“Winter will be hard” says Hall & Woodhouse Chairman as latest results are announced

Dorset independent brewery company Hall and Woodhouse (H&W) notched up a pre-tax profit of £5.94m in the year to January 25, 2020.

The figure compares to £6.02m in the previous 12 months, a decrease of 1.3 per cent.

Turnover was £116.56m, an increase of 1.5 per cent on the previous year’s £114.80m.

Net debt was reduced to £50.6m (2019: £56.5m).

Anthony Woodhouse, Chairman, pictured left, said: “2019 was always planned to be a year of change for H&W, with a number of senior departures, the transition to the new generation of leaders and the next iteration of its long-term strategy.

“It is testament to the planning, skill and hard work of the team under Matt Kearsey’s leadership, that the transition has been achieved so smoothly, whilst maintaining such an impressive trading performance.

“Since year end, the pandemic has significantly impacted the hospitality industry and our pubs’ business.

“However, post the first lockdown, trading levels in our pubs were significantly better than predicted, albeit on average lower than usual.

“The team could not have done a better job in getting the company into battle formation for lockdown.

“They then successfully managed the reopening of our pubs safely, with the priority of protecting our team members and guests.

“They have rightly earned plaudits from both within and outside the industry for how our teams, our Business Partners and our communities have been, and continue to be, supported during the crisis.

“We have acted in line with our values and our WoW (Ways of Woodhouse) culture as our current family shareholders, and indeed past generations, would have expected and demanded.

“This combined has put us in a much better position than we forecast we might be in these circumstances, with borrowings held at levels similar to last year, notwithstanding the pubs being closed throughout lockdown.

“However, we have to be realistic that this winter will be hard for us all, as the second lockdown illustrates.

“Despite this, we are in the privileged position that our business has been built over many generations, with us owning the vast majority of our pubs and having limited borrowings.

“We are therefore in a very strong position to tough it out, balancing the needs of the company with looking after our teams and our Business Partners as well as we possibly can.”

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‘Time to Remember’ campaign wins support from TV and film star

Actress and presenter Emilia Fox has backed Lewis-Manning Hospice Care’s ‘Time to Remember’ campaign.

The actress, who is famous for her numerous television roles, has urged people to get involved and celebrate and remember loved ones.

Emilia said, “The Time to Remember campaign, which Lewis-Manning Hospice Care is running, is a fantastic initiative.

“I would love everyone to consider supporting this local Dorset charity.

“Time to Remember is a brilliant way to nominate, celebrate and thank the extraordinary people in our lives, whilst at the same time helping to raise funds for the family bereavement services provided by Lewis-Manning Hospice Care.

“I shall be joining in and making a memory for my great aunts Pam and Mary, wonderful women who were so much fun and are much missed by the family.”

Clare Gallie, CEO, Lewis-Manning Hospice Care, pictured right, said: “We are thrilled to have Emilia’s support on this excellent initiative and it’s lovely to see who she wants to remember this winter.

“However, this year’s ‘Time to Remember’ is so much more than remembering.

“It’s about community, and making sure that people who are going through incredibly tough times get the support and care they need and deserve.

“Emilia’s endorsement means a lot to the charity and we hope it will encourage many others to take part.”

Emilia has starred in a large number of TV dramas such as  Pride and Prejudice, Silent Witness, Merlin and The Virgin Queen.

Her film credits include The Pianist, Keeping Mum, Dorian Gray and Ways to Live Forever.

• lewis-manning.org.uk

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Artisans’ Bazaar goes ahead but online despite new lockdown

Lockdown has not stopped the Artisans’ Bazaar at Sculpture by the Lakes near Dorchester from going ahead as planned.

The first two days – November 3 and 4 – opened as normal with additional pre-booked slots during the evenings.

Now the free bazaar, featuring more than 80 artists and makers, many of them from the Dorset area, is moving online during the lockdown period.

From Saturday, November 7, an online store is being made available.

Visitors can purchase items from the Artisans’ Bazaar and arrange for either local delivery or the click and collect service.

From November 7, Sculpture by the Lakes is also offering a virtual personal shopping experience.

The personalised live virtual tours via Zoom, or alternatively FaceTime or Skype, can be pre-booked.

They allow shoppers to view the event and select the items they wish to purchase, and then arrange for either click and collect or delivery.

Sculptor Simon Gudgeon, Owner of Sculpture by the Lakes, said: “We have worked so hard to create The Artisans’ Bazaar, and we are determined not to let down the many artists and makers we are working with.

“We know how important events like this are to these talented artisans, especially in the run-up to Christmas.

“So we are doing all we can to ensure that this event goes ahead, allowing the artists to continue to showcase and sell their beautiful and unique creations, and the public to access and enjoy this very special experience.

“We intend to open again in December, provided the lockdown restrictions are eased as planned.

“During the lockdown itself, we are turning the Artisans’ Bazaar into an online and virtual event.

“We hope that by moving fast and thinking innovatively and creatively we can ensure this event is still a huge success.”

The Artisan’s Bazaar features more than 80 curated displays of eye-catching artwork.

Visitors will be able to explore unique and beautiful creations across a range of artistic mediums and techniques, from glasswork to pottery, painting to textiles, wood carving to weaving, leatherwork to jewellery making.

To book a virtual tour of the Artisans’ Bazaar after November 7 please contact gallery@sculpturebythelakes.co.uk with a suggested time and date.

To find out more about the Artisans’ Bazaar, visit: https://www.sculpturebythelakes.co.uk/artisans-bazaar