Inapub Magazine - Issue 1 (Published August 2011)

Ina CONNECTING PUBS

Issue 1 August 2011 £2.95 www.inapub.co.uk

WITH PEOPLE

www.inapubnews.co.uk

THE APPRENTICE’S NICK HEWER Lord Sugar’s right-hand man eyes up the pub business

WIN

GAME FOR A LAUGH?

A year of Frob’s supply is juiceshers

Run your own comedy night

THE BIG KICK-OFF

Get set for the footy season

HOW TO PUT ON A BEER FESTIVAL Pick up tips from the GBBF

WISE UP TO THE WEB Sell yourself with social media

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PUB FOOD

LEGAL ADVICE

NEW PRODUCTS

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102141 Carlsberg INAPUB AD 266x190.indd 1

F RRI ICIO

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THIS MONTH 5-9 News & Stuff 10-12 Nick Hewer

A pint with The Apprentice’s guru 14-15 Famous for…

Accommodation at the Wiremill 16 Julian Grocock 18-19 Inapub services

Market your pub via social media

DRINK 23 Flavours of the month 24-25 Beer festivals 27-30 Soft drinks

EAT 32 John Porter 33 Celebrating the sausage 34-35 Beer & food matching

PLAY 36-39 The big kick-off

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huge platter-sharing, cork-popping, glass-chinking welcome to the first ever issue of Inapub magazine!

Our aim in creating a new title for people who run pubs is to provide business-building tips and celebrate the best things about pubs.

Landlords across the country have told us what they want in a trade magazine — easy-to-digest features, ideas and inspiration for running a successful business from the people who know best: those already running profitable pubs.

There are dozens of reasons why a customer chooses a certain pub, such as the food, the drink, the events or the chance to relax and enjoy the company of friends and colleagues in an environment you can’t get at home or in other types of establishments.

So, inside this first issue you will find a whole host of tips and ideas to help drive people in and boost your bottom line.

Whether it is hiring apprentices, social media marketing, getting your drinks offer right, pairing food with beer, running sports or comedy events, going green or borrowing ideas from other pubs, we sincerely hope there is something in here for you.

And this magazine is nothing without the views and contributions of our readers. So if there’s stuff you think we should be covering or areas you think deserve more attention, please let us know. Equally, if you like what we are doing, let us hear about that too. Because just as you rely on feedback from customers, we need you to tell us what we do well.

So cheers for now and I sincerely hope you enjoy your first monthly instalment of Inapub magazine.

Get ready for the football season

42-43 Stand-up comedy 45

Make money by being funny Minority report

BACK-BAR BUSINESS 47 City analysis 48 Legal advice 50-51 Saw it, liked it, nicked it Publican Mark Daniels steals ideas 52-53 Green business Be kind to the Earth and your wallet

TIME AT THE BAR 55 56 57

Your round Competition Punter perspectives

Customers’ eye views of the pub 58 59

Inapub near you Hair of the dog

Matt Eley, Editor Editor Matt Eley 07538 988 296 • matte@inapub.co.uk Production Editor Ben Thrush 07810 620 169 • ben@inapub.co.uk Contributors Roland Ellison, John Porter, Claire Dodd, Hamish Champ, Julian Grocock, Mark Daniels, Anna Mathias

Inapub The printing and distribution of Inapub is arranged by Archant Dialogue, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR1 1RE Tel. 01603 664242

Commercial director Barrie Poulter Fax. 01603 627823 07851 506298 • barrie@inapub.co.uk mail@archantdialogue.co.uk Sales director Matt Roclawski www.archantdialogue.co.uk 07950 447 488 • mattr@inapub.co.uk Subscriptions • subscriptions@inapub.co.uk www.inapub.co.uk/subscriptions Cover main pic: Joe Hatt hatt-photographs@hotmail.com Andy Carrol pic: Adrian Dennis/AFP

Tales of the trade

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THE BIG PICTURE

PIC: NIGEL SUTTON / www.nigelsuttonphotography.com

Postcards from the pub frontline

To get one celeb backing your cause is impressive, but to get enough to fill the bar is probably only possible in places such as London’s Primrose Hill.

The likes of actor Robert Powell, comedians Noel Fielding, Harry Enfield and Alexander Armstrong, presenter Lisa Snowden, and not forgetting John McCririck and Christopher Biggins, have joined with locals in the ‘Engineered Out’ campaign.

They are trying to stop Mitchells & Butlers converting their local — the Engi-

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neer — into a managed house when the lease expires this autumn. Thousands have signed a petition to keep the pub in the hands of Tamsin Oliver and Abigail Gordon, who have run the pub since 1994.

Alexander Armstrong, best known as half of comedy duo Armstrong & Miller, said: “When anything is run as well as Tamsin and Abi run the Engineer, it should have a preservation order slapped on it.”

Find out more about the campaign at www.engineeredout.com

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BRIEFLY… Family brewer Robinsons of Stockport has formed an unlikely alliance with rock band Elbow to launch a beer. ‘Build a Rocket Boys’ is available to the freetrade next month. For stocking info call 0161 480 6571.

Herefordshire brewer McMullen has renamed its flagship pub in Windsor ‘the Duchess of Cambridge’, in honour of the latest addition to the Royal family.

The Sunday Mirror has launched a campaign with CAMRA — and Pub Landlord Al Murray — to get a better deal for the trade. It wants David Cameron to honour his election pledge to take action to protect pubs. nd finally A licensee couple are moving on after being caught hosting swingers’ parties. Local reporters lifted the lid on the alternative entertainment at the Crystal Fountain in Cannock, Staffordshire.

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iles run in ultramarathon by landlord arl cIntyre of the White Lion in arnet, London, for charity ldlife

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Saved by the locals

REGULARS STUMP UP £300K TO KEEP PUB ALIVE A freeholder who has run her pub for a quarter of a century has revealed her delight after locals came up with £300,000 to secure its future.

The Cross Inn at Staplecross in East Sussex has been in Molly Monk’s family for more than 50 years, but the pub was facing closure until locals stepped in.

When Molly’s husband and then her father-in-law died, complications over ownership of the pub arose, with Molly needing to raise extra cash to buy it outright. But after fears the pub could be closed and then turned into a restaurant, locals dug deep to find the money needed to keep the wetled community pub alive.

Molly told Inapub: “I still have to pinch myself to believe it. It is my business and my home, so I would have been left with nothing. The last two years have been a nightmare.

“I honestly thought I was going to lose it, but they really wanted to keep the pub in their community. The pub has huge potential and there is so much we can do with it now.”

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The story of Molly Monk and the Cross Inn is a heartwarming tale, and not just because the pub has been saved from being turned into a restaurant.

Obviously it is always encouraging when a community realises the value of it local and actually put its money where its mouth is.

What’s even better in this case is that the locals have no intention of trying to run the pub, but are happy to leave it to the professionals.

For where many community co-ops fall down is trying to get involved in the dayto-day running of the business. Too often there are too many people trying to decide how to make the business work.

Committees ensure decisions are put off, and this just can’t happen in a pub where dozens of things need doing every day.

So while locals ‘saving their pub’ is to be applauded, let’s hope most co-ops have the common sense to let the landlord carry on or hire a professional to run the pub.

After all, professionals are what’s needed in this trade, not more well-meaning amateurs.

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PIC: ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP

ANALYSIS

lying Dutchman Sky has made it easier to open your account this season

Free footy this month Sky has thrown a bone to pubs ahead of the new football season by freezing its prices for existing customers and trying to tempt newcomers with a trial subscription.

Those thinking of signing up to Sky are being offered a free service up until August 31. They will be given a three-month period from September 1 to provide 30 days’ notice, meaning they must pay for at least one month or can carry on for the rest of

Tenancy talking MPs quizzed trade leaders and pubco chiefs in the latest round of investigations into the tenanted and leased model.

Ted Tuppen, boss of Enterprise Inns, denied Tory MP Brian Binley’s claim tenants had been tricked into signing deals.

The panel also heard about the progress of codes of practice and rent review systems that were put in place following previous inquiries.

Groups such as CAMRA want the government to intervene on the issue but the panel hinted this is unlikely.

the year. Benefits of signing up include free 3D, HD, a second viewing card and free Wi-Fi — packages which are also available to existing Sky customers.

The broadcast giant said it was also offering a ‘Support Your Local’ package to the first 3,000 pubs to get in touch.

Plan for the new football season pages 36-39

TOP STORIES ON INAPUBNEWS.CO.UK Mark Daniels: Have you got Klout? pp to help find a new pub Pub couple out after swinging shock att Eley Diageoʼs cash should be gratefully recei ed icrobrewey ob opens up as brewing great steps down

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THIS MONTH

Chesterfield cigarettes

Budweiser

These cigarettes have been available in the USA for more than 100 years, but UK pubs can now get their hands on them for the first time. Made by the same bunch behind Marlboro, but considerably cheaper. www.pmi.com

Budweiser might be the biggest beer in the world, but that doesn’t mean it is afraid of change. The draught ABV in UK pubs has now been dropped from five per cent to 4.3. There’s also some shiny taps and stuff to go with it.

0870 1696969

Kopparberg Raspberry

It’s a bit of a fruit free-for-all in the cider world these days, such are the varieties on offer. The Swedes have added raspberry (with a hint of mint, no less) for the summer, and more limited-edition ciders are planned. www.cosbrands.co.uk

Stuff

What’s new in the pub this month

Chill Out chairs

The Chill Out collection from GO IN is designed to make customers feel so relaxed that they can’t be bothered to go anywhere else. Hope they still make the effort to get to the bar, though. Available in a total of 17 colours. www.go-in.co.uk

Fireball

This sounds quite frightening to Inapub but if you want to ‘Ignite the Nite’, then this liqueur with cinnamon and whisky could do the job. Trials say it is popular chilled (which sounds like a bit of an oxymoron) or as a long-drink mixer. www.hi-spirits.com 8

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aiter s rie d i e ights

Wine Flights from Waiter’s Friend are designed to get punters to sample different drinks. Carriers hold between three and five glasses, with clips to add tasting notes. They might come in handy when people want to take a bottle and a few glasses from the bar too. www.waitersfriend.com

Kraken

Named after a mythical sea monster that attacks ships, this black spiced rum is due to arrive on these shores very soon. The ‘curse of the Kraken’ has been blamed for delays caused by such things as a warehouse roof collapsing. We are told it won’t be long now though. www.marblehead.co.uk

Canterbury Jack

Kent Crisps

Kent Crisps are playing with provenance as they join the highly competitive snacks market. Made from potatoes grown only in Kent and with no added flavours, colours or preservatives. We like the sound of Oyster & Vinegar. www.kentcrisps.com

Canterbury Jack is back and more bitter than ever. We thought Shepherd Neame might like our tagline for this beer, which has been given extra bitterness and added grapefruit aroma. We’re still awaiting feedback. Available in cask until the end of September and bottles all year. www.shepherdneame.co.uk

Trendy Vend

Trendy Vend wants to install its machines in pub toilets for free and share the profits. Machines include essential items for her such as perfume, fake eye-lashes and lip-gloss, while the men can get hair gel, aftershave and those must-have mints. Watch out washroom attendants, your jobs are under threat. www.trendyvend.co.uk

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INAPUB WITH NICK HEWER A pint with the business guru from The Apprentice

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Everyone who owns a pub is an entrepeneur.

Most of them are born with a worm in their gut

He is best known as Lord Sugar’s righthand man on TV show The Apprentice, but Nick Hewer also likes to keep his beady eye on the pub world. He told Inapub about the need for apprentices in the trade, his love of a pint of Guinness and what the French can learn from us.

You are often spotted at pub industry events.

What do you think makes a good pub?

I think there are a number of key elements that need to combine to make a great pub. The atmosphere and ambience are important, as are the speed of service and the person who is behind the bar. All of these things need to go together to make a good pub.

The Apprentice brings together some of the best young entrepreneurial minds in the UK. Do you think many of the candidates would succeed at running a pub?

(Long pause, followed by a

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drawn-out ‘hmmmmmm’, suggesting he is not entirely convinced by the ‘best young minds’ element of the question.) By and large the Apprentice candidates are not short of confidence, or they would not have got past the audition process.

So in that respect, yes, they would be good because you are on stage in a pub and you have an audience. In that sense they would have the presence and the sense of bravado to carry it off and to be seen to be the boss of the pub. You need to have what I call front, and they do have that.

What makes a good entrepreneur, and is this key to running a good pub?

For me, everyone who owns a pub, or manages a pub for someone else but runs it as if it was their own business, is an entrepreneur. Most entrepreneurs are born with it. You can work with it and fine-tune it, but most of them are born

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PICS: JOE HATT / hatt-photographs@hotmail.com

THIS MONTH

Nick talks to former MP John Grogan in the Red Lion on London’s Jermyn Street

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In 100 small ways, you can get your pub into the minds of your locals

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with a worm in their gut, and they can’t help themselves. It is a desire to be successful and an eye for detail, and with that comes what they all strive for — profit.

Would you ever consider advising Lord Sugar to invest in the pub industry?

I wouldn’t think Lord Sugar needs me as an investment advisor. He is more than capable of making his own mind up and has been extremely successful in doing so. Perhaps he could pass some of that advice on to me. What he does always say, though, is stick to what you know. So he has stuck to electronics, property and aviation.

He also has had great success with advertising screens in places such as doctor’s surgeries, and there is no reason why this couldn’t work in pubs.

You made your name in PR – what PR tips would you give the pub trade?

Seize the initiative. Phone the local tourist office and invite the staff round.

Call the local paper and radio station.

Watch for local events that you can plan your own events around.

Give your MP an invitation and offer her the chance of using a space in your pub for regular surgeries…and so on.

In 100 small ways you can get your pub into the mind of your locals; it’s simple, but it takes effort and persistence.

Do you think many pubs would benefit from taking on apprentices of their own?

Absolutely. One of the things I like about the trade group the BII is the training it

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THIS MONTH

Enjoying a beer with Inapub editor Matt Eley (left) and Robert Humphreys, secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group

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What can pubs learn from French hospitality?

It’s more a case of what the French could learn from us

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provides for youngsters in the pub industry. Generally young people still think “I will work on a building site in the summer and behind a bar when it is colder in the winter”. You end up getting people who are not trained.

The pub industry is a very good sector and people should take pride in it. In France the person who runs their own brasserie is considered to be a very good professional who takes great pride in what he does. The BII is doing a good job of training people and promoting apprenticeships in the trade.

What do you normally drink when you are in a pub?

As someone with Irish roots, more often than not I will drink Guinness.

Would you prefer to share a bottle of wine with Lord Sugar or (past and present co-advisors) Margaret or Karen? What wine would you choose?

I have a house in Bordeaux, so the wine

would have to be a claret. If I was feeling generous it would be a Pomerol or a Saint Julien. And of course I would invite all three of the above to share it with me.

So you must spend a fair bit of time in France – what can pubs learn from French hospitality?

(Long pause as he considers the term “French hospitality”)… French bars by and large could learn a lot from British pubs, such as the ambience and the atmosphere.

Apart from Paris and the other big cities it is more a case of what the French could learn from us.

What do you remember about the last pub you visited?

I was here at The Red Lion just off St James Square in central London. It is a small, traditional pub but it has a great atmosphere.

It’s run by a diligent landlady who is doing a very good job in a small pub. It has excellent Guinness on draught too.

Nick Hewer was talking to Matt Eley

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Luxardo Inapub Magazine 1

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FAMOUS FOR ACCOMMODATION How the Wiremill breathed life into a derelict space

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Short stays are becoming more important.

The leisure pound is going to grow in the UK Right: Pub partners – owner Anthony, Colin, Tim and Jason make a 50 per cent margin on the letting rooms. You get fresh veg, too

he Wiremill is one of those pubs that has an almost unfair amount going for it.

We could have made it “famous for” its setting alone, perched on the edge of a sprawling lake that laps at the pub’s outside terrace.

As the national winner of a Freehouse of the Year title, it naturally has a food and drink offer that is none too shabby either.

But what makes the Wiremill’s accommodation offer so impressive is that it has grown from nothing to four per cent of the business in just two years.

Four per cent might not sound a huge amount in the grand scheme of things. But add in the incremental guest spend on food and drink and consider that where six stunning rooms now sit, there used to be a flood-damaged cellar, and you can see the difference it has made to the business.

Anthony Pender, one of the partners behind the pub, explains why they opted to spend £120,000 to bring the derelict space to life. “When you are paying a rent or a mortgage on a large property, every square foot counts,” he says.

“To have 1,000 square feet empty downstairs defeats the object. Our accommodation has relatively low costs now we are up and running, and complements what we are doing upstairs.”

And so it has proved, with occupancy rates now at 65

per cent. Guests who stay the night have proved to be some of the bigger spenders, with an estimated 75 per cent also staying for dinner.

To get accommodation right, Anthony says you need to bite the bullet and make that initial investment, market the pub properly and ensure standards are kept high. But once the investment has been made, pubs can make a fairly decent return without huge running costs.

For example, a Wiremill room, let at £64, will return a 50 per cent margin once cleaning, linen, VAT, breakfast and booking fees are taken into account. Remove the agents and you could make another 15 per cent.

Figures suggest rooms really could start to deliver for pubs in the way that food has over the past decade.

Anthony is also convinced that where possible it is a market pubs should try to tap into. “It is so expensive to go abroad, while petrol is going up and people won’t be able to drive as far,” he says. “Shortterm stays are going to become more important. The leisure pound is going to grow in the UK for those who do it well.”

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HOW TO LET YOUR ROOMS MARKET THEM RIGHT Online advertising is key.

Make the most of Google Maps and sites such as Trip Advisor and Bookings.com MANAGE EXPECTATIONS You are a pub, not a hotel. Ensure customers know what to expect

The Wirem Lingfield, Suill rr

ey

Initial investm ent:£120k Number of ro oms: 6 Room: rates £6 4-£119 Occupancy ra te: 65%

TRAIN YOUR STAFF Make sure they are clued up on taking bookings and welcoming guests SPEND CASH UP FRONT Do things properly.

This includes showers and linen OFFER DEALS Longer visits can save on linen and booking fees. Cheap rates for extra days can work

FOUR MORE WITH GREAT LETTING ROOMS The Jamaica Inn, Bodmin, Cornwall

The Babbity Bowster Glasgow

Bryn Tyrc h Inn Snowdonia

The Drayton Court, Ealing, West London

A smugglers’ inn, immortalised in the novel of the same name.

Reportedly haunted by ghosts of smugglers past

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Traditional hotel and pub in the Fuller’s estate. Ho Chi Minh once worked there as a kitchen porter

Six rooms, a great reputation for food and drink and, let’s be honest, you won’t forget the name in a hurry

You can truly it all and re get away from in Snowdonialax at this pub Ahhh, we’re National Park. on our way…

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I’ve just signed up to take the reins of the Rose & Crown. This is ‘back to the floor’, ‘put your money where your mouth is’

JULIAN GROCOCK Just how seriously should I take this opportunity to write a brand new column for a brand new magazine called Inapub?

Surely I’m already suitably qualified — CAMRA activist in 1976, part-time barman in 1980, bar manager in 1984, pub landlord in 1986, pub company operations director in 1996, managing director in 2002, chief executive of the Society of Independent Brewers in 2007... what more could I possibly think I need to do?

Well you can call the timing fortuitous or maybe conclude that I’m just plain crazy, but I’m taking ina-pub literally. I’ve just signed the agreement to take the reins at The Rose & Crown, in the North Leicestershire village of Hose, in the Vale of Belvoir (Bee-ver).

How desperate does that make me to find something topical to write about?

Let me reassure you that it’s an entirely rational decision. My last pub was in the same village, but it’s closed now and about to be developed with a delicensed future. We’re taking it on a private 10-year lease, nine years to run, assigned by tenants who for personal reasons have been unable to keep it on. I believe the rent stacks up in the current market and, of course, being privately owned, the pub is entirely free of tie.

The plan works on the domestic front too — if there’s one thing I had to learn, which over the years has also been a recurring and bitter lesson for many other would-be pub hosts, it’s that if you’re the only one in the tribe who wants to do it, then forget it. (Even if you’re the chief

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Julian Grocack is taking “Inapub” literally PIC: RUSS HAMER

— and I of course am not.) No, this time around it’s a family venture; the chief has raised the little indians and now she’s ready for a fresh challenge.

What’s more, daughter number one has just successfully completed her business degree (with 2:1 honours!), has extensive bar and waitressing experience, and is keen to spend her first year in the real world as our assistant manager. Daughters two and three are ready to pitch in too, when they can.

This is a set-up that allows me to retain my SIBA position — for as long as my employers are satisfied that I’m fulfilling the demands of my role. And because we’re only moving six miles down the road, we’re keeping our house too, and renting it out to people we know.

“OK”, I hear you ask, “who are you trying to convince?” To which I can merely answer, it’s a big step, even when it’s been so carefully thought out and the risks have been minimised. No doubt you’ll know that already, whatever stage of your own pub career you’re at.

As SIBA’s chief executive I’ve been called upon to make many weighty pronouncements about the health, welfare and future of the pub industry. So this is “back to the floor” and “put your money where your mouth is” — the deal is done, we’ve got the keys, and it’s time to get the business strategy together and get ready to open the doors.

Want to know more? I’ll keep you posted.

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WE MAKE IT EASY TO RUN YOUR OWN PUB A 21st century business backed by over 200 years of heritage and tradition. As a brewer and pub operator, Greene King can offer you a great choice of pubs and agreements…

Our exciting new Franchise Agreement provides you with a pub you can run from day one whether you’re experienced or new to the industry. You get a newly decorated interior and exterior, ready to trade with food and drink menus. And we provide the training, marketing support and shared cost of Sky and entertainment technology.

Local Hero Agreement has a refurbishment package and innovative cask ale deal, setting you apart from the competition.

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Our Lease Agreement is for a minimum of ten years and puts you firmly in control.

Let us help you find your next pub Visit www.GreeneKingPubs.co.uk/inapub or call 01284 714497 Pub Retailer of the Year 2011

THIS MONTH

Get yourself connected SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT YOUR PUB WITH INAPUB SERVICES

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The idea is to help the licensee reach the widest possible audience for the minimum cost and effort

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S

o a smart new pub magazine arrives in the post, but it might lead you to ask yourself “and what exactly is this Inapub business all about?”

Well, you know about the magazine because you are reading that now. But you may not know Inapub also offers a service to help pubs connect with customers through a variety of new media sources.

You mean the internet, right?

Well yes, that’s part of it. But there’s a lot more to it than that. For starters, Inapub can provide you with your own webpage that you can update with all of your events, listings, menu and drinks changes.

And we’re about to add a voucher scheme to help you keep tabs on who is coming to you from Inapub.

On top of that, you appear on our iPhone app, we help you with social networking and, perhaps most importantly, we have linked up with around 40 data partners — including Google — to make sure information about your pub reaches a massive audience of potential customers.

Company founder Robin Brattel is confident that Inapub is the most effective way for pubs to hit multiple channels at once.

So how does it work?

He explains: “The idea is to help the licensee reach the widest possible audience for the minimum cost and the minimum effort.

We can ensure that information about your pub reaches thousands of people.

“We have our own website and mobile apps, which as a licensee you will have channels on. We are also fully integrated with Facebook, Twitter and Google.”

So the link-up with carefully selected partners such as publishers, tourist boards and mobile phone app companies means that your pub appears on far more than just the Inapub website — good though that is of course! Inapub can also help you contact customers through email alerts, SMS messaging and social networking. A new widget on the site will also enable you to update various channels in one go.

More and more pubs are seeing the

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THIS MONTH benefit of the likes of Twitter and Facebook.

With a third of the population now using social media sites — and many of these in the key 18-34 age group — why wouldn’t you use this is a marketing tool?

Carol Batters of the White Hart in Stanley village, Derbyshire, says: “Getting up and running on Inapub was easy and the Inapub team were really helpful throughout. My details page looks great and now my pub description, beers, events and menu information can be accessed by thousands of potential new customers.”

Robin adds: “You can rely on the chalkboard, but in this day and age the customer expects to be able to find information online and on their mobile phone.

“This is where we are all moving to in order to find out what is going on. You have to question why you are putting the chalkboard outside the pub — you are doing that to attract passing trade, and online channels such as Google, Facebook and Twitter provide passing trade constantly. If you are not online you are not going to be attracting those customers.

“And yes, you can do it yourself but you are probably not able to distribute your information as widely as we are through the likes of publishers and tourist information boards. And it is not cheap or easy to set up your own communication centre.”

Over the coming months we will look more closely at the benefits of different types of new media resources.

mbers Social media by nu

Licensees online

How pubs use social media to bring in new business Ed Davies, Kilverts Inn, Hay on Wye, Herefordshire

Subscribe Inapub helps you connect your pub with people to increase footfall. or 10 a month or 100 per year you get your own pages on Inapub and the Inapub app email and S S customer communications all your content sent to your acebook wall, your Twitter feed, oogle aps and 0 other data partners this maga ine

pulation is online 71% of the UK po Just email social media Of those 78% use subscriptions go out inapub.co.uk to ey th re fo be e gl 71% use Goo get started or isit Facebook on e ar s n to www.inapub.co.uk ri B of 1/3 k ee w a n tweets Twitter records 1b day users log on every 76% of internetattlesteads is ritiainʼs greenest pub cording 50,000 re y tl en rr cu is Inapub onth page views each m

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“There are so many tools available now to make social media less timeconsuming — such as Inapub itself — that apart from taking a couple of minutes to register, you barely need to spend more than half-anhour a week on it.”

Simon Markham, Red Lyon, Slinfold, West Sussex “Social networking is an invaluable tool for creating awareness for my pub. We use it to promote everything we do. When we have an event we take photos, and post them on Facebook to promote the event again. We even use it to find staff when we are short.”

Steve Wilson, the King’s Head, Wells, Somerset “You’d have to be nuts not to have a Facebook page, one example of its benefits is a competition I ran to name a new loyalty card, which received 50 entries — great for awareness. Likewise Twitter has led to numerous local tweeters coming and various other contacts.

“One tip I would suggest is to be as human online as possible — pubs don’t talk to people in real life so why use a building to chat online?”

AUGUST 2011

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19/07/2011 11:30

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24/6/11 11:20:39

DRINK

FLAVOURS OF THE MONTH Claire Dodd on what’s happening in drinks

•

It’s summer. No, it really is. So that, of course, means cider.

It may now be a year-round tipple, but when the sun shines, the fair-weather cider drinkers come out in droves. And so it’s the perfect time for AB InBev to start the marketing juggernaut for the latest Stella spin-off, Stella Artois Cidre. The TV advert launched in July and will continue this month. Expect curious consumers to seek it out, as other cider brands such as Brothers, Gaymers and St Helier ride high on a summer of festival sponsorship.

•

You’d have to have deliberately turned off the telly and boycotted newspapers for a month to have missed the Royal Wedding. Yes, it was lovely and all that. But the tangible legacy for us common folk has been a rediscovery of national pride. Pimm’s got in on the act with a Union Jack bottle in the off-trade. But artisan,

craft-produced British spirits, soft drinks and now lagers are the perfect products to appeal to this revival of patriotism. Think Sipsmith gin, Chase vodka and Meantime London Lager.

With British Food Fortnight running from September 17, why not have a chalkboard of craft British drinks too? What, what!

•

While the sun is shining, let’s give a shout out to wheat beers too. There are a number of new brews around, but top of the pile is Thornbridge’s Versa (five per cent ABV). The beer is described as having flavours of clove spiciness, banana and bubblegum.

•

Finally, for customers wanting something soft and summery, Oasis has made its draught debut. Brand owner Coca-Cola Enterprises is running the trial in 40 Orchid pubs until the end of September.

TAKE FIVE HALF-PINT OF LIME & SODA

After managing the Nightingale in Balham for more than six years, we took on a new challenge in the form of a tenancy. Staying with Young’s, we have been at the Old Sergeant for just over a month now.

And following a fantastic re-launch party, we are ready for action!

We have introduced many new products on the bar— from bottled Peroni to double chocolate stout, we are trying it all. The most successful has been Strawberry & Lime Rekorderlig. We have been serving it the proper way — tall glasses, lots of ice, lime wedge, strawberries and fresh mint from a pot behind the bar.

The Sergeant is lager-led, which we plan to change. We always had a big real ale following, and we’ve had three more ale taps installed. We have also launched a tasting tray — customers can order five 1/3 pints to try them out. We have found this a great way to push our ale sales.

On the bar Mucky Pup, Islington, London £1.50

The Roebuck, Urmston, Manchester 79p

www.inapubnews.co.uk p23 drinks trends.indd 23

The Griffin Inn, Swithland, Leicestershire 80p

The Jolly Hemmingford Farmer, Newton Arms, Barnsbury, London Abbott, Devon £1.35 79p

Keris and Lee De Villiers, the Old Sergeant, Wandsworth, London

AUGUST 2011

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DRINK

Festival folk

HOW TO RUN A BEER FESTIVAL, BY THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW

I

t’s the start of August, which means masses of real-ale fans descending on the capital for the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF).

Over the first five days of the month, tens of thousands of people will try hundreds of beers produced by the country’s best brewers — as well as other offerings from around the globe.

Now, not every pub can hire out Earls Court. But if you have a little bit of space, there is no good reason why you can’t attract some new clientele to a festival of your own.

It is a special date in the diary for some of the regulars and a great way to get a bit of attention and draw some new drinkers to your pub.

So to help you get started we teamed up with GBBF organisers CAMRA to ask a few folk in the know exactly what they think pubs should be on the lookout for…

66,000 people at

The Organiser

GBBF 2010

Marc Holmes is the chief organiser of the Great British Beer Festival “We at CAMRA are fortunate to enjoy the support of more than 1,000 people pitching in at the Great British Beer Festival for the long preparation, the hectic festival week, and then the aftermath of the takedown. However, any successful festival can run with the help of a dedicated few.

“We have teams responsible for every aspect, from stewarding, health and safety, cooling (for the beer) and construction, to publicity, marketing, sponsorship and, of course, the minor things such as beer ordering and bar management!

“Any local festival, whether in a pub or community hall, can follow such a formula. While organising a beer festival can sound like a simple premise, getting it spot-on requires careful planning, not least in assessing what your punters are going to want to drink. And the only way to find this out is through communication. For CAMRA festivals, beer lists are chosen via individual recommendations and tasting panels. We do our best in advance to gauge what local people might want to drink.”

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www.inapubnews.co.uk 19/07/2011 00:59

DRINK

The Punter

att e is is a real ale a d p b a

The Brewer

ho li es a good esti al

“About six years ago my brother decided it was about time I went to a beer festival. I’ve always liked a good beer but felt I wouldn’t fit in amongst the train-spotters and morris dancers.

“How wrong I was. I soon became a convert and have since spent many a happy hour drinking in town halls and disused railways stations across the country. Beer festivals are celebrations. Here you find like-minded men and — I was surprised to learn — women from all walks of life enjoying the best that this country has to offer.

“But it’s the atmosphere that really keeps me going back. I’ve never heard a cross word at a beer festival but I’ve made many friends. You go for the adventure, for the chance to try something new and for the pleasure of drinking, not simply to get legless.”

For more info visit www.gbbf.org.uk

Elly Bell runs the Durham Brewery, hich s pplies esti als across the area with beer “You have to get the temperature right when you are serving the beers, so care needs to be taken there. You also want to have a variety of different beers, including some from wellestablished and reliable breweries. If you just go for new breweries the consistency is not going to be there.

“The people behind the bar need to know what they are talking about when serving the products. They need to know the beer style and details about the brewery. To be fair, over the years the CAMRA volunteers have got very good at this.”

700

different brews on offer at GBBF

The Landlord

Lewis Gonda has been a CAMRA member for more than 10 years and is co-owner of two-time National CAMRA Pub of the Year the Kelham Island Tavern in Sheffield he p b hosts a beer esti al e ery s er “You need to make sure you cater for everyone and get different beers with different characteristics. You need something for the tickers, because they are the ones who will be queuing up at the start of the day. But don’t forget the younger ones and the women. All sorts of people are into real ale these days, and you can have cider and perry as well.

“Make sure you keep them enjoying themselves by putting some entertainment on as well. We have live music and do a bit of food, which keeps them happy.

“Apart from getting the beer ordered well in advance from reliable sources, you also need to advertise the event. We do the festival once a year and we will see customers from the festival coming back to the pub. But with our pub having 13 handpumps and a Fat Cat down the road it, is like a beer festival here every day anyway.”

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19/07/2011 01:01

Nothing artificial just full of fruit, naturally.

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We add no flavourings. We add no artificial sweeteners.

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For more information about our full range of juices, call Emma on: 0870 242 1989

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Frobishers ad.indd 33

15/07/2011 10:04

DRINK

Not just for kids ISN’T IT ABOUT TIME PUB SOFT DRINKS GREW UP, ASKS CLAIRE DODD

“

Drinking soft drinks in a pub must be quite a chore.

It’s so bloody boring

Breckland Orchard founder Claire Martinsen shows off her range of traditional soft drinks

www.inapubnews.co.uk p27-28-30 soft drinks.indd 27

Elderflower — it’s the new ginger. Trust me. Where last year you couldn’t move for quaintly packaged bottles of ginger beer, this year it’s the subtle but grown-up taste of elderflower that’s in vogue.

Don’t believe me? Well step into any branch of upmarket eatery Browns. The restaurant chain is out to prove that sensible doesn’t mean boring when avoiding a tipple, and is flying the flag for soft drinks that are just that bit more exciting.

Take the elderflower fizz, for example.

It’s simple to make, but the blend of apple juice, lemonade and elderflower cordial means that non-drinkers don’t feel left out, especially if you throw in good-looking glassware too.

In recent years, the market has been flooded with elderflower drinks from the

likes of Belvoir, Bottle Green and Breckland Orchard. Even the BBC’s recent Glastonbury festival coverage included a three-minute segment on an elderflower lemonade made from flowers picked on site. Pub favourite Brothers Cider started there too you know.

Forgotten by fashion

Which leads me to a point often missed by pubs. Drinks are about changing tastes and fashions. Flavours and styles come and go. While this is reflected well across most pubs’ spirits and beer ranges, soft drinks have invariably been ignored.

But these are high-profit-margin products, in growing demand. According to the 2011 UK Soft Drinks Report by the British Soft Drinks Association, soft drink consumption grew by 4.1 per cent in 2010. And market researcher CGA reckons soft drink value sales in the on-trade are on the up despite falling volumes. So where’s the sense in ignoring the category?

“It’s amazing how much apathy there is to soft drinks,” says Breckland Orchard founder Claire Martinsen. “Pubs just stock lemonade or Coke, but that’s not what customers want.

Drinking soft drinks in a pub must be quite a chore because it’s so bloody boring.

“You expect to be underwhelmed.”

Claire says she likes to use the current trend for all things British as inspiration for flavours such as Strawberry and Rhubarb and Sloe Lemonade. The brand is part of a growing breed of traditional, artisan soft

AUGUST 2011

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DRINK drinks such as Fentimans and Belvoir that are scoring points with consumers for their nostalgic feel.

Ron Blackmore is the licensee at the Fox Inn, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. He says that Breckland Orchard brands work well in his pub. “We like uniqueness, so that is what we go for with soft drinks. Breckland Orchard is made in Norfolk, so we use that, as we promote local sourcing wherever possible. Staff buy-in and education is important too. We encourage them to talk to customers, but not to use a script.

“We like a more individual approach, so they are not going from table to table saying the same thing. For example, if one of our team asks ‘when was the last time you had dandelion & burdock’, a customer might just reply ‘not for years… have you got some? I’ll try that now.’”

Keith Richardson, licensed category controller for J20 maker Britvic, reckons most pubs could increase their soft-drink sales by around £6,000 a year.

“Soft drinks are often under-represented, leading to habitual purchases and a bored consumer,” he says.

So if consumers are currently drinking themselves into an orange-juice-induced sugar coma, what do pubs need to do to

e… s e h t ed Try l topp

ith a de i r cord d le o a e o lder rry ice a ice r it e b e p a a r r c g ith pi r e e lder o ora g h t i e ice tr s r it a d li i c r o es grape pberri s a r le o e th ro i e d l a ter a a i ger g i spar l e c i i e aspberries resh r

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HOW TO GROW SOFT-DRINK SALES CHOOSE WISELY Get your range of soft drinks right SHOW THEM OFF Make drinks visible in your pub, including on the back-bar. But also make sure staff make recommendations OFFER VALUE Upsizing, BOGOFs, ree re lls, ice buckets or even meal deals will help your customers feel they are getting bang for their buck. Seventyseven per cent of people are more likely to buy another drink i the rst was served perfectly (TNS Omnibus 2009) (Tips from Britvic)

cheer them up? One of the big criticisms levied at a pub’s soft-drinks range is that it only caters for kids.

Sparkling juice drink Shloer has just launched three flavours, Red Grape, White and Rosé, in the on-trade with a £16m marketing campaign. Amanda Grabham, head of brand marketing, says: “There are lots of soft drinks brands available but none are known for sharing. That’s been a fundamental part of our success, so we don’t see why can’t replicate that in the on-trade. We think there’s an opportunity for licensees to be more creative, by offering meal deals and linking brands like

www.inapubnews.co.uk 19/07/2011 02:38

Queen of Hoxton /London /Oct‘09

Serve a full, cold can over your bar. After all, that’s what your customers want and when other people see the can, they’ll be up at the bar asking for the same. customer.marketing@uk.redbull.com

RB_Perfect_Serve_260x190_UniCaterer.indd 1

14/07/2011 19:01

DRINK

The pub vs the people Adam Holland, general manager of the Old Dairy, Stroud Green, London.

It feels like there isn’t a massive range of soft drinks out there, and we don’t get a big demand for it. We do Fentimans. I think they’re a nice alternative.

And curiously, we have seen increased demand for our non-alcohol beer, which is Bitburger Drive.

There’s a fine balance. You have to keep a certain range of things that people know, because if you don’t you will ostracise a certain amount of your clientele. Some people do want something different, and most of the time are willing to pay for it.

Laura Swinton, student, Glasgow.

I think pubs need to realise there are a host of reasons someone might choose not to drink alcohol — it’s not just pregnant women. A problem is that I don’t always know what the choice is. I mean, for all I know there might be some wildly exotic concoction lurking in a fridge behind a bar, but there are never any promotions or signs up as there are with alcoholic drinks.

A bad soft drinks range wouldn’t put me off going to the pub full stop, as the choice of drinks isn’t as important as the people I’m with. But that doesn’t mean to say pubs shouldn’t make more of an effort.

Shloer to their food menu.”

On-trade-only brand Frobishers, which makes juices and smoothies, is calling for licensees to remember that customers abstain for health reasons too. “We have to educate people that natural is best,” says sales and marketing director Steve Carter. “Consumers are up to speed with that because a lot of work is done in the offtrade, but the on-trade always seems to be lagging behind with understanding what consumers are looking for.”

But what about the big guns? Cola remains the top seller, with sales growth of nine per cent last year.

As part of a partnership with the BII, Britvic launched the Pepsi 500 Club in April to offer training and point-of-sale material to pubs. It also launched Pepsi, Tango Orange and 7UP Free in 300ml glass bottles for the trade earlier in the year.

Coca-Cola Enterprises, meanwhile, launched a perfect-serve campaign 30

AUGUST 2011

p27-28-30 soft drinks.indd 30

called the Accredited Coca-Cola Establishment (ACE) programme in May to coincide with the brand’s 125th anniversary.

And should you still be making back-bar space for products such as energy drinks?

Where is Red Bull at? “Latest CGA data shows Red Bull in 5.5 per cent volume growth in the on-trade, a very strong performance,” says trade communications manager Tom Smith. “When you consider that the market is shrinking due to tough economic conditions, it’s testament to any category or brand that is showing growth. Red Bull is growing ahead of the energy drinks category, which is recording growth of 1.9 per cent.”

So it all comes down to that one little word — range.

Stock what your customers expect and a little of what they don’t if you want to make the most of a category that as food and families become more important, will only grow.

Win a yearʼs supply of robishers uices turn to page 5

www.inapubnews.co.uk 19/07/2011 11:36

To serve a perfect Coca-Cola and keep your customers coming back for more take a ‘Georgia Green Glass’

Fill 1/3 with ice

Pour in correctly chilled ‘Coca-Cola’

Add appropriate, fresh garnish

You’ve just made history

Coca-Cola, Coke, the design of the Coca-Cola Contour Bottle and the Dynamic Ribbon device are registered trade marks of The Coca-Cola Company.

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EAT

The latest research shows the average price of a pub meal has gone up. To which many pubs will respond ‘pollocks’

PUB FOOD WITH PORTER It’s typical. You wait ages for a piece of incisive, informative research into the pub food market, and then they all come along at once.

My inbox has recently been inundated by loads…well, some… new facts and figures aiming to shine an analytical light into the darkest corners of the pub kitchen, something that is normally left to overenthusiastic EHOs. First up is the latest Menurama research from consultancy Horizons, which tracks menu trends and prices across branded pub-restaurants. Its figures show that the average price of a main course was £9.63 in 2010, up 7.3 per cent from a year earlier, while on average three courses cost £18.94 in 2010, up from £18.03 in 2009 — a 5.1 per cent rise year on year.

To which many pubs will respond “pollocks”, especially those backing Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s campaign to use alternative fish species. In the current market, operators are struggling to pass rising food prices on to customers.

The devil is in the detail, as Horizons’ services director Paul Backman concedes:

Nostalgia for 1970s pubs isn’t always justified — frankly, in many cases the food was nasty and the beer was worse. Even so, all credit to the Chef & Brewer chain for offering updated versions of 70s pub grub classics on their menu.

Of course, reading down the menu and looking at delights such as chicken in the basket, scampi, and lasagne, it struck me that most pubs still serve these dishes in one form or another.

Still, if calling it ‘retro’ drives sales, good luck to C&B. Just as long as I don’t have to wear flares to get a table.

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“There will be an element of raising menu prices to pay for the widening use of discounts and money-off vouchers.” In other words, all those two-for-one deals being used by managed pubs to drive trade are also hiding a few crafty price increases.

The tactic seems to be working. Another survey, by market research company NPD Group, shows visitors in branded pubs increased by four per cent in the first quarter of 2011, compared with the same period in 2010, while the pub channel overall enjoyed a 2.2 per cent increase in customer traffic and a 1.4 per cent increase in average individual spend.

NPD points out this shows branded pubs such as JD Wetherspoon and Harvester are leading a recovery in the eating-out market. But it also seems a good indication that independents are finding it harder than ever to compete with the deeper pockets that managed brands can use to fund food discounts and deals.

The impact of such deals was revealed

by Whitbread, which recently told City analysts that around a third of customers in its pubs’ restaurants use vouchers. These clearly drive trade — Mitchells & Butlers recently revealed it now sells more food than drink in its 2,000 pubs — but for how long it can be sustained is another question. Even deep pockets have their limits.

One more thing. Horizons’ Menurama research also shows that pubs are now less likely to describe themselves as ‘dolphin-friendly’. Fine by me. Those bottlenosed skinflints never buy their round.

John Porter is a pub food expert who has been involved in the trade longer than microwave ovens

www.inapubnews.co.uk 19/07/2011 03:08

EAT

Sell the sizzle

A WEEK TO CELEBRATE AN UNSUNG HERO OF THE PUB MENU Bangers have it tough. They’re the Cinderella of pub grub, working hard across the menu and asking for little in the way of recognition. Whether it’s bangers and mash or an all-day breakfast, a sausage and onion baguette or a toad-in-the-hole on the specials board, the obliging sausage fills the gap anywhere it’s needed.

And soon the barbecue season — when arguably the sausage gets its greatest glory — will be drawing to a close. So, it seems only fair that once a year, the Great British Sausage gets the respect it deserves. Just appearing on the horizon is British Sausage Week, which runs from October 31 to November 6, and is the perfect opportunity for sausage-themed fun and games, such as tasting menus, competitions and quiz nights.

Clearly, a pub sausage needs to be something a bit more special than a standard supermarket chipolata to persuade people to come out to eat. No-one knows that better that Kevin Berkins, master butcher turned licensee and owner of Lancashire pubs the Fence Gate Inn and the Eagle at Barrow.

Kevin is a serial sausage award-winner and says the secret of a great pub sausage is to use goodquality ingredients, such as the fresh rather than powdered leek he uses in his acclaimed pork and leek sausages.

There’s no harm in The EU has never promaking things special — posed to change the name of the sausage one of the best-sellers to the emulsified at the Fence Gate is the high-fat offal tubeʼ Connoisseur, made with it was a oke on Yes organic pork, honey and Minister which only the Daily Mail took seriously.

Sausage mythbuster

Hot dogs are not made from dogs, but tests by local authorities in 200 found that around one in eight salamis contained horse or donkey meat.

apples poached in calvados — but you can you can only take a banger so far. This year, Kevin created a Bloody Mary There are almost no sausage, which includes restrictions on the cuts tabasco, Worcestershire of meat which can sauce, celery and vodka. “It be used in sausages, hasn’t been as big a seller hence the expresas I’d hoped,” he says. “I sion the whole hogʼ. think people find the idea a bit Chew it well daunting.”

Unbowed, Kevin is already working on recipes for his entry into this year’s Best Pub Sausage Award, run by pork body BPEX to coincide with British Sausage Week. There will be a host of supporting PR activity to drum up national awareness, so to keep up to date with British Sausage Multiple Week 2011 activity visit sausage champion www.porkforbutchers.co.uk and Kevin Berkins www.lovepork.co.uk

AUGUST 2011 p32-33 food intro-bangers*.indd 33

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EAT

Match practice BEER CAN PARTNER A DISH JUST AS WELL AS A FINE WINE

PICS: www. beergenie.co.uk

Why serve beer with food? What’s wrong with the classic approach — red wine with a burger, white with a fish-finger sandwich? Well, as anyone who has ever cooled the raging fires of a vindaloo with an ice-cold lager will testify, there are dining occasions when beer is best.

For pubs, draught beer, and especially cask ale, is something customers can’t get at home. Serving beer with food makes an ‘occasion’ of a meal out, making customers more likely to come back — and bring their friends next time.

Freedom Brewery managing director Edward Mayman says: “We’ve seen a massive increase in trade customers matching their beer to dishes on their menu.

Some of our most successful accounts are focusing on this opportunity, which is what the wine industry did years ago.”

Kent brewer Shepherd Neame regularly reinforces the link between beer and food by holding matching evenings in its pubs, hosted by head brewer Stewart Main.

Each pub’s chefs are challenged to come up with six dishes to match six different beers from the brewery.

“In between each course I talk about the beer and food match, and encourage diners to comment and fill in tasting and matching cards,” says Stewart.

Recent events have come up with matches ranging from Kingfisher lager served with tandoori spiced fillets of cod, to Whitechapel Porter with chocolate and black cherry pudding and clotted cream.

While pubs new to matching might not go to the full extent of a hosted evening, adding some beer matching suggestions to the menu is a simple way to start.

Get the knowledge Staff buy-in to a business aiming to promote beer and food matching is essential. The best beer list in the business won’t be much help if the barstaff can only offer blank looks when asked if a pint of best would be an appropriate accompaniment to the sausage casserole.

Many operators cite lack of staff knowledge as a reason for not suggesting any drinks matches with the menu, whether it’s beer or wine. However, a few simple steps can close the skills gap: Taste the beers — younger staff with a preference for alcopops may have never even tried cask or speciality beers. A staff sampling session will help them understand the flavours.

Use the flavour notes — all brewers should supply basic tasting notes and flavour guides such as Cyclops. Position these behind pump clips, in menus and anywhere else staff can refer to them easily.

Incentivise staff — offer simple monthly rewards such as a free meal (even at another pub) for the staff member who sells the most beer with meals.

Enjoy the matches — remember that beer and food matching is fun, and encourage staff and customers to experiment.

• • • •

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www.inapubnews.co.uk 19/07/2011 04:31

EAT

HOW TO MATCH BEER WITH FOOD

Matchmaker The Ship Inn in North Berwick, East Lothian, has worked with beer guru and co-founder of the Britons Backing Beer movement Rupert Ponsonby to pair beers to dishes on its new seasonal menu.

Holly Maynard, manager at The Ship Inn, says: “We’re not a fine dining restaurant, we’re a pub that serves good pub food. Our summer list includes loads of lighter, more refreshing, ‘sunnier’ beers. Customers and staff, are having great fun experimenting and broadening their beer horizons.”

Saying there are no rules when it comes to matching beer and food is about as much use as a cross-eyed customer captaining the darts team, so here are some guidelines which can be of help Match the a our intensity. Stronger, darker beers will be a good match with rich a ours such as game and meat pies, while lighter, hoppy beers will go with seafood and salads Match regional beers with regional dishes Try a Cornish ale with fresh mackerel, fruity Welsh ale with spring lamb or fullbodied Lancashire ale with a hotpot Tackle the temperature.

Ice-cold lager with spicy Asian food is ob ious, but ser ing a hoppy IPA slightly cooler than normal may make it a better match with a Sunday roast. In contrast, a room-temperature ale will bring out the a ours o a cheeseboard ser ed rom the fridge

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PLAY

Back of the net!

A NEW SEASON IS UPON US. BE SURE TO CONVERT YOUR CHANCES, SAYS MATT ELEY

holds all the major cards. A commercial The smell of freshly cut grass hangs in the sports package does not come cheap, air, people return from days in the sun and to make the most of it you need to with reddened features, and the sound of invest further with ideas and promotions to leather on willow can be heard on village get the crowds in. greens throughout the land.

John Chittock, licensee of The Globe Inn It’s the height of summer, which can in Chichester, West Sussex, does more than mean only one thing. The madness of a most to make football work for him. new football season is about to descend As well as having one of the biggest on us. screens in the land — a whopping 103 With no major tournaments — with inches is enough to make anyone apologies to international ladies and blush — he is also signed up under-21s —there has been a lengthier to Sky’s 3D service, has break from the beautiful game this two 11-foot pull-downs, year. But now is most definitely four 52-inch plasmas, the time to ensure you have Penalty shoo tseven smaller screens everything in place to make the o u ts , screenings o f around the bar and a most of the season ahead. c la s s ic gam and retro sh few on the toilet walls so irt nights co es all bring mo nobody misses that vital Live football re football fauld ns through the goal during a moment of As usual, to screen the majority door relief. of live football you will need to But size isn’t everything. have invested in Sky. That’s not to Shouting about it is just as say there is no football on terresimportant, according to John. trial — ITV will be showing FA Cup and “Word of mouth is a major thing and Champions League and there will also everyone knows that we are the place be a smattering of Europa League and to come for live games. We use A-boards League Cup games free-to-air. and are listed on websites such as Sky’s However, if you want the punters to and Carling’s so people can find us,” he come in week after week to watch the says. “We can offer three games at once latest Premier League action, then Sky still because of all of the packages we have.

“And our sound system is top-of-therange too, so there is no overlapping on commentaries.”

He also puts up the flags of the teams playing to set the scene and even creates specialities on the menu to add to the fun.

Everyone had high hopes for the Rooney burger, but John denies that it failed to deliver during the World Cup. You have to be creative too. Fulham’s first UEFA Cup match this year was only shown on the 365.com betting channel, but John created an account and his pub was

Try these…

15-club legend Steve Claridge and the FA Cup at a Q&A session with ESPN at the Globe in Chichester

www.inapubnews.co.uk p36-37-38-39 footy.indd 36

19/07/2011 10:49

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ig business Premiership footballl doesnʼt come cheap, but in est wisely and you will reap the returns. Will your pub fulfil its potential this season?

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PIC: MIKE HEWITT/GETTY IMAGES SPORT

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C = Npower Championship PL = Barclays Premier League SPL = Scottish Premier League CC = Carling Cup CS = FA Community Shield EQ = Euro 2012 Qualifier F = Friendly match SS = Sky Sports

AUGUST 2011 p36-37-38-39 footy.indd 37

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the natural option for a group of Fulham fans he knew lived in a nearby halls of residence. It’s not just about the big games.

Clare Harrison, manager of The Duck in Clapham, south-west London, agrees that it is essential to make the most of the opportunity. She says: “We keep a weekly schedule behind the bar that highlights the content that should be shown on each screen at all times of day.

“We also place the fixture posters and cards supplied by Sky around the venue and behind the bar, so both our staff and customers are aware of the sports content coming up over the month.”

Hartlepool’s Victoria Park ground, and the inside of the pub is a shrine to the perennial lower-league strugglers.

The pub displays oodles of memorabilia and creates a great pre- and after-match atmosphere to make home fixtures an allday event.

Phil McGhee, licensee at the Camerons pub, explains. “Match days are vital to our trade. We put on the live game at midday and another at 5pm after the Hartlepool game has finished. In the night we put on entertainment to keep things going.

“Away fans are also welcome and we rarely have any trouble.

“People like it here, they know if they are banned they are banned for life and they don’t want to miss out.”

Hartlepool’s geographic location — bloody miles from most other clubs — makes it tougher to cash in on away fixtures, but Phil is looking at running a coach service so fans will start and finish their day at the pub. The pub has also begun to establish direct links with the football club and supporters associations, which could in turn drive trade.

“They are showing an interest in us now and we hope to be able to have a night with the manager or a player at some point soon,” says Phil.

Support your local team

Go grassroots

The Globe pulls out all the stops to make sure people know it is the place to go for live football

Showing live games is Not everyone is lucky one thing but there is also enough to have Hartlepool money to be made — United on their doorstep. albeit a fraction of Samir But if you don’t, you can Nasri’s weekly take-home drive football-related trade — from getting behind by becoming the home pub your local team. of a local club.

If you can make your Sharon Johnston supports place a pub for fans three amateur teams, who before the game, you all return to the Beacon in can not only generate Loughborough for a pint trade on matchdays, but and complimentary grub also create a captive after the game. They might audience who will keep not always spend big after SHARON JOHNSTON coming back for more. playing on Saturdays, but The Beacon, Loughborough, You don’t need to have they often hold presentaLeicestershire Old Trafford on your doortion nights, which can be a step to capitalise on a local team. veritable cash cow.

The Mill House is a stone’s throw from Sharon says: “After a game we will get 38

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With a bit of creativity

The big guns

sponsors the League Cup), Carlsberg (the official beer of the England team, as well as supporting the FA and host of top sides) and Heineken (Champions League). Many brands also have links with the sport at grassroots level.

If those hugely profitable brands can invest to make money from the game, surely it can be repeated at pub level too?

PIC: ALEX LIVESY/GETTYIMAGES SPORT

Despite the shocking state of our national teams, football is still far and away the national game and has far more reach than any other sport. Hence why major brands spend heavily to be associated with the game. This year Budweiser has joined the party by sponsoring the FA Cup, and was still planning its activity as we went to press.

Other big brands involved include Carling (which

Worth the o erhead with a bit of creati ity, you can find a winning formula for your pub

about 40 people from the club, which can soon add up and bring in a couple of hundred quid. The extra money comes when they run events at the pub as well.”

As a knock-on, local six-a-side teams come to the pub as well, and many of the players return to watch live football on the big screen.

Supporting teams has proved so successful that Sharon is now planning on running her own side — with the pub name emblazoned across shirts, bringing in yet more customers.

And don’t forget the kids’ teams. There are sides of all ages, so soft drink sales can soar as the parents relax with something a little stronger while boring friends with tales of little Jonny’s matchwininng midfield performance.

www.inapubnews.co.uk p36-37-38-39 footy.indd 39

Make money from the game

• •• • • • • •

Have the right facilities — big screens, quality sound system and good brands Promote big games well in advance Train staff to serve quickly and efficiently Make sure quick-to-serve products such as bottles are readily available Use football-related beer brands, wallcharts, posters and other point-of-sale material Use devices such as ‘ice buckets of bottles’ and a cash-only bar to speed up serve Incentives such as “buy four pints, get a free T-shirt” can increase sales Consider match-day deals such as a “pie and a pint”

Tips from Heineken and Budweiser

AUGUST 2011

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15/07/2011 15:25

PLAY

Man walks into a bar…

LAUGH ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK WITH A COMEDY NIGHT, SAYS ROLAND ELLISON

festival, you may get 250 each day. We do.”

With comedians flocking to Edinburgh this month, the nation will no doubt catch the comedy bug. With big stars packing venues and comedians on primetime TV, it is clear there is a huge appetite for comedy. So how can pubs get in on the action?

Make the most of it

Marketing your comedy night is essential.

Caroline Edwards of Sparkle Productions says: “Pubs need to work with the local listings press, and try to get mentions on local radio. So many outlets these days are active on social media channels and have email lists ready for marketing. What better way to spread the word about your night for free?”

The more tickets you can sell in advance, the better. You can do this from the bar, but what about selling them online, or through local universities?

This way you will attract new people to your pub, who may well return.

Plan ahead

Nick De’Ath, licensee of the Unthank Arms in Norwich, has run a comedy festival in his pub garden for the last six years. He says: “Planning ahead is the key: work out how many tickets you need to sell to make the night a success, and how much you would have made otherwise. If you do it right, you could double your normal takings.”

Nick recommends using a booking agent.

You’ll need to pay them, but an agent will be able to tailor a night for your pub, find the acts, provide an experienced MC and make sure they all turn up on time.

Ask any local comedians you know to recommend a good promoter or booking agent. The forum on comedy website chortle.co.uk is also a good place to look.

Make sure promoters have references and experience of running comedy nights.

Comedian Mike Manera, who runs nights in pubs in Bedford and St Albans, recommends charging admission, no matter how little: “People who have invested in the night are more likely to enjoy it.”

Mike recommends choosing a monthly midweek slot for your night, adding: “Avoid summer — most comics will be in Edinburgh for August, and people have holidays and kids to look after”.

Nick, on the other hand, suggests: “Do it once a year, and do it big. Stick a marquee up and do it as a festival. A monthly night might attract 50 to 100 people, but with a three-day 42

Rudy Lickwood at the Magners Comedy Festival

On the night

People will be there to enjoy the comedy, so they will want to spend as little time as possible waiting at the bar to get served.

Caroline recommends building drink and toilet breaks into the schedule. “Think about having two intervals, or a break after each act,” she says.

You could also offer table service to ease pressure at the bar.

Could you strip down your menu so food can be distributed quickly? Specials on jugs of beer or cocktails are also a great idea as people will come in groups.

While some heckling is inevitable, and interaction with the crowd can be great fun, you need to get your ground rules clear from the outset. Make sure people know when the breaks are, have turned their phones off and aren’t shouting out random abuse. If people break the rules, kick them out!

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YOU WILL NEED… A SEPARATE ROOM You don’t want to disturb your regular drinkers, and you don’t want your acts interrupted

PIC: LYNDSEY BROWN

A STAGE It’s not vital, but depending on your seating arrangements (small tables and chairs work best) you may need to have your acts elevated on a stage so punters get a clear view

Tim Minchin on stage at The Cavendish Arms in London

Comedy links

www.chortle.co

.uk

www.comedyin www.theuntha

bed.co.uk

nkarms.com/in

dex.html Blog on how to http://howtoc run a comedy night: com/2011/01/omedy.wordpress. runacomedynig28/ ht Article on h www.guardiaonw.cto run a comedy night: 2007/jul/10/h o.uk/stage/theatreblog/ owtorunacome dyclub

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A DECENT PA SYSTEM ...along with a decent microphone and mic stand. Your acts will need to be heard. Some acts may have additional requirements, so make sure you check with them GOOD LIGHTING Soft lights for the audience (candles or tea-lights will do, people feel less self-conscious about laughing in the dark). Bright lights for the stage — comedians like to pull faces and prat about, they usually prefer to be seen doing this

AUGUST 2011

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15/07/2011 12:06:39

PLAY

MINORITY REPORT

A monthly look at a lesser-known pub sport As the football season gets into full swing with fans packing pubs to watch millionaire stars in a billion-pound industry, spare a thought — or even a penny — for a slightly different pastime.

What was once a game played by the masses has dwindled to the extent that you are as likely to see a board in a pub as you are health evangelist Professor Ian Gilmore, head back, swigging Hooch from the comfort of a dentist’s chair.

As recently as the 1970s there were pub leagues across the land with 20-plus teams. Now just a handful take part in a game that can be traced back to before the reign of Henry VIII. Two-time shove ha’penny world champ Dale Wills blames the game’s decline on the widespread infiltration of pool, but believes that pubs can still make a few pounds from promoting penny-pushing.

Dale, who runs two of the last remaining leagues in the country, generally plays at The Railway Hotel in Blandford Forum, Dorset. He says: “The landlord Nigel Jones promotes the game and we often get people watching us play.

They also like to have a go on the board to see how they get on themselves. Of course, everyone will have a drink, so it is good for the pub.”

If you are thinking of getting a board, there are plenty of options with the teams in each of Dale’s leagues opting for slightly different styles.

You can have wood or metal, and the spaces where the pennies need to be shoved can vary in size, not to mention the variety of coins that can be used. Hell, if we get into the world of ‘push penny’ we are talking four-foot-long tables.

To find out more isit www.railwayblandfordforum.com or www.tradgames.co.uk

www.inapubnews.co.uk p45 minority report.indd 45

HOW TO PLAY

Each player sho es e coins up the board in turn Coins are pushed rom the ront o the board, with the coin sticking o er the edge At the end o the turn, any coin that lies completely within a bed between the lines scores a point nly three points can be scored in any one bed. urplus points scored will be gi en to the opponent Points are chalked up in the s uares at either end o the bed. The aim is to get three chalk marks in each bed

AUGUST 2011

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14/7/11 16:14:49

BACK-BAR BUSINESS

CITY VIEW

Hamish Champ reflects on the rise of the managed pub

“

Managed units tend to be larger, more foodled and perform more strongly

It was only a few short years ago that for some pub companies running managed premises simply became too expensive.

However, in recent times the pendulum has swung the other way. No-one looking at the latest trading figures for those large pubcos will have missed that managed pubs are outperforming tenancies and leases by some considerable way.

Take Greene King. Where the tenanted estate recently returned a two per cent rise in earnings, the managed division leapt a whopping eight per cent. Fuller’s recently reported managed pub profits up 15 per cent, versus “level” profits on the leased side of things. Figures for Punch Taverns continue the pattern.

City analysts argue economies of scale and an ability to invest effectively in foodled pub operations — which have come to the fore as a consequence of the smoking

HOT IN THE CITY Suffolk operator Greene King is to extend its presence in London after having a £93m offer for 34-strong pubco Capital accepted. No doubt ruf ing the feathers of a few at ullerʼs New kid on the block Stonegate has merged with atesʼs brand owner Town City to form a high street challenger to Wetherspoons with a combined total of 5 0 pubs Charles Wells might be best known for its all-English ombardier brand but it is now looking to expand its rench pub estate from se en to 21 in the next fi e years Greene King has unveiled details of a franchise model as its tenancy agreements e ol e SAB Miller has opened a m brewing inno ation centre in Nottingham or more on the abo e and the latest business news isit www.inapubnews.co.uk

www.inapubnews.co.uk p47 city2...indd 47

ban — have turned the tide in favour of the more centrally run managed estates.

“Managed units tend to be larger, more food-led, more female-friendly and better located than tenanted pubs, and they tend to perform more strongly,” says Mark Brumby, of Langton Capital.

Managed pub operations can also react to shifts in the market, particularly over pricing strategies.

Given the pressure on disposable income in recent years, this has proved valuable. Crucial, even.

The emphasis on food is highlighted by the likes of Mitchells & Butlers and JD Wetherspoon, which have been ramping up their food offers for some time.

It’s not just the larger companies doing well. Smaller outfits, such as Grand Union and Capital Pub Company, can gain a foothold and develop a brand and a trading ethos that attract customers and, inevitably, attention from rival operators.

Smaller managed pub groups have also recognised the need to behave to all intents and purposes like a community freehouse, offering locals what they want, not what head office thinks they ought to have. Often they will let their pub managers stamp their personality on the premises, and give them a degree of entrepreneurial freedom that is the envy of their peers.

Is the renaissance of the managed pub an inevitable outcome of the economic downturn? Possibly. But operators will have learned the lessons of the last five to 10 years, noting that all pubs must have higher standards of service, comfort and retail offer than ever before.

Hamish Champ is a journalist who loves pubs and can use a calculator

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19/07/2011 13:12

BACK-BAR BUSINESS Anna Mathias is a barrister with West End law firm Joelson Wilson LLP. The firm has a long history of acting for the licensed trade

nationwide in areas including licensing, gambling, employment, property and litigation. Contact Joelson Wilson on 020 7580 5721

KEEP IT LEGAL Anna Mathias explains what the law may have in store The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill is still making slow progress through Parliament and may not now become law until October. Whilst some of the more barmy proposals on licensing have been dropped, many of the changes may affect you. Here is a taste of things to come: Licensing authorities and Primary Care Trusts will be able to object to licence applications and bring reviews of licences in their own right Residents will be able to object and bring reviews, no matter where they live The maximum fine for under-age sales will be doubled to £20,000 Closure notices for persistent sales of alcohol to children will last between two days and two weeks Councils will be able to make ‘Early Morning Restriction Orders’, meaning they will not grant any licensed hours between midnight and 6am Councils will be entitled to recover their full costs of administering the licensing system – this is likely to mean higher licence fees for many Late Night Levy — councils will be able to impose higher charges on premises trading between midnight and 6am, to cover additional policing and other costs As ever, the devil will be in the detail, particularly in the case of the levy. The precise mechanisms for calculating, administering, collecting and enforcing it have been left to regulators.

It is presently unclear when the changes will take effect, but rest assured, we will keep you updated, every step of the way.

• • • • • • •

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AUGUST 2011

Your questions The manager of one of my pubs, who is also the DPS, has disappeared with the weekʼs takings.

I reported this to the police, who told me I have to stop trading until I find another DPS. No-one else in the company has a personal licence. What do I do?

You cannot sell alcohol without a DPS. A DPS needs a personal licence, which entails taking an exam. Unless you feel like studying for it, you need to put an employee through it or take on someone who has already passed. In the meantime, you can use Temporary Event Notices (TEN) to cover you for up to a total of 15 days. Each TEN can last up to 96 hours and there has to be a 24-hour break between each one.

My solicitors have applied to vary my licence to extend my hours.

The window-cleaner took my notice down and now I canʼt find it. I have a photocopy, but the council told me this wonʼt do because it needs to be on blue paper. This canʼt be right, surely?

Yes, sorry, daft as it sounds, the notice has to be blue.

Mail your questions to ahm@joelsonwilson.com

www.inapubnews.co.uk 19/07/2011 02:18

Sorry about the down market pointy symbol above, we got a bit carried away.

To find out more about us, just visit adnams.co.uk

BACK-BAR BUSINESS

SAW IT, LIKED IT,

NICKED IT Publican Mark Daniels thieves from the Thatchers Arms

“

Thursday is ‘Film for a Fiver’ night in the pub’s little-used conference room 50

I love going to pubs, chatting with the locals and the barstaff, meeting the landlord and landlady and seeing what I can learn from people who do the same job as me.

The first thing I always do is look for an idea I can take away and use.

It’s a fun excuse to use on the wife when I’m hankering to go into a new pub.

Anyway, I am vindicated as soon as I walk in to The Thatcher’s Arms: in front of me is an elegantly simple solution to a problem I face in my own pub.

Ideas worth stealing

Like mine, this is a pub that has two separate bar areas and a need to show customers in both what beers are available to enjoy, but not enough handpumps to display all the clips on.

I’ve tried various ideas, including doubling up the clips on handpumps, but here, sitting in front of the fixed dispensers, neatly spaced to ensure every beer

is visible, are a row of empty beer bottles with the clips attached to their necks. It’s an effective solution, done so neatly that at first you don’t even realise the clips aren’t actually attached to handpumps.“ We change our beers frequently,” landlord Mitch Adams explains. “One of our unique selling points is the variety of beer we have available. So this is an ideal way to quickly show what beers we’ve got on sale at any time.”

Be inventive

When you own a rural pub, even one with as stunning a view as The Thatcher’s Arms, you need to hold events to attract business. “You’ve got to have different things on regularly that keep the customers coming back to your pub,” says Mitch.

As well as

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p50-51 saw it....indd 50

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BACK-BAR BUSINESS

Mark Daniels Pub: The Tharp Arms, Chippenham, Cambridgeshire Mission: To visit pubs across the country, be inspired and share ideas to help fellow licensees increase trade.

“

We change our beers frequently, so pump clips on the necks of beer bottles is an ideal way to show what we’ve got on sale

Can Mark steal from you?

If you would like to be featured in this section, email matte@inapub. co.uk

www.inapubnews.co.uk p50-51 saw it....indd 51

running bar billiards and quoits teams, he hosts open-mic nights and beer and food matching events.

He has one special feature that makes me dribble with jealousy. Every Thursday night is ‘Film for a Fiver’ night in the Pilsner Media Room, a little-used conference room that Mitch has turned into a cabaretstyle cinema is as versatile as it is impressive. And it’s very loud.

“Listen to that sound!” Mitch’s excitement is infectious as he cranks up the volume, leaving our partners to roll their eyes and mutter something about boys being boys.

Be passionate, not negative

Moving, or rather being pulled away, from the cinema, Mitch groans as I ask him what frustrates him when visiting other pubs. “Signs that say ‘no’!” he says. “Why would you put up a sign saying ‘no muddy boots’? Why not put up a sign saying ‘we welcome walkers, but if your boots are muddy please leave them by the door’?”

Recalling a pub where the landlord had put up signs saying no, no and yet more no, Mitch shudders. “I’m sure they were all written with good intentions,” he said, “but it made visitors feel unwelcome.”

Similarly, he feels many simply aren’t passionate enough about what they sell.

“Watching a publican tut and sigh when a customer comes in and asks for a coffee is depressing,” he muses. “I love coffee. I sell great coffee. And the margins are great on coffee. So why not make the customer think they are going to get the greatest coffee ever, rather than making them feel like they’ve committed a sin by asking for a non-alcoholic drink?

“If a walker comes in and orders a cheese sandwich and glass of Coke, make them feel like it’s the best cheese sandwich and glass of Coke ever. That way, the next time they’re thinking of somewhere to go for dinner and spend a lot more money, they’ll remember your pub and want to come back.”

Pub pro for life

Mitch has worked in the pub trade in one guise or another for 16 years, eventually going into business with his mum and dad in November 2006. When I ask him if there’s something else he’d rather do for a living, he simply shakes his head.

“I know how lucky I am to be doing something I actually love,” he says. Even though he’s still only 32 years old, that passion for every little item in his business is enough to keep him driving forward. “I have no plan to work Friday and Saturday nights every week for the rest of my life, but I can’t see myself being involved in any other trade, no matter what I might choose to do in the future.”

Mark visited…

Mitch Adams at the Thatchers Arms, ne Location: Mount Bures, Essex Style: Destination food/rural pub Turnover: £400k p/a Number of staff: 20 Wet/dry split: 55/45 Website: www.thethatchersarms.co.uk

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BACK-BAR BUSINESS

co eco o ics

HOW BEING KIND TO THE PLANET COULD MAKE YOU A PACKET

“

In the last fi e years e ha e gro the business i e old b t there has been o i crease i e ergy use

52

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village of Wark on Tyne, for instance.

Back in a world before the economic crisis Here you will find carbon-neutral heating, smacked us all around the chops, gogardens with poly-tunnels providing fresh ing green was touching the top of many fruit and veg all year and locally sourced people’s agendas. organic toiletries.

But while oodles of pubs have made All this has made Battlesteads the good use of local sourcing and the like, greenest pub in Britain, which the licensees green issues have been now been overuse to generate interest, helping them win taken by other more pressing concerns, awards and bring such as making in cash. sure customers Richard Slade, keep flocking in licensee at the and cash is finding freehouse, says: “In its way into the tills. the last five years So it might we have increased not be much of the business ninea surprise that fold, but in that time a recent study there has been no revealed nine per increase in energy cent of pubs have consumption.” So, put green plans more money coming on hold during in and less money the downturn.

RICHARD & DEE SLADE going out.

However, look Battlesteads, Wark, Similarly, The more closely at Northumberland Masons Arms in the Green Paper, Atherton, Wigan, has which surveyed 100 increased profitability while reducing its pubs and 500 other hotels, restaurants and canteens, and it becomes clear that in carbon footprint. It was recently awarded the status of ‘silver-credited sustainable fact many people have used the recestourism venue’ for its efforts. These range sion as a chance to improve their green from big changes such as introducing credentials. public recycling facilities, to the simpler yet Overall, around a quarter of businesses equally virtuous introduction of its own have become greener despite the slump, herb garden. a figure the pub sector falls in line with.

Phil Harris, who runs the pub with partSo it would appear the canniest of operators are going green not just to keep ner Coral Heyworth, explains: “Recycling is the easiest and best way of saving money. the tree-huggers happy, but because it is a sound way to increase profits and gener- We have reduced our collections, which makes a big difference. It’s little things such ate positive PR. as changing from paper napkins to cloth This is backed up in the report, from – it’s better for the environment and we green fridge suppliers Gram, with more can support a local business that does the than half of pubs saying they pass on the cleaning too.” costs of going green to customers — way A few simple, cost-effective measures above the industry average of 30 per cent. could make the world a better place and Take the multi-award-winning Batyour pub a more profitable business. tlesteads pub in the Northumberland

www.inapubnews.co.uk 19/07/2011 03:32

BACK-BAR BUSINESS

HOW TO GO GREEN AND MAKE MONEY RECYCLE Reduce waste and waste collections.

Recycling facilities outside the pub could bring in customers too

Poly-tu nnels in the ga rdens provid e fresh

EDUCATE YOUR STAFF Just saving power and turning off lights has an impact fruit an d

INVEST IN ENERGYSAVING PRODUCTS They will save you cash in the long run

veg

Recycling banks cut waste fees and attract punters

Electric charging point

Pubs do thei

r bit

bs se o tech ology thre e ergy sa i g a y other b si esses a per ce t belie e so rco oodser ice b si esse s i g locally is cheaper he ost po e iro e p lar thi g to do or the t is recycli g ro ra s ree aper attlesteads is ritiainʼs greenest pub

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With exploding fruit and festival fun, the latest Brothers TV ad is running throughout the summer. Backed by a £3.3 million campaign, it’s going to get noticed, so get the Brothers in and share in the success of the cider brand that’s growing 50% year on year.

BROTHERS. WELCOME TO THE FAMILY. Brothers.InAPubAd.indd 1

brotherscider.co.uk 18/7/11 16:58:09

TIME AT THE BAR

YOUR ROUND Got something to say? Get it off your chest here

W

elcome to the first Inapub Time at the Bar section. These pages are designed to be enjoyed in those rare moments when you get a break from the day job.

And this page in particular is made for you to fill with letters, photos, emails and anything else you would like to send this way.

As this our first issue, our postbag has been a little bit empty (sob sob) so we have had a bit of fun filling it ourselves. In future, though, we would much rather sit back and hand it over to you.

So send stuff to matte@inapub.co.uk or use snail mail to Inapub, 2nd Floor, Luther Bouch House, 126 High Street, Uxbridge, UB8 1JT.

Best of the blogs Every week bloggers are bashing out words of wisdom that we then host at www.inapubnews.co.uk. Feel free to have a go yourself, but in the meantime here are a few thoughts from some of our regular contributors.

“We’ve had a hell of a time at the pub.

First the remote cooler in the cellar broke down on the hottest Saturday so far this year. Then, a week before the Hay Festival, the head chef walked out.”

– Ed Davies, Kilverts Inn “If you believe the critics then pregnant women will soon be walking around the streets of the UK swigging Guinness and knocking back shots of Smirnoff.”

– Matt Eley, Inapub

www.inapubnews.co.uk p55 feedback.indd 55

Hare-raising

Now this is the kind of photo we want you to send us. This is a view of The Hare in Leighton Buzzard, Beds, from 200ft. Staff and customers bungee-jumped from that height to raise funds for the PTSD Resolution Network charity, which works with servicemen suffering from posttraumatic stress. For more information about Resolution Network visit www.thehare.co.uk

Tell us a joke

WHO SAID THAT?

An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman walked into a bar. The barman said: “Is this some kind of joke?”

‘Religions change, but wine and beer remain’

A woman walked into a bar and asked the barman for a double entendre, so he gave her one.

Think you’re funny?

Then give us a laugh and send your best gag to matte@ inapub.co.uk

The observant ones among you (as my patronising English teacher used to say) will have noticed the quote above running along the spine of the magazine.

Any idea who said that and when?

Email us with your answers and if we can find anything half-decent in the office weʼll send it as a pri e. nd if you ha e any great pubrelated quotes, send them in and they might just make the spine.

AUGUST 2011

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TIME AT THE BAR

A year’s N supply of I W Frobishers fruit juices P remium soft drinks brand Frobishers has teamed up with Inapub to offer you the chance to win a year’s supply of soft drinks and training to help you maximise the opportunity.

As well as complementing your range, the amazing prize will give you a great chance to boost sales and drive new trade to your pub, as the team at Frobishers explain.

“Here at Frobishers, we are proud to offer you a fantastic-tasting and honest range of premium soft drinks. We think that you can really shout about our juices while still enjoying the benefits of a longer shelf life, with none of the hassle and wastage of squeezing your own.

“Our premium range of not-fromconcentrate juices, blends and smoothies have no artificial colourings, preservatives or sweeteners. They are just full of fruit, naturally.

“Frobishers recently launched Fusion, a range of 100 per cent fruit juice blends. Fusion offers an exciting and healthy alternative to other long drinks and is still packed with taste, flavour and refreshment.

“Why not find out more about Frobishers juices, Fusion and smoothies or request some samples by giving us a call on 08702 421 989 or emailing sales@frobishers.com?”

THE PRIZE

The winner of the prize can choose two to four variants from Orange, Apple, Bumbleberry and Cranberry, with a total prize value of 104 cases (24 x 330ml per case) — equating to two cases per week.

Stock delivered in up to four deliveries over the year. The prize will be supported with a Frobishers juice training session, a soft drinks consultancy session, and point-of-sale material and glassware for the perfect pour.

To win! Just tell us the name of Frobishers’ recently launched

range of 100 per cent fruit juice blends. Email your answer with pub address and contact details to frobishers@ inapub.co.uk.

The closing date is August 31.

Winners will be contacted by a member of the Frobishers team.

Answers:1 (b), 2 (a), 3 (b) 56

AUGUST 2011

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www.inapubnews.co.uk 19/07/2011 03:45

TIME AT THE BAR

PUNTER PERSPECTIVES The view from the other side of the bar at Ye Old Sun Inn From cooking demonstrations to picture competitions for junior customers — heck, it even has its own relaxation treatment centre, Ye Old Sun Inn in Colton, Yorkshire, is certainly not shy of trying new things to drum up trade. And award-winning licensees Ashley and Kelly McCarthy have now unveiled a swish new kitchen and extension to the freehold. Inapub turned up for a pint at the opening and asked for some customer feedback to find out what keeps their punters coming back for more.

Why have you come to this pub?

Paula Fox

“For me the it is the quality of the food and the quality of the service. They also have a good wine list here. As an ex-publican of 20 years I know the importance of good customer service.”

Fran Fox

“I agree with mum about customer service being right up there. We also have three kids, so while we like to go out it can be difficult at times. That means that when we do go out we want to know we are going somewhere we feel comfortable, and we get that at this pub. Of course, it would be nice to have a nanny or a crèche at the bottom of the garden but you can’t have everything!”

Leann Clarke

YE OLD SUN INN Type of pub: Freehouse From the menu: Battered Grimsby haddock and chips, mushy peas and home-made tartar sauce @ £10.95 / homecooked chicken and bacon club on fresh granary @ £6.25 On the bar: More than 50 wines from around the world plus local beers and major brands What else is on offer: Events in August include Yorkshire Day celebrations, wine tasting with a producer and cookery classes

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“I get put off by pubs that are grubby or overpriced. Ye Old Sun Inn is neither. It has great service and really good food. And it doesn’t feel like a restaurant, it still feels like a pub.”

Ed Gardner

“I go to the pub for the company. I like it here but I have another local as well where I meet up with my bowling club friends. We can sit for hours and hours just chatting away, and that is what I am looking for in a pub. Good people and a good atmosphere.

And you can also just sit in the pub and watch the world go by (not the women though, the wife wouldn’t approve of that!)”

Tony Wan

“I have been coming here on and off for about four years. The reason I return is because I like the setting, but mainly because the quality of the food is so high. It is not pretentious but it is always good. I normally go for the venison or the game.”

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TIME AT THE BAR

THE MANOR HOUSE Middlesbrough,

NEAR YOU

Steak Night Every Wednesday

Pubs across the country use Inapub to keep their customers updated with what’s coming up in the weeks ahead.

Here are just a few examples of some of the events happening across the country in August.

Find out how you can sign up, promote your events and connect with customers by visiting www.inapub.co.uk

in August With two steaks and a bottle of wine for £20.

NATION OF SHOPKEEPERS Leeds Live Music with The Flails

August 3

THE CAPTAIN COOK INN Staithes, North Yorkshire

The return of hip-hop night Push It August 5

?

Lifeboat Beer Festival August

18-21 Free entry with bar open from 11am to midnight every day.

Includes beers from around the country with a maritime theme.

Being Boring Sunday

August 7 Regular quiz with good prizes and some tat thrown in for good measure!

Live Music with Best Friends, August 10 Plus Double Muscle playing too.

THE PORTCULLIS Bristol

?

58

p58 map.indd 58

Rude Pub Quiz Every Thursday

in August Be prepared to be ‘thrilled, offended and forced into fits of hysterics with the most offensive and politically unstable pub quiz in the world’

AUGUST 2011

THE COACH & HORSES Leicester

?

Quiz Night Every Monday in August Meals for a fiver Steak Night Every Saturday Ladiesʼ Night Every Thursday (Three course meal for £9.95) Poker Night August 2, 16, 30

www.inapubnews.co.uk 19/07/2011 02:26

TIME AT THE BAR

HAIR OF THE DOG Bizarre tales from the wonderful world of pubs…

Comic relief

will spectives on page 57 you If you’ve read our Punter Per in covered that Ye Old Sun Inn have probably already dis going on.

North Yorks has got a lot t our h the toilets, so much so tha wit en tak We were really en a bout of gastroenteritis wh hosts thought Inapub had we visited. We didn’t, we were just enjoying the Beano strips on the wall.

It really gives you something to focus on, as well as a trip down memory lane.

Probably best not to start reading over someone’s shoulder though…

Horse-throated

Now this first diary page has unintentionally turned into a bit of a Yorkshire fest. But to prove there is madness in bars beyond the land of the white rose just take a look at the Green Man pub in Wellington, New Zealand.

Inapub is not shy of sampling a shot or two when put to the test but even we might balk, or indeed gag, at the thought of downing 30ml of horse semen.

Yes you read that right. Turns out the ‘drink’ which contains no fewer than 300 million individual horse sperm cells is popular with men and women alike. Though landlord Steven Drummond does advise that customers down the £12 shot in one rather than savouring the unique flavourings. Really? Thanks for that Steve.

We think that one can stay down under, it’s enough to put hairs on your chest...or should that be a mane?

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Flying visit

You know what it’s like behind the bar, always busy and never enough time to get away and see the world beyond the pub.

Well, landlord Anthony Youel finally managed to leave the Monkey pub in Barnsley behind him for a visit to a town of the same name in Australia…albeit for just three hours.

He made the £1,200 round-trip to celebrate his 50th birthday, and promptly returned home to ensure he was back at the pub for a poetry night.

Anthony told reporters “Everyone thinks I’m crazy but you’re only 50 once”.

Can everyone be right? On this occasion Anthony, yes they can.

You want mushy pea s

with that?

How about this for a pri ze meal?

Hats off to the Wensleyd ale Heifer for, not only ha ving a co ol name, but for bringing ba ck a world record to the se shores.

A few we eks ago the tea m at the Yorkshire pub ser ved up a whopping 100lb portion of fish and chips, thus ba ttering (apologies) the previous best he ld by a bar in Boston, US A. The fact that the record was achieved on Indepen dence Day presumably rubbed even more salt into American wounds.

And in case you were wondering, it didn’t go to waste either, with the fish and chips stretching, not quite to feed the 5,000 , but it did leave 200 pub customers feeling pretty satisfied.

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