Eat Out From £5

Champagne is flat but its rivals still sparkle

Majestic Wine said that like-for-like champagne sales to individual customers had fallen by 5 per cent over the festive period

Downturn. Er, what downturn?

12,000 jobs created in $9 billion Las Vegas boom

You can't use a crisp packet as a parachute

The Advertising Standards Authority has decided to ban adverts for Ladbrokes that show a skydiver jumping from an aircraft

More companies join M&S in making job cuts

Retailers, food manufacturers, housebuilders and pub groups are among the companies most affected by the economic crisis

Stag Brewery is to close after 198 years

Landmark familiar to fans of Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race will shut next year as part of cost savings by owner InBev

Admiral hires veteran to run pubs that underperform

One of Britain's biggest pub groups is to sell one tenth of its pubs and has marked another fifth for special attention

Business big shot: Sinclair Beecham

Entrepreneur hotelier and founder of Pret A Manger is driven by a desire to 'give guests what they really want'

Punch gives landlords the chance to buy pubs

The group, Punch Taverns, sent letters to lessees at the end of last month asking them to make offers by about Easter

Food for thought

Excel in chase for big casino

The home of the London Boat Show, the Excel exhibition centre in London’s Docklands, has revived plans to open a large casino

Wetherspoon likely to kick off price war

No 1 high street pub chain issues a challenge to rivals and angers alcohol charities with offers on beer, lager and wine

Folio Hotels rescue set to secure 2,000 jobs

Hotel operator ran into cashflow problems when the recent downturn in trading left it unable to cover rent obligations

Shares frozen as PBR fails to file results

Premium Bars & Restaurants has been in talks with RBS to renew its banking amid fears it could be forced into administration

Premium Bars shares suspended

The group says it is close to finalising funding needs but not in time to file its accounts within AIM rules

Problems mount for Tchenguiz's pub project

Independent consultants are asked to review performance as pubs operator faces battle to avoid going into administration