Ed Bedington

Discover the pub companies shortlisted for the 2026 Publican Awards. From top food and drink operators to innovative experiential brands, see who made the cut and what’s next in the UK’s leading pub and bar competition.

Urban Fun launches its Kingston venue featuring arcades, duck-pin bowling, AR darts, axe throwing, mini-golf, and VR gaming. With a unique Gamergreen prize system and 24,000 sq ft of entertainment, the brand is set to expand across the UK.

As 2025 ends, pub operators face mounting challenges from unfair tax burdens and rising costs. This opinion piece calls on the Government to deliver real reform on business rates before communities lose their vital hubs.

BrewDog's new owner aims for stabilisation of the business, adds five sites and affirms that the UK remains the foundation of the operation.

Ask for Angela unveils its refreshed branding and Official Pledge, calling on hospitality venues to commit to delivering safer, more consistent support.

The Lock In podcast takes a look at the rules of the pub - do we need rules and what should the rules be? We speak to a number of top operators to find out why customer's need rules.

Ed Bedington hosts a reaction chat with Heath Ball and family pub operator Phil Sutton on the Government’s 5% VAT cut for children’s meals – does it help pubs, or add complexity for little reward?

UKHospitality chair Kate Nicholls urges operators to capitalise on the summer VAT cut for under-18s, highlighting opportunities to boost trade, attract young diners and drive long-term sector growth.

The Morning Advertiser editor Ed Bedington chats to Justine Bedford, who operates the Royal Dyche in Burnley about the Government U-turn that will allow pubs to open until 5am for the Mexico v England World Cup match on Monday 6 July.

A look at the irony of Starmer and Reeves marking their departure in a pub, and what a new government could mean for hospitality and pubs.