Results, finance, appointments, capital schemes, and more. News in brief from brewers, venue owners, and other hospitality businesses
B&B Attachments has further strengthened its long-standing relationship with Camerons Brewery with the supply of four new KAUP keg clamps to support the brewery’s logistics.
The investment builds on a partnership spanning 20 years, during which B&B Attachments has supplied and supported Camerons’ materials handling equipment. Alongside the supply of the new attachments, B&B continues to provide the ongoing servicing, maintenance, and inspection of Camerons’ keg clamps.
Designed specifically for the safe handling of kegs, the clamps enable operators to move multiple kegs securely and efficiently, reducing product damage while improving productivity.
• The idea that Westminster Council wants to ‘ban’ people from standing outside pubs drinking, in Soho and the West End of London, is misleading, says Keystone Law licensing partner Niall McCann. “The reality is that the council is consulting on whether it should look more favourably on applications to vary existing licences where opportunities for vertical drinking are removed,” he says. “Provided they operate responsibly, existing pubs will not be required to change their style of operation and customers will continue to knock back pints while standing up.”
But he adds: “The real story is more nuanced, but just as serious. Much of the West End and Soho fall in what is called the West End Cumulative Impact Zone, which highly restricts applications for new licences or variations to existing licences. Certain types of licensed establishment (for example, restaurants, where you must have a substantial meal with alcohol) are broadly welcomed, whereas others (such as bars) are not just discouraged, but effectively banned. This simplistic approach stifles innovation and causes areas to stagnate in what is a closed-shop environment.
“Rather than having such zoning, it would be more sensible for every application to be treated on its own merits (a key tenet of licensing law) with an application for, say, a new wine bar in Soho with standing being granted if the applicant puts in place thorough and innovative policies and procedures to avoid public nuisance and crime. Such an approach would encourage all operators to raise their standards and ensure the West End and Soho remain international destinations for nightlife.”
• Diageo is to double Guinness production on the back of a rise in sales of 12% in the year to June. An investment in the brand is aimed at increasing global sales, particularly in North America.
This was revealed as part of a broader turnaround plan that will see Diageo find $1bn in savings.
“The savings will allow us to invest in innovation selectively where we need to improve our competitiveness, but they also allow us to do so without needing to reduce the operating profit,” said new Diageo chief executive, Sir Dave Lewis.
• Great British Drinks Company, an umbrella for the operation of Purity, North, and Saltaire breweries, has appointed former Buxton Brewery MD Dominic Metcalfe as managing director.
“I am quietly optimistic as to how we can build a sustainable business going forward,” said Metcalfe. “Seeing the sheer scale of the operation at Black Sheep, the tranquillity of brewing Purity on a beautiful farm in Warwickshire, and the history and provenance of a bygone industrial era in Saltaire tells me we have all the keys to unlock growth and profitability when combined with some exceptional people.”
• Wadworth & Co Ltd shares have been admitted to trading on Asset Match Private Market. Wadworth has traded its A ordinary shares through quarterly auctions on the Asset Match platform since February 2023, with more than 300,000 shares traded to date. Its move to the Asset Match Private Market represents the first opportunity for shares in Wadworth to be made available to a broader pool of eligible investors through an extended trading event.
Simon Townsend, chairman of Wadworth, said: “Wadworth has been proudly independent since 1875 and has always taken a long-term approach to building the business for the benefit of our customers, employees, and shareholders.
“We are really pleased to be working with Asset Match, and our progression to their Pisces platform is the latest stage of our share-trading journey. Historically, the team at Asset Match has operated a restricted market in the shares, so this move provides an opportunity to broaden awareness of the company and enable a wider pool of eligible investors to participate in Wadworth’s future growth and success.”
• Global revenue at Heineken rose by 3.8% to €17.56bn in the first six months of 2026, compared to the same period last year. In the UK, Cruzcampo lager and Murphys stout are particularly good drivers of sales.
• Punch has acquired two Sheffield pubs – The British Oak and The Old Grindstone – from True North Brew Co. The value of the deal has not been disclosed.
