Host Autumn 2014 by KatieP Design

host for the independent licensee autumn 2014

Scotch On The Rocks Heston Blumenthal Interview Talking Technology Pulling Power

CRAFTED IN ENGLAND Whitley Neill Gin is a small batch distilled London Dry Gin, with nine botanicals. “This gin is the product ofJ Otwo passions H NofNmy Y N EILL in life; the desire to make a truly great gin and the love of my wife’s homeland of South Africa. These passions have inspired me to create a gin that blends tradition with a twist of vitality. The result is a unique blend of nine botanicals including two carefully selected from South Africa – the wild citrus fruit of the baobab tree and aromatic Cape gooseberries. ” CRAFTED IN EN GLAND JOHNNY NEILL

Whit le y Nei l l Gin is mu lt i awardw inning , most re cent ly awarde d w it h G old in t he San Francis co World Spir its comp et it ion 2014. To f ind out more, c a l l 0870 243 2525 to sp e a k to a memb er of our te am.

Please Drink Responsibly

contents features

20 Down The Pub With Heston

Heston Blumenthal talks about his soft spot for the English pub

22 Ales & Tales

A tour of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great literary drinking dens

28 Talking About A Revolution Pete Brown takes a look at the ever growing great British beer revival

36 Scotch On The Rocks?

Dominic Roskrow on the current whisky market, looking at how whiskies from further afield are making an impact

42 Pulling Power

Ben Newman looks at his favourite beers and breweries to grace your bar

50 Talking Technology

Phil Mellows on all things technology to help you run a more successful business

84 Stellar Tenants

What are the advantages of taking on a tenancy?

97 Celeb Q & A

Survivor extraordinaire Bear Grylls talks to Host about his drinking habits

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sms marketing

merchant services

regulars 5 7

mobile charging

My Shout

Adrian Tierney-Jones on the resurgence of canned beers

Upfront

management systems

Tips, people, advice and myths

15 Trade Opinion

Ufi Ibrahim suggests that investing in our workforce is the best route to success

16 Inn Stock

Ben Newman recommends his essentials to stock behind the bar

25 On Trend

The best citrus juicers for behind your bar

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61 Eat

Andy Lynes on brunch, seafood and modern classics

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“I call mine a restaurant

“Food lift”

lift”

hoist” “kitchen

“Dum waiterb ” “Service lift”

regulars

contents

78 The Corker

Jamie Goode points out that pink wines are on a roll at the moment

90 Bar Essentials

The latest and best products and services

95 Pub Profile

What makes The Lamb in West Sussex so successful?

years

96 Ask The Experts

Advice from the leading experts in their field

millions of journeys

“Mine a kitch’s e lift” n

20Microlifts ,000

“I call m ine hardine working “I call m able!” ” s indispen

We’re on a quest to find them all!

We’re celebrating our 20,000th Microlift and we want you to put your Microlift on the map for the chance to win goodies from Stannah. Send us a selfie of you with your lift – whether you own it or simply use it every day. Go online at microliftquest.co.uk and tell us who you are, where you are, and what your Microlift is used for. We’re looking for the oldest, tallest, most used, most loved and...well, just the sexiest Microlift out there! So go on – tell us why you love your Microlift... visit www.microliftquest.co.uk

Stannah Microlifts Caxton Close, East Portway, Andover, Hampshire SP10 3QN Tel: 01264 351922 www.stannahlifts.co.uk

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I my Microlift For life’s little ups and downs

Editor: Ben Newman Contributing Editor: Richard Berndes Editorial Assistant: Carol Kenyon Advertisement Manager: Tim Morris Sales Executives: Lee Morgan, Terry Hurley Art Direction: Katie Prentice Accounts: Julie Hewitt Contributors: Jamie Goode, Phil Mellows, Andy Lynes, Pete Brown, Adrian Tierney-Jones Host is published quarterly by Plum Publications Limited 27 Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1 3XX tel: 0845 604 6331 email: info@thehostmagazine.co.uk web: www.thehostmagazine.co.uk The editor and publishers do not necessarily agree with the views expressed by contributors nor do they accept responsibility for any errors in the transmission of the subject matter in this publication. In all matters the editors decision is final.

my shout Fresh from the recent Indie Can Awards, Adrian Tierney-Jones looks at the resurgence of canned beers

he current British beer scene is revolutionary and full of innovation and robustly flavoured beers of all kinds. There’s a slight downside though as it also seems to be infected with an irritating strain of evangelical messianism. On the craft side of things, new hop varieties, especially from the US and New Zealand, are eulogised and placed on a brewing pedestal, while the practice of turning brewers into approximations of rock stars continues on its annoying way. Sours are the new IPA, while anyone who doesn’t understand an unfined pint is an unbeliever.. Meanwhile, in the less excitable corridors of the traditional (or selfproclaimed crafty) brewing industry the cry goes out that if only more women and young people drunk beer then ‘we’ would be saved. However, some breweries’ new products seem intent on rehashing the clichés that this elusive market only drinks beer flavoured with biscuits, tequila or a variety of fruits and spices. The latest addition to the messiah complex is craft canned beer. If you have visited a Wetherspoons recently chances are you might have noticed a set of cans in the fridges, with names like The Crisp and Bengali Tiger. These craft cans come from the US brewery Sixpoint, and are very popular by all accounts. Mind you, the beers are also rather delicious, especially the Bengali Tiger, which unsurprisingly is yet another IPA. US brewers have led the way with putting boldly flavoured beers in a can, notably Oskar Blues whose Dale’s Pale Ale has never seen the inside of a bottle. Meanwhile the first time I sampled the brewery’s robust Imperial Stout Ten Fidy was a real game changer in the way I perceived the beer can. Initially it just didn’t feel right, but I got over it.

Can do So it makes sense that those British breweries influenced by their American counterparts are also putting their beers into cans. BrewDog have been doing it for ages, while Camden Town Brewery installed a canning machine in 2013. A more recent can convert has been London’s Beavertown, whose vividly flavoured beers are found in cans, which are also more than mere containers. The cans’ artwork is colourful and illustrated with the kind of scenes you would normally find in a graphic novel, and they certainly would liven up many a back bar fridge. This is an amazing turnaround for the humble can of beer, which all too often shares the same cultural

space as a can of baked beans: utilitarian, ugly, one-dimensional and unappetising; but they’re also incredibly useful, ideal in a tight fix, offering something to drink or something to eat when there’s little else about. So what’s changed? They are environmental friendly, we are told, easy to carry, lightweight even, ideal for that manly trek in the mountains. The linings in cans are different from the past as well and no longer does canned beer taste metallic. They are tightly sealed and no air or light can get in, which keeps the beer as fresh as possible. The artwork, as I mentioned regarding Beavertown, adds a whole new dimension to packaging. Cans are cool and I’m cool about that.

Keep it fresh However, contrary to some evangelical can advocates I’ve read online, craft cans are not always perfect. I’ve had oxidised beer from cans, beer stricken with autolysis, acetic beer in a can, all of these resulting from the brewing process. Some beer styles don’t work with cans (something similar goes on with craft keg). For instance, bitter, for me, in a can is a real turnoff. I don’t know why, but there’s something dishwashy about it. I’m also intrigued why some breweries want to put what are basically flavoured beers into cans; if you want the category to grow legs and look adult, don’t put a beer that tastes like pop in it.

It makes sense that British breweries inﬂuenced by their American counterparts are also putting their beers into cans

I suppose I feel slightly authorised to speak out on cans because of my recent experience as a judge in the Indie Beer Can Awards, which seemed to have caught the imagination of the many British breweries that entered the contest. The Awards, run in cooperation with the Society for Independent Breweries (SIBA), attracted well over 100 entries; in the first round of judging there were four of us looking at written submissions from breweries on why they wanted their beers put into cans. We put through a dozen or so breweries, whose submissions we thought were both original and thoughtful; these beers were then canned and we tasted them as you would in any beer competition. Some weren’t as good as the others but the ones that were good were exceptional. We eventually came up with the winners: Adnams Ghost Ship, Thwaites’ 13 Guns and Arbor Breakfast Stout. There was just one thing: the Adnams and Thwaites beers were already being canned. To paraphrase a line from The Life of Briain: It’s not a Messiah; it’s a can of beer. host

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up front BAR TYPES Charlie The Student University students, the top 2% of the country and “That’s me,” says Charlie, “I’m going all the way. My next stop is Downing Street! ” Given that Charlie has been nursing the same pint of cheap bitter for an hour, that’s not what you see! You’re blinded by his tie dyed clothes and that familiar aroma of clothes that last saw the washing machine when he went home to see mum. The pubs of Oxford and Cambridge may be selling Cristal by the truck load but to you students, they are all the same. They buy a pint that lasts an hour, play Nirvana all night on the juke box and bring a chorus of ‘tuts’

from your cash rich regulars. They even have the audacity to ask if you offer a discount for their National Union of Students card! Even the one that spends the money can be a liability. You’ve probably lost count of the amount of golf balls you’ve found at the bottom of pint glasses and why do some of them need to take their clothes off at various points during the evening? Then after bringing out the 1998 version of Trivial Pursuit to keep your regulars happy, Charlie and his mates sit in the corner, sharing a pint and scooping the first prize, then walking out the door to spend the money at the student bar!

Overseas� tipples Pa-t-ta: India

The Indian sate of Kerala is considered ‘dry’ and legislation outlaws or discourages the sale of booze. The local moonshine, Pa-t-ta, is frighteningly strong at 45% and ownership of this and other spirits is limited to 1.5 litres per person. Nevertheless, local vendors have devised a canny way of disguising their stocks, and like a speakeasy in twenties America can be found on street corners hawking cups of Pa-t-ta from china teapots into old crockery. Magic!

Cribbage

“Alcohol is the anaesthesia by which we endure the operation of life” GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

Interestingly, Cribbage or ‘Crib’ as it is commonly known is the only card game that can be legally played for money in the public houses of England. Invention of the ancient pub favourite is sometimes credited to poet Sir John Suckling. According to his biographer John Aubery, Suckling was a bit of a card shark himself, and said to be “…..the greatest gamester both for bowling and cards, so that no shopkeeper would trust him for sixpence….” One of Suckling’s most famous stings was to anonymously distribute sets of marked cards to gambling mad gentry, then visit them for a friendly

game of cribbage. It is said that this ruse netted him a staggering £4 million at today’s rates! Those historians who do not credit Suckling with the invention of Crib point to an earlier similar game called Noddy, which was popular in Tudor times, Noddy was the popular slang term for ‘fool’. To play a variety of Cribbage, contestants need a scoring board, the basic design of which seems to date back to Egyptian times. For the simpler and original game of ﬁve card Crib, players need to go round the board once with the winner being the ﬁrst to achieve 61 points.

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HANDCRAFTED IN THE COTSWOLD HILLS SINCE 1849 Sitting in its beautiful, mellow Cotswold Hills landscape, Hook Norton is a proudly independent and passionate family business that takes the very best of its handcrafted brewing heritage and combines it with a thoroughly modern approach, to create a range of real ales for today’s drinkers to enjoy.

For more information about Hook Norton Brewery call 01608 730384. The Brewery, Hook Norton, Oxfordshire, OX15 5NY

www. hooky.co.uk

twitter.com/hookybrewery

facebook.com/hooknortonbrewery

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A NEW TASTY & CRUNCHY SNACK EXPERIENCE

A delicious multigrain snack Contains Wholegrain & Seeds

/hootsnacks 8

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Oven Baked

A Source of Fibre

/hootsnacks • hootsnacks.co.uk • hoots@chaucerfoods.com

up front

whatever

HAPPENED to...

DOUBLE DIAMOND Brewed since 1867 Double Diamond original Burton Ales brewed by Ind Coope of Burton was once one of the nation’s most prized beers. But in the 20th century it faced a huge challenge, packaged and sealed in carbonated kegs it was ready to take its place alongside other popular beers and so launch cask conditioned beer in the history books. And so it did! Soon everyone began to enjoy the taste of Double Diamond, but in 1961 it was swept up by the takeover from Tetley’s to forge Allied Breweries. Marketing budgets were thrown into the catch phrase “I’m only here for the beer”. A weaker version was soon introduced with another catch phrase “Double Diamond works wonders”. Soon this brew accounted for 27% of the group’s total beer sales and was Britain’s best selling beer reaching 2 million barrels a year. So, where did it all go wrong? By the early nineties the industry had changed, sales of traditional keg beer were in decline, customers were moving towards either real ale or foreign lagers and beers. Gone but not forgotten.

Pub Myths Eating the worm in the bottle of Mescal makes you hallucinate A total falsehood. Lushes may claim that the worm draws the mescaline from this evil Mexican brew, but the truth is you’ll have downed a bottle of 50% proof spirit before the possibility of chewing on the wriggly little critter arises, so it’s hardly surprising that you just might start to see things!

great

DRINKERS of the past

DYLAN THOMAS Dylan Thomas lived and died by the beery sword. After penning the beautiful ‘Old Garbo’ at 18, “I like the taste of beer, its live white lather, its brass bright depth. The sudden world through the wet brown walls of the glass”. The poem scribbling Welshman worked up a voracious appetite for the hard stuff, even managing to avoid conscription by turning up to his tribunal with such a frightening hangover that he was sweating, shaking, pale and covered in blotches. Alas, the Devil’s brew caught up with the Swansea boy and in 1953, aged a mere 39 he died from acute alcohol poisoning.

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› The perfect accompaniment with drinks › £1M brand support › UK’s favourite restaurant brand* › Available in three unique PERi-PERi flavours › Find them at all leading depots To order call:

01695 556 427

* Source Big Restaurant Survey Summer 2013

up front

Famous ﬁctitious boozers HOG’S HEAD, HOGSMEADE

The hanging sign in front of the pub has a severed boar’s head, leaking blood onto the white cloth around it. The pub itself is filthy, with the floor covered with layers of dirt and the windows smeared with so much grime that little light gets through. On entering the pub Harry notes that the pub smells strongly of goats. The owner is Aberforth Dumbledore, the brother of Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, although this is not revealed until the final book. Despite its seedy reputation, the Hog’s Head has been host to several important events in the world of Harry Potter. It was here that the Seer Sybill Trelawney revealed the prophecy connecting Voldemort and Harry during an interview with Dumbledore for the position of Divination teacher at Hogwarts. It is also where Hagrid wins an illegal dragon egg (Norbert) while gambling with a disguised servant of Voldemort. In Order of the Phoenix, the first meeting of Dumbledore’s Army is secretly held at the Hog’s Head. During Deathly Hallows, Aberforth reveals a secret passage that leads

into Hogwarts’ Room of Requirement, where Dumbledore’s Army has set up headquarters. The Hog’s Head entrance is hidden behind a portrait of Ariana Dumbledore. Before the Battle of Hogwarts begins, the passage is used to evacuate underage students from the school. The remaining members of Dumbledore’s Army and the Order of the Phoenix gather at the Hog’s Head before entering the castle through this passage to ﬁght Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

NUMBER CRUNCHING

177 17

The longest recorded champagne cork ﬂight, four feet from the ground at Woodbury Vineyards in New York State

What s in a name? THE GREEN MAN The Green Man is almost always connected with Robin Hood. Jack in the Green of course, a mythological character who tended to create havoc in households and it is possibly from here that the connection with Robin Hood and his Lincoln Green may have come. The Green Man was also the nickname for the Doctor in the middle ages. These were usually monks or herbalists attached to the abbeys in other ways. The hospitality shown by large monastic houses would have included attention to illnesses and wounds by the herbalists, and some of the healing arts would have almost certainly passed into mythology. It is natural that the inns and taverns that sprang from these holy places would have borne the names of the men who were affectionately remembered.

“You can’t be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of football team or nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a decent beer.” FRANK ZAPPA

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tools of the trade

Control YOUR

Flow

Über Cocktail Strainer

The Über StrainRay delivers sleek lines in stainless steel, taking the sting out of straining cocktails! The large size of the Strainray suits the 2-piece Boston or Parisian shakers best. We find it slightly too large for our current collection of mixing glasses. Constructed of long lasting stainless steel with a brushed steel option, the ergonomic and easy to use device features a unique finger pusher for total control. The tight spring coils catch all of the natural residue from fresh ingredients, and balances well on a Boston tin or glass www.uberbartools.com £25

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up front

Some Host recommended apps to add to your mobile devices WHOSAMPLED Where was this song sampled? Who covered my favorite artists? What remixes were made for this track? WhoSampled knows! Access the world’s largest database of samplebased music, cover songs and remixes, and more.

*****

FILMON Watch local TV from the USA, UK, Germany, Italy, Asia and the Middle East in your area as well as over 200 Live TV Channels and over 500 Video On Demand Channels. Hook your phone up to the TV and voilà.

*****

TIMBRE Install Timbre and never miss out on concerts and live music you love. Browse gigs, concerts and shows in your town, book concert tickets and listen to the bands before the show, your personal live music app.

****

MIXTURA Use Mixtura to get the most out of your bar. Have you ever looked at your liquor shelf and wondered what you could make? Just tell Mixtura what ingredients you have and let it pick the perfect cocktail for you.

*****

TOAST TIME A throwback to the golden age of video games where old-school homebrew titles fused arcade action with a distinctly British sense of humour. Do everything it takes to defend toast time. You are Monday morning’s final hope. Have your toast and eat it.

*****

WHAT ’S HOT & WHAT ’S NOT

Appitalk

FOOD PORN You don’t have to tip a bowl of spaghetti over your head to turn on your customers. But taking a pic of a dish you’re proud of and posting it on social media is a good way of seducing last-minute decison-makers into your pub.

GRAVY BOATS A survey by Maggi recently revealed that pub-goers prefer to pour their own gravy over their Sunday lunch, and shrewd operators are taking note. Even Wetherspoon has brought back the gravy boat. Make sure it’s stylish crockery, though.

GIN & TONIC Yes, the G&T is back, and this time it’s being crafty. Small batch gin distilleries are springing up all over the place, juggling botanicals to produce new taste sensations and there’s a new wave of premium tonics to match.

MUFFINS Not just muffins, perhaps, but the muffin on the bar stands for a new opportunity for pubs in that quiet slot between breakfast and lunch. Accompany high quality coffees with tasty cakes and pastries and you can wake up your mornings.

THE WILD CHILD Families are an increasingly important audience for pubs, but they have to come with nice, quiet, still children. That can be achieved by giving them the level of customer service you give to adults to keep them contented.

SMOKING SOLUTIONS When the smoking ban came in a lot of pubs were panicked into providing a ‘smoking solution’, often a hastily-erected ramshackle shack in the garden. Now it’s time to make smokers feel a little less stigmatised by giving them somewhere nicer to puff.

PLAIN BURGERS Thanks to high quality home-made patties and carefully selected buns and toppings, burgers have become one of the best-selling dishes, even in gastros. And because customer expectations have lifted, no pub can get away with a plain, ordinary burger any more.

CASK V CRAFT It’s time to stop fighting over what’s best and appreciate that the rise of craft is introducing young drinkers to the glories of beer, and that’s having a positive knock-on effect for traditional hand-pulled cask ales. Everyone’s a winner. host

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EAST LONDON’S BEER SINCE 1666 Crafted in Hackney Wick with skill, belief and passion TRUMAN’S, THE EYRIE, 2&3 STOUR ROAD, E3 2NT 0208 533 3575 | @TRUMANSBEER | salesteam@trumansbeer.co.uk

www.trumansbeer.co.uk

A life of prayer and work For over 200 years, the monks of Westmalle have been choosing to live a life of prayer and work. True to the Rule of Saint Benedict, they ensure their own means of sustenance. For this reason, there is a farm, a cheese dairy and a brewery inside the walls of the Trappist abbey. These three activities are deliberately kept to a small scale, and particular care is taken of people and the environment. They only brew 2 beers: the dark Dubbel (7% abv) and the golden Tripel (9,5% abv). The brewery’s income is used to make the necessary investments, to support Trappist communities and to carry out charity work. info@trappistwestmalle.be

www.trappistwestmalle.be

T R A P P I S T Beer brewed carefully, to be consumed with care

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trade opinion New Allergen Regulations are estimated to cost UK businesses £200m per year, says British Hospitality Association CEO Uﬁ Ibrahim, but investing in our workforce is the route to becoming a world class industry...

n total, some 8 billion out of home meals are served every year in the UK. And soon new EU regulations will come into play, aiming to provide the public with better information about the foods they are allergic to when out and about. Just in time for the 2014 Christmas party season, every UK food vendor will be obliged to accurately track, record and communicate to the public 14 of the most common foods to cause allergic reactions. This applies to cafes, canteens, restaurants, hotels, pubs, take-aways, motorway service stations, festival caterers, schools, hospitals and prisons. In fact, anywhere that food is eaten out of home. The introduction of new Allergen Regulations on December 13th 2014 is mandatory for all EU member states. The British Hospitality Association estimates the cost of implementing the new Allergen Regulations for businesses will be £200 million per year on sourcing and management processes, adapting menus and websites and training staff. To support businesses, the BHA has created an Allergens Toolkit, designed to help hotels, restaurants and caterers understand and implement the new regulations and minimise implementation costs for the business. The Toolkit will be supported by a series of Regional Workshops and its aim is to minimise the cost and impact of the Regulations for food service providers, and offer guidance and support to all BHA members.

Clear cut For customers, the benefits of the new regulations are clear. It will be much easier for the public to understand what allergens are present in the food they are eating out of home. The regulations do, however, keep the onus on members of the public to inform staff about their food allergies before ordering. And with experts predicting that the number of people in industrialised countries suffering food allergies is on the increase through a combination of environmental and diet-related factors, the significance of this legislation is only set to increase. The challenge will be greatest for food vendors who frequently change recipe or menu items; pop-up or

event caterers; establishments with high staff turnover and smaller establishments who struggle without the resources to track, identify and record all allergens used from main dishes through to garnishes and drinks.

Improving information While supermarkets have had to tighten up their food sourcing and labelling in the wake of issues like the horsemeat scandal, these new regulations are about improving information for people eating food out of home. It will require establishments to track and record 14 of the most common allergenic foods including nuts, shellfish and eggs. While some food vendors may view the new regulations as excessive, this EU legislation is binding for all member states. It is designed to ensure that food businesses can confidently inform their customers about food allergens so that customers are able to make informed choices about what to eat.

The challenge will be greatest for food vendors who frequently change recipe or menu items such as mobile or event caterers

The hospitality industry is forever striving to attract bright new talent to achieve its vision of shaping the future of hospitality and tourism as a driver for international competitiveness and economic growth. It must therefore devote time and energy into training its staff, continually evolving and raising its standards. Only by investing and training our workforce will we become a world class industry. Understanding and implementing the new Allergen Regulations is a good start. The BHA represents over 40,000 hotels, serviced apartments, clubs, restaurants, food service, attractions and leisure companies. As the ‘hub’ for Hospitality and Tourism, the BHA’s thought leadership, market know-how, intelligence and expertise, deliver a powerful voice to government, as well as reliable advice, valuable connections and strategic support to business. Their purpose is to work with government to ensure the right business environment in which Hospitality and Tourism can thrive. Their key measure of success is the creation of 300,000 new Hospitality and Tourism jobs in the UK by 2020. host

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inn stock Ben Newman recommends his essentials to stock behind the bar during the coming months

WE S TMALLE R US H Rush Energy Drink is made with the highest quality ingredients and carefully formulated to remove the medicinal aftertaste that is usually associated with many energy drinks. The drink has wrap around labelling designed for ease of merchandising, whilst the premium design is a previous “global can design” award winner. For more details Tel: 0844 800 9102 or visit www.rushdrink.com

Westmalle Tripel is a clear, golden-yellow Trappist beer of 9.5% ABV with secondary fermentation in the bottle. The beer has a soft and generous white head. It is a complex beer with a great deal of fruitiness (ripe banana) and a fine hoppy bitterness. It is round and full in the mouth. The finish is long, dry and pleasantly bitter. This golden Trappist beer also goes well with spicy or piquant dishes, smoked or grilled fish, seafood, poultry and light meats such as veal and strong-flavoured cheeses.

For more details Tel: +32 488 815 636 or visit www.trappistwestmalle.be

OL OVES The handy and healthy snack. Bringing you the tastiest olives, freshly packed and in a range of delicious ﬂavours. Bursting with natural goodness, they’re high in loveliness and really low in calories. No stones, no fuss, just the best snack going. Presented in 4 exciting and delicious ﬂavours within attractive packaging, perfect for behind the bar. Oloves have

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also won numerous awards across Europe for their innovative and fresh products. Launching in March 2015, OLOVES are launching a bigger ‘share bag’ to the market. For more details Tel: 0208 144 1641 or visit www.oloves.com

H E A T H W ICK Having first begun importing the revered Fordham and Dominion craft beer range from Dover, Delaware, USA back in November 2011, Heathwick have gone on to create their own American Craft Beer Experience specifically designed for Independent pubs, bars and restaurants in the UK. The range starts with easy drinking blondes, scaling up with sessionable IPAs, flavoursome amber ales, a nutty ESB, off-the-wall stouts, bohemian lagers, hoptastic-full throttle IPAs, a GABF Grand champion APA, seasonal experimental

beers. Available in a mix of bottles, cans and kegs, the packaging stands out as American and a great draw in fridges and bar counters. These beers are about more than just drinking, even the branded stemmed glassware encourages the drinker to truly realise the complexity of ﬂavours and how well they pair with different dishes. For more details Tel: 0207 938 3991 or visit www.heathwick.com

ELIOT’S As the winter weathers beckon, it’s the time to start to think about your seasonal drink offerings and listing the nation’s leading hot, ready to serve Winter Warmers. Eliot’s Hot, a unique range of perfect serve, perfect temperature warming alcoholic drinks are served via the Eliot’s dispenser serving 175ml of heated mulled wine, cherry punch or spicy cider. With huge margins, minimal fuss and a customer’s favourite seasonal drink, it makes sense to warm your proﬁts and customers this season. Order 12 3L tubes and receive your dispenser absolutely free along with a fabulous point of sale package including posters, table talkers, bunting and scratch cards for all customers giving the chance of winning a beautiful limited edition Eliot’s dog. For more details Tel: 01889 270 663 or visit www.haywood-drinks.co.uk

NANDO’ S Fast becoming a firm favourite, the unique flavour of Nando’s Grooves gives consumers a variation from other crisps that are widely available on the market. The flavours, Smokey BBQ, Spicy Chicken and Sizzling Hot with the famous Nando’s PERi-PERi kick are a hit with consumers. The strength of the Nando’s brand, coupled with the fantastic product quality and striking packaging design, means Nando’s PERi-PERi Grooves are a must stock snack and provide a compelling reason for consumers to buy. This is all backed with strong marketing activity including sampling, on pack offers and social media to help drive awareness. For more details Tel: 01268 407610 or visit www.lhfinefoods.com host

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NEW range of American Craft Beers from award winning breweries in the USA

Session IPA

• Easy drinking and speciality brews

5% ABV

• Ideal for food pairing, beer recipes and beer cocktails • Brews available in bottles, cans or keg* *Neopolitan stout only Oval Blonde

5% ABV

Speciality

Neapolitan

6% ABV

Stout

onde Blacktop Bl

5% ABV

Imported to the UK by Heathwick Ltd

• Fun range, great intro to craft beers

ESB Amber

5.5% ABV

www.saugatuckbrewing.com | www.tailgatebeer.com Host advert 2014 (190x130).indd 1

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09/10/2014 15:45

inn stock

SHA TLE R’ S When it comes to serving cocktails in the run up to Christmas festivities, Haywood Drinks collection of 15 ready to serve premium favourite cocktails may just be the answer. Ready in an unbelievable 6 seconds these cocktails are made from leading spirits and juices. Perfected by mixologists these are a ﬁrst of their kind, premium and ready to serve over ice. The range also includes non alcoholic alternatives and comes with striking points of sale from branded glassware to shakers, straws, stirrers, bunting and ice buckets and more. For more details Tel: 01889 270 663 or visit www.haywood-drinks.co.uk

NICOC C INO Nicoccino is a stylish new innovative product which enables users to enjoy an instant nicotine sensation when they can’t or don’t want to smoke or vape. Developed over 10 years, Nicoccino is a leaf-thin natural ﬁlm which contains 1mg of nicotine, the equivalent to one regular strength cigarette, and contains no tobacco, no tars and has no smell giving your clients the freedom to enjoy nicotine in situations where smoking is prohibited. For more details Tel: 0870 8200 385 or visit www.nicoccino.co.uk

H O OT S Hoots are the healthier alternative to potato crisps, suitable for vegetarians and free of artiﬁcial colours, ﬂavours and preservatives, without any compromise on taste and quality. The VAT free snack is available in convenient 35g bags or 120g share bags and in the

following tasty ﬂavours; smoked bacon, salt and vinegar, salt and pepper, cheese and onion and pickled onion. For more details: Tel 01268 407610 or contact info@lhﬁnefoods.com

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interview

Down the pub with Heston Heston Blumenthal is the Michelin starred king of multi-sensory cooking, but he still has a soft spot for the traditional English pub. He talks to Host about The Crown, his 16th Century Inn in Bray

e might be known for whimsical, unconventional and downright barmy recipes, but Heston Blumenthal is a simple man at heart. At least, he is when it comes to matters of the traditional local pub. Three Michelin stars, a ‘chef of the decade’ accolade and any number of restaurant of the year awards have been bestowed upon the 47-year-old for his unique, scientific take on the food that he serves up at his flagship restaurant The Fat Duck. But away from the headline-grabbing concoctions of that establishment and the high-end cuisine of London’s Dinner, Blumenthal has a lesser known, far more orthodox approach to food. Bought in his hometown of Bray in 2010, The Crown is the antithesis of The Fat Duck. Hearty, traditional pub grub is order of the day. Just as well, as the natives weren’t too enamoured with the idea of Big Macflavoured ice cream invading their local. “Ha, yeah, there was some opposition,” Heston chuckles as he remembers the reaction to news he had purchased the 16th century inn. “I think that the locals all thought ‘oh, you know what he’s like, he’ll start serving all of that funny stuff like he does in The Fat Duck and it will be too expensive for me to go.’ But that was never the intention, and we’ve made a real conscious effort to keep it essentially as it was, which is a village pub for the people of the village.” He smiles knowingly. “I’m sure there are still people that aren’t happy, but you can’t please everyone...”

According to tradition To keep the traditional ethos intact, Blumenthal decided “to not change the décor too much, just make it cleaner and replace one or two things,” but it was with his menu that he was true to his word. You won’t find any edible gardens or snail porridge on the menu at The Crown, which was at the core of his vision. “Yes it was. The menu is your classic, traditional pub food; Ploughman’s sandwich, fish and chips. Steak and chips, all the old favourites. We wanted to make it like a proper old pub, keep that village vibe.” Experience tells us that chefs tend to fall into one of two categories when it comes to alcohol: the teetotal workaholics or the mischievous, after-hour boozer. Blumenthal is “most definitely” the latter “when he gets the chance,” although it is wine rather than beer that is his poison. “I do like beer, but I don’t drink that much. I moved from lager to bitter. But I’m definitely a wine man.” What’s his favourite drop? “I don’t have a favourite. Again, it depends on mood. The only one I don’t like is a really elderflower, grassy type of sauvignon blanc. That and Viognier. I used to love Viognier, but I drank too much of it. The good stuff is still great, but 20

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a lot of it doesn’t have enough acidity for me.” Blumenthal has a theory about wine consumption, one that, like his food, doesn’t conform to standard convention. Befitting somebody that fell in love with the idea of cooking at 15 when dining at a Michelin starred restaurant on holiday in France, he thinks “that as a nation, we could be far more creative and ambitious with the food we eat alongside wine.” Unable to help himself, he falls back on his science. “The thing with wine, as well as drinks like sherry and sake, they go well with food because they share the same aroma molecules. It is much easier to match them with food than some of the more complex drinks, as the more complex a drink becomes the harder it is to find a food to go with them. A favourite of mine was Amarone with salmon and liquorice. That goes really well”.

Expect the unexpected Blumenthal talks about such combinations with such nonchalance it is as if they are perfectly common, which in his multi-sensory world, of course they are. Thanks to his influence, however, this brand of culinary adventure is starting to inspire pubs up and down the country as establishments vie to offer punters an alternative take on the expected. This transformation, he states, “has been the case, quite slowly, for a while now” but he is more bashful about taking all of the credit for the change about. “People have said that to me in the past. Jay Rayner once joked to me about how he’d eaten some curry ice cream once, and he said “this is all your fault, you know that?” But for the first time ever, all the British food isn’t influenced by the French, and we are taking a real pride in our food. I think British cuisine is the best that it’s ever been and if I have helped that in any way then I am incredibly proud.” But where there is imitation, there is certain to be elements of it which is pale in the extreme. “That is the other side of the coin, isn’t it? There’s nothing wrong with being ambitious, but there has to be intent there. You can’t just be ambitious for ambition’s sake. If the work and research hasn’t gone into it, it’s pretty much the worst thing. So my advice would be if you’re not going to do it properly then don’t do it at all. There’s nothing wrong with a really nice chicken sandwich.” And if you think a chicken sandwich sounds conventional, his answer when asked what food he would like to “Heston-ise” is as traditional as a pint of stout and a game of darts. “It would have to have a pork pie because I love pork pies,” he says with no hesitation. “I’d just make the best pork pie. And I’d make the best pickle as well.” You see, we told you he was a simple man...

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Ales & Tales Wordsmiths and pubs have always gone hand in hand. Findlay Wilson Taylor drops in on his favourite literary drinking dens

The Grapes - Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens 76 Narrow St, London, UK Originally The Bunch of Grapes, this pub has stood on the pebbled Limehouse Reach, for nearly 500 years. In 1820 the young Charles Dickens visited his godfather in Limehouse and knew the district well for 40 years. The Grapes appears, scarcely disguised, in the opening chapter of his novel Our Mutual Friend; “A tavern of dropsical appearance…” Oh, and the current landlord happens to be Sir Ian McKellen.

www.thegrapes.co.uk

The Newman Arms - 1984 by George Orwell 23 Rathbone Street, Fitzrovia, London, UK The initial building built in 1730 had many different uses including an ironmonger and a brothel before becoming a pub in 1860. Attracting many colourful characters through the years, the venue has always had a great reputation for serving a superb selection of wonderful beers. Most famous for appearing as a dilapidated pub belonging to the mistreated underclasses in Orwell’s 1984, but also playing host to Orwell when he penned The Moon Under Water.

www.newmanarms.co.uk

Langham Hotel Bar - Sherlock Holmes Series by Arthur Conan Doyle 1C Portland Pl, London, UK

Not happy with being immortalized in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes adventures; A Scandal in Bohemia and The Sign of Four, this incredible bar has gone on to be voted the World’s Best Bar twice in a row by Drinks International. Talented and innovative barmen are on hand to offer a plethora of aperitifs whilst you soak up the atmosphere.

www.london.langhamhotels.co.uk 22

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The Spaniards Inn - Dracula by Bram Stoker Spaniards Rd, Hampstead, London, UK One of London’s oldest pubs dating back to the 16th century, this historical watering hole has been part of many great novels. First appearing in The Pickwick Papers by Dickens, but perhaps more well known as the tavern frequented by Van Helsing in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. But, to top that, it is said Keats wrote Ode to a Nightingale whilst sipping a glass of claret or two.

www.thespaniardshampstead.co.uk

The Oxford Bar - The Inspector Rebus Series by Ian Rankin 8 Young St, Edinburgh, UK Edinburgh is well known for its literary taverns. Few, mind you, are as authentic as Inspector Rebus’s favoured watering hole The Oxford Bar. Compact and largely tourist-free, The Oxford is home to the archetypal Scottish drinker, so don’t expect to ﬁnd any gastro pub grub. Dating back to the 19th century, it’s long been a local for Scottish cultural greats like Willie Ross and more recently Rankin himself. Go and enjoy a wee dram and a pint...or three.

www.oxfordbar.co.uk

Admiral Benbow - Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson 46 Chapel St, Penzance, UK Steeped in history and connected to the Benbow Brandy smugglers who used tunnels under the pub that snaked under the roads to the Abbey warehouse, this pub features highly in Cornish legend and is famed for being featured in Treasure Island. Stocking great local beers and housing many nautical objets d’art!

Jamaica Inn - Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier Bolventor, Launceston, Cornwall, UK Immortalised in Daphne du Maurier’s eponymous tale of smugglers, rogues and pirates, this historic coaching house has welcomed travellers crossing Bodmin Moor for nearly 300 years. Full of legend, mystery, romance and even, according to folklore, the odd friendly spirit, Jamaica Inn is set in one of the most evocative moorland locations in Britain.

www.jamaicainn.co.uk

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7 PEDRO £8.95 www.ziggiziggi.com host

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MAXIMISE YOUR PROFITS

• An affordable quality London Dry Gin • A well loved brand for over 50 years • Real profit opportunity versus other brands • New contemporary bottle design will look great on any bar • 37.5% alc/vol • Available in 70cl or 1.5l bottles

Squires – a quality London Dry gin at an affordable price Squires is a registered trademark of C&C group

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Why Buy Squires London Dry Gin ? This well loved brand dates back to the 1960’s, and is believed to be named after Squire Thomas Pope of Dorset. The classic London Dry gin flavour incorporates a juniper, coriander & angelica nose, with a note of lemon zest and parma violets. It really is the smart option for a house gin, as at a great price, it is competitively priced versus other gin brands. It’s been updated & repackaged in a contemporary design, but still reflects it’s heritage and quality.

Visit www.i-w-s.co.uk for more details Please Enjoy Responsibly

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of the best

Stay ahead of the crowd with one of these great gins NO.3

G’VINE

With juniper at its heart, No.3 unashamedly celebrates the integrity and character of traditional London Dry Gin; just three fruits and three spices, distilled in traditional copper pot stills. Little wonder, then, that the International Spirits Challenge awarded No.3 its most prestigious accolade, the Trophy, for two years running and the Gold medal for three consecutive years. With its clean taste this gin makes an ideal martini.

G’Vine produce two very different gins which use the same botanicals in each, but in different recipes so as to create two distinct products; Floraison and Nouaison. Nutmeg, cubeb berries, ginger root, liquorice, lime, cassia bark, green cardamom, coriander, juniper and vine flower are macerated as whole fruits into neutral spirit distilled from grapes in both cases but the balance between them creates two very different gins.

For more details Tel: 01786 430500 or visit www.no3gin.com

For more details Tel: 0207 371 2602 or visit www.boutique-brands.com

SQUIRES

WHITLEY NEILL

Squires dates back to the 1960’s, and is believed to be named after Squire Thomas Pope of Dorset. The classic London Dry gin flavour incorporates a juniper, coriander & angelica nose, with a note of lemon zest and parma violets. A great house gin, representing great value, as it is competitively priced versus other brands. It has been updated and repackaged in a contemporary design, but still reflects its heritage and quality.

A handcrafted gin made from a 100% grain spirit steeped with the botanicals prior to distillation in antique copper pot stills. Nine botanicals including the traditional juniper and coriander make up the botanical recipe. Whitley Neill has won a range of individual awards due to its smooth and balanced taste and its traditional serve is the G&T with a twist, served with a dash of Peychaud’s bitters and orange wedges.

For more details Tel: 0845 601 5959 or visit www.i-w-s.co.uk

For more details Tel: 0870 243 2525 or visit www.halewood-int.com

CAORUNN

BOODLES

A truly Scottish gin, handcrafted in small batches. Infused with a combination of traditional and wild foraged botanicals from the terroir surrounding Balmenach Distillery, with a very carefully balanced, versatile flavour. Each of the five Celtic botanicals infused in Caorunn Gin: Rowan Berry, Heather, Dandelion, Bog Myrtle and Coul Blush Apple, contribute to its unique flavour profile that establishes its dry, crisp, aromatic taste.

A proper British gin, known for its understated juniper flavour and crisp taste profile. With a history dating back to 1845, Boodles has long been enjoyed in classic gin drinks such as a Martini or a Boodles and Tonic. Boodles Gin is distinctive in that it contains no citrus in its botanical make-up, allowing you to tailor your Boodles and Tonic by garnishing with your preference of orange, grapefruit, lime or lemon.

For more details Tel: 0870 888 1314 or visit www.caorunngin.com

For more details Tel: 020 7489 6410 or visit www.proximospirits.co.uk host

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Talking about a revolution The number of breweries in Britain has trebled since the millennium. Pete Brown rejoices in the fact that beer has entered a glorious new epoch

e’re in the middle of a beer revolution. I have to keep saying that to myself because I can’t quite believe it, but it’s true. The figures have been improving for a while, but now there’s no denying it: the number of breweries in Britain has trebled in the last 15 years. The latest estimate from the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) is that there are now over 1470 breweries, more than at any time since the early 1930s. Back then, every town had at least one brewer to call its own. The most extraordinary fact to try to get one’s head around today is that we’re pretty much back to that situation, despite around 70% of British beer volume being in the hands of four or five giant global brewing corporations. These corporations all rely on mass-market mainstream lager brands to pay the wages. And yet all of them are looking at the huge success of tiny, local breweries creating interesting, flavourful beers, and trying to work out how they should respond. These days we tend to refer to these small breweries as ‘craft brewers’. A decade ago, when the small brewery explosion was just getting under way, we called them ‘microbreweries’. There’s been a

lot of wasted energy trying to define these terms and explore the difference between the two, and I’m not going to add to that here. But one thing that is worth noting is the change in style of what these brewers are making. Ten years ago, a typical British micro would be making a range of brown bitters, typically within an ABV range of 3.6 to 4.2 per cent They may have been exploring one of the new ‘golden ale’ styles that was becoming popular around that time, but most of what they were selling would have been traditional British real ale, little changed in style over four or five decades. That tradition is still important. But with modern distribution and communication networks, and a range of beer brands available nationally, we no longer need hundreds of regional brewers each with a range of very similar beers. What’s really turned the microbrewers’ revival into the craft beer revolution is that the growth in the number of breweries has coincided with a global explosion of beer styles, flavours and experiments, with all the world’s great brewing traditions mixing and matching, being reinvented, updated and played with. This creativity has been fed by social media, allowing brewers to compare, converse and collaborate. host

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Beer revolution

That’s why, when I look at the beers that have impressed me most in 2014 so far, the breadth of flavour, the diversity of character, is greater than ever before. Influences from around the world are combining with our established brewing traditions to create an ever-evolving choice that even a professional beer writer struggles to keep up with. The powerhouse of the craft beer revolution has been India Pale Ale, reimagined with the heady delights of new world hops which offer citrus, pine resin and tropical fruit where English hops are earthy, woody and spicy. Even traditional brewers now offer golden ales with American or New Zealand hops, and enthusiasts discuss their favourite hop varieties the way wine buffs compare grapes.

Influences from around the world are combining with our established brewing traditions to create an ever-evolving choice If there’s one problem with this trend, it’s that some brewers can mistake large amounts of dry hopping for brewing skill, the way an amateur cook might think they know how to make a mean curry when all they’re doing is adding too much chilli powder. Some of these beers can be one dimensional, even unpleasant. Which is why it’s always great to find a brewer who knows how to make an assertively hopped pale ale that remains well-balanced. Pamplemousse (cask, 4.2% ABV) by Welsh brewery Waen uses bags of New Zealand and American hops to produce sharp grapefruit notes, and then, just in case you missed it, they add actual grapefruit juice. I am profoundly bored of intensely grapefruity beers, but this one manages to deliver all that flavour within an elegant balance provided by a firm malty base.

TRUMAN’S Brewed in East London, Truman’s is all about crafting great beer with skill, belief and passion. In 2013, it opened a new brewery in Hackney Wick and continues to go from strength to strength. Truman’s has been part of London life for almost 350 years. Founded in 1666, it grew as London grew and by the 20th century the brewery was one of the largest in the world. It remained resolutely independent until succumbing to the merger mania of the 1980s. In 1989 the old brewery was closed and the pub estate sold. In 2010, it came back. Brewing a range of both cask and keg ales, the re-founded Truman’s is built on the same principles that once made Truman’s great. A profound respect for quality beer, the drinkers who enjoy it and the pubs that serve it. For more details Tel: 0208 533 3575 or visit www.trumansbeer.co.uk

Just down the road in South Wales, Tiny Rebel, who have only been in business since February 2012, seem to have perfected the art of combining bold, edgy attitude and adventurous flavours in beers that are grown up, balanced and sophisticated. Their Extra Light Pale Ale, or XLPA (cask, 4.2% ABV) combines a newly developed extra light pale malt with bucketfulls of American hops for a beer that’s bold and flavourful and light and sessionable at the same time.

Hoppy days If the first phase of the craft beer revolution was all about hoppy IPAs, the next generation of brewers who wanted to create something different turned their attention to yeast rather than hops. Sour beers and Belgian-style saisons, brewed with funkier, wilder yeasts than other beers, add a whole new dimension to beer flavour. Some of them aren’t for everyone, but the saison style, originally developed for farm workers as a refresher on hot days, has really caught the imagination of craft brewers. Unfortunately there are more bad examples than good out there. Many brewers simply add spices to beer instead of using true saison yeast, producing beers that are muddled and confused. One brewer who produces saisons that are at least as good as the original Belgian examples is Burning Sky’s Mark Tranter. His Saison à la Provision (cask, keg, bottle, 6.5-6.7% ABV) is crisp, tart and refreshing, with intriguing complexity. Close your eyes while drinking it and you could be in Belgium, and I say that as a good thing.

BREW BY NUMBERS Brew By Numbers strive to create new, exciting and forward-thinking beers focusing on quality and drinkability. Whether developing new styles, adapting established ones, or bringing the less well-known styles back into the limelight, they create each beer with the same level of care, attention and respect. All of these carefully crafted beers are brewed with the finest natural ingredients and packaged alive, in both bottle and KeyKeg, to ensure a natural carbonation and allow flavours to evolve over time. For more details Tel: 020 7237 9794 or visit www.brewbynumbers.com

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Inn & Brewery

From the heart of the New Forest ‘The Red Shoot Inn & Brewery’ introduces a range of 4 unique beers brewed in our own microbrewery. Each brew has its own distinct flavour and characteristics for you to discover.

New Forest Gold

Muddy boot

ABV 3.8% This gold coloured refreshing beer uses Challenger hops to give it a restrained citrus note balanced by the characteristic toffee notes of the brewery. It is a light beer which can be enjoyed both on a warm summer’s evening or fresh winter’s day in the New Forest.

ABV 4.2% A rich dark beer with a fine balance of traditional Golding hops. The Red Shoot toffee notes are enhanced by molasses and Chocolate malt to give it a full flavour. An ideal beer to follow a bracing walk in the forest.

Tom’s Tipple

Red, White and Brew

ABV 4.8%

ABV 4.0%

The Red Shoot brewery is situated in the beautiful Toms Lane which inspired this traditional IPA. It is created using Golding hops to give a citrus balance to the toffee and malt flavours. One to savour at any time of the year.

Brewed in celebration of all things British, Red, White and Brew is a powerfully hopped golden ale with a zesty nose. The initial fresh, cleansing palate develops into a strong sharp bitterness, a sorbet of beers and a real quencher.

The Red Shoot Inn & Brewery, Toms Lane, Linwood, Ringwood, BH24 3QT. T 01425 475 792 E redshoot@wadworth.co.uk www.redshoot.co.uk

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Beer revolution

London brewer Brewed by Numbers has a wonderfully original approach to their beers. They brew basic styles which are numbered, for example 01 is saison, 05 is India Pale Ale. Then each new expression within that style gets its own supplementary number. So within saison, 01|02 is flavoured with Amarillo hops and orange, while 01|01 is brewed with Citra hops. This last example (bottle, 5.5% ABV) is one that should fill me with despair: saison as a style, and citra hops, are the two most overhyped elements in British craft brewing right now. So it’s testament to the brewer that it’s been one of my favourite beers this year, sharp and quenching, rounded and satisfying. Going bask to saison’s roots as a low alcohol refresher, Tempest Brewery in the Scottish borders has created a range of flavoured saisons. Their Cucumber and Mint Saison (keg, 3.2% ABV) might sound like a bad idea or a desperate gimmick. But taste it once, and you’ll never drink anything else on sweltering summer days. This beer, or beers very like it, deserves to be a regular addition to any beeroriented pub’s summer range.

Adding flavour The low strength sector of the market is seeing a broader growth in exciting, flavourful beers. We tend to believe that low strength equals bland, watery beers that are lacking in flavour. The way to get around that it is to communicate very clearly that something has been added to bring the flavour back. With a saison, it might be cucumber and mint. With a pale ale, it might be extra amounts of hops. But this is a very difficult trick to pull off: lower strength beers generally mean less malt, and less malt means more hops will just taste astringent and one dimensional. You have to be a very good brewer to avoid this, to add flavour to low alcohol beers in a balanced fashion. One such brewer is Stuart Ross at Magic Rock, whose Simpleton Session IPA (cask and keg, 2.6-3% ABV) has big aromas of passion fruit and mango (from the hops rather than added fruit) and is rounded and easy drinking.

Perhaps the final frontier for people new to beer is that many of us are scared of the dark. We shouldn’t be

T E M P E S T B R E W I N G C O M PA N Y Established in 2010, Tempest Brewing Company have gained recognition for their cutting edge approach to brewing. Founded by a chef, they focus on consistently producing high quality end products, and delivering them into customers’ hands as fresh as possible. With their direct delivery service of cask, keg and bottle, they also work with distribution partners who share the same ethos. Moving to a new brew house Tempest will be looking to expand their products and distribution, but maintain their small batch craft brewing heritage. For more details Tel: 01573 229664 or visit www.tempestbrewco.com

ABV) is a porter made with smoked malt for a heavy, industrial character inspired by the black country and its supposed alter ego, Tolkein’s Mordor. It’s a perfect way to finish an evening that began with the light, spritzy session beers above.

Traditional matters Hops still hold a fascination for any creative brewer. Somerset’s Wild Beer Co takes a considered, creative approach to everything they do rather than jumping on the latest bandwagon. This year I’ve been really impressed by their Fresh beer (bottle, 5.5% ABV). It takes the best hops from the southern and northern hemispheres and combines them. The best hops change with the season, and so too do the hops used in this beer. Always brewed to the same basic recipe, each expression is continually different. Perhaps the final frontier for people new to beer is that many of us are scared of the dark. We shouldn’t be. There’s a wide variety of flavour in dark beers. Bristol Beer Factory’s Milk Stout (cask, keg, bottle, 4.5% ABV) has been named the best in the country thanks to its full body and smooth creaminess. For those who do want something more complex, North London’s Beavertown Smog Rocket (bottle, can, 5.4%

So in all this kaleidoscope of flavour and style, is there any room left for the good old traditional pint? Does it have anything new to offer? Well, ‘new’ is just a matter of perspective and time. One of London’s newest breweries is the relaunched Truman’s, which has come back home to the East End of London. Founded in 1666, Truman’s ceased brewing in 1989. The rebooted version has the original recipe and even the original yeast. Flagship beer Truman’s Runner (cask, 4% ABV) is a classic London bitter, packed with five different types of malt for multi-layered complexity, yet it remains an easy drinking classic session bitter. It reminds you that for all the mixing of styles and new experiments in flavour, Britain’s cask ale tradition is a world classic that’s in rude health and will always have a role. It’s so much more satisfying now it’s not the only alternative, that it stands proud in an unprecedented array of interesting beers. host

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□ Strategic Advice □ Business Planning / Business Plan Analysis □ Management Reporting and Controlling □ Business Coaching □ Sales and Marketing □ Revenue Management Services □ Change Management □ Project Management □ Anonymous Mystery Guest Tests □ Internal Audits □ Quality Standards Development □ Operating and Service Standards Development □ Health and Safety Analysis □ HR: Performance Reviews □ HR: Empoyee Satisfaction Surveys □ HR: Analyse Training Requirements □ Training and Development for all areas

KONIK’S TAIL Konik’s Tail is spearheading the revival of artisan small-batch hand-crafted vodkas with a true heritage. Special attention is paid to the terroir - the grain, soil and the climate, common with fine wine production. The secret in Konik’s Tail unique blend, its depth, texture, personality, flavour and complexity is in the grains, very much a terroir or a sense of place. Voted the most loved brand by the bartenders and one of the Best Vodka Brand in the World by World’s 50 Best Bars, makes a must stock brand by top end bars and fine establishments. For more details Tel: 020 7182 4076 or visit www.konikstail.com

ULTIMAT

Clear winners stay ahead of the crowd with one of these great vodkas BABIČKA

Ultimat’s unique combination of two grains and potato give this ultra-premium luxury spirit a subtle taste, smooth texture, and a rich complexity uncommon in most vodkas. The process for creating this fine spirit begins with milling the grains then steam cooking them to produce a mash for fermentation. Once fermented, the mash is distilled in a column still, then passed through a copper filtration system four times before the alcohol content is reduced to its final level of 80 proof using purified water. Once distilled, the last step is bottling.

Distilled in the unspoilt landscape of the eastern region of the Czech Republic, Prostejov, from the wormwood fields to the pure crystal waters of the low mountain ranges. Babička is created using only natural ingredients to ensure the unique subtle sweetness, smooth texture and floral bouquet. The sensuous and intoxicating mysteries of ancient bohemia are reawakened in this flawless aged vodka intensified with Wormwood. Babička makes a delicious Martini and is perfect for cocktails or try it on the rocks… Babička is a vodka that tastes delicious and has won blind tastings in major global competitions.

For more details Tel: 0344 822 3910 or visit www.matthewclark.co.uk

For more details Tel: 0208 969 5074 or visit www.babickavodka.com

BELUGA

SIPSMITH

Using innovation and centuries old traditions, the flavour of Beluga Noble has acquired an irreproducible smoothness. All the ingredients used in this smooth vodka pass through a strict system of purification and filtration, which guarantees the maximum level of purity and quality in the final product. It is then rested for 30 days. Utilising only the cleanest water from Siberian artesian wells, Beluga Noble is infused with natural honey, oats, vanilla and Sylibum, creating a flavour that is multi faceted and exquisitely contained.

Sipsmith Sipping Vodka is one of the only unfiltered vodkas on the market and as such deserves to be sipped and savoured slowly. Expect an exceptionally smooth, rounded mouth feel, warm brightness on the palate, and a vanilla-led, biscuit-sweet finish. It’s made from the finest English wheat, distilled on copper, and only ever made using the heart cut of the distillation run for purity. Each bottle is brimming with classic character and a batch number so you can discover what was happening in the distillery the day your batch was born.

For more details Tel: 0208 551 4966 or visit www.mangroveuk.com

For more details Tel: 0208 741 2034 or visit www.sipsmith.com

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Scotch on the rocks? For years blends have been wrongly cast as the poor neighbour to single malts. But the tide may be turing in their favour. Dominic Roskrow reports

hen The Scotch Whisky Association announced in September that global sales Scotch whisky had fallen by more than 10 per cent, many immediately pointed the finger at the blended whisky sector. For years there have been observers predicting that the trend towards drinking less but better and of moving from standard to premium drinks would eventually impact on blended Scotch as it lost ground to the altogether cooler and trendier single malt market. But a closer look at those figures, and the accompanying commentary from drinks giant Diageo suggest that rumours of blended Scotch whisky’s demise may have been greatly exaggerated, and that predictions that they’re all doomed are certainly premature, and arguably just plain wrong. And having been candid about the negative trading in the first half of the year, Diageo is now going even further. Talking to Host for this feature, Dr Nick Morgan, the company’s head of Whisky Outreach, said that blended whiskies were strongly placed for a resurgence of interest, and that pubs and bars were ideally placed to take advantage.

Supply and demand Take a look at those negative figures and there are three reasons for optimism for the blended whisky sector. Firstly, there were extraordinary economic factors creating a perfect storm to blow Scotch off course. Recessionary factors in Asian and American markets may have reined sales in. The pound has been particularly strong, making Scotch expensive in export territories. It’s traditional to sell less Scotch in the first half of the year, and in the past buoyant winter and Christmas trading has turned a mid year fall, though that’s unlikely to be the case this year, given the size of the reverse. And a crackdown by the Chinese Government on lavish spending hit Scotch hard, though not as hard as it hit Cognac. In other words, it isn’t specifically whisky that has been hurt. Secondly, Scotch whisky has been a victim of its own success. In recent years demand for it has risen significantly, with some whiskies being put on allocation and demand outstripping supply, creating sharp

price rises and, dare we say it, in some cases a compromise on quality. Higher prices for not as good whisky is a recipe for disaster. That said, this summer’s poor figures may be no more than a blip as the market gets realistic and corrects itself. Thirdly, and most importantly of all, standard blends aren’t solely to blame for the disappointing statistics. They still account for about 92 per cent of Scotch whisky sales, the same as before, which indicates that single malts have fallen at the same rate, if not more so. In the case of Diageo, which has focused clearly on its Johnnie Walker portfolio in recent years, the figure for blended whisky hits a whopping 96 per cent.

Blend in Dr Morgan says that there is a real opportunity for the blended whisky category to shake off its historical baggage and move forward. But he argues that some pub licensees and bar owners need to change their attitude towards the category. “If a pub is serving an own label or supermarket blend then it’s in a vicious circle,” he says. “The whisky won’t be very good, many potential drinkers will avoid it, and that will reinforce the publican’s view that blended Scotch is a dead category. “But if those same publicans went to one of the many whisky events that are held outside London they would be amazed at the age and gender profile of the people that are there. There are all sorts of people going to these events, it’s a real grass roots movement and the only thing they have in common is that they are affluent because whisky can be expensive. Surely, young well off people are exactly the sort of customer a pub would want to attract.” Gordon Motion, master blender for The Famous Grouse, said that cheap blends could damage Scotch whisky’s reputation. “Own label products aren’t a problem in Scotland because drinkers wouldn’t accept it,” he says. “But if a pub is going down the own label route then the whisky will be made up of poor quality malt and grain and almost certainly it will have a very high grain content. And there is always the argument that there will be inconsistency from bottle to bottle.” host

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The speedy professional coffee machine The high-performance GIGA X8 Professional with its elegant finish comes with a unique speed function, allowing it to prepare perfect coffee in record time. The optimally extracted coffee is mixed with hot water inside the machine by means of an extra bypass, absolutely no flavour is lost during the process. The speed function and time-saving, intuitive operation along with a large water tank and coffee grounds container allowing for flexible and mobile use make the GIGA X8 Professional ideal for use in catering. Also available, the plumbed in GIGA X8c Professional.

For further details on the complete range of professional and commercial machines contact: JURA Products Ltd, Vivary Mill, Vivary Way, Colne, Lancashire, BB8 9NW Tel: 01282 868266 Fax: 01282 863411 sales@uk.jura.com www.jurauk.com

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Whisky

Scotch blended whisky has stayed popular for a number of reasons says Brian Kinsman, master blender of William Grant & Sons. And those reasons aren’t going away soon. In fact, he says, they are likely to ensure the sector grows in importance. “The most obvious reason is cost,” he says. ”Blends are generally available at lower prices and therefore they are able to compete with other spirits categories. There’s also a historical reason. Blends have been around hundreds of years and single malts have only been widely available for the last few decades since Glenfiddich first promoted single malt whisky in the 1960s. “Another possible reason is flavour profile. Blends are arguably more accessible for new whisky drinkers while single malt whiskies are possibly more challenging. “Perhaps blends don’t get the respect they deserve though they are more dominant in the world of whisky. However, among whisky connoisseurs there can be a bias towards single malts, with blends being viewed as ‘poorer’ quality. I think this is a shame, but with more grain whisky being sold and consumer education improving all the time, hopefully this will change.” Global brand controller for Cutty Sark Jason Craig is convinced it will, arguing that the perceived quality gap between single malt whiskies and blended whiskies is diminishing, and he points at the move to non age statements as proof. “It’s inevitable that as Scotch goes forward more and more whisky will be released without an age statement because demand is so high,” he says. “If you put a 12 year old single malt up against an age statement blend then of course people will conclude the older whisky is better. “

Making a statement But what if it’s the other way round? And what would happen if you put a non age statement single malt up against a non age statement blend? Now that’s where it gets very interesting, and particularly with a whisky such as Cutty Sark, which was designed to be light and easy too mix, and doesn’t taste like a lot of people’s perception as to how Scotch should taste. That makes it potentially attractive to new drinkers.” What Craig isn’t saying directly, choosing to take the ‘you may say that, I couldn’t possibly comment’ route, is that to meet world demand for blends more and more quality single malts are going in to the blended sector. And at the same time, some producers are putting single malts on the market at a younger age, seven or eight instead of 12, compromising the quality but not compromising the price. This makes some decidedly ordinary single malts relatively expensive when compared to well made, complex and enjoyable blends, presenting an opportunity for blends. “I am a whisky lover first and foremost,” says Craig. “I know Cutty Sark has not compromised on quality and I see no sign of it in the leading competitive brands such as Johnnie Walker. It may be that some drinkers will opt for big name blends to have over ice or with a dash of water. Somewhat ironically, blended Scotch’s future might mean travelling down a route already well travelled by blended whiskies from Ireland and Japan. Billy Leighton, master of blending and maturation at Irish Distillers believes that the Irish have already won the argument in favour of mixing whiskey, non age statements and cocktail making. “Looking at Irish whiskey in general, blends are the accepted style,” he says. Take Jameson, Powers, Paddy, Tullamore Dew and Black Bush as examples. All of these are high quality blends that are enjoyed both straight up and in mixed drinks. I think in the Irish whiskey category the job of winning over serious whiskey drinkers is already done. I think in the Irish whiskey category blends get the respect they deserve. I often see non age statement whiskies receiving bad press, but as a blender it is important

Dr Nick Morgan, Head of Whisky Outreach, Diageo

to capture certain flavour characteristics that may appear in the whiskey only for a certain period during its maturation. The ‘sweet spot’ is not always time dependent, so sometimes you can exclude the use of appropriate stock by restricting the whiskey with an age statement.”

Mix it up Shinji Fukuyo, master blender at Suntory agrees. “The idea of mixing whisky can sound very controversial in the United Kingdom but it is very widely accepted in Japan,” he says. “Drinking whisky with soda in a highball has become very popular in Japan. In recent years the highball boom has led to a strong whisky demand and helped to recruit a new generation of whisky drinkers. And in America Japanese whisky rose to prominence through its use in cocktails, and cocktail culture has been a very important way of driving wariness and sales of Suntory Japanese whisky. “My personal point of view is that since grain whiskies were invented in the 1800s, blended whiskies by notable blenders have become more fragrant and stable in flavour.“ The price of blended whisky compared to single malts helped blends to gain popularity and drove large-scale production. However, it is reliability and the sense of security a brand provides, coupled with high quality and reasonable prices that continue to make blended whisky popular today. “But I also think that blended whiskies can fully satisfy serious whisky drinkers by continuing to challenge ourselves to innovate further.” One of the ways this may happen is through innovation and new ideas, and this is definitely an attraction for the likes of Gordon Motion and Brian Kinsman, who are part of a new and younger generation of Scotch whisky makers. But that won’t mean any compromise on quality. “Innovation is always good and as long as the quality is good it can only help,” says Kinsman. “It is all about flavour and education. I think there are interesting opportunities to create blends with flavour profiles suited to specific regions, markets and consumers.” So despite the overseas setback for blended whiskies, are we set for better times for all sorts of blended whisky in the future? Billy Leighton at Irish Distillers thinks so. At least for a while. “I think blends will continue to be the flag bearers in the short to medium term,” he says. “ But after that, who knows what the future holds?” He, like many others, will be watching the next set of statistics very carefully indeed. host

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FAMOUS GROUSE

Whisky Ahoy Whisky is all about flavour, and these five deliver it in style

The Famous Grouse starts with selecting the best malts and the best grains to create the unique blend. Then there’s their special process in which they are distilled, matured, blended, married and then finally filtered without any harsh chilling. They use more sherry casks than anyone else in the industry to deliver a smoother, more rounded dram. The result is the gloriously golden liquid with beautiful balanced flavours and just a hint of citrus fruit in that distinctively long finish. For more details Tel: 01786 430 500 or visit www.maxxium.co.uk

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LAPHROAIG

TULLIBARDINE

The award-winning Laphroaig distillery is one of only a few that still uses traditional malting floors where the barley is dried over a fire which uses hand cut Islay Peat. Laphroaig 10 year old is matured in first fill bourbon casks and the close proximity of the sea, imparts a slightly sea salty character to this unique single malt. With a full sparkling gold colour and huge smoke with a hint of sweetness on the nose, Laphroaig delivers surprising sweetness with hints of salt and layers of peatiness with a lingering finish.

Tullibardine Sovereign is an elegant Highland Single Malt which has an ever increasing customer base all over the world. Tullibardine re-launched the range last year and have just won an award for repackaging with Whisky Magazine. Matured in Bourbon barrels, it exhibits barley, pear drops and creamy chocolate notes, which develop on the palate with a lingering finish. This is a whisky of great taste and character.

For more details Tel: 01496 302418 or visit www.laphroaig.com

For more details Tel: 01764 661800 or visit www.tullibardine.com

LIMEBURNERS

BENRIACH

Limeburners Single Malt Whisky is made in the south west of Western Australia using some of the world’s best local barley. Their mission is ‘in pursuit of excellence’ and they aim to make the world’s best single malt whiskies. Each batch of Limeburners whisky is aged in specially selected barrels to infuse the depth of flavour, colour and aroma that make their whiskies so unique.

Established in 1898 and located in the ‘Heart of Speyside’, the BenRiach Distillery became independent in 2004. Previously undiscovered, the distillery is now enjoying a new lease of life. With access to an impressive inventory of maturing whiskies dating back as far as 1966, the range of expressions is varied both in terms of age and style.

For more details Tel: 01892 882555 or visit www. limeburners.com.au

For more details Tel: 0131 456 2614 or visit www.benriachdistillery.co.uk

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What’s the price of failure? Andrew Abbott of Pro Publican looks at how insurance forms a key part of protecting your business

ll business owners understand the risk of failure. Having invested time, money and no doubt a great deal of emotion, the thought of your business failing is always in the back of your mind. Entrepreneurs in the licenced trade are no different with many having suffered due to wider economic pressures compounded by changing legislation and customer habits. All businesses have inherent risks. Without risks business cannot thrive. Good business owners understand that reasons for failure are as variable as the types of business themselves and failure can result from any combination of a variety of factors. Reasons for a business failing include the type of customer, overabundance of competition, mediocre or poor customer service, bad choice of location, high overheads and pressure on margins. The effective understanding, balancing and taking well considered risks is what sets a good operation aside from its competitors.

Can you do it alone? Running a licensed premises doesn’t just involve commercial risk management but also strict adherence to statutory responsibilities, which include holding appropriate insurance cover and operating an effective health and safety system. Taking into account all these considerations it would be surprising if all licensed businesses didn’t rely on an experienced specialist insurance broker to provide the right advice and products. Unfortunately this isn’t always the case and some policyholders choose to exchange the security of good advice for a premium saving, sometimes for just a few pounds and often by buying directly from the insurance company. The failure of an insurance policy when you need it most could lead to the failure of your business, but the good news is specialist advice doesn’t need to be expensive.

Why a specialist broker? Insurance brokers are experts in the market and have a talent for finding the best cover at the best price. We use our knowledge and experience to advise you on a suitable level of cover taking into account all the aspects of a public house. Brokers are independent and work with a carefully selected group of insurers that they have regular contact with and are usually able to secure exclusive deals. Using a broker doesn’t cost more than going direct. Brokers are paid a commission by the insurance provider for selling their products and obtaining a review of your needs and a quotation is free. It’s important that no insurance jargon goes unnoticed. A broker is responsible for ensuring any optional extras or cover not included within your policy are clearly disclosed to

give you a clear understanding of the level of cover being offered. If you arrange a policy directly yourself this is your responsibility and you could miss important aspects of cover. Most insurance brokers can provide a standard business insurance policy which will cover many of your risks operating in the licensed trade, but only a licensed trade specialist can advise you on all aspects of operating as a publican or landlord. Loss or restriction of license, accommodation within the business premises, outside events, provision of entertainment and service of food are all aspects that need to be properly considered and addressed by your insurance policy.

The Pro Publican difference Pro Publican is an insurance broker that has traded solely within the licensed trade for nearly 20 years. That means our people don’t do anything else! Our clients are free houses, leaseholders and tenants who run pubs, inns, hotels and guest houses. We have forged relationships with many of the larger Pubcos and several recommend us as their preferred insurance suppliers. We have ensured publicans can access the right level of cover throughout a period of changing legislation such as the Licensing Act and the Smoking Ban and recently, as standard providers have shied away from flood risks, listed buildings and provision of entertainment we have been there for our customers. That’s why thousands of publicans choose Pro Publican each year.

How do we do it? Simply we employ great people who want to discuss your business. You and your business are unique and only through an understanding of your situation can we recommend the best cover at an affordable price. We don’t ask you to complete lengthy forms but can quickly focus on your profile and address any issues which may deter others. These may include criminal convictions, previous claims or simply being near a river! Disclosure of all the facts allows us to make sure your policy will respond when you most need it, acting as the last line of defence in your risk management activities. Pro Publican is based in Kent and services landlords and publicans throughout the United Kingdom. We are authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and members of the British Insurance Brokers Association. Andrew Abbott is Business Development Manager. For advice, enquiries and quotations Pro Publican can be contacted on 0870 164 4613 or via the website at www.propublican.co.uk host

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pulling power Increase your ale sales with Ben Newman’s favourite ales and breweries. Hop to it. Marble Brewery Founded in 1997 as a way of using the back room of the Marble Arch Inn, the emphasis has always been on producing hop forward beers that people want to drink. Since its beginnings, the brewery has gone from strength to strength eventually outgrowing its first home and moving down the road to the railway arches on Williamson Street in 1999. The team always strive to do the simple things well and this is evidenced by their love of making clean beers that showcase the quality of ingredients they choose to use from the floral new world hops in Dobber to the rich chocolate malt in Chocolate Marble. For more details Tel: 0161 8192694 or visit www.marblebrewery.com

The Red Shoot Inn & Brewery

Red Shoot are pleased to introduce their 5th beer Brew #5. It has been brewed with “Autumn in the Forest” as its inspiration, reddish chestnut colour, with an initial aroma of chocolate malt and citrus fruits. The taste is very full, with a slightly sweetish, complex malty, coffee and chocolate taste with full mouth-feel, which develops into a clean, bitter taste with a refreshing citrus finish. They continue to brew their renowned ales; New Forest Gold, Muddy Boot and Tom’s Tipple for your enjoyment into the festive period. Available for collection or local delivery at trade prices. For more details Tel: 01425 475792 or visit www.redshoot.co.uk

Caledonian Brewery

Founded in 1869 by George Lorimer and Robert Clark, the Caledonian Brewery still brews beer by hand in Edinburgh. They use Maritime Malt, from the rich soil of the East Coast which is recognised as the World’s best brewing barley and fresh packed full leaf whole flower hops to give fresh enticing aromas, crisp bitterness and life to the head of the beer. By harnessing the Victorian ingenuity of Britain’s last direct open fired coppers, it provides a natural soft malt caramelisation from the brewing hotspot. The foundation of the honest mellowness of the Caledonian flavour is enhanced with an intricate and exceptional hop character. For more details Tel: 0131 337 1286 or visit www.caledonianbeer.com

Timothy Taylor’s To Timothy Taylor’s, flavour is all important. The unique “Taylor’s Taste” is achieved by using only the finest natural ingredients to brew exceptional beers in the traditional way. Since 1928 Taylor’s beers have won over 70 prestigious awards. Landlord, the company’s nationally renowned pale ale has won more prizes than any other beer.

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Landlord is recognised as a refreshingly reliable, full drinking English ale with a distinctive hoppy aroma. It has real “Pulling Power” and stands out on any bar. In August 2014, the brewery’s Boltmaker 4.0% ABV also won CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain. For more details Tel: 01535 603 139 or visit www.timothytaylor.co.uk

Burton Bridge Brewery With beers ranging from 3.8% Alcohol By Volume up to a 10% ABV stunner, there are many as twelve different beers on offer at any one time, from this long established small brewery, renowned for its ales, porters and stouts. Stairway To Heaven (5% ABV) fits nicely into the ever growing market for golden beers. This smooth easy drinking beer, inspired by Led Zeppelin is fast gaining momentum on free trade bars, by filling the gap between the traditional strength beers and some of the over the top offers around. For more details Tel: 01283 510573 or visit www.burtonbridgebrewery.co.uk

Westside Drinks

Binghams Brewery

Binghams Brewery is a microbrewery based in Twyford, Berkshire brewing beers from very pale to the blackest stouts. The Craft Hop Series is extra pale at 4.5% and each time it is brewed it uses a different, exciting hop from around the world. These have included Minstrel, which is a brand new UK hop and the fantastic Comet, a new hop from the US. These beers are designed to showcase the variety of flavours which the hops can provide and have been going down a storm! Binghams Vanilla Stout was a finalist in the Champion Beer Of Britain 2014. For more details Tel: 0118 934 4376 or visit www.binghams.co.uk

Westside Drinks offers customers an exciting portfolio of best in class brands such as Frontier, the new wave craft lager from Fuller’s Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, which combines New World hops and Old World malts for a lager that satisfies even the most demanding palate. The Westside Drinks collection also encompasses the full Sierra Nevada range from America’s original craft brewer, Germany’s Veltins Pilsner, brewed in line with the Reinheitsgebot beer purity law, the Chimay range from Belgium’s globally respected Trappist monks and the full Cornish Orchards selection, made from 100% pure pressed juice in the near tropical climate of Duloe, Cornwall. For more details Tel: 07919 326515 or visit www.westsidedrinks.co.uk

Beavertown Brewery Beavertown’s mission is to produce fine beers driven by the passion for innovation and quality that stimulate the drinker and create an experience from the first sip. They like to keep things simple; big flavours and character are abundant and balanced in each beer produced. The brewery want their drinkers to enjoy every aspect of the Beavertown experience and that is why their unique artwork forms an integral part of the philosophy. For more details Tel: 020 8525 9884 or visit www.beavertownbrewery.co.uk

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A CRAFT BEER BREWED TO EXPLORE NEW TERRITORIES IN TASTE

The Portobello Craft Brewery in London W10 provides interesting and unique brews direct to the capitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pubs and bars and through a network of suppliers beyond the Greater London boundaries. The diverse beer range includes a choice of bitters, pale ales, seasonal beers and the sought after London Pilsner lager all hand crafted using only whole hops and lots of passion.

Frontier is crafted using our traditional brewing techniques and a combination of new world hops to deliver citrus and spicy notes that reward your thirst for exploration DRINK RESPONSIBLY

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For more details on beers brewed the West Way Tel: 0208 969 2269 or visit www.portobellobrewing.com

pulling power Burning Sky Brewery Burning Sky Brewery was conceived and set up in an old Sussex Barn where the team could let their imaginations run wild. The landscape and provenance of their location was a major factor in the brewery’s set up. The crux of the brewery is to brew the beers that excite, without compromise in terms of ingredient costs and time, that all too often overlooked ingredient in beer. Whether it’s a fresh hoppy pale, or an oak aged beer, they are all considered and cared for beers that your customers will savour and enjoy. For more details Tel: 01273 858080 or visit www.burningskybeer.com

Hook Norton Brewery

Brentwood Brewery In April 2014, the Kannor family welcomed the arrival of their ﬁrst grandchild Oakley Devon Van Kannor. To celebrate, they commissioned Head Brewer of Brentwood Brewing Company and IBD brewer of the year nominee 2014 Sophie De Ronde, to create a unique beer. The Van Kannor beer is triple-fermented with beer, wine and Champagne yeast. Hand riddled and turned, it combines gentle fruitiness with sweet malt aromas to create a luxurious, sparkling, dry, Champagned beer of exceptional quality. A run of 1000 bottles has been produced which will be ready to drink for Christmas or can be laid down to keep for future celebrations. For more details Tel: 01277 200483 or visit www.brentwoodbrewing.co.uk

Situated in the beautiful rolling Cotswold Hills, housed in one of the finest examples of a Victorian tower brewery, the beer and brewing quality speaks for itself. Established in 1849 they are one of the best known and best loved breweries still in private ownership. The carefully selected hops, malt and natural Cotswold spring water are the key to producing a diverse range of flavoursome and moreish beers, each with their own characteristics and flavours. Fifth generation head brewer, James Clarke, allows flavours to develop and mature slowly in the time honoured traditional way. Try the core beers Hooky, Old Hooky and Lion. For more details Tel: 01608 737210 or visit www.hooky.co.uk

Portobello Brewing Company The Portobello Craft Brewery in London W10 provides interesting and unique brews direct to the capital’s pubs and bars and through a network of suppliers beyond the Greater London boundaries. The diverse beer range includes a choice of bitters, pale ales, seasonal beers and the sought after London Pilsner lager all hand crafted using only whole hops and lots of passion. For more details Tel: 0208 969 2269 or visit www.portobellobrewing.com

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Award winning beers available in draught, bottles & polypins

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Brewery Tours and Experience Days

T 01277 200483 www.brentwoodbrewing.co.uk

Landlord Rewarding Exceptional Taste Watch our Grand DĂŠpart at

www.timothytaylor.co.uk/tuckerstriumph

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pulling power

CUTTER GUIDE

Cotswold Spring Brewery Cotswold Spring Brewery is based just north of Bath in the lower reaches of the Cotswold Hills. They have won many prizes for their regular as well as seasonal beers, and have twice won the coveted Supreme Champion ale in the SIBA national beer competition. Producing characterful products ABV 4.6% vol with branding to match is at the heart of what and , stout they do. Take their winter offer, GUV’NOR, for Y dark ing SUITABL nd a m om example. Described as having a commanding ith a c obust, w r ss e in malty fruitiness, it is an oatmeal stout at 4.6% fruit malty ABV available in cask, bottle and 30L keg formats. For more details Tel: 01454 323088 or visit www.springbrewing.co.uk

Buntingford Brewery

Based on the edge of Therﬁeld Heath in North Hertfordshire, the beers are handcrafted with traditionally made malt from Wiltshire, hops from around the world, and water from their own chalk well. All this is combined under the beady eye of the Brewster Catherine to produce a range of beers to suit all tastes, from malty best bitters to tasty stouts and uber-hoppy golden ales. Twitchell their ﬂagship 3.8% golden beer was voted best in class in the 2013 Champion Beer Of Britain, and won overall champion silver. Beers are available direct and via a number of regional distributors. For more details Tel: 01763 250749 or visit www.buntingfordbrewery.co.uk

Hepworths

Life is composed of moments of trial and tribulation, but also of true happiness, and with a glass of Hepworths’ traditional Sussex ale in your hand, well hopped, well matured, made with care, it is possible to seize a half-hour of real contentment. The range of beers are all traditionally brewed, with the ﬁnest ingredients, using a hundred years of skill. There’s no fuss, no pazzazz, just the peaceful and harmonious blending of craft and contents. For more details Tel: 01403 269696 or visit www.hepworthbrewery.co.uk

Gloucester Brewery The 1st October 2014 was Gloucester Breweries third birthday. In that very short space of time they have brewed a number of very popular award winning beers; Galaxy, Gloucester Gold, and Dockside Dark. These have become the beery stalwarts. Never stand still however, and plans are afoot for a brand

new range of beers for 2015. On a different note, their sights are also set on plans for extending the brewery. The team has got bigger, the brewery is moving to a larger site, and they are planning to open their very own bar in 2015. For more details Tel: 01452 690541 or visit www.gloucesterbrewery.co.uk

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Innovation - Versatility - Efficiency With Bakery Ovens, Deck Ovens, Combi Ovens & Bake-Off Ovens, UNOX manufactures Ovens for everyone from Supermarkets to Coffee Shops.

Innovation - Improving the quality and performance of the cooking process.

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Efficiency - Reducing energy costs without compromising the quality.

Contact us today and discover how UNOX can provide the right solution for your businesses growing requirements. Tel: 01252 851522 info@unoxuk.com www.unoxuk.com twitter: @unoxuk facebook: unoxuk

Protecting your customers and your business (be ready for EU 1169/2011 - Law from Dec 13 2014)

Allergen and intolerance information instantly available direct from the chef Recipe and menu management www.allergystar.co.uk 48

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of the best

up in smoke watch your vapour sales soar GAMUCCI

ECIGWIZARD

Now being sold in over 55 countries, Gamucci is the only electronic cigarette in the UK with patented technology, and manufactured in their own facilities, which ensures product integrity and premium quality. Gamucci are pioneers in the electronic cigarette industry; leading the way with innovative cartomiser technology making them the premium electronic cigarette choice for bar and pub owners.

E-cigarettes vapourise e-liquids to produce a vapour that emulates the process of smoking a “traditional” cigarette. The Ecigwizards starter kit is a premium product at a pocket friendly price. The kit is a great introduction to the world of vaping and includes Wizmix e-liquid. Wizmix is UK made in Ecigwizards purpose built clean room, using pharmaceutical grade ingredients and the very best flavourings.

For more details Tel: 0870 471 7569 or visit www.gamucci.com

For more details Tel: 0845 259 3169 or visit www.ecigwizard.com

ROK

E CIGARETTE DIRECT

Featuring a powerful rechargeable battery, patented tankomizer with a whopping 2.4ml capacity, handy screw top lid and robust charge lead, ROK is one of the most stylish and satisfying e-cigarettes on the market. Suitable for use with e-liquids or cartridge refills, ROK have produced premium quality e-cigarettes since 2009 and have a 99.5% positive rating from over 1,200 independent customer reviews.

High quality electronic cigarettes and UK made Halo e-liquid. Supply your customers with a cheaper, stink & smoke free alternative to traditional tobacco cigarettes. Made under the supervision of a UK pharmacologist, and tested in-house and by Government approved laboratories. You’ll have a dedicated account manager on hand to ensure you get the best support possible, with POS and promotional material available.

For more details Tel: 0845 644 8033 or visit www.rokuniversal.co.uk/ agent or visit www.i-w-s.co.uk

For more details Tel: 01792 852862 or visit www.ecigarettedirect.co.uk

SALMON & TROUT

SMOKO

The name ‘Salmon & Trout’ derives from a cockney rhyming term for ‘snout’, a common slang word for cigarette. The product is aimed to change the perception of using a mechanical device to having a fashionable, normal and social cigarette. Salmon & Trout has a compact battery and cartomiser refill cartridges with more air vents, so with each puff, the user has a smoother experience.

SMOKO uses the highest-quality flavours and e-liquids that are produced and made in the UK. SMOKO gives users the most incredible smoking sensation and the widest range of flavours. The company work with Bars, Hotels and Restaurants to provide the highest quality products to your customers, provide venues with a fantastic new revenue stream and dramatically improve workplace productivity and customer service with the staff.

For more details contact sales@salmonandtrout.co.uk or visit www.salmonandtrout.co.uk

For more details Tel: 0800 772 0234 or visit www.smoko.com host

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sms marketing

merchant services mobile charging

management systems

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sound

EPOS

TALKING TECHNOLOGY Phil Mellows looks at the need to embrace new technologies, improving the customer experience and streamlining your business operation

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Introducing The New Contactless Payment System • Lightning-fast transaction speed. • Unbeatable pricing from only 9p per transaction.* • No setup fee. • No authorisation fees.

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TECHNOLOGY

ew technologies are changing the way pubs operate. Whether it’s improving efficiencies back-of-house or developing closer relationships with your customers, there’s an app for that, as they say. Or a piece of software or some clever kit. So here’s a round-up of some of the latest innovations, all designed to help you do business better. Mobile ordering – if food-led pubs are going to stay ahead of the game in 2015, it’s the order of the day. At least that’s the priority of Zonal Retail Data Systems, a technology firm that has been at the heart of many a hospitality business over many years. It’s now urging pubs to offer their customers the option of ordering and paying over their smartphones and tablets. Recent research conducted by the company, in conjunction with CGA Peach, revealed a third of consumers are interested in using mobile devices to speed up ordering. But at present only 6% of guests said they’d done so.

Appetite for business “Businesses can’t afford to wait,” says Zonal chief executive Stuart McLean. “There’s a real appetite out there and they need to give customers what they want and embrace new technology to win the race.” Zonal’s own iOrder could be one solution. A ‘virtual waiter’, iOrder allows customers to browse, order and securely pay for food and drink from the comfort of their table. Simple to use and manage, it’s totally integrated, with orders passed directly to the till which automatically knows whether to apply any valid promotions or discounts. Customers can also browse menus with real time pricing, product availability and local specials, and the system links with other apps including loyalty schemes. And iOrder can be completely personalised to a pub operator’s brand, a vital element in building customer loyalty and confidence in mobile ordering.

P E R K I N ATO R The Perkinator sits behind your counter, providing secure phone charging for up to four smart phones at a time in a splash proof, low voltage, CE approved unit. Offering phone charging attracts new customers and encourages them to linger longer and increases sales opportunities. It can be anchored down using a Kensington lock or screwed directly down into a surface and comes complete with window decals, 2 sets of keys and qmaster key. For more details Tel: 020 3475 4392 or visit www.perkinator.com

A food-led pub these days is a complex business requiring a range of processes you need to keep on top of, and do it at speed. It’s also helpful if you can replicate all the functionality of a modern EPoS terminal on a mobile device that can be carried around by staff, and that’s just what the the Tillypad XL Hospitality Management System offers. Software covering all business processes, whether they concern front-of-house, loyalty programmes, reports, analytics, stock control or general venue management, can be used on a range of mobile handheld devices, meaning that with Tillypad XL you have a fully functional EPoS even on a tablet.

Loyal following Loyalty schemes can play an important role for pubs in driving repeat traffic from regular customers. But how do you do this against a backdrop of diminishing email effectiveness and smartphone users’ reluctance to download more apps? “It’s time to make loyalty simple again,” says Alan Cohen, boss of Text My Deal, a new mini-tablet-based SMS loyalty programme that’s been nominated for the Restaurant Show’s Most Innovative Product award. “Ofcom says SMS is still the UK’s most popular form of communication - 98% of texts are read. Compare that to 25% of emails, 30% of tweets and 10% of Facebook posts. “That means it’s important to get the front-end of customer relationship marketing out of the marketing department and into the hands of frontline staff,” he goes on. “Bar and waiting staff can use our mini tablet to capture customer data, asking people to enter their details.

P L AY F O R R E A L S O U N D Play for Real Sound offers licensed background music for your venue that also allows customer interaction, via any smart phone. The products are available via monthly subscription with no profit sharing or lease hire of expensive equipment. Each venue keeps 100% of all revenue generated unlike traditional jukeboxes or lease hire agreement music providers. The award winning Virtual Jukebox is set to be the number one choice for venues and is exclusively available at www.playrealsound.com For more details Tel: 0203 371 9191 or visit www.playrealsound.com

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Looking for ways to grow your business? Why choose Zonal... • We have over 35 years of experience in the Hospitality industry • We have over 300 loyal customers and are installed in more than 6,000 sites • We offer diverse, innovative hardware and software solutions • We invest more in Product Development than any other EPoS company in the UK • Our systems are easy to use and provide powerful reporting

The consumer data we will be able to generate from the rollout of our new £33m Zonal-led IT system will be a game changer for the company. Alistair Darby, Chief Executive, Mitchells & Butlers

FREE business health check! Get in touch today and see what your business could look like tomorrow... 54

Half page ad 190x130.indd 1 |

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T: 0800 131 3400 E: sales@zonal.co.uk

www.Zonal.co.uk

19/09/2014 12:13:57

TECHNOLOGY Then, rather than waiting for customers to go looking for a deal, our intuitive back office software allows the pub to send targeted, personalised SMS messages. “It also provides reports on consumer behaviour, giving insights into your customers’ lifestyles, and licensees can run ‘quick view’ reports to see who comes in, when, and how often.” “Text My Deal is a simple, fuss-free way to build loyalty that’s arrived with perfect timing. The low-level investment required, from only £50 per month, means it’s not a package limited to large multiples. Even small operators will see the results,” says Cohen. “I love the simplicity of Text My Deal,” declares Greg Molen of Smith’s restaurant near London’s Tower Bridge. “Customers are happy to enter their details because it’s quick and simple. And once we have their details we can invite them back again and again.”

People seem to be glued to their smartphones these days, they rely on them for so much. But there is a catch Paul Argent, owner of the Wooden Spoon restaurants found at National Trust sites, has also adopted the system. “We need to keep customers posted about latest offers, promotions, events and deals,” he explains. “The problem is, emails don’t seem to work so well for us any more, and our type of customer seems to fit the trend of not downloading apps. So we were looking for something simple and inexpensive that would drive repeat custom. Text My Deal came along at just the right time for us.” According to research by Deloitte, one in three smartphone owners is now uninterested in apps, and uses their device mainly to text. The average number of apps downloaded per user has declined considerably over the past year.

Perfect payment Most newly-issued debit and credit cards now have built-in contactless payment technology. For transactions under £20 it’s super fast and safe, and a service more pubs could be offering their customers. Card Cutters is one company driving contactless payments in small businesses through its Ingenico terminals. The card is simply waved at the terminal and the amount is taken out of the customer’s bank account and put straight into yours. There’s no need for a PIN number or a signature which makes it very quick indeed, and a good way of keeping the queues down at the bar during busy periods. Transaction charges are lower, too. For larger turnovers as low as 9p per transaction. The pub jukebox is alive and well and on your customers’ smartphones! Play Real Sound offers over a million tracks on its Virtual Jukebox system. Rather than having to download an app, customers access the service by text and they’re sent a link. They can then search for favourite songs, see what’s playing and what’s up next. You can set your own price-points and customers are charged through their phone bill or via PayPal. Unlike traditional jukeboxes you get to keep all the money. Play Real Sound products are available via monthly subscription with no profit sharing or lease hire of expensive equipment.

3 R S I M P LY E P O S 3R’s state of the art EPOS systems are designed in such a way it becomes an integral part of your business. Assembled with detailed reporting functionalities which will help to minimise your cost whilst maximizing profits, they are excellent for both multi-sites and single-sites. With over 16 year experience, 3R Epos’ distinguished reporting systems provide your business with up to date real time data allowing you to monitor the performance of your business, or businesses. This information ascertains apprised decisions are made on products, prices and promotions all of which avail to maximise profit potential. The availability of detailed reports ascertains expeditious replications to changes of Stock, Sales and incremented opportunities to boost promotional sales. Managers can personalise screen designs for the EPOS terminals and integrate products that are unique to their business, such as promotions, daily specials and local dishes to the menu. For more details Tel: 01992 574650 or visit www.3rsimplyepos.com

People seem to be glued to their smartphones these days, they rely on them for so much. But there’s a catch. What happens when you run out of juice? Now pubs can come to the rescue thanks to a Perkinator smartphone charger on their back-bar. A unit a bit smaller than a shoebox, it consists of four locking drawers with multiway chargers that fit 98% of phones.

Appi days Customers who download a special app, or spot a sign in your window, can call in and ask for a charge. And while they’re waiting have something to eat and drink. They’re given a key that fits only the drawer that their phone’s charging in, and when they’re topped up they go back to the bar to collect it. And if your food and drink is so good they forget, the key carries details of your pub so they can find you again. Perkinator is the brainchild of Sebastian Hymas and Guy Winterflood. They launched their company 18 months ago and have already seen boxes put into a number of high-end restaurants and clubs as well as appearing at events such as the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles this year, where 50 chargers were installed for golf fans. “Whether you’re in the country or in the city, a Perkinator can drive traffic to your pub,” says Hymas. “People’s phones are always running out, and few can be bothered to carry around a charger.” You can have a Perkinator for your pub for £1.50 a day on a two-year contract, or hire one for a one-off event. host

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Your Edge in Business Management From

£999 plus VAT*

• Package includes Cash Drawer, Till Receipt Printer extras include, kitchen printer, Wireless • Optional handheld terminals • Quick and easy to use with minimal training required secure management systems giving • Innovative, complete control for your business • Quick access to top selling products • Robust touch screen, designed to withstand spillages stock management modules giving • Built-in remarkable levels of control

• Easy to use table planner handheld terminals enable staff to take • Integrated orders directly from tables on terminals communicate in real-time, to • Orders reduce staff waiting and maximise efficiency • Online training and assistance customizable systems allow daily additions for • Fully specials and promotions • Prints receipts with “Go-Dutch” functionality • Customer Service 24/7 365 Days

Telephone: 01992 574650 or email: info@3rtelecom.co.uk NOW and take advantage of our special offers

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THE AWARD WINNING VIRTUAL JUKEBOX FROM PLAY REAL SOUND HAS ARRIVED A new, award winning, innovative licensed music service for pubs, bars, restaurants and retailers. Primarily aimed at the hospitality industry, Virtual Jukebox is the new way to generate revenue, by providing customers the ability to control the music in a venue, via their smartphone. Just look at some of the key features: • Venues keep 100% of generated revenue guaranteed • Licensed music packages start at only £35 a month* • Access to over 1 million licensed tracks including every chart release since records began • Create your own or use the self-updating playlists such as the current UK top 40 • Multiple users can select music at any one time • Capture mobile numbers and contact customers with promotional SMS text messages • The best award winning licensed music service (Used by BBC & ITV) • Controlled by the energy efficient Cube media player.

*The Cube media player is required per venue at £350. All services are via monthly subscription, with full support.

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For more information contact: chris@playrealsound.com 0203 371 9191 www.playrealsound.com

TECHNOLOGY

ZO N A L

T I L LY PA D

Zonal has been helping pub operators large and small to achieve their business goals for 35 years. With a dedicated team to support small businesses, coupled with the experience of supplying over 75% of the top 40 managed pubs and restaurants in the UK, the company works closely with customers to increase revenue and decrease costs through market leading technology, experienced people and a partnership approach to business. In addition to EPoS, mobile ordering, guest management and customer loyalty, Zonal’s integrated hospitality management solutions provide a platform for increased sales and greater customer retention. For more details Tel: 0800 131 3400 or visit www.zonal.co.uk

Fast, informative, and technologically advanced, the Tillypad XL Hospitality Management System is ideally suited to bars, cafes and restaurants. The systems optimise all business processes whether they concern front of house, loyalty programmes, reports, analytics, stock control or general venue management. The system can be used on a range of mobile handheld devices, with Tillypad XL you have a fully functional POS even on a tablet. Their fully-loaded software helps you increase the efficiency of your venue and improve your bottom line. You can also spread the cost with their easy leasing plans. For more details Tel: 0121 237 6060 or visit www.tillypad.co.uk

CARDCUT TERS

TEXT MY DEAL

Have you recently noticed this logo on your own credit or debit cards? The majority of newly issued cards have this in built into the card. Customers are encouraged to use their card using this technology for transactions under £20. It really is superfast and safe. The card is simply waved at the terminal and the amount debited from the card. No need for any pin numbers making the transaction itself very quick indeed, making it ideal in keeping the queues down during busy periods. You may have seen or even used this technology yourself. Major retailers such as McDonalds, Boots and Greggs were involved in the recent successful UK trials. Transaction charges are also lower (for larger turnovers as low as 9p per transaction) using this method of payment. For more details Tel: 01909 512209 or visit www.card-cutters.co.uk

Text My Deal is an innovative revenue generating scheme ideal for bars, pubs and restaurants. Encourage repeat business with this cardless loyalty scheme! It’s a voucher plan that eliminates the voucher company! Use Text My Deal to pro-actively market to your customers and increase customer flow. SMS remains the most popular form of communication in the UK according to Ofcom. The most direct way of contacting your customers and being sure your message is read. No form filling, no email addresses or usernames, no apps, no assword, no fuss...just their phone number. For more details Tel: 0330 122 2876 or visit www.textmydeal.co.uk

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REGISTRATION NOW OPEN A MUST-ATTEND EVENT OFFERING UK PUBLICANS THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO FURTHER THEIR BUSINESS AND DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THIS THRIVING INDUSTRY. A NEW EVENT, A NEW APPROACH

Bins are expensive, take up a lot of space and are an eyesore. Join hundreds of gastropubs, bars, clubs and pubs who are saving money on waste with QCR baler or compactor. Solutions for cardboard, glass and general waste.

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KRAKEN The Kraken Black Spiced Rum is an imported rum from the Caribbean blended with a proprietary mix of spices, including cinnamon, ginger and cloves. The Kraken Rum continues to outstrip all growth expectations and is the fastest growing spiced rum in the UK. This Christmas, The Kraken is set to advertise on TV for the first time in the UK. The 30 second animation features the eponymous, epically proportioned Kraken destroying a ship in jaw droppingly photo realistic high definition, to drive further brand awareness for this unique black spiced rum. For more details Tel: 0207 489 6410 or visit www.proximospirits.co.uk

PINK PIGEON

Rum deal ﬁve favourite rums to stock this season

JOSEPH BANKS

Pink Pigeon is the world’s finest vanilla infused rum based on natural botanicals and takes its name from one of the rarest birds in the world. Hailing from Mauritius, the spirit is well defined with beautifully integrated vanilla and a balanced sweetness. The distinct flavour profile is due to a unique blend of three separate infusions of botanicals - Bourbon vanilla, orchid petals and orange peel. With its golden colour, a rich and creamy mouth feel and an ABV at 40%, The Pink Pigeon is ideal for luxurious cocktails or sipping on its own.

Master Blender Arnaud de Trabuc has taken a variety of aged column and pot still rums from different countries, and crafted them in to these beautiful and complex expressions of the spirit. With a portfolio of three sophisticated blends, Banks has won 15 awards since launching its flagship white rum Banks 5 Island in 2010 and is quickly building a reputation as the best in class among the Spirits trade internationally. In 2012, a new gold rum Banks 7 Golden Age, and a Limited Edition Endeavour I, were released to the trade.

For more details Tel: 0208 551 4966 or visit www.mangroveuk.com

For more details Tel: 0207 609 4711 or visit www.spiritcartel.com

PLANTATION

MATUSALEM

The driving force and now owner of Cognac Pierre Ferrand, Alexandre Gabriel started trading with Caribbean distilleries when he sold them used Cognac barrels to age their rum. The range includes vintage rums from many different islands as well as several blends, including Plantation 3 Stars, an exceptional white rum sourced from the three best rum islands in the region. Trinidadian rum provides an elegant base; Bajan rum adds fruit, spice and richness and a healthy splash of 12-year-old Jamaican rum adds real depth and complexity.

Matusalem Gran Reserva is known as the “Cognac of Rums”. With a rich golden colour compatible with those found in the world’s best aged spirits in oak barrels.It is clear with brilliant red and amber tones coming from the Solera system of blending young and mature rums in oak casks. An aroma of sweet vanilla, molasses, caramel, nuts and plums results in a mellow, rich, subtle and exquisitely refined rum. Complex, yet velvety smooth, with an exceptional bouquet. Gran Reserva super premium rum is ideally enjoyed neat or on the rocks.

For more details Tel: 0207 449 1685 or visit www.instildrinks.co.uk

For more details Tel: 01474 327 056 or visit www.indiebrands.co.uk

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This Great British alternative to olive oil is so versatile, maybe used to make dressings, finishing off dishes frying and Roasting making the most wonderful roast potatoes. Avalable in 250ml to 5 litre containers.

Infused with: Basil, Lemon, Thyme, Chilli, Garlic, Oak Smoked, Rosemary, Porchini, Stir Fry & Orange

Salad Dressings: Balsamic Dressing, Honey & Mustard Dressing, Classic Vinaigrette

- Grown in the Chilterns - A rich source of Vitamin E - 10x more Omega-3 than Olive Oil - GM Free, no artificial flavourings & colourings - Only 6.5% saturated fat compared to 14% in Olive Oil - Available to Retail and Food Service

01442 828478 RAPESEED OIL

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OAK SMOKED

HONEY & MUSTARD

STIR FRY

simon_mead@pemeadandsons.co.uk

www.chilterncoldpressedrapeseedoil.co.uk

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inspiration for your kitchen

morning munchies breakfast & brunch ideas

pure & simple hearty seasonal fayre

tipping the scales sensational seafood recipes

Morning munchies You pay the rent 24 hours a day, so it makes sense to open up for breakfast and brunch. Andy Lynes points out it can make all the difference to profits.

runch might be a Frankenstien’s monster of a meal, but fusing elements of breakfast and lunch with both savoury and sweet dishes to create a relaxed late start to the weekend is a genius idea and one you might be surprised to learn is British. Although it was popularised in America in the 1930’s, the portmanteau word brunch was first coined by British journalist Guy Beringer in an article titled ‘Brunch: A Plea’ published in 1895 in the now defunct Hunter’s Weekly, in which he wrote ‘Instead of England’s early Sunday dinner, a post-church ordeal of heavy meats and savoury pies, why not a new meal, served around noon, that starts with tea or coffee . . . By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers.’ These days, brunch is served on Saturdays too and includes an American dish that has come to define the meal - eggs benedict, made from toasted muffin topped with sliced ham, poached egg and hollandaise sauce. Egg dishes in general form an important part of any brunch menu, The Anchor at Walberswick in Suffolk serves a crowd pleasing cheese and jalapeño omelette for example. While simple in essence, egg-based dishes do take practice and skill to cook to order especially in bulk so it’s worth thinking about time saving methods such as poaching off eggs in advance and refreshing them in cold water. The eggs can then be quickly reheated in simmering water when needed, a technique that also reduces the

chances of overcooking the eggs in the heat of service. To add variety and excitement to your brunch menu, take inspiration from some of London’s top restaurants who have recognised not only that customers are increasingly looking for more informal ways to dine, but also the benefits of a meal that can be quick and easy to prepare, provide good margins and attract a high volume of diners over a longer time period than a normal lunch service. At The Lockhart, American chef Brad MacDonald serves shrimp and grits (a type of corn-based porridge), buttermilk biscuits (similar to scones) with sausage gravy, and fried chicken with waffles and maple syrup as well as home made maple and pecan granola. Fusion chef Anna Hansen serves rendang mince (a type of Malaysian curry) on toast with a crispy egg and chilli lime dressing and sweetcorn, feta, green chilli and curry leaf waffle with bacon and maple syrup at The Modern Pantry in Clerkenwell. Brunch is also a great time to offer restorative drinks like bloody Mary or a buck’s fizz. At the Lockhart, the brunch cocktail list includes a white peach bellini made with prosecco, a breakfast martini with marmalade and a blood orange mimosa. Although you might want to anchor your offering with some instantly recognisable dishes (perhaps a really good version of the fast food classic sausage and egg muffin), brunch is all about being creative and having fun. There really are no rules; like life, brunch is what you make it.

Smoked Salmon soda bread & Scrambled Eggs

Serves 4

Aidan McGee, The Truscott Arms, Maida Vale, London 8 large eggs, preferably free-range or organic Seasalt & freshly ground black pepper A good knob of butter, plus extra to serve

Rich in omega-3

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250g smoked salmon preferably from a supplier using wild, natural sustainably sourced fish 4 slices of soda bread

•

Mix the eggs & seasoning together

•

Put in a medium pan on a low heat with butter. Stir slowly until they are soft and not overcooked

•

To assemble, place toasted soda bread on a warm plate, add the eggs and top with smoked salmon

•

Garnish with dill and a wedge of lemon

Breakfast CHEESE & HAM SANDWICH WITH Bramble Jam

Sausage Frittata Serves 2

Serves 1

2 thick slices of bread of choice 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard 3-6 thin slices black forest ham 1 tablespoon England Preserves Bermondsey Bramble Jam 2 ounces brie Butter for the pan 1

With a sharp knife, cut the brie straight from the fridge, into even slices. Spread the mustard on one slice of bread and the jam on the other. Layer the ham on the mustardclad slice of bread and the brie on the jam slice. Sandwich the slices together. Melt about a tablespoon of butter in a medium frying pan over medium-low heat. Swirl and add the sandwich.

Lightly fry, flipping once, until golden brown and gooey, about 6 minutes total.

Cut in to desired shapes, place on a warm plate with a side portion of England Preserves Bermondsey Bramble Jam and serve immediately.

4 tbsp Ooo extra virgin

8 free range large eggs

olive oil

60ml whipping cream

1 chopped onion

110g feta cheese

8 Snowbird Olde English

Pinch of smoked salt

Pork sausages

Freshly ground black

1 tbsp chopped garlic

pepper

1 tbsp chopped oregano

England Preserves Pear,

1 red pepper chopped &

Date & Ale Chutney

roasted 1

• •

•

• •

Preheat the oven to 170°C In a large oven proof saute pan over a high heat, add the olive oil, onions, sausage, garlic and oregano, stirring frequently to break up the clumps. Add the roasted peppers and cook for about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, feta cheese, smoked salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into the saute pan and bake until the eggs are set and golden brown and the frittata pulls away from the sides slightly, about 35 minutes. Remove the frittata from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Serve with a side portion of England Preserves Pear, Date & Ale Chutney

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autumn 2014

5 reasons why to choose

Lamb Weston Stealth FriesÂŽ : 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

Maximum proďŹ t due to high length 5 times longer holding time than standard fries Better plate coverage due to premium quality. More portions per KG! Ideal for home-delivery / take away Consistent quality throughout the year

Budget Fries

Lamb Weston Premium Fries

Lower quality / Fa grade

Higher quality / PXLFA grade

E-mail: salesuk@lambweston-nl.com | Tel: 0800 963 962 | Fax: 0800 963 963 www.lambweston-nl.com

Breakfast Roll serves 4

8 Blakemans Premium

4 free range eggs

Pork Sausages

8 thick slices of bread

4 bacon rashers, halved

Barbecue sauce, to serve

1 Cook sausages in frying pan turning frequently, for12 minutes or until just cooked through.

4 Break eggs into frying pan and cook for 5 minutes or until just cooked and yolks are still a little runny.

2 Add the bacon to tray and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from heat and cover with foil to keep warm.

5 Meanwhile, cut the bread crossways into 4 equal portions, then split each portion in half. Cook on grill for 1 minute each side or until toasted.

3 Cut the sausages in half lengthways and cook, cut-side down, on grill for 2 minutes or until crisp. Transfer to the foil tray to keep warm.

6 Place 1 piece of bread, cutside up, on each plate. Top with spinach, bacon, sausage and egg. Top with remaining bread. Serve immediately with barbecue sauce.

Smoked haddock kedgeree with poached egg & mango by Neil Cooper, The Greyhound On The Test, Stockbridge, Hants Serves 4 400g basmati rice 80g king prawn, pan fried off 100g smoked haddock 80g peas 20g chopped chives, parsley, tarragon 30g mango

• • • • •

50g butter salt & pepper 1 litre ﬁsh stock 1 teaspoon of turmeric 1 teaspoon of curry powder 3 large shallots ½ teaspoon of garlic puree

Sweat shallots in butter until tender, Add rice and spices and slowly add stock in 5 parts continually stiring until all the liquid has gone. Add the rest of the ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Add more stock if needed and seasoning. Serve with a poached egg.

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autumn 2014

Tipping the scales Andy Lynes looks at fresh ways to introduce healthy fish & seafood recipes into your menus

Roasted Cod with Smoked Mussels Cider Sauce & Blowtorched Gem Lettuce Aidan McGee, The Truscott Arms, Maida Vale, London Serves 2

ike many fresh ingredients, fish is seasonal and knowing what’s good when means you’ll be buying the best and at the best prices too. The good news is that there are numerous varieties available over the winter months including cod, coley, dab, dover sole, gurnard, haddock, halibut, hake, lemon sole, mackerel, monkfish, plaice, red mullet, wild sea bass, sea bream, skate and turbot. The less good news is that fish is expensive, so ensuring you get maximum profit from it is a must. At The Hardwick gastropub in Abergavenny, award winning chef and owner Stephen Terry has a few tricks up his sleeve to ensure nothing goes to waste, and that his fish dishes are enticing to customers. ‘We make a classic southern France-style fish soup as a by-product of all our fish prep. We bag up all the trimmings and freeze them down until we’ve got enough to make a decent soup. We freeze turbot stock and pour that into the soup and serve it with rouille and croutons.’ When it’s in season from January to April, Terry buys Norwegian Skrei cod from his Cardiff-based supplier. ‘It’s really good value for money, it’s a lovely size and very sustainable. We cut nice big portions from them and use the belly for a fish goujon grilled sandwich with cheese and tartare sauce for the lunch menu.’ The fillets are served on the a la carte in one of Terry’s typically inventive main courses, perhaps roasted and served with roast bell peppers and a Chianti bagna cauda sauce. ‘I got the idea from the River Cafe in London. We reduce the red wine with lots of roasted garlic and some anchovies then emulsify it with butter and olive oil in a Thermomix.’ The dish is completed by a deep fried, breadcrumbed white onion risotto cake stuffed with oxtail. ‘Generally there’s meat with most of my fish dishes. I like a fried sausage meat sauce with my cod and I like chorizo with hake. I serve it with padron peppers, saffron risotto and wilted spinach. That to me is the prefect dish.’ Terry puts his own twist on that pub staple of fishcakes, which he serves as croquettes. ‘The mix is made from streamed and crushed potatoes and what I call the garnish, which is fennel, leeks, celery, onion, garlic and chilli, all finely diced and sweated down. That’s mixed into the potato along with lemon zest, horseradish, tomato sauce, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, basil, tarragon and parsley. Then we gently fold in steamed fish, usually a mix of salmon and a white fish like cod. For the breadcrumbs, we use leftover ends of sourdough loaves.’ The croquettes are served with smashed peas (frozen, which he prefers the flavour of to fresh), tartare sauce, salad leaves and a wedge of lemon. Although he’s careful to buy only the best, Terry sees fish as a blank canvas just waiting to be embellished with a palette of flavours. ‘Fish tastes of what you put on it. What does cod taste like? Tartare sauce!’

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100g washed new potatoes 500g of Vegetable Oil 1 sprig thyme 1 sprig rosemary

20g garlic 473 ml cider Generous knob of butter 2 portions of Cod 100g mussels

Conﬁt New Potates Cook slowly until tender. Add 3 tablespoons of oil to a pan. Keep warm. Cider Sauce Reduce the cider until 200ml, add cold butter until the sauce thickens, add lemon juice, mussels and salt to taste. Blowtorched Gem Take some leaves of baby gem and roll in oil. Light the Blow Torch and gently Blowtorch the gem until cooked. Cod Roast off the cod in a pan with hot oil. Once cooked let it rest. Assemble in a bowl with the new potatoes, place cod on top, pour sauce on the side. Add blowtorched gem and serve.

Breaded Mackerel Goujons & fries Serves 4

4 Pacific West Mackerel Goujons 400g Lamb Weston Pommes Frites Skin on Stealth Fries Ooo extra virgin olive oil

• Pre-heat oil to 180°C • Deep fry frozen goujons for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown

Ideal for kids

• Cook fries as per pack instructions • Serve goujons with a side dish of fries and a dipping sauce of choice

Marinated Butterﬂy Prawns

Breaded Scampi Serves 2

Serves 6

24 Pacific West Marinated

2 cloves chopped garlic

Butterfly Prawns

Cracked black pepper

200g halved cherry tomatoes

Lemon wedges

1 diced onion

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Sauté chopped onion and garlic until soft without colouring Add prawns and cook through Add halved tomatoes and toss until just warm

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Divide into portions and plate Season and serve with a green salad and lemon wedges

16 Pacific West Breaded

1 white carrot

Scampi

Green salad to garnish

1 carrot

Ooo extra virgin olive oil

1 Deep fry frozen scampi in pre-heated oil to 180°C for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown 2 Spiralize the carrots 3 Place the scampi on the bed of carrots and garnish with salad 4 Serve with a dipping sauce of choice

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SURF & TURF

Serves 4

Pan-Asian Vegetable Broth & Seafood Brochette Serves 10 30 Queen Scallops 500g Fresh Tuna Fish diced 30 Tiger Prawns 700g Noodles Cooked 30 Red Pepper Strips 200g Baby Fenel 200g Green & Red Peppers diced 50g Major Pan-Asian Vegetable Broth 200g Red Pepper Coulis 750g ﬁsh of choice 100g squid 2 tbsp butter 500ml thickened cream 1 tbsp crushed garlic 2 tbsp Major Pan-Asian Chicken Broth

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3 tbsp hot water 2 tbsp parsley chopped 4 ﬁllet steaks 2 tbsp cornﬂour 2 tbsp cold water Salt & pepper to taste

Heat a heavy based pot until hot. Add the butter, garlic squid and fish and stir fry until the fish is half cooked and set aside. Mix the stock powder and hot water together until it has dissolved. Add to the cream. Using the same pot, heat the cream mixture until hot, stirring constantly. Do not boil.

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Add the parsley, squid, fish and salt and pepper to taste.

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Mix the cornflour and cold water together and add to the pot to thicken. Continue to cook until the fish is cooked through. Serve over steak with chips and salad.

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Place tuna, scallops and Prawns in a Mari Bag with ½ of the Pan Asian Vegetable Broth and leave for 2 hours Place peppers, fenel and all seafood on a bamboo stick and grill on both sides for 2 minutes Warm coulis, add Pan-Asian Vegetable Broth and noodles Place skewer on top noodles and garnish with strips of pepper

Best EVER Fish & Chips

Serves 8

2 floz vegetable oil for frying

2 tbsp paprika

8 fillets cod

1 egg beaten

2 tsp salt & pepper

275 can or bottled beer

150g all-purpose flour

Lamb Weston Pommes Frites

2 tbsp garlic powder

Stealth Fries

1 Heat oil in a deep fryer to 185°C. Rinse fish, pat dry and season with salt and pepper. 2 Combine flour, garlic powder, paprika, 2 tsps salt and 2 tsps pepper. Stir egg into dry ingredients. Gradually mix in beer until a thin batter is formed. You should be able to see the fish through the batter after it has been dipped. 3 Dip fish fillets into the batter, then drop one at a time into hot oil. Fry fish, turning once, until both sides are golden brown. Drain on paper towels, and serve warm with fries.

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Pure & simple Increase your food sales with some great seasonal fayre

Coq au vin

Serves 2

Cumberland Sausage in Rich Tomato Sauce with Saffron Mash Serves 4-6

4 oz good bacon, diced 1 (3-4lbs) chicken, cut in 8ths Salt & black pepper ½ lb carrots, diced 1 yellow onion, sliced 1 teaspoon chopped garlic ¼ cup good brandy 375 ml good dry red wine 1 cup Major Chicken Stock

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10 fresh thyme sprigs 2 tbsp unsalted butter 1 ½ tbsp all-purpose ﬂour ½ lb small whole onions ½ lb cremini mushrooms, stems removed and thickly sliced 2 tbsp Chiltern Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil

Heat the rapesed oil in a large casserole dish. Add the bacon and cook until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon. Meanwhile, sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon and continue to brown until all the chicken is done. Set aside. Add the carrots, onions, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac and put the bacon, chicken, and any juices into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Mash 1 tablespoon of butter and the flour together and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. In a medium saute pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned. Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste. Serve hot. the plate with the bacon and continue to brown until all the chicken is done. Set aside.

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2 kg ripe cherry tomatoes, 3 sprigs fresh thyme 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 3-4 fresh bay leaves 1 tablespoon dried oregano 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

12 Blakemans Cumberland Sausages Ooo extra virgin olive oil Balsamic vinegar Balsamic glaze Sea salt & black pepper

1 In a roasting tray, large enough to take the tomatoes in one layer, place all the tomatoes, the herb sprigs, oregano, garlic and sausages. 2 Drizzle well with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Mix together, ensuring the sausages are on top, place the tray into a preheated oven for about 30 minutes at190°C/375°f/gas 5. 3 After this time give it a shake, turn the sausages over and put back into the oven for a further15 to 30 minutes depending on how well done and sticky you prefer the sausages. 4 Check the intensity of the tomato sauce, if it’s too thin, remove the sausages from the tray and reduce it down on the hob to a consistency you like, then season. For the mash 1.5kg Potatoes 100g Butter Single cream Sea Salt

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2 good pinches of saffron strands (steeped in a little hot water)

Peel and cook the potatoes in boiling salt water, drain and mash the other ingredients and beat to a slightly stiff consistency Serve with the creamy saffron mash potato, excellent with a good glass of Chianti

MARMALADE Bread & Putter pudding Serves 6 10 slices white bread 40g (11/2oz) butter, softened 4 tbsp England Preserves London Marmalade

1 Set the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan, gas 4. 2 Butter one side of each piece of bread, then spread half of the slices with marmalade. 3 Top with the other slices of bread to make sandwiches, cut in half and arrange snugly in baking dish.

3 eggs, beaten 250ml (7ﬂoz) milk 50ml double cream grated zest ½ orange

sugar together and pour over. Top with a little extra marmalade especially the rind, if liked. 5 Place the baking dish in a baking tray half ﬁlled with boiling water. 6 Bake for 35-45 mins until golden brown and the custard has set.

4 Beat the eggs, milk, cream, orange zest and

Sausage & Stout Casserole With Apple Mash Serves 6-8 16 Blakemans Lincolnshire Sausages 2 large onions sliced thinly 1 Small squash peeled & ﬁnely cubed 2 Celery sticks 12 Rashers of smoked streaky bacon (chopped) 420g Can of cannelloni beans 500ml Stout beer

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200ml Major Beef & Red Wine Jus Base 250g Chestnut mushrooms 3 tbsp Sun-dried tomato paste 1 tbsp Dark brown sugar 2 Sprigs of thyme 2 tbsp Chiltern Pressed Rapeseed Oil 2 tbsp Plain ﬂour Salt & Pepper

Grill the sausages under a moderate heat for 8-10 minutes or until browned all over. Keep the sausages warm. Into a large saucepan add the olive oil, heat and add the squash and celery, fry for 5 minutes. Add the onions and chopped bacon, stir fry for 8-10 minutes until softened. Stir in the plain flour, sun-dried tomato paste and cook for a further minute. Slowly pour in the stout and sugar, bring to the boil and cook for 2 more minutes until the liquid reduces slightly. Add the beef stock and bring back to the boil, meanwhile place the sausage into a large casserole dish with the sliced mushrooms and beans then pour over the liquer and vegetables, add the thyme, season and cook in a preheated oven at 180°C for 15-20 minutes until piping hot. Serve with Apple Mash and buttered savoy cabbage.

Apple Mash 2 lb Cooking Apples 4lb Potatoes 3 tbsp Brown sugar 4 oz/ 100g Butter 3 tbsp of water

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Peel & cook the potatoes in salted boiling water. Peel and core the apples and place in a saucepan, add the sugar and water and cook until soft. Drain the cooked potatoes, mash, season and then beat in the soft apples with the butter.

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Gourmet Pork Sausage Teriyaki Serves 2 4x 70g Snowbird Gourmet Pork Sausages Sunﬂower oil Sesame oil Thinly sliced onion Crushed garlic Carrot batons Thinly sliced celery Sliced Shitake mushrooms Teriyaki sauce

Eastern Delight

• In a wok stir fry the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and mushrooms for 2-3 minutes. Add the teriyaki sauce and bubble for a further 2-3 minutes. • Drizzle with sesame oil and toss well. • Meanwhile heat sausages in a microwave to a core temperature of 75˚C. • Plate sausages with the sauce mix and vegetables.

Crisp rosemary & olive oil ﬂatbread

SPICE UP YOUR FRIES Lamb Weston offer a great variety of oven fries. Use these ideas to add delicious flavours and kick them up a notch with fresh herbs and spices Garlic & Parsley Oven Fries

230g plain flour 1 tbsp chopped rosemary, plus 2 sprigs 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

¾ tsp salt 125ml water 75ml Ooo extra virgin olive oil Salt

1 Preheat the oven to 220C

4 Lightly brush the top with additional oil and scatter small clusters of rosemary on top, pressing in slightly. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake on a preheated oven tray until pale golden and browned in spots Transfer the ﬂatbread to a rack to cool, then repeat with the other more rounds.

2 Stir together the flour, chopped rosemary, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Add the water and oil and gradually stir into the flour until a dough forms. Knead it gently on a work surface. 3 Divide the dough into 3 pieces, cover 2 of them with clingfilm and roll out the other on a sheet of baking paper into a 25cm round.

While your fries are baking, chop a tablespoon or two of parsley and crush a large clove of garlic. Just before the fries are finished, take the baking sheet out of the oven, rub the garlic onto the fries, and bake for about 5 minutes more. When they’re done, sprinkle the parsley over the top. Smoked Paprika Oven Fries After you’ve cut your potato into fries, toss them with oil, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. If you want your fries to be smoky and spicy, add a little cayenne too. Truffle & Parm Oven Fries These are my personal favorite. Bake your fries like you normally would; when they’re finished, drizzle them with truffle oil and top with shredded Parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper. So tasty!

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Central ‘eating’

The Supreme Sausage James T. Blakeman & Co. Ltd. Millennium Way, High Carr Business Park, Newcastle-u-Lyme, Staffs. ST5 7UF Telephone: 01782 569610 Fax: 01782 569611 e-mail: admin@blakemans.co.uk

www.blakemans.co.uk

Why rapeseed oil is a good choice Celebrated for its health benefits as it has less saturated fat than other cooking oils and fats. It is also high in mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats omega 3, 6 and 9, so can help you maintain healthy cholesterol levels which is part of a healthy balanced diet, and it is a rich source of vitamin E. Rapeseed oil can also be used at high temperatures without it smoking or burning, so it can be used for roasting and frying. It’s great used cold as well, for salad dressings, sauces and marinades, or for drizzling over pasta and pizza or for simply combining with balsamic vinegar for a delicious dip.

A Great British Pie for Great British Pubs A pie and a pint is widely celebrated as the perfect pub feast and Pieminister’s award winning pie menu can now be enjoyed at a growing number of pubs looking for a superb but simple menu to serve customers. With a range of 11 classics there’s a pie for every palette. Choose from legendary names like the moo (British beef steak and English ale) chicken of aragon (free range British chicken and bacon with tarragon) and the heidi (Somerset goats’ cheese with sweet potato) plus new recipes like the deerstalker (British venison, bacon, puy lentils and red wine) and moo & blue pie (British beef steak and aged Stilton).

For baking rapeseed oil is a great substitute for butter. Rapeseed oil can be used instead of butter and other fats in a variety of sweet and savoury dishes from cakes and biscuits to soups and casseroles. Try rapeseed oil in a carrot cake and the saturated fat can be reduced by up to 60%, making it a healthier alternative of a family favourite.

Cumberland Sausages with Fusilli Serves 1

PERK UP YOUR MASH Saffron and Garlic

2 x 70g Snowbird Cumberand Sausages Oil Chopped onion Garlic

Chopped tomatoes Thyme Chilli flakes Lemon zest Fusilli Pasta

Take pre-heated pasta, boil until al dente and keep warm. Concurrently, heat oil in a saucepan and cook onion and garlic until softened. Add tomatoes, chilli ﬂakes, thyme and lemon zest.

Microwave 2 x 70g Snowbird Cumberand Sausages to a core temperature of 75˚C, cut diagonally and place into tomato mixture.

Place pasta into bowl, add all other ingredients and serve.

Sprinkle cheese on top.

Infuse 200ml/7ﬂoz of hot stock with a pinch of saffron strands. Soften 2 or 3 chopped garlic cloves in a couple of tablespoons of Ooo extra virgin olive oil, beat the stock, garlic and 2 tablespoons of Ooo extra virgin olive oil into the basic mash. Try beating in some parsley or coriander.

Mustard and Cheese Use about 25g/1oz butter to make the basic mash, then beat in a good handful of grated extra mature cheddar cheese and swirl in 2 of 3 tablespoons of wholegrain mustard, depending on how hot you like it.

Pesto Make a basic mash, but use 3-4 tablespoons of Ooo extra virgin olive oil instead of butter, and if you prefer, hot stock instead of milk. Beat in a couple of tablespoons of pesto. For even more ﬂavour add fresh parmesan, and a handful of toasted pine nuts and fresh basil.

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Read all about it. The latest food trends and snippets

things worth knowing about coffee

DID YOU KNOW?

The ratio of white meat to brown in crabs depends on their gender. Males (cocks) generally have bigger claws but slightly smaller bodies than females (hens). You get more white meat from the males, and more brown from the females

Deepfried Ravioli

It all started with Dancing Goats. Legend has it that Ethiopian shepherds ﬁrst noticed the effects of caffeine when they saw their goats appearing to become frisky and ‘dance’ after eating coffee berries Originally, coffee was eaten. African tribes mixed coffee berries with fat which formed edible energy balls The rise of Islam contributed greatly to the popularity of coffee. The religion prohibited drinking alcohol, but coffee was considered an acceptable drink All coffee in the world grows in the coffee Bean Belt. This is the area between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Hawaii is the only state in the US that grows coffee In 1675, the King of England banned coffee houses, claiming they were places where people met to conspire against him 70% of the world consumes Arabica coffee, which is mild and aromatic. The remaining 30% drinks Robusta, which is more bitter tasting but has 50% more caffeine than Arabica

Toasted ravioli, a speciality of St Louis, Missouri, pops up on trendy menus under the even more euphemistically named Italian nachos. As if a deep-fried cheesy pasta parcel was anything to be ashamed of. Try these sauces for dipping: •

Four-cheese ravioli with fresh marinara sauce

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Spinach and cheese ravioli with ranch dressing

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Lobster ravioli with homemade aioli

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If you can find a sweet, ricotta filled ravioli, serve them with melted chocolate laced with a spoonful of raspberry jam

Coffee is the second most traded commodity on earth, behind Oil Coffee berries are picked, dried, and stripped down until all that’s left is a green bean Once shipped, the beans are roasted at around 500f. After a few minutes, the bean will pop and double in size. A few minutes after that, the bean will pop once more. The second pop means the bean is done Instant coffee was invented by George Washington. Not the guy on the one dollar bill, but a Belgian man living in Guatemala by the name of George Washington in 1906

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the corker Pink wines are on a roll at the moment as Jamie Goode points out and rosé is actually becoming trendy again

n France, rosé wine consumption has increased year on year for a couple of decades now, and since 1990 has tripled. Pink wine sales now represent a remarkable 30% of total wine consumption in France. Globally, there’s been a 15% increase in rosé wine drinking over the last decade. In the UK, for example, rosé represented just 2.7% of supermarket wine sales in 2000; it’s now 11%. It looks like this growth could continue, too.

coloured rosés, which are quite dry. This has been the secret to their success: a short maceration followed by fermentation to dryness makes quite elegant and visually appealing wines which match well with food. Do not underestimate the importance of the colour of rosé: we taste with our eyes, and the colour makes suggestions to us as to what sort of fruit characters to expect from the wine.

Of all the world’s winegrowing regions, one can claim to be rosé capital of the world: Provence. Provence has a sizeable 26 000 hectares of vineyards spread across three departments (Var, Bouches du Rhône and AlpesMaritimes), and makes over 160 million bottles in an average vintage. The region has 600 wineries, 40 of which are cooperatives. And, amazingly, rosé accounts for 89% of overall production, which is far, far higher than you’d find in any other wine region. Provence is France’s leading region for the production of AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée, which used to be known as AOC) rosé wines, accounting for 40% of the total. Altogether, Provence accounts for 5.6% of the planet’s total rosé wine production.

Premium pinks

The pink wine category is a broad one. At one pole we have inexpensive, sweet, slightly fizzy wines that resemble alcopops more than serious wines. At the other pole we have fine, gastronomic expressions of rosé of the sort that Provence excels at. But while Provence makes a lot of very good rosé, most of it is drunk in France (84%), with 40% being drunk in the region itself. After all, it is a wine that is superbly adapted to its environment. Exports are growing, though. They rose 15% in the last year, and demand from the largest export market, the USA, leaped by 40% over the same period.

Côtes of many colours Some more facts and figures. There are three main appellations in Provence. First we have Côtes de Provence, which includes more specific locations such as Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire, Côtes de Provence Fréjus and Côtes de Provence La Londe. Then we have Coteaux d’Aix en Provence and Coteaux Varois en Provence. The climate is sunny (2700-2900 hours of sunshine per year) and the growing season can be very hot, although variations in landscape and altitude can mitigate this heat, as can the mistral. It rarely rains during the summer here, so the disease pressure is low. The grape varieties used to make Provençal rosé are predominantly the red grapes Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon, but occasionally white grape Rolle (aka Vermentino) is used as well. Rosé is made by allowing the crushed grapes a short period of skin contact before pressing out the juice and fermenting it. The duration of this skin contact determines how much colour the final wine will have. The trademark Provençal style is for pale pink or pale salmon pink 78

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The big story with Provence rosé is the emergence of super-premium rosés demanding to be taken more seriously. In the past, pricing of Provence rosé has been quite flat: they aren’t terribly cheap, but they hit a price ceiling and don’t become expensive, either. This is beginning to change. The first super-premium rosé was produced by Domaines Ott. With their distinctively shaped bottles, the quartet of rosés made by Ott (Château Romassan, Château de Selle, Clos Mireille and Les Domaniers) are considerably more expensive than most of their peers at over £20 a bottle. And now we have two notable newcomers who are aiming even higher. The first is Miraval, which is owned by superstars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. They leased the Miraval property, in the village of Correns, as a summer home in 2008, then purchased it in 2012, taking control of the vineyards and making their own wine under this existing label. To do this they enlisted the help of Marc Perrin of top Rhône estate Chateau de Beaucastel. The second is the world’s most ambitious rosé of all, the Garrus from Sacha Lichine, who acquired his property, Château d’Esclans, in 2006. It’s located on an elevated site near the city of Frejus, and has 44 hectares of vineyards out of a total of 267 ha. The oldest vines here are 90 years old. From the estate vineyards, Lichine is making a range of three high-end rosé wines, helped by consultant enologist Patrick Léon. The Château wine is pretty impressive, but is trumped by the fabulous Les Clans cuvée, made the same way as a great white Burgundy, in barrels. And then there’s the world’s priciest rosé, the Garrus, which, like the Les Clans, is made like a fine white Burgundy in barrel, but which comes from selected old plots. It’s a superb wine demonstrating that rosé can be very serious, but it comes at a price of almost £100 a bottle. For those who want star quality but without the price tag, Lichine’s negociant wine, Whispering Angel, is beautifully packaged and delivers some sophisticated flavours. Expect to see more of these luxury pink cuvées emerge, because they are selling. But the strength of Provence lies in its ability to produce top quality, pale-coloured dry rosés, with a remarkable degree of consistency, at good prices. The pink revolution continues, and Provence is at the heart of it.

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in the mix

Make mine a Mojito Amit Sood of Shaker BarSchool looks at the history of the Mojito and muddles the definitive version

remember the first time I discovered a Mojito. It was in the early part of the year 2000. I was living and working in Sydney and a colleague was talking about this new drink they had discovered whilst working at one of our sister bars. I went to the bar to check it out and was pleasantly surprised by what I experienced. At that point in time, I like most bartenders and consumers had never come across the soon to be popular combination of Rum, lime, mint, sugar and soda.

So to have the mojito firmly cemented in your cocktail repertoire is a must for any aspiring bartender, practice and perfect your recipe to get the perfect balance, try out various rums to see the difference in flavours or add some fresh fruit to the mix to give a refreshing new twist to this classic drink. Once perfected the Mojito will be your new best friend! Overall I don’t see the Mojito slowing down in terms of its global appeal. Cuba blessed us with one of its greatest liquid gifts and I for one thank them for that.

Rum deal Fast forward to 2014; the world has very much warmed to Rum again. What do we have to thank for this? Well I believe that the reinvigoration of the category has been in part down to the Mojito’s success as a cocktail. I started working back in London in February 2001 as a bartender in the heart of the West End at Navajo Joe; a bar with a South West / Latin American feel and focused on Tequila, Rum and Bourbon. We were one of a handful of bars that offered Mojitos at the time. We sold a lot and people could not get enough. We prepped boxes of limes daily and handled a lot of mint. At one point we had five different mojitos on the menu! The Mojito was far from main stream at this point, and unlike now, the packaged drink market and mainstream managed bar groups were still far from embracing and piggy backing off the niche success of this.

MOJITO RECIPE

GLASS

4 lime wedges 10-15ml sugar syrup 8–16 large mint leaves Crushed ice 50ml Rum Soda water

12 oz Collins

METHOD Muddle, Build & Churn

The key part about the Mojito in my opinion was making people aware that it was a Rum based drink. On the whole the Rum based cocktails of the time were poor Tiki classics that had been done a great disservice; bad Pina Coladas and terrible Mai Tais! The Mojito helped the Rum market to prosper. Brands such as Appleton used the serve as a key driver for their strategic attack on the aged Rum market when they began an assault with Appleton VX in 2003. Rum, as we know now is diverse and broad in its styles and the Mojito helped to show this off.

Making a mint We are now generally more aware that the drink suits the lighter bodied and younger aged Rums, but back then it was easy to cross or to upsell to different Rums in the drink, especially older expressions. This was part of the appeal as the drink grew in popularity. Have your Mojito your way or the way your Bartenders recommended it. I personally remember the excitement as El Dorado launched its 3 year old in 2008, and the way the industry and the consumer reacted to its taste in drinks. It is my personal favourite for a Mojito and Daiquiri as I feel it just balances against all the other flavours really well. In 2012 the Mojito was the most popular Cocktail ordered in high end and mainstream U.K on-trade. This data was published by First Drinks in their annual Market Report. Available from high street chains through to high end establishments. Consumers know and love the mojito, it’s so popular even bars that don’t list it on the menu get constant requests for the minty libation!

Add the lime and sugar to a Collins glass and muddle with a muddler. Add the mint leaves and place the flat-end of the bar spoon in the glass. Fill the glass with crushed ice and pour in the rum.

Rapidly raise and lower the spoon to thoroughly mix the drink, and then top with soda. Garnish with a sprig of mint, rubbing the leaves before serving to release the bouquet.

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autumn 2014

kitchen essentials

SAGE PRESS Not all citrus fruit is created equal, so the Sage Citrus Press was designed with a patented juicing cone to get every last drop of juice from the largest grapefruits or the smallest lime, and everything between, all without changing cones. The hinged arm makes it so easy, no pressure or force required, and the top part is dishwasher safe, so cleaning is simple too. For more details visit www.sageappliances.co.uk

Ben Newman recommends his essentials for the perfect kitchen THE VACUUM POUCH COMPANY The Vacuum Pouch Company supplies over 700 hotels and restaurants with Vacuum packing machinery, Vacuum pouches and Boilable pouches. The boilable pouches are extremely popular with many chefs around the UK as they can be used for boiling, sous vide, steam cooking and microwaved too. The company stock over 100 sizes of vacuum pouches and these can also be used for low temperature cooking up to 95 degrees. They also stock the full Henkelman range of vacuum packing machinery. For more details Tel: 0161 797 2222 or visit www.vacuum-pouches.com

CUISINEQUIP Induction cooking is a firm hit in commercial kitchens that want fast heating times with rapid cooking that cuts the wasted energy that traditional systems deliver. Cuisinequip provide the highest quality, latest Swiss induction technology, Galaxy Plus. Pictured is a bespoke installation in the Michelin-starred Kitchen W8 which features two twin multifunction induction hobs, a deep pan griddle, a thermostatically controlled hot cupboard with hinged doors, and a hygienic pan rack. This fully welded construction is designed to give many years of service in a busy environment, and is produced from 304 grade stainless steel which is robust and easy to clean.Â For more details Tel: 0118 957 1344 or visit www.cuisinequip.co.uk

autumn 2014

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FAME FOOD Allergy Management Europe (FAME) Ltd, founded by Vita Whitaker of Whitco Catering Equipment is at the forefront of delivering an extremely cost effective training programme online and on-site to both individuals and groups. In a bid to educate commercial catering establishments in food allergens and intolerance, FAME links allergy training with a brand new and innovative concept for caterers, namely a purple coded Allergy Safe -T-Zone kit. Upon completion of training, certification is awarded by FAME. Vita says, “Using the Purple Allergen Safe-T-Zone kit and Purple Allergen labels reinforces training and helps towards creating a positive behaviour change in the kitchen, by serving as an imperative reminder, when a diner specifically requests that their meal be entirely free of certain ingredients.” European Union Directive 1169/2011 reinforces this on December 14th, affecting all catering and food preparation service establishments across the UK. For further information, on-line training, self-certification and to purchase the Safe-T-Zone kits see details below. For more details Tel: 01832 737205 or visit www.fameltd.eu

UNOX

CUISPRO The Cuispro creates playful, cylinder-shape blocks of ice cream that can be stacked on a cone or decorated in a wafﬂe cup for a colorful and creative presentation. Works with a simple twist-and-lift action and push button to release. The ergonomic scooper effortlessly cuts through the hardest ice cream. Fits standard jumbo cone or wafﬂe cone and is dishwasher safe.

Unox manufacture professional commercial ovens with over 70 different models for use in any professional bakery or kitchen. They produce around 160,000 commercial ovens every year and supply over 92 countries around the world. Unox ovens include energy saving features such as LED chamber illumination, thermal efﬁcient glass doors, demand related power supply and remote of site monitoring of energy consumption and even automatic washing programmes which reduces cleaning labour costs with washes costing as little as 58 pence. For more details Tel: 01252 851522 or visit www.unoxuk.com

For more details visit www.cuisipro.com

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autumn 2014

ADMIRAL DUNCAN £350 pw THE GEORGE £285 pw

CHANCE THE ALMA £260 pw

MANCHESTER PICADILLY £200

RED DRAGON £395 pw

THE POSTS £415 pw

THE GEORGE £285 pw THE ALMA £260 pw RED DRAGON £395 R E D D R AG O N £395

LEEDS CITY STATION £200

BIRD IN THE HAND £255 pw

CHANCE COMMUNITY CHEST

DA R T S NIGHT

THE PICKLED NEWT £235 pw

THE POSTS £415

PA R K

THE ELECTRIC COMPANY THE FEATHERS £195 pw

THE FEATHERS £195 pw

£180

THE COACH & HORSES £165 pw

THE GREEN MAN £175 pw

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THE ROSE & CROWN £170 pw

THE COACH & HORSES £165 pw

autumn 2014

P.A.Y.E

THE SHIP £160 pw

COMMUNITY CHEST

PA Y £ 1 0 0

AR BIRMINGHAM NEW STREET £200

THE ROSE & CROWN £170 pw

BIRMINGHAM NEW STREET £200

THE SHIP £160 pw

JUST

CHANCE THE GREEN MAN £175 pw

VISITING

THE TURK’S HEAD £450 pw

TITLE

THE CHURCHILL £425 pw

MANCHESTER PICADILLY £200

THE TURK’S HEAD £450 pw

THE POSTS £415 pw

MUSIC & TV LICENCE

RED DRAGON £395 pw

PA Y £ 1 0 0

ADMIRAL DUNCAN £350 pw

LIVE MUSIC

THE MOON & SIXPENCE £530 pw

WATERWORKS

BRISTOL PARKWAY £200

THE HORSE & HOUNDS £525 pw

THE STAG £495 pw CHANCE

THE HAPPY SAUSAGE £750 pw

THE GUN £700 pw

THE CANNY MANS £550 pw

THE FOX £575 pw

R AC E NIGHT

COMMUNITY CHEST THE ENGINEER £900 pw KINGS CROSS STATION £200 CHANCE

V AT

PRINCE REGENT £1500 pw

PA Y £ 2 0 0

THE MITRE £1000 pw

SOMETHING HERE

THE PARRS HEAD £120 pw

COMMUNITY CHEST

THE OLD COW £100 pw

THE PARRS HEAD £120 pw

QUIZ NIGHT

THE OLD COW £100 pw

INCOME TA X

PRINCE REGENT £1500 pw

THE COCK £125 pw

THE MITRE £1000 pw

THE B ULL £140 pw

LIVERPOOL LIME STREET £200

KINGS CROSS STATION £200

CHANCE

THE ENGINEER £900 pw

Phil Mellows looks at how the changes and flexibility in new lease agreements is driving interest from business owners in this sector

THE HAPPY SAUSAGE £750 pw

SOMETHING HERE

ARKING

T EC RY LL LA SS O C S A PA 00 U £2 YO AS

PA Y £ 2 0 0 LIVERPOOL LIME STREET £200

THE COCK £125 pw

THE B ULL £140 pw

THE GUN £700 pw

T EC RY LL LA S C O S A PA S 00 U £2 YO AS

THE FOX £575 pw

THE CANNY MANS £550 pw

THE MOON & SIXPENCE £530 pw

£150

BRISTOL PARKWAY £200

THE HORSE & HOUNDS £525 pw

THE STAG £495 pw

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autumn 2014

Our heritage, your opportunity

ENTREPRENEURS WANTED With more than 200 years of expertise behind us, no one knows more about running pubs successfully than Greene King. Right now, Greene King Pub Partners owns around 900 pubs across the UK, from traditional country inns to city centre bars. We lease or rent these premises to talented people who want to run their own business in their own unique way. Our success as one of the country’s most respected tenanted pub companies is down to two key things: true ﬂexibility and comprehensive support. A range of short-term and long-term tenancy options go hand-in-hand with industry-leading training and advice and practical business assistance (through our dedicated business development managers and commercial and support teams). All of which adds up to an unmissable opportunity that’s worth raising a glass to.

Visit www.greenekingpubs.co.uk or follow us on Twitter @greenekingpubs

Stellar Tenants

s the pub market recovers, freehouse owners are starting to look seriously at opportunities to expand their businesses into the tenanted and leased sector, with one pubco reporting that enquiries have doubled in the past year. A background of increasing activity and growing investment along with a greater flexibility in lease agreements is proving a temptation for entrepreneurs and multi-site operators, including those wanting a second or third pub. Licensed property agent Fleurets, in its latest Rental Survey, published in October, reports a slow recovery from recession over the last 18 months that’s now spreading out from London to the rest of the country. “Investment is starting to increase,” it says. “There are new developments being undertaken, in addition many operating companies are starting to re-invest within their estates. The general consensus appears to be one of cautious optimism.”

Some confusion Yet for those licensees looking to rent a leasehold pub, the market can be confusing. As Fleurets warns, while the new willingness among landlords to negotiate flexible terms certainly opens up opportunies for the entrepreneur, working out whether it’s a fair deal has become a complex process that demands expert advice. Loosening the tie has obvious attractions for freetraders already paying market prices for beer, for instance, but they’ll likely be looking at a higher rent. Discounts, too, are now available to tenants, but at what cost? Then there’s the question of investment. Who’s paying for that refurb, and how will the landlord’s contribution be rentalised? And how much is the business support you can expect to get from a brewer or pubco worth? As Fleurets tellingly notes, some of it is “unquantifiable”. Juggling all your options, and calculating the best possible deal for the kind of offer you want to put in place, is no easy task, but get the calculations right and a leased pub or two can be a great way to expand your business. Clive Chesser, business unit director for brewer Greene King’s tenanted and leased arm Pub Partners, sums it up: “Taking a tenancy or lease with Greene King offers licensees a lower cost of entry and enables great entrepreneurs with a clear vision for their business to partner with an established pub company, recognised and understood by customers.

Get the calculations right and a leased pub or two can be a great way to expand your business “Our tenants and lessees receive a comprehensive support package including competitive drinks deals, marketing support and a suite of training courses from the beginning of their agreement with us and beyond.” “We put our all into ensuring their business has every reason to thrive. In fact, in a recent survey of our tenants, 72% said they were very confident in their business. “We always want to hear from people as passionate about pubs as we are,” he goes on. “For us a quality tenant brings great standards, entrepreneurial flair and strong customer focus to their business. “

TITLE DEED

THE FOX & HOUND RENT £290 pw INGOING COSTS £12,000

A traditional country pub Located at the heart of the village A good mix of clientele Traditional bar area & snug

PLUS 40 cover restaurant area

“We have a range of agreement types and for the right operator we are very flexible on what we can offer. We know people are shopping around for the best deal so we constantly strive to remain very competitive.” While Chesser says there are “ample opportunities for experienced operators within Greene King” he makes the point that “it’s important that any operator wanting to take on a second pub is fully prepared for the sometimes tricky move into multi-site management. “ “They need to have the right infrastructure in place that, alongside the support of our experienced business development managers, will put them in the best possible position to make a success of their new business.”

Chance to develop For many existing freehold pub operators these days, an additional site is likely to offer scope to develop food, but Chesser notes “there is still growth in our drinks-led businesses, and we have a number of pubs doing very well with their cask beer range and those that focus on sport. “There’s also a great deal of emphasis on local provenance, and our Local Hero agreement continues to grow in popularity as it gives tenants the flexibility to serve food and drink from local suppliers, including cask ale from nearby microbrewers. “There’s a range of pubs out there and alongside the bigger food-led establishments there’s still a place in the market for the small friendly local known for its cask ales. We have an extremely broad range of pubs in our estate, and large or small the vast majority have the potential to develop a food offer if one is not already in place.” Chris Jowsey, director of Heineken UK’s retail division Star Pubs and Bars, reports that enquiries from existing freehouse owners about leasing one of the company’s sites “are up by 100% yearhost

autumn 2014

A Perfect Winning Partnership Congratulations Mr Joel Czopor & Ms Susie Clarke Grafton, Kentish Town Sky Great British Pub of The Year 2014

Could you be the next Winner? Contact enterpriseinns.com or call the recruitment team on 0800 953 0072 for our latest pub business opportunities.

enterpriseinns.com | 0800 953 0072

Stellar Tenants

on-year, so there’s a load of interest. “As the market improves they want to expand, and they’re looking across the whole leased and tenanted market.”

New opportunities The trend is driven by the continuing difficulty in finding funding for a freehold pub, he explains. “Things can be tight with the bank, plus you’re probably wanting to spend money on the property to get it the way you want it. You can get a good big pub on a lease these days, and you can invest in it. We’re flexible about that.” Star has an £18m budget to spend on its properties this year, a figure that will increase in 2015, and like other landlords will often work closely with a licensee to refurbish the pub, although that investment will be reflected in a higher rent. There are, for instance, “lots of opportunities out there to develop letting accommodation,” says Jowsey. “We like it because it’s another income stream for the lessee and it also adds to their food sales. “But the constraint is not so how much we can spend but in finding the right licensee who can make the most of it,” he adds. “Being part of Heineken means we have 250 sales people in the freetrade who are able to give us leads, and we make them aware of what’s available on our estate. “ “And I think freetrade customers who know us and know what we’re about like the idea of working with a brewer. As long as they’ve thought about it and understood what they’re doing I’m comfortable with a freehouse owner taking a second pub with us. They bring experience and knowledge and they’re commercially aware. Food-led operators in particular look to leases and tenancies because they’re not tied for food, and at Star we don’t tie them for wines and spirits either. We’ve had to become more flexible in terms of rents and discounts, too, and that’s true of the whole sector over the last few years. It’s about making sure that a lessee’s business is set up to give us a return.”

GREENE KING PUBS With more than 200 years of expertise behind them, no one knows more about running pubs successfully than Greene King. Right now, Greene King Pub Partners owns around 900 pubs across the UK, from traditional country inns to city centre bars and will lease or rent these premises to talented people who want to run their own business in their own unique way. For more details Tel: 0845 607 5330 or visit www.greenekingpubs.co.uk

Good to talk Punch Taverns is also targeting the experienced licensee. “Two years ago we launched the Punch Partnership Lease agreement to encourage entrepreneurs and multi-site operators to talk to us,” says operations director Paul Pavli. “It offers more flexible terms with variable pricing and discounts with the opportunity, for instance, to be free-of-tie on cask ales so you can stock local beers and use them as a USP to complement your offer. One free-of-tie cask ale is now a standard option, and you can negotiate more.” That sort of deal has recently attracted some impressive multiple operators into the Punch estate. South East gastropub chain Whiting & Hammond’s newest venture, the Kings Head at Bessels Green in Kent, is a Punch lease that’s free-of-tie on local ales, as is London Village Inns’ latest The Westbury in Turnpike Lane. Food is also an important part of the deal, and while Punch offers some lessees templates around which it will design a menu and kitchen, “at the top end of the market we back the operator to do what they’ve proved they can do best,” says Pavli. That’s exemplified in a new deal with Oakman Inns and Restaurants, whose latest pub, The White Hart at Ampthill, Bedfordfordshire, is a Punch leasehold that reopens in the New Year with the group’s usual classy food offer.

ENTREPRISE INNS Since it was founded in 1991, Enterprise has empowered Publicans to run their own pub, in their own way. Their flexible agreements, diverse portfolio and award-winning training ensure that you not only get the same feelings of ownership, autonomy and pride that come with building your own success, but you have all the help and support of the largest pub company in the UK, with over 5,500 pubs There are many aspects to running a great pub, whether it is marketing, financial management, property condition, customer service or how to run events and Enterprise Inns are there to provide the support you need. For more details Tel: 0121 733 7700 or visit www.enterpriseinns.com

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autumn 2014

bar essentials Over the following pages Ben Newman recommends this season’s must haves

John Robertson Ltd John Robertson specialise in supplying high quality outdoor furniture, fixtures and fittings to the UK’s leisure industry. Established over 30 years ago the company has built a solid reputation based on exceptional quality products and outstanding customer service. John Robertson Ltd is the sole UK distributor for the world leading brand Bahama® Jumbrella. These iconic and expertly designed commercial parasols can help transform any outside seating area into an attractive and inviting space for any proprietor to be proud of. For more details Tel: 01284 830100 or visit www.johnrobertson.ltd.uk

JURA

Luxury coffee machine specialists, JURA, have recently introduced the GIGA X8 Professional to its range, significantly flexible, in its ability to produce over 29 different ranges of speciality coffee making it is ideal for busy barista bars who experience a number of different daily requests. The high performance GIGA X8 Professional start screen can be individually programmed to suit any occasion or customer at the touch of a button, allowing the consumers coffee to be arranged to their exact liking. With the GIGA X8 Professional’s elegant finish it also comes with a unique speed function, allowing it to prepare quality coffee in record time. This speedy machine never compromises on quality, as the optimally extracted coffee is mixed with hot water inside the machine by means of an extra bypass ensuring that absolutely no flavour is lost during the process. For more details Tel: 01282 868266 or visit www.jurauk.com

autumn 2014

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Allergy Star Imminent new EU regulations for “on demand” allergen information for the consumer from Dec 13 2014, meant that a large University needed to act immediately. U4Global understood how to approach this issue and developed AllergyStar to meet their requirements. The design was three fold. Firstly, enforced allergy compliance for the outlet operator on a day to day basis, not just listing but having traceability to the chef or cook on the day, which will also raise staff awareness. Secondly, easy to use for kitchen and front of house staff and thirdly, the ability to give instant and accurate allergen information to the consumer on demand. The low cost and flexibility of AllergyStar means it can be utilised by any size of food outlet helping to protect a business. For more details Tel: 02380 760909 or visit www.allergystar.co.uk

TenderOne Why not serve your customers a perfectly prepared cocktail without all the hassle of training bar staff and at a fraction of the time and cost? The award winning TenderOne precisely measures up to 32 different ingredients and dispenses them through independent lines to a shaker or glass, in a matter of seconds. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no waste, no spillage and anyone can use it! Perfect

for a bar or restaurant looking to get started on the cocktail ladder, or an existing establishment wanting to combat queues and improve profitability. No capital outlay required. For more details Tel: 01753 290353 or visit www.tenderone.co.uk

Beer Giraffe

Lynx Purchasing Buying specialist Lynx Purchasing works with some of the most respected and highest quality operators in the sector, including Peach Pubs and Snug Bars. From gastropubs to hotels, more than 2000 businesses rely on the expertise of Lynx in negotiating prices with leading suppliers, ensuring that food and drink with customer appeal also delivers the all-important margins that keep operators trading profitably. With consumer interest in craft beer and cider booming, Lynx has recently formed a partnership with a leading international brewer, enabling operators to boost sales by offering a full range of the premium draught and bottled brands that discerning customers expect. For more details Tel: 01937 858 669 or visit www.lynxpurchasing.co.uk

Beer towers are beer dispensers used as tools to boost trade and increase beer, cocktail, lager and soft drink sales. Beer towers relieve stress at the bar as well as the glass wash as people keep their own glass and refill at their own pace. Beer Towers are unique in terms of marketing as they offer large branding surface. They are a great way for the brand to engage their customers and increase brand awareness. TheBeerGiraffeâ&#x201E;˘ is the largest beer tower manufacturer with over 50 unique and patented designs. All the tubes and reservoirs are made of BP-A free plastics, CE certified and food safe. For more details Tel: 020 3239 5058 or visit www.thebeergiraffe.eu

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autumn 2014

bar essentials

HQC Global

HQCglobal is a hotel and restaurant consulting group specialised in Finance, Administration, Quality Management, Sales and Marketing, Revenue Management and Food and Beverage Operations. They accompany your business from pre-opening to excellent results as a long-term partner or engage in finding a solution to an urgent matter. They offer a clear, easy-tocomprehend cost structure. Bottom line: more services under fair conditions. For more details contact office@HQCglobal.com or visit www.HQCglobal.com

Stannah

Stannah, the supplier of the Microlift dumbwaiter are celebrating 40 years of trading, millions of journeys and their 20,000th lift! So if your lift is a Microlift (other brands are available), then they need your help. In return there are prizes of mugs, tee-shirts, chefsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; aprons and shopping vouchers for the first 100 respondents (not bad). Stannah would like to know who you are, where you are, what you use your lift for. You can add your lift (and business name) on an interactive Microlift map of the 92

autumn 2014

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Harry Mason

Harry Mason is the premier manufacturer of cask ale dispenses equipment, which for over 200 years has been supporting and supplying the cask ale dispense industry. The Harry Mason Cabinets Clamp on and through the bar hand pulls beer engines are manufactured and hand built in the UK. They offer a full range of sizes from a single pull to the larger seven pull and all are available in a range of styles and finishes. They also manufacture and stock one of the largest ranges of cellar equipment and consumables with over 500,000 items in stock at any one time. For more details Tel: 0121 328 5900 or visit www.harrymason.co.uk

UK and post photos of you and your lift (selfies) straight on to the Stannah website, creating a collage of customers (should look brilliant).There are also prizes for the best Microlift selfie, most unusual use, the highest, most travel, most used and, of course, most loved Microlift. If itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got a nickname then tell us about that too! For more details Tel: 01264 351922 or visit www.microliftquest.co.uk

RENSON®

People like to enjoy a drink or dine on the terrace. However, the weather in the UK can make life difficult. With its terrace covers RENSON® will allow your customers to stay outside whilst protected from the elements. The Lagune® is based on a patented aluminium construction and a roof structure with an innovative wind-tight, watertight, light-penetrating sun screen that can be opened or closed, depending on the weather. The Algarve® and Camargue® combine an aluminium structure with a roof, made of rotatable blades. In the closed position the roof is watertight and allows the rain to simply drain away through concealed water channels. These terrace

covers can be delivered with integrated LED-lighting, heating systems and flat panel speakers. They can also be equipped with wind-resistant screens, sliding doors in glass or Loggia® sliding panels on the side or on the front. This allows you to perfectly integrate this solution into any architectural style. Thanks to these terrace covers, your outside areas can be used from early in the morning till late at night, the whole year long. In short, more comfort for the customers and extra business for the owners. For more details Tel: 01622 754 123 or visit www.rensonuk.net

Chelsea Clips The Chelsea Clip is an ingenious solution to the problem of bag theft. Distributed by security company Selectamark, The Chelsea Clip is a specially designed, injection moulded nylon hook from which a bag, or other small item of personal luggage, can be suspended by its own strap. It can be used inconspicuously under tables in hotels, bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants as well as anywhere that personal property may be vulnerable to theft. A bag can be easily placed onto the Chelsea Clip but two hands are required to remove it, making bag snatching virtually impossible. For more details Tel: 01689 860757 or visit www.chelseaclip.co.uk

QCR QCR Recycling Equipment supply fully maintained balers and compactors which will reduce your number of bins, improve tidiness, save time and above all reduce your waste costs. If you’re spending more than £12 per week on waste or you want to free up valuable space then talk to QCR. The QCR 102 baler has a small footprint and creates easy to handle cardboard bales. They also supply glass crushers and bin compactors. A free site survey and trial allows customers to see how it fits within their working routine and evaluate the cost savings. They organise free material collections too. For more details Tel: 01242 620903 or visit www.qcr.co.uk host

autumn 2014

for every occasion www.diningchairsuk.com

diningchairsuk Contract Furniture Solutions

Contract Furniture Solutions

t: 0115 965 9030 f: 0115 965 9039 e: info@diningchairsuk.com Unit 7c, Pintail House, Pintail Close, Netherfield, Nottingham NG4 2SG chelsea clip Ad Oct 2014 No Bleed.pdf

How many times a week are you asked to charge s o m e b o d y â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s p h o n e ?

CMY

Probably far too often! Well the Perkinator is the solution - a compact and secure unit capable of charging up to four smartphones at a time. The Perkinator attracts new customers, increases linger time and generates loyalty.

Call us now on 0203 475 4392 or visit www.perkinator.com 94

autumn 2014

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17/10/2014

17:51

pub proﬁle The Lamb Is it a pub? Is it a restaurant? Martin Newbon isn’t bothered as long as people think it’s good location

Angmering, West Sussex

licensee

Martin Newbon

n less that three years of operation a stready stream of five-star reviews has lifted The Lamb at Angmering into Trip Advisor’s top 20 places to eat in West Sussex, ahead of 1,600 other contenders. The Grade 2 listed pub was built in 1780 on a prominent spot on the village high street at the hub of a densely populated stretch of the south coast. These days, though, that isn’t enough to guarantee success, and when Newbon and his father Lee bought the freehold from Punch Taverns in 2011 it was in a run-down state. Six months, and a hefty investment, later, it reopened the following April transformed into a bright and airy modern pub. The ground floor is divided into a cosy bar area with a showpiece open fire, and a more formal, yet still relaxed, restaurant area. There are five classy double en-suite letting rooms upstairs, and a sixth in an outbuilding. “We’re still spending money, fine tuning and other bits and bobs,” says Newbon. “Because it’s a listed building what we can do depends on whether we can get permission.”

Customer service It’s a fine refurb, but what’s really made The Lamb a popular destination, and meant that turnover has grown each year, is, he thinks, the quality and value of the food and the level of service customers can expect. A chef himself for 10 years, Newbon trained at another local pub, travelled the south coast as an agency chef and worked at Brighton’s famous fish restaurant, English’s, before spending two years in Mexico. “I’ve always had a passion for cooking and dining out,” he says, “I came back here wanting to run my own business, a pub with rooms that sold local ales and good food, and my father found this place.” The Lamb’s kitchen was closed when the Newbon’s took over, so they’ve had to build its reputation from scratch. The main menu includes pub classics for £10 to £12 and restaurant-style dishes such as belly of pork with pomme anna, beetroot puree and red wine jus for £16; and

ballotine of guinea fowl, confit leg tart, carrot puree and dauphinoise potatoes for £17. That’s the kind of stuff that keeps The Lamb busy in the evenings, but the innovation that’s livened up trade during the quieter parts of the week has been a two-course lunch for £12, comprising a main like pan-fried salmon with crushed potatoes and a mussel and chive sauce, plus either a starter or dessert.

Fine fayre “Our speciality is locally-sourced, seasonal food,” says Newbon. “We’ve been called a top gastropub and we’ve been called a bloody good restaurant. I don’t care which we are, as long as it’s good. We’re not chasing a rosette yet, but I think we’re at that sort of standard. “And we’re as much a hotel, really. We charge between £99 and £150 a night and we’re always full at weekends and are attracting business people during the week.” Above all, it’s having the right people in place back and front-of-house that underpins the Lamb’s success, he believes. The pub is run day-today by two experienced managers, Susan Carter and Liam Reilly, who instill a culture of friendly, efficient service among their team of staff, while Newbon has enough confidence in his aptly-named chef Richard Cook to step out of the kitchen, except in emergencies! “Running a pub is a very hard business,” he admits. “You have to do the simple things well, and not try to be too clever. And you have to make sure everything is in good hands. For that you need good staff, good managers and most importantly a good chef. “It’s all about standards and consistency. That means people know what our food’s like, and they keep coming back here because they know they’ll have a good meal and get good service. They’ll tell other people, too. We haven’t had to do a lot of marketing. It’s word-of-mouth that’s made us successful.” And for anyone looking to operate a winning food pub, Newbon has another word of advice: “Only buy a freehouse.” host

autumn 2014

ask the experts

Simon Bailey

Sisi Ryder

Andrew Hilll

Rachel Jones

Director Absolute Pubs

The Phoenix Inn

Hartley Wintney, Hampshire

Owner & Head Chef The Red Lion, Britwell Salome

Director A470 Training

How do I promote and get the best return from letting rooms?

How can I boost sales of champagne and sparkling wine in my pub or bar?

What is the secret of preparing and cooking the perfect roast potato?

What should I know about the new regulations on food allergens?

The most important thing is to promote the rooms effectively. As well as taking bookings through our own website, we work with several online booking referral sites, and our occupancy rates are good. Even where you take a hit on the headline room rate in order to get the booking, the chances are the guest will also have a meal and a few drinks in the pub. We also get a lot of compliments, as well as repeat business, because of the design and décor of the rooms. We try to make them look more like rooms in a boutique hotel than a pub. As I said when our pub the Flower Pot in Sunbury-on-Thames was on Four in a Bed, there are far too many magnolia-painted hotel rooms already. We want ours to stand out.

It’s important for pubs to offer champagne and prosecco by the glass, and if you have chalkboards use them to promote the fact. Buy a good quality stopper, designed for keeping champagne fresh and fizzy, but don’t keep any sparkling wine longer than 48 hours. Make sure champagnes and sparkling wines are at the top of your wine list, and at the start of a busy evening pour champagne into two tall, elegant flutes, place them on a tray and parade them through the bar and restaurant. Involve your wine supplier and ask for support. Choose a good quality champagne that’s not available in supermarkets as your house champagne. Finally, train all your staff in the difference between all your sparkling wines, and when a customer is unsure offer them a taste.

Sunday lunch at the Red Lion is the thing I’m most proud of. We’ve won a few awards for them, and roast potatoes play a very important part. It starts with the right potato. It needs to be nice and floury and not too waxy. Maris Pipers are generally regarded as the best for roasting, but it can change through the year so we use a company called Potato Lovers, which supplies us with the best available at the time. We cut the potatoes into pieces of roughly the same size, boil them for two or three minutes, rough them up by shaking and leave them to go cold. Then we put them in a tray with beef dripping, add salt, turn them and add more salt, black pepper and sprigs of rosemary. After 20 minutes in an oven so hot it’s steaming, take them out, turn them and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes until they’re done!

The new Food Information Regulations, designed to make food labelling easier to understand for customers, come into force from December 13, 2014. You’ll need to; Identify 14 key allergens in the food you serve. Tell customers either on your menu, a chalkboard, or verbally if that’s easiest. Train staff in what to do if someone asks about the ingredients in a dish or has an allergic reaction. Check your procedures for handling, storing and working with allergens. Above all, communicate clearly with your customers so they can make informed choices about what they eat. You can get more information and free resources from www.food.gov. uk/allergy or speak to your local authority’s Trading Standards or Environmental Health department.

autumn 2014

host

Q & A legal

From visits from an Environmental Health OfďŹ cer to attending regular Pub Watch meetings, Graeme Cushion provides you with all the legal answers

Q A

I am moving the bar servery in my premises. Do I need to apply for a licence variation? It really depends on the jurisdiction. Some require variation applications for just about any change to the plans attached to your licence. Others are more relaxed and will simply allow you to send in amended plans. The middle ground is the new minor variations procedure. That is cheaper than a full variation and takes slightly less time, 15 working days instead of 20 or 3 weeks rather than 4. You should discuss the options with your Solicitor or in the alterative your Local Licensing Officer. I run a pub which does a lot of food. I recently had a visit from an Environmental Health Officer following a complaint that a customer had seen a mouse within the premises. We have had a problem with mice for a long time but have a long standing contract with a pest control contractor so I assume there is nothing to worry about? Under Food Safety Legislation you have duties to keep your food premises clean and to make sure that the structure of your premises is appropriate for a food business. These duties include ensuring that your premises are kept free of pests. Although it is a good starting point to have a pest control contact in place, this does not automatically get you off the hook. Your duty goes beyond that and cannot simply be passed on to the contractor. The contractor will often simply come to the premises on a regular basis and lay baits and give advice. You need to follow that advice

and undertake appropriate structural works if necessary to prevent access and egress of pests. The cleaning regime at the premises probably needs to be fortified whilst this is going on, making sure that there is no risk of contamination.

Q A

My pub was visited by two Trading Standards Officers the other day who came to the bar without announcing who they were and ordered some drinks. They ordered two pints of lager and then proceeded to measure them and claimed that both were less than a pint. What is likely to happen from here? It is an offence under the Weights and Measures Act to serve a short pint in the same way as it is with any other drink. A 5% tolerance is normally permitted but the situation is made difficult where the premises use actual pint glasses as opposed to oversized glasses. Pint glasses hold exactly a pint of liquid and most customers want to see a head on their drink. You are undoubtedly training your staff to put heads on the drinks and are therefore dicing with danger in pushing things very close to the 5% mark. You are then exposed to the risk of human error in dropping the liquid level below the 95% mark. It is likely that you will be invited to an interview under caution. As a manager or Premises Licence Holder you will need to demonstrate that you had the appropriate policies and procedures in place and the training to back it up. You should also have investigated what happened, retrained the member of staff in question and found out why the lapse occurred.

I had a visit over the weekend from the local Police Licensing Officer to discuss an incident from the previous weekend. A fight had broken out in the pub which then spilled outside and apparently it involved a couple of trouble makers who are known locally. The Police have suggested that I become a member of Pub Watch and regularly attend their meetings. Is this something that I have to do? Attendance at Pub Watch is not obligatory unless you have a condition on your licence which states that you must regularly attend Pub Watch meetings. Some licences do have such a condition. The point is, however, that attendance at Pub Watch is a good idea in any event. It enables you to be aware of local issues including the identities of known trouble makers as well as forthcoming enforcement campaigns such as test purchasing and so on. It also enables you to build a positive relationship with the Licensing Police which may benefit you should you experience further problems in your premises. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t become involved in Pub Watch, this could be used as a point of criticism in any subsequent licensing hearing.

If you have any questions or queries of a legal nature, please send to; Host Magazine, Plum Publications 27 Old Gloucester Street London WC1 3XX or email us at: info@thehostmgazine.co.uk N.B. Please note, due to space restrictions we cannot guarantee a response to every query host

autumn 2014

Celebrity Q&A Bear Grylls Survivor extraordinaire Bear Grylls talks to Host about his drinking habits, some of them for an adult audience only! Hi Bear, what is you tipple of choice?

What is your favourite food?

I would have to say rum, coconut, pineapple juice, and a very garish umbrella. Yes, a Piña Colada. Is that embarrassing?! I think it is probably because it has become a bit of a ritual of mine and the crews when we have finished filming Man vs Wild that we make them as a sort of celebration at the end of the shoot!

I love anything with avocado. When I am at home I actually do have a pretty good diet. I try to eat healthy, about 80% vegetarian stuff, but then good organic grass-fed meat and fish too. Obviously when in the wild you have to do what you need to do, you need food and you need energy and sometimes you have to do the unthinkable and eat some horrible stuff.

So are you a dab hand at making cocktails?

You mentioned the horrible stuff you eat in the wild.

Yes I am, more often than not I will be the one to make the Piña Coladas. I do make some pretty ‘out there’ juices, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

Probably raw goats’ testicles. I threw up straight away.

So is a cocktail your drink of choice

Why was that, what were the circumstances?

even when you’re out? Yeah it is. I like both alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails. If I’m not drinking I’d go for ginger and cucumber. Would you say you were a big drinker? No, not really. I don’t get too much time. There aren’t many pubs up Mount Everest! What’s your idea of a night out? Like I said, I don’t get too much time to go out, but when I do I like to let my hair down a bit. I don’t drink too much alcohol, but I’ll have a drink with friends, eat out, those sort of things. To be honest, when I am home I am home. That is my golden rule. Because I spend so much time away I tend to put my family first. I’m more likely to have a homemade hot chocolate and baths with my boys! If you were going to eat out, would you consider a pub meal? I would consider one, of course, but I don’t have too many. There’s a good Italian called Antipasto on Battersea Park Road near where I live. We’ve been going there since before we were married. It’s a little place, a family run restaurant and they are lovely people. I like a good meal there.

| autumn 98 winter 13 host 2014

host

What is the most disgusting thing you’ve ever eaten?

We melted them into a mouthful of everything that you really hoped testicles are going to disappear into. That was a particularly low point. But there’s been a lot of disgusting things - tarantulas, live snakes, camel intestinal fluid, bear poo. You name it. You have to do what you have to do in the wild. Have you ever eaten something poisonous? No, I try to be smart about these things and I only eat things for a purpose - to give me energy and to keep me alive, and you only get it once wrong in the wild, you know? A lot of poisonous stuff in the wild won’t just floor you, it will finish you off, so you’ve got to be smart. Does being smart include drinking blood and your own urine….? I’ve drunk blood many times and it’s the ultimate survival food. It’s full of all the right proteins, minerals and vitamins. You don’t need to dilute it. Blood is great and will keep you alive. Urine is always more out of necessity! You have to do these things sometimes. The time I skinned a snake and used the skin to keep my urine in was the worst. I kept it round my neck, but the skin heated up the urine as I walked. It was quite disgusting! Latest book Extreme Food by Bear Grylls is out now

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