30/06/2026 09:24:00
BrewDog opened a new style of venue on 27 June, focused on operations guided by its surrounding community, reports Pub & Bar. Following the sale of the business to Tilray Brands, Inc. in March 2026, its Inverurie bar will be the first site to be reimagined as a 'community-first' venue that gives local residents and community groups a formal voice in how it is run. While BrewDog will own and operate the bar on a day-to-day basis, a new 'Community Champions' model is being established by Tilray, drawn from local residents, original Equity for Punks investors and local organisations. These people will help shape events and programming, and help decide how the venue can support community initiatives. BrewDog says it intends to pilot this new model at Inverurie, before expanding it to other bars in the UK.
The Chickpea Group has opened The Great Decoy in the village of Hurstbourne Tarrant in Hampshire. Marking the group's 10th opening, the pub - which was formerly known as The George & Dragon - has undergone a sensitive and extensive renovation over the past several months, writes Boutique Hotelier. Downstairs, The Great Decoy offers space for around 90 covers inside and a further 60 outside in the courtyard garden to the rear. The kitchen focuses on hearty pub fare making the most of seasonal British produce, with an emphasis on working with local suppliers in Hampshire and the surrounding counties.
Mission Mars, the operator of the Rudy's Napoletana and Albert's Schloss brands, has posted record group revenue of £116.5m, up from £92.9m the previous year, reports The Caterer. For the year ended 28 September 2025, the company delivered profit before tax of nearly £7.2m, compared to £2.5m over the same period last year. Rudy's brought in £62.2m in revenue (FY24 £46.4m), while its bars revenue rose from £46.7m last year to £53.8m. During the period, Mission Mars opened seven new Rudy's pizzerias across Prestwich, Newcastle, Leamington Spa, West Bridgford, Clapham Common, Bristol and Brighton. The group plans to open six new Rudy's Napoletana sites in 2026 and hinted at plans for Albert's Schloss's expansion across the UK and "potentially overseas markets".
A new British hotel collection specialising in the UK staycation market is set to launch its first property in Cornwall this autumn, The Caterer reports. The Elysium Collection, which takes its name from the ancient Greek concept of eternal paradise, is led by chief executive James Houlston, owner of the Swan in the Lake District and St Michaels Resort in Falmouth. The group revealed it will begin a three-year programme of restoring six hotels it has acquired in recent years, the majority of which are former Coast & Country properties. Elysium Collection has invested £100m in its project and aims to become a "market-leading brand with hotels in the UK and beyond". The Caterer understands the group is targeting 20 sites across the UK in the near-term, focusing on coastal areas that offer wellness and F&B.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced the return of the Summer Streets fund in a bid to boost trade in the capital. First introduced last year, the initiative will see 15 projects receive a share of nearly £500,000 to support al fresco dining, family-friendly events and extending trading hours. Businesses reported a welcome boost in footfall following last year's inaugural Summer Streets Fund, which saw projects completed in Lambeth, Hackney, Waltham Forest and Westminster, writes the Morning Advertiser.
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has announced the winners of its Pub Design Awards 2026, which celebrate 'the UK's most visually stunning, lovingly restored and historically significant pubs'. There are also ambitious conversions, and buildings which have made a real difference to their community. This year's winners range from a deconsecrated church converted to a pub, to a careful and sensitive restoration of a historic heritage pub dating from the 1800s, METRO reports...