Today’s news in brief – 28/04/25

Hospitality insolvencies were down 11% to 3,402 in the 12 months to February 2025, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Insolvencies in the sector fell 20% to 271 in February 2025, compared with the same month last year (339). However, they remain historically higher than pre-pandemic levels. Overall, the number of registered company insolvencies in England and Wales was 1,992 in March 2025, 2% lower than in February 2025 (2,032) but 9% higher than the same month in the previous year.

Punch Pubs and Co has acquired The Crown in Market Drayton. The town centre pub, located on Queen Street, will now be part of Punch’s leased and tenanted estate. It will be managed by experienced, multiple operators Ami Sanobar and Darren Paul, who will reopen the pub with former general managers Nikki and Mike at the helm. The duo will work alongside Sanobar, Paul and their dedicated team to ensure a “seamless” transition into the Punch estate. The Crown boasts a “traditional aesthetic” with its refurbished wooden interior. 

Woolwich pub the George IV has reopened following a six-figure investment, creating four new jobs in the local community. Offering live sports, the pub has improved its amenities with three new Sky Q boxes. As a result, this enables the George IV to show multiple different sports, or matches at the same time, all on newly installed HD TVs. Externally, the pub’s outdoor area has seen an investment with new furniture and two new trough planters and a new astro turfed outdoor section.