Thanks very much, says Anna Moloney in her write up of new Shoreditch hotspot Flipdog.
February showers dampen hospitality sales March 18, 2026 February’s wet weather kept Brits at home as hospitality sales fell compared to last year, extending a poor start to the year for the sector. The rainy month meant total like-for-like sales were 0.2 per cent lower than in February 2025, with sales having dropped 0.1 per cent year on year in January, according to [...]
Brewdog US bars snapped up by beer firm’s UK buyer March 16, 2026 The US cannabis firm which bought craft beer giant Brewdog’s UK arm has agreed to buy some of its American bars and brewing facilities. Tilray Brands, a pharma firm which sells cannabis and alcoholic lifestyle products, struck the deal for a string of Brewdog’s US operations after sealing a £33m deal for the beer firm’s [...]
Hospitality sector braces for ‘devastating’ tube strikes March 12, 2026 London’s hospitality sector could face “devastating” disruption from upcoming tube strikes, sector leaders have warned. Members of the RMT union, which represents London Underground staff, will strike over 12 days between March and May, and hospitality intelligence firm Access Hospitality has warned sector bosses to prepare now to protect their revenue. The last set of [...]