Blog — Northern Ireland

The hospitality sector is a cornerstone of our economy, providing jobs and services that enrich our communities. At Bullhouse, part of our mission is "to use the power of great-tasting beer to bring communities together."However, it's no secret that many employees in this industry struggle to make ends meet. Today, I want to highlight why paying a Real Living Wage is not just the right thing to do but also a smart business decision.Ensuring Basic Needs and BeyondFirst and foremost, paying a real living wage ensures that our staff can meet their basic needs and have a little left over...

One of the most important changes to licensing in Northern Ireland for over a century happened in 2021, when we successfully got an Amendment passed (proposed by Matthew O’Toole from the SDLP) which committed the Department for Communities to conduct an independent review into the archaic, anti-competitive, cartel supporting NI licensing laws.  Who knew beer could bring people together so well? Of the 5 Executive parties, the SDLP, DUP, UUP and Alliance all supported the amendment, with only Sinn Féin voting against. One of the difficulties we faced during our lobbying campaign were the policy advisors at the Department for...