Inapub magazine february 2017 issue 62 by inapub

inapub

Issue 62 February 2017 £3.95 trade.inapub.co.uk

Heaven in Hull

Out on the scene in 2017’s City of Culture p01 cover v2.indd 1

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herever our pub travels take us, we always find ideas worth pinching and sharing with you. This month is no exception with the team heading to the UK’s City of Culture, Hull, to see what it has to offer. The licensees in the city are full of creativity and again show how pubs are positively adapting to the varied challenges they face (see pages 12-15). Brexit could fairly be labelled as a challenge for the trade, whether you wanted it or not. Good operators are also viewing it as an opportunity, especially where accommodation is concerned. This month we look at how the weakened pound could attract tourists and how you can get them to your pub. That turning a negative into a positive attitude is common among the best business people inside and outside of this trade. They are always looking for the next way to grow their operations and to do something different, whatever the circumstances. Hopefully you might find one or two things in this month’s Inapub that will help you do just that. Cheers!

this month To Hull and back • A pub with a fossil museum

drink New products• Category Insights • Mixed drinks

eat Condiments • Reviews• Cornish scallops

play A pub with a zoo• Robbie Savage • Events this month

stay Making the most of the Brexit boost to tourism

Editor Matt Eley 07538 988 296 • matte@inapub.co.uk

50 back-bar business Instagram for business • Counterfeit cigarettes

time at the bar Your charity work • Top 10 flowery menu descriptions

Deputy editor Robyn Black 07909 251 231 • robynb@inapub.co.uk Eat writer Bronya Smolen 07967 634 624 • bronya@inapub.co.uk Production editor Ben Thrush 07810 620 169 • ben@inapub.co.uk

Chief executive Barrie Poulter 07908 144 337 • barrie@inapub.co.uk Sales & marketing director Matt Roclawski 07950 447 488 • mattr@inapub.co.uk

Visit us online at trade.inapub.co.uk

Sales manager Leah Gauthier 07884 868 364 • leah@inapub.co.uk Subscriptions trade.inapub.co.uk/magazine 0800 160 1986 • subscriptions@inapub.co.uk

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POSTCARD from the pub frontline

Bermondsey Pub Company is helping schoolchildren learn about the world of business — and even giving them some cash to get started. Eleven-year-olds on the Putting Young Minds to Work scheme will look at product development, costings, budgeting, marketing and sales before launching their own business with a £40 loan. They will then pitch their ideas Dragons Den-style to a panel including members of the Bermondsey Pub Company team, before enjoying lunch and tours around pubs in the estate. Bermondsey is working with social impact company

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Stride Ventures, as part of a government drive to give pupils employable skills from an early age. Pubs taking part include The Sir John Balcombe, Marylebone; The Duchess of Cambridge, Hammersmith; The Two Brewers, Marlow; The St James, Bermondsey; The Fox, Twickenham; and The White Lion, Amersham. Bermondsey operations director Richard Woodard said: “Pubs will always be a central hub for the local community and this scheme gives us the chance to support and develop the school children who are part of those communities.” Bermondsey is part of Enterprise Inns’ managed estate.

FEBRUARY 2017

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IN THE TRADE THIS MONTH Pubs most popular choice for dining out

TOP STORIES ON TRADE.INAPUB.CO.UK

The great British pub has been confirmed as the go-to destination for eating out in the evening, according to the Greene King Leisure Spend Tracker. A hearty 37 per cent of respondents identified it as the place to go, followed by restaurants (35 per cent) and fast-food outlets (12 per cent).

The Inapub Alternative Awards

Craft beers boost Scottish pub scene

6 unusual uses for beer this Dry January

Soft drinks and craft beer are driving growth in Scottish pubs. The Scottish Licensed Trade Association’s new year review reveals 75 per cent of venues saw growth in those categories — compared to 63 per cent seeing growth in spirits. The report, based on a survey of 600 pubs, shows 56 per cent of venues are in growth or stable, with 44 per cent in decline.

10 pubs redefining what a pub can offer

So what exactly is a pub?

BII Licensee of the Year entries open The search is on for the BII Licensee of the Year 2017. The competition recognises top individuals or partners in the industry. Licensees can nominate themselves or be nominated by colleagues, customers or suppliers at www.bii.org. The closing date for entries is February 28.

Value of pub properties is on the rise The value of a pub has increased, according to business property adviser Christie & Co. The company saw a drop in pubs coming to market in 2016, but the average property price was up 4.4 per cent. The drop in the number of pubs coming to market has been pinned on high running costs and “difficulties faced by the sector”.

Harness the power of Hygge

Fisherman’s friend Kath Duffy has celebrated her 35th anniversary as landlady at the Newcastle Packet, Scarborough with her locals and regulars. She took on the pub in 1982 after her hairdressing business in Middlesbrough was demolished to make room for a flyover. Kath said: “A customer recently reminded me, when I first stepped foot in the pub in 1982 I exclaimed in horror ‘what have we moved here for?’ Now I wouldn’t be anywhere else.” The Newcastle Packet, owned by Star Pubs & Bars, has flourished under Kath, who focuses on the fishing heritage of the seafront pub by lining the walls with photos of Scarborough’s former fishermen.

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this month.inapub THE WAY I SEE IT CHRIS JAY

TWEET ALL ABOUT IT

Ignoring disability will cost your business

Here are just a few things we were talking about on Twitter this month…

The Business Disability Forum estimates more than 3.6 million disabled people walk away from pubs and restaurants because of poor disability awareness. This is estimated to cost the industry as much as £147.8m a month. The issue of accessibility is even more serious for pubs than that, though. Last year, a report from the House of Lords argued that pubs which are failing to provide access for disabled people should not be granted licences. But closing pubs isn’t the answer. The solution lies in developing awareness to create more inclusive environments, while adapting and adjusting spaces. This can begin with something as simple as a portable ramp or adjusting the layout of tables to create adequate space for wheelchair users and those with mobility issues. Pubs should also make it very clear they have a disabled toilet — and make sure it does not become a storage space for surplus stock or get used as a staff dressing room. Consider things like the height availability of cutlery, disabled parking spaces, quieter areas for those with sensory issues and menu options in braille and large font. Most of all, make your staff fully aware of disability and help them to understand that the vast majority of disabilities cannot be seen. If a pub chooses to be an inclusive establishment, then a person with a disability will almost certainly return.

Our #vegan and #vegetarian butternut curry was @inapub dish of the week! @RedLionHoltHth Breweries & pubs shouldn’t be whingeing about #DryJanuary but should up their non-alcohol game imo @DerekWainwright Oh my gosh @inapub. How did we miss the Scotch Egg Awards?! Love this. Such a great #barsnack to offer in a #pub. Can’t wait to see who wins @runapub Pubs should up their game on accessibility & inclusion to benefit from the spending power of disabled people #worldbrailleday @DisabilitySmart

Chris Jay is executive chairman of disability awareness charity Enable Me, which offers guidance on improving disability awareness and inclusivity in pubs

2,000

Pubs now listed as Assets of Community Value CAMRA

Find us online every month at trade.inapub.co.uk @inapub

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@inapub

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Giant Merangz

Shropshire company Flower & White has created not big, not large, not even huge, but Giant Merangz in two flavours: caramel and mocha. Top them with cream or smash them up with compôte for a truly stupendous-sized pud. sales@flower&white.co.uk

Stan’s

Thatchers is rolling out the barrel in honour of second generation cidermaker Stan Thatcher, by renaming its traditional craft cider range. Stan’s will include two new canned ciders– the first traditional canned ciders launched by the company - called Barrel Roller and Leaf Twister. They join Trad, Cheddar Valley and Big Apple, which will be available on draught and in bag-in -box. www.thatcherscider.co.uk

Belgian Sugared Waffles

We don’t mean to waffle on about it but the pub brunch and breakfast market is sizzling right now and to help you make the most of it, Country Range has just launched this range of authentic Belgian Sugared Waffles. The individually packed microwavable waffles just need a dollop of yogurt and fruit and they’re ready for your menu. www.countryrange.co.uk

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FEBRUARY 2017

Stuff

What’s new in the pub this month

Peroni Nastro Azzuro Gluten Free

Gluten-intolerant customers can now tolerate a lager with this version of the Italian brand, available from food and drink supplier CQS. Endorsed by the Italian Coeliac Association, the 5.1 per cent ABV lager has the same “delicate balance of bitterness and citrus aromatic notes as the original,” according to the company. www.continental-food.co.uk

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this month.

Rocky Road ice-cream

We’d love to road test this one – New Forest Ice Cream has combined dark chocolate, pink & white marshmallows, cherries and crunchy biscuit pieces into this one sweet treat. The new Rocky Road flavour is also made without eggs, in a nut-free environment. www.newforesticecream.com

Fairfields Farm Tortillas

Fairfields Farm may be based in Essex, but it’s transporting customers to Mexico with a new tortilla range. The tortillas are available in two flavours, Nacho Cheese and Jalapeño & Lime. Pair them with a Mexican beer plus a lime wedge and away you go, amigos. www.fairfieldsfarmcrisps.co.uk

Bintang

From Bali to Britain: Indonesia’s favourite beer has arrived in the UK for the first time. Imported by Kingfisher Beer Europe the brew is a 4.7 per cent ABV pilsner-style lager that was first launched over 85 years ago. The company believes it is ideally positioned to capitalise on the trends for Pan-Asian food and authentic world beers. info@kbebrands.co.uk

Asahi Super Dry glassware

Tarte Tatin Normande

If you thought apple tart couldn’t get any better, then think again. Pâtisserie producer Brioche Pasquier has created a Tarte Tatin Normande, made with sweet caramelised apple slices and flaky pastry plus a layer of crème pâtissière. They are sold as individual tartlets, so are perfect for serving up to customers who don’t want to share. One spoon only, s’il vous plait. 01908 266 700

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Did you know Asahi means “rising sun” and was Japan’s first karakuchi or “dry beer”? Now you do. You might also like to know that Japan’s number one beer has unveiled new glassware in the UK – frosted to “communicate the brand’s super premium positioning.” Half pint, pint-to-the-line and pint-to-the-brim glasses are available. 01795 532 206

FEBRUARY 2017

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We’ve got your February covered The pick of the Premier League and so much more, including:

St Helens v Leeds Rhinos

Premier League Darts

Thursday 9 February, 8pm Betfred Super League

Thursday 9, 16 & 23 February, 7pm PDC Darts

Burnley v Chelsea

Bournemouth v Man City

Sunday 12 February, 1.30pm Premier League

Norwich v Ipswich

Sunday 26 February, 12pm Sky Bet Championship

Monday 13 February, 8pm Premier League

EFL Cup Final

Sunday 26 February EFL Cup

Arsenal v Hull

Saturday 11 February, 12.30pm Premier League

Ospreys v Munster

Saturday 18 February, 5.15pm Guinness PRO12 Rugby

Tottenham v Stoke*

Sunday 26 February, 12pm Premier League

Raising the bar for live sport

08442 414 569 *Kick off may change to 1.30pm subject to EFL Cup Final commitments. Fixtures may be subject to change. Sky Sports requires a Sky subscription, equipment and installation. Further terms apply. Calls to Sky cost 7p per minute plus your provider’s access charge. Correct at time of print 23.01.17.

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Culture club Hull kicked off its year as the UK City of Culture with a week-long light show that local licensees reported delivered “Friday takings every day.” As they gear up for rest of the year, though, what do Hull’s pubs have in store for residents and visitors alike? We headed to the Humber to see what we could find. The Mission

Posterngate This historic build ing opened its doors in 1926 and the impressive staine d glass windows in the “church” remai n a feature. Coffee and a carvery draw in a family -friendly crowd during the day and at night th e huge space turn s into a nightclub. Bar worker Nicola Meaks says: “We’ve go t links with the local council so that visitors on of cial tours come in for a coffee or some lunch. It boosts business and th e pub’s pro le.”

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80 Days Bierh

Princes Avenue aus As the name sugg ests it’s world beer all ro und at this neighbourhood m icropub. Quirky décor maintains the theme, featuring a mod el hot air balloon, beer mem orabilia and a festive wreath made of beer bottle caps. Man ager Aidan Crow (pictured) says: “We give as much attention to our soft drinks as our beers and spirits. We serve Fritz-Kola, a Germ an craft soda brand, which is really popular.”

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Furley & Co

Princes Dock Street area This venue has turned its smoking fact into the Eel ard” a nod to the the that, back in the day, that’s where ). eel catch would be stored until sold as Original décor characterises indoors ting well, with key kegs turned into ligh features. “Freakshakes” bring in the hordes. Manager Dee Laud says: “For are the City of Culture celebrations we to k offering a different dish each wee d sala k highlight another culture. A Gree e went well and we’ve plans for mor exotic dishes such as peanut butter chicken, as well.”

Head of Steam

Trinity Square A make your own Bloody Mary board, complete with a slice of bacon, proves popular with weekend punters. Otherwise we’d recommend ordering the “fully loaded fat chips” with fries cunningly cut to create a scoop for all the lovely toppings. General manager Craig McPhail (pictured above) says: “Hull’s rst street food van, erb Edge, rent the kitchen from us and they do really great food with a local twist.”

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Pave

Princes Aven ue A section of wall in this size venue is ded icated to loca able l artists, who can dis play their w orks to punters. The artist is cha nge two months and all art is d every available to buy. Manage r Rich Stockdale sa ys: “It’s a gr eat talking point and th ere’ to be feature s lots of demand d. It ts in w ith our philosophy of being a loca l, independent business.”

Ye Olde White Harte

Silver Street The so-called “plotting room” upstairs in this Georgian pub is allegedly where the Civil Wa r started in 1642. There’s als o a mystery skull that was found in the walls, which the pub uses as inspiration for its Chr istmas decoration, with a tree decorated with mini skulls. Licensee Mike Woollas says: “We’ve got a lot of unused space ups tairs, which I am hoping to open up this year, turning it into a craft beer and gin bar.”

Watch more of our pub adventures around Hull at trade.inapub.co.uk

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this month.

The George Hotel

Land of Green Ginger One of the oldest hostelries in the city , nestled in the street with the best name ever (fact) and boasting England’s smallest window. Landlor d Alan Barnes joined forces with othe r local licensees to create and promote an Ale Trail, which brings in punters from far and wide. Alan says:“I’m hoping to get funding from the City of Culture funds to create a small museum in our courtyard, whi ch I hope will encourage tourists not just to come and take photos but stay and have a drink as well.”

The Minerva

Nelson Street Gin’s become the thing at this 1800s pub built on land reclaimed from the Humber. The team hold an annual gin festival and have just invested in a “gin caravan” to take its offer of 40 gins to more events and private parties this year. Assistant manager Sophie Parkinson says:“Our gin ﬂights go down a storm. For £5.95 customers get a half measure of three gins of their choice, three perfectly matched garnishes and a bottle of Fever Tree tonic.”

The People’s Republic

Newland Avenue ray, of Beautiful Launched last year by local guitarist Dave Rothe and a whisky South fame, this bar features a crisp, beer, album ary’s favourites of the month, all nominated by customers – Janu Golden Wonder included Searching for Sugar Man (album) and le get a free shot Haggis crisps. Founder Dave Rotheray says: Peop played. It’s just if they recognise the album of the month being er with the a way for the staff to have a bit of fun and bant empty life would be customers really — and it reminds us all how without music and crisps.”

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FAMOUS FOR AN ICTHYOSAUR

Ben Thrush meets a publican curator keeping Dorset’s past alive

It’s not only fossils in the museum — also on display are stone age tools, clay pipes, shipwreck salvage, a gigantic crab and… what the hell is that? “That was a rabbit, then it got converted into a bat,” says Charlie, “My friend Karen makes crazy things and this was one of them.”

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“It’s just a little museum in a pub but a lot of people don’t realise we have some quite significant specimens in here,” owner/licensee Charlie Newman tells me at The Square & Compass. “This pterosaur wingbone is one of the largest in the country. It would have had a wingspan of about five metres.” We’re standing in a small backroom, the kind that in another pub might house a pool table or a few diners. This one is an Aladdin’s cave of artefacts telling the story of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast over millions of years. The icythosaur is a prize exhibit. “My theory is it died of indigestion. The stomach is rammed with fish vertebrae. Probably there was some ecological event that meant a lot of fish suffocating, and the icthyosaur ate so many it perished.” Charlie has both fossils and the pub in his blood. Newmans have run the pub since his great-grandfather’s day, this being their 110th year. “I’m sure we’ll have a small party,” Charlie adds with a wink. His father Raymond (pictured above), was born on the premises, and gave him the collecting bug. “I take the dogs for a walk down the beach and usually come back with something,” says Charlie. He has recently turned his attention to micro-fossils, which involves carting tons of mud back from the beach, drying it out (“the missus throws a hissy at me when she finds the Aga full of dinosaur”), then picking through the dust with a sharpened cocktail stick. He also produces the Square & Compass’s cider, from orchards he restored himself. How does he find the time to run a pub? “I’ve taken a bit of a back seat and my friend Kevin manages the pub,” he explains. Kevin and his partner Jean also brew the pub’s ales under the name Hattie

Brown’s, and he also books the live music. “We get serious musicians from all over the world, we’re on the circuit,” adds Charlie. Food is pies and pasties — it needs to be simple as service is restricted to two small hatches. Do they ever think about putting in a longer bar? “No, no, no, no,” says Charlie. He now owns the freehold but a former owner “nearly ruined this place in the ’70s. We managed to stop them gutting it, and it’s now recognised by CAMRA as a national historic interior.” Having grown up in the pub, Charlie has seen its customer base evolve. As the local farmers and quarrymen who patronised the pub dwindled, holidaymakers have moved in. “I haven’t got an issue with the second home people,” he says. “They do tend to use the place when they’re here.” They come because the pub feels as much part of the local landscape as the ammonites piled up by the window. Sitting by the fire with a pint of Moonlight as Kevin banters with the regulars and Charlie’s sister Mary drops in to regale visitors with tales of the pub in days gone by, I’m struck by two things. Firstly, that in a rapidly changing industry there is still an appetite for continuity and a traditional pub welcome. Secondly, that running a pub can offer the freedom to indulge a passion and create something both unique and economically viable. As Kevin puts it: “One thing we’re very good at is being different. But we’re not deliberately different, we just are what we are. “Just do something you believe in. It might not make you lots of money initially, but you might hit on a good idea and people will love it. They’ll come and see it, and the word gets out.”

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this month.

The Sq Compasuare & s, Matrave Worth rs, Dors et Dates fr om: c.170 0 Events: Fossil ro adshow, pumpkin fe Food: Ga stival me parce l, cheese & veg pasty Online:

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drink There’s no doubt things have improved when it comes to cocktails and mixed drinks in pubs — I can’t remember the last time I was served a G&T in a Paris goblet with the option of ice if I “want it” — but there is still a long way to go. A lot of what is on offer is unimaginative. There’s also a lot of inconsistency, not just from pub to pub, but also from bartender to bartender. Even where cocktails are done brilliantly, the promotion of them is often woeful. This will become more of a problem as drinkers become more adept at making mixed drinks at home, which is what’s happening right now. Social media sites are full of homemade versions of classic drinks to inspire; cookery magazines and websites have plenty of recipes and food matching ideas; cocktail experts are frequent guests on foodie shows to show you how it’s done — and now the brand owners are getting in on the action too. Pernod Ricard has announced it will launch its revolutionary OPN

with ROBYN BLACK

system for homes in early 2018. The pioneering technology was originally unveiled in 2014 and comprises containers of spirits connected to the internet via a docking station. The system monitors what’s left in the “bottles”, informing the rest of the system about which drinks can be made based on what’s available. It connects to a database of more than 300 cocktail recipes, provides step-by-step instructions and even has a measured pouring system. It stands to reason people who are able to make decent cocktails at home are going to demand even better drinks when out and about, something which would currently be a challenge for most pubs. Perhaps you don’t do cocktails. I’ll bet you sell beer, though. Keep an eye on AB InBev’s joint initiative with coffee maker Keurig, then, to “develop a counter-top appliance to dispense alcoholic drinks at home”. That’s drinks including beer. There’s no doubt about it, your entire drinks range needs constant attention and improvement in this day and age.

It stands to reason people who are able to make decent cocktails at home are going to demand even better drinks when out and about

COMMERCIAL BREAKDOWN BRITISH BEER ALLIANCE • There’s a beer for that The cross-industry initiative to promote beer is calling for more pubs to take part in events such as beer and food matching nights as it beefs up its on-trade activity this year.

COURVOISIER • Toast of Paris The Cognac brand is continuing its cocktail competition, to push the boundaries of the Cognac category for the second year. Entries close on March 3, with the final in Paris in May.

AB INBEV • Bud Chopper Budweiser launched its first helicopter delivery service last month to reward Plymouth Argyle fans for their 580-mile round trip to support their team in Liverpool. Returning supporters were met with 10,000 free beers.

20 FEBRUARY 2017

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drink. Cousin Jack

Liverpool Rum

Five pence from every pint of this English pale ale sold will be donated by brewer St Austell to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The four per cent ABV beer was launched by Cornish rugby star Jack Nowell (below) who is the St Austell Brewery’s Charitable Trust ambassador. staustellbrewery.co.uk

Inspired by the city’s shipping heritage, Liverpool Rum is a 16-year-old rum distilled in Trinidad that is finished in American oak ex-bourbon barrels. At 43 per cent ABV, it is recommended as a sipping rum or as a base for the Liverpool Storm, a twist on the Dark & Stormy made with Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer, lime and rum. halewood-int.com

On the bar Kelly Henfrey, The Constitution, Pimlico, London

Look out for... Franziskaner Alkoholfrei

This alcohol-free German wheat beer joins AB InBev’s portfolio of low and no-alcohol beers in the UK. It is described as having hints of citrus, banana and spice and works well with salad and grilled chicken dishes. ab-inbev.com

71 Lager

New Dundee-based craft brewer 71 Brewing has launched what will be its flagship lager: 71 Lager. The team modelled the brew closely on a classic Bohemian pilsner, using Czech hops, pilsner malt and local water, which is said to have low mineral content just like that of Pilsen itself. 71brewing.com

Funkin Pro Beetroot Shrub Syrup

Shrubs — drinks made of fruits and/or veg, sugar and acid (either fruit juice or vinegar) — are growing in popularity in the on-trade, and Funkin has launched this version to help licensees who don’t want to make their own. Made with beetroot juice concentrate, rosemary extract and spirit vinegar, it is the first commercially available shrub on the market, Funkin says. funkinpro.co.uk

Because of where the pub is in London, we get a lot of tourists and passing trade, but this is also a very residential area, so we’ve got the regulars as well. There’s a pub around the corner that has made quite a name for itself for doing cask ale, so we made a decision not to go chasing that. We’ve therefore gone more for craft beers and offer a decent choice of those in bottle. Lager is still a big seller for us. We’ve got Brooklyn Lager on tap, which is popular, and I’d like to find an English one next. The other areas we concentrate on include gin — we offer 10 different ones. More generally, cocktails are something we are developing. We have a menu already but it needs a tweak.

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CATEGORY INSIGHTS As we head into 2017, we reveal our annual Category Insights feature. Using our own insider knowledge and Mintel research, together with expert comment, we take a look at the health of each drinks category in turn and ask what lies ahead for the next 12 months

CAS

29%

of drinkers are willing to spend more than £4 a pint

What price a pint of ale in 2017? The good news is that one in five UK adults drinks ale, whether it is in the form of bitters, IPAs, golden ales or stouts. Furthermore beer fans are relatively frequent tipplers, with 62 per cent of them stating they drink beer on a weekly basis and 30 per cent doing so several times a week. After that though, the outlook gets a touch gloomier for a category that remains worryingly price sensitive, particularly in the out-of-home market, where 71 per cent of beer drinkers say they are not prepared to pay more than £4 per pint. A hefty 20 per cent of those pub drinkers are not even prepared to break the £3 per pint barrier — a price that, as Mintel’s Chris Wisson notes, is becoming “increasingly rare.” “£2 to £2.49 can be a lucrative bracket for half-pints,” he notes, “with 27 per cent of on-trade beer drinkers prepared to spend in this bracket.” Even craft beer is beginning to suffer, with 44 per cent of beer drinkers believing it to be overpriced.

All statistics from Mintel

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SUPPLIER’S EYE VIEW

“The best thing to remember is that although most beer is bought in supermarkets these days, as a licensee, you have something no grocer can offer when it comes to cask. EXPERIENCE! As brewers, we work to engage both with our customer and consumer’s hearts and minds and demonstrate how great cask beer should taste and how we can complement any occasion. With so many styles available there’s always a fantastic beer to complement any food offering, opening up more drinking experiences to seasoned ale lovers and novices alike. Here at Butcombe we’re also exploring the notion that cask can sit in the “craft” category, without being too challenging. We’re dedicated to producing greattasting beers that make you want a second and third pint! Look out for some great new additions to our range this month (February) in the form of our ’78 Range.” Geraint Williams, managing director, Butcombe Brewery

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N E W L O OK . O R I G I N A L B E E R .

4.7 %

We love our new design. You may hate it. But that’s ok, because it’s only the beer that really matters and ours, well, it’s as original today as it was 38 years ago. And unlike branding, great tasting beer is something we can all agree on.

All available in draft and bottle

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CATEGORY INSIGHTS The boom has slowed but innovation looks promising Growth in cider has stalled in recent years with a series of poor summers and highprofile sporting events, which favoured beer, taking their toll. However, Mintel forecasts a return to growth by 2020, when value sales should reach £3.4bn. Strongbow remains the most popular brand in the category by a (west) country mile, accounting for a quarter of the value sales and 29 per cent of volume sales .The core apple variant has stalled in recent years but this has been offset by the runaway success of newer variants such as Dark Fruit. The other big news from Strongbow in recent years has been the launch of of cider drinkers think cider a cloudy variant which, alongside Thatchers Somerset Haze, has put cloudy is as good as wine for cider back on the radar for many drinkers. drinking with meals Both are lightly carbonated in a bid to win favour – a mere 27 per cent of cider drinkers say they prefer still ciders. Other innovation has come at the top end of the market, such as Stassen, which comes in a Champagne-style bottle and is designed to be drunk with food. Analysts at Mintel suggest that this could be one of the ways cider’s recent downturn in fortunes could be reversed, as 54 per cent of cider drinkers think that cider is as good as wine for drinking with meals.

54%

All statistics from Mintel

CID ER

SUPPLIER’S EYE VIEW

“2016 saw healthy growth for cider in the on-trade with pub-goers choosing to drink cider throughout the year rather than just on warm summer days, indicating that there’s further potential for pub operators who get their cider offering right to grow their profits. Furthermore, the numbers of discerning drinkers in the UK looking for authentic products with provenance and interesting flavour profiles is continuing to grow, as the popularity of craft beer goes to show; this is an area in which cider has yet to really make its mark, but that’s set to change in 2017. As the UK’s leading cider producer, we’re using our extensive insights to inform our innovation pipeline and drive consumers into the on-trade to enjoy cider. We’ve had phenomenal success in recent years with Strongbow Dark Fruit and Cloudy Apple and the year ahead brings more new ciders from HEINEKEN, developed in collaboration with some of the UK’s most innovative apple growers. It’s set to be an exciting year for the category and we are looking forward to working together with our customers in the on-trade to make cider as profitable as possible in 2017.” Emma Sherwood-Smith, director, cider, Heineken UK

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A CIDER RANGE BUILT FOR PROFIT The number of people drinking cider in the on trade has increased by 50% over the last 5 years.* HEINEKEN can help you unlock the profit potential with a cider range that offers consumers choice, trade-up and a range of flavours to suit all occasions.

Call us on: 0344 5560109 or visit www.online.heineken.co.uk *Alcovision Dec 2015

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29/01/2017 10:28 19/01/2017 16:43

CATEGORY INSIGHTS Stricter drinking guidelines and Brexit shake up the sector

62% of Brits drink dark spirits/liqueurs

Two headline-hitting events of the last 12 months are set to have a significant impact on the spirits category over the next few years. First up, the first revision in two decades of the UK drinking guidelines last year saw recommendations significantly reduced (to 14 units a week). “This is notably lower than elsewhere in Europe, highlighting the strong stance the UK is taking on this front,” says senior food and drink analyst Emma Clifford. “The media attention that this attracted is

SPIR

ITS

likely to have brought the potential perils of alcohol consumption — even at a moderate level — to the forefront of consumers’ minds once more.” As spirits are often seen as the “strongest” of the alcoholic tipples, it is not too much of a stretch to suggest that the category is therefore the most likely to suffer when drinkers look to cut down. Thus, work around developing lower-alcohol spirits and educating the market on the ABV of finished mixed drinks is now more vital than ever before. The second event is Brexit, which is set to push up prices of imported spirits. It is quite possible that some of the big international brands may suffer as drinkers plump for domestic brands, which will be cheaper in comparison. The opportunity in this market, then, is for the new domestic craft spirits brands that are emerging, which are likely to also benefit from stronger export demand. Back with the big names, Diageo’s Captain Morgan rum brand reeled in the pieces of eight over the last 18 months or so — gaining a 50 per cent share of the rum market in the 12 months to May 2016. Spiced rum brand The Kraken posted a similarly monstrous performance, albeit off a much smaller base. Indeed, overall the dark spirits and liqueurs market has had a good time of it, with volume and value sales expected to have risen four per cent through 2016, while in contrast white spirits are expected to remain broadly flat until 2020. White spirits remain popular with drinkers nonetheless — 63 per cent of adults drink white spirits and/or RTDs and vodka remains the largest part of this market, despite conversations being dominated by the gin revival.

All statistics Mintel

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drink.

Innovative brands and sparklers are making waves

WIN

popularity include low alcohol and fruitMore than 60 per cent of adults buy wine flavoured wines, with recent launches such in some form or another — still white wine as Jacob’s Creek Sun Craft and Gallo Spritz remains the most popular, followed by red gaining traction. The craft end of the market and rosé. is also beginning to infiltrate the sector, with Drinkers remain confused by the companies such as Matthew Clark and category (just 35 per cent of wine buyers say Treasury Wine Estates investing in quirkier they feel knowledgeable about the subject) brands to lure in Millennials, such as the and a favourite brand is the top consideralatter’s 19 Crimes and the Lindeman’s tion for them, further fuelling the case for Gentleman’s Collection. making more of wine brands in the on-trade. Challenges for wine, then, remain For those licensees being won over around de-mystifying the category to the idea, Hardys, Blossom Hill and persuading on-trade and Echo Falls are top sellers buyers of the value of in the overall category, while brands, while Brexit is on-trade favourites include also likely to bring a new Jack Rabbit and Stowells. set of obstacles. Ones to watch include “The drop in the strength Barefoot and of the pound and the UK’s Casillero del Diablo, of UK adults buy reliance on imported wine are according to Mintel. Prosecco set to see prices rise, further The big story in recent years undermining its value image,” has been away from still wines, however, in the sparkling part of the market. Pro- confirms Amy Price, senior food and drink analyst at Mintel. secco continues to dominate — 28 per cent “Openness to smaller formats could help of adults questioned in July had bought it in here, to keep price accessible and cater to the previous six months. A mere 18 per cent any health concerns, while lower-alcohol had bought Champagne or Cava in that alternatives can also appeal to those period, and just 13 per cent had enjoyed a prioritising the latter.” bottle of any other kind of fizz, such as an English sparkler or French crémant. Other areas of the market growing in All statistics Mintel

28%

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CATEGORY INSIGHTS Quietly carrying on dominating the beer sector Craft and cask beer may get all the headlines but lager remains the most important style in the market, accounting for almost three-quarters of sales. The market has plateaued in recent years but Mintel expects this to give way to “modest growth”, with sales reaching £13.1bn by 2020. Tapping further into the lucrative “with food” market would help lager’s fortunes further, with 30 per cent of beer drinkers already typically drinking beer, rather than wine, with food. Changing glassware may also generate growth, with women showing a clear of beer sales are preference for smaller serves lager and chalice-shaped glassware, according to Mintel research. Classic pint glasses remain popular with other drinkers however, with 27 per cent of on-trade beer drinkers saying they prefer a nonic glass and 16 per cent a tulip glass. The category continues to benefit from housing some of the biggest retail brands in the UK, with Stella Artois, Foster’s, Carlsberg, Budweiser and Carling making up the top five. AB InBev’s purchase of SAB Miller last year has meant further consolidation of the market and analysts suggest this could lead to a fresh wave of acquisitions and disposals.

75%

All statistics from Mintel

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LAG

SUPPLIER’S EYE VIEW

“Premiumisation was the name of the game in the UK on-trade in 2016 and in 2017, with increasingly sophisticated home entertainment and dining options, the need for the on-trade to offer consumers something more than they can experience at home is greater than ever. “Whilst competition for the leisure pound is fierce, the fact is a visit to the pub remains a hugely popular leisure activity. The growth in craft beers has undoubtedly brought renewed interest in the pub industry and we’re seeing the most potential for further growth in the craft lager category, as the success of Caledonian’s Three Hop Lager shows. At the same time, we mustn’t overlook the contribution of classic and world lagers to the pub industry and neglect it — we’ll all be all the poorer for it if we do. “We understand how competitive the market is for licensees today, which is why we are constantly thinking ahead and innovating, so we can provide our customers with the support they need to help them grow. From independent ranging advice to top-class customer service and our unrivalled portfolio of beers and ciders, we’re here to help our customers and we’re looking forward to working together to make 2017 a successful year for us all.” Chris Jowsey, director, on-trade, Heineken UK

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CATEGORY INSIGHTS

SOF DRI T NKS Time to shine for a category long overlooked in pubs Soft drinks, for so long the Cinderella of the drinks world, are finally having their moment in the spotlight. As more and more people cut down on alcohol, or indeed cut it out entirely, the category has become more important, particularly in the on-trade, which has been slow to pick up on demand for posher and more exciting low and no-alcohol tipples. Launches such as Seedlip, now partly owned by Diageo, have shaken up the market, while craft sodas and cold-pressed juices decline in volume sales are also beginning to gain traction predicted following in urban areas. San Pellegrino introduction of and Fever Tree have performed sugar tax well recently and are getting significant distribution gains. The overall category has been helped by the strong performance of the mixer sector, which has been boosted by the gin boom and both Coca-Cola European Partners’ Schweppes brand and Britvic’s mixer brand got significant support last year. Cola continues to dominate, however, and the sugar tax will be of particular concern to brand owners in this section of the

15%

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market next year and beyond. We can therefore expect more new or reformulated sugar-free variants, such as the rebrand of Coke Zero as Coca-Cola Zero Sugar that we saw last June. Producers have been concentrating on the “with food” opportunity to boost the profile of soft drinks in pubs and bars, most notably SHS Drinks’ Bottlegreen brand and Britvic for its J20 Spritzer range. Mintel’s research suggests new flavours would also boost sales, alongside drinks with “added benefits” such as fortified drinks (e.g. added Vitamin C), which could help retain older drinkers in the category — 38 per cent of carbonated soft drink fans aged between 35 and 44 said this interested them. Seasonal flavours may be another opportunity, with 29 per cent of carbonated soft drinks consumers expressing interest in the idea, yet very few launches make claims around seasonal flavours or serves. Autumn and winter flavours could also help de-seasonalise the category, which remains highly weather-dependent.

All statistics from Mintel

29/01/2017 16:38

Run your own pub business To find out more about runing your own pub business or managing one of our great pubs, visit our website for more information

runyourpub.com

Or, why not manage one of our pubs instead?

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craftunionpubs.com

bermondseypubco.com

12/01/2017 10:58 09:51 29/01/2017

eat It seems the UK tipping culture has people feeling a bit uncomfortable. I know, Brits, being awkward about money? What a surprise. More than half (54 per cent) of British diners find tipping “confusing and awkward”, according to the latest AA Hotel and Hospitality Survey. It also found that a third of customers never know how much they should tip. Young people were the most confused about it all, and over half felt most inclined not to tip at all. Oh dear. Clearly, the system is a bit of a tip.

with BRONYA SMOLEN So maybe it’s time to try something different. One thing I love, as a regular pub customer, is knowing a member of staff will get rewarded for their hard work. I saw one pub rewarding staff with a £20 bar tab if their name is mentioned on Trip Advisor reviews or social media because of their service. From the customers’ perspective, chucking staff a few quid is one thing, but making sure their employer rewards them for going that extra mile is even better. Plus good food becomes excellent food if the service is great, so it’s an incentive for all.

6 Regional delicacies to try on the menu When we were being tourists in the City of Culture (see pages 12-15), Hull patties grabbed our attention immediately. Here are six regional items you could serve up to cause a stir.

Hull Hull patty Mashed potato, sage and sometimes a bit of chopped onion — all deep-fried. Think of an excited hash brown.

Scotland Red pudding You’ve seen black pudding (see facing page), but what about red pudding? A mash of deep fried bacon, pork rind, suet, colouring and beef fat.

(pic: Adam Wyles)

Bolton Pasty barm Usually a meat & potato pasty served in a buttered barm (soft round roll).

Sussex Pond pudding A traditional English pudding made from suet pastry encasing a whole lemon.

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Buckinghamshire Bacon badger Badgers remain unharmed in this steamed rolled-up pastry filled with chopped bacon, onion & potato.

Teesside Chicken parmo A flattened deep-fried piece of chicken or pork, usually the size of a plate, in breadcrumbs and topped with béchamel sauce & cheese.

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CORNISH SCALLOPS WITH PARSNIP FOAM, BACON AND BLACK PUDDING Miles Goodfield, head chef, The White Hart, Weston-in-Gordano, Somerset Bacon

Our meat is from Walter Rose & Son in Wiltshire, they’re a fantastic butcher and not far from us. We smoke the bacon in the oven until really crispy and then chop it up.

Scallops

The scallops are delivered from Cornish fishmonger Wing of St Mawes. They’re great because we get fresh fish and are always kept in the loop about what they’ve caught that day. We leave the roe (the orange bit) on the scallop because it has loads of flavour, pat it dry and pan-fry them in butter.

Garnish

Crispy sage, mustard cress and parsnip crisps top this dish. The cress helps lift your palate and the pepperiness works well — much like the black pudding. It also adds freshness to the dish.

Black pudding

Black pudding and scallops are a classic combination. We fry them together so the black pudding is crisp on the outside and crumbly in the middle. The peppery flavour of the pudding works well.

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Parsnip foam

Potato is traditionally partnered with scallop but parsnip is a bit different. We slow-cook them in sage and butter before blending them until smooth. Then we put the purée in a cream whipper. Foam is lighter than mash, so it pairs well with the meaty scallops.

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Spice up your life by BRONYA SMOLEN

“

We’re seeing much more of an experimental consumer than ever before, right across the generations

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You wouldn’t (well, you shouldn’t) serve a cocktail without the perfect garnish, so why deliver a meal without the best condiments? Ketchup and mayonnaise might be the steadfast soldiers of your condiment army, but could it do with some sprucing up? As street food-inspired dishes continue to woo the UK, Asian and American flavours are seeing a huge rise in popularity, according to Bidvest Foodservice. “We’re seeing much more of an experimental consumer than ever before, right across the generations. They are becoming more adventurous both at home and when eating out,” says Lucy Pedrick, insights manager at Bidvest.

Fresh flavours

In many cases you can create new flavours using what you already have in the kitchen. Brakes’ head of food development, Mark Irish, says: “Many chefs are combining condiments to create new variations, mixing, for example, ranch dressing with sriracha to create a spicy ranch dip. “Chefs continue to use quality condiments to enhance flavour. We’re seeing increasing demand for standalone glaze products in the kitchen, particularly in the barbecue arena. They are often being used as a complementary products to slow-cooked meats.” Rewind — sriracha? Yep, this one seems to be the new cool kid on the condiment block. Made from chillies, sugar, garlic, vinegar and salt, this sauce is traditionally served in Thailand with seafood, noodles and omelettes. Now it’s being drizzled on everything from fries to soups — and yes, it’s still great with noodles. Fresh Direct’s head of food development, Duncan Parsonage, says: “Look out for the sriracha hot sauce currently topping everything from hot dogs to scrambled eggs. The spicy red kimchi is also very popular.” Kimchi, which originates from South

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eat. Korea, is made from fermented vegetables and spices, and it can be a great addition to sandwiches and burgers. It’s these kinds of simple condiments that can make spicing up your menu that much easier.

Chilli challenge

(from top) Mexican dressing, duck donburi and peppered date syrup: flavours from around the world are coming into fashion

If you’re wondering how much spice your customers can actually handle, then why not host an event, as Flagship Europe’s purchasing and marketing director, Nigel Parkes, suggests? “Some restaurant chains are even offering customers a ‘chilli challenge’, daring them to select chilli heat levels ever higher up the Scoville scale [the scale used to measure spiciness],” he says. “This can often heighten the dining experience by creating a light-hearted level of fun among peers when dining out together. “This trend for the customisation of food at the table encourages and enables those consumers who perhaps aren’t brave enough to try a chili-based centre plate sauce to broaden their horizons,” Nigel adds.

Not all of your spicy offerings have to be served in a bottle, either. Foodservice supplier McCormick Flavour Solutions releases an annual flavour forecast and this year it tips “sweet on pepper” as the next taste obsession. McCormick executive chef Kevan Vetter says: “With an upfront bite and lingering sensation, peppercorns are finally capturing the spotlight. Their cedar and citrus notes pair perfectly with up-andcoming naturally sweet ingredients like dates and dragon fruit.”

Break out the baharat

Kevan also suggests using an all-purpose seasoning called baharat: a fragrant eastern Mediterranean blend of spices including cumin, cardamom, black pepper and nutmeg. “Sprinkle over warm, seasonal soups, stir into tomato-based sauces or add to chicken dishes,” he suggests. Providing seasonings like this on the table is another way for you to enhance your condiment offer and can even lead to off-trade sales. If customers become obsessed with your special spice blend, what’s to stop you from flogging it? Rob Taylor, owner and head chef at the awardwinning Compasses Inn in Canterbury, makes all his condiments from scratch, apart from Tap into the sweet-spice trend with this ketchup. “We use Tiptree concoction, perfect for meat and seafood. ketchup, as it’s a sauce Can also be served as a dip. which everyone has an Makes 1 cup or 8 (2-tablespoon) servings. expectation about in terms of what it should 6 tablespoons dry Spanish sherry 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce taste like,” he says. 3 tablespoons white miso paste “Mayonnaise is so quick 3 tablespoons sugar and easy to make, plus 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon oil we make our own butter 1 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet organic and cook everything from paprika, smoked scratch here, so serving 1/2 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet organic red pepper, crushed bought condiments from bottles would just feel like Mix all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook a cop-out. on medium heat until heated through, stirring occasionally. “We have considered bottling and selling them, Recipe from McCormick Gourmet but right now we don’t have the space.”

Spicy sherry miso glaze

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How to get a write-up by BRONYA SMOLEN

What really happens when a professional reviewer comes to your pub, and how do you get them through the door in the first place? We’ve spoken to editors, bloggers and licensees who get reviewed beyond their own Trip Advisor page, for tips to help you get your menu in front of the right pens, paper and noses.

Right, where do I start? Don’t blag press coverage in any old rag. Decide what you’re promoting and find media outlets that appeal to target customers. So, if you’ve just opened in the town centre then get to know your local paper sharpish. Or if you’re a country pub next to a huge tourist attraction, track down those travel magazines. Online coverage is also worth pursuing. Local and lifestyle bloggers can be highly influential, plus coverage can be shared on social media.

Okay, so how do I approach them? Some employ a PR company to help with this, but if that’s not in your budget it’s time to sit down and do some savvy emailing. “Find out who edits the

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food & drink section and email them directly,” explains Nicky Findley, senior feature writer at the Bournemouth Echo and Taste magazine. “It’s important to build up a relationship with a particular reporter, as the news desk inbox gets flooded with emails.” There is a knack to getting their attention too, says Zoe Perrett, editor of luxury food and travel magazine Good Things. She explains: “Journalists like to feel as if they’re taking the lead, you’ve just got to steer their thinking. “If you’re looking for a top-whack writer with an inflated sense of importance then just assuming they’ll visit won’t go down well. Take a personal approach, research and send an email with a good subject line — we get hundreds of invites a day, so why come to your pub? “You could also throw a press party. Get lots through the door for fewer overheads by supplying drinks and canapés, then a percentage of those will return for a formal review.”

Do they expect everything to be free? With budgets being squeezed all over the industry, most will assume that food at least will be complimentary, especially if they’re a blogger — this is likely a secondary job. Sometimes they will expect to bring a guest, and sometimes they’ll expect for all travel, food and accommodation (if needed) to be paid for. Zoe suggests teaming up with a local B&B and putting on a press tour for the area. The most important thing is you are clear about what is free from the offset to avoid awkwardness.

Eek, they’re booked in, time to panic? Breathe. If they’re visiting then you’ve done the hard work. It’s time to show off everything you promised. Becca Thompson owns the Star & Garter

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eat.

“

Reviewers are here to get the story about who you are; the people and the food. They can often communicate messages about our business better than we can - Becca Thompson, Star & Garter, Falmouth

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in Falmouth. Since opening in August 2015, the pub has hosted a number of journalists, so she knows how to plan ahead. “They’re interested in the front and back of house, so it’s best if you can go along to speak them,” she says. “Don’t be nervous about it. They’re here to get the story about who you are; the people and the food. Just make sure you’re relaxed and ready to answer questions.”

I’ll be there in my Sunday best! Should I decide what they eat? Most journalists are happy for recommendations unless they really don’t like something. Point them in the direction of your star dishes. However, top tip,

you should probably avoid breathing down their neck while they eat unless they invite you to join. Nicky explains: “It’s good to get to know business owners, but sometimes people pull up a chair and talk at you while you’re trying to eat. It can be awkward, it’s better to be left to it.” Service is also important. Zoe adds: “I like a story. Good service is a must but there is nothing wrong with quirky service. “That cookie-cutter character is boring — it’s nice to have personality.”

What if they write something bad about us? Believe it or not journalists aren’t all bad people, promise. They don’t want to ruin you and will, generally, want to focus on the positives. Zoe says: “We don’t go out to shame businesses. If we’ve had a bad experience I’ve gone back and explained that we could offer a feedback report instead.” And Becca finds it has always paid off: “We’ve generally had really nice experiences with both bloggers and press. Their opinions are respected and they are often able to communicate messages about our business better than we can; they’re writers and we don’t have that training”.

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29/01/2017 15:39

play with MATT ELEY I was recently in a pub that had booked a singer for the night. This wasn’t the reason I went, nor is it something that pub is particularly famous for. At the time I wasn’t much looking forward to it. I feared it would be a real conversation-stopper. She was brilliant though, going through a collection of ’60s tunes to the delight of everyone from the old boys at the bar down to my kids who took the chance to move around as much as possible. Even my own two left feet were tapping under the table. It was just a shame that she didn’t get the audience she deserved. This may partly have been down to the event

but also possibly because people didn’t know about it. This is of course where word-of-mouth, posters and social media come into play. There is no doubt that live music can be a great floor-filler. Research conducted by CGA on behalf of PRS for Music suggests wet-led pubs with live music enjoy revenues nine per cent higher than similar pubs without. PRS has launched its Music Makeover competition, which will see one pub win £10,000 to transform its live music offer. You can find out more on our website or enter at www.prsformusic.com It’s a prize worth winning, and one worth shouting about.

ACROSS THE BOARD Micropubs are being urged to bring out the board games to take part in a national championship this spring. Pork pie makers Pork Farms has teamed up with the Micropub Association to launch the National Board Games 2017. The competition should be a good business driver for the pubs, which must have a back-to-basics ethos, speciality ales on tap and promote conversation over techy entertainment. Players will battle it out on board games, including Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit 2000s and Jenga to reach the finals which will take place in May. Tim Bentley,

the reigning Board Games Champion, said: “I got involved last year after popping down to my local micropub, where the landlord introduced me to the competition. I love board games so it was perfect and I decided to take part. Making it to the grand final was absolutely brilliant and even better to be crowned the champion.” Heats take place from February 26 to March 26 and pubs can register at www.boardgameschampionships.co.uk

Pic: Pratyeka

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29/01/2017 15:20

Six Nations

The first three rounds of the competition take place this month. Can England defend their crown or will Ireland, Scotland, Wales or France prevail? Or Italy. Sorry, we forgot about them. Feb 4, 5, 11, 12, 25, 26 BBC & ITV

Happening this month Valentine’s Day

Fill the pub with love songs, candles and hopeless romantics. Or offer singletons a sanctuary. Either way it’s a good way to boost a Tuesday in February. Tuesday February 14

Pub 17

The only trade show dedicated to solely to pubs. Suppliers and speakers will be on hand to help your grow your business. Feb 7 & 8, Olympia, London

EFL Cup Final: Southampton v Manchester United

Southampton caused a huge FA Cup shock in 1976 when they beat Man United in the final. Can they repeat the trick at Wembley 40 years on? Sunday February 26, 4.30pm, Sky Sports

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Let me entertain you Andy James and Michelle Jones, The Kings Arms, Bideford, Dorset Bringing live music to the Kings Arms after a 10year absence has been a key part of ensuring customers keep returning to the 300-year-old pub. The pair took it on 12 months ago and Andy used his musical contacts from his other pub to create a buzz when it re-opened. Michelle says the low ceilings create great acoustics and atmosphere for the live acts. “Customers have been falling over themselves to get in,” she says. “We have been doing one event a month and they have been very special.” We do them on Fridays because they are not quite as busy as our Saturdays. It also fits in with what other licensees in the area are doing,” The bands get paid but entry for customers is free, which means all profits are down to the extra food and drink sales generated by the event. Musical styles vary and they make sure acts are not playing anywhere else locally around the same time. Posters in the pub and the pub’s Facebook page (which has 1,000 followers) have been the main promotional tools.

29/01/2017 15:21

PRS for Music launches Music Makeover 2017 competition for pubs and bars. PRS for Music has launched its Music Makeover competition offering a winning prize of a £10,000 Music Makeover to the winning pub. PRS for Music’s Music Makeover competition first began in 2010 with the specific aim of helping pubs with their live music offer. Independent research has shown that pubs using live music increased their revenue by 9 percent compared to pubs without live music*. In a time where pubs are struggling, a live music offer can be vital. Most of PRS for Music’s top members started their careers playing in small live music venues which is why PRS for Music feels so passionately about the value live music can bring. The Music Makeover competition helps the winning pubs reap the rewards of live music in their venues. For 2017, PRS for Music is offering a winning prize of a £10,000 makeover alongside a second place £5,000 makeover prize. Historically, the prize money has been spent on new live equipment or installing a high-end sound system with previous winners quickly seeing the

positive impact on both their takings and reputation as a live music venue. Last year attracted more than 300 entries with The Tooth & Claw in Inverness being crowned the winners. The pub received a bespoke music consultancy from leading record producer Steve Levine and is now vying for the title of best live music venue in the Highlands. From the quality of the sound system, to acoustics, volume and playlists, music has a huge impact on both customers and staff. As part of the celebrations, PRS for Music hosted a launch party with a presentation at the premises and live performances from Glaswegian bands WHITE and Bossy Love gaining prestigious national and regional media coverage. *Research conducted by CGA Strategy Limited on behalf of PRS for Music showed that wet-led pubs with live music, when compared to similar pubs without live music, experienced an increase of 9 percent in additional revenue over the year due to its live music offer (of no more than once a month). The report can be found on www.prsformusic.com/customerportal

“I could spend hours describing all the different ways winning Music Makeover 2016 has improved and changed our business for the better. Timed with our own rebranding it brought us much needed attention both locally and nationally. It helped expand our target demographic and opened up possibilities far beyond just hosting live music in our newly refurbished upstairs venue provided by the prize fund. For us personally it was life changing!” Paulina Matuszak, Landlady at The Tooth & Claw Pictured (left to right): PRS Board Director and expert music consultant Steve Levine; PRS Chairman Guy Fletcher; The Tooth & Claw owners James Carr and Paulina Matuszak; and local MP Drew Hendry

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inapu

27:41

MUSIC PRESENTED BY

PRS for Music is offering a ÂŁ10,000 Music Makeover for one lucky pub or bar in the UK. Music brings business to life.

Enter now prsformusic.com/musicmakeover Deadline is Friday 24 February 2017 at 5pm (T&Cs apply)

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04/01/2017 11:27:51 29/01/2017 15:32

INAPUB WITH ROBBIE SAVAGE by MATT ELEY

“

It has been fantastic for Leicester being champions and the excitement in the city has been incredible

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Listen carefully. Can you hear it? That’s the sound of the Champions League theme tune getting turned up in the background. After months of focusing on domestic affairs, the attention of pub-loving football fans is set to shift to the glamour of Europe’s premier competition. Leicester, Arsenal and Manchester City all harbour ambitions of winning the trophy. Can they do it and can screening the games bring more people through your doors? We got some predictions from BT Sport pundit Robbie Savage. Three Premier League teams are in the last 16 but how many do you think will go through? That’s tricky. If Arsenal had been playing Bayern at the time the draw was made I would have said they would but their form has faltered a little since. Monaco should not be underestimated with Falcao scoring goals for fun but I fancy Manchester City to progress. Sevilla have great European pedigree and have won the Europa League the last three seasons. They have a tight stadium and Leicester will find it hard there but they will fancy their chances at home. I think two out of the three Premier League teams will go through.

As a former Leicester player, what has the impact of the club’s success been like for the city? I lived in the area for seven or eight years and I still know a lot of people there. It has been fantastic for them being champions and the excitement in the city has been incredible. If the dream ends for them here, how will they cope with going back to what looks like a relegation fight? I think they are in a relegation scrap but I don’t think they will go down. They have shown the character they have got in the squad to get out of trouble before and then do what they did last season, so I think they will be OK. Premier League teams haven’t fared brilliantly in the Champions League in recent years. Why do you think that is? Well, Man City got to the semi-finals under Pellegrini last year but then when they got there they didn’t seem to really give it a go against Real Madrid. They have beaten Barcelona this year, though, which they hadn’t done before, and that will give them huge belief. Leicester did brilliantly in the group stages, going longer than any other newly qualified team has before without conceding. Arsenal won their group this year, so the signs are that things are improving. Do you think one of them can go all the way? For a winner it’s hard to look beyond Real Madrid and Barcelona.

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play.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ROUND OF 16 FIXTURES WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15 B Munich v Arsenal TUESDAY FEBRUARY 21 Man City v Monaco WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 22 Sevilla v Leicester City TUESDAY MARCH 7 Arsenal v B Munich TUESDAY MARCH 14 Leicester City v Sevilla WEDNESDAY MARCH 15 Monaco v Man City All matches kick off at 7.45pm and are screened exclusively live on BT Sport. Visit btsport.com/business for more info

My Champions League Tammy Hill, The Crow’s Nest, Leicester Leicester’s unlikely Premier League triumph and subsequent Champions League adventure has been good news for pubs in the city. Everards pub The Crow’s Nest has had numerous TV crews from around the world filming as fans pack in to watch the drama unfold. Manager Tammy Hill says: “Last season was like a dream and it has carried on. The pub has been rammed for the matches and the Champions League has been the next stage of the adventure. “We show all of the games and they are very popular. The whole thing with the success of the team has just been incredible.”

Looking at the Premier League, do you think three of the teams that qualify could be different this year? Quite possibly. As a football fan I want to see Liverpool and Manchester United in there and they are both going well. Chelsea look nailed on. The natural order has come back with the big six but two of them are going to have to miss out. Spurs are going well at the moment. It’s so hard to call but it could be that City and Arsenal miss out. Who do you think will be the next British club to win the Champions League? I’ll give you a place. I think they’ll come from Manchester. Mourinho and Guardiola have both got that experience of winning it and they are building their teams now. I’m not sure which one but I think it will be one of those two.

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29/01/2017 15:44

other animals

My family and by MATT ELEY

See more of the zoo at trade.inapub.co.uk

As one of only two pubs in the country with its own miniature railway running in the garden, the Fenn Bell is already a place with a difference. But if everything goes the way Andy Cowell hopes, his pub will soon be unique. Andy is licensee of the Shepherd Neame pub in the Kent village of St Mary Hoo. He describes April 20 this year, only halfjokingly, as being “the biggest day of his life, forget the wedding day or the birth of the kids” because that is when he will find out whether Medway Council grants him a full zoo licence.

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Until that point he is unable to allow guests in to see his more exotic creatures. However, the zoo itself is largely complete with the finishing touches being applied to a few new enclosures. And we are not talking about a couple of pens with farmyard animals here. We are talking about a full-on tourist attraction with, at last count, 100 different creatures including monkeys, raccoons, coatis and parrots. Andy explains: “We need the zoo licence because that changes the parameters and the funding. We can do things such as sponsorship deals on enclosures, leftover food from supermarkets, school visits, kids’ parties, interaction keeper days. The potential is massive but it’s all about April 20.” It has been a long road to get to this point and not one that either Andy or his wife Kelly had planned on going down. It all started with Ginger and Spice. Those are the two pigs that were advertised as needing a new home and Andy could not resist. His love of animals led to him amassing a private collection that people would knock on his door to ask to see. Kelly said enough was enough and if he

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play.

“What’s that? Pint of Tiger? Coming right up…”

In the zoo Staff required: six Different species of animals: 25 Including: Monkeys, meerkats, raccoons, coatis, exotic birds Possible future animals: Clouded leopards, orangutans

In the pub Staff: Nine Attractions: Cask ale, home-cooked food, miniature railway in the summer Events: Various, including pie & mash and curry nights

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wanted to continue he would need to open a zoo. So, two years ago, he bought a pub. It wasn’t ever really Andy’s intention to become a landlord but the local pub was available and crucially, it had the outside space required. “We phoned Sheps up and we told them we wanted to turn it into a zoo. They said 10 years ago they wouldn’t have contemplated it but nowadays they are looking for people who are prepared to do weird and wonderful things to keep pubs going. “We have taken something that was not alive and created something new which will give the pub a new life and a future.” Not that it is a diversification plan that he would recommend to all licensees. The costs of looking after animals, security (upped further after the theft of two macaws last year) and obtaining the licence are “mega-expensive and not for the fainthearted,” he says. His budget for the project has more than tripled and runs comfortably into six figures. However, the zoo is an extreme example of how pubs can be sustained with

new income streams and different attractions. “If we get the licence we will be able to say we are a zoo with a restaurant and a pub on our grounds. We will be doing conservation projects here and school visits, so we are much more than a pub with a few animals,” he adds. “But we could never have done it without the facilities that we have with the pub. I want business people to look at what we have done and think about what they could do with a pub and not just turn it into an Indian restaurant. “You can be creative and use the pub for other ideas and give it a new lease of life. If we weren’t doing this the village could lose its pub.” In fact it has already become a community hub, with many volunteering to help with the project. More people are already visiting and, all things going well, with a zoo soon to open its doors you can be confident families from miles around will be keen to head to the Fenn Bell.

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stay 11

Brexit boom: making the most of tourism by MATT ELEY

Seafood Pub Company Pubs: 10 Letting rooms: 50 Staff: 300 Occupancy rates: 80 per cent Online: seafoodpubcompany.com

Brexit has divided the nation and, to an extent, the pub trade. While in the run-up to the referendum, Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin was banging the Brexit drum on virtually every TV panel show going, there were many others hoping to remain. Joycelyn Neve, boss of the multiple award-winning Seafood Pub Company, says that while Brexit has created concerns it has also provided an opportunity, especially with regards to overseas visits. Her 10 pubs in the North-West are renowned for their food and drink offer but the 50 bedrooms across the estate are of growing importance. While giving Inapub a whistle-stop tour she explains: “The initial reaction to Brexit was concern about the strength of

the pound and what the implications would be for us. All our food is local and we buy local so we weren’t worried on that front. We import wine, so that was a concern. “The positive is overseas visitors coming to the UK. We have grown up as a food and beverage business but we are in some beautiful locations. We had not really been marketing ourselves to overseas or to the cultural or historical markets. It gave us the chance to look at how we could expand into different areas.” Part of that has been analysing the countries visitors tend to come from — China, America, Spain, Germany and France — and working with the local tourist board to create marketing material that appeals to them. Joycelyn also says it is important to focus

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stay. The Bull

Ditchling, East Sussex Rooms: Four Wet/dry/accommodation split: 50/45/5 Occupancy rate: 85 per cent Online: thebullditchling.com

“

Everything got 25 per cent cheaper for foreign tourists. Staycations will also become an opportunity

The view from Seafood Pub Company’s Assheton Arms: the company is working with other local businesses to promote the area to foreign tourists

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on what the area has to offer, rather than only the pub itself. “Our food and drink is fabulous and we are proud of what we do,” she explains, “but I wouldn’t expect someone to come from China just to eat our food. They would be interested in coming to look at a village like Downham (home to the Assheton Arms) that is totally unique to that area. “We need to look all around the world and think about what is different about us. It is the locations and heritage.” This means she is happy to work with other businesses to create an attractive proposition for tourists. “We are looking at doing packages with other restaurants where you can have dinner with us one night and dinner with them another, so you can see more of the area. “There’s lots of great places in the area but they don’t all have accommodation. They recommend people to stay with us and we can recommend them for food as well. It’s working with your neighbours rather than against them. If the area can keep people for two days, it benefits everyone.”

Selling the area

Some 300 miles south, another awardwinning pub — The Bull in Ditchling, East Sussex — has a similar philosophy. The 450-year-old freehouse has four letting rooms and ambitions to double its accommodation offer with a barn conversion. Owner Dominic Worrall says that he too is keen to promote the area so everyone benefits. “There is a reason to visit The Bull but we are not so naive as to think the only reason you come to Sussex or Ditchling is to see us,” he says. “

The team from The Bull in Ditchling hope Brexit will help them make the most of their barn conversion

“So we think about why they are coming and how we can help facilitate that. Our barstaff have recommended places and suggested walks.” He has already redesigned his website to make it more visual and appealing to tourists. The next stage will see it translated into different languages. And it is not just overseas visits that should increase this year — both Joycelyn and Dominic believe pubs could benefit from staycations as well. Dominic says: “I am not a promoter of Brexit but it is undeniable from a selfish point of view that with accommodation there are opportunities. Everything suddenly got 25 per cheaper for foreign visitors — and there was no shortage of tourists anyway. “The other side of that is that it also makes it more expensive for us to go away, so staycations or UK-based holidays will also become an opportunity.” Both agree that those who stay overnight will also tend to spend more on food and drink — holidaymakers are more likely to go for dessert or a second bottle of wine. So attracting tourists to stay with you could prove to be an unexpected Brexit benefit.

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back-bar business

ASK THE EXPERTS In May, new legislation comes into force which will see cigarettes sold in standard packaging, a ban on the sale of packs of 10 and rolling tobacco sold in a minimum size of 30g. The moves are designed to deter people from taking up smoking and to ensure health warnings are big enough to be seen. One potential unwanted side-effect could be an increase in sales of illegal cigarettes which could be something pubs need to keep an eye on.

Can I lose my licence if counterfeit cigarettes are sold in my pub? THE SHORT ANSWER

YES THE SLIGHTLY LONGER ANSWER

Not only do you run the risk of a fine or losing your licence, but selling counterfeit cigarettes can also lead to a prison term. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more, you can also lose your licence if staff or customers sell counterfeit cigarettes on your premises.

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THE EXPERT ANSWERS IN FULL

Steve Wilkins

The former detective chief superintendent now works at Japan Tobacco International (JTI) in Geneva, Switzerland. His role is antiillegal trade director for Western Europe. Tobacco appeals to criminals as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highly taxed, inexpensive to produce and easy to

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FREE POSTER One of JTI’s concerns around the introduction of plain packaging is that counterfeit and illegal tobacco may increase. Tear out the JTI poster at page 34 and display on your back bar to keep your customers informed about the changes.

“

Tobacco company JTI has observed pubs are increasingly used as a sales outlet for illegal cigarettes

transport and sell. The street value of one container of illegal cigarettes is around £2m, so criminals see illegal tobacco as a cash generator for their businesses. We find illegal tobacco sold in a variety of places, through a variety of methods. Corner shops and independent retailers, where customers expect to buy legitimate tobacco products, are a primary channel. We are also seeing a rising problem within the on-trade. JTI has observed that pubs are being increasingly used as a sales outlet for this illegal activity, whether by publicans themselves or their customers. In a short period of time JTI has gathered evidence of more than 30 examples of pubs from Aberdeen to Brighton that have broken the law in this way. We are seeing more and more cases of illegal tobacco being sold in pubs and want to stamp this out before it takes hold. The fear is that the introduction of standardised packaging could mean that criminals will find it even easier to produce illegal products and at far cheaper prices. On top of this, recent European regulation will ban the sale of 10s and smaller hand-rolling packs from May 2017, meaning smokers will have to pay up to three times more for their tobacco in high street shops. This could mean more smokers will be tempted into buying their cigarettes from dodgy dealers and criminal organisations. We will only deal with this problem by working together and that is why we are bringing this issue to licensees’ attention. It is essential they play their part in stamping out illegal tobacco in the UK’s pubs now, before it takes hold. Our message to publicans is to be vigilant, and report any activity that they suspect might be happening in their pub or in other pubs in their community to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or the Customs Hotline on 0800 595 000.

Anna Mathias

Barrister with national licensing firm Woods Whur

Selling counterfeit or nonduty paid tobacco from your pub can result in large fines under Customs and Excise and trademark legislation and if your employees are using your premises for this activity or you are deemed to have turned a blind eye, you, as the business, can be fined. Certain offences even carry a prison term. If that weren’t bad enough, illegal tobacco sales can also put your premises licence at risk. I have been involved in a number of cases in recent years where, in tandem with a prosecution, a review of the premises licence was brought, under the crime prevention objective, with a view to the licence being revoked due to allegations of illegal tobacco sales occurring on the premises. Such reviews are typically instigated by the licensing authority, working with Trading Standards and/or the police. Depending on the precise offence(s) alleged, you could even be at risk of a summary review, so the authority could impose interim steps upon you without you having any say initially. Those steps might include suspending your licence pending a full hearing, with potentially terminal consequences for your business. The authority could proceed with the review even if you are found not guilty of the criminal charge; the standards of proof are different. You should keep a close eye on the activities of your staff and the contents of your storeroom — and enshrine the fact that it is illegal to sell smuggled, bootleg or counterfeit tobacco in your staff smoking policy.

Got a question on a problem you face when running a pub? Email editorial@inapub.co.uk and we will find the best people to get you an answer

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by BRONYA SMOLEN

new ways your pub can use Instagram Just when you thought you’d nailed it, the big bosses at Instagram added a ton of new features and functions. D’oh! But never fear, with just a little help from us you can implement an even better social media strategy.

Here’s a run-down of some new features and some ways you can use them to promote your pub. Not on Instagram yet? Try it out — the picture-sharing social media site has more than 600 million users and sees a huge engagement rate for posts compared with other platforms.

Instagram Business

Instagram Stories

Disappearing photos or videos

You can now convert your account into one specifically designed to help you market your business. This will give you access to more tools and functions, like adding a “contact us” button to your profile and viewing insights on posts to see which are performing the best. You can also create adverts for a targeted audience to drive hits to the website or promote your latest offer or event. Instagram Business accounts are paired to your Facebook Page, which makes it easier to cross-post content to both platforms if you wish.

In August 2016, Instagram launched Stories. In its first two months it had more than 100 million daily active users worldwide, and if your pub isn’t one of them, now is the time to try it. The feature lets you create 10-second videos then apply filters, type text, add emojis and stickers and doodle over the clips. The videos or pictures are posted to your “Story” on your profile, to be viewed by followers for 24 hours only. Pubs can take engagement to the next level by sharing daily drinks or food deals, snippets of “behind the scenes” videos, views from the bar or daily masterpieces from the kitchen. The more visually appealing, insightful or exciting, the better.

You can also send pictures and videos privately via Instagram Stories to any followers you choose. These pictures can be viewed for just

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29/01/2017 16:35

inapub

DIGITAL MARKETING GUIDE

Need a hand with all this? We’ve got you. If you’re struggling for ideas or just need help with the basics (and not-so-basics) on any social media platform, our new Digital Marketing Guide will have the answers. The guide offers a step-by-step solution to any queries you might have, from setting up Facebook adverts, improving your presence on Google, dealing with Trip Advisor comments and boosting your Twitter following. Plus you won’t miss a trick — the guide is updated regularly to include the newest functions and updates from each platform. Save yourself hassle and time by ordering your Inapub Digital Marketing Guide today. Email sales@inapub.co.uk or call 0800 160 1986

10 seconds before they disappear forever. If you have a special flash two-for-one offer on, this could be a great way to spread the word out to your regular customers. Or have some fun and send customers a special disappearing “password” to get a half-price drink or free side of chips.

Live video

Just like Facebook Live, you are now able to stream video to your followers as it happens. All you need to do is click the camera at the top of your Instagram homepage and scroll to ‘Live’. Now you can share live scenes from your pub — be it a packed-out bar for the FA Cup Final or a huge rendition of Happy Birthday to your oldest regular. You can also encourage customers to broadcast their own live videos while in the pub so their friends can see how great your bar is.

Boomerang

Boomerang is a fun application owned by Instagram, which allows you to create your own gif-style video. The app takes a burst of photos and stitches them together into a high-quality mini video, that plays forward and backward

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in a loop. It could be a great way to vary your content. The best thing to do is download it and have a play about. Some great ideas for Boomerang videos include filming people clinking glasses together, the chef pouring gravy on a roast dinner or your staff shaking your best-selling cocktail. Once the gif is made, you can upload it to Instagram as a post, or upload it to your Story.

Comment interaction

If you’re pushed for time but still want to show followers some love, then Instagram’s new comment function could be useful. You can now “like” someone’s comment, just like on Facebook. This is a great way to maintain interaction with your followers, without having to reply to everyone. Alternatively, you can also turn off comments on posts now. This is handy if you’re running a competition and need to close entries and announce a winner.

We’re on Instagram too! Find us at @inapub_. Give us a follow and tag us in some of your best posts.

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TOP

PRETENTIOUS MENU WRITING HABITS Toe-curling food descriptions fresh from the table 1. Confusing menu headers “Tiny temptations”, “mouthfuls” or “from the flames”. These are all rather exotic and unnecessary ways to describe sections of the menu, otherwise known as starters, puddings or grills.

2. The fantasy wine menu Those wines with tasting notes of muddled fern leaves, wet river stones and lambs’ blood. “Delicious, we’ll have a bottle of that then,” said nobody. Wine menus should be written for a human’s taste buds, not a troll’s.

3. Personifying food The food is friendly, apparently. Meanwhile, the burger is naked and the dessert is enrobed and sat on a bed of…. hang on, are we in a restaurant or a strip club? I just want some chips!

4. Deconstructed anything You may as well say “make it yourself.” Let’s face it, that “deconstructed cheesecake” looks like a Great British Bake Off challenge got dropped on Mary’s head. And that “deconstructed omelette”? That’s called a fry-up.

5. Unnecessary French words When the rest of the menu is English apart from those haricots verts (green beans) and the pommes purée

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(mash potato). Excuse-moi? Je suis… just after a good pie and mash please.

6. Words which 90 per cent of people need a dictionary for Any dish that is described as piquant, saporous or dulcified belongs in the canteen at Mensa HQ, not in the everyday world where many people speak only with emojis. Don’t make hungry people google the entire menu.

7. Words that make you cringe Scrumptious, luscious, heavenly… isn’t it up to the customer to decide if that deconstructed shepherd’s pie really is that delicious? It’s a food menu, not a literary novel.

8. Words which mean nothing Because what does “artisan” even mean? Isn’t all food meant to be “natural”? And if one item is “hand-selected”, then what is the rest of the menu? Foot-selected? A waste of ink.

9. Faddy ingredients overloads Pulled pork and salted caramel spring to mind. When the world decided pulled pork should be sold in a spam tin on shelves and even Pizza Hut was flogging a “salted caramel” pudding, we knew it was time to find a new trend. Is that caramel even salted anyway?

10. Over-sourced everything Pork belly from Mrs Penny-weather’s butchers, with onions from Mr Longs the grocer, Cumberland sausage, Yorkshire lamb, Dorset line-caught fish. Plugging food provenance is great, but listing every Tom, Dick & Harry in the country is exhausting.

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time at the bar

PLATE OR SLATE? Where the nation’s publicans stand on the really big questions Russell Clark

The Cleveland Bay, Redcar, North Yorkshire Russell runs the seaside community pub with his wife Sarah. They recently won pubco Enterprise Inns’ Community Heroes Award for their charitable efforts. As well as raising thousands for good causes they have made the pub fully accessible to those less able and made it a hub for all.

Plate or slate?

Game on or big-screen ban?

Plates for me. They are easy to clean and are much more consistent. I think the slate thing is a bit gimmicky.

We have BT Sport and Sky, so live sport is an important part of what we do. Football is very popular but then so are the rugby and the darts. The recent world championships were very good for us and we had a great night when the final was on.

Cask ale or cocktails? Our biggest-selling drink is actually Carling lager, followed by John Smith’s Smooth. We don’t do much in the way of cocktails so I would say we are more of a cask pub. We used to have two cask pumps but we have the one now. We have Doom Bar on, which is quite popular.

Background music or silence is golden? We actually have the local radio station on in the daytime. People like to hear the music and keep up with the news as well. At other times we will put music on, which is far better than silence for atmosphere.

Karaoke or pub quiz? We don’t have either in here but events are important to the business. Bingo is very popular on Wednesdays.

Tabs or no credit here? We do them for meals and for some customers but they all have to be paid by the end of the day.

Wear what you like or uniforms for the staff? We go for casual/smart. They can choose what they want as long as they are smart. We prefer trousers to jeans.

Family-friendly or leave the kids at home? We have two bars and one is for families and one is not. There are people who like to come in with their families and others who come in after work and don’t want to be in that environment, so we try to cater for everyone. Russell Clark (right) with wife Sarah, receiving a Community Heroes award from Enterprise Inns boss Simon Townsend

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How about this for a rubbish way to raise money? Two pubs in Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire, saw more than 200 people watch competitors race wheelie bins between The Plough and The Joiner’s Arms. Daniel Grundy, landlord of The Plough, has hosted the Boxing Day race for 16 years. In 2015 he renamed it the Jack Patrick Trophy after Jack, a 20-year-old local and friend of the pub, died from a rare autoimmune disease. The race saw eight pairs take it in turns to wheel the other person along in a bin. The event raised £254.

THE COLLECTION TIN What pubs around the country are doing to help good causes The Springboard Charity, which helps young and unemployed people into a career in hospitality, has hosted a pantomime. “Springderella” starred a cast exclusively from the hospitality and leisure industry. Steamin’ Billy has partnered with Charnwood Brewery to create a ruby craft beer called Hambo’s Hooch in aid of the Matt Hampson Foundation. Twenty-five pence from every pint sold in all Steamin’ Billy pubs across Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Rutland will be donated to the Foundation, which supports anyone suffering serious injury or disability, particularly resulting from sport.

A pub has raised funds for Diabetes UK with a sponsored barrel roll. Landlord Brian Priest of The Chequers in Swinford, Leicestershire, and his regulars rolled a 54--gallon barrel for three miles to The Cherry Tree Pub in Catthorpe and back again. PubAid, the group that highlights all the good work that pubs do for charity, is to partner with Prostate Cancer UK to launch the World’s Biggest Pub Quiz. It is calling on the industry to take part in a quiz on Sunday, March 5, 2017. Pubs can register interest at worldsbiggestquiz.pubaid.com

A national initiative to donate tips and hold events has raised nearly £14,000 for Syrian aid. Chester bartenders Calum Adams and Ben Iles set up Bartend Against Bombs so the industry could raise money for WarChild UK, which helps children affected by war. Throughout 2016, pubs and bars donated tips and held fundraising events such as pub quizzes, cocktail competitions and bar crawls for the charity. The pair are looking forward to similar success this year, and are asking pubs around the country to get involved. For more information and special merchandise, pubs should tweet @bartendagainst1

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

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29/01/2017 17:02

time at the bar

HAIR OF THE DOG Tales of the unexpected from the wonderful world of pubs Beating the blues? of the year, the most depressing day Blue Monday, said to be y offered ntr cou the oss rry, pubs acr falls in January. Not to wo respite — or did they? ens”; ist offered “kindness tok Northern chain The Botan e blu a red offe hill, Oxfordshire The Chequers in Churc r; the King’s rge bu d ere cheese-smoth re, tempted Head Hursley, Hampshi Finch’s and s, punters with blue gin called ing eth som ted in London hos ss. ine pp Ha of the House So far so good — until we learned the latter featured iness something called “happ ing eth som by ted hos ” bursts t’s tha If called Laughology. sing not just the most depres rd, hea r eve ’ve you thing then we can’t help you.

Pint-worthy pages What’s the best novel to read in a pub? A new competition was set up to find out by pub fan Kit Caless (the eagle-eyed among you may well recognise his name, for he is the pen behind bonkers book, Spoon’s Carpets: An Appreciation, to which we have previously drawn attention on these good pages). “Pubs and literature are glorious bedfellows,” he told The Guardian, “so I established a literary prize, the Spoons Carpet Novel Award.” What we want to know is what publicans themselves would vote for. Last Orders by Graham Swift? Hurrah for Gin by Katie Kirby? Drop us a line or tweet us @inapub with your suggestions.

58 FEBRUARY 2017

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Bonkers behind the bar Readers of The Times entered into a debate last month over the UK’s loopiest landlords. The winner quickly became apparent: Squire Kim Joseph Hollick De La Taste Tickell, who ran the Tickell Arms in Whittlesford near Cambridge, until his death in 1990. Several anecdotes were told, including this gem: “A rather arrogant student complained of the cold and instructed the landlord to ‘put another log on the fire’. With that Squire Tickell climbed over the bar, instructed the young man to stand up and proceeded to smash his chair against the wall, breaking it into bits, and put it on the fire. No one else complained about the temperature that evening.”

Special subject: th e bleedin' obvious

Science, the disc ipline that proved beyond doubt pe buy more fruit an ople d veg when they are cheaper (Uni Auckland, New versity of Zealand) and th at drugs and drivi (Columbia Unive ng don’t mix rsity, US) has ag ain broken new the discovery th ground with at going to the pu b is good for yo *shocked face*. u. Professor Robin Dunbar of Oxford University ran th e study, using methods that inclu ded, “observations in pubs”. That’s right Prof Dunbar and his team got to sp end their working days at the pub. What we wouldn’t give for a job like that… oh.

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