InnKeeper Magazine OCtober 2018

ISSUE IIS SUE 15 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

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GLASSWARE TRENDS

It’s getting easier to serve drinks in a glass your guests will appreciate

LUXURY FURNISHINGS Navigating your way from blank canvas to harmoniously furnished rooms

CURRENCY OF TRUST What you need to know when it comes to online reviews

P lus : INN PROFILE

A look inside former 16th century hall house The Milk House in Sissinghurst WWW.INNKEEPERMAGAZINE.CO.UK

THE ONLY HOSPITALITY ROADSHOW FOR INDEPENDENT ACCOMMODATION PROVIDERS....JUST LIKE YOU

2nd OCT, TORQUAY 10th OCT, CARLISLE 13th NOV, SKEGNESS

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contents

welcome... this month...

Given the relentless combination of keeping your guests and staff happy, handling those who aren’t, making critical budget decisions, dealing with breweries and suppliers and keeping up and complying with arbitrary national and local government edicts, it may have slipped your notice that the busiest annual hospitality events season of the year is upon us.

You may barely find the time even to consider making it to any gathering such as the Independent Hotel Show in London in October. But take a look at the programs of such events, at the exhibitors and the speakers, and you may find that the potential return on losing a day at the coalface would be too good to miss.

There will of course be the highly acclaimed Pub19 to look forward to in early February, also in London. But if that is too far for you to justify travelling, throughout the year there are regional Be My Guest events, which welcome local suppliers and present the opportunity to share views on strategies to drive more bookings, increase yields and get better ratings and reviews. On 2 October the South West edition takes place in Torquay. The following week on 10 October the North West edition will be held in Carlisle, and the final Be My Guest of the year, the Lincolnshire Coast Edition, will be in Skegness on 13 November.

In this issue we take a look at the opportunities all these events present to refine your business and to refresh your take on political, economic and legislative challenges. The Innkeeper team will be there, so please look out for us. We’d love to meet you.

4 NEWS

Industry news from around the UK

18

1o PROFILE We take a look inside the picturesque and newly renovated Cow inn in Dalbury Lees

12 PROFILE Inn Places’ David Hancock explores how a neglected inn was transformed and renamed The Milk House by its dedicated new owners

18 GLASSWARE TRENDS 16 LUXURY FURNISHINGS For a busy innkeeper the time and trouble of choosing and arranging delivery of high-end furnishings can be a trial. We find some shortcuts.

New manufacturing techniques mean you can serve more drinks in superior standard glasses that allow you to economise on space

22 THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUST GuestRevu co-founder Francine Heywood examines online reputation and the currency of trust

26 PACKAGE TRAVEL REGULATIONS

Bill Lumley EDITOR

Revised EU regulations on packaged travel arrangements were announced this summer with potential implications for every UK innkeeper

30 WEATHER DAMAGE

26 www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

Damaging effects of last summer’s long, hot, dry weather may only start to appear at your inn over the coming months. We look at cautionary measures you can take.

JUNE / JULY 2018 | INN KEEPER | 3

news

BE MY GUEST ANNOUNCES ASSESSMENT SCHEME DISCOUNTS Be My Guest, a series of one-day, free-toattend business development events for independent accommodation providers has announced an expansion in exhibitors, partnerships and assessment scheme discounts for its upcoming regional events.

In this Autumn's series of Be My Guest events AA Hotel and Hospitality Services will be offering delegates a 20% discount on first time applicant to their Quality Assessment Scheme courtesy of the subsidy invested by the Be My Guest management team.

The team have funded a similar discount on the VisitEngland Assessment Scheme and they will be talking to people about the rich depth of business support they can give accommodation owners such as innkeepers, including a show-only-discount on the Pink Book, which is a must-read for businesses wanting to be on the front foot when it comes to regulations.

Expedia, Cottages.com, Interhome, Glampsites.com and Freetobook will be at all the shows looking for new ways for accommodation business to gain more bookings and increase revenues of their business.

Be My Guest spokesman Jim Curry told

Innkeeper “We are really pleased to welcome EnviroVent who are booked for all shows. In the rise of self-catering and holiday rentals, this company is leading the way to ensure that the air quality and the integrity of the building is intact through the avoidance of damp and stale conditions. Similarly, Codelocks, will be showcasing their products to ensure that the guest and host safety and security is of the highest standards.

“At Torquay and Skegness, we will be hosting a Farmers Market for the visitor to talk to local food and drink providers and enforce our commitment to support local businesses.

Alongside the market will be established food networks like Nestle and Blakemore Foodser-

vices which cover an array of offerings.

“We also have a host of financial and legal advisors who are there to help businesses push forward including Cumberland Building Society and Sills& Betteridge LLP. “The technology players are also coming to the Be My Guest events. Regalo will be at the Carlisle event and will be showing accommodation businesses how voucher platforms and gifting can bring new revenues and new customers to the property whilst Genius Wi-Fi will be demonstrating how even small properties can take advantage of Wi-Fi solutions for guests which provide an income,” he added.

Google will be providing free digital Masterclasses for accommodation owners and managers and we are pleased to add a few new names to the speaker line up including; Kate Morel and Leona Mills who will be talking about glamping and the opportunities that exist for traditional accommodation providers who are looking to add the glamping experience to their offering.

Well known B&B coach Yvonne Halling meanwhile will be letting visitors know the secrets of adding 25% extra income to their businesses in just one year.

Also new to 2018 is Tina Boden who is the go-to person when it comes to micro-businesses, and she will be explaining how looking after yourself is the best way to balance the books.

Finally, David Weston, Chairman of the Bed and Breakfast Association, will be talking about Brexit and the impact that could have on the sector next year.

BE MY GUEST EVENTS: South West edition – Torquay 2 October 2018 North West edition – Carlisle 10 October 2018 Lincolnshire coast edition – 13 November 2018 South Coast edition – 19 February 2019 Yorkshire & Humber edition – 5 March 2019 Welsh edition – 9 April 2019 For your free ticket to attend any of the Be My Guest events visit:

4 | INN KEEPER | SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018

www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

news

GUESTLINE EVENT DELIVERS PRACTICAL ADVICE TO BOOST INNKEEPERS’ PROFITS Hospitality industry digital marketing specialist Guestline is canvassing guesthouse operators for topics of interest or concern to cover at its next Profitable Beds in Pubs event.

This summer the property management solutions provider company staged its third such event in central London. Topics included the use of a guesthouse’s online presence to drive direct bookings and manage and enhance the guest experience through technology.

The event included a wide range of topics including a presentation from Fuller’s head of operations hotels Mark Fulton on customer perception and the customer journey, digital marketing agency Journey’s commercial director Julian Vaughan on how to drive direct bookings, and advice from Tourism Alliance director Kurt Jansen on the threats posed to small accommodation businesses by revised European legislation imposing a much wider definition of a ‘package’, potentially rendering all UK innkeepers packaged holiday operators.

Guestline marketing manager Kate Fuller told Innkeeper: “This was the third annual event, and they have all been really successful. They have provided an opportunity to put a spotlight on accommodation in the hospitality sector, giving operators key advice from suppliers and from guesthouse operators on the opportunities to maximise revenues from providing guestroom accommodation.”

Journey’s Vaughan gave delegates his view that there are six steps to drive direct bookings in your inn. The first is to build your online presence, spreading your media spend across Google, Bing, Facebook, programmatic adverts for example. The second is to get ready for business by populating your website with appealing information, videos, reasons to visit and online booking facilities.

The next he said is conversion, providing exclusive offers such as two nights for the price of one, followed conversion rate optimization, paying attention to guest focus. The fifth is retention, by welcoming guests and meeting and surpassing their expectations.

The final step he told delegates is knowing your numbers and using key metrics to measwww.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

ure the effectiveness of digital marketing and website performance to ensure success.

The date of the next Profitable Beds In Pubs event is yet to be set, but the hitherto annual event could become more frequent given the high level of engagement both of delegates and areas of interest and shared expertise, Fuller said.

“We are keen to hear ideas from innkeepers on any subjects that are pertinent to them and from which they would benefit from discussion and analysis or on which they wish to know more that we can provide an expert to talk on,” she said.

The events have evolved from the first one held two years ago, which she says was more of a roundtable discussion to get under the same roof pub companies that own inns to discuss the opportunities that lie within the accommodation sector. The event sought to explore the virtues of inns that are not features of normal hotels as well as inns’ weaknesses in the accommodation sector.

A common theme is the area of digital marketing and direct bookings aspect and making their online platform work more efficiently for them in driving direct bookings, she said. “It would be wise for guest houses to have a diverse range of platforms, but they also need to get a good direct booking module on their own website to maximise the profitability of their rooms.”

She added: “Social media is also very good to promote what is going on at your venue, if you have any events, for instance, or offers, so you can direct potential customers to your own website via any Twitter or Facebook feed.

You can also capitalise on different seasons such as Christmas, maybe offering a late checkout or a discount on breakfast.”

Although the first three Profitable Beds events were held in London there may be the chance in future to hold more regionally focused events in future, she said. “Further down the line it might be an idea to roll them out regionally,” she suggested.

If you have any issues you would like to learn more on or discuss contact kate.

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018 | INN KEEPER | 5

news EDITOR Bill Lumley bill.lumley@jld-media.co.uk 01737 852 345 NORTHERN IRELAND EDITOR Francis Higney 01737 852 345 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Caroline Sargent 07076 362082 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Matthew Attwood 01737 852345 SALES MANAGER Frankie Butler frankie.butler@jld-media.co.uk 01737 852 342 PRODUCTION MANAGER Stuart West stuart.west@jld-media.co.uk 01737 852 343 DESIGN & PRODUCTION Ryan Goble production@jld-media.co.uk 01737 852 341 PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Helen Richmond helen.richmond@jld-media.co.uk 01737 852 344 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.

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.

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Inn Keeper JLD Media, 25 Clarendon Road, Redhill, Surrey RH1 1QZ Tel: +44 (0) 1737 852 100 www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk All rights reserved © JLD Media 2017

HOT SUMMER MAY MEAN VINTAGE ENGLISH AND WELSH WINES Hopes were high for a vintage year of English wine following the hottest summer on record for England. As we went to press the scorching summer was expected to give way to an autumn of above-average temperatures, providing the conditions for a vintage year for English and Welsh wine.

Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) chief executive Mike Beale said: “English vineyards are reaping the benefits of a record heatwave of 2018. The knockon effect of near-perfect growing conditions in the UK has led to generous grape bunches and many vineyards are expecting an early harvest. Earlier in the season the WSTA predicted that 2018 would be vintage year for English and Welsh wine with a record harvest. With the good weather looking set to continue into October there seems little to stand in the way of both a bumper harvest and high-quality grapes for wine makers.”

But he said warned it’s not unequivocally good news.

“While British grape growers have experienced very favourable conditions our wine growing friends on the continent and elsewhere in the world, have had to battle droughts, wildfires, storms and disease. And, because the vast majority of wine in the UK is imported, that matters for the 33 million UK wine consumers for whom wine continues to become increasingly expensive.”

INDUSTRY CALLS FOR DUTY FREEZE The Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has called on the Treasury to freeze wine and spirit duty in the upcoming Budget after the Chancellor’s recent windfall proves he has hit on a winning formula.

By delivering a freeze last November, Philip Hammond has landed a bumper tax collection, helped cash strapped consumers and given a boost to British businesses.

The latest HMRC figures show that in the six months to July following last November’s freeze, the Treasury received a £270 million windfall from alcohol duty – a 5% increase on last year.

Some £165 million of this, 61%, came from the sale of wine and spirits, with many choosing to enjoy a glass at home and in pubs during this Summer’s hot weather.

Duty hikes were expected at the 2017 November Budget, but politicians listened to the WSTA, businesses and consumers and scrapped planned duty rises.

Hammond cited tighter household budgets and declining pub sales as key reasons behind the decision. Pubs are continuing to struggle with 18 closing a week in Britain, according to the latest industry figures.

During his Budget speech in November, the Chancellor said: “Recognising the pressure on household budgets and backing our Great British Pubs, duties on other ciders, wine, spirits and on beer will be frozen.”

Despite the Treasury being given a boost from the freeze, Hammond is still planning to increase excise duty by a projected inflationary rise of 3.4% at the next Budget this Autumn.

The WSTA has drafted a Budget submission document which will shortly be submitted to the Treasury, clearly setting out

6 | INN KEEPER | SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018

that a further freeze on duty for all alcohol products will help an aspirational and innovative industry realise its potential.

Miles Beale chief executive of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association said: “A freeze to alcohol duty is a win/win/win for the Treasury, the wine and spirit trade and consumers - our Budget submission makes this case clearly to the Chancellor. Philip Hammond chose to freeze alcohol duty in November for good reason, as he rightly recognised that consumers are feeling financial strain, and acknowledged the need to show support to our great British pubs. His strategy was a sound one and he landed a windfall for government coffers too.

“With Brexit looming, the pressures on British businesses and consumers are only increasing. A freeze would help ease the uncertainty and disruption heading our way in 2019.

“We are asking Philip Hammond to support British consumers, pubs and the wider hospitality trade by giving us a for a fair freeze for all.”

Duty is currently so high that 55% of the average priced bottle of wine and 74% of a bottle of spirits, at 40% abv, sold in our shops and supermarkets is now taken by the Treasury in tax and VAT. The UK alcohol industry is one of the most heavily taxed in Europe, as we are stung by the third highest duty rates for wine and fourth highest duty rate for spirits across the EU. British drinkers end up paying 68% of all wine duties collected by all 28 EU member states and 27% of all spirits duties. This is by far the most of any member state despite accounting for only 11 per cent of the total EU population. www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

REGISTRATION OPENS FOR PUB19 More than 200 exhibitors are lined up for PUB19 when the event returns to London’s Olympia from 5-6 February.

The show offers an opportunity for innkeepers to meet with suppliers, network with others to share ideas and inspiration, and to learn about the latest trends from across the pub sector, one of the most thriving and vibrant UK industries.

PUB exhibition manager Alex Booth said: “Our audience of pub owners, operators and decision makers tell us they see the PUB shows as their primary source for the latest trends, products and suppliers specific to their industry. In a competitive landscape where pubs must evolve and differentiate to keep up with consumer demand, it is essential that PUB19 continues to showcase exceptional

companies with products and services to support the continued development and success of pub business in the UK.” He added: "The exhibition, combined with a dedicated Talks and Workshops programme, Taste Table, Trends Bar and special events, is proven to bring thousands of pub owners and operators together to share ideas, do business and network.”

To register for the event: www.thepubshow.co.uk/register-to-attend

MOST ALE DRINKERS PREFER INDEPENDENTS Most real ale consumers value independently owned breweries, with nearly three out of four (74%) ale drinkers who expressed an opinion saying they are concerned that small independent breweries are being bought by larger multinational drinks companies in the UK, according to new research conducted by YouGov. The respondents expressed further concern that breweries that have been bought out are still marketed with the same branding from when they were independent, regardless of the change in ownership.

The research conducted ahead of the CAMRA Great British Beer Festival demonstrates the continuing shift in consumer preferences away from global brewers and towards beers that are of local provenance, highlighting why beer festivals such as the Great British Beer Festival continue to be so popular.

Considering this, CAMRA teamed up with the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) to ensure that festival-goers know which beers have been brewed by independent craft brewers. The assured ‘seal’ appeared on festival bar banners next to truly independent craft brewers, as well as in the event guide’s tasting notes.

Mike Benner, SIBA’s chief executive said: "Beer drinkers want to know the brew in their glass has been made by a truly independent craft beer and SIBA are delighted to see CAMRA backing the 'Assured Independent British Craft Brewer’ initiative at their flagship event and the UK's biggest beer festival.” www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

news

HEADLINERS CRAFT RANGE RAISES A LAUGH Watneys has launched a new range of beers in celebration of the lighter side of life, balancing the serious craft credentials of the beers with the importance of sharing a pint and a joke with friends while enjoying the many different things that make us laugh.

Named Sarcasm, Slapstick, and Irony, the three-strong Headliners range launches in September and features a Citrus Pale Ale, Double IPA and Craft Lager in keg and can. The launch will be supported this autumn with a Pop-up Stand-up campaign, which will see surprise gigs in pubs and bars by some of the UK’s best upand-coming comedy talent.

Nick Whitehurst, managing director of Brands Reunited, which returned the Watneys brand to the bar in 2016, said, “We love a good time down the pub with our mates, and we love craft beer - but beard oil and Birkenstocks is really not us. So, we’ve created three premium beers for laid-back laughter lovers who want to enjoy the flavours of craft beer but don’t necessarily buy into the full-on hipster experience.”

The range will be available to inns, pubs and bars in kegs and cans, with the cans also available to order online at www.watneys-beer. com. The cans will feature tasting notes which take a more tongue-in-cheek approach than many craft brewers. Watneys beers are brewed at Sambrook’s Brewery in Wandsworth, continuing the Watneys tradition of brewing in London dating back to 1837.

The three Headliners beers are: Sarcasm Citrus Pale Ale 4.5% ABV Slapstick Double IPA 7.5% ABV Irony Craft Lager 4.6% ABV

APRIL/MAY 2018 | INN KEEPER | 7

news

DUSK ‘TIL DAWN NOMINEES ANNOUNCED UKHospitality has unveiled the shortlisted nominees for the 2018 Dusk ‘til Dawn Late Night Awards.

The winners will be announced at the gala Dusk ‘til Dawn event at Café de Paris, following the Bar and Nightclub Conference on 8 October.

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “The variety and sheer volume of nominations this year has been fantastic and the job of whittling them down to 53 shortlisted nominees has been tough. The diversity on show this year is a tribute to the vibrancy and vitality of the UK’s late-

KARAOKE SHOWS STRONG UPLIFT IN BAR TRADE SALES A Finnish survey has revealed that karaoke has a significant positive influence in attracting people to restaurants, encouraging them to stay longer and, as a result, increasing sales.

The study entitled ‘The value and benefits of karaoke’ was conducted by Helsinki-based entertainment specialist Singa and Aalto University in Espoo, Finland.

According to the survey, Karaoke is a market valued at $15bn. A total of 37 venues were evaluated from a range of sizes and onsite offerings during spring 2018.

The object of the research was to compare business activity during a typical night with and without karaoke.

The impact of karaoke on bar trade sales THE IMPACT OF KARAOKE ON BAR TRADE ALES 50

+42% 42

+35% 35 +31% 31 25

0

Number of customers

Average customer spend

Average custome spend for occasional karaoke nights

8 | INN KEEPER | SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018

night sector and we are very pleased to shortlist the most dynamic companies at the cutting-edge of late-night hospitality.

“A thriving late-night sector makes a huge difference to a town and city, providing not only an economic boost, but also acting as a very valuable social and cultural asset. Our nightclubs are world-renowned and the annual Dusk ‘til Dawn is all about celebrating this brilliant sector.

“I look forward to this year’s ceremony and crowning the winners at what will no doubt be a fantastic evening celebrating this valuable and exciting aspect of the UK’s hospitality.”

The shortlist of nominees covers eight categories comprising food, drink, entertainment, service and team development, marketing and production, late night bar, late night club and late night company. Among the nominees are Greene King, Stonegate Pub Company, CG Restaurants and Bars and Beds and Bars.

THE RESTAURANT SHOW 2018 Registration's open for The Restaurant Show 2018.

Now in its 30th anniversary year, the event will see an impressive line-up of experts, influencers and industry names come together to share their expertise and life lessons. And, with over 450 exhibitors to explore too, it promises a feast of ideas and inspiration.

Live sessions to get excited about Among the exciting names already confirmed to speak are Tom Kerridge of the Hand and Flowers and Daniel Clifford of Midsummer House.

Visitors can also look forward to hearing from sustainable food pioneer Doug McMaster, Founder of Silo Brighton, as he talks about his new venture and partnership with leading bartender Mr Lyan of White Lyan and Super Lyan. These two trailblazers are blending food and drink in their new project, CUB. Learn how they’re bringing people together with an innovative planet-positive menu that makes customers’ minds and bellies happy.

There’s more excitement as the show is joined by The World’s 50 Best Bars team, who’ll be shaking things up with a lively session on why cocktails matter. Find out how perfectly mixed cocktails can pull in the profits and put your venue ahead of the competition. Featuring a leading panel presenting the latest global trends, this session covers everything from flavour matching with food to looking at how sustainability is shaping today’s thriving bar scene.

Digital secrets for success To help you supercharge your marketing, join experimental marketer and founder of Digital Blonde

Karen Fewell in her session ‘Digital storytelling: the secret ingredient for social media success’. As part of this you’ll get to experience live digital storytelling in action as Karen translates dishes created by former Young National Chef of the Year and star of the BBC’s Million Pound Menu, Ruth Hansom, into killer content. This session will show you how to make sure your social media posts stand out in a crowded online space. Whether you’re a restaurant, hotel or food brand, you’ll learn how a few small changes could make a big difference.

Meanwhile, OpenTable will have a panel of experts on hand discussing how you can combine the art of hospitality with smarter technology. On the panel is Alexandre Santamaria, Brand Director, Ling Ling, Hakkasan Ltd., who explained that the session would cover how to manage data through technology and handle guests personally: “The hospitality industry needs to be making the most of data and using it to their advantage, in order to give guests the best possible experience. During this session we’ll be looking at how clever use of technology can help restaurants cater to consumers evolving personal preferences.”

REGISTER NOW Registration for The Restaurant Show 2018 is now open. Register for your badge at www.therestaurantshow.co.uk for free entry to the hospitality industry’s ultimate diary date 1st – 3rd October at Olympia London. Follow @ RestaurantShow to stay up-to-date with the latest new sessions, exhibitors and speakers.

Issued on behalf of The Restaurant Show by Digital Blonde Ltd. www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

25 & 26

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SEPT 2018

SPANISH STOUT WINS INAUGURAL & SPA LONDON HOTEL BEER COMPETITION A stout from a brewer in Spain's Basque country has taken the only Gold medal at the inaugural London Beer Competition, leading a field of 21 medal winners from the judging that took place in the capital last month.

Black Gold, an 8.5% ABV stout aged in rum barrels from the Basque Oak Brewery, was awarded the 90+ points required to take a Gold by a panel of 12 beer experts. Sambrook's Brewery from London took three Silver medals, and the Brewery of the Year title.

The London Beer Awards were launched in late 2017 by global drinks experts Beverage Trade Network, plugging a gap in the market for an award that judges beers in the way that consumers judge them - assessing not just their taste, but also their packaging and value for money.

Chief executive of Beverage Trade Network Sid Patel said, "At all the major competitions, beers are judged solely on the quality of what's in "I'd like to see more competitions find a way Sambrook's and Basque Oak. the bottle or can. We wanted to take a different to include packaging, as it's important to buyers Patel said, "Launching a new competition is approach, by asking our judges to look at beers the and it's evident that the industry still needs way shoppers do, adding appearance and value for exciting but also daunting, especially when it feedback on what sort of branding is acceptable. radically changes the way beers are judged. We're money into the mix.

Hopefully comments from events such as this delighted with the first London Beer Competi"The best-tasting beer in the world will stay on will help the drive for equality and diversity tion, which attracted entries from award-winning the supermarket shelf unless the pack design and throughout the industry." brewers in the UK and further afield and a panel price point appeal to the consumer. Equally, if the of respected industry judges. taste doesn't live up to expectations, there will be "We are already making plans to run the comno repeat purchase. petition again in 2019 and will be opening entries "Including all three factors in the judging towards the end of this year." produces results that are closer to the reality of the LONDON BEER COMPETITION GOLD Duncan Sambrook, founder of Sambrook's way consumers purchase beers and gives brewers · Black Gold - Basque Oak Brewery Brewery, said, "We're delighted to have taken three better feedback on how their beers are perceived medals in this inaugural competition and to win by shoppers."

BEER OF THE YEAR the accolade of best brewer. Winning these awards · Black Gold - Basque Oak Brewery At the judging session, judges tasted and scored in the city where we have been brewing for 10 beers ‘blind' before seeing bottles or cans and years is a great endorsement of all the hard work marking them for on-shelf appeal as well as value BREWERY OF THE YEAR our brewing team have put in. for money. · Sambrook's Brewery "The fact that this competition, unlike most The majority of the medals went to UK beer contests, assesses beers not just on the taste, brewers, though beers from Spain, Italy, BEST IN SHOW (BY COUNTRY CATEGORY) but also the packaging and value for money, is a the USA and Sri Lanka were also winners. · Wold Gold - Wold Top Brewery welcome addition and gives us a realistic picture Reinforcing the robustness of the London EDGE 250 CUTTING SUPPLIERS • 170 INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKERS of how consumers view our beers. We will be Beer Competition, many had won awards in BEST IN SHOW (BY PACKAGE) EXPERT-LED PANEL shouting DEBATES • success 1-2-1and BUSINESS ADVICE • Island LIVEReserve DEMOS about our looking forward to · Dark other contests, including Sambrook's Brewery, - Orkney Brewery selling more of our great beer." based in Wandsworth, who took the Brewery Mitch Adams, beer buyer at London-based of the Year title after scoring more points than BEST IN SHOW (BY VALUE) -(£2.25) Borough Wines, said, "Seeing the packagany other brewer and three Silver medals. · Battersea Rye - Sambrook's Brewery ing was a great addition to the judging, and Best in Show awards went to Wold Gold from well-managed so we didn't have preconcepYorkshire brewer Wold Top and Dark Island BEST IN SHOW (BY QUALITY) tions when tasting the beers.

Reserve from Orkney Brewery, as well as to · Black Gold - Basque Oak Brewery

CONNECTING HOTELS & SPAS WITH THE TECHNOLOGY OF TOMORROW

THE WINNERS

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É

THE

DALBURY

LEES

4XLQWHVĆƒHQWLDO YLOĹźDJH LQĹž Last December The Cow in Dalbury Lees reopened after months of renovation.

The inn was bought earlier in the year and is operated by the same team behind the Horseshoes, Long Lane and Cock Inn, Mugginton which were brought to life over the last couple of years, Berkeley Inns. Bill Lumley reports.

I

n this historical move which sees the group progress further into the hospitality industry, the 100-year-old Cow inn is situated on a quintessential picturesque green, with a red phone box and old signs. The inn is the focal point for the small village, which has no shops.

10 | INN KEEPER SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018

The renovation work undertaken last year was extensive. Howard Thacker, manging director of Berkeley Inns says: “Every eort and consideration has been taken to ensure that all original features have been retained, revealed and restored with widespread research rch ch and and d application app pp pliicaatiion on by by a

local team of dedicated professionals.�

Describing the background to acquiring the property, he says: “We are continually asked to recommend high quality accommodation in the area and therefore decided it was time to make luck thee oer o er er ourselves. ourrse s lvves e . As luc u k would woul wo uld have ul haave

www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

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We have an emphasis on quality service and set impossibly high standards for our staff who are all personable with local knowledge and everything is underpinned by brilliance.

Breakfast is included, with continental and hot beverages followed by full English or eggs benedict, and is available to non-residents too.

Head chef is Ben Peverall. He runs the kitchen with a commitment to local suppers but without a concentration on ďŹ sh as the village is in a landlocked area. The menu itself is cow-themed - on the hoof, cow pat, feedbucket, for example - and decorated with canvas artwork of cows. “We have an emphasis on quality service and set impossibly high standards for our sta who are all personable with local knowledge and everything is underpinned by brilliance.

Attention to detail is phenomenal from the hand wash-basin to the door furniture.

THE COW DALBURY The Green, Dalbury Lees, Ashbourne, Derbyshire DE6 5BE T: 01332 824297 www.cowdalbury.com ww w ww w..co .co ow wd dal albu albu bury r ..ccom ry m

it one of my oldest and best pals happened to own this delightful property, it was the perfect site for our concept. After nearly a year of planning and building works The Cow is now born.�

Steeped in local history, The Cow now oers 12 luxurious, individually designed rooms which feature the latest tech, including complimentary Wi-Fi, the revolutionary “Open Keyâ€? door systems and smart TVs for work and pleasure.

Guests are treated to an eclectic ‘30-mile’ menu of mouth-watering, locally sourced food and a distinct wine list from the UK’s oldest wine merchant, Corney & Barrow.

The new owners recognised that the rural and peaceful location make it an ideal base for corporate visitors to local industry as well as leisure clients visiting the wonderful Derbyshire and Peak District and countryside that surrounds the inn.

The new owners worked hard to create 12 rooms from the original six, including six on the ground oor all with a patio terrace and all dog friendly. Four of the bedrooms are twins, four accommodate a child’s bed and four have both a bath and shower.

The bedrooms are all individually designed, with two shanty style rooms on the ground oor, pale grey and neutral colours and more sumptuous with lots of oak as throughout the building.

The other rooms are more contemporary. All exude warmth with a headboard and handmade.

All the bedrooms have a safe and a minibar and a Nespresso bar.

DĂŠcor at the inn is a mix of contemporary styles. The pub/bar is oak/timber with copper topped tables and timber chairs. www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

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THE MILK HOUSE

Faded F aded and and fforlorn orlorn following following ttwo wo yyears ears of of cclosure, losure, tthe he former former Bull Bull Inn Inn in in the the heart heart off p o pretty retty S Sissinghurst issinghurst was was rescued rescued in in 2013 2013 by

by Dane Dane and and Sarah Sarah Allchorne, Allchorne, w ho w ere looking looking to to e scape London London to to develop develop their their own own business. business. who were escape IInn nn P laces m anaging director director D avid H ancock p ays a visit. visit.

Places managing David Hancock pays

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F

uelled by passion, enthusiasm and ideas, Dane and Sarah have carefully restored and refurbished the striking roadside building, a former 16th century hall house, recreating a thriving community hub, with a busy bar and restaurant and four comfortable rooms. The informal, airy and open-plan interiors are simply, yet stylishly decorated, with ďŹ reside sofas, cushioned benches and old pine tables in the bar, and painted timbers and beams, fat lamps, big mirrors, jugs of fresh owers and bold local artwork in the contemporary, wood-oored dining room.

THE PERSONAL TOUCH The fabulous sun-trap side terrace is the place to be on warm sunny days, so arrive early to bag some space on the huge central table, which is made from vast slabs of local timber. The ‘hopper hut’ outside bar dispenses chilled beer and rosĂŠ and jugs of Pimms to save you queuing at the bar.

Just past the pizza kitchen and duck pond, a gate leads to a lawn with picnic benches and unusual play area, so a great space for kids to let o steam.

The August Bank Holiday Milk Fest is a four-day feast of fun for all the family, built around Dane & Sarah’s favourite local artisan suppliers, who sell their produce from stalls around the terrace, and live music from local bands.

The Milk House is just over a mile from the famous gardens at Sissinghurst Castle, which are

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best reached on foot from the pub – a memorable stroll through orchards and Bluebell woods. In 2016, building on the success of The Milk House, the Allchorne’s added a sister pub, breathing new life into the Barrow House at Egerton, another thriving inn with three rooms located a few miles away across the Kentish Weald.

Do not disturb With a few famous gardens and grand houses within an easy drive of Sissinghurst, The Milk House has become a popular base for exploring the glorious Kent countryside. The clutch of four comfortable upstairs rooms (with their own entrance) have been beautifully decorated in a simple, stylish and uncluttered way, all are light, spacious and very relaxing with soothing heritage hues, the best Dorset linen and down on big beds, chic fabrics, upholstered armchairs, a mix of pine and painted furniture, fresh owers and oral paintings.

Modern tiled bathrooms boast rain showers and Romney Marsh soaps and lotions. If you fancy soaking in a claw-foot tub surrounded by candles while enjoying country views, then book the Byre room. Wake up to homemade muesli and freshly baked pastries or tuck into the full English breakfast – local Park Farm sausage & bacon, free-range eggs, grilled mushroom, tomato & toast. Double rooms from £100-£160.

Mastering the menu New Zealand born chef Dane may have plied the stoves at Chez Bruce and Marco’s Hyde Park Hotel restaurant, and cooked privately for clients across the world, but the menus he creates with head chef Joshua Price at The Milk House are very much in keeping with the relaxed ethos of the pub. Expect to ďŹ nd a light, all-day grazing menu, the pork pie with apple and elderower chutney being the perfect accompaniment to quaďŹƒng a pint at the bar or in the garden, alongside a pub classics selection and an imaginative seasonal menu.

A real crowd-pleaser, the classics menu oers pub dishes with a modern twist, perhaps beer-battered cod with skinny fries, minted pea puree, charred lemon and lemon thyme tartare sauce, and the homemade burger comes with smoked bacon, cheese, fries, mayo and tomato chutney. The summer dining menu oers an eye-catching selection of more inventive dishes, typically octopus carpaccio with air-dried tomatoes, baby basil and lemon crumb, followed by tarragon stued guinea fowl, rosemary potato, pea shoots, corn puree and crispy bacon, and Prosecco and raspberry posset with lemon shortbread.

A wood-ďŹ red oven in the pizza hut in the garden takes the pressure of the busy kitchen in summer and delivers authentic pizzas topped with local charcuterie, cheese, seasonal vegetables and herbs.

Onion gravy, or beer-battered haddock with SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018 | INN KEEPER | 13

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hand-cut chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce.

To ďŹ nish, there are mouth-watering puddings, perhaps treacle tart with lemon curd ice cream or sticky toee pudding, and an excellent cheeseboard, served with homemade oatcakes, grapes, chutney and a glass of port. Roast Sunday lunches – leg of Mount Grace lamb with roast potatoes and apricot and rosemary stuďŹƒng – draw a loyal local crowd and best enjoyed following a brisk walk around the Crayke Estate.

Local, Local, Local Dane’s passion to oer delicious English food extends to sourcing quality produce from within a 20-mile radius of Sissinghurst, the rich local larder delivering Claire’s artisan bread from Frankie’s Farm Shop in Staplehurst, Moons Green handmade charcuterie, succulent lamb, amazing asparagus from Frog’s Hole Farm along the road, and meat from Park Farm Butchers in Hawkhurst.

Look behind the bar and you’ll ďŹ nd it stocked with quality local beers and wines and, where possible, spirits. The latter includes the delicious and very moreish Anno Gin and Elderower Vodka, distilled 5 miles away in Marden. Naturally, there’s space on the wine rack for some local ďŹ zz, notably Herbert Hall Brut RosĂŠ, again from Marden, and Chapel Down’s Vintage Reserve Brut from their vineyard near Tenterden. Tip-top ales on tap regularly feature brews from Old Dairy Brewery, just down the road in Tenterden, alongside beers from Sussex brewers Dark Star and Harveys, and ciders from artisan Kent makers Gibbet Oak, Turners and Kentish Pip. Drivers and juice drinkers are spoilt for choice, with quality juices from Chegworth Valley and Kingsdown producers, both based in Kent.

Highlights • • • • • • •

Rescued and revamped with style Laid-back vibe; brilliant sta Classy, crowd-pleasing menus Champions local artisan producers Pizzas from the wood oven Simple, stylish rooms upstairs Don’t miss the Milk Fest in August

THE MILK HOUSE The Street, Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, Kent , TN17 2JG Tel: 01580 720200 www.themilkhouse.co.uk _____________________ www.innplaces.co.uk 14 | INN KEEPER AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2018

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Dane and Sarah have carefully restored and refurbished the striking roadside building, a former 16th century hall house, recreating a thriving community hub, with a busy bar and restaurant and four comfortable rooms - David Hancock. www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

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Sourcing luxury furnishings The first hurdle when replacing furnishings for your inn is often establishing just where to begin.

Bill Lumley looks for shortcuts

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he planning stage of furnishing any property can be daunting but getting it right it is of critical importance to you and your business.

Fulfilling a project to furnish your inn is one of those areas where it is very easy to find yourself unable to control the spend of alarmingly high sums of money that can mount up very quickly.

You may be fortunate enough to have no deadline and an unlimited budget to spend on ensuring you bring the furnishings in your inn up to the levels you would like. However, such luxuries are uncommon, and early on in the process you need to work out what your budget is and to try to stick to it.

You inn may have easy access to a high-volume antique furniture store, or you may have inherited a substantial number of well-kept furnishings. Otherwise you are pretty much on your own.

You can go online to visit companies such as made.com, which produces design-led furnishings at affordable prices, or, if your budget allows, maisonsdumonde.com, which provides furnishings in a variety of styles including industrial, modern, seaside chic and vintage glamour.

One-stop-shop Another solution to enriching your inn with luxury furnishings that have the wow factor is to approach an all-encompassing, luxury one-stop operation to 16 | INN KEEPER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

oversee the achievement of your furnishing goals.

Brentford-based RHA Furniture is a family business with 25 years’ experience in supplying contract furniture and custom-made joinery to the leisure, hospitality and luxury residential sectors. The company is thus familiar with the needs and expectations of an innkeeper seeking to replace or upgrade the property’s high-end furnishings.

Sales and marketing director Liese Brandt offers guidance to ambitious innkeepers starting with a clean slate on choosing furnishings that are most appropriate for the type of property in question modern, Edwardian or Victorian, for example.

And for such a huge task, with so many considerations to take into account – lead time for delivery, upholstery complications, discounts for bulk purchase and choice of style, to name but a few – she is very much of the view that the best approach is to appoint a professional to oversee the project.

“Otherwise it becomes a bit of a mish-mash of styles,” Brandt tells Innkeeper magazine. “There is very much a difference between furnishing a home and furnishing a luxury guest house or hotel. Even though people want the home from home look, it still needs to look as though it has been put together with a certain degree of theme.”

It is crucial, she stresses, that you keep budget in mind. “There is such a wide range of furnishings www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

funishings

Auction rooms Rock legend Rod Stewart famously put a collection of his glitzy furnishings up for auction last month in Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex. It may have been a clever PR exercise to coincide with the release of his most recent album, but as we went to press, the Maggie May singer was poised to dispose of furnishings including two 19th-century gilt bronze candelabra featuring a boar, a lion and a dog, a pair of carved giltwood brackets with cherub mounts, a Louis XV-style settee, a pair of chairs with gilded arms carved in the shape of dolphins, a pair of Victorian crimson leather armchairs, and a teak lounge armchair with a faux leopard print cushion.

If you are looking for some furnishing items with a real story behind them, don’t overlook the auction houses. For quirky, one-off items, these places can be just the Aladdin’s Cave you are looking for. There are auction houses across the country, and items for sale at their upcoming auctions can often be found online.

You can find some astonishing pieces of work to put on display in your property.

With auction houses you can be pretty certain you are buying quality items, and there is no risk of damaging yourself assembling flat pack furniture. With high season behind you, you might find the time to explore peruse some of the antique furnishings you could snap up for a song. Most auctions are held monthly or in some cases weekly,y, and a listt of most moost s UK UK auctions can be found at www.the-saleroom.com w www ww .the-saleroom.com

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available both varying in price and quality,” Brandt says. “My first piece of advice would be to enlist the help of an interior designer, as they have the professional eye and can help you make the most of your money.”

It is best to get a meeting set up with furniture suppliers, so they can see the premises, the style and the surroundings to enable them to best suggest an offer from their ranges, she says.

If in the process of selecting overall luxury furnishings you find you already have certain items that would blend well with the new style you are going for, but which are in need of some attention, then RHA can provide a reupholstery service. However, she warns that if this entails collecting and then returning one or two isolated pieces of furniture then employing the company for this service may not be the most cost-effective approach for you to take. “You may find it a lot more practical to take such items to a local upholstery professional,” she suggests.

“If we are supplying all the bedroom chairs but the innkeeper has four bedroom chairs that

need reupholstering then yes, we will do that.

We are a one-stop-shop, so you can have reupholstering, new and bespoke.”

This one-stop-shop approach should appeal if you are planning major refurbishment, not least because they simply don’t have the time to go through the rigmarole of visiting individual warehouses or antique stores and arranging delivery of individual items of furnishing.

Brandt says: “With costing it is better too, because the bigger the order the more significant the discount that can be offered. It is also just one transport and delivery you are having to deal with: you’re not having to get six chairs from one person and then having to co-ordinate delivery days, then from somebody else get two chairs and someone different again the tables. We would run the project as a whole.”

The only aspects of a refurbishment that RHA Furniture does not get involved in are bedding and soft furnishings such as carpet and curtaining. “We leave that to the specialists in those fields,” she says.

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Tableware

Glassware trends

You want your B&B guests to appreciate the quality of service you provide, so it is important to observe that they will appreciate the quality of the glass in which their drink is served. Bill Lumley takes some tips from Artis-UK marketing manager Gill Head.

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lassware has improved in quality and versatility over the past three or so decades.

To some of us of a certain age, the mention of a hard-wearing glass evokes images of the heavy, thick-glassed ones that would come co mee free frreeeee when wh w heen n you you u bought boou ugh g ta certain cert ce rrttaaiiin n number numb nu num mber er of of gallons gallllon ga gall llon ons off four-star. four fo urr--sssta taar. r.

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Artiiss.. It Ar It provides prrov p ovid viid des es rranges ra anggeess such suc u h as a Gibraltar, Gib ibra rraalt ltarr, which w wh ich has ic h s a certain ha cceerttain style s yl st ye an and nd look loook ok to to it and and d will wil il stack, st stac tack, k and and n Endeavour, En nd deaavvoou urr, r, glasses ggl las asse sess that se tth hat a are aree good, goo ood,, strong st tro r ng and and d stackable sttaack ckab abble and an nd ideal i ea id eal for for the th he confined co onfi n ne ned d space spac sp acee of a bar ac baarr in an an inn. i n.. in Th trend The tre rend nd d not not in in highhiggh hi heend en d hospitality hosp ho spit ital alit ityy businesses busi bu ssiine nessses is is for foor the th he cocktail c ck co ckta taill list, lis i t, which whiich ch is is growing grow gr ow win ng in n popularity being via popu pu p ulaari r ty ass well weell aass be w bein i g the in tth he vehicle vveehi hicl clle vi ia which You wh hicch bars b rs ba r make makke their thei th eirr money. m neey. Y mo ou u tthereheere h rforee need fo neeed a certain cert ce rtai a n level leve le vell of of cocktail coc o kt ktai a l glasses glas gl a se as ss to accommodate accccom o mo moda date te that. tha hat. The The same saame m goes goe oess for ffoor the increasingly th inccr in crea reasi sing ngly ly popular poop pul ular ar prosecco pro r seeccco market, maarkkett, which popular now w wh ich ic h is making mak akin ingg flutes flu fl ute tess very veery ry p o ul op ular ar n ow w aass people more mo ree and and more mor oree peop pe eop oplle le just just goo out out to to drink drri k drin Prosecco wine.

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Tableware Artis-UK marketing manager Gill Head tells InnKeeper magazine: “We are seeing a growth in vintage glasses, and in stemmed beer ware, which is arising from the growth in craft beer.

“As you see the trends grow in beers spirits drinking, the glassware trends grow with it,” she says.

Beer in a dull old traditional straight pint glass is not often served up in high-end quality guesthouses, bars or hotels any longer, she says, and the proprietors and their customers are looking for high quality stemmed glassware.

Of course, a certain level of investment is required if you wish to treat your guests to high-end glassware.

Head says: “These types of glasses are not considered expensive per unit, although obviously there is some cost involved, and they aren’t just free glasses that come from the brewery. They will vary in cost depending on what you are looking for, such as crystal hard wearing dishwasher glass through to basic glasses.”

The trend is for shorter stemmed glasses for craft beers and cider, she says. “It just gives them a more stylish glass, lying in between a plain glass and a tankard.”

The biggest trend is in gin and gin goblets, she says, which is unsurprising given the current trend for the spirit, selling as it is now at record levels.

“Many people are now used to being served their gin in a large goblet,” she says. “When they are presented with a highball they can get a bit upset these days. A decent glass such as a goblet also allows people in bars to upsell.

“Sometimes these gin goblets will take a double, giving more in the way of presentation. It might take up more space but the idea that people sell in gin

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goblets and we see it in our own range: speakeasy is one of our top sellers at the moment in gin goblets.”

With gin selling at record levels she stresses it is very important that guests are serve it in the right glass.

SPACE PROBLEMS Space is often a problem so stacking glassware is quite common in highballs and double old-fashioned. Artis provides a range of stacking glassware backed by guarantees by New England glass company Libbey, which was founded exactly 200 years ago this year. “It is strong, hard-wearing, and of course entirely dishwasher-proof, and they have a chip guarantee. That is often a space saving,” she says.

The current defining trend is that everybody wants to be different, she explains. “People simply aren’t following trends and are looking for something different in which to serve drinks. It is all about the presentation. The glass you choose to use can add value to your proposition in the eyes of your customer.”

The trend for vintage glasses that began five to six years ago is continuing, with demand for 1924 style glasses, the speakeasy and small glasses.

Meanwhile it is noticeable how many more venues serve cocktails than just a few years ago when the choice was just beer, wine or spirits. Cocktails are an effective way of making more money. With a greater level of disposable income people are feeling more free to spend on cocktails. “It’s all about what you offer in terms of quality – not to go for too many but to offer a range of quality things.”

Differentiation has been a growing trend for the last la last st two twoo years, yea ears rs, she rs, sh he concludes. conc co onclu nclu nc ud dees. es.

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Tableware

"With gin selling at record levels it is very important that guests are served it in the right glass" Gill Head, Artis-UK. www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

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Can your INN afford not to invest in trust?

GuestRevu co-founder Francine Heywood examines online reputation and the currency of trust, and explains what you need to know when it comes to online reviews

guest article

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as it during a trust-fall exercise — trusting that a colleague, or friend, or stranger would stop you from falling?

Perhaps it was during a tandem skydive, trusting that the person attached to you knew what they were doing, and wouldn’t let you hurtle to the ground. More likely though, it was just this morning, when you climbed into a cab trusting that the driver knew how to operate the vehicle and get you to your destination on time or dropped your children at daycare, trusting that they would be well taken care of.

Trust is innate. It is not always a conscious decision that we make, but it affects our choices on a daily basis. We place our trust in relative strangers, in companies that we know little about. But why?

Why did you choose your bank over the others?

Why did you dine at that particular restaurant last week? What is it that sees us placing our trust in one company over another? And how can you make sure that you are garnering, and maximising, trust in your property?

That trust is linked to reputation is nothing new — before the explosion of advertising and branding, a business’ reputation and standing within a local community was its backbone. That hasn’t changed with the times, but the way in which reputation is established has. No longer can a company rely solely on word of mouth to sing their praises, nor can they reassure themselves that less-than-satisfied clientele will only voice their disappointment to a handful of family and friends. A company’s reputation is both more important and more volatile than it has been before, and earning trust in a digital age requires effort.

Local community has given way to a global online equivalent, and managing your online reputation can be a full-time job if you let it — from

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updating your website, to monitoring all of your social media pages, review websites and beyond.

But it’s also an opportunity for you to not only reach more people at a lower cost than has ever been possible before, but also to engage with them and leave them feeling that they are more than just another head on a bed.

When it comes down to it, trust has become a commodity, a currency that is earned, invested, and spent based on reputation and accountability.

EARN THE TRUST OF YOUR PATRONS BY PROVIDING AN EXCELLENT EXPERIENCE Trust is earned. People may not make conscious decisions about who it is that they trust, but they do not make their decisions blindly either, particularly when all it takes to find out whether a company is trustworthy is a simple Google search.

With TripAdvisor reporting that 93% of travellers say they are influenced by reviews before deciding to book, it is clear that the reviews that your guests leave are becoming an ever more important and valuable asset in building trust.

As Mat Charity, commercial manager of the award-winning Coaching Inn Group, puts it: “Before, if you upset a customer, they would just tell a friend. Now if you upset a customer, they will put it up on Facebook, and put it up on TripAdvisor, and the exposure is so vast that I think a hotel not taking their online reputation seriously is really at risk of having their brand damaged.”

As long as you portray the experience you do provide accurately in your marketing materials, and then deliver that experience excellently, you will be deserving of your guests’ trust. By providing not only an excellent, but a consistent, experience,

“Before, if you upset a customer, they would just tell a friend. Now if you upset a customer, they will put it up on Facebook, and put it up on Trip Advisor, and the exposure is so vast that I think a hotel not taking their online reputation seriously is really at risk of having their brand damaged.”

Mat Charity, Commercial Manager, Coaching Inn Group

whether you’re an inn, a guest house or a five-star luxury hotel, you will earn equally consistent reviews that offer a true reflection of what your guests can expect when they visit you, and they can place their trust in that experience.

Say, for example, that you run an inn that focuses on homeliness, serving hearty food for breakfast and providing cosy rooms. You may never gain the trust of a guest who was expecting a luxurious experience, but those are not the guests that you are hoping for. You can set the expectations for what an experience with you is like using your website, social media, and other online channels and attract the kind of guests who are looking for homeliness and cosiness, and will appreciate what you offer.

Those guests will in turn make their appreciation

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guest article

Imagine, for example, that a reservation gets lost. known through feedback and online reviews, Perhaps it was an email that went unread or undewhich can help you to identify where your selling points lie, and what you can improve to make the experience even more positive for other guests in future. These reviews will also serve as an indication to future guests of whether you manage to deliver on the experience that you advertise.

By making a consistently excellent experience your top priority, you can ensure customer satisfaction, which in turn can encourage staff motivation, and can inspire trust in your guests, which can lead to further guests choosing you based on your positive reputation.

INVEST IN TRUST TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS While earning the trust of guests by consistently delivering the experiences you promise is a worthy goal, it is not the only way to grow your stockpile of trust. Investing in the trust you have solidified in your current customers can help you earn the trust of future guests.

One of the best ways to invest in the trust you have gained is by responding to online reviews of your property, both the good and the bad. The right response, even to a bad review, can see you enhancing the trust that is being placed in you, both by your guests and by the strangers who may later come across the review. After all, no one expects perfection, but people do expect problems to be dealt with graciously and professionally.

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“We’re not only hearing from more guests than we were before, and benefitting from more reviews on platforms like TripAdvisor, but the reviews that are coming through are improving our online reputation as the average rating is usually higher, and our ranking is rising as a result.”

Rob Barnsley, General Manager, Kings Head Inn livered. Perhaps the dates got lost in translation.

The why is no longer important — what matters now is how the situation is handled. On one hand, you could become defensive, gesturing to the now full property, unable to help. On the other, you could become accommodating, thinking outside the box to find a solution — an extra night free of

charge, a voucher for a meal at a local restaurant, and perhaps a bottle of wine on the house to apologise for the inconvenience.

Customer service speaker Geoff Ramm once asked a room of hoteliers how far they would go for a famous guest. George Clooney, for example.

Would you offer complimentary upgrades? Would you offer a chef’s table in the kitchen if the dining room was full? Would you go out of your way to make George happy? Because if you would do it for George, you should be prepared to do the same for John Smith or Joe Soap. No guest is more important than any other, and each guest’s feedback is equally important.

By treating all online feedback as important, and responding to both good and bad reviews, you show not only your patrons, but potential future guests that you care about feedback — that complaints are not only taken seriously, but are dealt with in the best way possible, while compliments are taken to heart.

In fact, according to TripAdvisor, 87% of their users agree that an appropriate management response to a negative review improves their overall impression of a hotel. This is the kind of attitude towards feedback and service that will not only increase loyalty in current guests, but will also give potential future guests a better understanding how accommodating you can be, even in the face of problems or criticism, and deciding to trust you to deliver an experience they are willing to pay for — while being assured that if things do go wrong, you

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guest article will be ready and willing to rectify any issues.

While monitoring platforms and responding to every review may sound like just the kind of commitment that can result in the full-time job that I referred to earlier, you are not alone in this endeavour, and companies like GuestRevu exist specifically to help properties to keep their online reputation management (ORM) under control. Good ORM software will monitor review sites on your behalf, saving endless hours of manual searching, to show your reviews in one dashboard and make it as easy as possible for you respond. Even better, the right guest feedback partner will also proactively drive reviews to sources such as TripAdvisor and Google.

Over the past six months, the B+B Collection, for example, have seen a 175% increase in the number of TripAdvisor reviews that they’ve received across their five Bed & Breakfasts. As sales & marketing executive, Diana Dzhiganshina, points out, the more feedback they receive from their guests, the better equipped they are to make operational decisions: “Guest feedback is one of the priorities of a successful inn or B&B. As one of the main purposes of the industry is to satisfy the customer, knowing if you’re achieving that is very important. Moreover, it gives an overview of the inn’s strengths and points of improvement based on the reviews.”

Better still, the average score for the B+B Collection’s online reviews has been higher as well. The reason behind this is that people will go out of their way to either rave or rant. It’s rare for guests who

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have had an experience that is pleasant, but not exceptional, to post a review without prompting.

However, if they are prompted, they will often be more than happy to review your property, and if provided with an outlet for constructive criticism, they will be inclined to give you a higher rating as they feel like they have had their say. This increases the average review rating, and since quantity and recency are two of the factors that contribute towards TripAdvisor rankings along with review rating, properties that get regular and consistent reviews are quicker to climb the ranks.

CASH IN ON YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE A property that has earned and invested in the trust of its guests has a huge advantage in today’s marketplace. An excellent and reliable reputation is worth more than simply bragging rights. It can see your marketing efforts reaching more eyes, being considered more seriously, and see you being able to talk to the kind of people who are interested in what you have to offer. Much like the renowned 007, your reputation will precede you.

Better still, an excellent reputation can see your profits increasing, and not just from the number of guests who will be drawn to you.

Many people are prepared to spend more on quality furniture, kitchen appliances and foods, and the hospitality industry is no different. A brand name with an excellent reputation can often afford to increase its margins, as potential patrons opt for the peace of mind that comes

with a reputable brand, rather than choosing a cheaper but less trustworthy competitor.

By building trust, you also build loyalty, which means that past guests may be more inclined to book with you directly, increasing your margins further. With online travel agency (OTA) commissions being a sore subject for many properties, having a boon of direct bookings will mean less need to rely on agencies. Though charging more for direct bookings than you do on your OTA listing is not a practice that any seasoned hospitality professional would advise, a 2015 controlled experiment by Koddi found that even when a property charged 10% more on their website than through their OTAs, 51% of users would still choose to book directly with a property rather than booking through an agency. Could this be because potential guests feel they will get a more personalised service, and better value for their money, if they book direct?

People want to trust. At every opportunity, they are looking for a company, service provider or property that they can depend on to deliver what they promise. When it comes to spending their hard earned cash, not to mention all the time and effort that goes into travelling, your potential patrons want to know that they can trust you meet their expectations, and hope for you to exceed them. By listening effectively to your guests, you will know exactly how to earn, invest and cash in on the currency of trust.

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018 | INN KEEPER | 25

Coping With The New

Package Travel Regulations.

The New Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 came into force on 1 July 2018. Tourism Alliance Director Kurt Janson explains the impact it threatens to have on innkeepers

Regulation

T

he purpose of this new legislation, the New Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, is to update and amend the old package travel regulations so that they could better take into account the way in which people purchase holiday products in the age of the internet.

In order to do this, the main focus has been to bring dynamic packaging into the scope of the legislation, so that people who put together their own packages on travel websites receive the same level of protection when heading overseas on holiday as those that purchased traditional packages put together by travel agents or tour operators.

This is a laudable aim. When Monarch when into bankruptcy last year, triggering the UK’s largest post war repatriation, it was found that over 80% of the people stranded overseas were not actually covered by the existing legislation because they self-packaged.

Unfortunately, in doing so, the new legislation is much broader in scope, meaning that many innkeepers who previously considered themselves as having nothing to do with package travel are now unwittingly drawn into the legislation and will have to reconsider how they sell different products and services to customers and how they work with partners to provide customers with offers or advice.

Structure and purpose Before exploring the details of the package travel regulations and the implications for innkeepers, it is worthwhile reviewing the structure and purpose of the legislation. The package travel regulations apply when a link is formed between the sale of two or more of the following four elements: 1. Transport 2. Accommodation 3. Motor vehicle Hire 4. “Other Tourism Service” – this can include anything from tickets to an attraction, a meal in a restaurant, or a spa treatment to a round of golf The regulations determine that there are two different forms of package that can be formed, depending on how the elements are linked.

These are: 1. A package A package is formed in two main situations a) when work with another business to provide a package that combines two or more elements. For example, you sell accommodation and a ticket to an attraction to a customer www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

for an inclusive price. b) Your business sells, or allows the customer to book or buy, two or more of the four different elements at the same time. For example, websites like Expedia.

2. A linked travel arrangement A linked travel arrangement is formed where two or more elements for the same trip are booked within a 24-hour period either through the same business or through one business offering a targeted offer provided by a second business but there is a clear separation of the booking and payment process.

For example, if you said to a customer that by booking accommodation with you, they could get 10% off a meal at a local restaurant, and the customer rang the restaurant straight away and made a booking, with would be a linked travel arrangement.

Consumer protection Where a package is formed, the consumer is provided with two main protections: 1. Repayment and repatriation The seller is required to have financial protection so that if the company goes bankrupt, customers don’t lose their money and, if they are overseas at the time, they are repatriated.

2. Legal liability The seller is legally responsible for the satisfactory performance of all aspects of the package, regardless of whether they actually provide that component of the package.

If you are deemed to be selling a package, there are also significant requirements on the information you must provide the customer, the terms and conditions that must apply to the sale and the financial proportion that you must have in place. The main features of this are:

that make customers aware of the key protections associated with buying a package holiday.

3. Contractual information When the customer makes the booking, they need to be provided with further information including contact details if a problem is experienced during the course of the contract, the complaints are resolution process and the ability of the customer to transfer the booking.

4. Insolvency protection You must have insolvency protection that covers all reasonable costs including the return of all payments for services not performed and repatriation. This can be achieved through buying insurance, keeping customer payments in a trust account or becoming bonded.

Failure to fulfil any of these requirements is a criminal offence.

Linked travel arrangements If you are seller of linked travel arrangements the requirements are significantly reduced. You are still required to have insolvency protection but are not liable for any element of the package provided by a third party. Also, the amount of information you are required to provide to the customer is a lot less – although you do have to notify the customer that what is being sold is not a Package and that, as such, their level of protection is reduced.

In the past, the package travel regulations have not applied to most accommodation businesses because the it has been deemed that a business selling a range of elements on the same premises did not constitute the formation of package. For example, an inn selling accommodation with a meal in the restaurant or a spa

1. Pre-contractual information Before customers book the package, they must be provided with information on the main characteristics of the package, the total price of the package, the name and details of the organiser and information on the cancellation policy.

2. Standard information about the PTR The pre-contractual information has to be accompanied by standard information forms SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018 | INN KEEPER | 27

Regulations treatment was excluded from the regulations.

However, this has now changed. The guidance on the new regulations states: Whether on-site facilities such as swimming pool, sauna or gym included for hotel guests would be considered an intrinsic part of accommodation would depend on a case by case basis. Our intention is that if access to these onsite facilities is part of the room rate, it should not count as a travel service in its own right and thus would not (if combined with one of the other types of travel services above) constitute a package. However, if access is available at an additional charge, particularly if the relevant facility is open to persons other than the hotel guests, it could constitute an additional service and if a significant proportion of the value of the holiday then in our view the combination would likely constitute a package. have determined that businesses that sell two or more elements are selling a package.

This means that if you have ann inn with a restaurant or spa that can be booked by people not staying in your property, then you are selling, or enabling the customer to buy, two different elements at the same time ad therefore you are selling a package.

It doesn’t matter whether you actively sell a deal like a ‘Romantic Weekend Break’ which includes accommodation, a meal for two, roses and champagne or whether the customer simply rings up and says “ I’d like a room for Friday night and can you book me a table in the restaurant for 8pm when I arrive” – these are both deemed to be package holidays.

How to avoid the package travel regulations There two exemptions to the package travel regulation that provide you with opportunities to revise the way that you sell products so that they are outside the scope of the legislation.

1. Significant part When the element “other tourism service“ is combined with accommodation, a package is only deemed to have been formed if the “other tourism service” makes up “a significant part” of the package. What constitutes a “significant part” of the package is a bit of a grey area but there are two main tests: • The “other tourism service” constitutes over 25% of the cost of the package.

28 | INN KEEPER | SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018

This requirement provides accommodation businesses with the opportunity to review their pricing structure so that, where they provide a service alongside accommodation, this service is priced in such as way that comprises less than 25% of the overall package, thus excluding it from the Regulations.

• The “other tourism service” is deemed to be an “essential element” of the package.

It’s important to note that even if the service is less than 25% of the total cost, it could still be a significant part of the package if it is deemed to be an essential element. This means that there is good reason to believe that the customer bought the package on the basis of this element. While this can be subjective, it is generally accepted that if the promotion of the package is based on the service, then it is an essential element whereas if it not if it is promoted as a bonus.

For example, if you sold a combination of accommodation and a round of golf a “weekend golf break”, then the round of golf would be an essential element regardless of whether it was more than 25% of the total cost. However, if you simply said that use of a golf course as a benefit of staying at the hotel, this would probably be deemed not to be an essential element.

2. Timing The other main exemption that can be used to make sure that the products and services that you provide are outside the scope of the new regulations is to do with timing.

If you enter into a contract to purchase two elements within 24 hours, you are deemed to have formed either a package or a linked

travel arrangement. It is important to note that definition of when a package is formed relates to when you enter into a contract with the customer (ie., when the booking is made), not to when a payment is made. This give you an opportunity revise when you sell different elements to your customers.

For example, if a customer books both their accommodation and a table at the restaurant at the sometime, this would constitute a package.

However, if you took the booking for the accommodation and said that you would take the booking for the table when they arrived in a few days, this would not constitute either a Package or a linked travel arrangement. Similarly, if you told customers that if they book accommodation with you, they have the opportunity to purchase half-price tickets to an attraction or a round of golf at the local golf club when they arrived, this would also be outside the scope of the legislation.

Pending review Before reorganising how you sell products to customers to take into accord the new regulations, there is one word of caution. The Tourism Alliance believes that BEIS’s view that a package is formed where different elements are provided on same premises (e.g. accommodation with a meal or spa treatment) constitutes gold-plating as it goes beyond what was intended by the European Directive on which the new Regulations are based. This is a view shared by other UK and European Hospitality Trade Associations.

There will be a review of the regulations at the end of 2018 and during this process we hope to get the guidance changed on this issue.

So it would be worthwhile to wait until this review before making changes with regards to these products. www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

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Each issue we aim to highlight some of the latest and greatest inns currently available. In addition to this, our new for sale section is also up and running at www.innkeeper.co.uk, which will have further, regularly updated properties for you to view.

If you would like to receive the latest properties for sale straight to your inbox, simply head over to www.innkeeper.co.uk and sign up to our new weekly e-newsletter for the latest news, features and properties for sale. Alternatively contact one of our subscriptions team on 01737 852 342.

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Km[[]kk^md :=< :J=9C>9KL ^Yeadq `ge] af C]fl ooo&k`]h`]j\`gmk]%^Yn]jk`Ye&[ge www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018 | INN KEEPER | 29

insurance

Weather control

This year’s hot summer exposed many UK inns to a new level of perils. Bill Lumley examines how you can take cover and avoid these and other seasonal risks in future.

30 | INN KEEPER | SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018

I

nsurance claims soared during the last couple of months of the last UK winter and there were some exceptional examples of claims that arose this summer from the long periods of hot, dry weather.

Subsidence claims Autumn is almost upon us now, but the fact is some weather damage only materialises at some point after the extreme weather that caused them.

Martin Bridges is technical services manager at the British Insurance Brokers Association. He tells Innkeeper magazine: “Subsidence claims often follow prolonged spells of hot, dry weather in areas where depending on the nature of the soil cracking may arise as a result of the action of tree roots oots seeking out water during the dry spell. In speaking ng to insurance companies recently the technology used sed in handling subsidence claims is pretty advanced compared with the traditional way of simply underpinning inning a property. Subsidence is often something that hat comes about following a long spell of dry weather.” .”

If the cause of a loss is trees, then the challenge is if the trees are on the inn’s own property erty in which case responsibility for proper management ement of the growth of the tree is in the hands of the innkeeper, he says.

Many subsidence claims emanate from tree roots growing from trees in neighbouring properties or

trees on public thoroughfares. Bridges says: “While theft from not leaving doors and windows open are easily controlled, the actions of tree roots are often not obvious until signs of cracking in the property occur, so it is difficult issue to address.”

Typically, subsidence arises as a result of hot weather and is not discovered until after the season has well past by, and in the event, you would not be prevented from making a related claim, he says, provided you report the damage when you it appears.

“At the first sign of damage to a property if the owner thinks it may be a subsidence claim then our recommendation is to notify the potential claim to the insurer as soon as possible. Often an insurer will send round an expert loss adjuster to examine what has happened and to identify the cause and whether it is damage in line with an insurance policy.”

One of the key issues in relation to subsidence or indeed any other kind of insurance peril that could damage a property is to ensure proper

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insurance

“While theft from not leaving doors and windows open are easily controlled, the actions of tree roots are often not obvious until signs of cracking in the property occur, so it is difficult issue to address.”

Martin Bridges British Insurance Brokers Association.

business interruption policy is arranged with as suitable indemnity period. In relation to subsidence one may find that the property is cracked but the actual repairs might not take place for some considerable time afterwards because the normal course of action is to monitor a property to understand the movement. He strongly advises hospitality business owners and innkeepers to ensure that business interruption insurance is arranged so that a claim can be submitted and a consideration of the effects on the business while the property is being repaired.

For example, the damage result in a need for underpinning it can result in a considerable claim and may put an inn out of business for a significant period. He concludes: “The right business interruption policy will assist them in arranging help to service any standing charges that arise during that period and payroll etc.

Our advice would be to make sure you have suitable business interruption cover with a suitably long indemnity period – the period of time the insurer will service those standing charges and additional costs the business may face following a claim.”

owners and businesses for storm, flood and burst pipe damage jumped to £361million, a massive 290% rise on the £93 million paid in the previous quarter. Some 86,000 claims were handled, compared to 29,000 in the previous quarter £194 million was paid to help homeowners cope with the misery of burst pipes. This was the highest amount ever paid in a single quarter and compared to only £4 million paid out in quarter 4, 2017.

On commercial insurance, weather damage and escape of water claims also rose, up to £188 million, compared to £107 million in the previous quarter.

ABI assistant director head of property, commercial and specialist lines Mark Shepherd said: “This winter definitely had a sting in the tail that was felt by thousands of homeowners and businesses. No matter how unpredictable the weather,

Commercial property claims Bad weather insurance claims rocket by 290%, in the first quarter as insurers helped customers hit by the exceptionally bad weather.The so-called Beast from the East and Storm Emma that caused widespread disruption in late February and March led to property insurers paying out a record breaking amount in burst pipe claims in the first quarter of the year according to figures out today from the Association of British Insurers (ABI).

In the first quarter of 2018: In total, £1.25 billion was paid by insurers under domestic and commercial property insurance policies – the highest quarterly figure for two years Insurance pay-outs to home-

www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018 | INN KEEPER | 31

insurance insurers are always ready for it as these figures show. Whether it is for your home or your business premises, property insurance can be a lifeline if the worst happens. And for some risks, like frozen and burst pipes, some simple preventative steps taken before the bad weather arrives can greatly reduce the threat.”

Tick the right box Policies covering UK inns do not have warranties that are conditions or precedent to liability, something that must be complied with literally if cover is to apply in the event of a claim. If for example you have ticked a box saying you have fire extinguishers in the kitchen or bedrooms and a fire occurs where it transpires they don’t work because they had not been serviced or they do not exist, then it is possible in the event of a substantial claim that an insurer would turn round and say that they insured you on the basis that you were a well-run business that you took sensible precautions.

The reality is that most insurance policies do cover you against your own carelessness as most fires and floods that occur because for example someone forgot to turn an oven, or a bath tap off, but in extreme circumstances where a major claim might arise because you haven’t done something you said you were going to do then there is a possibility you could be in trouble. The same goes for smoke detectors or fire alarms.

Sourcing the right level of insurance No matter how efficiently you run your inn there are always risks looming beyond your control that can cause havoc for you and your guests, to say nothing of your cashflow.

Most people don’t buy their insurance cover through personal choice, so there is a tendency for them to buy such cover with their attention focused on the price rather than the value of the policy.

If you have been running your inn for several years, there is every chance you have simply accepted your annual policy renewal without reading in detail the emails you may have received alerting you to the forthcoming renewal.

Policies vary greatly, and often it takes an insurance broker to help even small business owners find the most appropriate form of cover. However, onestop insurers have improved their flexibility in recent years. Earlier this summer Direct Line launched a flexible format for the purchase of insurance, enabling hospitality business owners to create customised insurance that is unique to their business.

The online tool works by asking some simple 32 | INN KEEPER | SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018

Subsidence claims Subsidence is when the ground beneath a building g kafck$ hmddaf_ l`] hjgh]jlq k foundations with it. Subsidence usually occurs when the ground loses moisture and shrinks. This can be caused by a number of factors, including: • Prolonged dry spells that cause soil to lose water • Trees and shrubs that can YZkgjZ ka_faÚ[Yfl ngdme]k g^ water from the soil :mad\af_k ^gmf\Ylagfk [Yf Ydkg egn] \m] lg gl`]j [Ymk]k af[dm\af_2 • `]Yn] o`]f l`] _jgmf\ Z]f]Yl` Y Zmad\af_ egn]k upwards • dYf\kdah ' dYf\kda\] o`]f the ground beneath a Zmad\af_ egn]k \gof Y kdgh]$ taking the property with it L`] Újkl ka_f g^ kmZka\]f[] ak usually the appearance of cracks af qgmj `ge] k oYddk$ ]al`]j in the internal plasterwork or external brickwork.

questions that are personalised according to the customer’s trade, using the owner’s knowledge of their business to deliver the best set of questions to create the right policy for them.

In the case of guest houses it provides cover for properties with up to 12 guest rooms. The policy includes public and products liability, business contents and stock insurance as standard. Public and products liability covers injury to guests or other members of the public, and damage to their property in and around your inn, including goods you supply.

If you want to remove or add any cover, you can do so whenever you need to do so without having to pay additional fees, so you only pay for the insurance for your business needs.

The policy offering clearly has its attractions, but from the point of view of in innkeeper, in effect you are restricted to building your own cover based on what Direct Line has to offer.

An insurance broker would look at several alternative insurers, which might offer wider cover and/ or better prices. DIY is fine provided you are certain that you are buying all the protection you need at the best price. But making the time to contact an insurance broker is not probably high on your agenda, any more than taking the time to read through a policy renewal alert.

If you are buying without contacting an insurance broker, you should attempt to source a direct insurer that understands your sector and the hospitality market.

The core issues to look out for in each class include:

Most properties experience cracking from time to time but l`ak ak fgl f][]kkYjadq ]na\]f[] of subsidence.

Subsidence cracks are quite \aklaf[lan] ^jge gl`]j [jY[ck& They usually appear suddenly, especially after long periods of dry weather, and tend to be:

Business interruption

• diagonal, and wider at the top than at the bottom • thicker than a 10 pence coin • found around doors and windows

Theft of takings

Subsidence may also cause doors and windows to stick as the buildaf_ k kljm[lmj] Z][ge]k \aklgjl]\&

Fire or flood may damage your property. Both kinds of event were up this summer just gone and last winter too. Many insurers will cover you for lost turnover following damage by an insured cause within a certain distance of your business, resulting in the loss of guests. Take the time to look at the implications of such a restriction.

This optional feature covers both your business money and damage to your employees’ clothes and effects, arising from theft or attempted theft of money in your inn. Again, check the cover limits before you buy.

Legal expenses There are many insurance policies that automatically include legal expenses, but there also some www.innkeepermagazine.co.uk

insurance that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t provide a level of cover to be would be useful to your business in any such an event. For some it is an optional extra. It covers legal costs associated with such things as legal defence, statutory licence appeal, contract disputes, tenancy disputes, debt recovery, property protection, personal injury and tax protection.

Again, there are often restrictions, and claims may be subject to reasonable prospects of success being deemed over a certain level such as a 51% chance.

Public Liability This will usually include product liability in the event any of your guests be taken ill owing to food poisoning. It may be worth considering if, for example, your inn has a sizeable and disproportionate income from products which would not normally be considered part of such an establishment's business - so products other than things like home-made jams.

If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel you have time to revisit your insurance arrangements right now, next time you receive a renewal notice do take the trouble to read it. You could be quids in.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whether it is for your home or your business premises, property insurance can be lifeline if the worst happens. And for some risks, like frozen and burst pipes, some simple preventative steps taken before the bad weather arrives can greatly reduce the threat.â&#x20AC;?

Mark Shepherd Assistant director head of property, commercial and specialist - ABI

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