Today’s news in brief – 15/07/24

Drinks sales in managed venues rose 6% in the week ended Saturday 6 July, following the same rate of growth in the previous week and a 9% increase in the seven days before that. Growth peaked on Sunday 30 June when sales rose 40% as a result of England’s last 16 Euros game against Slovakia.

RSPCA president Chris Packham has urged Wagamama to stop using salmon farms. This comes after campaign groups, Feedback and WildFish. The campaign groups have been critical of Wagamama for claiming to ‘tread softly’ as a business, while “refusing to discuss its decision to put farmed salmon on its menus”. 

Pub and restaurant market activity has improved in H1 compared with the “subdued” levels seen last year, according to Christie and Co’s Pubs and Restaurants Mid-Year Market Insight report. It comes as the property adviser’s transactional metrics trended upwards since January this year, albeit off soft year-on-year comparables.

Scotsman Group is offloading four traditional public houses for undisclosed sums. The four licensed venues include the Beresford Lounge and Hummingbird in Glasgow, the Illicit Still in Aberdeen, and The Bothy in Perth.