Innkeeper Magazine Mar/Apr 2019 by Iain Hoey

ISSUE 18 â&#x20AC;¢ MAR/APR 2019

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CRAFT BEER ON THE RISE

We review the outstanding craft beers from CBR19

LORD CREWE ARMS A historic inn set in a timeless moorland village

P lus : LUXURY AWARDS WWW.INNKEEPERMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Deadline approaches for Excellence in Luxury Service Awards

Alex Hare

Go to visitengland.org/businessadvice for more information

welcome...

At PUB19 last month a panel of esteemed landlords from across the UK discussed the evolving role of the landlord in a modern pub or inn. Positive views on the function of pub landlords in securing pubs and inns at the heart of a community were expressed by youngest UK landlady Emma ‘Sip’ Gallagher, landlord of the oldest pub in Britain Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in St Albans Christo Tofalli, Belgravia’s Star Tavern manager Ollie Rogers and landlord of The Alexandra in Wimbledon Mick Dore. Despite challenges forcing pubs to continue close at record rates, the panel shared the view that if run and managed properly a pub can be saved for the community. Christo maintained that if anyone were to enter a pub that was well-kept and served good beer and food then that bar would not be faced with closure anytime soon. However, he raised the issue of what he sees as the biggest threat facing landlords across the UK, which is rateable values impacting business rates (page 4). He is working with Save St Albans Pubs, a not-for-profit group fighting a 70% hike in business rates backed by CAMRA. Christo and other key members of the group including Sean Hughes, Mandy McNeil and Alan Oliver went to Westminster earlier this year to lobby for a review business rates with St Albans MP Anne Main, where they held a meeting with Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Robert Jenrick MP about the impact of business rates on pubs. The group is calling on inns and pub landlords to get in touch assist with the campaign and is seeking financial support from the wider industry to achieve its goal, having been tasked with producing evidence of pubs that have seen an unfair increase in business rates since the last Budget. They would like to receive any examples of business rates having risen from pub landlords across the UK. To assist the campaign please contact campaign@saveukpubs.com and see www.saveukpubs.com.

contents

this month... 4 NEWS Industry news from around the UK

12 AMERICAN BEER Craft beers from across the pond

18 CRAFT BEER RISING A review of some of the exhibitors at CBR19 in London last month

20 PROFILE David Hancock of Inn Places reviews The Lord Crewe Arms in Blanchland, Northumberland

24 HOSTING WEDDING A report on the UK bridal market hints at great opportunities for inns

Bill Lumley EDITOR

30 SNACKS Flavoursome ideas were in abundance at the Casual Dining Show

28 www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

32 THE RIGHT COVER Finding an insurance broker with local knowledge who understands inns can bring you peace of mind MARCH / APRIL 2019 | INN KEEPER | 3

news PUB GROUP TACKLES SOARING BUSINESS RATE THREAT A group of St Albans pub landlords spearheading a campaign to address the iniquities of the impact of business rates on pubs is appealing for case studies to present to the government to bolster its case for a change in rates assessment. Members of the campaign group including chairman Sean Hughes, Christo Tofalli, Mandy McNeil and Alan Oliver last month met the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Robert Jenrick MP, to urge the Government to review pubs’ business rates. They must now produce evidence of pubs that have seen an unfair increase in business rates since the last Budget, and would like to receive any examples of business rates having risen from pub landlords across the UK. The business rate relief announced by the Chancellor in his October budget provides a third off business rates for businesses with a rateable value of £51,000 or less, but this reduction has not helped the majority of pubs in St Albans, which have seen an increase in their business rates, according to the lobby group, which is now supported by CAMRA. The group told the Treasury Minister the announced cut in rates had put further pressure on their businesses rather than proving to be of any help. Save St Albans Pubs said the government had to realise that the formula for calculating the rates was not helping to support local businesses and pubs in high value areas. It is now tasked with gathering case studies illustrating the iniquities of the current business rate system with regards to pubs The system of taxing turnover and high property value has meant that the aim of the cut will not help in such areas. The lobby group is hoping the Treasury will consider offering a one third cut on rates up to the first £51,000. It has asked the government to provide an amendment to the budget so that the proposed rate relief for small businesses with rateable values of £51,000 or less will apply to all pubs for the first £51,000 in rateable values whatever their rateable value.

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DEADLINE LOOMS FOR EXCELLENCE IN LUXURY SERVICE AWARDS UK innkeepers oﬀering luxury standard service and accommodation are being reminded of the 31 March deadline to enter the annual Excellence in Luxury Service Awards incorporating Innkeeper and Luxury Bed & Breakfast. British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) CEO Mike Clist and chair Mark Robson will form part of the panel of esteemed judges for the awards.

A range of high standard entries have already been submitted from innkeepers, luxury B&B owners and suppliers for the inaugural awards, and a shortlist of nominations will be published in April, ahead of the award ceremony on in central London 9 May, at which the ﬁnal winners will be announced. To put your inn forward for an award, visit the website www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk.

YVONNE HALLING, INDUSTRY COACH, ON THE IMPORTANCE OF AWARDS It’s 4.30pm and I’m sitting at my kitchen table, waiting for the guests to arrive at 5pm. Outside the open door, I can hear the birds chirping in the garden in the late afternoon sun. The champagne is chilling ready to offer to the incoming guests, and I’m answering email enquiries and bookings are appearing in my inbox. All is well. My business is running like a well-oiled machine, giving me consistent income and security, and I’m enjoying the fruits of my learning and implementation I feel good at what I’ve been able to create, against all the odds, with the bailiffs at the door just four short years ago, threatening to re-possess our home. To have been able to build a real business from ground zero to six figures, and that brings me joy, fulfilment and challenge. That allows my creativity to express itself, because I learned things. Nothing could have prepared me for what happened next Suddenly, pulling me from my reverie, an email pops in The subject line is “winner announced!” I’m curious so I open it. I can hardly believe my eyes. “Yvonne Halling, Winner of Infusionsoft’s Ultimate Marketer Contest, Best in Class Customer Satisfaction 2013” WHAT????? This is the most prestigious, most well-known

online marketing award on the planet! Coveted by big millionaire-type online marketers and won mostly by big millionaire-type online marketers. Not by people like me. Not a B&B owner for goodness sake! It was true, though. I had won it. When I entered the competition a few months previously, I had no idea what would happen I had no idea that they would pick me for this award. And I had no idea that they would publicise me all over the internet, and then send a ﬁlm crew over from the USA to make a video of me (which you can see here: https://youtu.be/ JjWZCozG2W4 ) which made me “internet-famous” and did so many amazing things for my B&B business and my coaching business. Just from entering a competition. Awards are a way for you to diﬀerentiate yourself:– make sure you’re entering them on a regular basis. I can’t promise that you’ll become “famous” but entering and winning awards will set you apart from everyone else. And that’s a GOOD thing. Someone has to win, and it could be you. Yvonne Halling helps inns, B&Bs, guest houses and owner-managed hotels worldwide to add at least an extra 25% to their business, while working less and having more fun. You can find her here: Website: www,bedandbreakfastcoach.com Email: yvonne@bedandbreakfastcoach.com www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

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EDITOR Bill Lumley bill.lumley@jld-media.co.uk 01892 739 507 | 07710 271 099 NORTHERN IRELAND EDITOR Francis Higney 07710 271 099 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Caroline Sargent 07076 362 082 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Matthew Attwood 07710 271 099 SALES MANAGER Frankie Butler frankie.butler@jld-media.co.uk 01892 739 524 | 07590 297 877 PRODUCTION MANAGER Stuart West stuart.west@jld-media.co.uk 01892 739 526 PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Helen Richmond helen.richmond@jld-media.co.uk 01892 739 523 | 07765 008 507 No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher. We regret we cannot be liable for the safe custody or return of any solicited or unsolicited material. Contributors are advised to keep copies of all materials submitted.

RAISING A GLASS TO THE LANDLORD More than 200 exhibitors and 4,555 guests attended the dedicated pub sector show Pub19 held last month at London’s Olympia. A series of specialist industry panels were staged in the exhibition hall theatre including on the second day a Publican Panel: Raise a Glass to the Landlord. Innkeeper editor Bill Lumley moderated an award-winning panel of leading landlords comprising youngest UK landlady Emma ‘Sip’ Gallagher, landlord of the oldest pub in Britain Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in St Albans Christo Tofalli, Belgravia’s Star Tavern manager Ollie Rogers and landlord of The Alexandra in Wimbledon Mick Dore. Issues raised included the reasons behind the high rate of UK pub closures, which the panel attributed in part to poor management as well as declining numbers of peo-

ple drinking in pubs, the argument that this is the age of the pub, and the role of the pub as a core part of the community. Asked what was considered to be biggest challenge facing landlords today, Mick from The Alexandra said emerging social media trends aﬀecting drinking habits were among the biggest challenges, while Christo of Ye Olde Fighting Cocks said business rate increases were piling pressure on many UK pubs. In a survey carried out by Save UK Pubs some 25% had seen a rateable value increase of more that 100% and none had seen a decrease. Christo concluded the session by appealing to pub owners and managers to provide information to help the Save St Albans Pubs campaign group whose campaign is now backed by CAMRA.

The opinions and views expressed in Innkeeper are not necessarily those of JLD Media. Being subject to the Advertising Standards Authority guidelines in place at the time of going to press, all data submitted by advertisers and contained in their advertising copy is accepted by JLD Media in good faith. Inn Keeper is available on subscription. UK & Ireland £65; Overseas £98. Inn Keeper is published bi-monthly. Printed by Stephens & George Ltd

Inn Keeper JLD Media, 29-31 Monson Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1LS

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BII ANNOUNCES 2019 SUMMER BALL The BII has announced its Summer Event on 4 June 2019. The event returns to the HAC Marquee in the City of London, the setting for a day of celebrating successes in the industry. The BII warns tickets sold out quickly in 2018 for its annual gathering, which provides "a well-deserved chance to join friends and colleagues and the great and the good of the licensed trade to share our passion for this inspiring and exciting sector." The event will see the crowning the Licensee of the Year 2019, sponsored by SKY, and attendees

will enjoy a three-course lunch while also sampling some great beers, cider and refreshing summer cocktails. Mike Clist, BII CEO commented: “The unique service that our members provide to their communities is something to be extremely proud of – the Summer Event is a true celebration of the licensed retail sector today and the inspirational people that devote their lives to it.” Tickets are available with preferential rates for BII members by calling the Events team on 01276 417836, emailing summerevent@ bii.org or visiting www.bii.org for more information.

SHEPHERD NEAME UNVEILS NEXT GENERATION CASK Shepherd Neame is introducing a new range of contemporary cask ales designed to satisfy the beer-curious drinker, called Cask Club. From next month the brewery will introduce a new cask ale each month in participating pubs, celebrating modern styles and flavours, with exciting international collaborations and classic seasonal favourites. Head brewer Mike Unsworth said: “We are looking to bring out a range of beers that will excite the consumer and introduce them to some new flavours and beer styles. “We want to shake off the old-fashioned image that cask ale sometimes projects, bringing more people to what we believe is one of the best drinks in the world, at the same time celebrating some seasonal classics.” First off will be Hop County Hopping Mad Pale Ale (4.8% ABV), a golden ale with light caramel notes and citrus, pine and hedgerow fruit aromas that combines ale and crystal malt with, Boadicea, Endeavour and UK Cascade hops. April will see the brewer's first international collaboration with the arrival of Samuel Adams’s Blonde Ambition (4.2% ABV), brewed to a recipe devised with US craft beer pioneers the Boston Beer Company. This will be followed by New Dawn Citrus Ale (3.5% ABV), a refreshing and light session ale with real citrus fruit. Further beers will then follow approximately every four weeks, among them collaborations with brewers from Finland, Italy, Sweden and, in 2020, the US. As part of the initiative, drinkers will be able to pick up a Cask Club passport at participating pubs, collecting a sticker each time they try a new ale. Those who complete the passport will be eligible for an exclusive Cask Club T-shirt. They will also be entered into a prize draw for a weekend getaway. www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

news BROOKLYN BREWERY LAUNCHES DEFENDER IPA IN THE UK Brooklyn Brewery’s Defender IPA (ABV 5.5%) will be available in UK for the first time from the end of March. Distributed in the UK by Carlsberg, which holds the UK brand licence for Brooklyn Brewery, the golden IPA, which features notes of rounded bitter hops, juicy tropical fruit and an incredibly dry finish will be rolled out in draught and 330ml can format. The beer is described as “straight out of the imagination of Brooklyn’s brew-team” and as “the perfect beer for those looking for an original, full flavoured brew”.

Defender IPA is designed like other Brooklyn Brewery beers to pair well with a wide range of food dishes. Brooklyn Brewery’s award-winning Brewmaster Garret Oliver said: "We’re excited to introduce Defender IPA to UK shores for the ﬁrst time. Especially with the growing interest in IPAs showing no signs of slowing. An enduring favourite in the US, Defender IPA is created with the belief that beer should be interesting, delicious, accessible, unpretentious, and downright fun. It has plenty of hop intrigue for aﬁcionados and smoothness for newcomers. A real all-rounder.”

CAMRA APPOINTS NEW CHAIRMAN The Campaign for Real Ale has announced its new chairman-elect as Nik Antona, who will take on the leadership of the organisation following its Members’ Weekend, AGM and Conference to be held in Dundee in April. Nik Antona takes over from Jackie Parker, who is stepping down after a year in the role, and after nine years as a member of CAMRA’s National Executive. Meeting in Hastings last month CAMRA’s National Executive elected Nik as chairman-elect. Based in Burton-on-Trent, Nik has been a National Executive member since 2009, and currently chairs the Finance and General Purposes Committee. He was a CAMRA Regional Director for ﬁve years, representing the West Midlands. Nik said: “I’m delighted and honoured by the conﬁdence my National Executive colleagues have shown in me by electing me to take over as Chairman in April.

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“Jackie has been a strong leader for the organisation and I’m keen to carry on where she will leave oﬀ - making sure CAMRA is eﬀective in its national campaigns, especially in seeking much-needed reform of the Pubs Code, calling for a review of Business Rates on pubs and campaigning to get a reduction in beer tax on pints served in pubs. Jackie said: “It’s with great sadness that I choose to step

down as chairman of the Campaign. It’s the right time, however, as I come to the end of my third term as a National Executive member. I’ve spent nine years as a National Executive member and served as a Regional Director for three years prior to that. I believe it’s healthy for an organisation to refresh its leadership regularly and now is the time to step aside and give someone else the opportunity to lead the Campaign.”

2019 HOSPITALITY EMPLOYMENT CAMPAIGN IS LAUNCHED The annual Hospitality Works campaign launched for 2019 last month, promoting hospitality as a sector where jobseekers can find gainful employment and a successful career. With the support of national hospitality employers, the campaign will be led by the Department for Work and Pensions, The Springboard Charity, UKHospitality and the British Beer and Pub Association. It will showcase the great career opportunities available across the hospitality sector, which currently faces a skills shortage. Hospitality Works 2019 will centre around two ‘Big Bash Events’ held in Manchester and Leeds. The Leeds ‘Big Bash’ event will kick off on 20th of February and the Manchester ‘Big Bash’ event will take place 8 March. Both events will provide opportunities for a range of employers to meet with their local Job Centre Plus and potential future employees. The Hospitality Works campaign has created in excess of 8,000 work placements since its conception in 2015. With the set-piece ‘Big Bash’ events and countless other events around the country planned, a record number of jobseekers are expected to find themselves a career in hospitality this year thanks to the campaign. Springboard’s Chief Executive Anne Pierce CBE commented: “In an industry where skills shortages continue to be challenging and labour shortages heading rapidly to crisis point, there is an acute need to take positive action to attract more people from the UK into the hospitality industry and fill the growing number of vacancies – particularly in the cities. This is why Springboard will be, once again, joining DWP as a major partner in Hospitality Works, rallying our industry partners, ambassadors and delivery teams to engage, inspire and influence jobseekers to join our fantastic industry, through a range of national and local inspirational activities and events in partnership with job centres in every region of the country.” Brigid Simmonds, Chief Executive of the British Beer and Pub Association added: “The BBPA are delighted to once again support the Hospitality Works campaign. Our industry needs to do more to recruit UK citizens to our workforce whether it behind the bar or in our kitchens, as pub chefs, or wider roles within the team.” www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

news

[1] BBPA data

PUBS AND INNS “HEROES OF THE HIGH STREETS” The industry has welcomed recommendations made in the Housing, Communities and Local Government report that followed the recent enquiry into what is needed to save UK high streets and town centres. The recommendations include a reduction in business rates for retailers and businesses in town centres already announced in the Autumn budget; an online sales tax for businesses that were no longer contributing via bricks and mortar rates; and a 12-month payment ‘holiday’ for businesses who would otherwise see an immediate rise in their rates following improvements to and investments in their premises. BII CEO Mike Clist commented: “The recommendations made in the report are a move in the right direction from government, which will go some way to helping our members overcome the challenges they currently face in their businesses. We know that pubs are vital to the health of high streets up and down the country, but the recognition of this from government is fantastic to see.” Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “As a member of the Government’s Future High Streets Forum, the BBPA has called consistently for

the Government to help high streets and town centres. We were also delighted to give evidence to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee on the matter. The Great British High Street’s competition and the new fund for high streets announced in the Budget are both very welcome initiatives, but there is more to be done. “As highlighted in the BBPA’s evidence to the Committee, the current business rates system penalises businesses like pubs for investing in their property, as improvements lead to rates rises. The Committee’s recommendation of exploring the introduction of a 12 month ‘holiday’ on these rates increases is most welcome. This would be a positive step forward in regenerating high streets and town centres across the UK if implemented. “The report also recommends replacing business rates for bricks and mortar businesses with a sales tax or an increase in VAT. As always, the devil is in the detail as to whether this would be eﬀective. In any case, a replacement of business rates would need to address the fact that pubs and high street businesses are unfairly taxed, whilst online retailers are not contributing enough. As the report notes, pubs alone

pay 2.8% of the total business rates bill, despite accounting for just 0.5% of total rateable turnover[1]. We welcome the call for the Government to come forward with views on how business rates could be reformed by October this year. Without doubt a full review is required. “The Chancellor Phillip Hammond’s decision to cut business rates for high street and other small businesses by one third for the next two years in the Autumn Budget was most welcome, as was the announcement of the £675 million Future High Streets Fund. These actions, combined with a number of the recommendations outlined in the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee’s report, are a welcome step towards securing the future of the high street and the pubs that serve them,” she added.

ST PETER’S REVEALS REBRAND AND NEW DRAUGHT LINES Suffolk brewery St Peter's unveiled its new look and a range of new beers last month at the UK’s biggest craft beer festival, Craft Beer Rising, in London’s Brick Lane. Retaining its iconic oval bottle, the brewery has updated its labels and branding with what it terms “a fresh, new and eye-catching design that maintains its premium position in the beer industry, whilst also supporting its current customers and staying true to its roots, heritage, provenance and quality”. The new Revival Pilsner is described as a full-bodied premium pilsner with citrus aromas and a smooth finish. White Raven is a crisp and refreshing wheat beer with tropical aromas of banana and clove, whilst the new Stateside Pale Ale is a hoppy session ale with citrus flavours and soft bitterness. The final product making up the four is the brand new addition to its Without brand

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of alcohol-free beer. Without Elderberry & Raspberry is a fruity alcohol free beer that will appeal to the growing demand for delicious zero alcohol beer. “We are very excited to be attending Craft Beer Rising for the ﬁrst time and to have the opportunity to showcase our new branding and new draught beers,” said John Hadingham, MD at St Peter's Brewery. “We've been working hard to develop a new look for St Peter's that is quirky and innovative, but retains the true ethos of the brewery Brand and positioning that John Murphy set out to provide when he launched St. Peters 20 years ago. We're very proud of our brand and these new beers and we can't wait to see what visitors to the show think of them.” St Peter's Brewery exhibited its full range of bottled and draught beers at the event and managing director John Hadingham hosted a talk.

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luxury bed & breakfast and innkeeper

DATE - 9 May 2019 ENTRY DEADLINE - 31 March 2019 VENUE - Crypt on the Green, London DRESS CODE - Black Tie The 31 March deadline is fast approaching for our inaugural Excellence in Luxury Service awards incorporating Luxury Bed & Breakfast and Innkeeper magazine. The awards span categories both for B&B owners and Innkeepers as well as suppliers ranging from Best Luxury Inn to Best Luxury Breakfast Product. The awards aim to recognise and promote excellence in luxury across the UK B&B and Innkeeper markets, thus helping raise the existing bar on standards even higher. The awards panel of judges includes BII CEO Mike Clist; BII Chair Mark Robson; Inn Places managing director David Hancock; Bed & Breakfast Association chairman David Weston; B&B business adviser Tina Boden of the B&B Keeper and the Tiny Troubleshooter; owner of The Chapel luxury B&B in Harrogate Mark Hinchliffe; Be My Guest event director Diane Lloyd; B&B coach Yvonne Halling; and Luxury Bed & Breakfast /Innkeeper magazine editor Bill Lumley. The winners will be announced at a central London awards ceremony on 9 May at the Crypt on the Green, Clerkenwell, on the edge of the City of London. David Weston said: “I was delighted to be asked to be a judge in the ﬁrst annual Excellence in Luxury Service awards. “I hope the new awards will complement established

WWW.LUXURYBBMAG.CO.UK

awards such as those run by the AA and eviivo, and add a new, luxury-focused element to the national awards scene, and new opportunities for the owners of high-end properties to showcase their businesses.” Diane Lloyd, event director for Be My Guest Events, said: “We are delighted to support JLD Media, Innkeeper and Luxury Bed & Breakfast magazine on their inaugural Award series in 2019. It will be the perfect showcase for owners up and down the country who are committed to delivering customer service of the highest order and delightful guest experiences. We can’t wait to read the entries and to see the winners awarded their deserved accolades.” Fellow judge and winner of this year’s Vision Style Award for Picture Perfect B&B The Chapel owner Mark Hinchliffe added: “I am delighted to be invited to be appointed as a panel judge for the 2019 Excellence in Luxury Service awards. These awards will help keep the high-end market on its toes when it comes to enhancing its luxury appeal.” HOW TO ENTER Submitting your entry is straightforward. Go to luxurybbmag.co.uk/awards and complete the online form. Deadline for entries is 31 March 2019. A shortlist of nominations for the awards will be announced in April, ahead of the awards ceremony in London 9 May.

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JUDGES

Tina Boden Founder The Tiny Troubleshooter

Mike Clist CEO British Institute of Innkeeping

David Hancock Managing Director Inn Places

Diane Lloyd Event Director Be My Guest

Bill Lumley Editor Luxury Bed & Breakfast

Mark Robson Chair British Institute of Innkeeping

CATEGORIES INCLUDE Best Overall Luxury experience Best Luxury Seaside B&B Best Luxury Rural B&B Best Luxury Urban B&B Best Luxury Romantic Getaway Most Inspired Design

Best Culinary Experience Best Luxury Renovation Best Use of Locally Sourced Produce Best Events Facility Best Wow-Factor

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ELEVATE YOUR FOOD OFFERING WITH AMERICAN CRAFT BEER

8 6 Ë 7Ç

Adam Dulye, Executive Chef for the Brewers Association, the not-forproﬁt trade association dedicated to small and independent American craft brewers, is one of the world’s leading experts on beer and food pairings and the author of The Beer Pantry. Here, he explains how to cook at the intersection of craft beer and great food.

airing American craft beer with food can elevate both to a whole new level and offer your customers something innovative and different. Beer has a wider flavour spectrum than almost any other beverage and can accompany almost any food partner. Here are a few starting tips for planning your pairing strategy: i) Think of beer as one of the flavour components of a dish, the only difference being it’s in a glass not on the plate. When cooking ask yourself one question: does an ingredient make the dish taste better. If so, good, if not don’t add it. Beer is fuel for food and the ultimate goal is to develop flavour without compromising the integrity of the ingredients. ii) Avoid incorporating American craft beer within a recipe because the cooking process drives off the flavour, and depending on the beer in use, may enhance bitterness. There are exceptions, of

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8 6 Ë 7Ç HOPPY & BITTER

course, such as mussels in a smooth witbier or a beef casserole using stout, but pairing a beer with a dish allows the diner to taste all the ﬂavours in the food and all the ﬂavours in the beer.

Great with foods that need a bit of competition on the palate, think spicy, fatty or acidic. The bitterness of hops lifts fat from the tongue leaving you ready for the next bite. Hops can be intensely ﬂavoursome with notes of citrus, resin, tropical fruit, pine, herbal or ﬂoral.

iii) Foods with spice, heat, acid and complex ﬂavours are a great way to showcase and utilize certain beer styles. Hops can calm heat and spice, carbonation can cleanse the palate. The malt in beer works to balance acidity on the palate.

A WIDE AND VARIED RANGE OF FLAVOUR COMBINATIONS WILL PROVIDE INTERESTING PAIRINGS FOR BEER SUCH AS: • Rosemary, juniper and herb-based dishes with American Pale Ale • Cinnamon, cumin, pepper, cardamom, ginger and clove with Robust Porter • Pineapple, tangerine and clementine with IPA • Brown sugar, butter, caramel, maple syrup, vanilla, coconut and toffee with Barley Wine • Date, fig, raisin with Belgian-style Quadrupel • Chocolate, truffle, coffee, cocoa with Milk Stout As beer is becoming more ingredient driven and new styles are added by innovative and quality driven brewers, I find a better approach is to go with flavour first and style second. Beer lovers new to American craft beer may not know what an IPA is or what to expect from a Porter. By using words everyone can relate to from bitter

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Beer styles: Amber Ale, Barley Wine, IPA, Imperial IPA, Pale Ale. Pair with: spicy foods, curry, pizza, cheese, carrot cake. to citrus, pine to floral for IPA or chocolate and caramel for a Porter the brain sends waves to the palate that say: “Yes. I like this.” As opposed to: “We don’t understand.” Staff training is essential, and innkeepers should ensure staff are knowledgeable about beer styles, provenance, history, flavour profile and how well they pair with food.

BEER STYLES CAN BE BROKEN DOWN INTO SIX FLAVOUR PROFILES WHICH I CALL, THE SIX-PACK’:

Malty & Sweet Sweet notes of nuts, toﬀee, caramel and dried fruit from roasted malts complement food that is roasted, crispy or browned. Beer styles: Amber lager, Brown Ale, Belgian-style Dubbel, Dunkel, Scotch Ale Pair with: roast chicken, pork, duck, salami, cheese.

RICH & ROASTY

Refreshing, delicate and slightly dry, these styles work well with lighter ﬂavours.

Intensely deep, dark, rich flavours; barrel-aged bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, coffee and sometimes a smoky aroma, they work with dishes that have roasted fat such as red meats, nuts or chocolate. They’re great with anything charred, barbecued or grilled or with a clean, briny finish such as oysters.

Beer styles: Blonde Ale, Pilsner, Helles, Kölsch Pair with: pasta dishes, creamy risotto, salads, vegetables.

Beer styles: Brown Ale, Stout, Porter, Schwarzbier Pair with: ribs, burgers, meat casseroles, barbecue, spicy foods, oysters, chocolate.

CRISP & CLEAN

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FRUITY & SPICY Flavours are mainly driven by yeast and can include notes of stone fruits, citrus, ginger, salt, banana or clove. Spicy aromatic foods that go well with rosé or red wine would be good accompaniments here. Beer styles: Belgian Blonde Ale, Witbier, Hefeweizen, Saison, Tripel, Quadrupel. Pair with: shellﬁsh, seafood, ﬁsh and chips, sushi.

SOUR, TART & FUNKY Often barrel-aged and may have fruit or natural sugars added. Farmhouse, leather, hay, grass and even wet socks may not sound appealing but if you like acidic, biodynamic wines you’ll love these!

tulip or curved snifter glass. This allows the optimum delivery of aroma on the nose and balance of ﬂavour on the palate. Innkeepers and chefs can access free resources, available on www.brewersassociation.org including the newly updated and expanded Craftbeer.com - Beer & Food Professional Course, downloadable free of charge at www.craftbeer.com/printedCourse

Beer styles: Brett, Sour, Flanders Ale, Gose, Geuze, Lambic Pair with: creamy desserts, cheesecake, crème brulee, tiramisu, chocolate gateau. Always serve craft beer in style-speciﬁc glassware for a more premium dining experience. If you don’t have the correct glassware, the most common glass for a beer pairing is a Belgian-style www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk www .innke innkeepe eperma rmagaz gazine ine.co co.uk uk

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Brits are drinking a total of 95 million cups of coffee every day**. And, for many, the first coffee of the day is made at home to deliver a fast, convenient cuppa. So if you’re going to make your guest house feel like home for guests, there’s real value in offering coffee-making ® facilities in each room, stocked with a range of NESCAFÉ coffee options. ®

NESCAFÉ has a range of sachet and stick pack options for your bed and breakfast, for example:

NESCAFÉ Original ® The nation’s favourite coffee***, NESCAFÉ Original is renowned for its full flavour and rich aroma and will make your guests feel instantly ntly at home.

NESCAFÉ Gold Blend nd Coffee connoisseurs will appreciate app p re r ciate the well-rounded well rounded taste and rich aroma in every cup. So why not let your guests relax, enjoy the now and savour the distinctive taste of this premium blend.

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ood coffee is far more important than good pillows when it comes to the perfect bed and breakfast experience, Nestlé Professional® has discovered*. We W conducted a survey of people who have stayed ssttay ay in a bed & breakfast or guest house within the previous 12 months. wit wi The Th results showed that 33 per cent of respondents said good coffee was among the res re res most mo important things, compared to only 5 mo per peer cent who said the same of pillows*. For F us this is no surprise. Our 80 plus years off coffee-making experience has taught us that th good coffee can make all the difference in th tha guest ggu ue satisfaction.

Our knowledge also means we know how to deliver the very best in instant hot beverages. With our sachets in your rooms, guests have access to a wide selection of different product ranges. To help Inn owners and managers find the perfect coffee solutions for their guests, NESCAFÉ® has launched a new online tool. Score your bed and breakfast by visiting nestleprofessional.co.uk/bandb_coffee_score and answering a few simple questions. You'll get tips on improving guest satisfaction when it comes to your coffee offering, and we'll send you some samples to get started.

NESCAFÉ Gold Latte ® High quality beans ensure the smooth taste of NESCAFÉ Gold. These sachets deliver a delightfully frothy coffee shopstyle drink that can be prepared and enjoyed in moments.

NESCAFÉ AAzera z raa ze ® Premium NESCAFÉ Azera sachets mean your guests can quickly enjoy the pleasure of a barista- style coffee in an instant – creating an intense roasted coffee taste, available in Americano, Latte and Cappuccino. ®

NESCAFÉ stick packs and sachets can be bought from cash & carries and wholesalers.

® Reg. Trademark of Societe des Produits Nestle S.A * NESCAFÉ® in association with 3GEM, survey of 120 people who have stayed at a B&B or guest house in the last 12 months, October 2018 ** Centre for Economics and Business Research, Coﬀee and Its Impact on the UK Economy, April 2018 *** IRI MAT 52 weeks, May 2016

SPILLING THE BEANS ON THE SECRET TO A GOOD STAY

Any bed & breakfast or guest house owner aims to give their guests the most memorable stay possible. Offering the right cup of coffee to your guests is the secret ingredient to a successful stay, a new survey from Nestlé Professional® has revealed*

90%

PEOPLE SAID THEY WOULD

EXPECT COFFEE TO BE

OFFERED IN THEIR ROOM

85%

PEOPLE SAID HAVING BRANDED

COFFEE IN THEIR ROOM

CONTRUBUTES TO A GREAT

GUEST EXPERIENCE

LATTES

WERE THE MOST POPULAR COFFEE

GOOD

BREAKFAST COMFY BED

PURCHASED IN THE UK

GOOD NIGHT’S

SLEEP

GOOD COFFEE

A GOOD BREAKFAST & COFFEE OFFER ARE

RANKED IN THE TOP 4

MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO CUSTOMERS

90%

PEOPLE SAID SERVING GREAT TASTING

COFFEE AT BREAKFAST IS A GREAT DEMONSTRATION

OF CUSTOMER CARE AND QUALITY

930 MILLION LATTES SOLD IN THE UK

800 MILLION

CAPPUCCINOS SOLD IN THE UK

ACCORDING TO MARKET RESEARCHER KANTAR WORLDPANEL

80%

PEOPLE SAID SPEED, CONSISTENCY

AND FRESHNESS OF COFFEE ALL CONTRIBUTE

TO THE OVERALL GUEST EXPERIENCE

*3GEM survey of 120 people who have stayed at a B&B or guest house in the last 12 months Nestlé Professional® has launched a new B&B coffee scoring tool. Score your B&B by visiting: www.nestleprofessional.co.uk/coffee-machine-recommendation-tool You'll get tips on improving guest satisfaction when it comes to your coffee offering. Nestlé Professional® will send you some samples to get started.

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he potency of the market for independent brewers was starkly evident as more than 150 UK and international brewers exhibited at the seventh edition of the Craft Beer Rising festival at the Truman Brewery in London last month. New contenders joined established players to showcase their brews. Shepherd Neameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bear Island Triple-Hopped Lager (4.6% ABV) was among those launched at the event. Rose Davis from the brewerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marketing team tells Innkeeper: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The response to Bear island Triple Hopped Lager has been amazing. Everyone who tried it really liked it and some even rated it as the best of the festival. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re now looking forward to

sharing it with the wider public.â&#x20AC;? Triple Hopped Lager is the second member of the Bear Island family and joins the award-winning Bear Island East Coast Pale Ale in celebrating a fusion of British, European and US styles and ďŹ&#x201A;avours. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bear island Triple Hopped Lager is bittered with UK Challenger hops, late hopped with Saaz and dry hopped with US Mosaic hops to produce a refreshing, full-ďŹ&#x201A;avoured lager. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has a distinctive aroma of mango, and bags of tropical fruit ďŹ&#x201A;avor, retaining a beautiful fresh lager taste. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bear Islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name salutes Favershamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great trading past: An island once sat within the grounds of the Brewery in Faversham Creek. Over the centuries much strange cargo landed there, including, according to records 'one bear and his keeper',â&#x20AC;? she adds.

Freetime Swansea microbrewery Freetime beer, previously known as West by Three Brewing Co, was present at the festival primarily to alert the world to the rebrand following a trademark dispute. It showcased a range of brews including West Coast IPA Clutch (5.4% ABV), pale ale Mating Surfaces (4.2% ABV), Spezial Helles Style Lager (4.8% ABV), and Hibiscus Sour Floret (5.6% ABV).

with bright notes of tropical fruit and ďŹ nishes crisp and gently tart. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s laid back, breezy and completely refreshing. It is the ideal beer for the warmer months, and it pairs perfectly with sorbets, fresh fruit and seafood.â&#x20AC;?

West Berkshire Brewery WBB was present at CBR this year for the fourth time. Spokesperson Kate Twomey says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event was bigger and better than ever, with a wealth of awesome breweries of all sizes to choose from, plus a great selection of food and cider. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re currently rebranding throughout our range and it was great to showcase this on our stand. Our two latest specials #NoFilter 5.3% Kellerbier & Snake Oil 7.5% Double IPA went down a storm as well as our recent limited edition Pastry Stout collaboration with Tap Social Movement 5.5% Stop WaďŹ&#x201E;inâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; On You Doughnut. The new layout seemed to work well with people returning to our stand on more than one occasion having been recommended to try something by another Brewery. The whole feeling of the event was incredibly friendly, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always great having the chance to socialise with so many other Breweries, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in the middle of the country so sometimes you can feel a little isolated.â&#x20AC;?

Brooklyn Brewery Timothy Taylor Brooklyn Defender meanwhile unveiled its IPA, which is available as of March 2019, along with Bel Air Sour and Special EďŹ&#x20AC;ects. A spokesperson for the brewer says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bel Air Sour ďŹ rst came to the UK as a limited edition brew in 2018, and will be making its return in Summer 2019. The brew is a dry hopped sour ale. It starts up 18 | INN KEEPER MARCH / APRIL 2019

Long-established family-owned regional brewery Timothy Taylor was present at the show making its second CBR appearance. Head of marketing Jane Jenkins tells Innkeeper: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We found the show very beneďŹ cial. It was our second year attending and we get very well received as the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Godfather of Craftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Lots of people beat a path to our bar www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

8 6 Ă&#x2039; 7Ă&#x2021;

like wood-aging, barrel-aging, or inspired by classic cocktails, creating a depth and twist on its original Fruit Sour Series.

Ciders

to either sample the drinkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favourite, Landlord Pale Ale, or try our new beers. Hopical Storm was very well received as the latest beer in our special edition Taylor Made range. The trade sessions attract a good number of inďŹ&#x201A;uential on and oďŹ&#x20AC; trade buyers as well as beer bloggers and journalists. We ďŹ nd the consumer sessions attract a broad audience of discerning and interested drinkers who are always pleased to see a traditional family owned brewery in amongst the mix of all the new wave microbreweries."

Brixton Brewery Brixton Brewery spokesperson Xochitl tells Innkeeper: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had a stand at Craft Beer Rising for the past couple of years. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s become one of the key events on the London beer scene

for good reason. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really well run and combines trade networking with a great public event. It gives our whole team a chance to get out of the brewhouse and meet our drinkers, ďŹ nd out who they are and what they are looking for. We love being able to launch new, limited edition experimental beers in an open minded atmosphere, where people are up for trying things, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an opportunity to introduce people to our core beers that they can always ďŹ nd. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inspiring to see what other breweries are up to. We always go away ďŹ lled with new ideas and proud to be part of such an amazing beer city."

Horizont Hungarian brewer Horizont is one of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new wave of craft brewers and has been striving to redeďŹ ne the image of Hungarian beer since 2014. Marketing manager TamĂĄs Szalai tells Innkeeper: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The feedback was amazing. Many people stopped by simply because of the beer names alone - such as Gentle Bastard and Hazy Queen - and were then genuinely surprised and delighted by the quality of the beers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So far the Hungarian beer scene is a virtual unknown in the UK, not least because it has little representation here. Overall visitors seemed delighted and we won a good deal of customers.â&#x20AC;?

Brick Brewery Brick Brewery featured for the second time at Craft Beer Rising 2019, where it launched its Heritage Sour Series with the release of its Martini Sour and Manhattan Sour. This series will focus on producing sour beers using complexities www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

A number of cider brands were on display at the event. It was Pulptâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ rst CBR, and co-founder Al Collar tells Innkeeper magazine the experience matched expectations. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a cider producer we were not the main attraction, however having spoken with other cider producers at the event, we were pleasantly surprised by the level of interest from a craft beer focused audience,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We engaged with hundreds of people across the four days, which was invaluable to us and that is why we are so pleased to be at events like this. The development in Craft Beer has managed to change consumer perspectives on what beer can be, and we are on that exact same journey with cider, just a few steps behind. â&#x20AC;&#x153;CBR 19 presented the perfect opportunity to showcase and educate open minded consumers on what cider can really be. Our aim in Pulpt is to educate consumers on the true quality, choice and the high value of cider, to innovate continuously, ďŹ nding new and better ways to produce and develop the product and to modernise the category, such that it is seen as contemporary, versatile and relevant. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At Pulpt, we recognise the opportunity to develop fantastic, high quality ciders that showcase what can be done with apples, (much like what can be done with grapes) and CBR 19 gave us the chance to get feedback from a tough and discerning crowd. What shone through for us was how the public are demanding more from their drinks in terms of quality and ďŹ&#x201A;avour as well as wanting to understand more of what the producersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; story is, looking for real authenticity, provenance and quality. This was our hope and we jumped at the opportunity to share our story and how we make our ciders (there are only two of us and we manage every step of the process from apple variety selection to the ďŹ nal blend, and all thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in between) showing them how great, diďŹ&#x20AC;erent and enjoyable cider can be,â&#x20AC;? he concludes. MARCH / APRIL 2019 | INN KEEPER | 19

THE LORD CREWE ARMS B

Muddy paws

The personal touch

Sticky fingers

Wild and remote, in a deep valley some three miles below Derwent Reservoir, Blanchland Abbey can trace its origins back to 1165, and the layout of its surrounding village remains unchanged to this day. At the heart of Blanchland stands the Lord Crewe Arms, one of England's finest inns, set in a cloister garden that is a now an ancient monument. Named after Nathaniel, Lord Crewe - the 18th-century Bishop of Durham and one-time owner of the estate - the inn is now reaping the benefits of a makeover from Calcot Hotels. The result is a stunning blend of old and new spread across two restaurants, 21 bedrooms and an atmospheric vaulted bar. It feels informal, but with big gestures - so prepare to be wowed by ancient flagstones, heavy oak doors, chunky trestle tables, wall sconces and medieval-style chandeliers. Stone steps lead to a warren of rooms, while the chic upstairs restaurant has cracking views over the cloister garden to the valley below. The recently refurbished Gatehouse across the Square is now a foodie haven and the fabulous setting for chef's table dinner parties and cooking demonstrations, replete with open kitchen. The Lord Crewe Arms is also a home-fromhome for the hunting, fishing and shooting fraternity so you’ll find a drying room and boot room hidden away downstairs – perfect after a soggy moorland ramble. The guest rooms are divided into four categories: Cosy, Canny, Champion, Suites and a Family room, the latter complete with an exposed medieval fireplace that was discovered by the owners.

Children are made to feel very welcome, with smaller portions from the menus and board games in the bar. Cots and Z-beds are available, and several rooms are designed for families. Baby-sitting can also be arranged.

eautifully restored historic inn set in a timeless moorland village and renowned for delicious seasonal food and gorgeous country-smart rooms

An inn swept up in the wilds of the North Pennine moors, holding court over the honey stone village of Blanchland and crafted by plucky Twelfth Century monks who headed for the Northumbrian hilltops in search of celestial isolation. David Hancock from Inn Places pays a visit to The Lord Crewe Arms

www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

Dogs are welcome in the bar and in 14 of the rooms (a £10 charge includes a dog bed and bowl).

Alfresco Eat and drink alfresco in the original Abbey cloister garden - a Grade I-listed space that comes complete with ruins and stunning views down the Derwent valley. There's room on the grass for summer brollies, tables and chairs, plus boules, croquet and a giant Jenga game.

Do not disturb Named after local fells and shoots, the inn's 21 bedrooms are dotted around the original building, three neighbouring miners' cottages and the village's one-time Angel of Temperance inn across the road. Kitted out in contemporary country-house style, they are supremely comfortable with king-size beds topped with the finest linen and down, matching fabrics and blankets, antique furnishings, upholstered chairs or sofas (larger rooms), and modern tiled bathrooms. Some are beamed, most have feature fireplaces (three with open fires), and the 'Champion' rooms or suites have sitting rooms and vast bathrooms with claw-foot baths and walk-in showers. The following come as standard: Nespresso machines and homemade cookies; Roberts radios, hot water bottles; cosy bathrobes; magazines, local maps and a map case, and Aromatherapy bathroom goodies. MARCH / APRIL 2019 | INN KEEPER | 21

Ă&#x2030;

Food suppliers Lord Crewe Arms is proud of its locally sourced and regional highgrade food suppliers. These include:

Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sPlot Brave enough to plant out in the wilds of Northumberlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s moors our head gardener treats our kitchen to the most delicious of muddy veg, daily. And with some resident chickens clucking around our plot â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a fresh batch of eggs for breakfast too.

Hannan Meats Winner of the Great taste awards 3 STAR, Hannanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home can be found in Craigavon, Northern Ireland. Their signature Himalayan salt-aged Glenarm short beef, extra-aged in their chambers amongst 1,000 hand cut Himalayan salt bricks, positively melts in the mouth and is a true â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Creweâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; favourite.

WYE Valley Produce Grown by fourth generation farmers, The Chinn family, tend their crop of asparagus in the Wye Valley, Herefordshire. Hand harvested and hydro-cooled to 2 celsius within the hour, these delightful spears are spoiled with maximum freshness and ďŹ&#x201A;avour.

The Best Bits â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘

Historic inn & timeless village Stunning restoration Robust cooking; seasonal produce Atmospheric cellar bar Country-smart rooms Cloister garden; valley views Mecca for country sports

Portland Shellfish Down by the sea in beautiful Dorset, Portland shellďŹ sh company quite simply supply the best quality shellďŹ sh to the best restaurants in the United Kingdom. And once youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve tried their crab on a warm slice of Jaredâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home baked toast, we guarantee you will know exactly why.

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www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

Ă&#x2030; Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the damage? 18 rooms from ÂŁ120; 3 suites from ÂŁ164

The Tomato Stall â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;More Sunshine, more tasteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is their live and die by motto and grown with love on the wonderful Isle of Wight, and you can see why. These tomatoes are the kind that pop perfectly in the mouth â&#x20AC;&#x201C; heaven.

Mastering the menu Having worked the stoves at several of Mark Hix's London restaurants - notably Hix Soho Aussie chef Simon Hicks escaped the city to set up the kitchen at the Lord Crewe, and hasn't looked back. His food is robust modern British fare and he is relishing the rural location, taking full advantage of locally bagged game, top-quality meats and foraged ingredients - as well as pickings from the kitchen garden and the output of a smokehouse in one of the inn's outbuildings. Daily menus are driven by the seasons and peppered with meaty cuts - hocks, shins, shanks, steaks and the like. Typically, expect to ďŹ nd lamb, spelt and vegetable broth, baked ďŹ sh pie, salt-aged sirloin steak with bĂŠarnaise and chips, and delicious sharing platters (roasted veal rump) on winter's evening. If you're lucky, there may be a joint spit roasting or a pot of stew bubbling away over the ďŹ re in the Hilyard Room. Indulgent, desserts hark back to the good old days, perhaps vanilla rice pudding or raspberry Bakewell pudding. Sunday lunch revolves around a sharing platter of three roasts, all served with Yorkshire puddings, vegetables, cauliďŹ&#x201A;ower cheese and spring greens - perhaps roast rump of Castle Bank beef; roast Swailbrick Farm chicken; roast collar of Yorkshire pork (2 courses ÂŁ18.50; 3 courses ÂŁ25).

Foodie extras The refurbished Gatehouse is now a foodie haven with open kitchen and the fabulous setting for cooking demonstrations from visiting top chefs, and it's Simon's impressive chef table, so a cool place to book a private party or a business meeting. Picnic hampers, shooting baskets and walkers' lunches (12 hours' notice required). Full shooting lunches are also catered for.

Local, local, local Home-grown vegetables from the kitchen garden and greenhouse. Home-smoked bacon, salmon and sardines from smokehouse hidden in garden outbuildings. Venison and seasonal game from the estate shoots. Real ale - Wylam Brewery, Heddon-on-theWall (www.wylambrewery.co.uk) www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

Weardale Estate Just over the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;topsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on the east side of the Pennines, Weardale Estates stocks us up with delicate and delicious grouse throughout the season, taking centre stage from the glorious twelfth of August until late into October. Johnsons and Swarbrick Goosnargh Limited Right on the edge of the Ribble Valley, in the pretty as a picture village of Goosnargh, Johnson and Swarbrick has been producing the ďŹ nest succulent chicken for the last thirty years â&#x20AC;&#x201C; perfect for slow roasting on our Hilyard spit

Behind the bar The medieval vaulted Crypt, sculpted by thick stone walls and lit by candles, is a really cosy and atmospheric place to enjoy a pre-dinner drink or nibble on some 'bait bites' (bar snacks). Very much the village rallying point, it often buzzes with locals bantering and supping Northumbrian ales - perhaps Wylam Red Kite or the Lord Crewe Brew (a traditional golden ale produced for the inn by Wylam). There are 'garden cocktails' too, plus a good range of gins and whiskies for spirit fans. Wine buďŹ&#x20AC;s have a choice of 14 by the glass from a decent list that includes an interesting 'French and Serious' selection - namely ďŹ ne vintage Bordeaux that have been aged in the cellars at the company's ďŹ&#x201A;agship hotel, Calcot Manor in Gloucestershire.

Location, location, Location

Franconian The Sausage Factory Founded by the fantastic John-Paul Habermann in 1999, once a trained chef, John-Paul set himself the mission of creating exceptional sausages for the restaurant trade. Rather a tricky task, we can vouch that he has deďŹ nitely nailed it â&#x20AC;&#x201C; between 90 and 98% meat content and all organic, these porkers are particularly banging. Proud northerners we are pretty tip-top at throwing a party. In fact, you could go as far as to say that a good old knees up is in the blood. And with our Aussie chef cooking up a culinary storm in the kitchen (that's Mr Hicks of course) weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just the right mix to ensure whatever the occasion it goes oďŹ&#x20AC; with a royal bang. If you're planning an event, why not venture into the hilltops where you can savour a suckling pig feast, dive into bowls of chops or devour slow roasted Swarbrick chicken, all set amongst the most beautiful back drop of a Twelfth Century abbots guest house.

Blanchland is located on B6306 between Hexham and Edmundbyers, signposted from the A68 west of Consett at Carterway Heads. The nearest train station is Hexham (11 miles) - a 4-hour journey from London King's Cross station via Newcastle. MARCH / APRIL APRIIL 2019 201 019 199 | INN NN N KEEPER KEEPE KE EPER EP R | 23 2

weddings

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weddings The wedding season is fast approaching, oﬀering great opportunities to many innkeepers to accommodate guests attending the ceremony and/or reception. Bill Lumley ﬁnds opportunities aplenty emerging

he rate at which couples are choosing to marry in non-traditional locations such as a church or town hall is rising rapidly, and with this trend comes great scope for inns to oﬀer wedding-related services from hosting the bridal party to staging the reception and increasingly now to staging the wedding itself. According to the 2019 UK Wedding Report, couples care most about a venue’s visual appeal, price and service. The most popular venue types are country or manor houses and barns, and couples continue to move towards hosting ceremonies at the reception venue versus places of worship. Inns are now ﬁnding themselves able to provide more than simply drink and overnight guest accommodation. A clear movement is underway for wedding ceremonies to take place at the wedding reception venue itself. This reduces the logistics for any wedding planner overseeing the movement of guests from a town hall or a church to an inn, guesthouse or other venue hosting the reception. According to the 2019 report released last month, some 67% of wedding now take place at the same venue as the reception, up by 7% on last year. Place of worship as a venue for wedding ceremonies has fallen from 29% in 2017 to 23% this year. Meanwhile there is a perceived growth in adventure taking place among young newly-wedsto-be. And while spend is down, the number of invited guests is rising, up by over 10% in 2018 to 90 guests compared with the previous year. www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

Last November in the Budget Chancellor Phillip Hammond tasked the Law Commission to review the laws around weddings in England and Wales. The project will look to propose options for a simpler and fairer system to give modern couples meaningful choice. The move was welcomed by the Commission, suggesting it concurred with the government’s desire to reduce some of the impracticalities including cost that burdens couples getting married, concluding that the law is failing to meet the needs of modern couples. The law governing marriages dates from 1836, and the Law Commission undertaking the review has stated that the regulation of how and where weddings can take place is too restrictive for a modern Britain. Law Commissioner Professor Nick Hopkins said: “A couple’s wedding day is a profoundly important event in their lives. But the current law does not meet the needs of modern couples. “Reform of the law would aim to make the law more ﬂexible and give couples greater choice so they can marry in a way that is meaningful to them, whilst also lowering the cost of wedding venues. “We therefore welcome the Government’s announcement and look forward to continuing our work in this area.” The announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer highlights that reforms to remove unnecessary restrictions on where a wedding can take place and potentially reduce unnecessary red tape could lower the cost of wedding venues for couples.

The Law Commission agrees that the complex and restrictive rules on wedding venues are in need of reform and has identiﬁed a range of questions that would need to be addressed by a full law reform project. It has also suggested four guiding principles that should underpin a revised law of marriage: • Certainty and simplicity; • Fairness and equality; • Protecting the state’s interest; and • Respecting individuals’ wishes and beliefs. Weddings can only legally take place outside if they are solemnised in a structure with a solid, permanent roof such as a gazebo. Ceremonies in temporary structures, such as marquees, are not permitted. Requirements that couples specify the building in which the ceremony is to take place - and restrictions on the consumption of food and drink in the area before and during the event - date from 1837. The Treasury’s view now is that such anachronistic red tape was pushing up the cost of weddings and putting some people off getting married. "Relaxing restrictions would make it cheaper and simpler for couples to get married, potentially supporting more people to get married," it said. "This review will help the law keep pace with modern Britain while helping people keep the cost of living down."

MARCH / APRIL 2019 | INN KEEPER | 25

Key ﬁndings from The 2019 UK Wedding Report from bridebook.co.uk and the Wedding Industry Awards

Wedding Spend Flat The average UK wedding spend has remained relatively ﬂat year on year at £17,674, however a London wedding costs at least a third more at £24,039.

Rise of the Groom Grooms now contribute 35% of wedding costs. Three quarters of grooms are heavily involved in planning, taking part or owning decision-making in many diﬀerent categories.

Mobile Planning Couples are using phones daily for planning, primarily venue and supplier research. Reviews, recommendations from websites and venue’s social media are gaining prominence as trusted information sources.

Non-Traditions Unique features are making headway in weddings. One quarter of weddings last more than one day, half take place on non-Saturdays, and new trends are emerging like midnight snacks, mobile vans and candy carts/tables.

Venue Trends Couples care most about a venue’s visual appeal, price and service. The most popular venue types are country / manor houses and barns, and couples continue to move towards hosting ceremonies at the reception venue versus places of worship

DIY Stays Strong Almost all couples engage in DIY for many aspects of weddings, mainly table seating arrangements, invitations and decor, as well as homemade wedding cakes and their own music playlists.

26 | INN KEEPER MARCH / APRIL 2019

Unsurprisingly the internet plays an increasingly important role in finding the right venue. Selected venues were discovered by 40% of couples looking online compared with 21% on recommendation from friends or family, 16% from a wedding fair, 10% from their own experience at friends’ or realtives’ wedding and 3% from a wedding magazine advert or editorial, according to the report. Hamish Shephard, the founder of Bridebook.co.uk which published the report with The Wedding Industry Awards, says: “We’re seeing that millennials view weddings as a big party with unique experiences, personal touches and beautiful photo backdrops. They’re planning on their phones, jointly together, and they’re cutting costs wherever possible. We expect to see planning become more digital and social in the near term with increased personality woven throughout the wedding activities. Wedding venues and suppliers are encouraged to show off their unique offerings to reach those looking for something ‘different’.”

Wedding events According to the UK Wedding Report, Marquee hire is the third greatest expense at £5,007 per wedding, behind food & drink at £5,187 and hire of the venue itself at £6,539. The market for outdoor entertainment structures such as gazebos is growing. Mar-

keting manager Joni Beal at The Lapa Company, which specialises in page timber gazebo and lapa structures, tells Innkeeper: “In all honesty it is growing everywhere, both with consumers and commercial, as people look to make more of the outdoors. It has become much more of an area of interest.” The areas in which the company has experienced greatest growth fall into two categories. The first is in providing seating and shaded areas, places for people actually to sit and enjoy the outside of a residence, while the other area of growth is cooking facilities such as outdoor kitchens, for seating and eating. The relatively new idea of having an outdoor wedding inevitably raises concerns about the unpredictable weather. You can book an inn but you can’t book sunshine. Beal suggests the matter is an issue of common sense. Her company does not offer advice on weather as such owing to the fact that it is not an events planner. But she says: “That is the nature of British weather. People who organise events such as weddings are very familiar with this. And you do get a lot more outdoors time than people often give credit for. “What we find with wedding venues that are putting in gazebos, lapas and other large outdoor spaces for the clients is that when they are talking to people about using them there normally is a contingency space. We tend not to come across premises that are putting in an outdoor facility for weddings or events that don’t have an indoor www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

weddings space as well. They tend to run them as a dual option for consumers so that they understand that there is an element of risk: that if you choose to be outside, you can commit 90% of your planning for outside but you always have to have that 10% where you plan the way you would switch if there were a sudden storm.” With the busiest wedding season ahead of us, the advice she gives on preparations to acquire and install a gazebo depends on the size of installation that an inn or guesthouse may be looking for, and whether they are looking for something bespoke or standard. “Typically, we would say get ahead of your season. This is the time when people are actually marketing out particularly for weddings, and this is the time when people are holding their wedding fares. Realistically you want to be installing these things pre-season,” she says. To give an idea of lead time, she says a standard wedding gazebo that would ﬁt the registrar, the bride and groom and a couple of bridesmaids would normally entail a six to eight week lead time for the structure to be installed. So if you are looking at cashing in on weddings this summer now is the time to get started.

Gazebo preparation Crucially she says it is important to look at the kind of ground work that would be necessary to be completed before ﬁtting a gazebo. “Regardless of their type she says no gazebo can simply sit upon a ﬂat grass surface, and it has to have

a base. It also has to be flat,” she says. “It is therefore important ahead of time to take into consideration whether there needs to be ground work preparation, whether you are going to need the gazebo company to do a bit of landscaping to provide a flat space or whether you have a suitable area such as a patio where you are planning to stage the wedding. “You can have gazebos that are installed with their footings down within the ground, but many gazebos can be installed straight onto the surface as long as it is not grass and is a solitude cement base or patio surface and the gazebo can sit on top of that without having to put footings in,” she adds. Another important consideration when looking at location concerns the time of day the majority of the wedding itself is going to occur and where the sun positioning will be at that time. “The last thing you want is to have a bride and groom squinting into broad sunlight as they try to say their vows and as you try to take pictures of their special day,” she says. “Little things like that can really make the difference – when you are showing guests around and talking about a facility for weddings if you are there in the afternoon you want them to be able to stand there and think wow this is going to be amazing, not wondering whether they will be squinting or whether it is going to be difficult to see.”

THE 20 MOST POPULAR WEDDING DATES IN 2018 1.......................................................Saturday 11 August 2 .......................................................Saturday 4 August 3 ...............................................Saturday 1 September 4 ...............................................Saturday 8 September 5 .......................................................... Saturday 16 June 6 ............................................................Saturday 14 July 7 .............................................Saturday 15 September 8 ............................................................ Saturday 2 June 9 ............................................ Saturday 22 September 10 ........................................................Saturday 30 June 11 ....................................................Saturday 18 August 12...........................................................Saturday 9 June 13 ..........................................................Saturday 28 July 14 ..........................................................Saturday 21 July 15 .................................................. Saturday 25 August 16 ......................................................... Saturday 19 May 17.........................................................Saturday 23 June 18 .........................................................Saturday 26 May 19 ............................................................Saturday 7 July 20..........................................Saturday 29 September Source: 2019 UK Wedding Report

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MARCH / APRIL 2019 | INN KEEPER | 27

The Lapa Company’s Top 5 Tips to maintaining your wooden gazebo

1. Sweep Winds can bring with them an accumulation of little leaves, twigs, berries and other garden treasures that can get caught in between the grooves of decking, under seats etc, and when you come to shutting up your Gazebo for the winter it's best to clear these out.

2. Freshen up your canvas and cushions Many gazebos and garden building owners have our colourful canvas panels and bench cushions. Made from high quality, UV resistant canvas, they will beneﬁt from a freshen up each year. Warm soapy water is all that is needed to clean.

3. Heat If you haven't added pendant heaters, this is a great time to do this extending the use of your Gazebo right through the winter period. The design style ensures heat is focused onto the seating areas rather than being dispersed in the air.

4. Brush Whatever type of roof you have, whether Cape Reed Thatch Tiles or Cedar Shingle Roof Tiles, it's well worth brushing down the roof at the end of summer to ensure it is free of leaves and looks as pristine as possible. This simple action also enables you to keep your roof in best possible condition.

5. Light Lighting can prove a practical and stylish addition to your Gazebo. The most popular way to light your Gazebo is through the addition of lights on your upright posts, or through the addition of fairy lights around the roof beam. Ensure any lighting used is appropriate for outdoor use and installed by a suitably qualiﬁed electrician.

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If you are worried about the limitation off investing in something like a gazebo or a lapa paa for weddings, she stresses that outdoor wooden den n structures are not just for weddings. “They ccan an an be used for absolutely anything. You can usee them as bars, for music, for general seating. Gazebos are a covered space so you can have them with furniture. Anything you can do on stage eﬀectively you can do with a gazebo as well”, she says. Gazebos are not necessarily perceived as being the strongest of structures but The Lapa Company only provides wooden gazebos, which she says are absolutely solid and won’t blow away. But then nor would they be dismantled out of season. Wooden gazebos are a permanent structure, which ticks the regulation concerning location: Weddings can only legally take place outside if they take place in a structure with a solid, permanent roof such as a gazebo and notably ceremonies in temporary structures, such as marquees, are not permitted. Wooden gazebos are very easy to maintain, she says. “There is no real maintenance required beyond giving them a brush out or a dusting. You can either have a rustic traditional look with thatched tiles or you can have cedar shingles, which is a more modern, clean-looking wooden tile. At the start and end of each season just make sure it has had a dust down getting rid of spiders up in the roof. Every few years you might want to give the timber a re-stain, otherwise they are ﬁne as they are,” she says.

Average wedding spend is ﬂat at a projected £17,674 this year, down from £17,913 in 2018. London has seen the sharpest fall down from 31,837 last year to 24,039 while the northeast of England has seen expense grow from 15, 624 last year to 17,357 this year. Source: 2019 UK Wedding Report

SStructure tructure sizes sizes The size starts at 2.4m circular gazebo which ﬁrst just two people, which is probably too small to be of any use for a wedding. A standard gazebo with upright balustrades and a roof can accommodate between four and 12 people in them. As the company’s name suggests it can also provide a lapa - a very large wooden structure that can be made as big as you wish, holding perhaps up to 80 people. This she says is becoming very popular for wedding venues: “There is one being built right now at a very large wedding venue in Kent, which holds 20 people inside with wooden seating around it to accommodate a further 80 to 100 people. “We’ve also supplied a luxury bed & breakfast, which has just had a gazebo ﬁtted for their weddings. They have painted it white, and it holds eight people sitting down – enough for a registrar’s table, registrar, bride and groom and bridesmaids. You can really go as small or as big as you need,” she concludes. If your inn can be adapted to host wedding receptions and perhaps even weddings then you just need a little imagination to realise how vast the opportunities are for taking a share of the wedding spend, with 41% of couples having a total budget for the event of between £10,000 and £20,000.

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An explosion Emerging and distinctive ﬂavour was a key theme to this year’s Casual Dining show in London last month. Bar snacks, craft gins, cooking technology and innovative sauces were among the products on display, including the innovative Squeezable Tahini from Rushdie Food Industries’ Mighty Sesame, as well as Kraft Heinz’s new range of table sauces and premium pasta sauces. Bill Lumley reports

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of flavour Premium crisps

Gluten free

Premium crisps are one of the best-performing types of snack in the on-trade at present, having almost doubled their penetration in less than five years, according to Pipers marketing manager Katy Hamblin tells Innkeeper. They also represent a significant advantage over ‘standard’ and ‘value’ crisps in terms of their rate of sale and price/margin. Premium crisps command around a 30% price premium over quality mainstream products. “Ever-more sophisticated consumer tastes have led licensed outlets to premiumise their food menus, enhance flavours and improve provenance,” she says. This trend has also driven the ‘premiumisation’ of snacks and is the reason behind the huge sales growth in this category. The growth is happening right across the UK, in all kinds of bars,” she says. The figures send a clear message to operators that premium crisps offer a great opportunity to grow sales and increase margin by meeting the consumer demand for greater menu sophistication and food provenance. “Premium crisps are the perfect snack for more discerning customers who don’t mind paying for high quality, great-tasting products,” she says.

Made Marion Gluten Free has a dedicated gluten-free bakery in Cornwall. It prides itself with baking award winning products that are baked in the bag where necessary to avoid cross contamination. “We want a gluten-intolerant customer to feel safe eating a tasty normal size product at reasonable price and become a returning customer because the product does not taste as if the gluten has been removed,” owner Marion Symonds tells Innkeeper. Among the products she was showcasing at the stand were afternoon tea - chocolate eclairs, scones with Jam and Clotted cream, Vanilla slice, Viennese biscuit, lemon tart, chocolate tart, rich fruit cake, and lemon drizzle cake, as well as gluten free steak and ale pie, chicken asparagus & pea pie and vegan butternut squash chick pea and vegetable pie. She explains there are other medical conditions besides coeliac disease that beneﬁt from a gluten-free diet. “Gluten intolerance ranges from gluten sensitivity (non-celiac gluten intolerance) to celiac disease. Non-celiac gluten intolerance could be an allergy to gluten or many other foods as well as gluten. Eating gluten-free can also help those with a chronic gastrointestinal disorder called irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)."

Flavour trends By selecting the right premium crisp brand operators can further enhance the benefits they achieve. “Look for a range of flavours that are on-trend and accompany a wide variety of drink choices. For example, our recently launched Jalapeno & Dill meets the current trend for heat and exciting flavour combinations that satisfy consumers’ desire for innovation. This is particularly relevant for 18-34 year olds, the most significant snack-buying segment and a key target for licensed operators. Like all Pipers Crisps, Jalapeno & Dill is a strong, ‘grown-up’ flavour, so it will be popular in pubs, clubs and bars where it’s the perfect accompaniment for an ice-cold bottled lager served with fresh lime,” says Hamblin.

Healthy eating Healthier eating as well as gluten-free and vegan produce were prominent at the Casual Dining Show last month, although according to Mintel’s report earlier this year on crisps, savoury snacks and nuts, snacks are one area where health priorities take more of a backseat for consumers: just 29% of crisps, savoury snacks, or nuts eaters look for healthier types all or most of the time. “The key role of these snacks as a treat underpins this,” says the report. “Catering to this while meeting government targets of calorie reductions poses a notable challenge to the category.” Crisps and nuts as a bar snack are still a safe buy for landlords. According to the Mintel rewww.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

port, crisps, savoury snacks, and nuts are universally eaten by 93% of adults, crisps and crispstyle snacks are an ingrained part of the nation’s diets, helped by their roles as comfort food, a treat, and a lunchtime staple for many.

Noisy Nuts Among the snacks presented by Invest Northern Ireland was Noisy Nuts, a range of self-seasoning crafted peanut kits designed to accompany craft beers. Its range includes Noisy Pickle Onion, which it suggests pairs well with lager, pale ale or wheat beers, and Noisy Chilli & Lime, the citrus ﬂavour of which pairs with IPA or pale ale. Pairing well with stouts and porters meanwhile, according to the supplier, is Noisy Chilli & Beef.

Microwave ovens Electronics manufacturer Panasonic had a stand at the Casual Dining event showcasing its microwave ovens, which it suggests open up the opportunity to serve snacks in bars even without kitchens. “Our new speed convection oven is vent less so requires no extraction and is designed to be used front of house,” spokesman Tim Futter tells Innkeeper magazine. “In microwaves you are looking at rice dishes, pasta and stews and soups and in combi/speed ovens it can be anything from pies and pasties to pizzas, toasties and paninis. Even things like ribs and chicken wings can be cooked in it,” he explains.

Crumb-free pie South Australia-based Vili’s Family Bakery presented its pies to visitors to the Casual Dining expo. Low in fat and rich in ﬂavour, made with high quality lean beef and no added preservatives, and ingeniously designed not to crumble as they are eaten, the pies are a great choice to oﬀer punters in a bar. The no-mess snacks can be eaten pie in one hand beer in the other. Spokesman David Allen tells Innkeeper the plan is to launch the pies in bars with a pie warmer on the bar. www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

SWEET-SNACKING Sweet-snacking is generally centred around food to go outlets such as c-stores, coffee shops, fast food and so on, according to Mademoiselle Desserts marketing spokesman Anthony Saison. It is barely present in pubs, bars and inns. However, with the UK Coffee Shop market getting closer to its saturation point (both in terms of space and offer), there’s an opportunity for pubs and bars to cater for more than one or two dayparts (traditionally lunch and dinner) by introducing an all-day coffee offer as well as more cakes and sweet snacks. For bars and pubs, it’s also about offering something other than the classic peanuts and crisps. With an increasing number of consumers trying to live healthier lifestyles and reduce their alcohol consumption – especially the younger ones - there is an argument for offering snacks that pair better with coffee and tea and attract younger and healthier demographics. The case of inns bears even more potential as travellers are more easily tempted to purchase snacks in order to suit their busy schedules. PREMIUM SNACKING Today’s consumers are becoming increasingly knowledgeable about food. They know more about ingredients, flavours and processes and are less likely to be satisfied with low quality products. The current economic context has also had an influence on this and has increased consumers’ desire for value for money. However, value for money isn’t related to cheap prices; it refers to people getting something they think is worth the money they paid. Consumers are ready to pay a slightly higher price, but they must see the return on investment. This trend applies to snacking as this daypart is strongly increasing. Mademoiselle Desert's bars were designed with premiumisation in mind: we saw a gap in the market for quality, artisan snack bars that would deliver an indulgent experience at a decent price instead of being just another cheap refuel. DIETARY ALTERNATIVES & INCLUSIVITY Vegan was the most important trend of 2018 and is likely to keep the top seat in 2019 (according to The Food People’s Food Trends Report 2019). Gluten-Free also remains one of top drivers for the Free From food category. However, coming up with quality free from alternatives is always a challenge, especially in cakes and desserts as such categories use eggs, flour, butter and cream as a basis for most recipes. Recent years have seen enormous progress by operators and many menus have

seen their “Dietary Alternatives” section grow. Despite this, the dietary alternatives/ quality dietary alternatives ratio remains uneven and consumers are now looking for more inclusivity: they want to indulge on a product that’s as good as its standard sibling. They don’t want to feel guilty or embarrassed anymore when ordering alternative food among friends with a different diet, he says. “We’re beyond the point where free from consumers are satisfied with free from options that don’t deliver. This was also fundamental to our development strategy: we wanted to design a range of bars that are free from (vegan, gf, or both) but meet the expectations of free from consumers and standard consumers alike. We want our products to be loved because they’re ‘great’ not ‘good for a vegan cake’,” Saison says. PERMISSIBLE INDULGENCE “With Health being a macro trend in food nowadays, people are trying to take better care of themselves through various means including reducing their sugar and calorie intake, reducing or avoiding gluten or following a plant-based diet. This has led to a shift away from overindulgence, but with dessert and cake consumption being essentially driven by indulgence, there’s a clear dichotomy. Instead of complete deprivation, modern consumers seem to be keen to keep on indulging on a regular basis but in a more controlled and sensible way. Snacking formats are ideal for this change as they ensure better portion control," he says. CONVENIENCE We are now living busier lifestyles than ever: according to MCA Insights, the working population in the UK is now over 31m and keeps on growing, the average commute time has reached an all-time high at 28 mins (45mins in London) and the average hours worked per week is also on the rise. With such a large amount of time spent on transportation and in the office, people have less free time to enjoy and are also living a busy lifestyle during weekends and tend to prioritise leisure time over other “menial” activities like eating. "This shows there is a clear need for a convenient sweet snacking solution that could be sold as part of a meal deal or on its own to be eaten on-the-go in the tube, in the office or during quick breaks on a busy weekend. Convenience is at the heart of our new range: they offer a small but reasonable, transportable portion of cake that is sealed and packed in solid packaging," he says. MARCH / APRIL 2019 | INN KEEPER | 31

Ă&#x2030; 6 8

The importance of an independent broker In a time where insurance aggregators are on every other TV advert, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to be sucked in to believing this is the way to obtain your insurance quote. For business insurance, and especially for niche areas like inns and guest house insurance, this certainly isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the case.

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here are many insurance companies out there that sell policies online that you might call â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;bog standardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, and more times than not they are completely inadequate. An independent insurance broker, especially those that specialise in the hospitality arena will understand these inadequacies and provide expert advice based on the customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs. Some of the guesthouse cover levels, terms and conditions that customers would be advised to check on their quotes include: â&#x20AC;˘ Public liability. Many people whose place of business is their home take out a standard home insurance policy assuming it includes public liability cover. In fact, a standard home policy excludes liability in respect of any business. â&#x20AC;˘ Theft. Some policies exclude theft by guests, some cover it by forcible/violent entry only, the top guesthouse policies will include full theft by guests with no security conditions being in place. â&#x20AC;˘ Security. Talking about security most guest house policies will insist on a minimum level of door & window security. This is ďŹ ne if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in place. You could be refused a theft claim should these not be in place. Again, the top policies will have no security terms for that peace of mind.

â&#x20AC;˘ Accidental damage. If the policy says it includes this cover, check whether this includes damage by guests. Many policies include accidental damage cover that applies only if caused by the innkeepers themselves. â&#x20AC;˘ Personal contents. Most guest houses are owner occupied. Check that your personal contents are included as many policies only oďŹ&#x20AC;er this as an optional extra. Some inadequate policies geared up for larger hotels may exclude this altogether. â&#x20AC;˘ Personal contents away from home. Do you want to include that iPhone, camera or those jewellery items whilst youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re away from your inn? Most guest houses insurance policies donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even oďŹ&#x20AC;er this as an optional extra, but many owners want this cover. If needed, a good insurance broker will be able to place you on the right policy. â&#x20AC;˘ Claim excess. How much will you have to pay towards a claim? These can range from ÂŁ100-ÂŁ250 for a standard excess, but can easily be ÂŁ350-750. Make sure youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re happy with the total excess you may have to pay in event of a claim.

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REGI S TODA TER Y FO FREE R ENTR Y

European Coffee, Tea & Soft Drinks Expo returns to London Olympia on May 21st and 22nd. With your customers becoming ever more discerning and demanding, this market leading show, created purely for the foodservice sector, will put you ahead of the game when preparing and serving both hot and cold beverages. Here’s why you should visit: • Over 170 exhibitors from many world leading brands to numerous smaller suppliers • A comprehensive FREE to attend conference programme featuring industry leaders • Barista Masterclasses featuring the very best, award-winning baristas from the UK and Europe, including Agnieszka Rojewska, the current World Barista Champion, Dale Harris, World Barista Champion 2017 and Dan Fellows, World Coffee in Good Spirits Champion 2018, plus many more superstars in this world first! • Roastery Masterclass Live! Another world first, featuring the best coffee roasters in the land together with live roasting - you won’t see this at any other show! • The Tea Quarter in association with National Tea Day – tea pairings and inspiration for the F&B market to boost your tea sales • Soft Drinks Pavilion– make the most of the long hot summer! • The Innovation Awards featuring the most innovative products and solutions • And lots more including networking, a VIP programme and ‘Roastery Way’, an area dedicated to smaller, independent roasters. And it’s ALL FREE to attend!

WHY I’M COMING “I really believe the quality tea and coffee offerings, along with an interesting and varied soft drink offering has been overlooked for too long. I see European Coffee, Tea and Soft Drink Expo as a brilliant way for operators to meet with many suppliers, and see the amazing products being offered to enhance their guests experience, and revenue.” Mark Hastings, Director of Restaurants, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

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Ă&#x2030; 6 8 A niche insurance broker should be aware of the all the above pitfalls and innkeeper policy terms, according to Gary Hodgson, partner at family-owned Hodgson Insurance Services. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A broker should have a broad range of insurance schemes to cater for the wide variety of the modern-day owner and will be able to place the customer on the policy that most caters for their needs and with policy conditions that can be adhered to,â&#x20AC;? he says.

Local knowledge A broker will have local knowledge of the area, including potential ďŹ&#x201A;ood risks areas, and is able to check Food Standard Agency ratings and assess the area and property via Google maps and the like to help get the best deals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Based in Cornwall, we know the South West region well and know certain problem postcodes,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But over the years many of our customers are now spread all over the country, and we have as many customers right up in Scotland now as we do here in Cornwall. Although not local weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve researched the issues Scottish innkeepers have, compared to other areas, cold weather and potential burst pipes being a known high risk. An insurance broker will understand these risks.â&#x20AC;? If you have to make a claim, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not on your own if you have bought your policy through a broker, he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Although youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll generally deal with a claims team or loss adjuster, sometimes problems or hold ups occur. A broker will be on hand to assist their customer and act as a middle man to help push a claim forward or assist with disputes and settlements,â&#x20AC;? he concludes.

Caveat emptor Technical services manager Shaune Worrall at the British Insurance Brokers Association tells Innkeeper magazine: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d certainly advise innkeepers to use a broker when they are looking for insurance cover unless they have insurance expertise themselves. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bit like anything: you go online and buy after making a judgement based on your own expertise â&#x20AC;&#x201C; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still a matter of buyer beware. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A broker will have plenty of access to insurers and information to be able to signpost anyone with an inn or guesthouse to the right cover,â&#x20AC;? he adds.

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Bespoke insurance Insurance brokers have access to a vast range and variety of insurance products that they can oďŹ&#x20AC;er their clients covering out-of-the-ordinary risks that can aďŹ&#x20AC;ect the independent accommodation sector. Coversure franchisee John Palmer, whose business is in Poole, Dorset, says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;A visitor to Be My Guest in Bournemouth last month told us their propertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s insurance policy was renewal due soon. I called them the day after the event and found the policy they bought online was completely wrong for them. Not only does it fail to provide them with appropriate levels of cover, but there are certain things they believed to be covered by the policy, but which quite simply are not,â&#x20AC;? he says. The guesthouse owners concerned have a three-bedroomed property where they live at the back of their property, he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the starkest examples was that while their business equipment is covered, the same is not true for their own personal contents. This is their home as well as their business.â&#x20AC;? Before discovering this shortfall in their policy, when he was going through the questions with them, the guesthouse owner and client-to-be, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Of course we have got contents cover!â&#x20AC;? It turned out they havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, he says. The premium they were paying for this inadequate policy was about ÂŁ1,250, and the broker was able to arrange them a full policy including cover for their own personal contents for the considerably cheaper price of ÂŁ550.

Sum insured One of the areas commonly overlooked is careful consideration of the actual amount to be covered. John says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;As with all types of insurance, if you look at your own personal household insurance that may cover you for ÂŁ50,000 or ÂŁ100,000 insurance, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very much a ďŹ nger-in-the-air, stab in the dark, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roughly what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The biggest thing you need to protect against is unfortunately the worst-case scenario, which is basically a ďŹ re,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Someone breaking in and stealing a few things is horrendous, but it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the end of your livelihood and your home. If your house or your business burns down, you can have the property rebuilt, but you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t actually get back the contents that were inside, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the end of the story. Most people canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just put their hand in their pocket and replace everything in their home.â&#x20AC;?

He adds that although that is a speciďŹ c example, it is the kind of thing insurance brokers deal with every day.

Client site visits One of the biggest beneďŹ ts of being local is being able to go out on site when there has been a nasty incident and a horrendous insurance claim. As a local broker we are only 10 to 15 minutesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; away and we can go, take a look, make a call, or people can come in and see us. That gives client real peace of mind,â&#x20AC;? he says. If necessary, someone from the brokerage can come out and meet you face to face, he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You are not on hold for 25 to 30 minutes trying to get through to someone, you have the continuity of dealing with the same person all the time so they know you, they know what is going on, and you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to re-explain your circumstances. Unlike online quote engines, brokers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have anywhere to hide, so they need to make sure that their claims service is up to scratch, because that underpins their reputation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our shop window literally has to be our claims service, otherwise we are not really adding any value at all,â&#x20AC;? he concludes.

Due diligence When you are choosing a broker, look for one with expertise and experience in arranging cover for guesthouses. A broker can guide you to ensure that you have identiďŹ ed properly the replacement costs, the things insurers wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t insure you for, and risks you may not have thought about that an oďŹ&#x20AC; the shelf, internet-generated policy might or might not cover for you. The broker can make sure the limits are ok, make sure any warranty exclusions are brought to your attention and are acceptable, and will be there in the event of a claim. Despite the tempting ease with which online insurance can be found and bought, you really deserve better than a one-size-ďŹ ts-all solution at your inn. What a broker can do is marry your particular risk, your particular business and your particular exposures to what is available out there in the insurance market.

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