Inapub magazine april 2016 issue 53 by inapub

inapub

Issue 53 April 2016 ÂŁ3.95 trade.inapub.co.uk

Wild, wild west: Bristolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pubs of character p01 cover v2.indd 1

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Welcome back! Molson Coors (UK) is delighted to welcome Staropramen back into its World Beer portfolio. The UK’s leading Czech beer, Staropramen has strong brand heritage and history, brewed in Prague, the brewing capital of Europe. 2016 sees a multi-million pound investment behind Staropramen to strengthen and grow its status as a top 10 World Beer brand in the UK.* We’re doing our best to make this transition as smooth as possible. If you’re an existing customer and need technical support with the changeover please call 0845 6000 888 (option 2). If you’re keen to talk to our Sales Team about the brand and support for it, please contact your Account Manager or Field Sales Executive in the first instance, or email starosupport@molsoncoors.com If you’re interested in becoming a new stockist of Staropramen, please email staroqueries@molsoncoors.com

*Source: CGA Brand Index MAT to 18/04/2015.

www.staropramen.com

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e know how busy licensees are and how difficult it can be to step away from your business and into other people’s pubs. Which is exactly why we sacrificed a day in the office to go on a pub crawl… sorry, study tour, around the city of Bristol. In the space of a day we found a load of ideas, from creating stories that go viral, to stunning artwork, funky and practical displays and making a feature of your toilets. Hopefully you might find something here you can use yourself or take inspiration from. We started with Bristol as it is rightly known as a hub of creativity, but from other trips around the country we know there are great ideas everywhere. It’s an exercise we intend to repeat, so let us know where we should go next and we’ll head that way. On a similar topic, our first Next Generation event for newcomers to the trade takes place this month. There are still a couple of places left so if you want to find out more get in touch at nextgen@inapub.co.uk

this month Bristol’s bright ideas• craft beer • products

drink What next for cider? • Soft drinks to liven up your menu

eat Dealing with the nation’s chef shortage • Speciality breads

play Stand-up comedy •Creating a cup final atmosphere

back-bar business legal advice for the summer • Next Generation

Cheers,

62 time at the bar crazy hangover cures • novelty urinals

Editor Matt Eley 07538 988 296 • matte@inapub.co.uk Deputy editor Robyn Black 07909 251 231 • robynb@inapub.co.uk

Production editor Ben Thrush 07810 620 169 • ben@inapub.co.uk

Chief executive Barrie Poulter 07591 506 298 • barrie@inapub.co.uk Sales & marketing director Matt Roclawski 07950 447 488 • mattr@inapub.co.uk

Sales manager Adam Skinner 07884 868 364 • adam@inapub.co.uk

Subscriptions trade.inapub.co.uk/magazine 08452 301 986 • subscriptions@inapub.co.uk

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• IDEAL FOR MID-HIGH TEMPO BEER OCCASIONS WHEN 18-24 YEAR OLDS WANT TO “CHANGE UP THE TASTE” FROM STANDARD DRAUGHT LAGER • COMBINED PACKAGED & DRAUGHT SERVES DELIVER +39% YOY GROWTH* • DELIVERS +10% PRICE PREMIUM ON STANDARD DRAUGHT LAGER*

Brewed in the EU. *HUK sales out latest 10 weeks LY vs TY, draught stockists vs non-stockists.

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BARSTOOL EXPERT Everything you need to know about ST GEORGE’S DAY You ready for St George’s Day? Yup, raring to go. Erm, when is it again?

Crikey, not you as well. According to the British Future Organisation more English people know the date of US Independence Day than St George’s Day. Oh dear, that’s a bit rum. It’s some time soon, right?

April 23. I’ll be ready to, you know, do whatever it is one does on St George’s Day.

Well, that’s the problem really isn’t it, no-one does anything for this national day. It’s no St Patrick’s Day I’ll agree. What do you suggest?

Pull up a barstool, pour a pint of cask ale and tuck into some Lahmacun. I beg your pardon?

It’s a traditional Turkish dish, to celebrate where good old George was born. That’s too adventurous for me, I’m British, after all. How about a making it a Bank Holiday so we can make the most of the great British tradition of going to the pub?

The Centre for Economic and Business Research estimates that each bank holiday costs the UK £2.4bn in lost work, so I can’t see Gideon sanctioning another one. It is a touch vexing that we can’t celebrate such a quintessentially English thing properly.

Not sure about ‘quintessentially English’, St George’s Day is also celebrated in Lithuania, Portugal, Germany and Greece, to name but a few. Maybe we could lobby the EU to make it a European-wide holiday?

I’m not sure that’s a ‘quintessentially English’ approach. I see what you’re saying.

Worth a punt: Promoting proper pub grub and cask beer for a classic English experience, or offering Turkish food and wines for a more authentic celebration of the man himself.

Don’t bother with: Slaying a dragon to save a poor maiden, that bit’s just a medieval myth.

It’s not a new idea, those brewers of Bombardier beer ran a campaign as far back as 2001 to try and make it so. Without success clearly.

Not entirely. The idea of a St George’s Day bank holiday has been mooted in the House of Commons every year since 2006. And yet still no dice?

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IN THE TRADE THIS MONTH Industry happy with duty freeze... The freeze on alcohol duty at the Budget last month was generally welcomed by the pub trade. However CAMRA said the decision not to cut beer duty for a fourth year in a row was “a missed opportunity”.

...but concerned about sugar tax... The Association of Multiple Retailers has warned the new tax on sugary drinks could lead to increased costs for retailers. Chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “We need confirmation that the tax on sugary drinks will be a true levy on producers and not a sales tax that will increase costs for retailers.” The levy is for drinks that have more than 5g of sugar per 100ml with the rate rising for those with 8g and above.

TOP STORIES ON TRADE.INAPUB.CO.UK Matt Eley: The continuing rise of craft Robyn Black: CAMRA wants publicans to charge less for half pints Heineken launches Desperados draught Getting a round in Pub grub through the ages

...and pleased with business rate reform Changes to the way business rates are set will result in a £39m annual saving for UK pubs, according to the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA). In total 80 per cent of pubs in the country should benefit from the changes introduced at the Budget.

Leaving drinks

16,500

Number of pubs that will pay no business rates at all, up from 3,700 according to the BBPA

More than 500 customers turned up to say goodbye to licensees Jerry and Karen Copestake. The pair have pulled their final pints after running the Griffin’s Head in Chillenden, Canterbury, for 30 years. They had an extra special guest when son Nick flew over from his home in Canada to join the party. Jerry, 70, said: “It was such a shock when I turned up at the pub and saw so many friends and family had gathered to celebrate with us. We had a brilliant time.” Jerry and Karen are pictured here with some of their former staff.

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George Orwell’s perfect pub The Moon Under Water was free from music, so where does that art form fit in the best pubs of today? view from the bar EMILY KOLTVIET Music is the one art form everyone relates to. A cold, vibeless space is warmed by the simple addition of a few tunes. Add mood lighting and an open log fire and instantly you’ve created a welcoming environment. Music’s importance can’t be overestimated. In my last job as a church administrator we transformed a church struggling to fill 10 per cent of pews on Sundays into one of London’s most happening music venues, hosting mega bands like Coldplay and Elbow and with packed out daily services. Live music provides a platform to engage a wider audience, luring in reluctant pub-goers from your community — because, perhaps, they’re a jazz fanatic — or visitors prepared to travel to see a favourite act. Either way, it enables you to attract more than the equally important regulars who prop up your bar. At my pub, The Chandos Arms in Colindale, North London, I’ve taken a similar tack, removing the predictable sports package and adding an exciting, varied live

music programme including folk, jazz, soul and acoustic singer/songwriter evenings that get customers conversing, dancing, dining and drinking together. Of course your choice of music is important, a death metal band probably isn’t right for Sunday lunch customers. But a live pianist or classical guitarist will enhance, not dominate, special occasions such as Mother’s Day. Music is my pub’s lifeblood, a pub which aspires to be the beating heart of our community. In a time when the live music industry is struggling and pubs need passionate vision, why not unite the two and see how live music helps your pub thrive.

Emily Kolltveit runs the Chandos Arms in Colindale, North London with her husband Are. They are Star Pubs & Bars Newcomers of the Year and they recently hit the headlines in Russia for being a London pub that has many of the qualities described in George Orwell’s imaginary pub The Moon Under Water.

Second opinion Seventy years ago Orwell wrote about the perfect pub and how atmosphere was of intrinsic importance. That remains the case today and live music can both create that and destroy it in a flash. Get it right and it can propel the trajectory of an afternoon or evening to a place customers were not necessarily expecting when they walked in. Get it wrong and you’ll empty the pub quicker than the TV reception going off during a vital World Cup game. For while sport can be described as

predictable, it can also be the tool that creates the atmosphere that you want in your pub. A packed pub full of charged-up fans may not have quite the same vibe as a lazy afternoon of conversation and jazz but both can be buzzing with atmosphere. The trick for pubs is making sure they use the appropriate events and forms of entertainment for the customers they already have and the ones they want to attract. Then you have to do it better than the next pub. For it is not just what you do, but the way that you do it.

Matt Eley is Inapub’s editor and a fan of sport and music

What’s your opinion? Email your thoughts to editorial@inapub.co.uk

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Folkington’s Garden Range

What ho! Those lovely fellows over at Folkington’s have created a truly English range of soft drinks in cans. The four pressés are Ginger Beer, Rhubarb & Apple, Elderflower, and Lemon & Mint, all coming in at less than 100 calories per drink. Spiffing stuff. www.folkingtons.com

Arran 18 Year Old Single Malt

To celebrate its 21st birthday the Isle of Arran Distillers is releasing its oldest whisky to date, an 18-year-old drop which is said to be an “incredibly complex and sophisticated” dram. Happy birthday chaps! www.arranwhisky.com

Stuff

What’s new in the pub this month

Charlie Wells Triple Hopped IPA

It’s hoppy but not so much that you can’t drink any more than half a pint. That’s what Master Brewer Chris Reid says about the beer launched at Craft Beer Rising a few weeks ago. It’s all down to the minerality you see, with water drawn from the artesian well sunk by Mr Charlie Wells himself. The beer is available in keg and bottles and follows Charlie Wells lager, which was launched a year ago. www.charleswells.co.uk

Funkin Mixers

The pre-mix makers at Funkin have identified new trends that will be whetting the appetite of cocktail drinkers this summer. Its new one-litre mixers are Raspberry Mojito, Elderflower Collins and Sour Mix. The latter was created after research revealed 61 per cent of regular cocktail drinkers drink sour and that citrus fruits are appearing more regularly on menus — up 26.6 per cent year on year, in fact. www.funkinPRO.co.uk

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this month. Brightbox Mark 3

The name makes this sound like a cute little robot but it is in fact a device that could put an end to customers asking “can I just charge my phone behind the bar?” After successful trials the unit is being launched across the UK. It can charge five phones at a time and is compatible with Apple, Samsung, Windows and Android devices. What’s even better for customers is there’s no charge… well there is, but you know what we mean. www.ukcharge.co.uk

Caple Rd Dry

Casual Dining Range

This really is a case of “winner, winner, chicken dinner” with this new street-foodinspired range of frozen chicken products from Moy Park. Options include Katsu Curry Chicken Melts, Buttermilk Wings and Smoky BBQ Chicken Shanks, all created to tap into some of the 6.3 billion occasions a year we Brits tuck into a bit of chicken. www.moyparkfoodservice.com

Somersby Strawberry & Rhubarb

In a bid to capitalise on the craze for cans, Somerset cider producer Westons has added a dry cider to its canned craft range, Caple Rd. The new addition is double-filtered to give it a “crisp, dry and powerful finish.” www.caplerdcider.co.uk

Carlsberg UK has added this very English variant to its Somersby cider portfolio. Made with real fruits, it will be the brand’s first flavoured cider available on draught, joining Somersby Original. Glassware and point-of-sale will support the launch ahead of a summer of festival activity, which will doubtless see Lord Somersby and his posh chums bring their premiumised dress sense to al fresco dancefloors across the UK. 0845 3710 199

Duvel Tripel Experimental Hop 291

This Tripel is different to the Charlie Wells one and not just because the “e” and the “l” are the other way round. For a start it’s a punchy 9.5 per cent ABV. It’s also the latest in a series, having first been brewed in 2008 and released every year since 2010 with a different third hop. This hop is so new it doesn’t have even have a name yet, but we do know it’s from the Yakima Valley. Available from Matthew Clark

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Shipshape and Bristol fashion We know it can be hard for operators to get out and see what’s going on in other pubs. So, kind-hearted souls that we are, we headed to Bristol with the aim of visiting as many venues as we could in a day to pilfer ideas for our readers. We know, generous to a fault aren’t we? Anyway, here’s what we found The Alma

Clifton The pub has a th eatre, used for sh ows, stand-up an Local art is disp d live music. layed for sale on w alls. Landlord Ja (above) reclaim mes Dunn ed much of the wood for the ﬂoo work inside, knoc ring and buildin king it back into g shape for a uniq ue look.

Landoger Trow

King Street Makes the most of its heritage, with parts of old ships turned into features and blackboards telling how it is thought RL Stevenson wrote Treasure Island here.

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this month.

The Bag of N

ails Hotwells Luke Danielâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pu b has become an internet sens ation due to his 14 cats and an impr essive range of beers. He also lets cust omers play his vinyl or bring in their ow n, holds Lego ni ghts, and has an acer bic wit demonst rated in his pub rules and on social m edia.

The Three Tuns

Hotwells rk Maggie & Jennaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pub features incredible artwo safe. and a great way to keep your beer

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The Old Duke

Horts

I think Bristol leads the way. It’s ahead of the field in terms of pubs. There are loads of great ideas. My favourite here is the Lego night, that was one of my own.

Broad Street Customers ca n enjoy free ﬁlms in the en suite cinema, also available for private h ire. The team need to be creative to promote screenings within movie licensing rest rictions.

d outlet the thir d d e n e to p Cols ly o s an s recent aft beer Bath Ale d concept – cr lever spaceeer ith c ar. of its B design w ns above the b n r e d o pizza. M h as putting ca s used for tin uc saving s he empty food a topping from t iz d at p z We like or a gre F . o o t cutlery age 37. urn to p t , d r e e B

Beerdn Hall

- Luke Daniel, Bag of Nails

It is such a competitive industry now, everyone has had to raise their game. Bristol is a creative city and that’s reflected in its pubs. - James Dunn, The Alma Tavern Inapub also visited The Apple for a cider on the river and Brewdog for a pint of Punk IPA

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King Street Renowned jazz venue hosts live music every night of the week and attracts attention with a pub sign based on an oil painting of Duke Ellington.

Fam

Small Bar

King ous Roy St al Na Want reet vy Vo your lunte right toilet er s rem reaso ns? H Cans embe , ged dit? ow about red for th Oh, n ever these Keg e mind cans? …

King Street Craft paradise with lovely branded two-thirds glasses and staff who know their stuff.

Channings

Clifton We stayed here (thanks Stayinapub) and liked how the yoghurt was kept chilled on ice at breakfast. 22/03/2016 14:19

At 12.30 every Friday the Thatchers family taste their next vat of apple cider to make sure it’s as good as it should be. If it’s not, it simply never leaves the farm. That’s why Thatchers is what cider’s supposed to taste like. And perhaps why Thatchers Gold has the highest rate of sale of all draught ciders*. Make sure you’re stocked up this summer. *Source: CGA MAT Volume Rate of Sale WE 26.12.15

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FAMOUS FOR THE PERFECT PINT

Matt Eley visits a brewpub bringing crafty cool to Wales

“

We try to get away from the snobbery around beer. People can take it too seriously and forget about the enjoyment of sitting down having a beer

APRIL 2016

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When Cwtch was named CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain in August it marked a high point on the beer journeys of Gareth Williams and Bradley Cummings. The pair discovered beer together, regularly catching the train to the Bunch of Grapes in Pontypridd to find beers before craft had become widely available in Wales. Gareth can pinpoint the exact moment when he realised the full potential that beer had. “For me it really hit home when I tried Brewdog’s Punk IPA, it was on another level of tasty. I had never had anything like it before. It caught my eye and inspired us.” So much so that the brothers-in-law started to home-brew. Their creations evolved into Tiny Rebel, one of the freshest and most highly regarded breweries around. “We wanted to bring more craft beer into Cardiff. South Wales was a desert for good beer.” The brewery name points to rebellion but the output of cask (around 70 per cent of their volume) and the fact that they have opened pubs, under the Urban Tap House name, suggests they are a tiny bit traditional as well. Unlike the BrewDog team behind the Punk IPA that inspired them, the Tiny Rebel boys are not plotting global domination, but craft bars in both Cardiff and Newport is a steady start. “Bars take up a lot of time and they are hard work but if you get it right it is worth it. “If we opened a third right now we wouldn’t even be able to supply it with beer,” says Gareth. “One to two was a big jump and to go to three to four to five you need the right infrastructure and experience in place to do that.

The brewery has to grow as well.” And it is, with a new site secured, which should help it cater for the extra demand that was created by that Champion Beer of Britain win. Naturally Cwtch sits alongside plenty of other Tiny Rebel brews on the bar but there is room for other breweries to be represented. As Gareth explains: “The first thing we wanted to do was bring in other people’s beer. We didn’t want to just sell Tiny Rebel. We have a good mix which is now about 65/35 in favour of Tiny Rebel.” It’s an inclusive way of doing things which is at the heart of the offer. For while the artwork, beers and industrial design is all very chic, the pub (we met in Newport) is also welcoming. It’s the pub equivalent of listening to Lauren Laverne on the radio: knowing and cool but friendly at the same time. But then with Cwtch meaning snuggling or somewhere to snuggle, it’s what you would expect. “We try to get away from the snobbery around beer,” Gareth continues. “There’s a lot of people that take it too seriously and they forget about the enjoyment of sitting down having a beer. We try to promote that relaxed style but the knowledge is there if they want it. “The two bars have a certain atmosphere and that comes from the products that we sell. There’s no mainstream lagers or shots. We can’t put in big-ABV beers. They have to be accessible brands. I’m not talking Peroni, I mean breweries like Beavertown or Magic Rock. These are the ones people know.” And even that is a long way from the days when Gareth and Bradley were traipsing around Wales in search of a crafty pint.

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this month.

The Italian kitchen While beer takes centre stage at the two Urban Tap Houses, even shrines to craft beer have to have a good food offer these days. Gareth explains: “We started in Cardiff with burgers but now the burger market has become completely saturated. So in Newport we have gone for Italian pizza and pasta. We want each place to be different.” You can get a range of home-made, stone-baked pizzas for under a tenner, featuring popular street food twists such as pulled pork and chipotle chicken. You could also go for The Big Welsh – crisp pancetta, buttered leeks, Y Fenni cheese and drizzled with thyme oil. They also do bar snacks and special events with curries and Caribbean food.

Tiny Re bel’s Urban T Cardiff ap Houses / Newpo rt

Staff: 40 , combin e Cask vo lume: 70 d per cent Wet/Dr y: 85/15 Online: www.ur bantaph ouse.co.u k

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drink Last month we Welsh waved our daffs to celebrate St David and the world went green for St Patrick’s Day. This month you English barely remember to remember St George (see p5), so it seems as good a time as any (with apologies to the Scots, who don’t get their day until November) to look at what defines British beer today. It must be brewed in the UK, of course, but with British ingredients? Not necessarily. British hops are in short supply and there is a fashion for using foreign hops, which pack more of a flavour punch. In the absence of another definition, perhaps we should even classify British beer as beer which is consumed here — but that would be a nonsense. Apart from anything else, export is likely to be the source of growth that fuels the UK brewing boom in the future, as figures from the Society of Independent Brewers (Siba) show — 16.8 per cent of its members now export and an additional 54 per cent want to export in the future.

with ROBYN BLACK

Maybe British beer should be British in style? If by that you mean a classic “bitter”, then no, that doesn’t hold much sway today either. Siba’s managing director, Mike Benner, calls the range of styles being brewed by British indie breweries today “staggering… with everything from sour Belgian styles and powerfully hopped American-style IPAs to English classics such as barley wine and Imperial stout”. It must, must, must be a good old cask beer, though, must it not? Again, no. While the majority of what is being brewed in the UK is cask ale, brewers are looking more and more at kegs, bottles and cans for their beers. Siba estimates this year 23 per cent of what its members brew will be the latter rather than the former. We must therefore conclude that, just like our patron saints — some hailing from as far afield as modern day Turkey and Israel — British beers are a diverse and motley crew. And all the better for it they are, too.

British hops are in short supply and there is a fashion for using foreign hops, which pack more of a flavour punch

COMMERCIAL BREAKDOWN MUD HOUSE • #clearasmud The 2017 British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand will be supported by Kiwi wine brand Mud House. Brand owner, Accolade Wines, will sink £2m into a campaign, JÄGERMEISTER • JägerMusic signing the former All Blacks skipper The singer from Bullet for My Valentine has performed a gig skySean Fitzpatrick (pictured, left) and diving, on a speed boat and husky sledding as part of the latest former England winger Jason stunt in Jägermeister’s JägerMusic campaign. Fans of the band Robinson (right) as ambassadors. and the brand can see the video on Jäger’s YouTube channel.

ASAHI • Slow Mo Booth In the shape of a pint glass and featuring a superslow motion camera, the booth is on tour around the UK now. Inside the booth, malt-infused condensation and 100 ping pong balls will mimic the experience of being inside a pint of lager.

18 APRIL 2016

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drink. Funkin Hogstar

Hogs Back Brewery is putting its English craft lager into cans to further position it as one of the “new generation” of highquality, high-flavour craft beers. Cans aren’t just about image though, Hogs Back managing director, Rupert Thompson says: “They are lightweight, recyclable and versatile for occasions such as festivals.” www.hogsback.co.uk

The fruit purée and cocktail mix-maker has launched a raft of new products for spring. There are two new purées for the Pro range — Pink Guava and Apriconilla Fleur de Sel (a blend of apricots, vanilla and sea salt). www.funkinPRO.co.uk

On the bar Anthony Hughes The Robin Hood & Little John Nottingham

Look out for... Desperados

Tequila beer is now available on tap following Heineken’s launch of a draught version of its Desperados brand. The 5.9 per cent ABV tequila-flavoured beer is to be sold in schooner (two-thirds of a pint) glasses to promote responsible drinking and boost profit margins for operators. www.online.heineken.co.uk

Jim Beam

A new-look Jim Beam is set to hit shelves this month, the first time in decades any changes have been made to the bottles, according to distributor Maxxium. The new design is said to be “bolder” and more premium, as the company looks to capitalise on the growing popularity of American whiskey with British drinkers. www.maxxium.co.uk

Barefoot Wine

Californian winery E&J Gallo is adding a Malbec to its Barefoot range. The grape varietal is more usually associated with Argentina and is growing in popularity in the UK — up 48 per cent in volume last year (Nielsen) — and the company claims this is the first Californian Malbec available in the UK. www.gallofamily.co.uk

We were absolutely delighted to be named CAMRA’s National Cider Pub of the Year, as we’re very passionate about our real cider range. One advantage we have is all our ciders are dispensed from the cellar at the perfect temperature — if they are served from the fridge they are too cold to let the flavours come through and room temperature is too warm. We always have eight ciders on and spend a lot of time and effort sourcing direct from cidermakers so we can offer a really eclectic range. If we have a customer after a flavoured cider — we don’t stock flavoured ciders — we let them customise a pint with a shot of Monin syrup. We call them “cider cocktails” and they go down a storm.

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drink.

Time for a new tack by ROBYN BLACK

It’s official: the cider boom is over. Statistics show volumes falling in the on-trade, down 0.4 per cent, and value up just 1.7 per cent*. This flat market is a far cry from the growth levels of four and five per cent experienced just a few years ago.

Perhaps this is no surprise. Competition has emerged via the likes of craft beer, RTD cocktails and fruit-flavoured wines and beers, all of which have taken a slice from a category that has relied on little other than launching ever more exotic fruit flavours in the name of innovation. As Angela Ham, customer marketing controller at Magners owner C&C Brands, puts it: “As we see growth in the flavoured cider category begin to slow, it would appear consumers are beginning to tire of them in the same way they moved away from alcopops in recent years.” That’s not to say there aren’t *(CGA Brand Index, on-trade, packaged and draught, MAT to October 2015)

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opportunities, of course. “We anticipate a renewed interest in the apple cider segment in 2016 and draught is also continuing its resurgence in the on-trade, up in both volume and value on last year,” says Angela. “We’re paying attention to this particular trend and will be introducing Magners Original in this format for cider drinkers to enjoy (replacing Magners Golden Draught).” But why don’t suppliers look further afield? Tap into craft; make cider appealing to the late night crowd; look at the with-food opportunity, or even create a new superpremium cider sector? Perhaps they are doing that. Let’s start with craft.

Hop into craft cider

“It’s an exciting time for cider as awareness of craft styles grows and suppliers continue to innovate within the sector,” comments David Scott, Carlsberg UK’s marketing director. “The craft boom has been felt across all sectors — from beer and cider to spirits and wine — and we expect to see big developments throughout 2016 as producers and licensees continue to embrace the craft revolution.” Indeed, Brothers Cider, for example, has been looking so closely at the craft beer

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Below: Traditional cider making at Henry Ship Apple Pressing in 1974. Below right: Thatchers say their cider pairs well with fish & chips

scene it has developed a hop-flavoured cider. “This year we will launch our new Brothers Hop Cider exclusively to the on-trade,” confirmed sales and marketing manager Gerry Doyle. “It is a gorgeous blend of apple and pear cider, flavoured with natural Hersbruker hop extract. Served in a 330ml bottle, it taps into current craft trends and creates a new category within flavoured cider.” Westons has already had some success in the craft cider category with the launch of its Caple Rd brand last year, and head of on-trade Martyn Jones believes there is more scope for growth. “We’ve just launched Caple Rd Dry, the first extension to the brand, and initial feedback has been phenomenal. With craft cider predicted to be the second-largest trend this year, according to CGA, the consumer movement to craft looks set to continue.” However, this won’t happen if suppliers don’t talk more to consumers about how cider is made, Martyn claims. “There is a job to be done to educate consumers about the different

apple varieties as well as how cider is made, there’s a definite thirst for this.”

Variety is the spice of cider

Fellow cider maker Martin Thatcher, managing director of Thatchers, agrees. “At Thatchers we’ve been talking about apple varieties for many years. After all, we first started producing our Katy Cider, a single-variety cider, 20 years ago.” The family firm has also been looking at food and cider matching for some time and says this is another opportunity for the category. “Pairing cider with food is a great way to extend the cider occasion from the bar and into the restaurant. Cider naturally enhances many different types of food, from spicy and aromatic curries, pasta and pizza, through to fish & chips,” he says. The sentiments are echoed by David Sheppy of Sheppy’s, who says: “Food pairing is key and will continue to be so. We have certainly done much to establish the Sheppy’s brand by matching different cider styles with food — cheese for example.” He is also keen to highlight some as-yet unexploited methods of cider production, which could reinvigorate the category. “Still ciders, full bittersweet apples, sharp apples, sweet apples and old

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22/03/2016 23:45

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10/03/2016 14:51

“

Still ciders, full bittersweet apples, sharp apples, sweet apples and old techniques are ideas to create new interesting cider products

APRIL 2016

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techniques such as keeving (a method of making sparkling cider commonly used in France) or bottle fermenting, are all ideas that could be used to create new interesting cider products,” he says.

Super-premium cider

Many of these would be found at the premium end of the market where Suffolk producer Aspall positions itself and where the company’s Henry Chevallier Guild believes there is further opportunity. “Cider is hampered by a definition that makes genuine and premium innovation easy to copy badly,” he claims. “Terroir [the concept that the land where crops are grown imparts unique qualities to them] is a gap I believe cider has ignored completely for nearly three centuries now, and should be considered at the premium end.” Strongbow and Bulmers owner Heineken entered this end of the market last year with the launch of Symonds Founders Reserve. The brand has done well for the company, so much so, that there are ambitious plans to go even more upmarket and create an

Keep your eyes peeled for these 6 new ciders in 2016 Hop cider Brothers Cider take inspiration from craft beer Stassen A super-premium Belgian cider from Heineken Orchard Pig Marmalade The most British of combinations from the craft producer New-look Blind Pig Heineken “tweaks” the brand to take cider drinking later into the night Magners Original on draught Replacing Magners Golden Draught later this year. Cornish Orchards Blush A raspberry-flavoured cider due on shelf this month (April)

trade.inapub.co.uk 22/03/2016 23:45

InaPub_Sheppy's_FullPgAd 14/03/2016 22:06 Page 1

new cider A

for a new era

This year the Somerset-based craft cider makers are celebrating their bicentenary with the launch of Old Conky Cider. Old Conky, not only marks two centuries of Sheppy’s, its name is also an affectionate nod to another historic notable – the ﬁrst duke of wellington. it is a ﬁne crafted medium sweet Somerset cider, which is made with traditional cider apple varieties and a little added celebratory sparkle. For Sheppy’s, their cider

Sheppy’s have a nose for great cider – thanks to 200 years of knowledge, skill and innovation.

making journey began back in well-respected and well known 1816 – spanning six generations cider making brand. and two farms. it began with Today it is John Sheppy’s great, John Shepson – who later great, great grandson – and became known as Stanley’s grandson – Sheppy’s now Sheppy – at iwood david Sheppy, who Farm, in Somerset. produce 18 varieties owns the business, Like all dairy and of their traditional with his wife Louisa. beef farmers, the premium craft cider it was only natural Sheppy family ﬁrst that he would produced cider as a sideline. share the same passion for cider However, as the business passed making, and continue in the down through the generations, family footsteps. it was Stanley Sheppy who went Sheppy’s now produce 18 on to establish Sheppy’s as a varieties of their traditional

premium craft cider – in bottle, keg and bag in box – at Three Bridges Farm at Bradford-onTone, near wellington. The range includes their multi award winning Oak Matured Vintage, Dabinett Apple, Cider with Blackberry & Elderflower – and Mulled. Look out for another new cider this summer. They have remained true to their heritage and traditions – combined with modern innovations – and continue to craft their cider just the way it should be.

F O R T H O S E W I T H A N O S E F O R G R E AT C I D E R

celebrating our bicentenary and launch of

Old Conky Cider ad page2.indd 27

Old conky cider celebrates Sheppy’s bicentenary, history and location near the famous Somerset town of wellington; with the great iron duke’s famous victory at the battle of waterloo just over 200 years ago. He was sometimes aﬀectionately known as “Old Conky” because of his conspicuous nose. is finely crafted medium cider is available in 500ml bottle and 50L keg (5% ABV) and 20L BiB (6.5% ABV).

www.sheppyscider.com @SheppysCider

Sheppy’s Cider Ltd

23/03/2016 20:24

“

The Blind Pig brand was originally developed to play in that late night drinking area where cider currently doesn’t have a huge role

Xxxx X

Xxxxx

entirely new sector — super-premium cider. “We are looking to bring Stassen, a Belgian cider, to the UK,” explains category and trade marketing manager Andrew Turner. “It is one of our own brands and is completely authentic. It’s a sparkling cider in 750ml Champagne-style bottles aimed at restaurants and top food venues.”

Blind Pigs and dark fruits

Of course the UK’s biggest cider producer isn’t just focusing on one area of the market. It will also have a go at the late-night sector with a re-jig of its Blind Pig brand. “This was originally developed to play

Why don’t we talk about apple varieties? The wine boom of the 1990s happened when producers began to put the names of grape varieties on labels, and we see the same effect in craft beer as brewers begin to educate drinkers about hops. But it is rare to hear cider-makers talk about apple varieties — why? “Cider is made in a slightly different way, blending juices based on bitterness, colour and sweetness,” explains Andy Atkinson, founder of Cornish Orchards (now owned by Fuller’s). “As a result, the process may involve a whole range of apple varieties, but a limited range of styles of apple. Perhaps it is something we could communicate better but historically this the main reason why we’ve not tended to market cider in that way.”

APRIL 2016

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in that late-night drinking area where cider currently doesn’t have a huge role,” explains Andrew.“We feel we haven’t got it quite right so are planning on tweaking that offer this year to make the most of the opportunity.” Whatever the Heineken bods come up with they’ll have a hard job surpassing the success of 2014’s launch, Strongbow Dark Fruit. This modern take on cider & black contributed an astonishing 74 per cent of the growth in the draught cider category last year — and is set to become the second-biggest draught cider brand by volume, behind Strongbow Original. The figures prove that even in this slowing market, there remain big rewards for cider-makers who get it right.

trade.inapub.co.uk 22/03/2016 23:45

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23/03/2016 00:38

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18/03/2016 16:43

by ROBYN BLACK

New soft drinks to add sparkle to your range 1

Cinchona Tonic

Square Root London

Last year’s winner of the BBC Food & Farming award for Best Drinks Producer, the fledgling company makes all of its drinks by hand from natural ingredients. This one is created with fresh lemongrass syrup, Sicilian lemon juice and cinchona bark. The latter is the original source of quinine, the anti-malarial with a bitter taste that led British colonialists in India to mix it with gin. The rest, as they say, is history…

Seedlip Distilled Non-Alcoholic Spirit

Seedlip Drinks

It’s not fruity, it’s not sweet and it claims to be at the forefront of a new “non-alcoholic spirits” category. Based on a recipe from the 1600s, Seedlip is already served at some of the best cocktail bars in the country (including The Savoy, Dandelyan, Hix and The Ledbury) and is made with “two barks, two spices, two citrus peels”, according to its creator. Serve long with tonic or short with olive brine, Martini-style.

Buddha Water YourTonic Ltd

The UK’s first sparkling super-water, by all accounts. The special ingredient in each of the six flavours is Scandinavian birch sap, said to contain saponins (which purportedly reduce cholesterol), plus vitamin C and potassium. The line-up includes such flavours as hibiscus, mango, cherry and cranberry.

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Giving it some Elba grease: Britvic has thrown the Luther actor’s weight behind its efforts to revitalise the Purdey’s brand

Purdey’s Rejuvenate Britvic

This blend of grape and apple juice, spring water, botanical extracts and B vitamins has been around for decades but owner Britvic is giving it a new lease of life this year with a campaign featuring British actor Idris Elba, marking the biggest investment in the brand to date.

Franklin & Sons Sicilian Lemon Tonic

Global Brands

It’s not just lemons from Sicily that give this tonic an exotic edge but also the natural extracts of cinchona bark from Ecuador and root ginger. Lovely and refreshing on its own, of course, but also a winner with a dasheroo of sloe gin, according to chaps in the know.

23/03/2016 00:45

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17/02/2016 01:16

drink.

“

At just 85 calories per 330ml serving, Frobishers Classics Apple, Pear & Elderflower is a game-changer

Frobishers Classics Apple, Pear & Elderflower

Frobishers Juices

While a pear and elderflower juice blend may not appear revolutionary on the face of it, at just 85 calories per 330ml serve, this version is a game-changer for the company. Launched just last autumn, it even walked away with the Best New Product award at the inaugural Zero Alcohol Awards in February.

Orchard Pig Totally Minted

Orchard Pig

The craft cider producer also makes a range of apple juices, all of which come with a little twist… Our favourite is Totally Minted, a lightly sparkling pink grapefruit and mint juice drink with a cheeky squeeze of lime.

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Monin Yuzu Purée Monin UK

Yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit that is rapidly growing in popularity over here. This new purée can be used to make an unusual iced tea or home-made lemonade with an “extra hint of fruity sourness” or, because of its marmalade-like texture, it can be employed as an ice-cream topping.

Bottlegreen Raspberry Lemonade Sparkling Pressé

SHS Drinks

Made using traditional winemaking techniques, this sparkling pressé aims to tap into demand for retro soft drinks and will launch exclusively into the on-trade this spring. It follows last year’s launch of the Cotswold lemonade & mint, and mango & coconut variants.

APRIL 2016

23/03/2016 00:45

Kitsch Rhubarb & Thai Basil Soda

Kitsch Drinks

Inspired by the world of cocktails, this craft soda company currently offers just two sodas (this one plus Cucumber & Fennel Seed), both handmade in Edinburgh using natural ingredients. This one contains British rhubarb, Thai basil, water, sugar — and that is all.

Coca-Cola with a twist

Coca-Cola Enterprises

Proving that even licensees with the most mainstream of soft drink offers need not lack ambition, Coca-

Cola Enterprises reports that it is popular in bars across Europe for customers to personalise their glasses of Coke. Simply adding ingredients such as fresh mint, ginger slices or elderflower can create a drink that is unique to you.

Vimto Remix Vimto

Keeping with the brand’s “seriously mixed-up fruit” slogan, this is a blend of mango, strawberry and pineapple, plus the secret Vimto recipe. Aimed at children and teenagers, a new version of the recipe is rolling out this month, in both still and fizzy versions.

Personalising glasses of Coke is popular in bars across Europe, according to Coca-Cola Enterprises

APRIL 2016

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trade.inapub.co.uk 23/03/2016 00:45

Apple, Kale & Kelp smoothie Sunmagic

This range of functional smoothies contains two of your five-a-day. Three variants are available but this one purports to give you an energy boost with its blend of two super green veggies and good old apples, giving you a dose of magnesium, vitamin C and vitamin B complex in one little bottle.

Make theirs a Frobishers. It’s never been more vital to offer your customers an inspiring soft drink selection. Treat them to a trade up with the premium taste of Frobishers Juices. Fantastic flavour for them. More money in the till for you. To discover the profit margin potential of stocking premium soft drinks, come and explore our full range of fruit juices, still and sparkling juice drinks and smoothies. It’s now ‘inexusable’ for on-trade premises to offer uninspiring soft drinks menus (Mintel 2015) Alcohol sales are declining, with one in five drinkers choosing soft drinks over alcohol (ONS 2015)

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E. SALES@FROBISHERS.COM | T. 01392 825333 WWW.FROBISHERS.COM | FOLLOW US @FROBISHERS

APRIL 2016

23/03/2016 00:45

eat

What kind of cuisine are people looking for in a pub? Not so long ago, the answer to that would have been straightforward. Comforting classics such as fish & chips, steak & ale pie or sausage & mash are classics for a reason, and traditional “pub grub” rightly retains its position at the centre of most pubs’ food offer. But as Britain’s culinary awakening continues, more and more adventurous menus are finding their way into our trade. On our recent investigative pub crawl around Bristol (pages 10-12), we were struck by a blackboard offering “Indonesian tapas”. The chicken satay skewers, prawn wontons and the like might not be the kind of thing we are used to seeing on pub menus, but they certainly don’t seem a bad fit for a group of friends in search of something fullflavoured to nibble along with their drinks. The pub never used to be where you went for Italian food either, but Beerd, featured opposite and on page 12, is just one example of a pub that has found beer and pizza to be a winning combination. It’s the same story with Thai food. More and more pubs in London and beyond are offering an authentic menu of curries most punters would struggle to

550%

with BEN THRUSH

replicate at home, loaded with the kind of spices that make ordering another beer a no-brainer. As well as giving you a point of difference, doing something different with your menu can offer logistical benefits. Your staff may not have the skills to whip up a decent nasi goreng, but if you outsource your food offer you could bring in real expertise and make your life easier at the same time. The Thai kitchen in many pubs is run as a separate operation. Ingredients can be sourced and expertly prepared by people who know what they’re doing, keeping punters fed and happy and freeing up the licensee to focus on running the pub. A pub near me has a tie-up with a local pizza take-away — you can order your pizza from a menu at the bar, and have it delivered to the pub. The pub might not make any money on the food eaten on the premises, but they don’t have to run and staff a kitchen either. And when their drinkers get hungry, they won’t be going home to order a pizza. This approach won’t work for every pub. But with the British public demanding increasing variety in their diet, responding to that is both a necessity and an opportunity for the modern pub sector.

In season in April

Rise in appearance of Mac n’ Cheese on menus since 2010 Horizons Menu Trends, February 2016

www.bbcgoodfood.com

36 APRIL 2016

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trade.inapub.co.uk 23/03/2016 12:33

HAM, EGG & CHIPS PIZZA Ryan Garvey Beerd, Bristol

Soft boiled eggs “Our eggs come from A David, based in Bishop’s Sutton. We source our ingredients locally wherever possible. Our mixed leaves come from the Severn Project, which supports people recovering from drug, alcohol and mental health problems.”

Skinny fries “Our head chef loves blending Italian classics with a traditional English twist. Each week we have our Pizza of the Week, which gives our guests a great chance to try something unusual and fun that probably won’t be found anywhere else. Smoked gammon, soft-boiled eggs and chips is a favourite for our guests”

Smoked gammon “This is from Chef’s Deli, a supplier in the South West. We use free-range meat.”

Pizza and craft beer Traditional hand-stretched base “We only use top-quality ingredients for our Italianstyle pizzas.”

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“Our craft beer and pizza concept has been a big hit. We now have three Beerd venues — two in Bristol and one in Oxford”.

For a space-saving tip from Beerd’s Bristol Colston Hall outlet, turn to page 12

23/03/2016 12:33

Foodservice futures by MATT ELEY

“

There’s more we can do to showcase pub food and we also need to get out to colleges to supply pub chefs to our industry 38 APRIL 2016

p38-39 chef shortage.indd 38

The charming Dog in the quiet Suffolk village of Grundisburgh is not a pub you would expect to find in the political spotlight. Yet that was where it found itself a few weeks ago when head chef Milan Hukal won the first Parliamentary Pub Chef of the Year Award. He picked up the prize at a House of Commons reception after being nominated by his local MP Dr Daniel Poulter. He was one of 120 chefs nominated by MPs across the country and he successfully fought them off in a range of challenges that culminated with a cook-off at Fuller’s City pub The Vintry. The win was a proud moment for the Czech Republic national, who has been head chef at the family-run freehouse for less than a year. He said: “I did not expect to win but I did my best and

it worked well on the day. It was difficult because it was a new and unfamiliar kitchen but I was pleased it went so well.” Milan is normally found in more familiar territory in The Dog’s kitchen as part of the team of three that creates its popular modern British menu. Delivering slow-braised beef brisket or the pub’s game specials to locals seems a long way from the corridors of power, but there is good reason for the political interest. The awards, run by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) and the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, in partnership with Nestlé Professional, have been a way of alerting MPs to the chef shortage in the trade.

In search of tomorrow’s stars

For while pubs are now serving a staggering billion meals a year, according to the BBPA, there are just not enough chefs to cater for the demand, with an estimated 11,000 more needed in kitchens by 2022. Speaking at the event, BBPA chief Brigid Simmonds said: “There’s more we can do to showcase pub food and we also need to get out to colleges to supply pub chefs to our industry. “There is a real shortage, which is one of the reasons why we launched this.” The shortage is an issue that Milan himself is aware of. “It seems that so many young people do not want to work even though there are opportunities,” he tells Inapub.

trade.inapub.co.uk 23/03/2016 01:03

eat.

Supplier perspective George Vezza, managing director of Nestlé Professional

Giving the politicians pub food for thought — Milan Hukal is the first Parliamentary Pub Chef of the Year. Below a dish from Milan’s kitchen .at The Dog

£6bn

Value of the billion meals pubs serve every year

p38-39 chef shortage.indd 39

One young man who can’t be accused of not wanting to work is Robert Yuill (pictured left, with his son ). He won the Young Pub Chef of the Year award at the same event for his efforts at The D’Arcy Thompson in Dundee. He said: “Everybody was very, very good. I’m sure the competition is going to do well for the industry in years to come and I’m sure it will benefit me and everybody involved in the future. “The kind of recognition this competition offers pub chefs is exactly what I think is needed to attract more and more talent to the industry.” The likes of Robert and Milan could prove inspirational in helping reduce that shortage.

“There has been a huge buzz around the talent shortage recently, and there’s no denying that it poses a threat to the future of the pub industry. In fact, it’s something that’s affecting the whole hospitality sector. People 1st has estimated the sector will need another 11,000 chefs by 2022. “However, recent events have shown that there’s a staggering number of young chefs who are determined to go the extra mile when it comes to their development. The 28-year-old Nestlé Professional Toque d’Or competition received a record 156 team entries this year; a poignant example of the number of emerging chefs striving to reach their full potential. “Tackling the pub industry’s chef shortage hinges on supporting young talent and that’s where the role of the student competition really comes into its own. For example, our annual Toque d’Or competition prides itself on pushing the boundaries when it comes to training. The whole experience takes the competitors right out of their comfort zone and throws them into real-life experiences that go way beyond anything they will learn on the curriculum. “It’s clear that students are increasingly recognising the opportunities Toque d’Or opens up to them. Just look at what past entrants like Jamie Oliver and Anton Mosimann have gone on to achieve. On top of providing students with the skills and knowledge to succeed, it helps to create role models for budding chefs to aspire to, which is paramount to attracting more and more talent into the Industry. “The increased number of entries at this year’s Toque d’Or 2016 is a stride in the right direction when it comes to tackling the chef shortage. It’s clear that the pub industry has a duty to encourage and nurture the next generation. After all, they are the lifeblood of this sector.”

23/03/2016 01:03

PRIME CUT

Our new Red Tractor Certified, glazed, seeded and sliced brioche bun is made with British flour, British butter and free range eggs. For your free sample pack please visit: www.specialitybreads.co.uk/inapub

ad page2.indd 40

23/03/2016 01:23

eat.

Use your loaf The days when the choice of “brown or white” as bread options for a lunchtime sandwich or ploughman’s was seen as a sign of sophistication are, sadly, gone.

Bread has moved from the side plate to centre stage on pub menus, and modern customers increasingly expect to be offered a broad choice. There are various factors working against any licensees still clinging to the vain hope that they can get away with a loaf of medium sliced white. The Great British Bake Off has shifted bread-making from something weird that your nan — or naan — did, to an aspirational life skill. At the same time, the growing influence of street food-style dishes has put burgers, hot dogs, barbecues, burritos and similar dishes onto more pub menus, all of them

p41-42 speciality breads.indd 41

requiring speciality breads in order to be fashionably cutlery-free. As its name suggests, the Bakers Arms in Blaby, Leicestershire, has long-standing links with bread-making. The pub dates from 1485 — the year that Richard III met his untimely end at nearby Bosworth — and has a traditional stone bakery within the building. “It’s fully working, and we’ve got all the traditional baker’s equipment,” says Chris Smart, licensee of the Everards-owned pub. “Unfortunately,” he adds ruefully, “we can’t use it because of health and safety. The pub has a thatched roof.” Undaunted, the Baker’s Arms sources its own bread from a third-generation master baker who lives behind the pub. “It’s baked fresh daily to our own recipes, so you can’t buy our range of breads anywhere else,” says Chris. “We display them on a table in the middle of the pub and serve them with olives and oils for dipping.” The Baker’s Arms also spreads the joy of fresh baked bread further by holding regular bread-making courses. “It costs £35 for a course, you arrive for coffee at about 10.30am, and by teatime you’re enjoying your own freshly baked bread with jam – which is also made for us in the village,” says Chris. “We run the courses about once a month from Easter onwards, and people

23/03/2016 01:20

HOW TO MAKE BREAD FROM BREAD

often buy them as presents.” For any pub looking to boost its breadbasket, there are plenty of suppliers ready to oblige. Among them is Speciality Breads, which has just launched a glazed sesame seed-topped brioche roll as an accompaniment to gourmet burgers, and a sourdough & onion roll which pairs well with hot and cold meats, such as the ever-popular steak sandwich. Peter Millen, managing director of Speciality Breads, says: “The burger is a ‘goto’ selection for many consumers and the pub sector is responding with creative and high quality offerings. Outlets need to give serious thought to the fillings, sides, sauces and of course the quality bread they use. “There is also a real trend for burgers with an ethnic twist and with an Olympics and the Euro football championship on the horizon this summer, I expect to see plenty more international flair in the world of burgers.” Bread also brings menu flexibility to pubs looking to offer all-day dining, says David Laurence, commercial director at Signature Flatbreads. “The popularity of wraps shows no signs of waning, and offering a range of options from breakfast wraps to burritos is a simple way to add value and capitalise on the popularity of hand-held options.” Pan’Artisan, producer of frozen, fully and part baked dough balls, pizza bases and speciality breads, has developed a sourdough ball which works equally well as a gourmet burger bun or premium pizza base. Richard Jansen, managing director of Pan’Artisan, says: “By engaging with our customers, we’ve been able to develop a range of speciality breads to meet their real needs as well as develop some more unusual products to enhance their offer.”

42 APRIL 2016

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MAKE FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT Dazzle customers with the freshest, bestlooking and tasting bread you can offer STEAL THE LIMELIGHT Bread is the king of side dishes and the perfect tool in taking pressure off the kitchen while adding money to the tills UPSELL Make sure staff offer bread. It’s the easiest of cross-sells and the perfect lure to take a few extra pounds off hungry customers SERVE IT RIGHT Give quality food the respect it deserves by pairing it with the best bread, rolls and buns GO GLOBAL Impress customers with a global bread selection from sourdough and ciabatta rolls in a basket to glazed brioche buns to accompany burgers and dogs FREEZE Using frozen bread means your bread is always fresh and cuts down on wastage Tips from Speciality Breads

trade.inapub.co.uk 23/03/2016 01:21

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23/03/2016 01:29

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18/03/2016 12:28

GET REAL

REFRESHMENT

KEY STATS • £1.7B SPENT ON CIDER IN THE ON TRADE* • DRAUGHT CIDER ACCOUNTS FOR 65% OF ALL CIDER SALES* • FRUIT CIDER VOLUME IS IN GROWTH +30% VOL. YOY* • FRUIT CIDER IS NOW 26% OF ON-TRADE CIDER VOLUME AND IS PREDICTED TO BE 31% BY 2020*

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18/03/2016 12:28

play Rugby fans celebrating England’s Grand Slam will no doubt feel slightly regretful that a team consisting of many of the same players failed so miserably at the World Cup. So will pubs. For while the tournament was generally hailed as a success you can guarantee more pounds would have found their way to tills if England had found a way out of their group. You could say the same about the last football World Cup. So what of the Euros, which Carlsberg predicts could be worth £60m to the on-trade. Surely England can’t fail to get out of a group when in many cases, three out four teams progress. Can they? Well if you have any doubts at all about England (or Wales

with MATT ELEY

or Northern Ireland for that matter) you can now take out an insurance policy to cover losses should they fail to qualify for the knockout stages. The deals are being offered by Siepe Sports, with rates of 15.7 per cent available on England failing to get out of the group. So if you think you’d make £1,000 from a second round game, a premium of £157 will cover that in the event of England letting you down. It’s a new approach that may appeal to pubs who have seen too many disappointments. Or, like me, you might be an eternal optimist who is sure he will one day see England exceed expectations. Surely that will be this summer…

SHAKESPEARE’S LOCAL

46 APRIL 2016

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Pic: David Iliff

A pop-up pub has opened in Stratford-upon-Avon in the house where Shakespeare was born 452 years ago. The Swan & Maidenhead ran as a pub in Shakespeare’s day, and it has opened its doors again until June 5, giving customers the chance to see how a 17th-century pub would have operated. There will also be a series of events where guests will be able to enjoy an after-hours tour of the Birthplace, try some specially brewed ales and Tudor-inspired canapés, and find out about modern brewing techniques from the local Tunnel Brewery. The celebrations are to mark 400 years of the Bard’s legacy — he died on St George’s Day 1616.

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European football

Man City travel to Paris to take on PSG as the last remaining British hope in the Champions League. The moneybags teams return to the Etihad just six days later. Liverpool face Dortmund in the Europa League on the Thursdays.

International Rock, Paper, Scissors Championship

Wednesday April 6 and Tuesday April 12, BT Sport

The official tournament is at The Green Man pub in East London but you could try something similar at your pub. Good idea or bad idea? How can you decide…I know! Saturday April 16

Happening this month Grand National

The day when everyone fancies a flutter returns. Don’t forget to do the sweepstake and don’t forget it starts later this year – 5.15pm. In a lively day of sport for thoroughbreds Anthony Joshua is fighting Charles Martin for the IBF World title. Saturday April 9, C4 / Boxing on Sky Box Office

Record Store Day

An event that is steadily growing in popularity. Show your solidarity by playing some vinyl. Saturday April 16

The Masters

European Rugby Champions Cup

April 7-10, Sky Sports

April 9-10, BT Sport/Sky Sports

If you want to catch the first golf major of the year you will now need Sky. Highlights packages will be on the BBC. It’s not just Augusta, the same applies to all majors (including the Open).

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It’s the quarter final stage and five English teams remain. Wasps take on Exeter on BT, Leicester Tigers are on the same channel against Stade Francais while Sky has coverage of Saracens v Saints.

Let me entertain you Danny Riofrio, The Bohemia, North Finchley, London The Bohemia is a renowned brewpub but it doesn’t rely on great beer alone to pull in the punters. Every Tuesday you will find quizzers and salsa dancers at the pub. The quiz is upstairs and the salsa is in the basement. The minds and the movers mingle later on. Danny says: “They are two different types of crowd and both events help what can otherwise be a fairly quiet night.” The midweek fun carries on with Wings Wednesdays. Nope, not a reunion of the band The Beatles could have been, but a chance to get your chops around 500g of chicken at the half-price rate of a fiver. “We don’t make money on the wings but the idea is that people will come in and have a drink to go with it,” says Danny. The first Thursday of each month is a comedy night and every third sees bands jamming in the basement. The weekends are dominated by music with DJs on Fridays and Saturdays until 1am. Singalong Sundays are a new addition. “We have a piano in the bar and we put songsheets on every table so if people want to join in they can,” adds Danny.

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Good for a laugh by ROBYN BLACK

A man walks into a bar… comedy nights at the Potters Arms have led to a festival

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Beer festivals, cider festivals, even music festivals are ten-apenny these days but have you ever thought about a comedy festival?

Alan Merryweather, of The Black Horse in Aylestone, did just that when he got involved in the recent Dave’s Leicester Comedy Festival. It was the first time he’d run comedy in the four years he’s been licensee at the Everards pub, and it was such a huge success that he’s now introducing a regular comedy evening. “We did five nights of comedy here, as part of the Dave festival, and we could have sold tickets for each one of them three times over,” he says. “I got involved after I went to see a few gigs the previous year and could see it would work at our pub. We had the space for it in the form of an upstairs function room, so we went for it.”

There was little investment involved initially, mostly fees for the comedians, but Alan says he’s since made some contacts and hopes to lower this cost as the comedy nights become a regular fixture. He has now invested in a more professional sound system ahead of the first of the events, dubbed “Laughter Loft”, on April 22. “I’m confident I’ll make the cash back in food and drinks sales,” he explains. “We’ve found most people do like a meal before, during or after. That’s one of the attractions of doing comedy rather than something like live music.” “So, what we get for ticket sales will pay for the comedians and we’ll get the boost in food and drink takings.” One of the most useful things Alan took from his experience as part of the festival, was to have decent-length break between each act, so that people have time to order more drinks.

Charity chortles

Over at the Potters Arms in Winchmore Hill, Buckinghamshire, publican Richard Edwards has made the opposite journey to Alan – his regular nights have been so successful they have inspired him to run a

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play.

Seeing the funny side …hosting the Dave comedy festival inspired The Black Horse to make comedy nights a regular thing

“

Ticket sales will pay for the comedians and we get a boost in food and drink sales

comedy festival. For the event over the May Day bank holiday (April 29 to May 1), he’s erecting a marquee on the village green, which will host the likes of Zoe Lyons and Lee Hurst, plus a kids’ comedy day on the Saturday. Tickets are going for £27.50 per night or £55 for a weekend pass and, as permission to use the village green came on the condition that all ticket sales from the event had to be donated to charity, Richard will be doing barbecues, meals and drinks from the pub to boost his coffers. “The real benefit for the business, though, is raising awareness of the pub,” he says. “We’re in a small village and even people who live quite close have no idea we’re here, so although the event is primarily for charity, it does have a direct business benefit.” He’ll be promoting the event via flyers, social media and by using the opportunity to get some free publicity from the local paper. “If you got a big name coming, offer the local newspaper a chance to interview him or her. They love it and you get a page or two of free promotion for no cost,” he explains. And if you are wondering how to get a big name to your comedy night, Richard advises using an agency — but work with them. “You need to be sure those comedians are going to resonate with your customers. Obviously you can’t be 100 per cent sure — we’ve had some flops too — but a bit of pre-screening really helps. It’s also useful to go to comedy nights yourself and find performers that way.” Once you become more established you’ll begin to make to make contacts of your own and even get comedians approaching you, as Richard now does.

HOW TO PLAY IT FOR LAUGHS GET THE KIT There’s no need to invest in a professional sound system if you are just starting out: a microphone with a long lead, an amp and speakers will suffice COST UP THE TALENT A headline act will cost between £200 and £300, an opening act around £150 and a decent MC to host the show around £175 OFFER FOOD Either as part of the ticket cost or as a part of a special deal, as this where you’ll take the most cash HAVE A BREAK Leaving 20 minutes between each act will boost drink sales SELL TICKETS ONLINE via sites such as wegottickets.com, Most add a fee for themselves but you’ll still end up with the full ticket price

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Did you know your fridge is your secret salesman? Are you making the most of this opportunity to drive sales? The packaged category, including bottled fruit ciders and craft beers stocked in the fridge, offers a signiﬁcant proﬁt opportunity for licensees.

T O P

Already worth nearly 2.4bn to the on-trade1, the category continues to grow1 in line with consumer trends.

T I P S

T O

RANGE

LAYOUT

As sub-categories currently in growth, there are always new fruit ciders and craft beers launching throughout the year, so licensees should ensure they regularly review their range to capitalise on these innovations.

Position premium products at the top of the fridge and make the most of the proﬁt margins they offer. Try multiple facings to draw the customer’s eye to certain lines.

D R I V E

S A L E S

VISIBILITY TRAINING 38% of consumers admit that visibility inﬂuences their decision2. Keep the bar clear and clean so as to not block the view of the back-bar fridge. This should also be a consideration when placing PoS – obstructing the fridge will only hide what you have on offer.

1. CGA Strategy Brand Index MAT data to 26/12/2015

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On top of that, they account for 11 per cent of on-trade volume, yet make up 17 per cent of value1 so there is huge potential to maximise proﬁt margins by making the most of the back-bar fridge.

Frequent cider and craft beer drinkers are more likely to experiment2 by trying something new, and are more likely to choose their drink at the bar — so make sure staff are trained to conﬁdently communicate the range available.

2. Peach Brand Track, July 2015

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

CASE STUDY: THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE UNLOCKING SALES POTENTIAL IN THE BACK BAR This month, the Diageo team visited West London pub, The Duchess of Cambridge to put their expert packaged products advice into action.The team evaluated till sales, current back-bar fridge merchandising and spoke with staff to identify opportunities to improve sales and provide best practice top tips. Andy Caddick, Manager of The Duchess of Cambridge,

comments: “In the past couple of years we’ve seen an increasing number of customers asking for craft beers and bottled ciders, in particular fruit ciders. “When it comes to the chilled space we’ve never had a clear merchandising strategy so we’re looking forward to seeing how this advice will affect sales – especially important with summer around the corner.”

A D V I C E

I N

A C T I O N

Sarah McCarthy, Category Development Manager at Diageo, says: “The Duchess of Cambridge has already taken the ﬁrst steps in implementing best practice for their back-bar fridge by acknowledging the popularity of fruit ciders and adding to their range accordingly. But there is lots of potential to improve sales further.To unlock these sales we shared the following advice…”

1 With more consumers interested in fruit ciders, make sure that the range matches the customer need. Carry out regular reviews to ensure both the most popular and newly launched products are always well stocked.

2 By category

blocking – separating out beers from ciders for instance – customers won’t have to search for their preferred choice and they will be more inclined to consider the rest of your range. Position premium lines at the top and give any popular lines a double facing – this is a great technique but do make sure that your fridge display looks balanced.

3 Make the most of the space available and use it to highlight any particular products or promotions.The Duchess of Cambridge has great wall ﬁxtures which can also be used to display bottled beers and ciders. Consider branded bar runners – these don’t always have to be draught brands, mix it up with a packaged product branding so that customers look past the bar and into the fridge.

4 Sampling is a

great way to train your staff on the products stocked in the fridge. Making them more knowledgeable about the range will make them more conﬁdent when discussing choices with customers.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.SPIRITS-REVOLUTION.COM

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23/03/2016 09:54

Final flourish by MATT ELEY

Cup competitions reach their zenith in May. Here’s our rundown on the ones you can’t afford to miss. You might want to put May 28 in your diary for starters...

Europa League final Wednesday, May 18. St. Jakob-Park, Basel

Champions League final Saturday, May 28. San Siro, Milan Contenders The usual suspects, which means don’t expect anyone from these shores unless Man City surprise us all. Barca, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are your safe bets. Where’s it on? BT Sport. The final concludes the broadcaster’s first season with all European rights. You don’t need a subscription to watch this game as it is available to all on BT Sport Showcase — Freeview channel 59. Think drink Obviously football fans generally love a beer but you could get the Italian mood going with some Prosecco. If Barca or Real make the final it might be worth bringing out the sangria. Food for fans Tapas should be perfect whichever team gets there but you may be wise to have a German sausage up your sleeve. Pizza is a handy, quick and Italian option to have as well.

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Contenders Interest in this has ramped up now that the eventual winners get a place in the following season’s Champions League. Liverpool have made it through to the quarter-final stages, where they will face Jürgen Klopp’s former club Borussia Dortmund, Villareal and holders Sevilla are also in the pot. Where’s it on? BT Sport Showcase, so like the Champions League final it is available for all to view. Think drink The Europa League is not the easiest sell, so a mid-week promotion may come in handy here. Food for thought As above, or you could always theme the food with the finalists.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;

play.

Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are your safe bets for the Champions League final

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FA Cup final Saturday, May 21. Wembley, London Contenders Everton, Palace and Watford are among those with a chance of applying a glossy finish to the season. Where’s it on? BBC and BT Sport, so take your pick. The good news is the game is back in its traditional slot after the conclusion of the Premier League. The teatime kick-off is not everyone’s cup of tea, though. Think drink The timing and tradition of this one can make it a family-friendly occasion. You might sell as many soft drinks as anything else. Food for thought The kick-off time (5.30pm) means you have a chance to keep people in for some food. Carlsberg research shows 65 per cent of people leave soon after full-time — but the other third want reasons to stay.

Play-off finals

May 28-30. Wembley, London Contenders Hopefuls from the Championship will be desperate to get to the Premiership on May 28, kick-off at 5pm. The League 1 and 2 finals follow at 3pm over the next two days. Where’s it on? Sky Sports. Think drink Expect lager to fly but consider beers local to the finalists to appeal to hardcore fans. Food for thought May 28 could be a bumper day of football with the Champions League final following the Championship play-off. Think about how you can get fans in early and keep them entertained for the duration.

And then there’s the rugby…

If the round ball isn’t your thing, make sure you have the following dates in your diary — and ensure you are stocked up on Guinness, Heineken and Magners: May 14 European Rugby Champions Cup final, 5.45pm, BT Sport and Sky Sports. May 28 Aviva Premiership final, 4.45pm, BT Sport.

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HOW TO HOST A CUP FINAL CREATE ZONES Give sports fans their own area to watch the game together, while others can enjoy a drink in a sports-free zone SELL THE GAME You could also go the extra mile and create collateral dedicated to specific sporting events and dress your venue with fan memorabilia associated with that specific match or sport: for example, scarfs, caps and posters of players. Keep on top of your social media too SORT OUT YOUR SCREENS Have as many screens as possible and place them strategically. Many pubs and bars now have screens behind the counter so people don’t miss out when they are ordering, while some have gone a step further and installed screens in the toilets LINK OFFERS TO ACTION Create an offer for cheaper drinks whenever something specific happens in a match; say, when a goal goes in. It is also important to include food deals and theme them around events. Pizza and a beer could be an option for the Champions League final, for example

trade.inapub.co.uk Tips from BT Sport 23/03/2016 10:21

play.

Treble top for Queen’s Head with Gary Anderson and Darts fans were given a triple treat when double PDC World Champion Gary Anderson popped by with two more stars of the game.

The Queens Head Hotel in Exeter was visited by The Flying Scotsman after winning a competition run by Inapub and Sky Sports. Gary was joined on stage by former pro and presenter Wayne Mardle who put the questions to him. Also with them was Gary’s protégé Michael Smith, the emerging talent who made his Premier League debut this year. Customers got to ask Gary their own questions and found out why victory over Phil Taylor and Michael Van Gerwen always tastes so sweet, why Andy “Pie Man” Smith is his bogeyman and how Gary took no prisoners when playing locals at his old pub. After the questions and answers Gary, Wayne and Michael posed for selfies and signed autographs for fans. Gary told Inapub that getting to a pub was a rare treat for him since becoming world champion. “I’ve got so little time to go to pubs these days. Last year I was only home 27 days. We are on the road so much. It’s good but it’s tiring. “I’m a quiet bloke so I’m a bit out of my comfort zone doing this. I’m still learning about this sort of thing.” Sean Kelly. licensee at the freehouse was thrilled to have such a packed pub on a Wednesday night, particularly as the pub was only recently saved from the threat of

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being developed into a supermarket. He said: “We successfully kept it open and community events like this are what it is all about. It really helps to put the pub on the map. It was a brilliant night having the guys and Sky come down and support us. For a midweek in Exeter it has been really good trading for us.”

Gary gets behind the bar with the team at The Queens and Wayne Mardle (far right), and signs a dartboard for licensee Sean Kelly. Protégé Michael Smith signs a fan’s .shoe

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back-bar business

Anna Mathias is a barrister with national licensing law firm Woods Whur. The niche firm acts for clients in the licensed trade throughout the country. Please contact Anna at anna@woodswhur.co.uk or on 0113 234 3055

www.woodswhur.co.uk

KEEP IT LEGAL Warm weather can bring a change in clientele — so know the rules

“

Summer tends to draw a different customer base to your door. Families are an essential part of this

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Apparently, February broke all sorts of records, weather-wise. Whatever you make of this — and of the debate about climate change — thoughts are inevitably turning to the prospect of longer days and to the hope of some decent sunshine to come. It’s time to spruce up your outside area, if you are lucky enough to have one, and to plan ahead for barbecues and outdoor music events. As I’ve said here before, it’s worth checking your licence now, to make sure that you’re covered. It doesn’t end there, though — summer tends to draw a different customer base to your door. Families are an essential part of this. Parents are more likely to bring their kids to the pub in summer, when they can run about in the open air, than during winter, when they will, likely as not, be cooped up inside. So what are the rules surrounding children in pubs? Stricter measures apply to late-night premises (open between midnight and 5am). You might benefit from a more relaxed regime if you are very strongly foodled, but the basic principle is simple: pubs cannot admit under-16s who are unaccompanied by a person aged over 18 without committing an offence. Of course, selling alcohol to children is treated extremely seriously and the risks associated with the offences surrounding that are huge, but that is another topic. Here, I am simply talking about letting kids into your pub. You should always check IDs, as you would for underage sales, if, for example,

there is a group of young people in your pub who look under 16 and do not seem to be with an adult, even if they are not attempting to purchase alcohol. Some licences have special conditions about children — excluding them from the bar and only permitting them in the restaurant or requiring that they be excluded from the premises after a certain time. Conditions like this are common, and it is worth reviewing your licence to see whether any of these apply. Depending on your location, you can boost your summertime business by attracting walkers and others who enjoy being outdoors. Quite often they will bring their four-legged friends along. Whether you allow dogs on your premises is entirely a matter for you: you can make the decision to exclude dogs from the dining area of your pub if you wish, or to ban them altogether. What will not go down well, however, with your dog-owning potential punters is a statement along the lines of “we don’t allow dogs: it’s the law” or “no dogs because of food hygiene”. They are unlikely ever to return, even without their precious pooch. Quite simply, there is no rule (unless you have an unusual condition on your licence) against allowing dogs into your pub (provided, of course, you don’t let them run free in the kitchen). As long as you stay within the law, pubs should be for everyone, especially in the summer. Here comes the sun (fingers crossed).

trade.inapub.co.uk 23/03/2016 10:40

Give your pub the website it deserves only

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Have complete control – update

it at any time, wherever you are

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pload food menus and list U beers available at the bar

Want to show off your garden, bar or those fantastic burgers your chef makes? For an additional £100 we offer a professional photoshoot to make your pub really stand out from the crowd! Order your website today 0845 230 1986 • www.inapub.co.uk/products • sales@inapub.co.uk

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inapub 22/02/2016 12:48

back-bar business

Ready to rumble Future stars of the pub trade will meet up this month at our opening Next Generation event. Around 30 licensees and managers will get together at Sky’s studios to network and hear from leading lights who will help inspire them to greater things. And we can now confirm the line-up of speakers at the event, which takes place on Monday, April 11.

Yelp for help

The day will begin with a masterclass on reviews and search by Katie Byrne, manager of local business at Yelp. Yelp was established 12 years ago and has grown to become the world’s biggest consumer review site and local guide. She will advise licensees on how reviews and search can be good for their businesses and how to maximise their online presence.

Next Generation is sponsored by

Be Spectacular

Mark McCulloch is a brand expert who has worked at major companies such as Lastminute.com, Barclaycard, YO! Sushi and Pret A Manger. In 2013 he set up WE ARE Spectacular to provide branding, marketing, digital, social media and PR advice. They have already worked with companies such as Fuller’s, Harviestoun, Anglia Country Inns and Drake & Morgan and are now going to give Next Generation members a guide on building their own brand.

Multiple opportunities

Katie Byrne will offer tips on handling reviews and search

Heineken at hand Supported by

Mark McCulloch will offer brand-building advice

Experts from Heineken will help licensees think about the beer they sell and the way they sell it. Using eye-tracking research, they will explain where people look when they approach the bar and how pubs should set up to exploit this opportunity. They will also look at ranging and help pubs create a beer offer that appeals to a wide customer base.

Our Next Generation members could be on the way to being the multiple operators of the future, so who better to help them on that path than those who have already walked it? Inapub editor Matt Eley and the Next Generation members will have a chance to put the questions to: Peter Borg-Neal The founder and owner of the multiple award-winning Oakman Inns, which has 13 pubs, primarily in the Home Counties.

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growth of the UK pub trade is a continued priority for Diageo. “Diageo is proud to be supporting Next Generation this year and we look forward to meeting the country’s best and brightest new licensees.” Becky Salisbury Runs the The Alford Arms in Frithsden, Hertfordshire, and The Royal Oak near Marlow, Buckinghamshire. The parent company Salisbury pubs has won many awards, largely in dining categories.

Look to the Sky

Our hosts for the event will provide Next Generation members with the rare chance to go behind the scenes at the studios. Guests will see where some of the shows they screen in their pubs are made and may even bump into some top telly talent along the way.

What is Next Generation?

Chris Lewis A BII Licensee of the Year and the owner of the Staffordshire based pub, bar and hotel business The Lewis Partnership. Aaron Moore-Saxton Former chief operating officer at Pizza Hut and one-time Spirit BDM. He is now managing director at Herts-based multiple Aspirational Pubs, which has won praise for its training and staff support among other things.

Spirit of the day

Spirits continue to offer pubs a huge opportunity and experts from Diageo – owner of brands such as Smirnoff, Gordon’s, Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan — will provide a practical masterclass on how pubs can up their game in this department. Ronak Mashru, sales director at Diageo GB, said: “As a global leader in beverage alcohol, supporting and driving the future

Next Generation is a networking group and a series of events for rising stars in the pub trade. It was established to bring the growing number of entrepreneurs in the trade together. We have attracted members from all over the UK who are typically licensees with a few years’ experience running their own pubs or managers and deputies with aspirations of furthering their careers and potentially running their own businesses in the future. Our first event is in London and others are planned later this year for Bristol and Manchester. We are always on the lookout for new members to join and attend the events. There are still a few spaces left for the London event. Details for the other two events will be available soon. To register your interest in joining and attending simply email us at:

nextgen@inapub.co.uk …and we will be in touch with the rest. There is no cost to join or to attend Next Generation events for members.

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time at the bar Scotland’s Thistle Pub Company is investing £250,000 in its seven sites to make them more accessible for customers with specialist needs. The Wheel in Scone has become the first pub in Scotland to be fitted with a “Changing Places toilet” for customers with complex physical disabilities. It also has a free to use sensory room to offer therapy to people with limited communication skills. Changes at the other six sites will include lower bar areas for wheelchair access, larger lettering on signage and side lights on walkways for partially sighted guests, allong with training for managers. Thistle chairman Alan Stewart said: “These renovations will go a long way to fulfilling our ethos of serving the widest community possible. We hope they ensure families and friends from all walks of life have an enjoyable experience when they visit us.”

THE COLLECTION TIN What pubs around the country are doing to help good causes The White Horse and The Jolly Sailors in North Norfolk’s Brancaster Staithe have raised £2,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support. The pubs are part of the Anglia Country Inns group, which has raised £28,000 for the cause over the last 12 years. Harvester has hit the £400,000 milestone as it celebrates a 10-year partnership with Make–A-Wish UK, the charity that grants wishes to children with lifethreatening conditions.

An award-winning pub has further bolstered its credentials as a major asset to its community with a successful fundraising drive. The Three Lions in Farncombe, Surrey, raised £2,588 for Skillway – a local charity that supports teenagers by teaching them craft skills and helping them approach training and apprenticeships. The cash was raised through collection tins, New Year’s Eve ticket sales and a music festival. Sarah Firth (left), who runs the pub with husband Colin, is pictured presenting a cheque to Skillway chief executive Vivien Gillman. The pub was named Shepherd Neame’s pub of the year for 2015.

Former rugby stars Andy Gomarsall, Lee Mears and Ollie Phillips have been speaking at Young’s pubs across the capital to help raise money for Wooden Spoon, the rugby charity for children. TV presenter Jeff Stelling was due to complete 10 walking marathons in 10 days with Carlsberg for Prostate Cancer UK. The 60-year-old was walking from his home town club of Hartlepool to Wembley.

Are you raising funds for a great cause? Let us know at editorial@inapub.co.uk

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PLATE OR SLATE? Where the nation’s publicans stand on the really big questions Lee Price

The Royal Pier Aberystwyth Lee Price is a former BII Licensee of the Year and the man in charge at the Royal Pier in Aberystwyth. The multi-faceted venue boasts a range of businesses including pub The Inn on the Pier, a brasserie, amusement arcade, ice-cream parlour and a snooker and pool hall.

Plate or slate?

Big night out or a meal with friends?

Plate. There’s nothing worse than a hostile stare from your better half as you mop the peppercorn sauce that fell off an open-sided stone from a crisp white table cloth with a chunky chip.

If you’re keeping the right company, one should lead to the other.

Background music or silence is golden?

Dress up or dress down? So long as the celebration allows it, dress down. A shorter spell in front of the mirror means more time with your squad.

Background music. Loud enough to block out the dirty laundry, but pitched at a level that doesn’t smother your own conversation.

Mustard cords or skinny jeans?

Brass or chrome fittings?

Packet of scratchings or Michelin Stars?

Nothing reflects light, radiates warmth and oozes quality quite like brass. Especially on a coffin. If mine doesn’t have solid brass handles, someone’s getting haunted.

Snaffling Pig’s black pepper scratchings. By the pallet.

Table service or order at the bar? Today’s customer likes to be self-sufficient, and hates to wait. A flexible service model that possesses the ability to decrease wasted time, and create a more enjoyable guest experience, is a must.

Skinny jeans. Tight on the ankle, snug on the thighs, easy on the eyes.

Live sport or big screen bans? Live sport. There is no better place to witness the highs and lows of your team’s journey than immersed with fellow countrymen in the unmatched atmosphere of an energy-packed pub.

Wear what you like or uniforms for the staff?

A uniform promotes equality and solidarity amongst the team, and guarantees that staff are easily recognisable to the customers so they know who to approach for service or support.

Family-friendly or keep the kids at home? Family friendly. The pub is a memorymaking machine and should be a place for young, old, and everyone in between.

Dogs allowed or the only animals are on the menu? Provided they are reasonably clean and kept on a lead, tail-waggers are always welcome for a chicken-flavoured Snuffle and free doggy biscuits with their thirsty walkers.

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time at the bar

YOUR ROUND Got something to say? Share your thoughts with the trade here Tweets of the Month

@thesunlepton It’s not only pubs in Cornwall opening community libraries within their pub. We open ours 18th March. @churchJQ @inapub magazine have kindly included us in their splendid publication this month! Thank you! @BII Don’t miss @inapub’s Next Generation event. Perfect if you’re an entrepreneurial #licensee or new to the industry.

In response to Inapub poll on Brexit… @RoyalOakTN8 IN or OUT? Whether you’re with Cameron & Corbyn or Bojo & Galloway, you’re welcome in our INN

On Inapub’s trip to Bristol… @DavidAGraham Issue with that trendy display stuff is it’s not chilled. Same problem with boxed Cider at “The Stable” restaurant @davidhbishop @beerdcolston craft beer + pizza! Works for me. Following your journey with interest as Bristol is not so far for me!

See p10-12 for what we found on our Bristol expedition

You do the maths... again Dear Editor I read your article “You do the maths” on pages 41 and 42 (Inapub March) with interest. Fortunately I understood maths long before I became a business owner. You try to explain in point 2, page 42 “Working from your menu price” that a £10 dish has £2 worth of VAT. This is wrong and as such you have misled all of your readers suggesting in this example that a £10 dish including VAT with a £3.25 cost of materials leads only to 59 per cent GP when it is far closer to 61 per cent. The schoolboy error was made thinking that to remove 20 per cent you simply take off 20 per cent of the price! The reverse calculation is more like reduce by 16.7 per cent to remove VAT, but it’s far easier than that in fact. The fact is that a £10 meal includes £1.67 VAT, not £2. If a £12 meal includes £2 VAT a £10 meal cannot also include £2 VAT. To remove VAT from any figure simply divide that figure by 1.2 or to add VAT multiply by 1.2 – easy. It works every time because that’s how maths works. So in summary I did do the maths and got better results than you! Colin Clark Hilton House Hotel Hilton, Derbyshire

Editor Matt Eley replies: Yeah, but if you carry the one and multiply X by y2 then you get the GP of a …no, OK, you’re right Colin. Thank you for pointing it out, our heads are hung in shame.

Wychwood winner! Congratulations to Martin Wright, licensee at The Chequers in Swinford, Leicestershire. He is the winner of the King Star craft lager competition we ran earlier in the year. The New River Pub Company pub’s prize is two kegs — 175 pints — of Wychwood’s new creation plus a font install, point-of-sale and a dozen branded pint and half-pint glasses.

175 pints of Wychwood’s WIN new lager King Star There’s a new star in the world of craft beer and Inapub readers have the chance to win enough to put hundreds of extra pounds in their tills. King Star lager is the latest offering from the Wychwood Brewery in Oxfordshire and one lucky reader could get their hands on 175 pints. The prize will be more than enough to chase away those January blues. The 4.8 per cent ABV lager has been developed by the team behind beers such as the hugely successful Hobgoblin and is set to be one of the stars of 2016. Brewed with English pale malted barley and dry-hopped with Styrian Goldings, the result is a full-bodied English lager laced with flavour and a hint of sweetness. Jo Wyke, senior brand manager for Hobgoblin and Wychwood, says: “This is a real innovation and we are looking forward to customers’ and consumers’ feedback. We’ve already conducted initial research which in short says — this is just what lager needs!”

THE PRIZE To mark the launch of King Star, Wychwood is offering one Inapub reader two 50-litre kegs of the beer, which equates to 175 pints. The team will come to your pub to install the new font and will provide you with 12 branded pint glasses, 12 branded half-pint glasses and a range of point-of-sale to promote King Star. To be in with a chance of winning just answer the simple question below. Where is the ancestral home of King Star? a) Wild Wood b) Wychwood c)The New Forest Email your answer, name, pub name and contact details to kingstar@inapub.co.uk Please put ‘King Star comp’ in the subject line.

To find out more about King Star or to request an install please call

0800 587 0773 trade.inapub.co.uk p63 King Star comp.indd 63

The winning pub must be eligible to stock King Star. No other prize is available. The closing date is February 1, 2016. The winner will be picked at random and informed in February. The Editor’s choice is final. For full T&Cs see trade.inapub.co.uk

JANUARY 2016 63 15/12/2015 03:27

Email your views to editorial@inapub.co.uk or tweet @inapub

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23/03/2016 11:32

CRAZY HANGOVER CURES TOP

Remedies for the morning after from around the world 1. Raw herring, pickles & onion

6. Sprite

The German word for hangover translates roughly as “wailing cats” and after a session or two in a bierkeller you’ll know exactly what they mean. So maybe they’ve come up with a cure that really works? It might do – if you could only face a plate of rollmops and onion on a dicky tummy…

Pretty much everyone gets the urge to reach for a can of pop when they are feeling worse for wear but, which to go for? Chinese researchers tested 57 drinks and found that a can of Sprite was the most effective in tackling a raging hangover. Something to do with lots of sugar and no caffeine.

2. Sparrow droppings in brandy

7. Dried bull penis

This is reportedly an old, and now rather obscure, Hungarian cure. It’s certainly disgusting, and given all the bacteria and parasites involved, most likely dangerous so we’ll be sticking to the more civilised Hungarian tradition of lazing about one of its famed thermal spas for the day instead.

If you’ll excuse the pun, this is a bona fide cure for hangovers in Sicily due to the high protein, vitamins and minerals contained in animal willies.

3. Nashi pears OK, strictly speaking this is a preventative measure rather than a cure — but it’s a good one. According to Australian scientists the severity of a hangover is between 16 and 21 per cent reduced if you chug back the juice of these helpful fruits, also known as Asian pears, before you hit the bottle.

4. Rubbing lemon (or lime) juice into your armpit This one hails from Puerto Rico, where it is said to combat dehydration. We can safely say this is total nonsense and guaranteed not to work.

5. Prairie Oyster An American invention of the late 19th century, to make this morning-after-the-night-before treat just crack an egg yolk into a glass, add Tabasco Sauce, salt, pepper and vinegar, and scull it. Just don’t confuse it with the other Prairie Oyster — cowboy favourite calves’ testicles.

8. Pickled plums If this actually sounds like not such a bad option given some of the others on this list, think again. For, while Japan’s umeboshi plums are credited with a number of health benefits including helping the liver process alcohol, they are eye-wateringly sour.

9. Hair of the dog Not so much a cure as a delay of the inevitable, but a classic Bloody Mary works well here (clean spirit plus vitamins and antioxidants in the tomato juice). For those in need of an alternative, then the Inapub team can also reveal a shandy to be a top option – light on the alcohol with a touch of sugar.

10. Bacon sandwich Last, but by no means least, comes the humble bacon sarnie, which has been scientifically proven to cure a hangover. Boffins at Newcastle University studied the breakfast of champions and discovered the combination of bread and bacon actually helped to rid the body of booze more quickly. “Something complicated about amino acids,” said one of the science geeks.

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23/03/2016 11:36

time at the bar

HAIR OF THE DOG Tales of the unexpected from the wonderful world of pubs ? Urine Want to play in my band ldn’t resist ryone’s taste but we cou Toilet humour is not to eve st Sussex. Ea rst, ehu Tic at The Bell in this photo of the urinals the keg r after we posted about It was sent to us via Twitte . 12) Bristol (see pages 10urinals we discovered in out there some touchy musicians be l No doubt there wil brass the on g kin ma is ment this taking offence at the com section of the orchestra, but we couldn’t resist. Plus we reckon you could get quite an interesting tune going on in there after a few pints.

Time at the bar How long do people spend at the bar? Just over two minutes apparently, according to research by pubLAB and D Media. The diligent researchers spent hours in a Cambridge pub monitoring the length of time it took for people to get served. The average was 2 mins 23 seconds, with a range from 32 seconds to a shoe-shuffling 6 mins and 13 seconds. The research found that single women spent 30 per cent longer at the bar than men and the older you are the longer you are likely to be at the bar. If you add food to an order time goes up by 39 per cent. We’ll try and not get too twitchy when we don’t get served after 30 seconds from now on.

66 APRIL 2016

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Legless in Doncaster... or is that Streatham? It’s amazing how quickly things can go viral on social media these days. Take the story of a prosthetic leg being left outside a pub in Doncaster. Who left that there? Surely someone is missing that? Just, why? Asked the world’s media when the photo turned up on Facebook. The only thing is the exact same photo appeared a few months earlier and was in fact taken outside a pub in Streatham, South London. Now that doesn’t solve the mystery of who was left legless in the first place but it serves as a reminder that things that go viral may not always be what they appear.

Hats off to the P rincess Royal

Prosthetic legs ar e one thing but at the other end and body, we ha of the scale, ve chefs’ hats. Ho spitality uniform ists Denny’s rece specialntly received a vis it from the Prince She was presen ss Royal. ted with personal ised chefs’ hats three granddaugh for her ters, which caus ed quite a stir on 48,000 impressio Twitter. ns and 2,500 en gagements help 186-year-old ed give the company quite the online lift. So, basically, get a royal in the pub, serve them a drink, snap it and, hey presto, your business will be an internet sensation. Easy .

trade.inapub.co.uk 23/03/2016 11:41

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23/03/2016 13:08

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