Inapub Magazine Summer 2023 Issue 103

what’s happening BII Licensees of the Year

drink Flavoured tequila • Summer drinks

eat Value at either end of the scale

play Make your pub the place to be for the big game ideas

Things you could try from inspiration magpie Elton Mouna

time at the bar Richard Molloy • Steve Alton

Summer season is in full swing, and our hope is that you’re so busy with the holidaying masses that you don’t have time to read this edition of Inapub

That being said, if you do happen to grab yourself five minutes’ respite, we hope our midsummer round-up of advice, trends and ideas might inspire you to tweak your seasonal offer to maximise sales at what continues to be a challenging time. We have tried to focus on the “little wins” with ideas for small changes and free resources that can save time and money in a financial climate where every penny really does count.

On p4-6 we meet the newly crowned BII Licensees of the Year, Flo Pearce and Joe Buckley of The Tollemache Inn in Northamptonshire. Among their impressive range of winning initiatives is their attitude to recruiting and training staff, which doesn’t cost them a huge amount of money but ensures they can grow their own talent for the future.

Elsewhere, we look at how diners are spending their money more wisely as the economic crisis bites, and offer some tips on how to improve your value proposition and cash in on the trend for premiumisation rather than falling into the discount trap. Many diners are visiting less frequently but spending more when they do so by working with your suppliers you can maximise those premium occasions and add value.

There’s no shortage of sport this summer, so we visited The London Inn in Okehampton to see a dedicated sporting venue in action on p27-28. To finish off, in a new regular feature BII chief Steve Alton gives us an insight into his recent past. If you’d like to be featured in “Last Orders” in a future issue, drop us a line at magazine@inapub.co.uk Happy reading!

The Inapub team

Editor Caroline Nodder

Contributors Mark Ludmon, Richard Molloy, Claire Dodd, John Porter, Elton Mouna

Production editor Ben Thrush

Chief executive Barrie Poulter

Sales manager Katy Robinson

Going with the Flo

by MARK LUDMON

Flo Pearce of the Tollemache Arms in Harrington, Northamptonshire, tells Inapub how she and Joe Buckley came to be named British Institute of Innkeeping Licensees of the Year 2023.

At the height of summer, the Tollemache Arms in Harrington in Northamptonshire shuts its doors for the weekend and its garden and car park become TollyFest, a festival of live music, street food and entertainment. Nearly 2,000 tickets were sold for this year’s event in July – the fifth since 2016.

“It’s a big party for all the family,” says licensee Flo Pearce, who runs the pub with chef Joe Buckley. “We work our butts off but it’s super-rewarding. It’s something different and keeps all the staff interested. There’s nothing worse than being stuck and stagnant.”

Fresh thinking

New ideas like TollyFest have kept the business buzzing since Joe and his former business partner Nick Bonner took the Wells & Co lease on eight years ago. Flo came on board three years ago and she and Joe saw their hard work pay off in June when they were named British Institute of Innkeeping Licensees of the Year. Winning initiatives have ranged from enhancing training, recruitment and staff retention through to opening a village shop, confirming the 17th-century pub as both destination and part of the community.

Better known as The Tolly, it was an “old-school” pub when Joe took it over. “It was very dark and split into lots of different rooms,” Flo says. “It used to be very higgledy-piggledy and didn’t flow very well.”

Wells & Co refurbished it, knocking through walls to make it more open-plan and relocating the bar to improve the customer flow through to the lounge and two dining areas. But it retained its character, including two fireplaces, and remains a local for Harrington – population 140 – as well as running events such as a quiz night.

However, it now draws people from further

The 17th century pub has kept its character but moved with the times

afield, especially Northampton, Kettering and Market Harborough, which are within half-an-hour’s drive. Close to the A14, it is also a stopping-off point for motorists –especially as the pub is advertised on five billboards on a nearby roundabout.

Spreading the message

After installing the OpenTable reservation system, The Tolly has a database of 10,000 emails, allowing the pub to send out details of events, news and promotions using Mailchimp. “OpenTable is a brilliant system,” Flo says. “People can tell us about things like accessibility or if it’s someone’s birthday.” The pub has printed branded birthday cards, which are presented at the end of a meal – signed by staff on shift – with a £10 voucher for spending on another occasion. Vouchers are also used for the Tolly Allotment Trade scheme, where people bring in surplus fruit and veg and get a £2 drinks token for every pound of produce. This year, Joe and Flo opened a shop in front of the pub in a horsebox previously used as a bar. Operating seven days a week, it sells milk, bread and eggs as well as local products

such as honey and sweets. It is run on a trust basis – people come to the bar to pay or include it in their bill, although there are CCTV cameras just in case.

“As we live in a village so far away from everything, it is something for the local community,” Flo says. It also sells products made in the pub such as a hot sauce and wild garlic butter using garlic grown in the village. Ingredients are starred on the menu if they are available to buy.

Committed to sustainability, The Tolly celebrates local produce in its food menu, sourcing as much as possible from farms in the area and adjusting seasonally – or more often. “Last year, the price of meat and fish fluctuated so much that we had to change a few times,” Flo says. “We print the menus in-house, as you can’t commit on certain things when the prices keep changing.”

This led to a change in cuts of steak, with the pub offering rump and hanger steaks instead of sirloin or ribeye. Alongside these are dishes such as burgers, fish and pies. “It’s great pub grub – good hearty food.”

With weekends usually fully booked, The Tolly added an extension, the Orchard Barn, which offers tapas-style small plates on Fridays and Saturdays, with a large screen that was used to broadcast Glastonbury and Wimbledon. The sustainably built barn, which has a living plant wall featuring herbs used in the kitchen, is also popular for weekday meetings.

Drinks lean towards the premium end too, with Prava, Mahou and Beavertown Neck Oil beers alongside Wells & Co ales and low- and no-alcohol options such as Lucky Saint. As

Winners… Flo and Joe at the BII Licensee of the Year Awards

The diversification game… The Tolly boasts two dining areas, the Orchard Barn extension and a shop out the front in a repurposed horsebox

Flo and Joe’s tips for success

• Have ideas but make sure you have the right team around you to make them happen

• You can’t please all the people all the time, but you can try your best

• For recruitment, keep in contact with good people you have worked with in the past

• Find your niche: we are still a community pub and part of the village

• Everyone learns differently, so tailor training to suit each member of staff

well as wines and ciders, easy-to-make cocktails include Espresso Martini, Mango and Passionfruit Margarita, Sloe Gin Fizz and Aperol Spritz. But in line with trends and the pub’s car-based customers, the soft drinks line-up features lemonades using homemade cordial, mixed with seasonal ingredients such as locally grown elderflower. The Tolly also champions premium gins from Warner’s Distillery – only a few minutes’ walk away.

People power

Flo stresses the pub’s success is thanks to the whole team, including general manager, Will Furniss, front-of-house manager Cameron Walker, and bar manager Nathan Buckley, who is Joe’s brother. “It’s down to surrounding yourself with positive people – people who aren’t afraid of ideas and taking risks.” Training has been “hugely important”, she adds. Joe and Will are

doing a business development course with licensed hospitality trainer Sue Allen, while Flo and Nathan are starting a WSET Level 2 Award in Wines. Cameron is doing an operations management apprenticeship with HIT Training, which also provides an apprenticeship for one of the chefs.

Part-time staff are recruited through local schools and by rewarding existing staff with a voucher if they bring a friend on board. With some as young as 16, training has adapted to the TikTok generation and is customised to each employee’s way of learning, Flo says. “Sitting down and having two-hour training sessions is completely history now.”

An archive of two-minute videos teaches skills such as changing a barrel and serving wine, followed up by a one-to-one. “We have trained our staff they can’t be perfect all the time but it’s important to learn from mistakes. We try our utmost to keep people happy.”

“ TollyFest’s something different and keeps all the staff interested. There’s nothing worse than being stuck and stagnant

drink

TEQUILA SUNRISE THE DAWN OF A FLAVOURED AGAVE MARKET

Since 2007 BrewDog has been on a mission to make other people as passionate about great craft beer as we are. BrewDog brews beer that blows people’s minds and has kick-started a revolution.

Ah tequila. It makes us happy. And seemingly happier and happier if reports of booming sales and growing numbers of new launches are anything to go by.

The agave spirit has of course been with us for hundreds of years, but thanks to brands like Patrón for teaching us that goodquality tequila is best sipped rather than shot, both its image and its fortunes have been on the up over the past 10 years or so.

And now the latest way that this trend for all things agave is expressing itself, is through the beginnings of a flavoured agave market. Yes, where gins, vodkas, rums and, well, pretty much all spirits at this point have led, tequila and its agavecousins are following.

First up there’s Neurita Tequila (35 per cent ABV), available in two different flavours. Aiming to make crafting a Margarita a whole lot easier is Neurita Citrus Tequila. The twist is that rather than straight-up lime, it features Sicilian orange and tange rine. Add lime and a dash of agave syrup to make the classic cocktail. Then there’s Neurita Rosa Tequila, which is a little sweeter, with raspberry, strawberry and pomegranate notes.

Meanwhile, Butterfly Cannon Rosa Tequila uses Mexican pink grapefruit and grapefruit distillate in its silver tequila, for a pink-hued liquid with sweet and tart citrus flavours. But you’ll still get that rich agave taste.

What is the point of flavoured spirits? Well, for all the marketing and all the training offered by brands, some customers – especially younger legal-drinking age

customers – still don’t fully understand the spirit, nor how best to drink it. Neurita carried out its own research to find out just how confused consumers are, and it found that 39 per cent don’t know how to drink it, and 28 per cent think it’s too much effort to make a tequila-based drink.

Add to that, that the brand thinks flavoured tequila is ripe to win over gin drinkers. The same survey found a third of G&T drinkers admit to disliking the taste of gin, and nearly half of them dislike the tonic. Which begs the question why they continue to order it, but nevertheless…

Offering familiar and well liked flavours, these drinks provide something approachable for drinkers who are frankly not sure they’d like the unadulterated spirit. And then who knows, maybe they’ll be ordering slow sippers from your top shelf one day. In the meantime, it’s an interesting category for pubs to explore.

“ A third of gin drinkers admit to disliking the taste of gin, and nearly half of them dislike the tonic

A glass of the unusual?

by CLAIRE DODD

For those year-round red drinkers, why not load the fridge with red wines designed to be served chilled, including an alcohol-free version? And for your gin lovers, how about trying out a sophisticated twist on the trend for flavoured variants with a floral gin from Bathtub? We’ve rounded up the best new launches, fit for whatever the weather has in store. And you just know it’s going to throw some curve balls.

Captain Morgan Black Spiced

We tipped spiced rum as one to watch in the last issue and, just like that, along comes another new launch from one of the big guns. Captain Morgan Black Spiced is full strength at 40 per cent ABV and has notes of vanilla, black cherry and caramel. It’s best served straight over ice, mixed with ginger beer or cola or as a twist on an Old Fashioned. But you’ll have to wait – it’s not available to the on-trade until September 2023.

Prep the garden, light the BBQ and polish those pitchers – summer is here and thirsty customers are looking for something new. From refreshing summer spritzes to fruity ciders, there’s plenty to offer your punters when it comes to tried and tested favourites. But there are a few new kids on

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Stiegl Hell lager

While Columbus was off “discovering” the Americas, this Austrian brewer had its head down doing something much more conducive to human happiness. Stiegl has been in action since at least 1492, but this is the first time its Hell Lager, created in 2020, has been made available in the UK. Following the helles style, it’s bottom-fermented and made with regionally sourced malts. With 100 per cent aroma hops, it clocks in at 4.5 per cent ABV. It’s got soft bready notes, a lick of grassy hops, a little sweetness and a mild bitter finish; in other words, it’s a proper summer slurper. With it pairing well with shellfish, grilled white meats and spicy foods, it’s time to pull out that grill. Available through Euroboozer in 50l kegs and 500ml bottles.

euroboozer.co.uk

Bathtub Gin Persian Lime & Orange Blossom

Because we’re already sweet enough, this dry and unsweetened gin is a little different from the raft of fruit flavours that keep coming to market. Not that there’s anything wrong with them. But if your customers are looking for something a little different, a little more nuanced, then here it is. Bathtub’s gin uses zesty lime peel, alongside citrus oil for added oompf. Orange peel is cold infused for seven days and there’s also a little gentle spice. For the best serve, mix with bitter lemon.

Dolin Bitter de Chambéry

Describing itself as the French answer to that most ubiquitous of summer drinks – the orange wonder that sparks a million orders at the bar, the Italian Aperol spritz – is this new tipple from Dolin. Made with an infusion of plants, herbs and fruits in a mix of neutral alcohol and wine, it’s best mixed as part of a spritz or sipped just chilled with a slice of orange. There’s bitterness from the cranberries, juicy strawberry, pomegranate and peach and a little honey. Look for a touch of chocolate and some floral notes too. And at just 16 per cent ABV, it’s a lighter option.

magazine.inapub.co.uk

Adnams and DEYA Brewing Boat Trip Pale Ale

Smashing a pale ale on a hot summer day might be the closest to heaven you can get in daily life. So here’s a new one from Adnams. Brewed in collaboration with Cheltenham’s DEYA Brewing Company, this four per cent ABV golden pale ale has notes of summer fruits – a little peach, lime and zingy orange – and elderflower from its English Mystic hops. The very specific food pairing recommendations suggest to match with Persian-style lamb flatbreads or spiced aubergine brioche burgers and pickled cucumber, both of which sound incredible, honestly.

Love Bite & Sanguine

A red wine in summer? A chilled red? Make some room in the fridge for these two cool cucumbers. At 12 per cent ABV, Love Bite is a South African lowintervention natural wine from the Stellenbosch area, picked from old vines for their red fruit flavour, soft tannins and a little salinity. It’s vegan-friendly too. Or if you have some customers looking to skip the alcohol altogether, Sanguine is alcoholfree. Made from Tempranillo grapes and red and dark fruits, it promises the dry finish and tannins you’d expect from a full-strength red. Serve both of them chilled. You heard us.

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Reinforcing this, Lost Lager was awarded the Best International Lager at the World Beer Awards, endorsed specifically for its great taste and quality.

Fastest Growing

Lager is key all year round, but with beer sales peaking during the Summer, so does the demand for lager. As the weather heats up, Lost Lager is one to back, delivering the third highest draught ROS for any craft beer in the channel 2 and outgrowing mainstream world/premium lager brands 3. The brand also has the second fastest growing draught ROS vs any other craft beer in the top 10 4

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Flävar Lemon Pie and Blueberry & Lemon Vodka Schnapps

Welcoming guests with a sweet tooth? Swedish schnapps brand Flävar is ready. It has just launched a brand new Lemon Pie flavour and recently added a Blueberry & Lemon too, something it describes as a “muffin in a shot glass”.

Although both drinks have a vodka base, they’re offered at a lower ABV of 25 per cent for a lighter serve. Both can be shot, sipped (serve super-chilled for both) or mixed with something simple like lemonade. That’s as easy as pie.

flavarspirit.com

Old Mout Pineapple & Raspberry on draught

If out of sight is out of mind, the

cider drinkers in your pub now have another reason to order a pint. Old Mout Pineapple & Raspberry is moving from the back bar to a prime spot on the bar top as Heineken has announced the fruit-flavoured cider will now be available on tap. It follows the launch of draught Old Mout Berries & Cherries.

Rachel Holms, cider brands director at Heineken UK, says: “By making Old Mout Pineapple & Raspberry cider available on draught as well as in bottles, we are broadening the accessibility of the hugely popular flavour. With 38 per cent of Gen Z and Y cider drinkers looking for new and premium flavoured options, the new launch will appeal to younger drinkers looking for different flavours on draught.”

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“As the economy settles down, the UK eating-out market should return to growth in real terms”. Publicans reading that forecast, made by analyst Mintel in its UK Eating Out 2023 report, could be forgiven for scratching their heads and trying to recall what a settled economy feels like.

Most of the factors that have “unsettled” the eating-out market in recent years – in much the same way that King Kong regularly “unsettled” the unfortunate residents of Skull Island – are still very much with us.

Supply lines into the UK remain more complicated due to post-Brexit trading

arrangements, and there is a significant labour shortage across the hospitality sector. Food and drink inflation is at stubbornly high levels, and for the most part, the higher prices pubs are paying suppliers are now here to stay.

For customers eating out, that means bills at the end of the meal are high; in some cases higher than they might have been expecting. For others, while they know they’ll be paying more to eat out, they will also be paying serious attention to the quality, service and value received. As one of the licensees interviewed this issue says, in the current market “everything has to be perfection”.

Mintel’s research also spotlights some changing habits when it comes to eating out. Around one in four is ordering meals for delivery, and a similar number want to order from set menus in order to manage their spend. Younger people in particular like to order meals using mobile apps, and will take advantage of any discounts, deals and rewards they are offered when doing so. While not all pubs can, or need to, adapt their menu model to meet all these changing consumer expectations, others will need to consider embracing new opportunities.

So, businesses have to deal with continuing challenges on the food supply side, both in terms of price and availability, as well as changing customer expectations not only in terms of quality, but also in the way they order and receive their pub grub.

That settled-down economy still seems a way off.

Most of the factors that “unsettled” the eating-out market recently – in much the same way that King Kong regularly “unsettled” the residents of Skull Island – are still with us

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Keep ’em coming

by JOHN PORTER

CGA by NIQ’s consumer research shows 42 per cent of people say they are willing to spend more on better quality, as long as they feel they are getting full value for the extra expense. In contrast, 45 per cent of people are reducing their spend when they go out to eat and drink.

It’s a trend that Michael Pearson, licensee of The Wych Elm, a Fuller’s tenancy in Kingston, south-west London, recognises. He says: “Overall, I’d agree customers are eating out less, but when they do, they’re spending more. Our turnover patterns are slightly down on Monday to Wednesday, and fairly stable Thursday to Sunday. It’s not an exact science, of course – it does fluctuate.”

The pub is in a fairly affluent area and is popular with visitors to nearby attractions such as Hampton Court Palace, helped by

bookings driven by The Wych Elm’s consistently high ranking on TripAdvisor. All food is fresh and cooked to order, with a core menu of classic pub food complemented with more premium specials.

Good-value grub

The pub has traditionally offered good-value meals to drive trade on quieter days and restoring “that early-week trade is definitely a target for us”, says Pearson. “Our menu is always interspersed with very good-value dishes.” Examples include pork ribs, taken off the pork belly served on Sundays and frozen. “When we’ve got enough for, say, 20 to 40 portions, we’ll put them on the menu at £12, served with chips and coleslaw.

“If our butcher offers 40 pork rump steaks at a good price, the chef will snap those up and we’ll put them on with chips and salad for £10. You’ve definitely got to work harder with your suppliers, but it’s doable.”

However, he warns about the dangers of discounting. “You’re probably just giving a bigger discount to the business you’ve already got. Where people aren’t coming out, it’s because their mortgage has trebled or their gas bill has risen by 50 per cent. Their eating out budget has gone altogether.”

At the other end of the customer spending range, Pearson is only too aware “for a table of two, the bill is now £100 to £150 – in a pub! Customers are expecting it, they know prices have gone up, but what softens

As consumers adjust to the financial crisis, analysis seems to show there are broadly two types of customers still eating out – those who are going out less often but are ready to treat themselves when they do and those looking for cheaper options.

Cheap as chips… having good-value options on your menu can get customers in to eat on otherwise quieter days

the blow is making sure it’s worth it. Everything has to be perfection.”

At The Durham Ox pub and restaurant in Crayke, Noth Yorkshire, owner Michael Ibbotson says: “I don’t have a magic bullet, but in my experience as a restaurateur and publican, it’s never been more important than it is now to give people a quality, worthwhile experience.

“We approach everyone at the Durham Ox as if they’re coming out for a treat, so we’re trying to make everything as good as it can possibly be. For example, I said to my butcher, neither of us is going to win a cheapest steak award, so what’s the absolute best steak you can do?

“We haven’t suddenly started charging for bread baskets or side dishes. Equally, we haven’t gone down the Early Bird or Happy Hour route, because there isn’t enough margin left to do that any more. It’s not the amount you pay in pounds, it’s the value you get. It’s expensive to eat out now, so you need

New products

• Plant-based specialist Redefine Meat has launched five new products in its New-Meat range. Along with a tenderloin and a striploin, which deliver the texture and character of beef, there is a new category of “pulled” meat featuring beef, lamb and pork alternatives. This range enables pubs to serve a wide range of dishes without the need for slow cooking, saving on energy.

• Also in the plant-based market, frozen food distributor Central Foods has launched a new vegan Asian-style prawn snack selection. Featuring filo-wrapped, breaded, and battered vegan choices, the products can be served as starters, on sharing platters, in tapasstyle dishes, as part of a buffet or as street-food options. Central Foods has also launched vegan cocktail sausage rolls into its KaterVeg! Range. made from pea protein and ideal for buffets and functions.

• New to Bells of Lazonby’s We Love Cake range is a vegan and free-from Cherry Bakewell tart. Gluten, wheat and milk free, while still offering the iconic taste of the classic British cake, the product is supplied frozen and works as a dessert option or an accompaniment to hot drinks.

to have had a really good evening, been made to feel special and you’ve eaten well.”

Menu prices at The Durham Ox are being reviewed more frequently, with smaller changes applied to account for the impact of inflation, rather than raising prices steeply less often. The pub is also being flexible on margins and applying a cash margin rather than percentage on more premium dishes.

“We like to serve lobster, we like to serve turbot, but if I was to apply the usual 71 per cent GP, we’d never sell any,” says Ibbotson.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) has called for closer links with hospitality, with NFU president Minette Batters saying “developing relationships between the out-of-home sector and British farmers and growers will create even more opportunities to serve up local food that is safe and fully traceable, providing the provenance the public increasingly appreciates”.

Partnering with producers

Rachel Dobson, managing director of hospitality buying specialist Lynx Purchasing, believes a partnership approach with local producers is more of an opportunity for many pubs than trying to compete on price alone. “There are some very difficult choices for operators ahead. It’s either keeping menu prices low or serving high-quality produce that offers consumers a genuinely different choice.”

Dobson adds: “While the Bank of England is forecasting inflation will ease later this year, the price rises operators have seen over the past two years are now bedded in.

“We’re starting to see some price improvements on products that have seen the biggest increases, such as dairy and oils, but higher food costs are here to stay. Once consumers feel more confident about spending, the opportunity for hospitality will be to add value to menus, rather than cut margins. In addition, showing support for British food producers has genuine customer appeal.”

“ We approach everyone at The Durham Ox as if they’re coming out for a treat, so we’re trying to make everything as good as it can possibly be

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Be a good sport

by RICHARD MOLLOY

There are few things that make punters flock to

from

Simon and his wife, Karla, moved to Okehampton 19 years ago and took the lease on The London Inn six years later. They now own the freehold after buying the pub during the uncertainty of the Covid years.

Sport, along with live music, has always been a big part of their operation, and that doesn’t look like changing any time soon. “It’s what my original business was modelled on,” says Simon.

He adds that further capital is required for anyone wishing to add live sports to their entertainment schedule. There is much more

investment required on top of the considerable commercial fees to subscribe to Sky, TNT Sports or any of the other pay­per­view events that can fill your pub. “We have two big screens and seven other TVs with more being added all the time,” he says.

But what about the kerfuffle with multiple events and the commentary clashes? “It’s pretty easy for us,” he says.

“We have three rooms so it’s easy to split sports, although you always have that one customer who wants a different sport in a different room.”

pubs like a big sporting event, but there’s an art to getting it right. Simon Chudley

The London Inn in Okehampton, Devon, gives us the inside track on how to make the most of those satellite subscriptions.

Man of the match… Simon says showing sport is a way to make his pub stand out from the crowd

Although in almost all areas of the UK, football will be the biggest and most regular table-filler, other sports shouldn’t be forgotten. Geographical location should be taken into consideration.

Okehampton sits on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon. Simon has a big following for Exeter Chiefs among his rugby fans, of whom there are many.

“Rugby and football are the big two sports, although boxing can get good numbers. The Ryder Cup singles day is also good, as well as Formula One,” he says.

When it comes to football there are a couple of teams that almost guarantee a full till, although Simon hopes that list will get longer as younger fans of the nouveau elite reach legal drinking age: “The big two are Man United and Liverpool. Give it 10 years and it will probably be Chelsea and Man City.”

Showing sports in pubs isn’t cheap, but there are substantial knock-on effects to consider. Many customers will head to sports bars to watch free-to-air events.

“When the World Cup’s on you can’t move,” he says. “I think people get used to

watching sport here – even regulars of other pubs will come here for events they could easily watch in their local – they prefer the atmosphere of a busy sports venue.”

Local rivals

The London Inn sits in close proximity to Okehampton’s JD Wetherspoon and, like many independent pubs in the shadow of the high street chain gangs, Simon sees his operation as a way of luring customers away from their mediocrity.

“I don’t see them as a pub,” he quips, “more a large café. No atmosphere, no landlords or landladies, mainly no bar standing, no sport. It’s all a bit robotic. If you are near a Wetherspoons I think you need to highlight all the things you offer they don’t. Live sport helps me to be different from them.”

As with many success stories, Simon and Karla bucked the trend of pub closures in the shadow of a large chain pub by having passion and a plan they stuck to. That competitive spirit has certainly paid off.

Big game strategy

Simon’s top tips for running a sports bar

Make sure customers can see and hear the sport properly There’s nothing worse than bad speakers or an out-of-focus screen.

Don’t just have it on one TV in the corner – have multiple TVs. More sport means more customers means more money.

Know what’s on. Have a calendar behind the bar so staff know what’s on and where you’re showing it. Customers having to ask for events to be put on is not a good look.

1 2 3 4

If you’re going to show live sport then embrace it. Show the customers you’re as passionate about showing it as they are about watching it.

Don’t just have it on one TV in the corner

And the crowd goes wild… regulars of other pubs come to the London Inn for the atmosphere on big sporting occasions

Howab ou t a gla ss of New Zea la nd ?

NewZ eal a nd w i ne has neverbeen mor e popula r, so pour you r cu stomersa gla s s o f N e w Z ealand .

New Zealand wines are the perfect choice for your customers to enjoy as the weather warms up - both indoors and out! Get in touch with your suppliers to take advantage of the growing popularity of New Zealand wines, and add value to your business today.

NOW THERE'S AN IDEA

Elton Mouna rounds up a few things you could try in your pub

The cocktail invented by a robot (for you, dear reader)

I asked ChatGPT to “design a cocktail for the readers of Now There’s An Idea which is a column in Inapub Inapub is a magazine that delivers pub sector news and practical business building tips and advice to pub licensees”.

Seconds later, this is what Chat GPT came up with:

The Pubpreneur’s Delight

Ingredients:

2 oz London Dry Gin

1 oz Freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 oz Elderflower liqueur

1/2 oz Simple syrup

4-5 Fresh basil leaves

Soda water

Ice cubes

Basil sprig and lemon twist for garnish

Chat GPT then explained how to make the cocktail, before saying: “This cocktail combines the classic elegance of London Dry Gin with the floral notes of elderflower liqueur, balanced with the bright citrus flavour of freshly squeezed lemon juice. The addition of muddled basil adds a touch of freshness and complexity to the drink. The fizzy soda water adds a lively effervescence, making it a perfect thirst-quencher for pub licensees to enjoy after a long day of business building. Cheers to the readers of Now There’s An Idea!” What could Chat GPT do for you?

Magic Stamp

If you’re looking for a collector card loyalty scheme, let me recommend the totally brilliant, Magic Stamp. Their system is oldschool-cool but 100 per cent digital. There are no expensive integrations, just a handy stamp and a touch of digital wizardry. Check them out at magicstamp.com and if you would like a personal introduction let me know at elton@inapub.co.uk and your enquiry will go straight to the top of their list (and they might even give you an Inapub discount!)

Clipchamp

Want to up the ante on your social media videos? Clipchamp offers an easy-peasy, highly intuitive interface that lets you import, edit and export videos giving top-notch professional looking and sounding footage. The best part about Clipchamp? Their “Try for free” facility.

The lovely people at the King of Soho Gin turned the AI-generated Pubpreneur’s Delight into the real thing

The Inn Gym

The Inn Gym is a regular period of time you set aside to take action to get your pub as fit as a proverbial fiddle. It’s like picking your pub up by the scruff of its neck and booting it up its bottom, and it could be as simple as setting aside an hour each week at a quiet time so that you and your team can brainstorm everything that needs to be done to bring your pub to its peak fitness. Ideas could include:

• Launching your pub on the new Threads social media channel

• Sprucing up the loos with a lick of paint and new accessories

• Introducing and promoting an enhanced Low and No range

• Clearing that pile of junk from the yard

• Mending that door hinge that’s been broken for over a year

• Installing a dog hydration station

• Jazzing up your menu before the summer rush

Whatever it is that will help get your pub to peak fitness, put it on the list. Then put a name against each task, agree a date to complete all tasks and your Inn Gym is under way.

Saké comment

At Imbibe 2023, the UK’s leading drinks industry exhibition, I counted four, possibly five, saké brand owners exhibiting their rice wine wares. Could saké be the next big thing? If it is, you read it here first (and if it isn’t you read it in the MA). Either way, worth checking out.

The sublime to the ridiculous Apologies for using the C word whilst the sun is shining, but what will your Christmas 2023 signature drink be? Could it be this sublime Merry Christmas liqueur or maybe the ridiculously quirky Brussel Sprout gin from Pickering’s? Whatever you choose, plan how you will advertise it, launch a team sales incentive and your tills will jingle that little bit more merrily throughout the fastapproaching festive season.

If you missed the last edition of Now, There’s An Idea grab yourself a Hobnob and a cuppa and scan here and hear me narrate it (in my posh podcast voice).

Have you seen an idea you would like to share? Let me know, and if it is published, you will receive the ultimate accolade, a shout out on this page!

Email elton@inapub.co.uk

Goodbye procrastination, hello transformation with the Inn Gym. (Logo designed by Feature Design the pub marketing specialists. Ask for Becky but tell them Inapub sent you www.featuredesign.co.uk)

RICHARD MOLLOY

Who are we?

No, I’m not going to get all existential on you here but, as publicans and managers – and subsequently the hosts of hundreds of parties, gatherings, celebrations and escapes for thousands of people every year – we’re public figures, whether we like it or not. With this notoriety comes popularity, respect, derision and judgement in differing measure, depending on relationships with our clientele.

And therein lies the big question: should we just be ourselves?

Whilst the obvious answer to this question would seem to be an unqualified “yes”, I’m not sure honesty is always the best policy when it comes to dealing with the drinking classes.

Such is the voracity of the pub grapevine, our actions, words, and opinions are dissected and discussed out of earshot and opinions formed often on whispers and hearsay; our personal lives played out in real time in the interactive theatre of the public bar.

So can we really leave ourselves open and act naturally in the limelight? I don’t think many of us can, and I doubt that many of us do. To be completely transparent would be to trust completely in the care of the congregation, and that way sadness lies.

Of course, this is the truth in all walks of life, but the relationship between publican and punter is almost unique and requires, in my opinion, greater understanding from those on the outside.

There is no level playing field for friendships. This is a problem, as much of our socialising is done within the hospitality of our own bar and, therefore, with some of those from whom we make our living. Although rarely mentioned in anything other than jest, this fact is not lost on either party and can be a cause of distrust on both sides – are they being nice to us to cosy up with the gaffer; are we courting them to keep their custom?

For the main part these worries remain dormant and good times are had, but when we have our down days – as everyone does – we are rarely afforded the benefit of

a cathartic chat with chums, despite being counsellors for others.

This is part of our job, but to reciprocate is to be unprofessional and will ultimately be bad for business because who wants to drink in a pub with a whingeing gaffer?

Many licensees – this licensee included –struggle from time to time with their mental health – more so, in fact, than almost all other professions. We don’t have mental health days or a Human Resources department. We rarely just don’t turn up for work because we simply can’t face it. And to open up to friends runs the risk of our unhappiness becoming a topic of discussion for both those who wish us well and, unfortunately, those who don’t.

The remedy for a peaceful head is simple of course: spend time away from the pub and have a life outside of work. But too much time away can lead to standards slipping, earning less, and abandonment issues from your customers; some of whom would have you work a hundred hours a week just so you’re always there for them to tell you what an easy job you have.

The simple truth is that there is no right way to do our job. No textbook, instruction manual or training course. There are no publican gurus, and with good reason. We are often successful or not based purely on our public personas which differ from our

Sometimes the real trick is working out which is which.

Richard Molloy is director of fourstrong pubco White Rose Taverns and the microbrewery Platform Five

“ When we have our down days, we are rarely afforded a cathartic chat with chums. Who wants to drink in a pub with a whingeing gaffer?

LAST ORDERS

Last pub you visited?

In this brand new Inapub back page section we ask the great and good of the industry to give us their list of “lasts”.

First in the hot seat is the captain of the British Institute of Innkeeping, CEO Steve Alton, who is also one of the amazing bike riders who pedalled their way this year to raising an incredible £320,000 for trade charities Only a Pavement Away and the Licensed Trade Charity through the Pedalling for Pubs initiative. He managed to find the time between rides to give us his “lasts” while he was still fresh from announcing the winners of this year’s Licensee of the Year competition at the hugely successful 2023 BII Summer Event (you can find out more about winning couple, Joe Buckley and Flo Pearce from the Tollemache Arms in Harrington, in our feature on pages 4 to 6).

The Blackshale Bar & Kitchen in Beeston, a new venue being launched by Anthony Hughes from Lincoln Green Brewing Company.

Last beer you ordered?

An excellent pint of Marion Pale Ale by Lincoln Green Brewing.

Last song you downloaded?

The YNOT Festival playlist ahead of my visit this year in Derbyshire.

Last person you called?

Molly Davis, our Head of Comms, planning our People Conference in November.

Last thing you ate?

A croissant for breakfast as I write this on an early morning train.

Last film you watched?

The Gray Man.

Last text you sent?

To a colleague from the Licensed Trade Charity about finalising details of the Pedalling 2 Pubs charity cycle ride 2024.

Last time you laughed out loud?

At one of my youngest son’s rude jokes (that his grandad sent him…).

Last book you read?

The Blackbird by Tim Weaver.

Last thing you bought? A train ticket.

Last thing you cooked?

Scrambled eggs on toast.

Last band you saw live? Bastille.

Last holiday you went on?

A family break to York at Easter including visits to some great pubs.

Last meeting you had?

With my team about a new guide to low and no alcohol drinks.

Last exercise you did?

18 holes of golf with both of my mad keen golfer sons.

Last thing you learnt?

That one in three visits to pubs doesn’t involve alcohol (KAM Insight).

Last piece of advice you gave?

It will be fine.

Cask Marque

‘Cask Marque’ is an independent scheme that assesses the beer quality in pubs to ensure standards are driven and maintained. Qualified assessors visit pubs to test the beers temperature, appearance, aroma and taste.

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of pubs have increased sales since gaining the accreditation of accredited outlets said they would recommend the scheme to other licensees

Benefits include:

n Featured on the CaskFinder app - used 60,000 times a month to find Cask Marque pubs

n A Cask Marque plaque – recognised by 77% of beer drinkers as a badge of quality

n Point of Sale material – to help promote this achievement to customers

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n Access to cellar management training

n Regular newsletters

Sign Up today by visiting cask-marque.co.uk or calling 01206 752212

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