Inapub magazine - Issue 52 - March 2016

inapub

Issue 52 March 2016 ÂŁ3.95 trade.inapub.co.uk

How to make the most of your space and keep everyone happy

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Welcome back!

Molson Coors (UK) is delighted to welcome Staropramen back into its World Beer portfolio.

The UK’s leading Czech beer, Staropramen has strong brand heritage and history, brewed in Prague, the brewing capital of Europe.

2016 sees a multi-million pound investment behind Staropramen to strengthen and grow its status as a top 10 World Beer brand in the UK.* We’re doing our best to make this transition as smooth as possible. If you’re an existing customer and need technical support with the changeover please call 0845 6000 888 (option 2).

If you’re keen to talk to our Sales Team about the brand and support for it, please contact your Account Manager or Field Sales Executive in the first instance, or email starosupport@molsoncoors.com If you’re interested in becoming a new stockist of Staropramen, please email staroqueries@molsoncoors.com

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

www.staropramen.com

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ne of the things we have talked about most on these pages is how pubs have had to evolve to keep attracting people. Generally we have been looking at the offer; how different menus, drinks and events can bring more people through the doors.

We have looked less at how pubs have physically changed. I can just about remember the late 1980s, sneaking a look inside pubs I walked past, to see identical interiors; dark wood, worn carpets, sticky tables and rickety chairs masked by a screen of smoke.

In design terms pubs have moved on immensely (see pages 10-12). The fabrics, furniture, flooring and overall style you are going for must be taken into consideration. And how do you bring that together in a cohesive way that attracts people who all want different things from their pub visits these days? It could easily end up as a messy mish-mash of ideas. Yet somehow the best interiors are zoned so pubs can appeal to mums having a coffee in the morning through to groups having a big night out just a few hours later.

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this month zoned interiors • shooting • products

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drink Are we selling cask ale too cheaply? • Spirits with a meal

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eat How to work out your GP •

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play Win a F1 car in your car park •crazy golf • what’s on this month

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bbean • History of pub food

Editor Matt Eley

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Deputy editor Robyn Black

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Production editor Ben Thrush

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Barrie Poulter •

Sales & marketing director Matt Roclawski

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Sales manager Adam Skinner

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POSTCARD from the pub frontline A famous London pub has re-opened after a refurbishment to help it make even more of its literary connections. The Sherlock Holmes, just off Trafalgar Square, was closed after Christmas for the refit. It reopened last month with a VIP murder mystery party, with guests invited to take part in Sherlock-inspired crime-solving entertainment.

The interior of the Greene King pub has been revamped and a new menu features dishes such as Mrs Hudson’s Shin of Beef and Ale Pie. Pub manager Matthew Bennett (above right) said: “For decades the pub has been a favourite with

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locals and tourists. We look forward to continuing to welcome Sherlock enthusiasts from all over the world, as well as regulars and guests who come to enjoy our friendly atmosphere, food, drink and collection of Sherlock Holmes memorabilia.”

Formerly known as the Northumberland Hotel, the pub featured in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1901 classic novel The Hound of the Baskervilles — Holmes and Dr Watson met Sir Henry Baskerville there. Displayed in the pub are original theatre posters, Watson’s old service revolver and the stuffed and mounted head of the Hound of the Baskervilles.

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IN THE TRADE THIS MONTH Rate of pub closure slows Pub closures are slowing down but there are still 27 shutting up shop every week, according to CAMRA. The figures for the second half of last year show a drop from the 29 that closed every seven days in the first six months of 2015.

BT Sport prize for BII finalists The six finalists in this year’s BII Licensee of the Year competition will receive free BT Sport for a year from the broadcasters and get to go on a fact-finding trip to Ireland courtesy of sponsor Magners. The winner, who will be announced at the BII’s summer party in June, will also receive a trip to Europe.

TOP STORIES ON TRADE.INAPUB.CO.UK 50 things that make pubs great No shut Sherlock Famous for libraries Six beers for the 6 Nations Plate or Slate: Scott Foster

Single public performance licence planned PRS for Music and PPL have confirmed they are working on a joint venture to ensure pubs only have to buy one public performance licence. It should come into force next year.

Steel City scoops Best Bar None accolade Sheffield has been named the winner of the top Best Bar None scheme in the country. It picked up the award for responsible retailing at a House of Lords event last month.

One million pump-pulls later...

Here’s a licensee who could murder a pint. Phillip Cutter raises a glass to celebrate serving his one millionth pint at Norwich freehouse The Gardeners Arms, better known as The Murderers. He marked the milestone — reached after 28 years behind the bar — with the special beer One in a Phillion, brewed by Norfolk’s Woodforde’s.

Phillip said: “I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed serving every single one. Thank you to all my customers, colleagues, friends and supporters, as well as thanks to Woodforde’s, one of my best-selling brewers over those 28 years, for creating this special brew.”

The pub got its nickname after the landlady’s daughter was killed by her husband after being seen in the pub with another man in 1895.

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Drop in number of pints drunk due to 1.5 per cent fall in beer sales over the last 12 months, according to BBPA

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this month.

Will another beer duty cut in this month’s budget benefit pubs?

VIEW FROM THE BAR ALISON CASSIDY As a publican with a freehouse in a rural village location, you might think I’d be delighted by this government’s seemingly yearly cut in the beer duty rate (expected to be 1p again this year). Well, no, I’m not, and here’s why.

Every year without fail, my running costs rise: electricity, solid fuels, rent and rates being the main ones. Also every year, my beer suppliers increase their costs, regardless of the rate of inflation. When the cut in duty is announced and I’ve already increased my pints by around 5p to 10p, my customers take umbrage and demand they get their penny back. I have tried countless times to explain who actually benefits from the reduction, without success.

Customers will not believe we publicans aren’t rubbing our greedy hands in glee.

The people who benefit most are obviously the people who produce the most beer — that is, the big brewery companies. Microbrewers may be helped a little, but it’s the ones who produce millions of pints who get millions of pennies cut from their tax bill.

That may seem over-simplified, but that is basically how it works. The reduction simply doesn’t trickle down to the front line of pubs as it’s portrayed in

the media — “Good news for pubs” or “Victory for beer drinkers” are typical headlines.

What freeholders like me would be extremely grateful for would be a meaningful cut in VAT. This would enable growth in the “proper” pub trade, rather than the inexorable slide into oblivion it is currently suffering.

VAT inequality is the main challenge on the front line, not the reduction in beer duty which has no bearing on our businesses at all. So, if there is another cut later this month, you’ll find me behind my lovely bar, gritting my teeth and giving out economics lessons to my punters. This scenario will be repeated up and down the land, with licensees trying to smile through it, which is what we’re good at, after all.

Bottoms up!

Alison Cassidy is the licensee at freehouse The Black Bull in Matfen, Northumberland

SECOND OPINION As we begin in earnest to lobby the government ahead of this year’s annual budget statement, the focus of our intention must be to address the rising costs our sector is facing.

The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers has repeatedly stated indiscriminate tax rises across the board are unsustainable, but the unfortunate reality is our venues are now facing a perfect storm of costs. Pubs, bars, restaurants and nightclubs are looking at real and significant wage increases in the form of the new National Living Wage and Apprenticeship Levy, as well as wholesale price inflation, VAT and the extortionate businesses rates that continue to hamper investment and growth.

The licensed hospitality sector pays a third of its turnover in taxes — the equivalent for supermarkets is

just 19p in the pound. For this reason, the ALMR will be pushing for the government to provide targeted support specifically aimed at pubs and bars to begin to combat this disparity and help secure jobs and investment.

A cut in duty will go some way to easing pressure on the sector but venue-specific help, not also shared by supermarkets and the off-trade, is needed to make lasting and meaningful impact. A cut in the rate of beer duty at this month’s budget statement may not make an enormous dent for many retailers but it will hopefully sound the starting pistol for further, more significant measures that help ease some of the restrictions on our sector and allow pubs, bars and restaurants to fulfil their economic potential.

Kate Nicholls is the chief executive of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers

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

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Max Cheeseburger

It may sound like a zany comic book character but Max Cheeseburger is one of two new “Max” flavours from crisp kings Walkers. The other is Max Flame Grilled Steak, which works great as a snack but less well as the name of a fast-food eating hero. They follow the success of Max Flamin’ Hot last year. pubs@pepsico.com

Hot Beetroot Ketchup

Allow us to introduce a saucy and hot new friend to you. Interested?

Hot Beetroot follows the success of Foraging Fox’s award-winning alternative condiment Beetroot Ketchup.

The latest edition includes horseradish and chilli and promises to “raise an eyebrow” rather than “blow your socks off”. www.foragingfox.com

Stuff

What’s new in the pub this month

Kopparberg Fruit Lager

The Swedish cider maker took the Ronseal approach when naming Fruit Lager, a five per cent ABV lemon and lime flavoured brew. It joins its popular fruit ciders in British fridges as well as the first beer it sent this way last year, the less obviously named Fagerhult. info@kopparberg.co.uk

Rogue Ales Hop Family

Our cousins across the Pond have never done things by halves, and these punchy IPAs don’t mess about. From the 4-Hop at 4.44 per cent ABV to the 8.88 per cent 8-hop, they show off the eight varietals grown on Rogue Farms in Oregon. “DARE RISK DREAM” urges the bottle neck. Inapub dared risk the 6-hop as a nightcap, had a dream about being mugged by a gang of hops and woke up having nearly chewed its tongue off. www.rogue.com

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this month.

Signature Brew Cans

Those music-loving Signature brewers who specialise in unifying the music and beer industries have produced three new groovy brews in cans. Roadie (all-night IPA), Studio Lager and Backstage IPA are ideal for music venues but will chill perfectly nicely in any pub fridge. www.signaturebrew.co.uk

Super Soft Wraps

The biggest wrappers in the sector are going soft on us but the quality is going up a notch. Mission Food, the UK’s leading wrap brand, has a new recipe with improved flexibility, flavour and texture. They come in various sizes and variants including plain, spinach and tomato. missionfoodservice.co.uk

The Distiller’s Choice

This new expression from Speyside distillery Longmorn gives pubs the chance to offer single malt fans something new.

It is described as offering notes of delicate spice, sweet treacle toffee and caramel. Sounds like a heavenly sweet shop for grown-ups. www.pernod-ricard.uk.com

Montezuma Chocolate Lager

Just in time for the annual choc-fest that is Easter comes this special creation in keg from Hogs Back Brewery. Featuring Montezuma Chocolate and the recipe for Hogstar English lager, this 4.5 per cent beer is an International Beer Challenge Gold Winner. It will make its debut in Mitchells & Butlers across the UK. www.hogsback.co.uk

Beck’s Blue Lemon

The alcohol-free beer market is creeping up in size and the undisputed leader of the pack has added a new variant to the range. Beck’s Blue Lemon is now out in the off-trade and will be seen in pubs soon. It is part of AB InBev’s global commitment to ensure 20 per cent of its beer volume is lowalcohol or alcohol-free by 2020. www.ab-inbev.co.uk

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Get in the zone

by ROBYN BLACK

Use fabrics, furniture and soft furnishings to create different zones

‘Some of the best pubs appeal to different people for different things at the same time,” we said of zoning in our recent run-down of 50 Things That Make Pubs Great . “If you can have a dimly lit corner for the romantics and still get a group in for something more raucous, you’re zoning well.”

But the practice is not without its drawbacks. When the bar is packed to the rafters and buzzing with Friday fun, who wants to deal with complaints from the party-goers relegated to the quieter dining area because there’s no space anywhere else?

David Broadhurst, property development manager for Charles Wells, is not a proponent of the “zoning in all pubs” school of design. “Pubs are as unique as those who drink or eat in them and how a pub is zoned — or not — should be determined by your customers’ habits, the pub style and even the building itself,” he says.“Research is paramount when deciding if your pub should be zoned or not. Getting it wrong can have a detrimental effect on your profitability.”

On the other hand, the rise of pub food and pubs as all-day venues means our buildings are used for more occasions than ever before. This means someone who comes in for a coffee on Wednesday morning wants a totally different experience when they come in on Friday night for their birthday, or arrive en famille for Sunday lunch.

And that Sunday lunch itself can range in occasion: from the hungover couple not wanting to cook (haven’t booked, happy to order from, and sit in, the bar), to large family birthday celebration requiring something more formal (preferably pre-booked and with table service).

Therefore, as David concedes, “As drinkers’ habits evolve, pubs must also to meet their demands. Changing your layout can help with this but research your options carefully so that when your work is complete you are attracting as many of the customers you want as possible.”

Zoning out

Should you take the plunge, then, your starting point needs to be identifying the occasions for which customers might come

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this month.

15 ideas for zones Employing tricks such as laying tables in the dining area will make zones “self-selecting”

Think about the occasions for which people use your pub:

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Beers with the lads Dinner with the kids Post-work pints Big night out Sunday lunch Date night Birthdays/anniversaries Gin & tonic with the wife Glass of Champagne with the girlfriend Coffee with the girls Business meeting Large family lunch (Mother’s Day etc) Watching sport Pub garden drinking Al fresco dining Sunday papers

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to your pub. Think about beers with the boys, couples for romantic meals, coffees with the girls or dinners with the kids, and set about creating spaces for each of them.

“The more spaces that you create the more reasons you’re giving potential customers to come in and spend some money,” explains Guy Bostock, director at pub design specialists Concorde BGW. “It’s really about simply using the building you have to maximise profit.

“We did a pub called The Cricketers in Woking, Surrey, a while ago, that had a narrow room, off which came several small rooms that were being used as back service areas. We knocked it all through and turned a section into a semi-private dining area, seating a maximum of eight, and it’s now the most popular area in the pub. A zone like that can bring in an extra £30,000 to £50,000 a year in food and drinks sales on its own.”

Making use of dead space makes good business sense, of course, but to really maximise revenue, you need to ensure the spaces you create are flexible.

Guys says: “Often when I show a new design to a client they point out, for example, that there’s no big table for a party of 30 because, they say, ‘we need that for Christmas Day’.”

“But that’s just one day of the year. You need spaces that work for you the rest of the time as well. So think about solutions such as — in this instance — using smaller tables that can be bolted together to give you more flexibility.”

Self-selecting zones

Another important design tip is to ensure all the different spaces you create look like they belong together. It’s not about looking like several entirely different businesses.

In this regard, fabrics and paint are

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The Bulll in London’s Streatham had a £1.5m refit last year, and offers tables for groups, stools at the bar and a restaurant area for more formal dining

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Always, always put your best chairs in the worst areas.

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your friends, says Alastair Scott, who runs The Square & Compass in Weeton, North Yorkshire, and The George Inn in Blackwell, Bristol. He is also in the midst of plans and designs for what he hopes will be his third pub (planning permission pending).

“You have to give it all one heart,” he explains.

“I will always use different furniture for each zone I create. So high tables and stools in drinking areas, un-laid tables for casual dining, upholstered dining chairs with arms for more formal meals, high tables and no seats for smokers outside and so on.

“However, I also use one fabric in several colourways through the whole floor; use the same palate of paint colours on the walls; similar soft furnishings throughout. Make it cohesive, not several totally different spaces, that’s the design skill.”

Interior design tricks can also be used to subtly suggest to punters to which areas they should be gravitating on that particular occasion — potentially sidestepping the issue of one area of the pub being more popular than any other.

“The heart of the pub is where the bar is, so that will always fill up first, but not everyone can be in the same spot. So you need to make your zones absolutely spot on for their intended market, so that they become self-selecting,” Alastair says.

“If you create a family dining zone that has all the things families find desirable they will want to head straight there, leaving the bar for the drinkers, or for whomever you have designated it. And always, always put your best chairs in the worst areas — make people want to go and sit there.”

London-based pub company Young’s similarly employs what it terms “subtle tricks” to help in this regard, as operations director Craig Kennedy explains.

“It’s about understated changes to décor from zone to zone and, with dining rooms in particular, it is signalling that the customer is entering a food area. So, for example, putting a host at a lectern, menus on the tables and set tables with cutlery and glassware.”

And for these small changes a decent premium can be charged.

“We certainly see that dining rooms with great food and engaging service can charge more and customers are happy to pay it,” Craig adds.

“Casual dining is something we have embraced at Young’s as it grows in popularity. However there is still high demand to eat two or three courses in beautiful dining rooms with full table service.”

And, really, how do you expect punters to enjoy that if they are seated cheek-by-jowl with a bunch of lads out for some beers, if it’s not for clever zones?

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FAMOUS FOR

SHOOTING Matt Eley trains his sights on a pub where they get the shots in

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We get partridge, duck, pheasant and trout. I ask if the shooters want any money but often they just want a couple of pints and a portion cooked.

It’s a good GP protector

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If your pub happens to be surrounded by hundreds of acres of country estate and farmland, you’d be missing a trick if you didn’t tailor your business to take advantage of it.

The rural location of The Kings Head in Hursley, a short diversion off the M3 at Winchester, is a draw for shooting parties and the pub does all it can to cater for them.

The signs are there throughout the inn — game dishes on the menu, artwork of shooting scenes on the walls and the trio of Springer Spaniels getting all of the attention at the bar.

In fact, tailoring the business is an apt term, for later in the year a member of that trade will be at the pub offering bespoke attire for members of shooting parties.

Mark Thornhill, the award-winning licensee who took over at the Cirrus Innsowned venue a year ago, explains that catering for the groups is a natural fit.

“These are our locals anyway. On the bar most days you get gamekeepers, dog walkers… beaters come in. They really are a great bunch.” I nod, although I have no idea what a beater is. Mark later grabs a gamekeeper as he passes through the bar and he explains that beaters drive animals and birds into the open on shoots.

Happy hunters often bring what they have killed to the pub. “We get partridge, duck, pheasant, and trout from the river Test. It works for us and you can’t get any more local than that,” says Mark. “The shoots appreciate it as well. There’s a couple who I use and they just hang the birds up around the back. We pluck and

clean on site – well, our head chef Jenny Jones does.

“I ask them if they want any money but often they just want a couple of pints and a portion cooked for them. It’s a good GP protector as well.”

Whether they bring their own food or not the shooting groups can help fill the till, with groups of around 30 often stopping for lunch.

With its eight boutique letting rooms The King’s Head can also put people up for the night before or after a shoot.

Mark, who won the Jeremy Allen Award for training at the BII’s summer party last year, says he enjoys the nature of running an inn. “We have IBM nearby so we get a lot of corporate clients in the week and at the weekend we get people coming to Southampton and Winchester. It’s nice because you get to know the guest, you check them in, then they come down for dinner and you see them again at breakfast and say your goodbyes.”

The rooms are a sign of the vibe Cirrus goes for, with all of their venues celebrating British heritage and country life in comfortable surroundings.

This stretches throughout the pub, from the dining area where couples and families head for special occasions, to the open fire in the snug, down to the private hire King’s Room, complete with skittles alley.

For while the pub has a special appeal to shooting parties, there is plenty more to attract locals and those from further afield looking for a warm meal, a drink and a good night’s rest.

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this month.

The Disney Way When Mark won the BII’s Jeremy Allen Award last summer for “revolutionary training and staff development” his thoughts may well have turned to Florida.

Not as a destination for a celebration but as a reflection on where his hospitality career began.

A decade ago he and wife Penny ran a restaurant on property owned by the Disney Corporation, a short drive from Disney World. It was there that he learned the hospitality skills that he practises and shares today.

He explains: “America is great at customer service, so we had to get into the game and up our game. We won some awards. We opened some more places and the brand grew. We had some great teachers, including the Disney Institute, and we have tried to bring that back.

“We still use the seven service guidelines that Disney instilled in us, but in a relaxed way.”

These include taking staff out for lunches and dinners so they can see how their role can impact positively on customer experience.

It was also in Florida where Mark first learned about building a business over time. “You can change a business but it’s the longevity,” he says. “It’s not about sprinkling magic dust but building the bridge back to the community and then changing the look, the feel, the marketing.

“That will get your regulars to talk, giving you that concentric ring feeding out. Then we fish further.”

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The King’s H

Hursley, Ham ead pshire Occupancy ra tes: 70% Staff: 16 Wet/dry/roo ms split: 25/60/15 Online: kingsheadhurs ley.co.uk

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drink What do you want from a wine in a pub? A classic “gooseberry and cat’s pee”-scented Sauvignon Blanc? A big, bold “tobacco and leather”-tasting Barolo? Or something a little more prosaic — say, a nice bottle of plonk to go with a steak?

There’s no doubt wine is a confusing category for drinkers and we in the trade do little to help them out: the jargon, the flowery descriptions…

Which is why the chaps over at Pernod Ricard undertook some research to find out what it was people really wanted from a wine offer in a pub and what they discovered was there is huge demand for recognisable wine brands.

Six out of 10 respondents told the company they “perceived branded wines to be good value for money where available in the on-trade”.

Over half said branded wines offered an “assurance of good taste” and the research showed branded wine drinkers visit the on-trade more than any other type of wine

with ROBYN BLACK

drinker — 72 per cent visit pubs at least once a month, versus 64 per cent of other wine drinkers.

This thirst for big brand wine in pubs flies in the face of received wisdom, which suggests people won’t pay the on-trade mark-up on a bottle of wine they know they can get in Tesco for £5.99.

But since they’ll pay £4-plus for a single pint (568ml) of lager when you can get a four-pack of 440ml cans of the same beer in a supermarket for £3.50 (or far, far less when it’s on offer), I’ve always found it a difficult theory to buy into.

And, even if I’m totally off the mark and wine is a category more price-sensitive than others, there’s still an argument for offering the big brands because people use them as signposts.

After all, all of you know where in the price ladder Jacob’s Creek should be; it helps one make sense of the wines around it that are less familiar, such as that bottle of Cat’s Pee On A Gooseberry Bush (yes, that’s an actual wine, albeit sadly not available in the UK).

Wine is a confusing category for drinkers and we in the trade do little to help: the jargon, the flowery descriptions...

COMMERCIAL BREAKDOWN WINES OF SOUTH AFRICA • Fairtrade The UK arm of Wines of South Africa is urging publicans to take a look at wines from the region as part of Fairtrade Fortnight (February 29 to March 13). “Fairtrade wine sales grew last year, which shows there is growing demand for quality GREENE KING IPA • England Cricket A new five-year deal sees Greene King IPA become Fairtrade wines,” said UK market the official beer of England Cricket. The Suffolk manager brewer said it hoped the deal would help bring the Jo Wehring. beer to a broader range of drinkers.

GUINNESS • Made of More The latest ad in the Guinness Made of More campaign features John Hammond, the talent scout who defied convention in 1930s America by championing black artists such as Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin.

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drink.

High Peak Brew Co 0101 Sheppy’s Old Conky

Anyone with a nose for a good cider will be pleased with this new one launched to mark two centuries of cider-making at Sheppy’s.

Old Conky cider, a medium sweet Somerset cider made with traditional apple varieties, has been named in honour of the first Duke of Wellington (who had a rather conspicuous nose).

Ever wondered what joy and optimism taste like?

Microbrewer High Peak Brew Co thinks it has the answer.

In partnership with IBM Watson and marketing agency Havas Helia, the brewing team crunched some numbers to identify the three most common ingredients in “happy” beers. The key ingredients — honey, Nelson Sauvin and Hallertauer hops — were then made into a new beer called 0101.

Sara McClennand The Urchin Hove, East Sussex

Look out for...

Absolut Vodka Absolut Electrik

The latest limited-edition Absolut vodka bottles feature Shazam scanning technology. The Absolut Electrik bottles are rolling out now and offer the chance for drinkers to win an all-inclusive weekend in Ibiza for themselves and three friends. Point-of-sale kits are being distributed to pubs and bars to help drive awareness of the bottles, said brand owner Pernod Ricard.

Bestway wine range

Two of the most dynamic wine categories in terms of on-trade sales recently have been Prosecco and Rioja. To take advantage of their popularity, wholesaler Bestway has launched a new version of the former, Royal Prosecco, and the latter, Villa Principal Rioja Tempranillo. It has also added Spanish wine label Toro Riendo and the French Cellier D’or range to its portfolio.

On the bar

Buddha Water

Touted as the UK’s first “sparkling super-water”, Buddha Water is a sixstrong range of flavoured fizzy water with added birch sap from Finland.

The UK distributor, YourTonic, claims birch sap has detoxifying and cleansing properties and is rich in vitamin C and potassium.

We’re tucked away on a residential street — what was a backstreet boozer, really — and we do craft beer and shellfish.

It’s a pretty small venue but that works in our favour because it fills up quickly and therefore there’s always a buzz in here.

We’ve got an everrotating range of craft beers on offer — our most popular pints are usually some of the more local ones from Dark Star or Harvey’s.

The staff are all very passionate about beer and we love creating beer and food matches, from classics like stout and oysters to matching hoppier beers to some of our spicier meals, such as the king prawn and Merguez sausage jambalaya (£13) that we have on the menu this month.

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22/02/2016 11:21

What price a pint?

by ADRIAN TIERNEY-JONES

Is cask beer too cheap? Some might say so, especially when compared with what is commonly called craft keg.

According to CGA Strategy, the average price of a cask pint is £3.24. Meanwhile the same measure of craft keg costs £4.26 And, what’s more, anecdotal evidence suggests a sizeable minority of craft keg drinkers are happy to dip into their wallets and pay even more (well past £5 in this writer’s experience).

It could be argued this differential is a drag on the reputation and value of cask, giving it an air of cheapness which diminishes the category. This isn’t helped by the Poundland-style approach to price some operators take with cask.

Ironically many of those who drink cask are not short of a few bob. Figures published in the latest Cask Report show 61 per cent of those drinking cask come from the well-heeled ABC1 bracket, the kind of people who are presumably willing to pay more for high-quality beer.

The affluent cask customer exists but this financial imbalance between cask and craft

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drink.

keg prices is not a simple matter. In fact it could involve the kind of sleight of hand a magician would enjoy, as Hook Norton’s managing director James Clarke explains.

“

Anybody who knows anything about beer will know cask is the ultimate craft.

For this reason alone cask is under-valued trade.inapub.co.uk

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The problem of perception

“We know if the price of session cask ale goes up, it meets with resistance,” he says. “Yet craft keg can seemingly command a higher price in the first place and be increased with much less resistance. Part of this is perception — craft keg is being sold in thirds of a pint for £2, but people don’t seem to make the link that this is £6 per pint.”

Richard Westwood is managing director of Marston’s Beer Company, which produces beer in both categories. He agrees cask is undervalued, especially when compared with its keg rival. For him, the onus is for the brewers to do more to explain its value to

drinkers. “Cask has always been too cheap and given the sustained Recommended Selling Price (RSP) differential between it and craft keg, we are missing a trick,” he says. “Anybody who knows anything about beer will know cask is the ultimate craft. For this reason alone cask is undervalued and hence under-priced relative to craft keg. Also the massive ‘added value’ a highly skilled and motivated cellarman can bring to the perfect maturation of cask beer is rarely, if ever, reflected in the retail price.”

Yet, as Clarke notes, there is always resistance to the price of beer being raised. Perhaps deep down drinkers still believe cask is the people’s drink, while craft keg is the province of beer snobs.

So would it work if cask brewers went down the “reassuringly expensive” route that was such a success for Stella Artois?

Wadworth’s commercial director Paul Sullivan

MARCH 2016 23 22/02/2016 13:54

is optimistic about such a move: “Cask beer is an aspirational product and I can only see a positive if it becomes more expensive,” he says. “There’s still a huge gap to close between cask, craft and some mainstream lager brands. Brewers need to believe in the marketing of their beers and work with outlets to increase the knowledge and theatre around cask beer. Consumers want value for money, not cheap beer.”

A more nuanced view comes from Ben Lockwood, Mitchells & Butlers’ procurement manager for craft beer and cider. “Simply charging more for cask on its own won’t add value to the category,” he says. “Continuing to educate guests on cask ale is key, but let’s not forget, as much as the value of the craft keg market is higher than cask, you often see negative reaction to the price of a pint from guests dipping their toe into the craft category for this first time. Maybe there’s a job to do from both sides in narrowing the gap?”

Education is also a key point for Peter Wells, commercial director at Charles Wells: “We invest in training and support to give

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our licensees the confidence and knowledge to charge a premium for cask ale. They sit the BII Award in Beer and Cellar Quality course and by providing additional expertise from our own in-house cellar quality team, other training support, briefing notes, point-of-sale and so on we equip all Charles Wells beer stockists with the tools they need to maximise their sales profit.”

Why’s my pint more expensive?

And it’s not just a simple case of adjusting your cask price nearer to whatever craft keg you sell. The drinker needs to be told why the beer they buy commands a premium.

Can this work? Richard Westwood sees positives for cask if selling it at what is perceived as its true value is handled correctly.

“The category should move on with a higher RSP for a new generation,” he says, “a generation which is not locked in low prices like the older generation. However, it needs to be a quality product. The quality and skill that top-notch cask beer requires deserves a higher valuation, relative to keg.”

Will this all happen? It’s a hard one to

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The publicans’ perspective Gareth Rowlands City Arms, Cardiff ‘I doubt putting up the price of cask beer would give any value to the cask category.

There is something ugly about the word cheap that marketing companies would have us believe damages the good name of cask. Where they say cheap I would say accessible, great value for money, competitive.’

“

Cask is the one drink that provides pubs with a point of difference over drinking at home 26 MARCH 2016

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second-guess and let us not forget that British brewers pay some of the highest duty taxes in Europe. On the other hand, when it is right cask beer can taste as if a host of angels were dancing on the tongue; when it’s not right it’s the devil incarnate, and this is still a common experience. If we can have education (cask as an affordable luxury perhaps) and consistent quality, then brewers, and licensees, could be emboldened to ask more for their cask.

There’s also one other aspect about cask we might pay heed to when promoting cask as a premium product, says Peter Wells: “Cask is the one drink that provides pubs with a point of difference over drinking at home, so it’s important operators do recognise its premium nature and charge a corresponding price.”

Cask: here’s one you can’t do at home.

Mitch Adams The Bull, Highgate, London “I do believe some cask brewers don’t charge enough for their beer. However, keg beer does cost more to produce. I don’t believe customers would mind paying more for beer on cask, although £5 for a pint of best bitter might be a stretch!”

Mark Dorber The Anchor, Walberswick, Suffolk “There is a scope for increasing the price of cask but in doing so you might drive a further nail into the coffin of the British pub. We charge £3.50 for a pint of Southwold Bitter, which is an OK price, but we are not getting enough of it thanks to duty and VAT.”

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17/02/2016 01:16

Pairings that pack a punch

by ROBYN BLACK

Dare you pair your burgers with a Bourbon? Your sausages with a Scotch? Or your prawn cocktail with a gin?

Spirits and food matching is one of the hottest trends in restaurants right now and it’s time the pub trade took it more seriously too.

The phenomenal rise of casual dining, the growth in barbecue or “smokehouse” cooking and the explosion of cocktails in the mainstream have all helped create an environment in which diners are more willing to accept the idea of drinking spirits with a meal.

“Spirits are incredibly versatile,” says Katie Warren, group marketing manager at Cellar Trends. “People drink them neat, with mixers and in cocktails, which means we are seeing more opportunities to drink through

Too strong?

For some customers the idea of drinking spirits through a meal might initially be met with some horror — too alcoholic! — but Brown-Forman UK’s Nidal Ramini suggests overcoming this barrier by offering smaller serves.

“Cocktail expert JJ Goodman talks about TapasTails — smaller cocktails designed to be served and enjoyed with food — which I can really see taking off,” he explains.

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the evening and match to different foods.”

The company has been building on the classic caviar and vodka association for its Beluga Gold Line Vodka brand for some time but has more recently embarked on more innovative food pairings for its malt whisky portfolio.

“Scallywag Speyside Malt Whisky & dark chocolate make a great match; Rock Oyster Island Blended Malt Whisky with seafood, or Timorous Beastie Highland Malt & cheese are all great combinations,” she explains.

“Where we see pubs and bars recommending spirits alongside food courses, customer spend can increase and the overall customer experience improve.”

One of the catalysts for this boom in spirits and food matching has been the success of gourmet burgers and smokehouse-style barbecue restaurants, where the food lends itself to drinks other than wine.

At the casual dining chains Meat Liquor and Gourmet Burger Kitchen, diners have developed a taste for hard shakes — milkshakes spiked with spirits.

“Serving hard shakes adds theatre to a bar’s offering, they are simple to create and bring the Americana, retro theme to the menu,” says Florian Beuren, Jägermeister brand ambassador.

“There’s so much experimentation when it comes to burgers, with venues introducing weird and wonderful creations to stand out from the crowd and catch the eye of consumers. Jägermeister allows the experimentation to continue into the drinks menu as the herbal liqueur blends perfectly

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“

Spirits are incredibly versatile .

People drink them neat, with mixers and in cocktails, which means we are seeing more opportunities to drink through the evening and match to different foods

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with vanilla, banana and salted caramel icecreams, creating countless flavour combinations.” If you want to create a classic “Jägershake” yourself, try blending 35ml of Jägermeister with 25ml of milk, 25ml of cream and three scoops of vanilla ice-cream.

Other venues from which publicans can take inspiration include Sager & Wilde in London’s hipster hotspot of Hackney, which offers cocktails such as the Olive Oil Old Fashioned, made with Woodford Reserve Bourbon that’s been specially designed to be enjoyed with dishes on the menu; and The Punch Room at The Edition Hotel in London’s West End, where afternoon tea has been translated into “Scandal water” where bowls of punch are matched with small treats. Outside of London there’s Almost Famous (with venues in Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds).

There are more mainstream examples too, for anyone looking for something more accessible. “We are seeing some Italian food chains beginning to look at this, experimenting with lighter gin, elderflower and strawberry flavours especially as we come into the spring/summer period,” says Andrew King, chief executive of cocktail mix brand Funkin.

“Caribbean food is also having something of a moment [see pages 36-37] and we’ve

seen a few of those chains experiment with rum, especially those with smokier notes, to go with some of their punchier dishes. Plus Mexican restaurants, which have been looking at this area for some time already, using tequila cocktails.”

For anyone making a first foray into this space, matching a nation’s food with its national spirit is a good place to start.

“There’s definitely something to be said for provenance where the flavours complement each other,” says Andrew.

“A margarita with a pasta dish, for example, probably wouldn’t work because the flavours would compete too much.

There’s definitely a logic in matching tacos and tequila, or Caribbean curry and rum, and it’s therefore a good starting point.”

A drop with dessert

Alternatively, you could start at the end of the menu — puddings and cocktails are often an easy sell to sceptical customers.

“Dessert is a really good place to start offering this sort of thing,” says Andrew, “Because there’s a logic to it – people are already familiar with the idea of finishing a meal with a digestif.

“Use popular cocktails, such as an espresso martini, and match it with a coffee and/or chocolate-based pudding.

“We’ve seen a number of venues doing this and it works on a number of levels because the idea is being introduced in an accessible way.”

Nidal Ramini, head of advocacy at Brown-Forman UK, points to London’s Savoy Hotel as a “best in class” example of working with cocktails and desserts.

“They launched a ‘Temptation Wheel’ where a dessert is paired with a cocktail and a chocolate,” he explains.

“It’s given them a whole new revenue stream targeting a new type of diner: people who might want to eat at home but go out for dessert. It’s a great idea and it’s great to see outlets challenging the norm to provide their customers with exciting new occasions.”

For those who are just starting on this journey, however, simpler options might be looking at citrus flavours, in cocktails such

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drink.

In food rather than with food If spirits with food is a step too far what about using spirits as an ingredient in dishes?

Bourbon brand Buffalo Trace worked with burger chain Honest Burger last autumn to create a limited edition Mad Men burger, created to celebrate the release of the final series of the hit TV show on DVD and Blu-Ray. The bourbon was used in a special barbecue sauce in honour of the show’s main character Don Draper, who was often shown drinking Bourbon on screen. Customers were also offered the change to pair the burger with a snifter of Buffalo Trace Bourbon, for the full Don Draper experience.

More than 10,000 of the burgers were sold, at £11.50 a pop, over the three-week promotion.

HOW TO MATCH SPIRITS WITH FOOD FOCUS ON INGREDIENTS When creating cocktails to match with dishes think about incorporating ingredients from the dish in the drink FOCUS ON NATIONALITY Think about spirits from the country from which your dish originates as a good starting point for matches DON’T OVER-COMPLICATE THE FLAVOURS Often the best matches can come from pairing something simple with something more elaborate, having a complex cocktail and a complex dish can cause the two to combat, rather than complement, one another KEEP THEM SWEET Dessert is a good place to start. Chocolate, coffee and cheese are good matches with a range of spirits and cocktails

Jägermeister blends well with ice cream for a hard shake that goes well with burgers for an Americana theme

as sours for example, to accompany burgers and ribs, or offering whiskey straight-up to match with steaks, as Nidal explains: “If you are selling steaks, offering a flight of American whiskeys, where the styles and flavours are complemented, is a good place to start.

“Tennessee whiskey is rounder in style than Bourbon, while Bourbons have a big and bold flavour. It’s about matching styles and flavour profiles with particular dishes, just thinking outside the box a little bit.

“Keep it simple — and don’t try to sell cocktails that are too sweet to consumers during their meals. No one wants that.”

MARKET YOUR MATCHES No food menu should be without a drink suggestion and no drink menu without food matches SPIKE YOUR RECIPES Using spirits as an ingredient in dishes is also popular with punters. They make a simple and sexy addition to glazes, sauces and marinades

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22/02/2016 11:41

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eat What’s on your menu? Pie and chips? Or tender chunks of locally reared beef, braised gently in cask ale, finished with a crumbly puff pastry lid and accompanied by hand-cut rustic potato wedges? Do you sell burgers, or hachéd Scotch sirloin patties topped with the finest melted mature cheddar?

Menu descriptions have always seemed to me to pose something of a dilemma. On one hand, if you’ve gone to the trouble and expense of sourcing quality ingredients and putting them together as a top-notch meal, you want to let your customers know. On the other, over-describing a dish can make you sound like a pillock. Flowery language can detract from the vibe of no-nonsense, down-to-earth dining that most people are looking for in a pub meal, and lead the more cynical diner to suspect that if you need to talk your food up that much, it probably isn’t actually that great.

Perhaps, though, there is a solution to this quandary.

Instead of trying to paint a word picture that does your food justice, could you just take a picture?

Oriental opportunity?

with BEN THRUSH As we on the magazine production desk are always keen to stress to the writers, the power of a good image is not to be underestimated. Feast your eyes on the soul food specials opposite — don’t they make you feel hungry?

How often does a diner order something off a menu, only to then see a mouthwatering plate of something else carried past and say “I wish I’d gone for that now”. Seeing is believing.

I’ve had a fair few meals in Japan, where they live and cook by the maxim that eating begins with the eyes. And, helpfully for a foreigner with limited reading skills, their menus come illustrated with photographs. It certainly speeds up the process of deciding what you fancy.

This approach is not without potential pitfalls — taking delicious-looking pictures of food is an art form and doing it well takes time and possibly cash. But in the age of Instagram, photos of what’s for dinner are an increasingly common currency. If your food looks good enough to eat, why not picture it on your menu and let it speak for itself?

How would you like your steak?

WHERE PEOPLE EAT EAST ASIAN CUISINE 8% ay 6 w a e Tak 0% e5 8% 7% om h al 4 t nt 4 Me ka ura o a y t o d C Res Rea

16% Pub

‘Asian food is great for sharing with friends and there should be an opportunity for some operators in the pub and bar space’

RARE

MEDIUM RARE

MEDIUM

MEDIUM WELL

WELL DONE

Seared on the outside, red 75% through the centre

Seared on the outside 50% red centre

Seared outside, 25% pink showing inside

A slight hint of pink

Cooked until 100% brown

– Jon Lake, Fine Food Capital Source: Wing Yip Oriental Food Trends report 2016.

Respondents who like Oriental food, eating it at least every 2 months.

34 MARCH 2016

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Source: www.steak-enthusiast.com

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SOUL FOOD SPECIALS Carl Finn, The Church, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham

Sweet Potato Grits “We know that not everyonPe needs to eat meat and fish, so we made a sweet potato, blue cheese and walnut grits. The creaminess of the blue cheese adds an even more comforting edge to the classic American sweet potato. It’s finished with a little squeeze of lime.”

Duck Gumbo “Gumbo is a one-pot staple from the Bayou, cooked with the Holy Trinity of onion, peppers and celery. A dark roux is lovingly and carefully created. The meat, we switched to duck here but chicken is a classic and always a fave.

Andouille sausage is added for its meaty flavours. It’s finished with a flash-fried okra, okra being one of the main thickening agents in a gumbo.”

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Shrimp ’n’ Grits “A big New Orleans classic, loads of creamy grits — grits are ground maize — with freshly sautéed peeled shrimps.

A squeeze of lime takes these classic flavours to new heights.”

22/02/2016 14:06

Best of Bajan

by MATT ELEY

A taste of the Caribbean Sweet potato and salmon fishcakes, sweet chilli sauce and garnish £5.95 Jamaican akee and saltfish, dumpling disc £5.95 Buddy’s jerk chicken, coconut rice, plantain, salad, coleslaw £9.75 Caribbean curried mutton, coleslaw, rice and peas, plantain garnish £9.75

The finest food should tell a story. It could be the journey it has taken to get to your plate or the skill involved in preparing it.

This tale begins underneath a mango tree in the Caribbean and brings us to The Fox in Newfound. Buddy Headley’s formative years were spent on the beaches of Barbados and he has bought a flavour of that paradise with him to the Hampshire hamlet.

He explains: “I used to surf, my dad was a fisherman and I was on the beach all day.

We had a small farm, so I grew up around fresh produce, with my grandmother and mother cooking traditionally.

“Going around the island surfing I had to be self-sufficient, so I started cooking like that. We would meet under the mango tree and cook and drink rum.

“We’d catch the fish, get the fresh herbs from the garden — parsley, thyme — and season it and then we would make stone ovens outside and cook it. There was lots of rice and

coconut cream and traditional things liked curried chicken and mutton.”

He moved to the UK and set up a Caribbean catering business that took him all over the country. Then he met Kate Giles, a former Metropolitan Police officer, and the pair decided to open their first pub.

It was a natural choice to position Caribbean food as the unique selling point at the pub, a Fuller’s tenancy.

Buddy describes the food as fusion, with inspiration coming from various islands.

“There are elements from Barbados — mussels with Mount Gay rum. We use a lot of rum here,” he smiles as he describes the menu. “There’s Cuban tuna and the most popular is the Jamaican jerk chicken and the curried mutton and goat.”

Something for everyone

These specialities sit alongside traditional British meals on a menu designed to cater for all. Often those who come in for lamb shank or fish and chips are tempted by the more exotic offerings.

“I thought if people were not familiar it might put some off. That’s why we have the traditional British dishes too like sausage and mash. Often the older people come in for the traditional food and go for the Caribbean food anyway,” he says.

Barbados mussels, Mount Gay creamy sauce, skinny fries £6.25/£11.95 Blackened tuna, pineapple, sweet potato, sautéed savoy, sweet pepper sauce £10.92

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The Fox Newfound, Hampshire Staff: 14 Wet/dry: 65/35 Best sellers: Jerk chicken, curried mutton

“

You need to keep refreshing all of the time.

Every year we have done something different

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Pic: Fuller’s

Online: www.foxnewfound.co.uk

The prices of the English and Caribbean dishes are similar but it is the Caribbean ones that return a better profit. The pub also has a healthy rum revenue stream and the couple are working on introducing cocktail nights.

While Buddy creates the menu — inspired and re-imagined every time he returns from a trip to Barbados — he has trained a team of chefs to replicate his dishes. This allows him and Kate to keep in close contact with their customers and they are always working on new ideas.

This can be seen throughout with promotional materials in the pub highlighting a Thai takeover night coming up on a Monday. A similar Eastern European event provided by an external caterer also keeps people coming through the doors.

Buddy says: “We do a Caribbean buffet as well. It brings people to the pub on quiet nights and our drink sales go through the roof. We get people in the pub we have not seen before. They look at our menu and then they come back.”

Keeping things fresh

And there are always reasons to return, as Kate explains: “You need to keep refreshing all of the time. Every year we have done something different, from the basic things like replacing the garden tables. This year we are getting the barbecue going.”

This fits with the Caribbean theme, with street food such as smoked chicken, fish, and a Cuban hog roast to be available from a covered and decked area decorated in bright Caribbean colours this summer.

It complements a spacious garden, which has proved popular with families, who regularly bring children to the afterschool Fox Club at £1 per head.

That branding is important and Kate, wearing a Fox jumper when we meet, points to cuddly foxes positioned around the pub and explains that she pens “Fox Tales”, stories from the pub, for a local magazine.

It has ensured the pub has gained a reputation as a welcoming local, something Buddy and Kate take huge pride in, but they are also attracting more and more guests from further afield to the only Caribbean pub for miles around.

MARCH 2016 37 22/02/2016 14:08

Pub grub through time

by HUGH THOMAS

Dining out has come a long way in the past two millennia. None can attest to that more than the British pub, which has seen culinary advancements such as chicken in a basket, pork scratchings, ploughman’s lunch and Sunday roast.

But, as we enter the gastropub’s alleged 25th year, how much have things really changed?

Alleged 25th year, was that? Yes — though it may be widely believed to be the first gastropub, The Eagle in Farringdon may have a weaker claim to the title than a family-run institution 230 miles north.

“Londoners think the first gastro pub was The Eagle, but those boys only hit the scene in ’91 or ’92,” says Pascal Watkins, son of the late Denis Watkins and heir to the ownership of The Angel Inn in Hetton, North Yorkshire.

“By 1992, Denis had won the Guinness Pub Food Awards for Best Pub Food in the Country, and in 1998 won a Catey for Best Pub Operator.”

His legacy was confirmed when he was widely referred to as the “Godfather of the Gastropub” upon his death in 2004.

All this was, in no small part, down to

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Denis’s abandonment of a nationwide pub favourite — the potato chip.

Chips were a staple part of pub menus in 1985, but Denis did away with them altogether. “He caused a cultural revolution in the Yorkshire Dales,” continues Pascal.

“We served mange tout and new potatoes.

People would phone up and ask, “do ya do bar snacks?” “No” he would bellow down the phone. “We do very substantial bar meals, Madam!”

The spud age

Chips or no chips, the potato — in almost every incarnation — plays a crucial part in the history of pub food.

The year 1920 saw the rise of the crisp, which, for the succeeding eight decades, and with other forms of snack, would help increase beer sales, thus helping pull the pub industry out of its wartime slump.

But, as pub historian Paul Jennings points out in A Local: A History of the English Pub, there are earlier references to the potato’s popularity. A French traveller in 1828, while working his way up the country from inn to inn, deemed these establishments “dirty and poorly furnished”. Mercifully, though, he noted they did have one redeeming feature.

“One or more portions of good meat,” he writes, with “potatoes, some vegetables and a good wedge of cheese.”

As our French friend has indicated, pub food of the time was just as hearty as what you find on your plate (or slate) today.

Shellfish and sheep’s feet

“Pubs came in a variety of forms, and many did sell food,” says Paul. “The more substantial ones certainly did, providing dinners for special occasions, as well as “ordinary” lunches with a set menu and price. More humble pubs and beerhouses also provided basic food. It was common for

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eat.

Pass the pigs’ trotters… lunch at a 19th-century coaching inn

“

Pubs would supply potato pie, cheese, pickles, a pie, a pint and a piece of thick twist tobacco, all for 4 ½ d.

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them to welcome itinerant sellers of pies or pigs’ and sheep’s trotters or shellfish, as well as sometimes cooking customers’ own food.”

Challenge of the chippy

Flourishing as it was then, at the end of the 19th century, pub food suddenly had major competition. On one front, you had the new hotels and increasingly popular restaurants, which had become more accessible.

On the other front, an even greater opponent – the fish and chip shops that had migrated with the Jewish settlers of the 1880s.

To cope with their new rivals, Salford pubs, for example, would supply a set menu of potato pie, cheese and pickles, a pint of beer and a piece of thick twist tobacco all for the reasonable price of 4½d (£4.25 in modern cash), while other pubs went as far as putting up food and snacks for free.

In the decades ensuing, with the exception of snacks, few pubs would serve food.

According to the landlord of The Phoenix in

Liverpool during the 1930s, “you get food in a café, you get beer in a pub”.

As poetic justice would have it, The Phoenix is now long gone.

Get to the 1950s, however, and you see pub grub enjoying something of a resurgence, most notably with the ploughman’s lunch and the “pie and pint” — both, by no coincidence, easily served between meals.

Thanks to the 1960s, we have our Beefeaters and Harvesters, while the 1970s saw the microwave, freezer food, and the then ubiquitous chicken in a basket contribute to 10.5 per cent growth in all food catering sales between 1977 and 1984.

Pubs have come a long way from their ordinary offerings to provide something many other eateries can’t — tasty, accessible and, most importantly, affordable food.

In Pascal Watkins’ view, we can’t seem to get enough of it.

“There’s going to be a move towards lower-skilled menus, but what can you do?” he says. “People can’t be expected to pay ridiculous prices to eat out, can they?”

MARCH 2016 39 22/02/2016 14:11

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eat.

You do the maths It ought to be fairly simple — buy ingredients from suppliers, sell meals to customers, and the difference is profit.

However, Gross Profit, or GP, is an area where plenty of operators have come a cropper.

“So if the fish is this big, how much do we need to sell it for to make 65 per cent GP?” Ashley McCarthy aims for consistent GPs across his dishes but appreciates the need for flexibility

It’s called “gross” because it doesn’t factor in any of the other costs involved in running the business — wages, equipment, heating, lighting, business rates etc.

Conventional wisdom is that the GP on a meal eaten out of home should be around the 70 per cent mark. In other words, if the ingredients cost £3, the meal should cost £10 — plus the 20 per cent VAT the chancellor insists on operators collecting on his behalf, so a £12 menu price.

With restaurants typically charging more than pubs for meals and so pushing the average up, a GP of around 65-66 per cent for an independent pub making fresh food from scratch is about right.

However, flexibility is key, says Ashley McCarthy of Ye Old Sun Inn in Colton, North Yorkshire — a trained chef and a former BII

How to work out your GP 1. Working from your cost price

▲

This is probably the calculation pubs need to use most ‚ achieving a target GP. Let’s say you’re serving up fish & chips, so you need to know how much your ingredients cost. When making up a batch of batter or tartare sauce, you have to calculate how far it will go — e.g. if a 50p bowl of batter will coat 20 fish, then you need to add

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“

We’re changing the menu regularly, so if a particular dish becomes expensive to make, we can change the price or put a new one on

“There you go sir, 100 per cent delicious and 66 per cent GP” – Tim Hore admits his gross profits are under pressure from rising costs of ingredients but is careful not to scare customers away by raising prices suddenly

Licensee of the Year with wife Kelly. “We set our GP at 65 per cent fairly consistently, but as food prices went up and down we struggled to hit that ideal. We’ve upped our target GP recently to 70 per cent, on the basis that if we get 62 per cent on one dish, we should be getting 70 per cent on another.”

With three different steaks on the menu, Ye Old Sun Inn is achieving around 62 per cent GP on a fillet steak costing the customer £28, rising to 65 per cent GP on a ribeye costing £24, and 65 per cent and on a sirloin at £22. The trade-off of a lower GP on higher-priced dishes is necessary because “you hit a ceiling in term of what customers will pay,” says Ashley.

The pub operates a seasonal menu, changing every three months, which can cause challenges. “We can set the price of meat with suppliers, but not fish. In the run-up to Christmas I was paying just short of £10 per kilo for haddock, last week I paid £6.50. I haven’t changed my prices on the menu, and the customer still expects the same portion and the same quality.”

At the Victoria Inn in Salcombe, Devon, licensee Tim Hore has moved to more frequent menu changes to give the pub more leeway. “We’re changing the menu on a monthly to six-weekly basis, so if a particular dish becomes expensive, we can change the price or put a new dish on,” he says The Victoria Inn achieves an average GP around 65-66 per cent. “It has gone down over the past couple of years, as the price of raw materials has gone up,” concedes Tim. “We’re slowly putting a few prices up, but you don’t want to kill the golden goose.

2.5p to each portion when you’re costing your GP. Adding up the cost of the fish plus that carefully portioned batter, chips, tartare sauce and all-important wedge of lemon, let’s say your cost price comes to £3.25.

To achieve a GP of 70 per cent, the calculation is: 3.25 divided by 30 (because your ingredients cost is 30 per cent of the price you want to charge) multiplied by 100 (to get the 100 per cent cost of the dish) gives you a selling price of £10.83.

Add on 20% VAT and your menu price is £12.99. __________________________________ 2. Working from your menu price Hang on… that £12.99 sounds a lot for fish & chips. The going rate in your area is about £10, so let’s reverse the process and work backwards. At a menu price of £10 including VAT, the calculation is: £10 minus 20% VAT = £8 800 minus 325 (the £3.25 cost of ingredients) = 475 Divide 475 by 800 (profit divided by selling price) and you get 0.59375.

That’s confusing, but the first two figures after the decimal point are your approximate GP. At £10 a plate, you’re only making around 59% GP before VAT, so to maintain that price you’ll need to source your fish more cheaply, or accept a lower GP on a big-selling pub classic. _________________________________ Still confused?

There are some very useful apps and online calculators that will do the job of calculating GP and menu prices – but if you understand what lies behind the maths, you’re on more solid ground.

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22/02/2016 12:15

play with MATT ELEY The football season is heading towards a spectacular conclusion. Can Leicester defy all the odds and win the title? an a team from these shores secure European success? Will Ipswich Town make the play-offs? OK, that last one may not be such a driver of trade for pubs, but niche interest should not be overlooked.

As well as enjoying the most unpredictable domestic season for years, which is obviously great news for pubs, we also have the Euros to look forward to.

Carlsberg, which sponsors the tournament and the England team, recently briefed us press types on what it has in store for the tournament in June (more of that at trade.inapub.co.uk and in future issues).

And with England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland all

taking part in the month-long footy festival, this is set to be the biggest Euros to date.

No wonder Carlsberg is predicting it will be worth up to £60m for the on-trade.

Football is and will remain the biggest sport in terms of popularity in pubs with 75 per cent of people having an interest in it. The key for the rest of this season, and the Euros, is getting fans in earlier and keeping them in your pub after the final whistle.

Other sports such as F1 (pages 50-51) could help, as will novelties and games such as crazy golf (pages 48-49).

Now this won’t be for everyone, but it again shows how pubs need to do more than switching on the TV to keep people coming back for more.

CELEBRITY LANDLORD RAY PARLOUR Inapub caught up with the Arsenal old boy as he helped Carlsberg launch its Euro 2016 plans.

So you have a pub?

Yes, it’s the Ferry Boat Inn in North Fambridge, Essex. It’s very small but we do really good home-made food and have six rooms for people to stay in.

How long have you had it for?

We’ve had it for four years and it’s a hard game but we get a lot of enjoyment from it. We get locals but it is hard to get to, you have to drive there really which is why food is so important.

Are you there much?

Yes, I love it, especially in the summer. We’ve put in an outdoor bar and had some great parties there. We need to do more on social media to promote it.

Will you be showing the Euros?

We will show the England games but not all the other ones. We will let the village dictate that. It’s a massive event for pubs. It cost pubs millions when Steve McLaren’s side didn’t make it.

46 MARCH 2016

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trade.inapub.co.uk 21/02/2016 08:45

WIN Crunch time for Arsenal

Rarely will a North London derby have had such an impact on the title race for both

Lane at the start of the month. Barcelona

Saturday, March 5 and Wednesday, March 16 BT Sport

A £10,000 Music Makeover for your pub thanks to PRS for Music

PRS for Music’s new look Music Makeover competition is well under way, offering a prize of a £10,000 Music Makeover to the winning pub, followed by second and third prizes of a £5,000 Music Makeover and £2,500 Music Makeover respectively.

Six Nations

Most of PRS for Music’s top

The tournament concludes with successive weekends of action. England may have to defeat Wales and France to have a chance of winning the title for the first time since 2011.

members started their careers playing

Saturday, March 12 and Saturday, March 19 BBC and ITV

Music Makeover competition helps the

in small live music venues which is why PRS for Music feels so passionately about the value live music can bring. The winning pubs reap the rewards of live music in their venues.

Happening this month

The competition has been running for five years and has annually rewarded a winning UK pub with £10,000 to spend on a music makeover such as brand new live equipment or installing a high-end sound system.

St Patrick’s Day

Alongside this, the prize includes a be-

The start of spring brings a plethora of events including Easter, Mother’s Day and the international Guinness-guzzling bonanza that is St Patrick’s. Please drink responsibly.

spoke music consultancy from a leading expert and a high profile event celebrating the win and featuring performances from key PRS for Music members.

Thursday, March 17

So do you think your pub would benefit from a Music Makeover?

To enter you need to:

Cheltenham Festival

One of the undoubted highlights of the

on the final day

• •

entry form For full details on how to enter,

Tuesday, March 15 Channel 4

previous winner information and full terms & conditions, please go to: www.prsformusic.com/musicmakeover Deadline is Friday 25th March at 5pm About PRS for Music PRS for Music is a society of around

ICC Twenty20

115,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers – its members. It repre-

The scintillating slog-fest will see the world’s best blast the ball to the back of beyond in a

sents the rights of these members by li-

Friday, March 11 — Sunday, April 3 Sky Sports

royalties to those members and societies

censing organisations to play, perform or make available music. It then distributes fairly and efficiently.

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21/02/2016 08:45

Getting a round in

by MATT ELEY

Inapub editor and golf champ Matt Eley came a cropper on this challenging Honoluluinspired course

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Brixton in south London is famous for many things — the social unrest of the 1980s, a bohemian arts community, some of the most vibrant markets in the capital, and being the birthplace of David Bowie. Golf does not feature highly on that list.

Nonetheless, I find myself standing with club in hand and ball at feet preparing to embark on nine challenging holes in SW9.

I’m at The Duke of Edinburgh, a pub on a largely residential street, five minutes from Brixton tube with one of the biggest gardens in the area. While this space can be rammed with hundreds of people in the summer, it is

less popular in the winter months.

That’s why the marquee used for the Rugby World Cup has been retained and filled with nine holes that give players the impression they are plotting their way around a miniature course in Honolulu.

The Duke’s general manager Stevie Mulgrave (pictured, below right) explains: “We needed to put on something quirky.

People like an activity when they go to the pub these days.

“It’s not good enough just to open the doors any more. People want to try different things or they will get bored and try something else.”

Par for the course

The golf fits with the pub’s wider ethos of continually introducing new ideas. It recently revamped its menu by linking with The Cornwall Project, which provides fine food from the county to the capital.

And as Stevie and I embark on a headto-head challenge to rival the classic Ryder Cup singles showdowns, he points out the tiki huts that are being constructed by an outside bar and barbecue for customers to get cosy in this summer.

After one hole I’ve decided this is an easy game. A gentle opener through a tunnel with a break to the right and I celebrate smugly as my little pink ball drops in the cup for a hole in one. Then, irritatingly, Stevie does exactly the same. He’s played this before...

I pick up two shots at the second after Stevie blots his card with a four. This is starting to look like a walk that for once won’t be ruined by the golf.

So who actually plays this, is it amateur golfers or locals at the pub?

The answer is a great variety of people. In week one 200 people booked to play. This virtually doubled in the second week. And with green fees of £7.50 per person, a

trade.inapub.co.uk 21/02/2016 08:50

play.

Duke of Edinburgh Brixton, London

Style: Community, destination Staff: 40 Online: dukeofedinburghpub.com Twitter: @DukeSW9

“

People are coming here to play, realising this is a nice pub and coming back just for that. It’s driving food and drink sales and showing that we have a massive garden for the summer trade.inapub.co.uk

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percentage of which is shared with the course owners Plonk Golf, it is proving to be a very useful income stream.

“We thought people in the pub would play but it is more pre-booking — you can pay online and book a tee time or pay at the pub,” says Stevie.

“People who haven’t been near this bar before are coming through to play and realising that this is a nice pub, and then they come back just for that. It’s about bringing more people to the bar, driving food and drink sales and showing that we have a massive garden for the summer.”

It has also generated much discussion and sharing of photos on social media as well as wider press interest.

Back to the game. The third is a disaster for me as a tyre in the middle of the green proves a tricky obstacle. It’s nip and tuck over the middle section of the course but I have a comfortable four-shot lead as we reach the final stretch.

When we play prelunch on a Friday we have the course to ourselves but at peak times Plonk

provides a member of staff. Even if there is a slight wait on tees, customers are generally happy to take the chance to have a drink and relax.

The deal with Plonk was initially done on a trial basis but having proved successful the course is likely to stay until the May Bank Holiday. A scaled-down version could remain over the summer months.

“We didn’t think it would be as popular as it has been,” says Stevie, making a handy three at the seventh as I score a disastrous five. “Now we are seeing the bookings coming in we are thinking ‘what should we do next?’ Leagues might work because some people are really into it. Some go around different courses to do this.”

It was in fact a miniature golf expert on Twitter who alerted me to the existence of The Duke’s course in the first place.

He would probably have wished he hadn’t if he’s seen me Iet two more shots slip at the eighth and ninth. Stevie calmly rolls in for a two to secure victory at the last.

I head to the 19th hole, or 10th in this case, to have a word with myself… along with a very comforting steak and glass of Merlot.

MARCH 2016 49 22/02/2016 14:15

Winning formula

by MATT ELEY

Leader: Lewis Hamilton will be looking to add to his three world F1 titles this year

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The drivers will soon be back on the grid and once again they will be trying to catch Lewis Hamilton as he goes for a fourth world title.

F1 gives pubs a chance to attract petrolheads and sports fans looking for something other than a roast on a Sunday lunchtime.

Once again TV coverage is split across BBC and Sky, with 10 races live on terrestrial TV. All 21 will be on Sky, along with coverage in the run-up to, and aftermath of, races.

One pub looking forward to the green lights signalling the start of the season is the Station Hotel in Hither Green, southeast London. Stephanie Fisher, general manager at the site, which is owned by multiple operator Redcomb pubs, says: “We show a lot of sport here and after the football it is one of the most popular. F1 attracts lots of people, including families. We promote it on our social media so we get them pre- and post-races.”

With some races taking place outside traditional hours — such as the season’s opener in Australia, which starts at 5am — Stephanie has teamed up with a nearby venue that shows them all. In return, that venue recommends The Station for accommodation. “They will stay here pre-race and then go on to watch it at the other venue,” she adds.

The season’s opener is one of 11 that will be exclusively on Sky this season. David Rey, managing director of Sky Business, says: “F1 is one of the most popular sports to watch in pubs, offering additional moneymaking opportunities to licensees.”

FORMULA 1 RACES 2016 SUNDAY MARCH 20 Australia SUNDAY APRIL 3 Bahrain SUNDAY APRIL 17 China SUNDAY MAY 1 Russia SUNDAY MAY 15 Spain SUNDAY MAY 29 Monaco SUNDAY JUNE 12 Canada SUNDAY JUNE 19 Azerbaijan SUNDAY JULY 3 Austria SUNDAY JULY 10 Great Britain SUNDAY JULY 24 Hungary SUNDAY JULY 31 Germany SUNDAY AUGUST 28 Belgium SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 4 Italy SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 18 Singapore SUNDAY OCTOBER 2 Malaysia SUNDAY OCTOBER 9 Japan SUNDAY OCTOBER 23 USA SUNDAY OCTOBER 30 Mexico SUNDAY NOVEMBER 13 Brazil SUNDAY NOVEMBER 27 Abu Dhabi

Sky BBC/Sky Sky Sky BBC/Sky Sky Sky BBC/Sky Sky BBC/Sky BBC/Sky Sky BBC/Sky BBC/Sky Sky BBC/Sky Sky Sky BBC/Sky Sky BBC/Sky

22/02/2016 14:20

play.

A Formula One car at N I W your pub with Sky Sports is celebrating a record-breaking year of F1® in pubs by offering one lucky venue a money-can’t-buy opportunity to win a real F1® car in their car park for the day, giving their customers a unique chance to get closer than they could ever imagine to the real thing.

Thanks to Sky, Force India will bring one of the team’s cars to the winning venue to be on show for the day, helping to attract fans of the sport and any wannabe Lewis Hamiltons along for the ultimate selfie with a real F1® car.

The competition gives pubs the chance to be in with a shot of hosting the ultimate F1® Sunday in their venue, with live action from one of 21 races shown on Sky Sports F1® this season at the same time as having the Force India car on site.

With more races, more stories and more drama this coming season, only Sky Sports F1® can give pub viewers the complete story live. F1® is one of the most popular sports in pubs and bars, offering additional moneymaking opportunities to licensees. With the races taking place on Sundays from March to November, there’s a great chance to attract fans in to watch all the action throughout the season, giving food and drink sales a potential boost.

What’s more, pubs with additional viewing cards can show football and F1® at the same time on Sundays, keeping more customers happy and in their venue for longer.

HOW TO ENTER Entry is simple, just visit www.myskysports.com/F1car and enter your details.

Closing date for entries is midnight on Sunday March 20, the date of the Australian Grand Prix – the first race of the 2016/17 season.

Terms and Conditions 1. This competition is only open to residents of the UK (excluding the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) aged 18 years and over. Proof of age may be required. 2. The Promotion excludes employees of the Promoter and their immediate families, any agencies of the Promoter or anyone professionally connected to the promotion.3. The winning pub must have a car park that can be closed for a daytime weekend event. 4. A date for the event will be agreed between the promoter and the winner after the winner has been selected. For full T&Cs see www.myskysports.com/F1car

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MARCH 2016 51 22/02/2016 14:20

9

by MATT ELEY

things to remember for a cracking Easter

“

It’s an early one this year, so make sure you’re ready to spring into life and celebrate the Resurrection.

1

Get the dates in the diary

You really don’t want to miss out on this double bank holiday, so if you haven’t already done so, make a note of the dates.

Good Friday is on March 25 this year, which means Easter Sunday, most likely the busiest day for pubs, is on March 27.

Plan an offering that appeals to 2 Mothers’ Day the family as While we are on the subject of dates, Mothers’ Day is early this year as well. a whole, with March 6. Be prepared. sharing platters 3 Fathers’ Day We’ve mentioned the other dates, so let’s and nonnot forget the dads. It’s June 21 for them. alcoholic drinks 4 The food opportunity Right, back to Easter… according to research by Premier Foods, 81 per cent of caterers regard Mothers’ Day and Easter as key dates to attract new customers. Make sure the pub is in great shape and you have enough staff to cope with the extra demand.

5

Set menus

The kitchen may be under extra strain, so Premier Foods suggests using set menus — it has produced a

52 MARCH 2016

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handy guide and some recipe examples, which you can find here: www.premierfoodservice.co.uk

6

Cocktails

7

Being family-friendly

While it’s still not exactly the summer, customers will be in holiday mood and may want something more tropical to imbibe.

Ashley Moore, Diageo’s category development manager, says: “Outlets offering cocktails for the first time should choose a short, well thought-out list with five to eight cocktails, covering the best-selling cocktails.”

Lee Price, licensee at The Royal Pier in Aberystwyth, recommends an offer for all ages. “Plan an offering that appeals to the family as a whole with sharing platters and non-alcoholic drinks. An Easter egg hunt in the beer garden with golden eggs, egg and spoon races and a pudding decoration station for kids all work.”

8 Sport

There will be plenty of live action over the weekend, so make sure sports fans know if they will be catered for or if dining will dominate.

9 Promotion

Whether your Easter activity focuses on sport, food, family fun or all three, your customers need to know about it. Make plenty of noise on social media, as well as the more traditional channels.

trade.inapub.co.uk 22/02/2016 14:23

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Did you know your fridge is your secret salesman?

Are you making the most of this opportunity to drive sales?

The packaged category, including bottled fruit ciders and craft beers stocked in the fridge, offers a significant profit opportunity for licensees.

T O P

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

T I P S

T O

RANGE

LAYOUT

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

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

D R I V E

S A L E S

VISIBILITY TRAINING 38% of consumers admit that visibility influences their decision2. Keep the bar clear and clean so as to not block the view of the back-bar fridge.

This should also be a consideration when placing PoS – obstructing the fridge will only hide what you have on offer..

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

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

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

3 Peach Brand Track, July 2015

21/02/2016 09:06

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

RISING STAR

Helping The Hope blossom

Even a celebrity chef needs a little help when it comes to opening a pub, which is why Colin McGurran, star of Great British Menu and Saturday Kitchen, turned to HEINEKEN for his new venture, The Hope & Anchor in South Ferriby, North Lincolnshire. We’ll be following Colin over the next year, as he makes the most of HEINEKEN’s many and varied business support tools, to help grow his business. Colin snapped up the freehouse last year following a ood at the ub, which slashed the as ing rice. As his restaurant, Winteringham Fields, is nearby, he’d been walking his dog past the venue for years and could see its potential as a destination dining pub. It’s set right on the Humber with a view of the bridge and surrounding fields. he area is o ular with cyclists, sailors, bird watchers and wal ers and there are several well heeled villages not too far away, so he knew there was a market for a quality pub that was more than a boozer. What he didn’t know, however, was much about designing a bar, popular pub brands, maintaining quality draught drinks or marketing a pub. ne sto sho

“Before we opened I had suppliers knocking down the door trying to get our business,” Colin explains.

“Most were competing on price but I wanted more than just the cheapest offer, I wanted support as well.

Of course I also needed the right sort of brands for this sort of ub. o, really what needed was a one sto sho arrangement, which is why ended u going with HEINEKEN.” Colin’s HEINEKEN Business Development Manager, Peter Lawson, became involved in the pub more than a year ago, before it even opened, advising Colin on all aspects of the business. This support has continued through the o ening of the ub and its first months of trading, with plenty more yet to come as Colin’s business grows with the hel of the ongoing relation shi . hen Peter first came on board, he too Colin to other pubs to look at how different brands worked in different venues and to taste the drinks in situ as well.

The decision was to choose drinks such as Caledonian Brewery’s craft lager Three Hop, Heineken, Old Mout and Bulmers, alongside local ales from Tom Woods.

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21/02/2016 09:09

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE At a glance

Colin McGurran Colin has starred in The Great British Menu (twice getting dishes into the final banquet), Saturday Kitchen and Ramsay’s Best Restaurant. He previously worked at the 2-Michelin-starrred.

Domaines Hauts de Loire in France and as banqueting manager for the UAE royal family in Abu Dhabi. He also owns and runs the five star hotel and restaurant, Winteringham Fields.

His commitment to local sourcing is such that he produces most of the vegetables and fruit used by the pub and restaurant himself.

He also rears all the pigs, lambs and chickens used. He opened the Hope & Anchor just under a year ago.

HEINEKEN UK’s On -Trade Director Chris Jowsey says…

Colin also gets all his soft drinks, spirits and mixers from Heineken.

“I didn’t want this pub to become a typical old boozer but neither did I want it to become too much like a restaurant,” he says. “So it was vital we got the right brands on the front and back-bar and the breadth of HEINEKEN’s offer meant we were able to achieve that.”

Heading into year two

Now the pub is up and running, and has had a stunningly successful first year, Colin and Peter are looking at other areas where HEINEKEN can help.

There are plans to embark on a programme of marketing; to keep improving the quality of both the food and drink on offer and create an outside area, perhaps with an outside bar. “Before I started working with Heineken I had no idea they offered any more than a range of beers,” says Colin. “I’ve developed a great working relationship with Peter now, and the prospect of working together over the coming year to see where HEINEKEN can help boost the business even more, is an exciting one.”

“Whilst the pub industry certainly remains challenging, there’s a real sense of renewed optimism within the trade about its future. The opportunity for licensees who are adapting to consumers’ ever-changing behaviour and giving pub-goers the premium experience they expect from a pub today is clear to see, as Colin’s experience at the Hope & Anchor goes to show.

We know there are huge pressures on licensees and that’s why we are absolutely committed to providing all the support we can to our customers to help them grow their business. We’re passionate about quality and want to help licensees achieve the highest standards at every touchpoint for the consumer – from ensuring every pint served is perfect, to providing an unrivalled choice of leading beer and cider brands – to give the consumer the best experience possible and ultimately assure their repeat custom.

We’re excited to be working with Colin over the year ahead to help him take his business to the next level – working together with Peter Lawson, Colin has already achieved so much and we’re looking forward to sharing the results of Colin’s close collaboration with HEINEKEN over the coming year.

Next time: How Heineken’s Smart Dispense system makes sure the beer at the Hope & Anchor is as high in quality as Colin’s award-winning food. Inapub will be following Colin and The Hope and Anchor throughout the year as he looks to grow his business with support and advice from HEINEKEN

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21/02/2016 09:10

back-bar business

Push for the pinnacle athena mentoring month 3

There’s a dichotomy between the work we’ve done in the pub industry to make our venues welcoming to women and the number of women making the big decisions at the top.

A paltry 18 per cent of major pub company boards are made up of women.

So it is no surprise then, that when applications for the new female mentoring scheme Athena opened at the end of last year there was no shortage of talented women wanting to be mentees.

Equally as heartening was the willingness of the men at the top of the industry to step up and become mentors — men like Admiral Taverns’ chief executive, Kevin Georgel.

Admiral’s Kevin Georgel: “There are still too few women at senior management level”

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Empowering women

Kevin jumped at the opportunity to get involved and was paired by the Athena team with Alice Boyer, executive chef at Bath Ales.

“It has always surprised me that whilst as an industry we work hard to welcome female customers into our pubs, and have seen a shift away from our male-dominated customer base of the 1980s, there are still too few women at senior management and operational level, bringing their expertise and experience to bear across the UK pub sector,” Kevin says.

“I wholeheartedly agree with and support the objectives of the Athena mentoring

BT Sport’s Emma Causer – “meaningful partnerships”

programme. At Admiral our culture is built on empowering people across our business and we place a high priority on their development and support them to realise their potential I am very much looking forward to getting involved in the programme and meeting Alice in the very near future.”

Meaningful partnerships

Athena was set up last year in partnership with BT Sport, the British Institute of Innkeeping, the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers and us here at Inapub.

As part of our involvement we’ll be following Alice on her journey with Kevin, alongside that of her fellow mentee, Yummy Pubs general manager Sarah Marshall, over the next year.

“After launching in the summer, and after months of reviewing applications and interviewing prospective mentees, it is great to now see the Athena Mentoring Programme live,” said Emma Causer commercial account director at BT Sport and the creator of the scheme “Our mentees have been paired with their mentors; meaningful partnerships which take the experience and area of specialism of the mentor and couple that with the learning requirements and career aspirations of the mentee, through which we hope will see the talented young women in the scheme flourish.”

To find out more about Athena mentoring visit www.athenamentoring.com

trade.inapub.co.uk 22/02/2016 14:30

Give your pub the website it deserves only

£350

£100 discount for all

customers

“I’m really pleased with my new mobile-friendly website.

It’s really easy to use and we’ve had new customers walk in having found the site on their phone” Martin Molloy, Stanley Arms, Wesham

Have complete control – update it at any time, wherever you are

Update your site and social media in one click

Choose from a range of mobile-friendly designs

Take online bookings straight from your website

Select a free .co.uk website address – www.yourpubnamehere.co.uk

Upload food menus and list beers available at the bar

Want to show off your garden, bar or those fantastic burgers your chef makes? For an additional £100 we offer a professional photoshoot to make your pub really stand out from the crowd!

Order your website today 0845 230 1986 • www.inapub.co.uk/products • sales@inapub.co.uk

websites house ad BT discount.indd 57

inapub 22/02/2016 12:48

back-bar business Warwick Alabaster is a litigation specialist and a member of the leisure team at Napthens.

The firm offers legal advice and guidance on a wide range of legal issues affecting businesses in the leisure and licensed trade sector including: general commercial, employment, licensing, intellectual property, corporate finance, dispute resolution and litigation, commercial property and debt recovery. www.napthens.co.uk

KEEP IT LEGAL Need to claim on your insurance? Make sure you know your rights

“

People whose insurance claim is rejected by a call handler should not simply give up

We have seen a significant increase in the number of queries regarding insurance claims that relate to damage caused by floods which some claimants are struggling to see through. That is perhaps unsurprising given that research shows as many as 10 per cent of insurance claims against some of the country’s largest insurers are denied.

The country has seen some terrible flooding in recent weeks. It has certainly highlighted the need for clarity from insurance companies and for claimants to know what to do if their claim is denied.

People who are rejected by a call handler should not then simply give up. Instead they should make sure they get a refusal confirmed in writing with an explanation of the reasons behind the decision.

David Cameron himself has appealed to insurance companies to pay out quickly, but in reality this may not hold any weight.

Therefore it is important to be aware of your rights as an insurance policy holder.

Reportedly just one per cent of people denied an insurance claim actually question the insurance company’s decision, so certainly there is a lot that can be done to raise awareness. Here are my top tips:

•

First and foremost, check your lease so you know what you are required to repair and what falls under the responsibilities of your landlord (if you have one).

Always get a refusal confirmed in writing with an explanation of why that is the case.

If a claim is rejected, carefully consider the terms of an insurance policy and the complaint procedure to follow.

•

Even if a claim is accepted, there may be delays as an insurance company disputes the amount of money to pay out. You can put yourself in the strongest possible position with this by recording and evidencing as much as possible: details of staff costs and other resources that were needed during clean-up; up-to-date accounts and comparable previous accounts to evidence any loss of income or business interruption claim, etc.

All insurance companies in this country are regulated by the Financial Ombudsman. If a property owner feels they haven’t been dealt with properly they can go to the free ombudsman service, which has wide-ranging powers to order the company to take remedial action if they feel it has wrongly rejected a claim.

Failing that, the individual should instruct a solicitor with expertise in handling claims against insurance companies.

If a delay in an insurer paying out a claim is causing you cash-flow issues then make contact with your service providers and landlord to see if you can negotiate a delay or reduction in payments.

• • •

• • 58 MARCH 2016

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22/02/2016 08:16

UK’s publicans get on board with

“

It is an opportunity to learn, grow the business and meet new people who might be able to help

Next Generation is sponsored by

The future of the pub industry looks bright if the application process for our Next Generation project is anything to go buy. Scores of licensees and managers from across the country have already contacted us to say they want to get involved.

Next Generation aims to bring the rising stars of the industry together for a series of events across the country to share ideas and to learn from leading lights in the trade.

The first event will take place at Sky’s studios in West London on April 11 with a host of top speakers including Peter Borg-Neal, founder of the multiple awardwinning Oakman Inns, multiple operator and former BII Licensee of the Year Chris Lewis and Aaron Moore-Saxton of highly respected operator Aspirational Pub Company.

Learn and meet people in the trade Violeta Morgan was one of the first to sign up to attend. She recently took on the tenancy at The Anchor in Tring, having spent most of her career in retail.

She says: “I have been running businesses for other people and I thought it was time to do my own thing.

“I am interested in Next Generation because it is new and it is an opportunity to learn, grow the business and meet new people who might be able to help me.”

There will be three events at different venues across the country this year, all supported by Sky, Heineken and Diageo.

Andrew Turner, Heineken’s on-trade

Violeta Morgan: Iooking forward to the learning and networking opportunity

category and trade marketing director, said Heineken was keen to support the influx of new talent coming into the trade.

“At Heineken, we are committed to helping all our customers grow their businesses and we know the best way to do this is through sharing ideas and insights.

“That’s why we are delighted to be supporting Inapub’s Next Generation initiative; by sharing ideas and successes, licensees will have the tools and insights to adapt and thrive.

“We hope Next Generation will provide Inapub’s readers with useful ideas and ultimately, help ensure the sustainable growth and continued success of the pub sector.”

Are you part of the Next Generation?

Supported by

To register your interest or to find out more email nextgen@inapub.co.uk …and briefly tell us about you and your pub. We will be in touch with the rest.

MARCH 2016 59 p59 next gen.indd 59

22/02/2016 08:14

back-bar business

Time to get online #pubsgetonline HEADLINE SPONSORS

Welcome to the sixth and final instalment of our #pubsgetonline campaign.

The campaign was conceived following some exclusive research, for which we surveyed hundreds of licensees and 1,000 consumers.

We found that a staggering 98 per cent of internet users have searched online to find information about a pub. Yet it is estimated that just under a half of UK pubs and bars do not have a website.

So, as the campaign draws to its close, what have we learned?

1

89 per cent of people in the UK use the internet

If nothing else we hope that our campaign has demonstrated how vital it is in this day and age for pubs to have a website.

80 per cent of new customers will look for your website before visiting

2

This means your website must be up to date

www.inapub.co.uk/pubsgetonline

— so, at the very least, remove information about events that have passed and put up your most recent food and drink menus.

60 per cent of people look for pictures online before visiting

3

Invest in professional photos of your pub, it will be money well spent. Encourage staff and customers to upload shots of their food and drink to social media.

55 per cent of internet users search for pub info on a smartphone or tablet

4

For this reason your website needs to work as well on smartphones and tablets as on a computer screen. Review sites are also important here — they are often the first to appear in mobile search results — so make sure you are registered and that all your information is correct and up to date.

‘We wanted visitors to the area to get a feel for what we offer’ Peter Swain, The Cross Keys, Newbold, Leicestershire Peter has been at the traditional village pub for nearly three years and with a recently completed refurbishment under his belt he knew it was time to invest in a website.

While currently most of his customers are locals, Peter knew he was well situated (near both the Donington Park motor racing circuit and East Midlands Airport) to boost business by attracting visitors to the area to the pub. And and for that he really did need a website.

“It was important that the website worked on mobile

devices as well because that’s how many people search for pubs these days,” he explains “I also felt it was important to invest in some great photography so people could get a feel for the pub, our food and the accommodation we offer.”

With the help of the Inapub team, the new website was up and running within a month and had received over 1,000 hits in its first four weeks. “The process was really easy and the website makes a great impression on potential customers,” Peter says.

#pubsgetonline is supported by

60 FEBRUARY 2016

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trade.inapub.co.uk 22/02/2016 14:32

Source: Inapub consumer survey 2015

83% of internet users searched for a pub online in the last month

50% of consumers visit a venue within a day after searching it

HOW TO BOOST YOUR BUSINESS ONLINE GET YOUR PUB LISTED ON GOOGLE BUSINESS to appear properly in Google Maps and other search results LINK YOUR WEBSITE ON YOUR GOOGLE BUSINESS PAGE so that the link appears in all Google Map and search results DON’T JUST UPLOAD A PDF OF YOUR MENU If text appears on your web page, it can be found by search engines

83 per cent of internet users have searched for a pub online in the last month

6

What’s more, 50 per cent of consumers visit a pub within a day of searching for it online.

Most searches are local, so register with Google My Business to ensure you appear in searches such as “pubs near me” — one of the most frequently used search terms for pubs.

trade.inapub.co.uk p60-61 pgo.indd 61

‘

So you need to get your pub to appear as far up the rankings as possible. Google rates websites that are mobile-friendly; that are active, and which contain exactly the information people are after — in the case of pubs this is most often the location, food menu and drinks offer.

‘

82 per cent of internet users will use Google to search for information about a pub

5

MAKE THE TEXT ON YOUR SITE REFLECT PHRASES PEOPLE USE TO SEARCH ONLINE For example best a Sunday lunch’ or live Premier League’ MAKE YOUR WEBSITE RESPONSIVE (MOBILE-FRIENDLY) More than 60% per cent of users searching online will be using a mobile device; Google ranks mobile-ready sites higher than those that aren’t Tips from Inapub’s online marketing expert Mark Daniels.

To find out more about Inapub’s digital marketing services, visit www.inapub.co.uk/products call 0845 230 1986 or email sales@inapub.co.uk

22/02/2016 08:45

time at the bar

PLATE OR SLATE? Where the nation’s publicans stand on the really big questions Simon Delaney The Firbank Newall Green, Manchester

Simon Delaney has been the man in charge at The Firbank for more than two decades. In that time he has built up an award-winning and hugely successful community local. Customers flock for football, food and a range of events throughout the week. Many are prompted

by Simon and his team’s wide-ranging marketing work on social media.

Plate or slate?

Table service or order at the bar?

Definitely plates. We don’t have slates though we actually do use some crates.

Everything has gone very strange over the last couple of years with some of the things that food is served on. If you’d have seen it 10 years ago you wouldn’t believe it. But it will come and go, whereas plates are here to stay.

A bit of both. If we can do it then we like to provide table service and give the customers that little bit of extra hospitality.

Background music or silence is golden?

We do run nightly tabs and we’ll do weekly ones for regular customers.

Definitely background music, silence can be deafening. You don’t want to be that quiet pub where everyone turns around and stares when somebody they don’t know walks in. The music helps with the atmosphere.

Apple Pay or cash?

Apple Pay, cash, debit cards, sterling, euros, dollars. If it’s money we’ll take it!

Bar tabs or no credit here?

Wear what you want or staff uniforms?

Dyson Airblade or hand towels?

Definitely uniforms. I want people to come in and know who my team is with their smart shirts and name tags. I don’t want someone in a check shirt looking like they’ve been dragged through a hedge.

The Airblade. You don’t want to have toilets or bins overflowing with used paper towels.

Family-friendly or keep the kids home?

We love being a place for all of the family with the kids sitting down with mum and dad and the grandparents. That said, we had a bit of bother the other day when there were kids running across the tables.

I went to have a word and they said “but you’re supposed to be family friendly!” We are, but they still have to behave.

Dogs allowed or the only animals are on the menu?

No, I don’t want dogs running around when there’s food. Dog hairs and food do not mix well. No thanks.

Book in advance or find a seat where you can?

If you want to book in advance you can but equally we will look after you and find you somewhere to sit of you walk in. We want to keep all of our customers happy.

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22/02/2016 08:47

Tens of thousands of quizzers put their grey matter to the test to raise huge sums for charity while attempting to break a world record.

An estimated 30,000 people took part in 1,400 pub quizzes spreading the length and breadth of the country, in a PubAid-organised effort to run the largest multiple-venue quiz.

It is believed more than 700 causes benefited from the £100,000 raised on the night.

PubAid co-founder Keith Knowles said: “We’re delighted so many pubs registered to join in with the quiz, typifying the spirit that sees pubs raise more than £100m for charity every year.

We are waiting for confirmation we have broken the record, but in terms of participation numbers, we are hoping we have more than enough to do it.”

For more information visit www.pubaid.com/quiz

THE COLLECTION TIN What pubs around the country are doing to help good causes The Walnut Tree in East Farleigh, Kent, raised £2,509 for the Air Ambulance last year. It brings its running total over the last few years to more than £20,000, with the drive led by customer Steve Cloude.

Leicester pubco and brewery Steamin Billy is looking for fundraisers to take part its summer bike ride. There are various routes for different standards, with all money going to the Matt Hampson Foundation, which supports young people seriously injured through sport. www.steamin-billy.co.uk/billybikeride

An idea inspired by the ice bucket challenge has raised thousands for various causes.

After watching millions of people get involved in the scheme for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA), Bank Top Brewery in Horwich, Bolton, wanted to do some fundraising of its own. It started by producing logo pin badges with the 30p from each sale going to MNDA. This success was followed by the production of 12 pump clip badges, with sales over 14 months benefiting The Stroke Association, Parkinsons UK, Sharples Wrestling Club, Bolton Mountain Rescue Team and Derian House Children’s Hospice. The badges were sold at the brewery and its two pubs, The Tap and The Ale House, helping raise around £1,800.

Bank Top Brewery’s Dave Sweeney said: “Landlords have also made generous donations to the different causes which has boosted the final cheque amounts.”

The Scottish Licensed Trade Benevolent Society raised £112,000 at its annual dinner in Glasgow last month. The funds will support current and former licensed trade workers who are facing difficulties.

Stella Artois has announced its second year of partnership with Water.org to help provide access to clean water to people in the developing world and to drive awareness of the 663 million people around the world who are living without safe drinking water.

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

trade.inapub.co.uk p63 collection tin v2.indd 63

MARCH 2016 63 22/02/2016 14:34

time at the bar

YOUR ROUND Got something to say? Share your thoughts with the trade here Tweets of the Month In reply to our story about Pub is The Hub’s pub library schemes in Cornwall… @ChrisR166 More pubs should definitely have reading rooms / libraries... I’ve said that for ages! @NewInnYealandC TheNewInnYealand We want this too! WOW! @BeerDetective BeerDetective That is very cool! #ReadingIsFundamental And on our feature looking at pubs that host funerals… @HellHoundBeer @inapub lot of pubs around here coin it in from funerals.

Death can be a good earner, it is proven.

Dear Editor Your article 50 things that make pubs great (Inapub, January) was quite interesting in that it proves how diversified a pub must be to succeed.

However, I believe in the ethos of the three most valuable expectations a customer will seek out. Simply put it is this: 1. A great pint - backed up by CAMRA 2. Served in a clean glass — branded, renovated. Sparkling 3. Right price — micro-market to gain maximum profit for your outlet without

alienating your customers.

The Black Horse includes over 33 of your 50 great things and would have more if we served food. Being wet led, a great pint in a clean glass at the right price is our bible — everything else just falls into place.

The Black Horse is the oldest pub in Preston dating back to 1760 with the last rebuild in 1890.

Graham Rowson The Black Horse Preston

The Queens Head Hotel, Exeter

R E N IN

W

A pub that has been saved from being turned into a supermarket has another reason to be cheerful. The Queens Head staved off a bid from developers and will now welcome a world champion through the doors.

It won an Inapub and Sky competition to win a darts night to remember. Backto-back World Champion (and former Inapub cover star) Gary Anderson will meet with regulars at the pub. He’ll also have the PDC World Championship trophy with him to add ever more darting stardust to proceedings.

See trade.inapub.co.uk for pictures from the night later this month.

@TheresaPunch Check out @MarciaInnBish who do an amazing job of catering for over 300 funerals a year! @pub-advisor Pubs are commonly used for wakes and handling such occasions requires great sensitivity. @inapub shows how.

Find us passing the time between issues @inapub

p64 your round.indd 64

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

22/02/2016 10:41

DRINKS YOU CAN'T PRONOUNCE TOP

The beverages the nation has been saying wrong

10

1. Moët & Chandon Pity the poor fool who next orders a bottle of “moway” from your bar, for you are about to be let in on a wine trade secret: yes, this is a French brand but Claude Moët was of Dutch heritage and so it’s definitely, and 100 per cent, pronounced “mowett.”

Anything else is just plain wrong.

2. Tsingtao While you can get away with ordering a number 47 in a Chinese restaurant, the system hasn’t been extended to beers. So, if you want one of these babies to go with your sweet & sour pork balls you’ll need to ask for a “cheeng-dow” and not, under any circumstances a “sing-taow”.

3. Laphroaig It’s not “lafrog” or, God forbid, “lap-ro-a-ig” but quite simply “la-froig”. So, in the name of every whisky snob and lover of the Gaelic language, let’s stop mangling it and giving them cause to snigger. Smug bastards.

4. Perrier-Jouët It’s those pesky umlauts causing trouble again and, just like rival fizz brand Moët, you need to sound that hard “t”. Question is, are you willing to risk sounding like a right tool by correcting everyone else – “actually Beryl, I think you’ll find you sound the ‘t’”?

5. Curaçao Not only is it confusing to pronounce (it’s kur-uh-sow) this

trade.inapub.co.uk p65 top 10.indd 65

Caribbean liqueur is blue but it’s orangeflavoured *brain freeze*.

6. Singha Bet you thought you had this one in the bag — “sing-ha” right? Wrong. Try just plain “sing” for a smidgen of Thai authenticity.

7. Bruichladdich Another Islay malt whisky, another daunting jumble of consonants. If you want to impress though, ask for a “brook-laddie”.

8. Tokaji A sublime Hungarian sweet wine made from grapes affected by noble-rot — a good kind of mould that makes for a super-sticky, moreish, sweet-but-acidic wine that’s just so bloody good. If you fancy ordering yourself a bottle of this nectar, you’re asking for “tock-eye”.

9. Mahou If you think chorizo (“chore-reeth-oh”) is difficult enough to contend with when ordering tapas, don’t even think about going for this innocent looking beer– for the record, it’s “ma-o”.

10. Kina Lillet If you want to impress by ordering Bond’s signature cocktail, the Vesper Martini, you’ll need to ask for three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka and half a measure of “lee-lay” – shaken, not stirred.

MARCH 2016 65 22/02/2016 10:44

time at the bar

HAIR OF THE DOG Tales of the unexpected from the wonderful world of pubs mp Popular porker on the pu money as a ing dogs a run for their It looks like pigs are giv s Bacon, nce Fra ed viously featur pub’s best friend. We pre and now od rwo No st We in ing Hero resident of the Conquer s. we introduce Scratching This porky pal is so popular at The Red Lion in Bierton, Buckinghamshire, that he has even had a beer brewed in his honour. Just look at that little face on the pumpclip.

No prizes for guessing what food the beer matches well with (just don’t tell the pig).

Cook by name...

One pub with the perfect ingredients in the kitchen is the Hope & Anchor in North Lincolnshire. And that’s just the staff.

Diners at the Barton-upon-Humber venue have their meals prepared by the aptly named chefs Ryan Cook and Peter Garlick. Sadly, as the food is all cooked from scratch, they had to let Phil Microwave go.

It also reminded us of a trip to The Rashleigh in Charlestown, Cornwall, where you will be met by landlords Rob and Lucy Brewer.

And there must be more aptly named staff out there. Let us know yours by emailing editorial@inapub.co.uk

66 MARCH 2016

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Keep your filthy paws off my chips As chip-lovers will attest there are few things worse than a so-called friend pinching the last chip off your plate.

Or so we thought.

A customer at Wetherspoons’ Albany Palace in Trowbridge has claimed that a rat ran up his leg and stole a chip from his hand while he was eating. We don’t think he tried to get it back. Pest control was called in to deal with the confident intruder.

Wetherspoons confirmed that rats were seen on the premises but, according to reports, could not confirm the rodent ran up the customer’s leg.

No drama, just goo d

old-fashioned serv ice

Soap operas are notorious for ch aracters running meeting their m off or aker in dramatic ways. So it is go that The Woolpac od to see k in Emmerdale has managed to closure, bulldoz escape ing or, an even wo rse fate, becomin high-end style ba ga r.

The pub, which is located in Esho lt, West Yorkshire appeared in the , first long-running sh ow in 1976 and continued there filming for 21 years before mov ing to a studio. It remai ns an Emmerdale shrin e with photos and memorabilia on display throughout. To m ark the 40th annivers ary pints were recent ly sold at 35p each, the same price as in 1976 .

trade.inapub.co.uk 22/02/2016 10:46

SocialConnect is the pub trade's only website and social media management tool

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Take control of your existing website by adding our easy-to-update plug-ins

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Past events removed automatically, keeping your site up to date at all times

Access SocialConnect to make updates from any device

Update Facebook, Twitter and your website simultaneously

Too busy to update your social media? For an additional fee Inapub will contact you once a month to manage updates on your behalf.

Order SocialConnect today or contact us for more info 0845 230 1986 • www.inapub.co.uk/products • sales@inapub.co.uk

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