Thank you, and goodbye
FORGIVE me, dear reader, for this moment of reflection. After 11 and a half years on the trade beat, and occupying the editor’s chair for nearly the past …
VAT’s the way to do it
DEPENDING on your political perspective, the Coalition is either correct in its determination to see out its austerity programme, or it is time to put plan B …
An unwelcome Christmas gift
AS Christmas ‘gifts’ go, it would have been as welcome as an ill-fitting woolly jumper from grandma. In normal circumstances, licensed operators spend the …
New direction for Edinburgh board
IN an age of controlled media pronouncements, with politicians rarely allowed to stray ‘off message’, it’s always pleasing, if rare, to hear an elected …
Arran story is compelling
AS I sit at my computer, stroking my (Movember only) moustache and contemplating the latest developments in the trade, I find myself becoming more and more …
Time to tackle pubco inertia
IT wasn’t so long ago that it seemed positive steps would finally be taken to improve the tempestuous relationship pub tenants often have with their pubco …
No end to wholesale woes
OCTOBER 8, 2012 will go down as a dark day in the Scottish licensed trade’s history. Administrators acting on behalf of WaverleyTBS announced that there …
Cask growth is not small beer
THE rise and rise of Scotland’s small brewers has been something to savour in recent years. And happily, there’s still no sign of the bubble bursting. As …
Events, dear boy, events
PUBS around the country were teeming with Tartan Army foot soldiers last weekend as Scotland began its qualification campaign for the World Cup in Brazil in …
Making all the right noises
EVER since he assumed the licensing brief in 2007, justice minister Kenny MacAskill has often praised the value of the on-trade and the wider drinks industry …