The Social Gaming Group, the tech-focused competitive socialising company, is partnering with BrewDog on a new events-led initiative designed to bring ‘social fitness’ to UK hospitality.
The programme of social gaming-led experiences will launch at BrewDog Waterloo, in London, on 29th January, and then be rolled out across selected BrewDog venues.
It features expert talks from Brewdog’s Fran Docx (strategy and creative director), Kian Bakhtiari (founder, The People), and Vanessa Stewart (commercial partnerships manager at Netball England), along with Dr Pardis Shafafi, anthropologist and marketing director at The Social Gaming Group. There will also be a social fitness-themed darts quiz, shuffleboard, and beer pong, showcasing the new BrewDog non-alcoholic beer Mello.
Smaller social fitness events, with shuffleboard and darts tournaments, will be held at BrewDog venues around the UK in subsequent weeks. Co-hosted by local wellness partners, the events will spotlight the importance of socialising as part of a healthy lifestyle and play as a central component of this.
• Losses at Welsh brewer and pub operator S A Brain rose from £137,000 to £396,000 in the year to 31st March, 2025, the company has reported. Turnover fell from £4,264,000 to £4,738,000.
“The directors continued to execute the remainder of the property disposal strategy, which resulted in an accounting profit on disposal of £210,000 (2024: £2,000) and facilitated the repayment of the term loan in full during the year,” said managing director Nick Payne.
“The strategic goal of securing the long-term sustainable future of the business is in sight.”
• UKHospitality chair Kate Nicholls says maintaining and creating jobs in the sector is getting more and more difficult.
Speaking after an Institute of Directors conference, she said: “Our sector is a critical employer in the UK, but with costs set to only rise further, maintaining jobs is becoming ever harder and generating new roles close to impossible.”
• Tom and Nicola Smith, of Muckle Brewery, in Northumberland, have announced their retirement and the closure of the 10-year-old business.
“We send a sincere thank you to our customers at farmers’ markets, events, stockists, and online,” said the couple on social media. “Your support has been amazing. We wish you a Merry Christmas and hope you enjoy great adventures in 2026.”
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• Turnover at Arkell’s rose 2.5% to £29,875,050 in the year ending 31st March, 2025. Profit before tax (not including property disposals) rose 10% to £2,732,276 (£2,680,162 2024).
“Whatever your political persuasion, the current financial pressures, and the aftermath of lockdown and Covid, patterns have changed for many of our customers and are unlikely to return,” said chairman James Arkell.
“In order to survive, many pubs don’t trade on Monday and Tuesday, some Wednesday. As a brewer and pub owner, this is a sad state of affairs.”
• Brewer and pub operator Tynemill, which trades as Castle Rock Brewery, saw profits before tax drop to £452,520 in the year to 31st March, 2025 (£466,902 in 2024).
The company sold the freehold of its Swan in the Rushes pub, Loughborough, and will re-invest the money into its brewing. Operating profit in brewing rose 4.6% in the last financial year.
• Profits at Punch Pub Company rose to £27,500,000 in the 52 weeks to 10th August, 2025, up from £24,600,000 the year before. Revenue rose to £337,900,000.
“Our business benefits from high Ebitda margins with low central overheads,” said the company, which operates 1,266 pubs nationwide.
“We predominantly operate leased and tenanted pubs, and pub partnership pubs, which benefit from inherently low operating gearing. Our overheads are limited and comprise primarily of non-pub staff costs and central activity costs, such as marketing and IT related costs.”
• Meanwhile, at the other of the two biggest UK pubcos, Stonegate says it is investing £42m in its leased and tenanted Pub Partners estate this financial year.
The launch of a new “co-investment programme” suggests licensees will still be expected to pay towards the “partnership”. The company says it is also investing in new and enhanced tools designed to assist publicans in running successful businesses.
• The Scottish Beer and Pub Association has welcomed the first minister’s proposal to create a bank holiday to mark the country’s participation in the football World Cup.
“Pubs have always been at the heart of these occasions, bringing fans together, and it will be extra special being able to cheer on Steve Clarke and the team this summer in North America,” said Paul Togneri, of the SBPA.
“We need local licensing boards to show flexibility and allow late opening so supporters can watch the match in their local pub to get the benefits of this proposed bank holiday.”
• The J D Wetherspoon sale has got under way, with offers including a pint of Worthington’s beer at 99p. There are also deals on selected menu items, including pizzas and jacket potatoes. The sale ends on 15th January.
The pub company has been granted a license to open a new 320-seat bar next to Charing Cross Station, in London.
• Cat & Wickets, the pub company established by former cricketers Stuart Broad and Harry Gurnet, recorded record revenue of £5.35 million in the year to 4th January, up 24% on the previous year.
The company’s newest pub – The Long Hop, in Burton upon Trent – has made a significant contribution to the total.
• South London-based Br3wery is to open a third taproom, in Furzedown. As well as beer, there will be wine from Crystal Palace Wine Club and sourdough pizzas from Naked Loaf Pizzeria.
Br3wery already has two bars in Beckenham.
