Belhaven Magazine Issue 9 - Mar-Apr 2024

MARCH & APRIL

BEERS, LAGERS AND CIDERS

Deal 1

Premium Beers Install Deal p4

Free 2 x 50L keg and POS kit, plus a Get Garden Ready kit with every install of Level Head and Flint Eye.

Deal 2 Belhaven 440ml Cans Deal p6

Buy 4 x Belhaven 4x440ml can packs and get 1 pack free.

Deal 3 Packaged 3 for 1 Deal p8

Buy 3 x cases of Greene King and Belhaven bottles and get 1 case free.

Deal 4 Maltsmiths Install Deal p10

Free 50L keg and POS kit with every install of Maltsmiths.

Deal 5

Belhaven Install Deal p12

Free 50L keg and POS kit with every install of Belhaven.

Deal 6 Abbot Ale Deal p14

Buy 2 x 9G casks and get a Premium Visbility Kit free.

Deal 7 Old Golden Hen Install Deal p18

Get a free sampling POS kit and the chance to win a beer garden kit when you stock Old Golden Hen.

Deal 8 Estrella Galicia Install Deal p22

Free 50L keg and branded glassware with Estrella Galicia install

Deal 11 Greene King Seasonal Ales Deal p28

Get a Free Welcome Pack when stocking Greene King Seasonal Ales.

Deal 12 Wolfpack Install Deal p32

Free 50L keg and POS kit with every install of Wolfpack Sesh, pilsner or lager

Deal 13 Carlsberg POS Deal p36

Buy 3 kegs and receive a POS Kit Free

Deal 14 Peroni 6+1 Deal p38

Buy any 6 cases from the Peroni family and get 1 case of your choice from the Peroni family Free

Deal 15 Stella Artois Install Deal p40

Install Stella Artois, Receive a free keg, glassware, 2 x bar runners, a Perfect Serve activation kit and entered into a draw to win 2x Wimbledon Tickets

Deal 16 Westons Install Deal p46

Install a Henry Westons 50L or any Stowford Press 50L keg cider and receive a Free Keg + POS Kit

Deal 17 Kopparberg Venue Makeover Competition p48

Buy 4 kegs of Kopparberg Strawberry & Lime to be entered into a competition to win a venue / beer garden makeover

Deal 9

Estrella Galicia Packaged Deal p22

Buy 2 cases of Estrella Galicia 4.7% or 5.5% Gluten Free and get a case of Estrella Galicia 0,0% free

Deal 10

Greene King Cask Deal p24

Buy 5 x Greene King Casks and Get 1 Cask free.

Deal 18

Strongbow Install Deal p49

Install Strongbow Dark Fruit to Qualify. Or If existing stockist order two kegs via GK to Qualify

MARCH & APRIL

SPIRITS

Deal 19 Aperol 5+1 Deal p50

Buy 5 Aperol 70cl get 1 Free. POS support available by request

Deal 20 VK & Hooch 3+1 Deal p50

Buy 3 cases of VK or Hooch and get 1 case of Kick FOC

Deal 21 Jack Daniels POS Deal p53

By 4 x 70cl to get POS kit Free

Deal 22 Bacardi 6+1 Deal p53

Buy 6 x Bacardi, get a Free case of Coke Zero

Deal 23 Smirnoff POS Deal p54

Buy any 4x 70cl from the Smirnoff range (Smirnoff Red, Smirnoff Raspberry Crush, Smirnoff Vanilla, and Smirnoff Mango & Passionfruit Twist) and receive a Free POS Kit

Deal 24 Pimms POS Deal p54

Buy 4 x 70cl bottles of Pimms to - receive 3x Pimms jugs and 1x Pimms bunting Free

Deal 25 Pernod 4+1 Deal p56

Get a Free case of Coke or Schweppes Lemonade Mixers when you buy any 4 x 70cl from the range

Deal 29 Whitley Neill & Dead Mans Finger Save £2 p59

Save £2 per bottle off Whitley Neill Gin & Dead Man’s Fingers

SOFT DRINKS

Deal 30 Schweppes Mixer 4+1 Deal p60

Buy 4 get 1 Free on Schweppes 150ml can Mixers

Deal 31 Coke & Schweppes 4+1 & POS Deal p60

Buy 4 get 1 Free - My Coke 200ml & Schweppes Classic Mixers & Juice 200ml NRGB (Free Case 200ml Schweppes Tonic or Slimline Tonic) + perfect serve POS kit

Deal 32 Fever Tree 5+1 Deal p64

Buy 5 cases of Fever-Tree 24x200ml Mixers, get a case of 12x275ml Premium Adult Soft Drinks Free

Deal 33 Fever Tree POS Deal p64

Buy 4 cases of the Fever-Tree 24x200ml range including Rhubarb & Raspberry Tonic, get 6 x Branded Balloon Glasses Free

Deal 34 Cawston Press Save £1.60 p65

Save £1.40 per case

Deal 35 J20 4+1 Deal p66

Deal 26

Deal 27

Deal 28

Diageo Draught Cocktail POS Deal p56

Buy 2x BIBs of any flavour for a Free POS Kit

Buffalo Trace POS Deal p58

Buy 2 Buffalo Trace 70cl to receive a POS kit.

Hendricks POS Deal p59

Buy any 2 from the Hendrick’s range get a Magnifier Glorifier and Bunting Free

Buy 4 cases from the J2O range to receive 1 x case of J20 Orange and Passionfruit Free

Deal 36 IRN BRU 6+1 Deal p68

Buy 6 cases from 330ml IRN BRU, irn bru sugar free cans or nrgb recieve 1 case 330ml lemonade can Free.

Deal 37 Simply Fruity 4+1 Deal p68

Buy 4 cases and get 1 Free

Now is time to think about making the most of your outdoor space for the warmer months, so for stockists of Level Head and Flint Eye, we’re stepping in with a helping hand…up to the value of £10,000 for one lucky winner! Plus we have lots of parasols and café barriers to give away. We’ll help bring your outdoor space to life and drive footfall to your venue, keeping the beer flowing all summer long.

How to qualify: simply purchase 10+ kegs of one brand during March & April. The first 35 customers to do so will receive their choice of 4 parasols or 4 café barriers!* Plus every qualifier will be entered into the draw for the £10,000 makeover!*

CASE STUDY: LAST PUB STANDING, NORWICH

Recently we worked with Jake at Last Pub Standing in Norwich, and the makeover is nearing completion.

Jake said: “We’ve stocked Level Head throughout 2023 and it’s been a fantastic seller. Debs, our SDM, has been really supportive and worked with us on the outdoor area. We have loads of gigs and other events here, and the investment from Greene King into the graffiti art and bespoke neon signage has really brought it to life. Customers love it!”.

EXAMPLES AT OTHER VENUES:

SALES DEVELOPMENT MANAGER FOR MORE INFORMATION.

TIME TO SPRING INTO SUMMER

The spring months offer the ideal opportunity to start building momentum and growing footfall, sales and profits as we edge towards the all-important summer period.

A warm welcome to your latest issue of Value for Venues as we start building momentum in the spring months before we gear up for the critical summer period. The spring months are packed with seasonal events and activities like Mother’s Day, St Patrick’s Day and, of course, Easter – and that’s before we get to some of the key sporting events that take place in March and April like the Cheltenham Festival, the Grand National and the Japanese Grand Prix.

All of these occasions provide the perfect platform for you and your team to maximise sales and profits, and Greene King will be with you every step of the way.

In this issue you’ll find details of the latest limited-edition cask ales to become available as part of our Fresh Cask Releases programme and we have three crackers for you in March and April. Never underestimate the importance of cask because it accounts for nearly half of all ale sales and some 5.4 million customers drink it out of home.

On a related note, you’ll also find in this issue an overview of our fantastic Cellar Services Support Kit that is available to you absolutely free of charge and can help you ensure that every pint of cask you serve is in prime condition. Serving consistently high-quality beer is key to bringing customers back for

more, while enticing new customers to your door.

With summer on the horizon, we’ve taken a deep dive into the fast-changing cider category to help give you some pointers on ensuring that you have just the right range in place for the warmer months when cider sales really come into their own.

And, talking of summer, make sure you don’t miss the chance to win a full beer garden kit from Old Golden Hen. Five lucky venues will win a prize that will allow them to create a dream beer garden that is sure to boost summer sales and profits.

I hope you enjoy this issue and I wish you all fantastic trading over the next couple of months. It’s time to spring into summer and we’re here to help you do just that.

DEAL 3

Exclusive deal with Estrella Galicia extended.

Rocking Rudolph generates more than £36k for Macmillan.

Win a brand-new Beer Garden with Old Golden Hen.

Get ready for summer.

The latest limited-edition cask ales in focus.

Keeping a 400-year-old pub relevant in 2024.

Pour brilliant beer with a free Cellar Services support kit.

Grow sales and profits with red wine.

Tips and advice to keep your cider range on point.

Cellar services specialist in the spotlight.

Some of the latest products to hit the bar.

P11 Greene King News

P13 Charity

P20 Lead feature

P26 Consumer Insight

P30 Fresh Cask Releases

P34 Customer Profile

P42 Cellar Services

P44 Range Freedom Wine

P47 Category Focus Cider

P52 Meet The Team Allan Miller

P61 New Products

GREENE KING EXTENDS EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH ESTRELLA GALICIA

Greene King will have exclusive UK distribution rights for Estrella Galicia products through to 2027 under a newly extended agreement.

Greene King Brewery has extended its partnership with Estrella Galicia with exclusive UK distribution rights running all the way through until 2027.

The partnership with Estrella Galicia first began back in 2018 and the extension means Greene King will continue to supply the UK trade with the Spanish brewer’s products. Estrella Galicia’s range includes its core brand and its 0.0% ABV variant in draught, as well as its glutenfree variant, 1906 Reserva Especial and its 1906 Black Coupage in bottles.

Located in A Coruña in Galicia, the Hijos de Rivera Brewery was founded in 1906 by José María Rivera Corral and continues to brew Estrella Galicia to this day with family descendants still running the business.

Matt Starbuck, Managing Director of Greene King Brewery, said: “As two longstanding brewers, Greene King and Estrella Galicia both cherish heritage along with providing quality beer. We’re

proud to offer an authentic and traditional Spanish lager to the UK market and we’re excited to continue to build the presence of Estrella Galicia in both the on- and offtrade markets.

“It’s always a pleasure to work with Estrella Galicia and we’re looking forward to seeing the brand develop and grow further across the next four years.”

Aitor Artaza, Managing Director of Estrella Galicia Internacional, added: “Our partnership with Greene King is of great importance to our company’s international growth. Its strong distribution network is absolutely key.

“We are extremely pleased to be extending our relationship as we move into the next stage of our brand within the UK where we show the market how bold we can be with our new ‘Spanish, not Span-ish’ media campaign calling out inauthenticity in World Lager within the market.”

“AS TWO LONGSTANDING BREWERS, GREENE KING AND ESTRELLA GALICIA BOTH CHERISH HERITAGE ALONG WITH PROVIDING QUALITY BEER.”

MATT STARBUCK, MD, GREENE KING BREWERY

ABOUT ESTRELLA GALICIA

Estrella Galicia is the flagship beer brand of Hijos de Rivera, an independent, fourth-generation family-owned brewery founded in 1906 in the Spanish city of A Coruña.

Estrella Galicia is now present in over 50 countries including the UK in which it has had a solid positioning since its arrival in 2012. Estrella Galicia offers a wideranging product portfolio and distributes a variety of products to the UK market including Estrella Galicia Cerveza Lager, 0,0%, Gluten-free, 1906 Reserva Especial and 1906 Black Coupage.

In 2021, Hijos de Rivera achieved carbon neutrality in its main facilities through measures including the generation of biogas, the use of renewable energies, the installation of photovoltaic plants and the incorporation of hybrid vehicles.

ROCKING RUDOLPH RAISES £36,000 FOR MACMILLAN

Contributions from every pint of Rocking Rudolph over the festive period helped raise an amazing £36,229 for Macmillan Cancer Support, a 50% increase on the previous year.

5p +VAT from every pint sold being donated by Greene King to the leading cancer charity, every venue that stocked Rocking Rudolph has played its part in an exceptional fundraising initiative.

UK’s biggestselling Christmas ale for the last 8 years

A delicious, full-bodied dark copper coloured beer, Rocking Rudolph is packed with fruity esters and malted toffee flavours. That unique taste profile is created through the use of both Challenger and Target hops as well as much rarer Bramling Cross hops while Pale and Crystal malts deliver Horlicks maltiness and toffee notes.

On top of all that, a flashing pump clip added theatre and ensured that Rocking Rudolph was unmissable in venues, helping to drive sales and trial, as well as bringing new customers into the vital cask ale category.

Critically, it also helped maximise the number of contributions to Macmillan Cancer Care.

Outstanding sales of Greene King’s Rocking Rudolph festive ale during November and December 2023 meant that more than £36,000 was raised for Macmillan Cancer Care, a 50% increase on the previous year. Rocking Rudolph has been the UK’s topselling festive cask ale for eight consecutive years and with

Greene King has already helped raise more than £17m for Macmillan Cancer Support in a variety of different ways and the Rocking Rudolph Christmas contribution campaign is by far the biggest single fundraising event of the year.

PUB, CLUB AND BAR SPEND ‘UP 7.9%’ IN DECEMBER

The latest report from Barclays shows that pubs, clubs and bars had a strong December with consumer spending up 7.9% year-on-year while restaurants had their best month since August.

Consumer spending in pubs, clubs and bars saw a dramatic increase of 7.9% yearon-year in December thanks to festive parties and gatherings while restaurants enjoyed their best month since August.

These are among the key findings of the monthly Barclays Consumer Spend for December which combines hundreds of millions of customer transactions with consumer research to provide an indepth view of UK spending.

The spend growth in pubs, clubs and bars greatly outstripped growth in total consumer spending, which was up 2.3%

in the same period, less than the official inflation rate at the time which was 4.2%.

Restaurant spend was still in year-on-year decline at -8.8% but the decline has lost much of its momentum which meant that December was the best month for restaurants since August.

The comparatively smooth running of transport networks certainly helped the sector in December, compared to 2022 when industrial action significantly hampered Christmas plans.

The report, however, also found growing concerns among consumers around energy bills, with nearly nine in 10 (87%) concerned about the impact of rising household bills on their personal finances. Conversely, confidence in overall household finances reached a four-month peak. Longer term, nearly half of consumers (48%) said they want to save more money this year.

December also saw Barclays set an all-time record for the number of transactions processed per second – on Friday 22 December – with food and drink transaction volumes up 66.8% in comparison to the average day in 2023.

HOSPITALITY VACANCIES CONTINUE TO FALL

Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows that there were 112,000 vacancies in hospitality at the end of 2023, down significantly from 147,000 the year before but still higher than pre-pandemic levels of 89,000.

Trade body UKHospitality has reiterated its call for measures to help the sector invest and develop its staff. Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “It’s encouraging news that vacancies over the past year have fallen by such a considerable amount. Hospitality businesses have invested heavily in their recruitment and how they develop their own talent but there is still much more to do.

“Hospitality can continue to drive down vacancies and create more jobs, if we are supported to do so. Reform of the apprenticeship levy would allow businesses to enhance their skills and development offering even further and is something the entire economy is supportive of.”

ONLINE ORDERING MADE BETTER THAN EVER

Greene King and Belhaven’s online ordering platform has been refreshed and updated once more to make it even easier and quicker to build orders.

WHAT CAN I ORDER ON THE PLATFORM?

The refreshed online ordering platform allows you to order everything you need, all in one place, quickly and efficiently.

Draught beer and ciders

Packaged Beer, Cider and FABs

Wines

Spirits

Minerals

ONLINE ORDERING KEY BENEFITS

Prices and Promotions Access our full range 24 hours a day and view all our live promotions.

Invoices and Statements Manage and Download your documents from my account. Plus see your full order history.

Quickly Reorder Build lists of your favourite products and reorder in minutes.

Services Find out about our different services and how we can help support your venue.

News, Brochures and Magazines Find all our latest news and content in one place.

Cellar Services Find out about how we can support with training and running your cellar.

Consumables TO

GREENEKINGORDERS.CO.UK/PREREGISTRATIONLOGIN

As part of our commitment to giving you everything your business needs, all in one place, we have recently refreshed the online ordering platform and given it a new look and feel as well as making it more intuitive and efficient than ever.

The updated platform went live at the start of February and you can find it at greenekingorders.co.uk from any device.

An invaluable resource, the platform provides much more than simply an online ordering system. You can access a whole array of support, content and services that have been created to deliver real-world help and advice for you and your venue.

The refreshed platform brings all of your ordering and support requirements together into one place, saving you time and money.

Users can access the entire range of products available

from Greene King and Belhaven, as well as being able to access all current promotional offers.

Simply find what you are looking for and you can add it to your order directly from within the site.

Additionally, users can view their entire ordering history and even download invoices direct from the platform. Re-ordering is as simple as possible thanks to the ability to quickly re-order products that you have already purchased. You can also order from saved lists of products, those that you order regularly for example.

Everything you need, all in one place.

WIN A BEER GARDEN WITH OLD GOLDEN HEN!

Old Golden Hen is running a fantastic prize draw which will see five lucky venues win a host of beer garden items to create a fabulous outdoor space for summer.

Creating a beer garden?

If you are considering building a beer garden for the first time, here are some simple tips to help you create a space that works for your venue:

1. Think about your budget

Before you do anything, work out what you want to spend. Are you starting from the beginning or are you reworking an existing space? Do you have a maximum amount you’re prepared to spend? Consider all of this before you push the button on building a beer garden.

2. Where is it going?

It makes sense to choose a location that’s central to your venue. In an ideal world, the beer garden and outdoor bar would be near your main entrance to make it easier for customers to access the bar and easier for your staff to service it.

3. It’s all in the planning

Measure twice, cut once, as the saying goes. This will help avoid costly mistakes and will help you get everything you need ready before you start the actual process of building a beer garden and outdoor bar.

Offering an outdoor bar is a great way to boost your profits, attract new customers and keep your current customers coming back for more, as it means customers don’t have to head back inside every time they want a drink. Beer gardens also have the handy knack of encouraging customers to trade up their drinks choices so whether it’s a pint of refreshing golden ale, a glass of fizz or a cocktail, it’s important to make sure your range is up to scratch.

WHAT DO OUR CUSTOMERS SAY?

Alison Holman, The Fox & Hounds, Great Moulton, Norfolk

“We are lucky to have extensive outdoor space at The Fox & Hounds with two large beer garden areas and some pods and a marquee. There’s absolutely no doubt that the beer garden drives huge sales increases when the weather is good. We’re a very family-focused pub so we work hard at making the beer gardens welcoming for children as well as adults. We have a play park and plenty for the kids to do so that everyone can come, have a lovely, relaxing time and enjoy a few drinks and maybe a bite to eat.”

If you have an outdoor area or the space to create one, a beer garden is fantastic option and it doesn’t necessarily have to mean extravagance and major investment. A few benches and tables and a hired pouring station could be enough to give your sales a massive boost.

WIN GARDEN POINT OF SALE!

What could be better and easier, however, than winning a top quality beer garden kit? That’s exactly what’s on offer from Old Golden Hen as part of a fantastic promotion for Greene King and Belhaven customers.

To help get ready for warmer days, the promotion is offering a free visibility kit to every customer who buys one 9G firkin or two 4.5G pins of Old Golden Hen. The kit includes everything

1

1

8

you need to drive summer sales of this delicious golden ale and help more customers enjoy the refreshment of a pint of Old Golden Hen on a warm summer’s day.

But that’s not all: for every additional firkin or two pins that you buy of Old Golden Hen, you’ll receive an entry into a special draw to win an Old Golden Hen beer garden kit! The kit will help you instantly transform your beer garden into a little corner of Old Golden Hen heaven for your customers.

Included are eight Old Golden Hen parasols, an Old Golden Hen outdoor mirror and a garden game. There’s even plant pots and seed sticks to help add fantastic theatre to your beer garden and create a unique and truly special place that will drive footfall, sales and profits for your venue.

To find out more, speak to your Sales Representative, call 0345 600 1799 or order online at greenekingorders.co.uk

WHAT ARE CONSUMERS LOOKING FOR THIS SUMMER?

With the vital summer season ahead of us, it’s the ideal time to consider what’s likely to be most important to consumers over the critical coming months.

By Caroline Morley, Insights Manager – Consumer

With the important summer period on the horizon, it’s vital that venues are fully prepared to take maximum advantage of what we all hope will be a long, hot summer, laden with opportunity. It’s especially important that we make this summer really count after a few challenging years and where better to start than by asking consumers themselves?

There’s little doubt that consumers have changed the way they socialise in the wake of the pandemic and it’s also clear that their expectations have altered dramatically.

To find out exactly what they want, we asked 100 pub goers some questions around their summer plans, and here’s what they told us…

KEY POINT 1

WHAT MATTERS MOST?

The top things pubgoers told us that they look forward to in summer are:

1. Spending time in beer gardens (63%)

2. Summer drinks (56%)

3. Summer food and menus (55%)

With almost two-thirds of consumers highlighting the important role of the great British beer garden, this is a clear opportunity not to be missed, if you have the space available. You may already have a beer garden, or perhaps you have some space to create one or expand the one you have?

The summer drinks that pub goers most look forward to are cocktails. These can be as complex and jaw-dropping as you like but many of the favourites are very simple to prepare: Pimms with fruit, flavoured gin and tonics and Aperol spritz, for example. And, of course, a cold beer or a fruit cider are also sure to be popular.

The summer food options most pub goers look forward to are barbecues, barbecued meats and salads, lighter bites, ice cream, sorbets, seafood and burgers. So, again, nothing overly complex or time consuming to prepare.

SO WHAT?

The biggest takeaway here is to make sure that your outdoor space is looking great for the summer and that service is smooth in outdoor areas.

Make sure you’re ready to serve those simple cocktails that consumers will be looking for by buying the ingredients, arranging your glassware and perhaps adding some theatre.

Don’t forget to ensure your all-important beer and cider range is ready for the summer season!

Why not introduce some ‘Summer Special’ food and drink options to give customers extra reasons to visit and spend more when they do?

KEY POINT 2 DRIVERS OF PUB CHOICE OVER SUMMER

Pub goers told us that the key drivers of venue choice over the summer months are:

1. atmosphere (61%)

2. quality of food and drink (59%)

3. good value for money (55%)

It’s clear that atmosphere is more important to consumers during the summer months – but what exactly is ‘atmosphere’, and how do you create it? Well, pub goers told us that atmosphere is driven by factors such as welcoming, friendly staff and the pub environment itself, so clean, modern and comfortable.

SO WHAT?

Atmosphere is a complex thing to define but I think we all know what it means and what it feels like for consumers. So focus on delivering an enjoyable, comfortable, safe atmosphere through well trained, friendly staff and a well maintained, comfortable pub environment.

Never forget that quality and value for money are important all year round.

“DRINKS OVERTOOK FOOD OCCASIONS IN TERMS OF IMPORTANCE TO PUB GOERS LAST SUMMER WHICH IS A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT TO BEAR IN MIND FOR THIS SUMMER.”

KEY POINT 3 OCCASIONS & MOTIVATIONS

A very significant proportion of consumers surveyed (61%) told us that they went for drinks with friends last summer. What that means is that drinks overtook food occasions in terms of importance to pub goers. That’s a really important point to bear in mind for this summer.

What was the main motivation for consumers going out over the summer months? ‘To relax’ was the number one motivation. Again, this is an important point to bear in mind over the next few months.

SO WHAT?

With the role played by drinks increasing in importance to consumers, make sure your drinks range is strong for the summer months.

Consider adding some interesting and different seasonal options and also a mix of alcoholic and non-alcoholic options so people can enjoy extended periods of time relaxing in the beer garden and spending money with you.

KEEP IT FRESH THIS SPRING

TIME FOR PINS?

It’s now easier than ever to serve your customers a good selection of cask ale while minimising the risk of wastage, or a poorquality offering. With 4.5G pins you only need to sell 12 pints a day to maintain quality, meaning that you can showcase an exciting line-up of fresh cask ale all week long.

When to use Pins:

To broaden your range of cask ale.

To maintain quality during quieter times of the week.

To offer cask for the first time or reintroduce it to your venue.

“HOPPING SPECIAL WAS INSPIRED BY THE SPECIAL TRAIN SERVICE PUT ON FOR HOP-PICKING FAMILIES IN THE 19TH AND 20TH CENTURIES.”

With over 200 years of brewing heritage and history and a relentless desire to create fantastic beers that your customers love, Greene King is proud to be the home of many of the nation’s favourite cask brands. In 2024 Greene King will once again use its expertise and heritage to continue developing its existing range and create new and exciting cask beers for the future.

Cask ale remains a key category for your bar, accounting for nearly half of all ale serves [CGA OPMS, Jun 2023]. Not only that, cask is unique to the on-trade, meaning that ale enthusiasts will be seeking out your venue for a great selection of cask.

-

STYLE: GOLDEN ALE COLOUR: GOLD

4.4%

VOL.

-

STYLE: AMBER ALE COLOUR: AMBER

STYLE: AMBER ALE COLOUR: AMBER

VOL.

FIRKIN CODE: 418384 PIN CODE: 462367

PUMP CLIP CODE: 213854

NOVEMBER FEBRUARY

SEPTEMBER

Cask ale is a lucrative category with 5.4 million consumers drinking it out-ofhome [CGA BrandTrack].

This year, Greene King is continuing to update its ‘Fresh Cask Releases’ portfolio of limited-edition cask beers available at specific times in the calendar.

STYLE:

GOLDEN ALE COLOUR: GOLD

4.3% VOL. A JUICY,

The range features a combination of returning favourites, key calendar creations, collaborations, and new and exciting ales offering Greene King customers plenty of opportunities

VERY OWN

FULL-BODIED, HOPPY GOLDEN ALE WITH DELICIOUS MALTY CHARACTERS. PERFECTLY BALANCED WITH CITRUS CHARACTERS

ALC. 4.2% VOL.

ALC. 4.2% VOL.

STYLE: SESSION ALC. 3.8% VOL. FIRKIN 462413 FRESH CLIP

FIRKIN CODE: 458955 PIN CODE: 463355 PUMP CLIP CODE: 213943 STYLE: SESSION ALC. 3.8% VOL. FIRKIN 462413 CLIP

FIRKIN CODE: PIN CODE: PUMP CLIP OCTOBER BREWED IN COLLABORATION BREWERY, THIS SPECIAL HALLOWEEN STOUT IS EASY DRINKING WITH DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE AND BLOOD ORANGE CHARACTERS. FIRKIN CODE: PIN CODE: PUMP CLIP POS POS

A HOPPY AMBER ALE BREWED WITH FIVE DIFFERENT MALTS FOR RICH BODY AND BISCUITY SWEETNESS. LATE HOPPED WITH GALAXY AND CITRA FOR LOTS OF FRUITY FLAVOUR. INSPIRED BY THE TRAIN SERVICE PUT ON FOR HOP PICKING FAMILIES IN 19TH-20TH CENTURY.

A HOPPY AMBER ALE BREWED WITH FIVE DIFFERENT MALTS FOR RICH BODY AND BISCUITY SWEETNESS. LATE HOPPED WITH GALAXY AND CITRA FOR LOTS OF FRUITY FLAVOUR. INSPIRED BY THE TRAIN SERVICE PUT ON FOR HOP PICKING FAMILIES IN 19TH-20TH CENTURY.

FIRKIN CODE: 457193 PIN CODE: 459781 PUMP CLIP CODE: 213137

A DELICIOUS FULL-BODIED, HOPPY GOLDEN ALE WITH DELICIOUS MALTY CHARACTERS. PERFECTLY BALANCED WITH CITRUS CHARACTERS FIRKIN CODE: 457193

FIRKIN CODE: 457193 PIN CODE: 459781 PUMP CLIP CODE: 213137

CLIP CODE: 213137

SEPTEMBER STYLE:

SEPTEMBER

FIRKIN CODE: 458955

STYLE: AUTUMN ALE COLOUR: AMBER

A COMPLEX AUTUMN

A COMPLEX AUTUMN BEER WITH FRUIT AROMAS AND TASTE SET AGAINST BISCUITY

STYLE: AUTUMN ALE COLOUR: AMBER ALC. 4.1% VOL. MALT WHICH ADDS BODY AND WARMTH. FRAGRANT NOTES OF BLACKCURRANT, LEMON AND ORANGE PEEL. FIRKIN CODE: PIN CODE: PUMP CLIP

JANUARY JULY moreinformationonservinghighqualitycask. FEBRUARY AUGUST summeroptions MangoPaleAleandBelhavenScorcher. MARCH SEPTEMBER APRIL OCTOBER MAY NOVEMBER & DECEMBER JUNE GREENE KING SEASONAL FRESH CASK RELEASES 2024 Dear Publican and Cask Enthusiast, Thank you for choosing from our selection of seasonal ales we would like to wish you a warm welcome to the Cask of 24 – a range of 13 Fresh Cask Releases designed to inspire and excite your guests all year round. As we all know, cask beer is symbolic to any great British pub and when it comes to finding the freshest beer, you can’t do better than cask ale. Crafted with traditional and artisanal techniques, cask ale needs to be served fresh to get the best of its complex and intricate flavour. Filled with a combination of returning favourites, key calendar creations, collaborations and new and exciting ales, all inspired by legendary stories of the people and places associated with beer, we certainly have an incredible year of cask ahead! We encourage you to explore the wide variety of ales that will be available with Greene King Fresh Cask Releases for the next year and keep your guests intrigued and coming back for more! FREE ONLINE TRAINING WITH BEER GENIUS Beer Genius is a source of brand information, online training videos, free e-learning courses and problem solving tools to enable anyone working with beer to learn the essentials required to serve the perfect pint. Visit www.beer-genius.co.uk for more information. SCAN HERE For m rmaio F m r rmat n A refreshing beer with masses of grapefruit and lemon citrus. A good bodied beer. Black malt adds dryness. JAN 2024, NOV & DEC 2024 4.5%

“CASK ALE REMAINS A KEY CATEGORY FOR YOUR BAR, ACCOUNTING FOR NEARLY HALF OF ALL ALE SERVES.”

to drive footfall, sales and profits. So why not introduce or expand your range and encourage your guests to explore the possibilities of these unique, high-quality ales?

SPRING STARS

Available in March and April from the Fresh Cask Releases portfolio is a range of three unique and very special limitededition ales.

Launched to help venues make the most of the annual international rugby competition featuring six top-tier nations, Scrumdown Golden Ale will be available until 17 March and the fresh, fragrant, easy drinking ale is proving popular this year. A POS kit is available to help promote the ale to your customers.

Available in March and April, Spring Break is a hoppy golden ale that was created in collaboration with the Future Brewers National Brewing Apprenticeship Programme. As well as

helping develop the next generation of cask brewers, the deliciously full-bodied Spring Break will also help generate footfall, sales and profits for stockists thanks to its exquisite malty characters, perfectly balanced with crisp citrus notes.

Also available in March will be Hopping Special Amber Ale, an intriguing hoppy ale brewed with five different malts for rich body and biscuity sweetness. Available from 18 March until 19 May, Hopping Special was inspired by the special train service put on for hop-picking families in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Jack Palmer, Head Brewer at Greene King, comments: “Greene King’s Fresh Cask Releases is an amazing opportunity that allows us to explore and create limited-edition beers for our customers and also encourage consumers to experiment. We have so many exciting flavours, tastes and styles to come, there is something for everyone. Cask ale is a drink that should be championed in our sector, as the heart of British history and an incredibly unique product.”

400 YEARS AND COUNTING

Alison Holman has transformed the historic 400-year-old Fox & Hounds pub in Great Moulton into a dream destination venue with something for everyone.

Life, as we are all very aware, has a habit of not panning out exactly as we’d expected it to. A great case in point is Alison Holman who runs the 400-yearold Fox & Hounds in Great Moulton in Norfolk. After nearly four decades working for Noble Foods supplying eggs to many of the major retailers, Alison decided at the age of 54 to call it a day and retire for a well-earned rest and to give her more time to follow her many passions in life outside of work.

Just a short while later, however, Alison received the heart-breaking news that she had breast cancer, something which she fought with characteristic tenacity and, mercifully, is fully recovered and remains free of cancer to this day.

With a fresh outlook on life and her grand retirement plans thrown temporarily into disarray, Alison then made the decision to take on the running of The Fox & Hounds with her nephew who worked at the pub at the time.

“I was essentially Nick’s backer and guarantor, if you like,” explains Alison.

“He was basically running the pub and I was doing admin and paperwork and the like. It was something new and exciting, particularly as I had actually been born in a pub, quite literally! My parents had been publicans, and I was born in The Red Lion in Kenninghall.”

The pair took the lease over in February 2022 and, in short order, Alison’s life took another challenging turn as the pandemic soon hit and decimated the entire industry.

“Covid wasn’t great,” says Alison with mild understatement. “We struggled through, we took loans to keep us going and so on, but it wasn’t an enjoyable period. At the time I still viewed the pub as a ‘little’ job. It wasn’t quite a sideline but it wasn’t my main project in life either. I live in Kennginhall just down the road and I had actually gotten involved with the Kenninghall Kicking Cancer Charity when I retired, and it was only a couple of months later that I got my diagnosis. So I was heavily involved in the charity, and remain so to this day.”

“TAKING ON THE FOX & HOUNDS WAS SOMETHING NEW AND EXCITING, PARTICULARLY AS I HAD ACTUALLY BEEN BORN IN A PUB, QUITE LITERALLY!”

Then in February last year, life threw Alison another curveball when Nick announced that he wanted to leave the hospitality trade.

“He’d been in the trade since he was 14,” says Alison, “and he just wanted to go and do something else. That left me with a decision to make but the owners made it very clear that they wanted me to stay on. Suddenly, it went from being a little job to being a big job!”

Not a woman to be easily discouraged, Alison rolled up her sleeves and got on with the job of bringing the pub back to life after Covid and ensuring that the centuries-old business remained just as relevant and vital as it has always been.

“We had been busy investing in the business before Nick left but I decided to carry on with the plans I had to make sure the pub had a long-term future. Essentially, I realised that we had to change the very ethos of the pub and that was the journey we had been on since we first took over.

“Back in the day it was a busy pub that served good food but with the way the world has changed, I knew we had to do more and give people more reasons to come.”

One of the most major steps was to re-hire an exceptionally talented chef to oversee the food side of the business. “Alex had left during the pandemic,” explains Alison, “but he is a superb chef, and I knew that fantastic quality food would be instrumental in driving footfall and sales.

“Everything we make is prepared fresh in our kitchens every day from brilliant quality ingredients and we source most of what we use locally both to maintain the quality of the food we serve and to support our local region. Our meat, fish

and fruit and veg are all bought locally, for example, and we get deliveries six days a week. The menu changes seasonally and our customers seem to love it. Our food sales have increased significantly.”

Another major decision taken by Alison was to move to Greene King in August 2022. “I wasn’t particularly pleased with the service we had been getting from our previous supplier and after a conversation with my Greene King SDM, I more or less decided on the spot. Greene King are brilliant to work with because they’re very flexible and they understand the particular challenges my business faces and they’re happy to work with me on those.

“In November, Greene King even redid my cellar for me as they had some health and safety concerns around how it was racked before. They did it in two days and it’s so much better for us now. It’s fantastic.”

Alison also moved from having five taps to six and now stocks four cask ales at all times. “We always have either Abott Ale or Greene King IPA on, and we then rotate the other three pumps with locally sourced cask ales. We have a lot of cask drinkers here and they like to try new things, and they also like to support small local breweries too.”

Alison also stocks an extensive range of keg and packaged beers and ciders including Ice Breaker as well as an extensive range of low- and no-alcohol products. “We stock things like Low Old Speckled Hen, Ghost Ship 0.5%, Peroni 0.0% and Kopparberg Alcohol Free,” she says. “They sell surprisingly well.”

In addition to the upweighted food and drink offer, Alison has also transformed the rest of the business too. A huge marquee outside is massively popular for weddings, birthday parties and gettogethers, while two huge beer garden spaces are a big hit in the summer months.

“We’re a very family-friendly pub so we added a kids play park so that the children can have fun while the adults have a carefree drink and a bite to eat in the sunshine,” says Alison.

Alison also installed four private outdoor ‘pods’ during the pandemic which can comfortably fit eight people.

“The pods are unbelievably popular for all sorts of events and parties and, as they’re heated and very comfortable, we can more or less use them year-round,” she says. Interestingly, all four pods are named after local pubs that have closed over the years. The Fox & Hounds is sadly the only pub left in Great Moulton.

Unsurprisingly, this complete transformation of the business has radically improved the performance of

the pub and people now come from many miles around for food, drinks, parties or to join in the many events and specials that Alison hosts in the pub.

“Great Moulton has a population of something like 750 people,” laughs Alison. “So we have always been reliant on drawing people from surrounding areas. The improved food and drink offer clearly helps us do that but we also host a lot of small events to drive footfall. We do Sunday lunches, steak nights on Wednesdays, pie nights on Thursdays, we host quizzes once a month and we also do a wide array of music and entertainment nights as well as seasonal events like beer festivals, beach parties, 80s and 90s nights, and so on.”

In other words, there’s always a great reason to visit The Fox & Hounds.

“My goal,” says Alison, “was to turn this into a business rather than just a passion. I’m very lucky in that the owners are very supportive in all sorts of important ways but, me being me, I wanted it to be organised and run like a proper, efficient business. That’s not to say we don’t hit problems and challenges. We do, just like everyone else, but the way we’ve set the business up means we are able to cope with those challenges much better.

“And I have to say that I have a fantastic team around me, most of them an awful lot younger than me, but they’re just a joy to work with and their passion and enthusiasm is what makes this pub so special.”

And it’s not just Alison and her customers who think The Fox & Hounds is just a little bit special. The Fox & Hounds was

named South Norfolk Pub of the Year last year and, as luck would have it, on the day that Value for Venues visited, Alison found out that the pub had made it into the top three for this year’s award.

“It’s so nice for the team to win awards like this because it shows that what they are doing is worthwhile and appreciated. We were delighted to win last year so let’s hope we can retain our crown this year!”

And in amongst all this, Alison still manages to find time to support the Kicking Cancer Charity, Chair the Parish Council, sit on the Village Hall Committee and a whole lot more besides.

“I just like being busy,” she smiles. Which is probably just as well because 2024 looks set be a very busy year indeed for this remarkable woman and her stunning 400-year-old pub.

CYDER MADE FINER BLUSH

INTRODUCING ASPALL BLUSH

Aspall Blush Cyder is a cyder inspired by the hedgerows, with sweet blackberries, balanced by crisp apples.

HIGHER QUALITY, HIGHER PROFITS

We all know that serving the best possible quality beer is critical to your business. Higher quality beer means happy customers, more repeat visits, more footfall, bigger sales and, ultimately, higher profits. One bad experience, one poor quality pint, can lose you a customer for life. One great experience, one fantastic quality pint, however, can win you a customer for life.

And just like you, we take beer quality seriously and we want to help you and your team improve your yields by ensuring that every pint you serve is served perfectly.

To help you do precisely that with a minimum of fuss, we have produced a full Cellar Support Kit that we’re confident will assist you in optimising your cellar management practices and maximise your profits. Best of all, it’s completely free!

EVERYTHING YOU NEED

In line with our philosophy at Value for Venues of giving you everything you need, all in one place, the Cellar Support Kit is a comprehensive solution that brings all the important information and assets you need together to help you serve the best quality beer time after time.

Inside the kit you’ll find an extensive array of information, advice and logs that cover every step of the process of pouring great pints. The kit includes a Top 10 Tips Poster, a Standard Operating Procedures guide, a Cellar Log Book and a laminated Cellar Record and pen.

The kit is the result of our hundreds of years of brewing

Serving the best possible quality beer is key in driving repeat business and maximising profits – which is why Greene King and Belhaven’s free Cellar Support Services Kit can make all the difference.

experience and is an invaluable tool for you and your team –and it will cost you absolutely nothing.

Every aspect of efficient, effective cellar management is covered in the kit from cellar and equipment conditions, preparation and serving to coolers, beer lines, temperatures, glassware and ice machines. The kit is your one-stop-shop for world class cellar management.

CLEAN LINES

By taking advantage of our brewing and cellar experience and using the kit to check that your cellar management practices are optimal, you can quickly and easily ensure that every pint you pour is the delicious, vibrant, fresh beer that your customer expects and deserves.

And if you find that you are having problems with your beer quality, you can also visit our Beer Genius online portal at beergenius.co.uk where you can troubleshoot all manner of issues and quickly and easily resolve them.

START TODAY

Our Cellar Support Kits have been specifically designed for stockists of Greene King and Belhaven beers and are available from your Sales Development Manager. Your SDM can also provide fantastic support in implementing the advice contained in the kit and will work alongside you and your team to make sure that every pint is served perfectly.

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RED HOT

Greene King offers a fantastic selection of red wines to help you set yourself apart from the competition and grow your sales and profits in this vital category.

By Fiona Davies, Wine Category Manager

If you have been following this series of articles on wine in Value for Venues magazine you’ll know by now that the number of people regularly drinking wine has actually increased, despite the fact that total UK still wine volumes have been falling. What’s happening is that more people than before are still regularly drinking wine in the on-trade – it’s just they are choosing to drink in moderation.

That should come as no surprise, nor should the fact that many of today’s wine drinkers are looking for more when they visit your venue for a glass or two of their favourite tipple: they’re looking for more variety, more information on what they’re drinking, more backstory. In other words, they are looking for a deeper and richer experience – and they’re prepared to pay more for that enhanced experience.

NEW AND EXCLUSIVE

So, wine remains an exciting and vital category and in this issue we’re going to take a deeper dive into the fantastic range of red wines available from Greene King and Belhaven.

Our extensive range has something to suit every taste and every budget, and is packed with unusual, new and exclusive wines that can play a critical role in helping you ensure that your wine list sets you well apart from your competitors.

New and exclusive wines, of course, offer the perfect way to guarantee that you have something interesting and fresh behind the bar for all those customers of yours who are keen to seek

out exciting new experiences in wine.

WHY WORK WITH US?

Greene King and Belhaven can offer you everything you need to build the perfect wine list for your venue to make the most of the enormous opportunity presented by the popular wine category.

From the new Côte Chalonnaise Pinot Noir from Burgundy to the exclusive Doctor’s Orders from South Africa and the new Yalumba Organic Shiraz from Australia, we’ve sourced the best of both the Old and New Worlds to help you create a standout list of reds.

We’ve listed several of the new and exclusive red wines in this feature and they will all make great additions to your wine list, keeping things fresh and giving customers more reasons to visit you rather than someone else.

INTO THE RED

Elsewhere on our extensive full list of red wines, you will find some exquisite red wines to tempt the connoisseurs as well as a wealth of mid-range and budget wines to cater for those with more modest budgets or tastes.

Offering a full range of red wines that provides something for everyone is a great way of maximising wine spend and helping squeeze every penny of profit out of this vital category.

It’s the ideal time to review your range and add some fresh energy to your wine list, just as the summer looms on the horizon. A little time spent refreshing your range could go a long way to appealing to those experience- and adventure-hungry customers who are the new generation of wine drinkers.

NEW! QUATRE VIN ROUGE (12% ABV)

This is a super crunchy wine packed with red cherry fruit, vibrant pomegranate and just a touch of spicy sophistication.

NEW! I HEART CABERNET SAUVIGNON (14% ABV)

A rich and full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, packed full of vibrant blackcurrant flavours and a very easy and approachable crowdpleaser. The great value I Heart range enjoys a loyal following so this latest variant is likely to be popular.

NEW! PALAZZI NERO D’AVOLA (14% ABV)

A rich and full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, packed full of vibrant blackcurrant flavours and a a typical Nero d’Avola, this wine is crammed with ripe plum and black cherry aromas and a lovely hint of spice.

NEW! RED BURGUNDY PINOT NOIR (13% ABV)

A classic light to medium bodied Burgundy with elegant red fruit notes and a lovely long finish. For customers that love a good Burgundy, this one will do the job nicely.

FANCY A FREE WINE LIST?

In addition to helping you build the perfect range of wines for your customer base, Greene King and Belhaven can also help you make sure your physical or digital wine list looks its best – for free!

Our service allows you to choose from a range of wine list templates with design styles to suit every type of venue and every range of wines.

The templates can be quickly and easily populated with your wines, prices and descriptors and can be printed in seconds, taking the time and effort out of producing a high-quality, professionally designed wine list that can help you grow your sales and profits.

To find out more, simply speak to your Greene King or Belhaven SDM.

A corker of a Châteauneuf Du Pape, this heavyweight example is as full as you might expect but wonderfully well-balanced with a long, long finish. Aromas of plums and black cherries are accompanied with a hint of cocoa and cloves. Great with a steak!

All Greene King and Belhaven customers should have received the Greene King Wine Brochure 2023-24 recently, which lists every wine that we offer and is a great place to start when looking to refresh and reinvigorate your wine range. If you haven’t received it, please request a copy from your SDM or you can view a digital edition of the brochure at issuu.com/greenekingft/docs/greene_king_wine_guide

CIDER MARKET BUOYANT

The latest Westons Category Report takes a deep dive into the cider market and identifies several key trends that are affecting the on-trade.

Key Trends

The Westons Cider Report 2023 identified some key trends taking place in the on-trade cider market:

Consumer behaviour is changing, with Thursdays and Sundays becoming more important and occasions becoming more casual and lower tempo.

Quality and value for money remain critical as pockets continue to be squeezed.

The flavoured cider market is becoming ever more dynamic as more customers shift from draught into packaged.

Cider has been one of the most dynamic categories in the on-trade over the last decade or so and it remains a vitally important category for most venues, although it does pay to stay on top of the fast-changing trends that are affecting the category.

According to the extremely in-depth and comprehensive Westons Category Report 2023, now in its eighth iteration, cider sales are still being affected by larger-scale shifts in consumer behaviour following the pandemic, as are all categories.

With working from home now an established fact of life, Friday has lost some of its importance, with CGA data showing that Thursdays and Sundays have become increasingly important to venues.

Additionally, evenings also appear to be making a comeback for drinkers, particularly early evenings which have seen a 7% hike in usage. CGA data also shows that out-of-home occasions have become more casual and lower tempo.

CIDER CRUSHING IT

While these shifts have affected all categories, it’s cider that has been the biggest beneficiary with sales by value up 19.6% and cider’s share of the total drinks market up 5.7%. To put that in perspective, no other category comes close in terms of value growth. Beer is the secondfastest-growing category at +9.8% with soft drinks up 9.5%. Only the stout and world lager sub-categories are growing faster.

According to the Westons Report, draught apple cider accounts for 57.4% of the on-trade market by volume with draught fruit at 18.8% and packaged fruit just behind at 18.1%.

The report also notes that, despite the economic challenges facing consumers, the shift from mainstream cider into more premium brands continues to accelerate. In fact, more premium brands account for 56.8% of total draught cider sales.

This is good news for venues as more premium draught ciders generate an average RSP of between 45p and £1.11 more than mainstream cider.

FLAVOUR CONUNDRUM

Once the rising star of the show, the flavoured draught ciders category is now slowing down, 2% year-on-year in

the 2023 Westons Report. That means flavoured draught ciders now account for less than a quarter of the total market at 24.6%.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that flavoured cider is losing its appeal. The data indicates that what’s actually happening is that more and more drinkers are shifting into packaged flavoured cider with brands like Kopparberg, Rekorderlig and Old Mout benefitting.

CASH COW

Bear in mind, however, that while premium ciders are growing fastest, mainstream cider remains critical behind your bar. More premium brands like Stowford Press, Thatchers, Aspall, Inch’s and Westons may be garnering ever bigger followings but mainstream, functional brands like Strongbow and Magners still drive significant sales volumes.

“MORE PREMIUM BRANDS ACCOUNT FOR 56.8% OF TOTAL DRAUGHT CIDER SALES.”

So what should you stock? To a large extent that depends on how many draught cider pumps you have, or can make available. Westons advises that if you have two pumps, the best option is to include one ‘better’ –more premium – option and one fruit option.

If you have three pumps available, the advice is to opt for one ‘better’ option, one ‘best’ option and one fruit option.

Of course, the products and brand you choose will be dictated by your specific customer base and finding the right mix will be the key to maximising your sales and profits – but this general guide is a good place to start.

PACKAGED PICTURE

According to the Westons Report, more than three-quarters of on-trade cider sales are draught (76.2% by volume) but that means that a significant minority (23.8%) is packaged – and packaged is growing at 41.4% year-on-year.

With packaged cider easier to stock and manage, this could present a great opportunity to expand your cider range, particularly with summer on the horizon, by adding some new and interesting packaged ciders.

Don’t forget too that low- and no-alcohol ciders, while still relatively niche, are growing consistently and are likely to continue doing so as the wider trend towards moderated alcohol consumption continues.

Naturally, Greene King and Belhaven offers a comprehensive range of draught and packaged ciders to meet all needs and your Sales

STOCKING RECOMMENDATIONS

Westons advises:

An effective and efficient cider range is one that is clearly differentiated, with each brand and format offering something uniquely different.

Draught space should be reserved for those more premium brands to which consumers will be drawn.

Balance these with brands which are perceived to have an affordable, value for money, quality proposition.

Two pumps advice: Better and Fruit

Three pumps advice: Better, Best and Fruit

Representative will be happy to discuss your requirements with you to help ensure you have the perfect range to make the most of the category.

Whatever way you look at it, cider remains a vibrant, exciting and fast-moving category that offers plenty of opportunities for venues to grow footfall, sales and profits – particularly when the summer sun starts shining and customers start flocking to pubs and beer gardens across the land.

Meet The Team: Allan Miller

In this issue we catch up with Belhaven Technical Services Field Engineer Allan Miller to find out more about the team that helps keep the beers flowing and your business growing.

SO, ALLAN, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF…

I’m Allan Miller and I’m a Technical Services Field Engineer at Belhaven as part of the wider Technical Services Team. I’m based at the Belhaven Brewery and I cover the Borders region. I’ve been with Belhaven for almost 30 years now! I first joined on 4 April 1995 when my brother Andrew, who worked as a Sales Representative at Belhaven told me that they might be looking for people. I was a chef in a local hotel at the time and it just sounded interesting. Interestingly, my brother still works for Belhaven, as does my wife Lesley who is a tour guide.

DID YOU JOIN THE TECHNICAL SERVICES TEAM ON DAY ONE?

No, my first role was working in the stores at the brewery, which I really

enjoyed and I did that for a couple of years. But over time they started sending me out on jobs to help with installations, repairs and so on. I really enjoyed meeting customers and helping them sort out their challenges and problems – and that remains true to this day. There’s nothing like the look on a customer’s face when you’ve sorted out whatever was wrong. They’re just so grateful and appreciative that we’ve been able to get them back up and running quickly and efficiently.

WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE INVOLVE?

I pretty much get involved in every aspect of technical services from installs and repairs to surveys and costings. I cover the whole Borders region which is quite large, so I do a few miles in a year! I’m pretty much always on the road between jobs and I probably do around 40,000 miles a year. But I love the job.

SO, WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?

There is literally no such thing! And that’s what I like about the role. You never know what’s coming next or what you’re going to be asked to do. Every pub is different so you never know what you’re going to find. But at the end of the day, everything I and my colleagues in the Technical Services Team is centred around one thing: our customers. They need to be able to pour beer to make money and we’re there to make sure that they can do just that.

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING SO FAR TODAY, FOR EXAMPLE?

Well, I started the day with an emergency call to Balerno to cover for a colleague who is off today. The call was to fix a leaking tap but while I was there I also discovered a gas leak, so I fixed

ABOUT ALLAN

Allan first joined Belhaven almost 30 years ago on 4 April 1995. Having previously worked as a chef in a local hotel, Allan heard about a job going at the brewery from his brother who worked there as a Sales Representative. His first role was working in the stores at Belhaven but over the years Allan continued to progress and was soon put on jobs helping with on-site installs, repairs and other technical and cellar work. He now works as a Technical Services Field Engineer for the Borders area. This sees him cover over 40,000 miles a year helping ensure that Belhaven’s customers are ready to trade with a friendly smile and a minimum of fuss.

that too. On every visit I check the full system and make sure everything is in good working order. Then I drove to Melrose to fix a cask handpull because the beer wasn’t coming through. As I say, no two days are ever the same!

ARE MOST PROBLEMS RELATIVELY STRAIGHTFORWARD TO FIX?

Most of the time the problems we encounter are ones we’ve come across many times before. Occasionally you get one that has you pulling your hair out but generally we know what’s required and we can sort everything pretty quickly. We get a bit of detail from the call centre before we arrive, so we generally know what to expect. Our vans are fully racked out and kitted with what we’ll need for most jobs, so we’re always able to get the job done – and that’s what matters most to our customers.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THE TECHNICAL SERVICES TEAM?

There are 10 of us in Scotland and we cover the entire country. We service every Belhaven customer and we work across all aspects of the cellar and bar. The only products we don’t do are soft drinks and Guinness, because Guinness has its own team. A lot of the time we work on our own but sometimes we’ll work together on big jobs or jobs that need done quickly. Last week, for example, we had a big job in Edinburgh so there were five of us on it for two days to get it done in double quick time. There were new lines, new coolers, a new cellar, a new bar. It was a major job, but we got it done – as we always do.

IS THAT WHAT MAKES BELHAVEN SPECIAL?

I think so. The Technical Services division at Belhaven was first built by Jimmy Virtue who has been with Belhaven for 50 years. He’s 78 now but he’s still here and he’s an inspiring man. It was Jimmy that instilled our ethos and approach into us: no

messing about, get the job done, make the customer happy and on to the next job.

AND IT’S ALL ABOUT THE CUSTOMER?

Absolutely. That’s at the heart of everything we do at Belhaven. The thing that gives me most pleasure is just the reaction on customers’ faces when you get them sorted out. They’re always so thankful. The relief is etched on their faces. I’ve been in this job a long time so I’ve gotten to know a lot of my customers really well. I consider many of them friends as much as customers these days and that comes from building trust and having a laugh with them. They know they can rely on us, and they know we’ll have a bit of banter once we’ve solved their problems. It’s a good way to spend your day!

HAS THE ROLE CHANGED OVER THE YEARS?

Essentially we’re still doing the same things and dealing with broadly the same type of equipment so it hasn’t changed all that much but there is a bit more admin around health and safety and so on which takes a little more time at each call, but it’s basically the same job it’s always been.

HOW HAVE THE LAST FEW YEARS BEEN?

There’s no question that the pandemic was a truly awful period for the trade and the last couple of years have been difficult too, but I get the feeling from talking to customers that 2024 might be the year when we finally get back to something that feels a lot more like normality.

WILL 2024 BY A TRANSFORMATIVE YEAR THEN?

I definitely think it could be. Things are settling down a bit and if we have a good summer this year, I think – and hope – that 2024 could be a really positive year for my customers.

DEAL 25

DEAL 26

Value Hub: a new way to save!

Save up to £5k a year!

Your

Greene King and Belhaven are introducing a new way to help customers save up to £5,000 a year.

As part of our ongoing commitment to help you grow and develop your business, Greene King and Belhaven will soon introduce our new Value Hub, created specifically with the independent free trade in mind.

Value Hub will be your destination for exclusive savings and discounts and will help you save up to £5,000 a year, helping you drive a more efficient, more profitable business – and it will also be available online.

Every penny you save in business costs helps improve your bottom line and trading with us will allow you to strengthen your business operations with everyday savings.

You’ll receive exclusive discounts on products ranging from entertainment packages to waste management – and every solution helps you cut cost ands improve profits.

Stay tuned for more!

NEW LISTINGS TO DRIVE NEW SALES

Greene King and Belhaven have listed a range of new products recently, allowing you to freshen up your drinks offer and grow your footfall, sales and profit.

HENDRICK’S GRAND CABARET 70CL

The limited-edition Hendrick’s Grand Cabaret draws its inspiration from a fruit-infused beverage popular in the 17th century, renowned for being a frequent choice at the most vibrant gatherings. Crafted by Master Distiller Lesley Gracie, it boasts warm notes of grape, peach and even apricot, underpinned by subtle herby floral botanicals.

ASPALL BLUSH CYDER DRAUGHT

Blending sweet blackberry with the renowned taste of Aspall Cyder, Aspall Blush is a super-premium fruit cider with a refined and crisp profile. A perfect accompaniment to summer dishes, it can be enjoyed on its own or as part of a wider dining experience, with smoked salmon dishes or sharp fruit-based puddings, like tarte au citron.

BACARDI CARTA NEGRA 70CL

Bacardi Carta Negra Black Rum is a combination of selected rums, filtered through charcoal for extra taste and aged in charred oak barrels for up to four years. Tropical fruits, buttery caramel and vanilla notes complement the drinking experience which ends with a smoke liquorice and molasses finish. On the nose it’s toasted and nutty, while on the palate it is tropical and medium-bodied. Its dark appearance makes it ideal for frozen cocktails.

CORONA CERO 330ML BOTTLE

Brewed with 100% natural ingredients, Corona Cero is a 0.0% alcohol-free beer with the same crisp flavour as the classic Mexican lager. Boasting moderate malty and grainy aromas, it carries slight fruity and citrussy notes to deliver a balanced taste. Ideal for targeting the growing number of drinkers looking to moderate their alcohol consumption.

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GREENE KING BEWERY RAISES £89K FOR MACMILLAN IN 2023!

Greene King Brewery raised more than £89,000 for charity partner Macmillan Cancer Care in 2023, a huge 50% increase on the previous year.

£89K RAISED IN 2023

50% INCREASE IN ROCKING RUDOLPH CONTRIBUTIONS

HOW ARE CONTRIBUTIONS USED?

As the UK’s leading cancer support charity, Macmillan relies on contributions to fund the outstanding work it does every day of every year. To give you an idea of how the contributions you help raise are used, here are some examples of how the money is spent:

Around £7 could cover the cost of a nurse offering a patient a personalised eHNA assessment and care plan.

50% INCREASE ON 2022

Greene King has confirmed that it has raised over £3.8m for Macmillan Cancer Care in 2023. Of that figure, Greene King Brewery contributed more than £89k of which you, our wonderful Free Trade customers, raised over £20k with your support for Rocking Rudolph and your generous donations.

Money raised through the contribution of 5p +VAT from every pint of Rocking Rudolph sold in November and December saw the total contribution reach over £36k, a 50% increase on the previous year.

In total Greene King has now raised over £17m for Macmillan Cancer care over the years and we are hoping to smash £20m in 2024.....with your help!

To donate to Macmillan Cancer Care and help them to continue to deliver their vital services, please scan the QR code:

£20 could help run Macmillan’s Online Community forum for one hour. In this time, 100 people affected by cancer in the UK can give emotional and practical support to each other on anything to do with cancer – from treatments, to coping with everyday life, to the death of a loved one.

£26 could help an energy specialist on the Macmillan Support Line deal with a call or web enquiry.

£51 could help financial guides on the Macmillan Support Line deal with a call or web enquiry.

£181 could provide emotional support to one person living with cancer for around eight weeks, through ongoing and regular telephone sessions with a Macmillan Buddy.

£372 would cover the estimated cost of providing the Bupa Counselling Service to each referred person, so they can receive effective psychological support that’s tailored to their needs.

£846 could pay for a translated factsheet explaining how to access Macmillan services following a cancer diagnosis. Macmillan wants everyone to know about the support available and provided by it. This is one of Macmillan’s core information factsheets made available in 15 languages. In the last year, the charity has expanded the range of languages available to include both those identified by Macmillan as the most commonly spoken amongst more marginalised communities in the UK and those spoken by people from key refugee communities. Macmillan now routinely offers information in Turkish, Ukrainian, Pashto, Dari and Farsi (Afghani) as well as 11 long-standing languages.

£1,202 could pay for a Macmillan nurse for one week, helping people living with cancer and their families receive essential medical, practical and emotional support.

BUY 6 CASES OF IRN-BRU OR IRN-BRU SUGAR FREE AND GET A FREE CASE OF BARR LEMONADE

BUY 4 CASES OF SIMPLY FRUITY BLACKCURRANT & APPLE OR ORANGE AND GET A FREE CASE OF SIMPLY FRUITY

STOCK BOTH DEALS TODAY!

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