Belhaven Magazine Issue 11 - Jul-Aug 2024

JULY & AUGUST PROMOTIONS

BEER & CIDER

Deal 1

Deal 2

Deal 3

Greene King Craft Keg Deal p4

2 x Free Kegs and POS kit with every Craft Keg install.

Greene King Craft Keg Promotion p5

Chance to win a hosted event when you buy 10 x 30L kegs

Greene King Packaged Deal p6

Greene King Packaged Deal. Buy 3 cases of Greene King bottles or cans and get 1 case free.

Deal 4 Belhaven 440ml Cans Deal p8

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

Deal 5 Hazy Day Install Deal p10

2 x Free Kegs and POS kit with every install of Hazy Day

Deal 6 Prior Life Install Deal p12

2 x Free Kegs and POS kit with every install of Prior Life

Deal 7

Greene King Cask Deal p14

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

Deal 8 Belhaven Best/Black/80 Shilling Install Deal p16

1 x Free Kegs and POS kit with every install of Best/Black/80

Shlling Keg

Deal 9 Maltsmiths Install Deal p24

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

Deal 10

Estrella Galicia Install Deal p26

Get a free 50L keg and branded glassware and POS kit with Estrella Galicia install

Deal 11

Estrella Galicia Packaged Deal p26

Buy 2 cases of Estrella Galicia 4.7% or GF 5.5% 330ml & get a free case of Estrella Galicia 0.0%

Deal 12 Greene King IPA / Gin Promotion p30

IPA - Buy 3x9G casks or 3x50L kegs and get a bottle of Go Well Gin FOC

Deal 13

San Miguel Install Deal p34

Install San Miguel for 1 free keg & an install POS kit

Deal 14 Corona & Camden Hells Install Deal p36

Install Corona Draught and Camden Hells draught & 1 BBG packaged brands and receive £1000 credit, OR either install Camden Hells or Corona to receive £500 credit

Deal 15

Carling Install Deal p38

Install Carling & receive a POS kit

Deal 16 Carlsberg Install Deal p42

Install Carlsberg for 1 free keg & an install POS kit

Deal 17 Peroni 6+1 Deal p44

Buy any 6 cases & get 1 case free

Deal 18

BBG Packaged 4+1 Deal p46

Buy 4 cases of BBG packaged products & get a case of Budweiser Free

Deal 19

Deal 20

Heineken Basket 5+1 Deal p46

Buy any 5 cases & get 1 Free of Heineken 0%

Kopparberg POS Deal p50

Buy any 5 cases of Kopparberg and receive 5 Ice buckets

Deal 21 Thatchers 4+1 Deal p52

Buy any 4 cases of Thatchers Cider & get 1 case of Thatchers Haze free

Deal 22

Westons Year Supply Competition p54

Buy 3 x kegs for chance to Win A Years Supply of Westons Cider

Deal 23

Rekorderlig 4+1 Deal p56

Buy any 4 cases of Rekorderlig & get 1 case of Rekorderlig Peach & Raspberry free

WINE

Deal 24 I Heart 8+1 Deal p58

Buy any 8 cases of I Heart 12x187ml & get 1 case free

JULY & AUGUST PROMOTIONS

SPIRITS

Deal 25 Save on Blackeye Gin p62

Save £2.50 on a bottle of Blackeye Gin, each bottle is a ticket to enter the raffle for a chance to win a Blackeye Gin founders appearance to your venue

Deal 26 Blackeye Gin POS Deal p62

Buy 3 bottles of Blackeye Gin get a POS kit

Deal 27 Save on Limoncello and Disaronno p64

£1.50 off Isolabella Limoncello & £1 off Disaronno

Deal 28 Whitley Neill 5+1 Deal p66

Buy any 5 Whitley Neill Gin’s or Dead Man’s Fingers & get a Raspberry Rum Cream Liqueur free

Deal 29 Save on Cotswolds Signature Malt p66

£3.00 off per bottle of Cotswolds Signature Malt

Deal 30 Jack Daniels 3+1 Deal p68

Buy any 3 70cl bottles & get 1 bottle free

Deal 31 Save on Diageo Spirits p70

Save £1.50 with discounts on Diageo spirits

Deal 32 Save on Tia Maria p74

£1.50 off Tia Maria

Deal 33 Hendricks POS Deal p77

Buy any 2 bottles & get 6 Highball glasses free

Deal 34 Save on Bumbu Rum p77

£4 off per bottle of Bumbu Rum

Deal 35 Save on Loch Lomond & Ben Lomond p79

Save £5 a bottle across the Loch Lomond Whisky Range and Ben Lomond Gin and get a free Open POS kit

Deal 36 The Drinks Bureau Cocktails 4+1 Deal p80

Buy 4 get 1 free across the range

SOFT DRINKS

Deal 37 Save on Fentimans p81

Save £2 per case of Fentimans

Deal 38 Fever Tree 5+1 Deal p82

Buy any 5 cases from the Fever-Tree 24x200ml range & get a case of 12x275ml free

Deal 39 Red Bull 4+1 Deal p83

Buy any 4 cases & receive a free case of Red Bull Tropical

Deal 40 Coca-Cola & Schweppes 4+1 Deal p84

Buy any 4 case of 200ml Coca-Cola or Schweppes & get 1 200ml Schweppes Slimline tonic or Coca-Cola Zero Sugar free

Deal 41 Frobishers 3+1 Deal p84

Buy any 3 cases of Frobishers & get 1 free

Deal 42 J2O 4+1 Deal p86

Buy 4 cases of J2O & receive 1 case free

Deal 43 IRN BRU 8+1 Deal p87

Buy 8 cases from 330ml IRN BRU, irn bru sugar free cans or nrgb & recieve 1 case of 330ml Barrs Lemonade free

Deal 44 Simply Fruity 4+1 Deal p87

Buy 4 cases & get 1 free

Deal 45 Save on Appletiser p87

Save £2 per case on new Appletiser cans

Deal 46 Coca Cola Postmix Bundle p88

Arrange an install of Coca Cola Postmix and receive over £800 worth of free stock

PRODUCT DISCOUNTS NOW AVAILABLE

Discounts are reimbursed as

To

BUILDING MOMENTUM

The Euro Finals 24, which reach a conclusion in the very near future, provided the perfect launch platform for a successful summer and now it’s time to keep up that momentum.

There’s no doubt in my mind that this summer has the potential to be a truly transformative one for venues across the country. After the last few extremely tough years, it’s fantastic to see the trade moving through the gears again.

The Euro Finals 24 provided a superb platform upon which to build and, as they reach their climax in the next couple of weeks, we are in a good place with plenty of momentum behind us. The key, then, is to keep that momentum going and ensure we continue to grow footfall, sales and profits over the vital months that lie ahead.

A sustained period of warm weather and sunshine would, of course, help keep venues and beer gardens busy so let’s keep our fingers crossed for a good summer. And if the sun does shine and you are lucky enough to have an outdoor space or a beer garden, July and August should provide endless opportunities to really grow sales.

You’ll find lots of good advice, support and promotions inside this issue that will help you make the most of outdoor spaces this summer.

Inside, you will also find plenty of inspiration and ideas on how to tailor your range for the summer months. We have highlighted several key opportunities, flagging up footfall-driving profit-boosting drinks that are perfect for the

next few months, from golden cask ales to cocktails, RTDs and wine.

As some of you may already know, we have recently launched our new Value Hub platform and you can read about it in this issue. Value Hub lets you leverage the buying power of Greene King and Belhaven to secure exclusive deals and discounts that could save you up to £5,000 a year on a vast array of products and services. Securing these savings is quick and easy and they can help significantly boost your bottom line.

And, as always, you’ll find some fascinating customer profiles in this issue of Value for Venues where we catch up with Jessy Chapman who is reinventing a great pub down on the south coast and John Justice who has built a chain of three spectacular pubs up in Dundee with his son Thomas.

I hope you enjoy the issue and take advantage of the many deals within it. Most of all, I wish you fantastic trading over the next couple of months.

Paul Downing On Trade Sales Director, Greene King

P11 Greene King News

Plans for a new £40m state-of-the-art brewery unveiled.

P17 Industry News Pub, club and bar spend continues to grow.

P20 Value Hub

Save up to £5,000 a year with exclusive discounts.

P22 Lead Feature

Make the most of outdoor spaces this summer.

P29 Consumer Insight

How do customers now feel about the cost of living?

P35 Seasonal Opportunity

Grow footfall and sales with golden cask ales.

P40 Customer Profile: Pillars Bar Dundee chain grows to three bars.

P48 Customer Profile: The Kings Head Seaford pub reinvented.

P57 Events

Raising awareness with a year-round programme of events.

P63 Meet The Team: Tracey Coubrough

Customer Marketing Manager in the spotlight.

P69 New Listings

Some of the latest products to hit the bar.

P72 Range Freedom: white wine

The summer opportunity.

P78 Summer Serves Tips on the ideal

for warmer days.

INCLUDES: GLASSWARE, BAR RUNNERS, BEER MATS, STAFF T-SHIRTS, LANYARDS AND MINI CHALKBOARD

& SMOOTH

In the 16th Century in Bury St. Edmunds, those convicted of minor crimes were sentenced to a day in the pillories. With clouded judgement & a hazy sense of morality, locals would come to heckle, goad & even throw things at the miscreants!

TASTING NOTES

A SMOOTH, UNLAWFULLY FRUITY HAZY IPA WITH ORANGE, CITRUS AND TROPICAL NOTES HOPS CASCADE, CITRA AND TALUS

GREENE KING TO INVEST £40M IN NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART BREWERY

Greene King has unveiled plans for a fantastic new £40m state-of-the-art brewery in Bury St Edmunds providing a long-term future commitment to British brewing.

Greene King has unveiled plans for a fantastic new £40m state-of-the-art brewery in Bury St Edmunds providing a long-term future commitment to British brewing.

Greene King, the UK’s leading pub company and brewer, has announced that it will invest £40m in developing a new stateof-the-art brewery at its historic home in Bury St Edmunds.

The investment into a new custom-built facility represents a major commitment from Greene King to the future of British brewing and the company’s production of cask ale, alongside its newer premium craft beer brands.

It builds on the company’s 200-year history of brewing in Bury St Edmunds since its founding in 1799.

The proposed new brewery forms a key part of the company’s wider transformation programme as Greene King continues to evolve to meet its customers’ needs. The project is directly in line with the company’s strategic driver of optimising its assets as it seeks to deliver on its strategy to be a modern hospitality business.

Greene King’s new operation will be located next to its new distribution centre and will significantly improve the sustainability of the company’s brewing operations. Per pint, water usage in the brewing process will be reduced by more than 50%, alongside significant improvements in energy efficiency. It will drive Greene King’s progression towards its science-based environmental targets, which includes the company’s aim to be carbon net zero by 2040, as well as reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030.

Over the last two years, Greene King has invested in a new multi-million-pound distribution centre, adjacent to the proposed site for the new brewery in Bury St Edmunds, as well as over £9m in its historic Belhaven Brewery in Dunbar.

Matt Starbuck, Managing Director Brewing & Brands at Greene King, said: “We have been brewing in Bury St Edmunds for over 200 years. We are passionate about our craft and the development of this state-of-the-art facility will allow us to maintain brewing at the core of our business going forwards. We are excited by the opportunity that this affords and the chance to invest in innovation and the development of our world-class beer portfolio.”

Jo Churchill, MP for Bury St Edmunds, said: “Greene King is at the heart of our Bury St Edmunds community, and has been for more than two centuries. Building a modern, more sustainable brewery that looks to the future will bring many benefits. It is brilliant to see the company commit to the future of its operations in the town and surrounding areas, supporting hundreds of jobs and maintaining the town’s heritage as a pillar of British brewing.”

PREMIUM POS KIT

INCLUDES: GLASSWARE, BAR RUNNERS, BEER MATS, STAFF T-SHIRTS, LANYARDS AND BEER INFO CARDS

A tribute to the original Bury St Edmunds master brewers, the Benedictine monks, whose ghosts are said to still walk our Abbey today. This sessionable IPA is as divinely fruity as the low strength beer they drank litres of daily, as it was safer than water at the time.

TASTING NOTES

ETERNALLY LIGHT, EASY DRINKING ALL DAY IPA WITH MELLOW TROPICAL NOTES AND CITRUS AROMA HOPS MALT CASCADE CITRA CENTENNIAL PALE MALT WHEAT MALT ROLLED OATS CARAPILS

ESTRELLA GALICIA REWARDED FOR ‘SPANISH, NOT SPAN-ISH’ CAMPAIGN

Estrella Galicia, exclusively distributed by Greene King in the UK, has won a major award for its clever ad highlighting its authentic Spanish heritage.

Authentic Spanish beer brand Estrella Galicia, which is exclusively distributed by Greene King in the UK, has won a Silver award at the prestigious FAB (Food & Beverage) awards.

The recognition is for a cheeky advertising campaign – ‘Spanish, not Span-ish’ – that takes a light-hearted swipe at the many beer brands marketed as Spanish but actually brewed in the UK.

Estrella Galicia has been 100% brewed in Spain since 1906 and the campaign highlights that fact.

The agency that created the ad, Southpaw, commented: “In a world where people are thirsty for authenticity, this campaign proudly champions being an authentic Spanish beer in a category of noisy pretenders who like to act like they’re from Spain but are actually brewed in the UK.”

£10M MARKETING SPEND ANNOUNCED

Spain’s number one authentic beer brand Estrella Galicia has also announced that it is investing £10m to drive awareness of the brand in the UK.

The activity includes the latest burst for the brand’s ongoing ‘Spanish not Span-ish’ campaign and sports sponsorships with McLaren and MotoGP.

Aitor Artaza, MD, Estrella Galicia International, commented: “The UK is an important market for us as people here embrace authenticity and heritage of brands. That’s why we have put a multimillion-pound investment behind the brand to ensure that people are aware of it and its genuine Spanish provenance. We also intended to give a gentle hint that not all beer brands can say the same. Together with our sports partnerships, we are expecting to see the brand continue to grow in the UK.”

CASK completely FREE

Seasonal Range

AVAILABLE 19th MAY - 14th JULY

FALSE NINE GOLDEN BEER

ABV: 4.0%

A refreshing hoppy golden ale made with a fusion of fragrant hops which deliver citrus and tropical fruit notes. A delicious and thirst quenching beer.

AVAILABLE JULY & AUGUST

KING MANGO

PALE ALE

ABV: 4.3%

A light and fruity IPA brewed in collaboration with Laine Brew Co - a mixture of Mandarina Bavaria and Cascade hops give off tropical notes of mango and passionfruit in the forefront, with a background of citrus, tangerine and grapefruit.

AVAILABLE 14th JULY - 31st AUGUST 4.5G 9 G

SCORCHER

SESSION ALE

A bright, refreshing, session ale with fresh citrus notes. Perfect for the summer. ABV: 3.8%

Cask Size:

Cask Size:

Cask Size:

SPENDING ‘UP 3.9%’ IN PUBS, CLUBS AND BARS

Spending in pubs and bars grew faster than inflation, according to the latest Barclays Consumer Spending Report, with consumer confidence levels higher than they have been in three years.

While it was a poor month for restaurants with consumer spending down 13.1% year-on-year, April was a much stronger month for pubs, clubs and bars with spending growth of 3.9%, slightly ahead of the official inflation rate that month of 3.8%.

That’s the findings of the Barclays Consumer Spending Report which combines data from hundreds of millions of consumer transactions with research to provide a comprehensive view of consumer card spending every month.

Total consumer card spending grew by just 1.6% in April but consumers’ confidence in their ability to manage their household finances reached its highest level since November 2021, at 71%.

Consumers’ confidence in their ability to live within their means also improved, increasing by 2% month on month to 74%. Importantly, confidence in their ability to spend more on nonessential items reached 56%, up from 55% in March.

Spending growth on takeaways and fast food remained flat at 3%.

Consumers also highlighted a relatively new trend of ‘dynamic pricing’ where venues and attractions change their pricing in response to factors such as weather and demand. More than half of consumers (56%) say they have noticed this trend with a similar percentage (57%) saying it is a concern to them.

A quarter (25%) said they would avoid a venue or attraction at peak charging times, reiterating the need to deliver value and quality on every visit.

The report also highlighted the first decline (-0.7%) in domestic hotels, resorts and accommodation spending since May 2023, as a third of consumers (32%) said they are prioritising holidays abroad this year over staycations.

JULY GENERAL ELECTION MUST RECOGNISE THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF OUR SECTOR

With Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calling a General Election for 4 July, the catering and hospitality sector has demanded the importance of the sector is recognised by all political parties.

After much speculation, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently announced a General Election to take place in a matter of days on 4 July 2024. With the Conservative Party currently lagging well behind in the polls, there is a real prospect of Labour winning power and a huge opportunity for all parties to ensure that their manifestos address the issues that matter most to voters.

This also represents a huge opportunity for the catering and hospitality sector to engage with the main political parties and ensure that the sector’s concerns are heard.

Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said: “Hospitality businesses lie at the heart of every

constituency in the country. In serving Britain, the sector creates places where people want to live, work and invest.

“We need to see all political parties recognise this and will be working hard on behalf of our members during this period, to ensure manifestos from across the political spectrum reflect the strategic importance of our sector.

“We need to see evidence of measures that can unlock the potential of our sector to do even more. These include promises of action to lower the tax burden on our industry, initiatives that give us greater access to workers, and other measures that will support us in creating more jobs and further upskilling the workforce.”

LOW AND NO CONTINUES TO GROW

The low- and no-alcohol beer category grew 39% by value in 2023 year on year, representing an increase of 95.3% on pre-pandemic levels.

The data from CGA by NIQ reflects a persistent trend and is reflected in volume sales which were up 30.5% year on year and up 77.7% on prepandemic levels.

Low- and no-alcohol beer remains a relatively small percentage of the entire on-trade beer market but is likely to see further growth in 2024 and is an opportunity that Booker catering customers can take advantage of.

CASHLESS PAYMENTS FOR GAMING MACHINES APPROVED

The catering and hospitality industry has welcomed the news that cashless payments are to be permitted on gaming machines.

Following sustained joint campaigning by the British Beer and Pub Association and UKHospitality, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport confirmed that debit cards, payment apps and other forms of cashless payments will be allowed, once appropriate player protections have been put in place.

These protections will be consulted on by the Gambling Commission and could include cardholder verification, transaction limits and breaks in play.

In a joint statement, the industry bodies said: “This is a significant victory for pubs who use gaming machines and the move to allow cashless payments will preserve a valuable revenue stream.”

SAVE UP TO £5K A YEAR WITH VALUE HUB

Value Hub allows you to take advantage of Greene King and Belhaven’s buying power to save up to £5,000 a year on a range of everyday venue essentials.

The economic indicators may be finally heading in the right direction, but there’s no question that running a venue remains challenging – which is why cutting costs is more important than ever. The new Venue Hub platform provides a fantastic way to help you drive down the cost of doing business by taking advantage of Greene King and Belhaven’s buying power.

Value Hub gives you special access to exclusive savings and discounts and can help save your business up to £5,000 a year across a range of everyday venue essentials including Entertainment – Services - Equipment & More.

Taking advantage is quick and easy – so why not see how much

you can save today?

To find out more, simply visit valueforvenues.co.uk/value-hub or speak to your SDM.

SAVE ON… ENTERTAINMENT, SERVICES, EQUIPMENT & MORE

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY…

STEVE SCOTT, WOMBOURNE CRICKET, TENNIS & BOWLS CLUB

“We changed our card payment supplier and saved £2,500 a year.”

OUTSIDE NOW!

With summer on the way, a beer garden is the perfect way for venues with some outdoor space to grow their footfall, sales and profits.

BEER GARDENS: THE STATS

40% of drinkers named beer gardens as their ‘ultimate happy place’

The average UK pubgoer will visit a pub garden between four and five times per month in summer Customers’ favourite things about pub gardens during the summer are:

spending time there in warm weather (55%) enjoying a drink (54%) relaxing with friends and family (51%)

[SOURCE: ONEPOLL SURVEY OF 2,000 ADULTS].

Everybody loves summer, let’s face it. Customers love the chance to chill out and relax with friends and family while venues love the prospect of big sales and profits.

There’s no doubt, however, that one of the most effective ways of maximising footfall, sales and profits in the warmer summer months is through making the most of outdoor areas and beer gardens, if you are lucky enough to have them available. They help hugely increase the capacity of your venue and their child- and family-friendly nature means everyone can get in on the fun.

So it’s no surprise that consumers flock to outdoor spaces when the sunshine makes a welcome appearance. In fact, almost a third (30%) of adults say that having a garden for the summer is a top priority when choosing a pub [May 2022 OnePoll survey] and with the UK boasting around 27,000 pubs with beer gardens, according to the BBPA, there are plenty of options to choose from. So how do you make yours stand out?

STYLE IT

There are two key factors when making the most of an outdoor area: the area

itself and the range of drinks and food you offer.

Creating a welcoming, friendly and Insta-friendly outdoor area needn’t be expensive or time consuming. All that’s required is a little planning and effort and you could transform your beer garden into a little haven of tranquillity for your customers.

Consider getting the gardening gloves on, planting some brightly coloured flowers, adding a few flower boxes, cutting and trimming the grass and tidying up paved or pebbled areas. Go for a natural look to encourage a relaxed vibe or get bright and modern if you’re aiming for a more exotic feel.

Invest in some comfortable furniture and fixtures to make sure your customers hang around for a while and, if you feel like getting creative, why not try wheelbarrows, bean bags, benches, parasols or blackboards to make your beer garden stand out.

If you have the space, it’s also a great idea to add a bar into the beer garden to speed up service and enhance the experience for customers. You could even offer a limited (high margin, low

effort) food menu outdoors to bolster spend.

PRIVATE SPACE

Another way to add more layers to your beer garden is to create ‘outdoor hideaways’, an increasingly popular beer garden feature according to plant providers Phs Greenleaf. The company says creating smaller, private spaces within the outdoor space helps create privacy and charm, even in a small space.

Similarly, if you have more space available, the company says you could consider permanent or semi-permanent gazebos, pods or huts during the summer, offering shade and privacy for groups of customers – as well as shelter from the inevitable occasional summer showers!

On that note, outdoor heating is also an important consideration, letting customers continue to enjoy sitting outside – and spending – long after the sun has set, and prolonging the use of

CREATE AN INSTA-WORTHY BEER GARDEN!

If your venue is lucky enough to have some outdoor space, creating a beer garden or freshening up an existing one is a great way of making the most of those warm summer days. Here are five top tips for creating a beer garden worthy of Instagram…

1 GET GREEN FINGERED!

Sprucing up your garden needn’t be time consuming or expensive. Plant a few brightly coloured flowers, cut the grass, trim the edges and tidy up any paved or pebbled areas and help enhance the relaxing, natural environment that will bring more customers and keep them there longer.

2 FOCUS ON FURNITURE!

Attractive, comfortable, hard-wearing furniture and fixtures can help make your beer garden a more inviting and enjoyable spot for your customers to while away a few hours. Get as creative as you like with everything from wheelbarrows, bean bags and benches to parasols and blackboards. It all helps make the garden feel welcoming.

3 BRIGHTEN IT UP!

Adding some bright, vibrant colours in whatever way you choose can help lift your beer garden and make it truly Instagram-worthy, particularly for younger customers.

4 ADD A BAR!

If you’ve got the space, and licensing rules permit, why not add a dedicated outdoor bar to make it even easier to your customers to quench their thirst on a hot summer summer’s day. You can offer a limited menu to make it easier and also to encourage your customers to buy higher-margin products.

5 TAILOR YOUR FOOD!

Drive up food sales by offering a summer menu in the garden with lighter dishes, or get the BBQ going, a great way to drive sales as customers get wafts of that irresistible smell.

24 x Pint Glasses

2 x Bar Runners

100 x Dripmats

Speak to your Sales Development Manager for more information or to arrange an install

outdoor space beyond the summer months. Why not provide some cosy blankets to help keep everyone warm and create that welcoming environment?

FAST AND SLOW

With a hopefully packed beer garden, there are several factors to take into account when trying to satisfy every customer and maximise sales – and this is where range and speed of service are critical.

Products that are quick and easy to both prepare and serve help keep the queues down and increase the number of transactions you can push through in a given hour or day. Clearly, a great range of products is essential too.

A strong range of beers, wines, ciders and spirits will go a long way to meeting most requirements and you may want to emphasise bottled and ready-to-drink products to help achieve that aim.

But to really take sales to the next level, it makes sense to focus on some specific areas to attract a wider audience of customers and, of course, optimise profits.

SUMMER CASK

One huge opportunity is cask ale which is massively popular with many customers and will bring new customers to your venue if you stock it. Cask ale drinkers are notoriously loyal to bars that sell cask – and they are also statistically more likely to visit more often and spend more

when they do.

Greene King’s extensive range of permanent cask ales offers plenty of options for you to build that loyal cask fanbase. In summer, it may make sense to focus on lighter, brighter cask ales that are perfect for a beer garden. Golden ales like Old Golden Hen and Deuchars are perfect while pale ales like Yardbird also come into their own when the sun shines.

Don’t forget too that Greene King’s Fresh Cask Releases range also offers the chance to keep mixing it up at the bar with new cask ales introduced every couple of months. Cask ale fans do like trying new beers so this is a great way to maintain excitement and interest.

PREMIUM MAKEOVER!

Making the most of outdoor space is critical in maximising impact and helping drive new footfall – and there are few examples more attention-grabbing than the Swan & Hedgehog in Ipswich.

As you can see, the makeover is nothing short of spectacular and included custommade artwork in the garden and in the interior live music space.

Look out in the next issue of Value for Venues for a full profile on the Swan & Hedgehog.

SPANISH, NOT SPAN"iSH"

In July and August the Fresh Cask Releases programme sees King Mango become available, as well as Belhaven Scorcher. Both are available in 4.5G pins to let you trial them with ease. King Mango is the result of a collaboration with Laine Brew Co and is a light and fruity IPA with summer flavours of mango and passionfruit and a background of citrus, tangerine and grapefruit. Belhaven Scorcher is a wonderfully bright and refreshing session ale full of citrus notes and perfect for sipping in the sun.

RTDS AND COCKTAILS

Also worth taking a look at is the RTD category which is, in fact, the fastest growing segment of the entire Beers, Wines and Spirits category.

As well as being super-quick to serve,

SUMMER KEY DRIVERS

they also guarantee happy customers as they deliver the ‘perfect serve’ every time. Greene King offers a wide range of options from major, household name brands that are trusted by customers.

And why not consider adding, or expanding, a cocktail menu? Start with the modern classics like Espresso Martinis or Pornstar Martinis then work your way forward as you begin to understand the tastes of your particular customer base.

Cocktails make the perfect social mediafriendly attention-grabbing drinks for busy beer gardens and can be as simple or complex as you like. Build them from scratch or use premixes to deliver quick, tasty, eye-catching drinks that will have half of the beer garden staring when they are served and then ordering ‘one of whatever she’s having, please’.

GET FRESH

Greene King’s Fresh Cask Releases programme sees two new beers become available in July and August:

CGA and Zonal research found that the key drivers for consumers choosing hospitality venues in 2023 were as follows:

1. Price (66%)

2. Location (61%)

3. Hygiene standards (41%)

4. Good customer service (39%)

It’s likely that the drivers this summer will be very similar, so it’s a great chance to check that you are ticking every box.

Refresh your guests and maintain quality with 4.5G Cask Pins

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A REFRESHING PINT OF GOLDEN BEER IN THE SUN!

Summer is the perfect time to add a selection of golden and pale ales to your line-up and pins are a great way of doing so without compromising on quality.

What are pins?

Pins are smaller containers of cask conditioned ale. Containing 4.5G (36 pints) of ale, they are half the size of a firkin.

PINS

FAQs

Why Should I use Pins?

Pins are a great way to add cask ale to your bar, broaden your range of ales, or simply offer cask during quieter times of the week. Because they are smaller containers, you only need to sell 12 pints a day to maintain quality.

Yes! pins are treated in the exact same way as a 9G firkin. If you have a tilting system in your cellar, there may some adjustments needed to account for the smaller container size. Are pins easy to use?

When would I use a pin vs a firkin?

If you are selling a firkin of the same brand every 3 days you do not need to switch to pins. However, you may want to use a pin for quieter times of the week.

COST OF LIVING: WHERE ARE WE NOW?

Two years on from the start of the cost-of-living crisis, how are consumers feeling and how has their approach to eating and drinking in pubs and other venues changed?

By Caroline Morley, Insights Manager – Consumer

It’s hard to believe but it’s around two years since the start of the cost-of-living crisis that has had a huge impact on consumer spending and, of course, a knock-on effect on the footfall, sales and profits of venues across the country.

But with some encouraging signs of economic recovery in recent months, are we turning some sort of corner? And how exactly are consumers feeling two years on and how have their considerations around eating and drinking in pubs and other venues changed?

The best way to find out is, of course, to ask them – which is exactly what we did.

KEY POINT 1

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE HAS IMPROVED OVER TIME

Our latest data shows pub goers’ consumer confidence levels to be at -9. That might not sound all that encouraging as it’s still a negative number but it’s a huge improvement on the lowest point: in August 2022 consumer confidence dipped to a low of -67, lower than it had been during the pandemic years.

In February of 2023 we saw the percentage of pub goers who claim they’re going out less often being overtaken by the percentage who claim they’re back to going out as much as usual.

Now, more than half (52%) of our pub goers claim they’re going out as much as usual compared to just 31% who say they’re still going out less often. Those numbers were equal at the start of the cost-of-living crisis so it’s great to see the gap opening up.

SO WHAT?

It’s a really positive sign that consumers are feeling much more positive about the general economic situation and their financial situations than they were a couple of years ago.

Yes, times are still hard and confidence varies across demographic groups, but things are moving in the right direction which is great news for our sector as we rely heavily on disposable income and non-essential spend.

KEY POINT 2

DRIVERS OF PUB CHOICE: QUALITY & VALUE PREVAIL

Despite everything going on over the last couple of years during the cost-of-living crisis, the number one driver of pub choice has always and without fail been the quality of the food and drink available.

More than half of all pub goers (51%) say the quality of the food and drink available is the most important thing for them when choosing where to go when they are heading out.

Second-most important at 46% is good value for money. Note, however, that this isn’t the same thing as ‘cheaper’. It’s all about value, not just the price itself.

Perhaps as a legacy of the pandemic, the third-most important factor is hygiene and cleanliness.

SO WHAT?

It’s impossible to overstate the critical importance of quality and value when times are challenging financially, and consumers are being careful what they spend and how often they go out to eat and drink.

When they do venture out, customers want to get the best-value experience they can for the money they are paying, and quality is a huge part of this.

KEY POINT 3

OCCASIONS PRIORITISED: MID-WEEK AND CASUAL COMING BACK

It has become very clear that special occasions, treat and weekend occasions have been prioritised throughout the cost-of-living crisis. They are also the occasions consumers are least likely to drop.

As the cost-of-living crisis starts to ease, we’ve seen an increase in week-day dinners – 20% claim to have prioritised them in the last four weeks – and quick drinks (39% prioritised) returning as consumers become increasingly able to reintroduce occasions that they may have previously deprioritised.

SO WHAT?

Make sure that you and your team ensure a great experience is prioritised across all occasions. Communicate good deals and events mid-week to attract more customers who may now be starting to feel that they can start heading back to the pub for occasions they had previously deprioritised.

KEY POINT 4

COPING STRATEGIES: HELP CUSTOMERS CONTINUE TO EAT OUT

We know customers are still absolutely looking for the best value for money and that behaviours adopted in a recessionary period often stick.

When we asked pub goers which tactics they would employ to continue going out even after eating out became too expensive, the top three were:

Looking for vouchers/deals 62%

Choosing a cheaper main meal 39%

Skipping a starter 37%

SO WHAT?

Continue to offer the best possible value to your customer base in whatever ways you can to support them in continuing to visit. Times are still difficult and are likely to be for another year or so as interest rates remain high and inflation continues, but there does seem to be light at the end of the tunnel.

Celebrate the Summer with Glorious

GOLDEN CASK ALE INCREASES SHARE OVER THE SUMMER MONTHS 1

This means having a selection of golden ale is key to keeping your cask drinkers happy.

HEN

Brewed using the finest malts and the rare Galaxy hop to give subtle tropical fruit notes and a deliciously smooth finish.

DEUCHARS IPA

Winner of over 40 awards. Solid gold in colour, strongly aromatic, with hints of fresh citrus.

Tropical fruit, mango and floral notes, with some spicy character. Good body balanced by a dry bitter linger.

Golden Beers

PALE AND GOLDEN BEERS OFFER BROAD APPEAL

In fact lighter ales bring in a younger, more frequent visitor to the trade2. So simply adding one or two options to your line up is sure to prove popular.

AVAILABLE 14th July - 31st August

BELHAVEN SCORCHER

LIGHT GOLD SESSION ALE 3.8% ABV

A bright, refreshing, session ale with fresh citrus notes. Perfect for the summer.

AVAILABLE July & August

LAINE KING MANGO MANGO PALE ALE 4.3% ABV

A light and fruity IPA brewed in collaboration with Laine Brew Co –a mixture of Mandarina Bavaria and Cascade hops give off tropical notes of Mango and Passionfruit in the forefront, with a background of citrus, tangerine and grapefruit.

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY

Golden ale drinkers visit more frequently, spend more money, and are younger and more affluent, offering venues the perfect opportunity to grow sales and profits this summer.

The summer is a golden period in more ways than one, with opportunities aplenty for venues as warmer weather and glorious sunshine gets customers in the right mood to enjoy a few beers with friends and family down at the local pub or sitting in a beer garden for a lovely, relaxing afternoon or evening.

While sales of many products spike when the mercury rises, cask golden ale shines particularly brightly when the sun makes an appearance. One in four pints of cask ale sold is golden ale, and that figure is rising – so are you perhaps missing a golden opportunity to cash in?

CGA OPMS data from last year shows clearly that golden ale significantly grows its share of the total cask market in the summer months. That in itself is a golden opportunity but we also know that golden ale drinkers visit more frequently and spend more money when they do. CGA Brandtrack data from 2022 found that 54% of golden ale fans visit venues at least weekly (compared to 46% of general drinkers) and that they spent £121 per month compared to £108 for the average drinker.

As if that wasn’t enough, golden ale drinkers also tend

to be younger and more affluent and the same CGA data shows that golden ale is more appealing to female consumers.

Combine all of that and you have the perfect drink to appeal to a wider audience and drive fresh footfall among a group that will visit more often and spend more while they are with you.

GOLDEN TRIO

The key to targeting this lucrative audience is offering a selection of golden ales to keep cask fans happy. Fortunately, Greene King and Belhaven have the perfect portfolio of golden cask ales to help you do just that.

First up is Old Golden Hen, a beer that is essentially celestial sunshine in a glass, crafted using a rare and very special Galaxy hop from Tasmania to deliver subtle tropical fruit notes and a deliciously smooth finish. There are grapefruit and mango notes on the nose and malty sweetness and a hint of tropical fruit on the palate. The finish is clean and refreshing and the result is a flavour-packed beer that goes well with fish and light salad dishes and is sublime on its own too.

GO FOR GOLD

GOLDEN ALE DRINKERS…

Visit more frequently: 54% visiting weekly (compared to 46% for average drinker)

Spend more: £121 per month average (compared to £108 for average drinker)

GOLDEN ALE DRINKERS ARE…

Younger

More affluent

GOLDEN ALE IS…

More appealing to female consumers

27% female (compared with 16% female for Amber Ale)

[CGA BRANDTRACK Q1 2022]

Not only that, our research shows that Old Golden Hen consistently tests significantly better than other beers in blind tests among customers who enjoy golden ales.

Then we have Deuchars, a Golden IPA that has a remarkable heritage and has won over 40 industry awards. Solid gold in colour, it’s a strongly aromatic beer with hints of fresh citrus. It features light malt, fresh floral flavours and zesty, citric hop and is ideal for a day in a beer garden or to help enhance spicy dishes, curries, cheese, meat and shellfish.

Both beers are available in 9G firkins and 4.5G pins.

Also worth considering is Yardbird, technically a pale ale, but delivering all of those lovely tropical fruit, mango and floral notes that characterise a golden ale. It has good body balanced by a dry, bitter, lingering finish that just works on a warm sunny day.

FRESH CASK RELEASES 2024

Greene King’s annual Fresh Cask Releases programme for 2024 includes two other golden opportunities in the form of False Nine Golden Beer, which has been available throughout the Euro 24 Finals and will still be on sale until 14 July.

Available later this year will be Watch Room Golden Ale, a beer inspired by Greene King’s very own brewery fire brigade which was formed in the late 1800s. Watch Room will be available in September and October.

EXPAND YOUR SEASONAL RANGE WITH 4.5G PINS

It’s now easier than ever to serve your customers a good selection of cask ale whilst minimising the risk of wastage, or a poor-quality 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 to your venue

Pins are not always the best option for your pub – any brand that sells a full firkin every three days does not need to switch to pins – however, you may wish to broaden your range or try new styles, and pins are a great way of doing that. You may even find that mixing pins and firkins maximises availability and reduces wastage throughout the week.

1 IN 4 PINTS OF CASK ALE SOLD, ARE GOLDEN ALES

GET FRESH

Alongside Greene King and Belhaven’s permanent range of golden ales, the Fresh Cask Releases programme for 2024 also adds some further options.

The False Nine Golden Beer has been available throughout the Euro 24 Finals and will still be on sale until 14 July, the final day of the Euro 24 Finals. It’s not too late to squeeze more sales out of this fantastic refreshing and hoppy beer that’s made with a fusion of fragrant hops to deliver citrus and tropical notes.

And, as the year progresses, Watch Room Golden Ale will be available in September and October. Inspired by Greene King’s very own brewery fire brigade – yes, Greene King once had its own fire brigade! – Watch Room is a juicy, tropical golden ale bursting with fruit flavours and is well worth watching out for.

Both limited-edition beers are available in 4.5G Pins.

GO FOR GOLD

It’s the perfect time to back golden cask ales so why not have a fresh look and see if you can drive more sales and bring more people into cask ale with our top-quality golden ales? Remember, cask ale accounts for nearly half of all ale serves, according to CGA data, and it’s unique to the on-trade –meaning that ale enthusiasts will be seeking out your venue for a great selection of cask.

DID YOU KNOW…

40,522 venues stock cask ale

54% of draught ale stockists have cask on the bar

10% of the entire beer category is cask ale

£1.1bn is spent on cask ale in the on-trade

969,000 barrels are sold a year

44% of all ale volume is cask

WHY CASK?

5.4m consumers drink it out of home

Cask ale drinkers are hugely influential in determining which venue their mixed group visits

57% of cask drinkers would visit less often or not visit again if cask was removed

Cask ale drinkers visit venues on average 2.2 times per week – that’s 29% more frequently than the average drinker

Cask ale drinkers consume an average of 4.1 serves per occasion – that’s 5% more serves than the average beer drinker

Cask ale drinkers spend an extra £200 a year compared with regular drinkers.

[1. CGA OPMS MAT 17/06/2023 2. CGA BRANDTRACK 3. APPBG CASKENOMICS, JUNE 2021 4. KANTAR ALCOVISION JUN 2022]

[CGA OPM DATA TO P12 2023 (02/12/2023)]

450 years of history

John Justice and his son Thomas run three bars in Dundee city centre with a combined history of more than 450 years – but they’ve never looked more contemporary.

As a city, Dundee has been through something of a monumental rebirth in recent years with enormous public and private investment driving a revitalisation of the area, culminating in some ways in the opening of the epic V&A Museum on the banks of the Tay in 2018.

Once famous for ‘jute, jam and journalism,’ Dundee is now a bustling city with a burgeoning student population, a plethora of business, cultural and recreational assets and, of course, a lot of pubs and restaurants. Three pubs which have lived through the evolution of the city are now in the hands of publican John Justice and his son Thomas. Between them, Pillars Bar (160 years), Bush Bar (140 years) and the Star & Garter

(150 years), have a combined history of an astonishing 450 years – and that brings a responsibility that is not lost on the father and son duo.

A former lawyer, appropriately enough with a surname like Justice, John worked in the city for many decades. “I had no professional experience of the pub trade, although I did have plenty of personal experience!” laughs John. “When I was still a solicitor, back in the day, it was normal for us to host meetings in the pub and have long, boozy lunches. It was just the way things were back then. So I was pretty familiar with most of the pubs in the city centre.”

When he finally decided to retire in 2006,

aged 50, with no specific plans, he learned that the Bush Bar in the city centre was up for sale and, without pondering it for too long, decided to go for it. “At that point it was an old, traditional Dundee pub and I took over with some help from Belhaven, who we’ve been with ever since. For personal reasons I then sold it in 2010 but subsequently bought it back during Covid.”

In 2011 John had the chance to buy Pillars Bar, just a few minutes’ walk from Bush Bar.

“I got it from Scottish & Newcastle in February 2010 and to this day I have absolutely no idea why they wanted to sell it,” puzzles John. “It was a cracking pub and it is Dundee city centre’s oldest pub, having

HISTORY MAKER

Pillars bar – Est. 1864

Star & Garter – Est. 1874

Bush Bar – Est. 1884

opened in 1864. We recently celebrated its 160th anniversary.

“When I bought it, it had been closed for several months, but I knew it was a great investment.”

Within a year of taking over, John had added another string to his entrepreneurial bow by opening the Salty Dog, arguably now the most popular gay bar in Dundee.

John explains: “We created the Salty Dog as a sort of pub-within-a-pub at Pillars Bar by using an empty lounge and refitting it as a standalone venue. There is a stairway linking it to the main pub but it has its own front door, its own décor and its own bar.”

That was down to a bit of opportunism from John when he was able to lure DJ Ross McGillivray away from Gauger, Dundee’s only gay bar at the time.

“Ross was really well known, and the idea was to attract that trade to the Salty Dog –and it worked.” So well did it work, in fact, that the Salty Dog was named Best Gay Venue in Scotland in 2019 at the inaugural Proud Scotland awards.

“I think there were a few raised eyebrows among the regulars when we told them about opening a gay bar next door, but Dundee is a pretty liberal city and everybody soon just got on with it,” says John.

PILLARS BAR

SUCCESSION PLANNING

During this period, John’s youngest son Thomas was helping out around the business and getting to know the ropes then, in 2017 when he turned 18, Thomas officially started working with his father.

“I’m 25 now but I’ve been around the pub for as long as I can remember,” says Thomas. Between about 16 and 18 I was doing cellar work part time but when I eventually turned 18, I decided to give it a go. At the time I was working as a roofer but I enjoyed working in the pub.”

John has seen enough to be convinced that Thomas “has an aptitude for the pub trade” and, indeed, John is loosely planning to retire at the end of this year. “I’ll probably stay on and do bits here and there like accounts and admin, but I’m confident Thomas is ready to take over, with a little bit of help from me when he needs it.”

With Thomas on board full time then, things were looking rosy – and then Covid struck. Unlike many publicans, however, John and Thomas didn’t lose heart and instead

decided to use the time wisely to refurb the pub.

“Yes, the pandemic was awful, absolutely,” sighs John. “But we chose to look at it as an opportunity. When else would you have an entirely empty pub that would let you get on with painting, decorating and refurbs without upsetting customers?”

The fact that none of John’s pubs has ever sold food means that the pubs remained fully closed for long periods, letting John and the team busy themselves with preparing the venues for the fateful day when the doors could be thrown open once again.

It was also during the pandemic that John got the opportunity to buy Bush Bar back from Belhaven after the lease holder ran into some problems.

“That was another opportunity that was too good to miss, and it also gave us the time to refit and refurb that pub as well before re-opening after lockdown. We completely gutted it and it’s unrecognisable now.”

The refitted Bush features retained old features like stained glass windows but also boasts a new genuine mahogany bar that was hand-carved in England for an outlay of £45k, which clearly still makes John wince when he tells how much it cost!

The big re-opening day of Pillars Bar finally arrived in March 2021, although it wasn’t quite as John and Thomas had hoped. “It was a partial re-opening”, recalls Thomas. “So we could only serve outside. We were lucky in that we had some outside space but we could only fit six tables. And it was absolutely freezing cold so we weren’t overly hopeful but, as it turns out, we were packed! I think customers were so keen to get back out and about that they were happy to put up with the cold.”

The Bush Bar finally re-opened in October 2022 and the refurb made it an instant hit. It was a similar story at Pillars Bar where all the hard work during Covid paid off in style.

“It’s remarkable really,” smiles John. “In our first year after lockdown, sales were up 30% on pre-pandemic 2019 levels. That’s spectacular growth in anybody’s book.”

STAR ATTRACTION

Success breeds success, as they say, and in February last year John and Thomas were offered the chance to take over another storied and historic city centre pub. “I had always liked the Star & Garter,” says John. “Thomas and I had talked about it being a great venue and it’s just round the corner from Pillars. It has been around forever too – it first opened in 1874 – and that history was attractive to us.

“They had turned it into a craft beer bar which was a nice idea but we felt it was a bit limiting so, long story short, I approached the owner and we got the lease. We did a quick refurb and re-opened as a more modern but still traditional pub.”

The upshot is that John and Thomas now run three very busy but very different pubs. “All three are doing really well but they are very different from each other with very different audiences. The only thing they

have in common is that Belhaven supplies them all.

“We’ve been dealing with Belhaven for many, many years and they have invariably been really supportive. In return, we’re very loyal to them and we have a great relationship.”

Pillars and the Star & Garter both feature cask ales with two pumps in each and John says cask certainly adds something: “We have a couple of cask ales on in both pubs, usually one Greene King ale and one guest, local ale. Cask has a die-hard fan base of people that will only drink cask so that helps bring people here. There aren’t many pubs in the city centre that offer cask, so it’s a USP.

“We use Pins, which really help. It lets us try new cask ales with minimal risk and it lets us keep the range fresh by swapping beers in and out.”

“IN OUR FIRST YEAR AFTER LOCKDOWN, SALES WERE UP 30% ON PREPANDEMIC 2019 LEVELS.” JOHN JUSTICE

John has recently introduced Level Head and Hazy Day in Pillars, the first premium craft beers to feature behind the bar, and says they are “beginning to tick away nicely”. Belhaven Best, Estrella Galicia and Pillars Stout – a white label product from Belhaven – are also available, alongside a range of mainstream lagers and ciders.

NO FRILLS

One notable element at Pillars Bar is the conspicuous lack of crowd-pulling tricks and techniques that so many venues are relying on these days to drive footfall. “We have a DJ in Pillars on Friday and Saturday nights and always a free jukebox as in all our pubs but that’s about it – but we’re mobbed at the weekend and busy all week long. We don’t do food, we don’t have sport on TV, we don’t do cocktails, we don’t even do teas or coffees,” laughs John. “We don’t because we don’t need to and because that’s the way our customers like it. We like to think it’s a proper pub.

“We’re not a community pub, as such. We have regulars but they tend to be older, working-class people who are reasonably affluent. They like a drink, they don’t sit and nurse a pint for an hour and a half and they want their pub to be a pub – and we’re happy to oblige.”

Meanwhile, Bush Bar leads heavily with live music at the weekend. “It’s mostly local talent, either soloist or duos,” explains Thomas. “It’s upbeat stuff, cover bands, Northern Soul, folk – a bit of everything. The live music draws regulars and brings new customers in all the time.”

So it sounds like John and Thomas are bucking a whole swathe of industry trends and are thoroughly enjoying the ride. And what lies ahead for John in his retirement?

“Listen, I’m 68 now and there’s things I want to do while I still can,” he smiles. “Thomas is well capable of taking over and I want to do a bit of travelling in Scotland, I want to

do some work on my whisky collection and I want to just spend some time enjoying myself.

“I’ll no doubt stay involved and I do have an idea for turning a snug at the back of the Star & Garter into a whisky saloon, but that’s something for down the track maybe.”

So, no plans for more pubs? John chuckles and says: “Well, there is one venue that springs to mind but it would be a big project and would need to be gutted. But never say never!”

MAKING A SPLASH IN SEAFORD

Jessy Chapman’s entrepreneurial spirit has seen her transform a seaside pub with a

And she’s only just got started.

Located on the glorious south coast of England, just a dozen miles or so east of Brighton, the town of Seaford shares many characteristics with its bohemian and more famous neighbour. It has the same long beaches, mostly lovely weather and quirky beach-front pubs, for example, but Seaford marches to a much more sedate beat.

“Seaford is kind of like Brighton in some ways, but it’s a lot less edgy – and the people that live here want to keep it that way,” laughs Jessy Chapman who runs The Kings Head pub in the town.

That slightly more conservative approach to life presents Jessy with plenty of opportunities, but it also brings a few challenges too – but Jessy, as we will discover, absolutely loves a challenge.

HOME FROM HOME

“I’m not from Seaford,” she explains. “I grew up in Burgess Hill, a good 45-minute drive away, and still live there today but we used to come down on holiday as a family every summer because we had a static caravan

holiday home here. I always just liked it because it feels like Brighton but a bit less hectic and intense!”

So how did Jessy end up running a pub in the town in her mid-20s? “Well, my mum and dad had run pubs for 25 years so I kind of grew up in and around pubs my whole life,” she says. “But to be honest, I wanted to be an actress. I wanted to be on Eastenders, like Peggy Mitchell! But I went to university and eventually realised that I’d better start thinking a bit more realistically and realised that I needed to pay my bills – so I became an accountant, and not a very good one.”

At the same time Jessy was continuing to have conversations over the dinner table with her mum and dad and started to make some plans. “Initially we wanted to get into property, maybe buy a house to let and we considered buying a bit of land and making a campsite.”

Despite the fact that this was during the Covid years, the family then started looking around for properties and came across a pub in Newhaven that looked promising.

“I REALLY WANT TO MAKE THIS A TRUE COMMUNITY PUB SO I’VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME NETWORKING IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, GETTING INVOLVED IN A LOT OF COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES AND SHOWING THE TOWN THAT WE ARE HERE FOR THEM IN ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS”

“We took over The Jolly Boatman in 2020 and it was tough, as you can imagine – opening it and shutting it as the lockdown rules changed. We did what we could to make ends meet. We built a kiosk shop on the side of it, for example, to let us sell the basics like bread and milk and breakfasts and things like that.”

Clearly an entrepreneurial young woman – she is only 29 today –Jessy’s hard work paid off in 2021 when the opportunity arrived to take over a much more promising pub, The Kings Head in Seaford.

REAL DEAL

“We’d managed to save money up during Covid but it was a really tough time to get a mortgage,” she recalls. “Banks just weren’t willing to get involved, but we eventually got there and we took over here at The Kings Head in April 2021, even though the lockdown rules at the time meant we could only serve outside. Fortunately, the pub has a decent-sized beer garden so we were able to get up and running.”

Jessy says the support she received from friends, family and the local community at that time was “unreal” – but it was still a very difficult period.

“The pub used to be called The Bay Tree and it had a really bad reputation when we took over,” laughs Jessy. “Fights, drugs, you name it. So I had to bar about 50 people in the first week! It was a tough thing to do and it didn’t go down well with a lot of people, as you can imagine, but I had to do it because I wanted to take the pub in a different direction and I wanted to make it welcoming to a different audience that would never have crossed the door previously. And, to be honest, I lost those 50 customers but I gained 10 lovely customers at the same time, so the plan was working.”

And that plan continues to work to this day as Jessy and her team continue to establish themselves and build a new identity and ethos for The Kings Head.

“The first six months were really tough,” she admits, “but word spread and we knew we were going in the right direction. I was basically living in the pub, morning noon and night but I was desperate to make it work.”

Jessy and her mum and dad also made great use of the enforced downtime during the pandemic by effectively gutting and redecorating the whole pub.

Jessy explains: “We transformed the place and added a pool table, a dart board, sports TV and a wood-burning stove, we took the beer garden apart and re-did it how we wanted it. We did a lot of the

work ourselves and got fantastic help from our team who got stuck in without being asked. We also added new taps behind the bar with Greene King’s help to modernise the bar area and ultimately, the pub is unrecognisable from how it used to be.”

Unsurprisingly, Jessy’s customers could hardly believe the difference and started visiting more often and bringing new customers with them.

COMMUNITY FIRST

“I really want to make this a true community pub so I’ve spent a lot of time networking in the local community, getting involved in a lot of community activities and showing the town that we are here for them in all sorts of different ways,” she says.

Jessy quickly realised the need to set the pub apart from the competition – there are quite a few pubs in Seaford – and she did that in various ways.

“We’re open to 1.30am at the weekend, which means we’re open longer than any other pub in Seaford,” she comments. “That helps bring people here, but we are still pretty careful. We stop letting people in around 11.30pm to avoid that rush of people that have maybe had one too many and just want to come here for a final pint. That’s not the audience we’re aiming to attract.

“Additionally, we have built up a more or less week-long entertainment programme to encourage people to come right through the week and not just at weekends. We have live bands every Friday and Saturday, which is hugely popular and they’re organised by a regular customer we all call ‘Uncle Eddie’. We also have a quiz night on Mondays, free pool on Tuesdays, open mic every other Wednesday, karaoke on Thursdays and Ladies’ Day on Sundays with special deals on Prosecco.”

Jessy also sponsors two local football teams who use the pub as a social base and help spread the word.

GARDEN LIFE

In addition to hosting back-to-back entertainment all week, Jessy has also been working hard to turn the beer garden into a little haven behind the pub. The beer garden can accommodate around 50 people and is unsurprisingly hugely popular in summer, so Jessy is keen to leverage that opportunity further.

“We have singers in the beer garden, which has been really popular,” she says. “And we’ve decorated it with parasols and so on. We also

re-painted all the furniture and added some plants and decorative elements.”

Her latest development sees the addition of two new pods that allow customers to have some privacy as well as some extra protection from the sun (and summer showers) as well as encouraging them to hang around longer in the garden during the evening.

“The pods open in July,” says Jessy. “The lights and flowers are done and we’re fitting heaters, TVs and speakers. It’s quite exciting.”

CASK CHAMPIONS

Another USP that Jessy boasts is an extensive cask ale range, something that she introduced. “When I first took over there were no cask pumps but I thought it could be a way of bringing new footfall to the pub,” recalls Jessy. “So I spoke to Greene King and we decided on Old Speckled Hen as the product to launch with. It turned out to be really successful, so we added a stamp card loyalty scheme and grew the range. We now have five cask pumps and we get all our cask ales from Greene King with the exception of Summer Lightning which we got in after requests by customers.

“In fact, we buy pretty much everything from Greene King and they’ve been fantastically supportive. My SDM Sarah Johnson is a superstar! She just understands me and she’s been brilliant in offering advice, helping me get training and so on but also just encouraging me and inspiring me to create a brilliant pub.”

Always keen to lead from the front, Jessy was the first to do a cellar training course with Greene King. “Cask ale needs to be treated with care and I knew that if I wanted to serve great cask beer and if I wanted to train my team I had to know it inside out myself,” she explains.

The pub is also in line for a full cellar refurb in the future, another of the many improvements in planning as Jessy relentlessly pursues her goals.

STEP BY STEP

“The reality is we don’t have limitless funds,” Jessy admits, “so we have to evolve the pub a bit at a time. I accept that, even though there a lot of things I’d love to do that I think would make a huge difference. We have a huge kitchen for instance. We used to do food but our chef got ill and we stopped it. I’d like to get back into making use of that. We also have a big function room upstairs that we do use but it has the potential to become a big revenue stream. We have some private rooms above the pub that we could let out and that would help generate steady income. So there’s plenty of opportunities down the line but they all require investment and time – but I’ll get there!”

Clearly a great summer with plenty of sunshine will help accelerate Jessy’s plans and allow her to bring more of her ideas for The Kings Head to fruition – but her determination and grit is already there for all to see.

“I suppose I enjoy the fact that I’m a woman and I want to share my story to show other women in the industry that they can do it too,” she says. “It still amazes me when I’m out and about in Seaford,

getting involved in community projects and just meeting people, that almost everyone assumes that it must be a man that’s running the pub! I’ve had to prove myself in the community but I do enjoy challenging that stereotype.”

Further proof of Jessy’s determination and courage is the small matter of jumping out of an aeroplane. “I’m doing a skydive for Macmillan Cancer Care shortly,” she laughs. “I’m slightly petrified but it’s been on my bucket list of things I want to do before I’m 30 and it’s for a great cause that’s close to my heart.”

She is also quick to acknowledge the influential role her father has played in developing her drive: “My dad is my biggest inspiration and that’s where my drive comes from. It’s all down to him!”

GET SOCIAL

As a digital native, Jessy is more than comfortable with social media and uses it to great effect to raise awareness of her entertainment package, her range, her community work and pretty much anything else that is of interest to the local community.

“It’s a great tool and we use it widely,” she comments. “We manage to attract really good acts to the pub and social media is perfect for sharing that. We see people coming from miles and miles away for the entertainment, which is a good sign.”

Ever the entrepreneur, Jessy has also applied to the local council to open a container bar on the nearby beach to sell cocktails and food and act as a satellite for the pub. “The beach can get really busy so it would be a great way of expanding the business and also advertising the pub itself. It can be quite difficult to get some new things done in a small town that is set in its ways to a certain extent. We’ll see…”

Is she optimistic? “I have to be!” she laughs. And you certainly wouldn’t bet against Jessy getting her way and continuing to make her mark.

QUALITY MATTERS

With over 200 years of brewing history and heritage, Greene King rightly enjoys legendary status in the industry. Remaining consistently successful for more than two centuries is a monumental achievement but at the heart of that enduring success is one very simple thing: fantastic quality beer.

Producing fantastic quality beer is, of course, only the first step in a chain of critical events that ends with a satisfied customer delightedly sipping on a delicious, fresh, perfect pint.

And that’s why the Cellar Services division of Greene King has always been a pivotal part of the business, working with venues across the country to help them ensure that the beer they receive from Greene King is treated with the respect and care it deserves. This is particularly important when it comes to cask ale. Only by storing, conditioning and serving it properly

As well as supporting Free Trade customers, Greene King’s Event Team also supports a vast array of festivals and events ensuring that Greene King’s brands are front and centre and top quality beer is served even in incredibly challenging environments.

can venues ensure that every pint they serve to a customer is tip-top quality.

IN THE FIELD

With a good cellar setup and a regular cleaning and training regime, serving perfect pints time after time is eminently achievable – but what happens when you head outdoors into a field in the middle of nowhere on a scorching hot day to set up a bar for hundreds or thousands of thirsty customers?

That’s the challenge that faces Greene King Brewing & Brands Events Manager Jon Newton every week in life.

“We all know that serving beer in the best possible condition is the way to ensure fantastic customer experiences and drive

ON THE ROAD…

Jon and his team will be letting tens of thousands of consumers try Greene King beers this year at festivals including:

Heritage Live

Wychwood Festival

Love Supreme

Cambridge Club

spend, repeat purchases and, ultimately, brand loyalty,” says Jon. “And when you’re doing that in a controlled environment like a pub beer cellar with the right equipment and the professional support of the Greene King Cellar Services team, that’s relatively straightforward to achieve these days. But what we’re doing on the Events team is heading to festivals, events and various other gatherings in the polar opposite of a controlled environment!”

FESTIVAL BENEFITS

It’s worth pointing out that the dozens of events and festivals that Greene King attend every year play a key role in introducing new consumers to Greene King’s beers and, hopefully, to creating new fans.

“A lot of the reasons why we set up bars at events is to drive brand awareness and achieve sampling on a fairly significant scale,” says Jon. “It gives lots of consumers who have perhaps never tried

cask ale before a chance to give it a go and it allows us to introduce consumers to our range of brands and products in a convivial atmosphere when generally they are in a good mood and are open to trying something new.

“Ultimately, we hope to bring more people into the brands. The consequence of that is that they will then buy those brands when they visit their local pub, so there’s a clear benefit for our Free Trade customers.”

So, there’s clear commercial logic in attending festivals and events up and down the country but the challenges of doing so can be significant.

“At Greene King, quality is the beginning, the middle and the end of what we do,” says Jon. “What that means is that, even though we might be setting up a bar miles from anywhere in a muddy field in glorious sunshine or persistent drizzle, we still need to make sure that the beer

we serve is in the best possible condition. We cannot and will not compromise on the quality of the beer we serve.”

Now, if you’ve ever been to a festival yourself, you’ll no doubt be familiar with pre-poured room temperature beers that long ago lost their head and really don’t make for particularly enjoyable drinking experiences.

“We see it a lot at festivals,” laughs Jon. “Other bars near us serving beer or cider that really isn’t in great shape and it just doesn’t make for a positive encounter with the brand involved. For us, we want the beers we serve at festivals to be as good as the beers customers would expect in a pub.”

SQUARE THE CIRCLE

Which is all well and good, but how exactly do you achieve that in the middle of a field? “It’s challenging, but we manage,” says Jon. “Back of house there

Pub In the Park – with Tom Kerridge

are two key factors: conditioning and temperature. Firstly, the cask ales we serve need to be conditioned properly and given the correct time to condition to perfection. Secondly, the beers need to be maintained at the correct temperature.”

To do that, Jon’s team has a special refrigerated lorry complete with six coolers and 28 pouring taps on the back bar. That specialised kit means that, even on really warm days, the equipment isn’t being put under extreme stress.

“The lorry means the beer stays chilled and then the six coolers push the temperature of the beer to precisely where it needs to be for serving. On top of that, we always pour to order and, to minimise queuing time, we have to have more serving staff available. Yes, there’s still a brief wait for the customer, just like there would be in a pub, but we find that they genuinely appreciate the fact that they’re getting a freshly poured, great quality pint.”

ALL SIZES

Jon and his team are busy all year round but events and festivals obviously peak during the summer months.

“We get involved in a lot of events from trade shows and awards evenings to large-scale beer and music festivals,” says Jon. “We sponsor the Pub In The Park food and music festival and run the beer bar there, for example, which is headed up by celebrity chef Tom Kerridge. We attend the Heritage Live music events and the Wychwood Music Festival… the list goes on. And every event presents new challenges and opportunities, but we always manage to deliver the quality beer that has made us famous for 200 years!

“Whether it’s a small-scale beer festival or huge music festivals where we can take 300 kegs or casks, the principles and process are the same. We condition the beer to cellar conditions and we serve top-notch beer, pint after pint. We don’t cut any corners, and our customers understand and appreciate that, just as they have always done.”

BLACKEYE GIN

THE UNOFFICIAL SPIRIT OF RUGBY

ABOUT BLACKEYE GIN

Rugby legends Mike Tindall and James Haskell, alongside television presenter Alex Payne created Blackeye Gin, the ‘uno icial spirit of rugby’, born out of the overwhelming enthusiasm from the loyal listeners of the founders’ podcast, The Good, The Bad, and The Rugby, who initially made the suggestion

Blackeye is an award-winning smooth blend of fresh citrus-forward flavours, subtle floral notes, and a burst of juniper, rounded o with a unique combination of botanicals selected from each of the major Rugby nations.

£1.50 from each bottle sold goes to the Blackeye Rugby Fund, which focuses on supporting past, present and future players in three key areas:

RESEARCH

Making the game safer for future generations

RISK

Working with experts to decrease the risks associated with the game

RECOVERY

Looking a er the players that get seriously injured from the game

SPECIAL OFFER

Buy 1 x 70cl bottle of Blackeye Gin, and get £2.50 o ,

And, enter the ra le for a chance to win a Blackeye Gin founders appearance** to engage with customer and team at your venue!

Buy a minimum of 3 x 70cl bottle of Blackeye Gin and get a POS kit*

DRINKS STRATEGY

Blackeye gin, light tonic and a Orange wheel

*POS KIT contains:

• 2 x Blackeye Gin branded T-shirts

• 20 x Tent Cards

• 50 Coasters

Only one POS kit per venue, while stock lasts

**T&Cs apply

Meet The Team: Tracey Coubrough

This issue, we catch up with Customer Marketing Manager Tracey Coubrough to find out more about her role in helping Free Trade customers grow their sales and profits.

ABOUT TRACEY

Tracey has been with Greene King for a little over two years, joining the company as a Customer Marketing Executive. She was promoted to her current role earlier this year.

Prior to joining Greene King, she spent 10 years with Diageo in marketing and brand activation before spending 11 years with Britvic, much of it in the on-trade. She was a core part of the team that helped relaunch J20 and Britvic mixers and juices, and she was heavily involved in the development of dispense innovation for Pepsi.

She also spent four years in retail as Marketing Manager for McColl’s.

SO TRACEY, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF…

I’m Tracey Coubrough and I joined Greene King just over two years ago as a Customer Marketing Executive. I’ve been lucky enough to work on lots of different brands and parts of the company over that time and have thoroughly enjoyed it. In February this year I was promoted to Customer Marketing Manager and my responsibilities have grown and evolved with that new role.

WHAT HAVE YOU WORKED ON IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS?

Initially when I joined, I was focused on point of sale (POS) and merchandising for our brands for the Free Trade but as I settled into the role I was given more responsibilities and the scope of my job grew. I became more involved in brand planning and activation, particularly on the Belhaven and Abbot Ale brands. It was fascinating and I really enjoyed getting the chance to develop relationships with the SDMs and RSMs, really getting to grips with what our customers want, presenting at key forums and generally just getting involved in more and more projects. Last year, for example, I worked closely with the Belhaven brand manager on the re-branding of Belhaven, making sure we had all the updated POS materials and glassware ready on time.

WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST ABOUT THE NEW ROLE?

WHAT DOES THE PROMOTION MEAN?

More responsibility, mostly! I’m now responsible for developing effective promotions and POS that will work for our free trade customers. That runs from helping develop new POS kits, promotions and strategies for our Free Trade customers, to overseeing our fulfilment warehouse where we store all of our POS and merchandising materials to make sure we have enough stocks of everything all year round. It’s a huge task! Recently we had a lot of activity around the Euro 24 Finals so I spent a lot of time creating POS kits and promotions for the tournament to help customers leverage that huge opportunity. We created consumer-facing promotions and trade deals so there was a mountain of t-shirts, POS, glassware and other materials to manage. I was also responsible for the arguably less exciting but no less important elements like developing the T&Cs for the promotions and making sure that consumers could enter competitions effectively through our on-line platforms.

It’s definitely the opportunity to take a step back and analyse what we have been doing for our customers and to satisfy myself that we’re giving them the best support we can to help them maximise sales. Before the promotion, I was simply charged with making the strategy work as well as possible. Now I have the responsibility of ensuring that the strategy itself is as strong as it can be. It’s a big responsibility but it’s a challenge that really fires me up.

AND YOU ALSO WORK ON PREMIUM BEERS?

Yes, the other half of my job is now supporting the marketing of our new and growing range of Premium Beers. I’m really excited about that challenge because, for me, the new premium range is a very exciting opportunity for the on-trade. Level Head and Flint Eye are still relatively new but now we also have Hazy Day and Prior Life. My role is to help bring these fantastic new brands to life in the on-trade and provide all the support

Our award-winning Cotswolds Signature Single Malt Whisky is crafted using the finest locally grown, traditionally floor-malted Cotswold barley. Belonging to our Classics Collection, our Signature Single Malt favours the rich and bold, fruity notes which result from maturation in our highly active STR (Shaved, Toasted and Re-charred) ex-red wine barriques. Blended with whisky matured in premium first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels, this single malt has notes of honey, red fruits and a hint of treacle.

we can to our customers to help them drive rate of sale. As the range is so new, there’s still plenty of scope to keep driving up awareness and helping customers pull through sales in-venue.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE OF THE FOUR NEW PREMIUM BEERS?

That’s a toughie! I’d probably have to say Level Head. It’s lovely and refreshing, it’s easy to drink but it’s also packed with flavour. It’s an amazing-quality beer and that’s what we do best at Greene King.

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?

There are no typical days in my job, which is partly why I enjoy it so much. My role is extremely varied which is brilliant because I get to work with so many different passionate, experienced, talented people and, at the end of the day, we’re all trying to help our customers sell as much beer as they can. What’s not to

like? But there’s no typical day. I can be managing the fulfilment centre, working on new promotions, developing new branded glassware. The list goes on.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON THIS SECOND?

I’m actually creating sales presenters for our sales team which give them everything they need to know when talking to our customers about the Premium Beers range!

DO YOU THINK IT WILL BE A GOOD SUMMER FOR CUSTOMERS?

I do, actually. The Euro 24 Finals was a brilliant way to start the summer season and if we get the weather this summer – which is always a big ‘if’ – it could be a really strong summer for our customers. We’ve got the products, the brands and support in place to help carry that momentum forward so I’m optimistic that this could be a really important few months for the trade.

GET INTO THE SPIRIT

Premiumise your drinks menu with the latest RTDs, rums and gins listed by Greene King and Belhaven.

ABSOLUT VODKA & SPRITE 250ML

Combining two iconic brands into a perfectly balanced pre-mixed cocktail, this RTD offers the convenience of a can, but the quality of premium Absolut Vodka and the refreshing lemon-lime taste of Sprite. The zesty 5% ABV tipple is expected to be a major draw for customers, given that refreshment is the number one preference amongst consumers when making an alcoholic RTD choice*.

The neat packaging design features Absolut Vodka’s bottle silhouette front and centre, and a vibrant colour gradient, providing the sophistication of a traditional cocktail with no need for measures and mixers.

(*Source: IWSR RTDs Strategic Study 2022 – United Kingdom)

BUMBU RUM 70CL

Barbados’ groundwater, which is purified via natural limestone, has been combined with sugarcane from across the Caribbean and South America, to create an incredibly light and smooth spirit.

This 40% ABV full-bodied rum is distilled using two continuous stills. The Barbadian distillery where Bumbu Original is made has been in continuous operation for over a century and the fermentation process uses a yeast, which is a distillery secret dating back to 1840!

GO WELL GIN 70CL

Radio 1 Breakfast DJ Greg James teamed up with England cricketer Jimmy Anderson, businessman Matt Horan and Felix White, who is best known as the guitarist in former indie band The Maccabees, to create a luxurious gin, crafted by a boutique distillery in Jimmy’s hometown of Burnley.

Inspired by Jimmy, Go Well London Dry Gin has an ABV of 40% and features delicate citrus notes, leading to a bold and punchy juniper “attack on the tastebuds”.

Meanwhile, 40% ABV Go Well Spiced Mango is inspired by Felix’s meeting with a former England Cricket Captain. This sumptuous, spicy gin contains mango pulp, providing a sweet tang.

Twenty per cent of all profits raised by the sales of Go Well Gin will be donated to The Go Well Fund, which has raised almost £100,000 for various charities, helping refugees, young people and children in need.

THE DRINKS BUREAU COCKTAILS

1.5L

Keep the queues down, and the excitement up with these fabulous party box cocktails from The Drinks Bureau. Ticking all the boxes for consumers in search of a tasty and stylish beverage, these 10% ABV premium RTDs are available in five popular flavours: Passion Fruit Martini, Strawberry Daiquiri, Lychee Martini, Spicy Margarita and Espresso Martini, with each box providing 10 servings.

Dreamed up by mixologist Frankie Snobel, who wanted to create bar-quality cocktails without the faff, these swanky cocktails guarantee consistent flavour and require zero preparation.

ALL WHITE ON THE NIGHT

With summer well and truly upon us, Greene King has an exceptional range of white wines to help you cash in on warmer weather sales in this vital category.

By Fiona Davies, Wine Category Manager

In this issue, as we continue to take a deep dive into Greene King’s extensive wine range, we are moving our attention to the vital white wine category. With summer now upon us, it’s the perfect time to take a fresh look at your wine range and ensure that you have a white for every occasion and every budget.

CGA data from 2023 shows that when it comes to white wine, the key attributes that consumers are looking for when making a selection are, in order: ‘easy to drink’ (41%); ‘fresh’ (40%); ‘crisp’ (40%); ‘fruity’ (36%); and smooth (34%).

Greene King’s range features plenty of fantastic options that will help you meet every one of those demands and don’t forget that, while total wine volumes are down, the number of people regularly drinking wine has actually increased. In other words, more people than before are still regularly consuming wine in the on-trade – it’s just that they are choosing to drink in moderation.

Additionally, a growing number of today’s wine drinkers are looking for more when they visit your venue: 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 the privilege.

BEST OF THE BUNCH

The great news is that Greene King’s extensive range has something to suit every taste and every budget, and is packed with unusual and new wines that can help you build a wine list that sets you apart from the competition.

Despite the cost-of-living challenges still facing consumers, one of the most notable trends is the growth in importance of the premium end of the wine market with high spending, more adventurous customers actively seeking out higher quality, more unusual wines. This represents a huge opportunity for venues.

With that in mind, why not consider adding some of Greene King’s ‘Best’ whites to your list? The Palmetto Barossa Riesling is a great example of an unusual Australian wine that features citrussy sherbet notes, clean minerality and a well-balanced

palate with crisp, natural acidity. For more traditional tastes, how about the Joseph Drouhin Chablis, an elegant and classy Chablis with lean citrus flavours and mineral complexity?

Or perhaps the Charles Smith Vino Pinot Grigio from the USA that is full-flavoured with mineral aromas and is packed full or citrus and melon flavours?

BETTER OPTIONS

If your venue demands more affordable options then Greene King has a vast selection of ‘Better’ white wines that deliver exceptional tasting experiences but are within reach of a wider range of consumers.

For those that like the safety of a big brand, the 19 Crimes Chardonnay is a great option that has bags of melon and stone fruit carried along with a wave of creamy oak. For the more adventurous wine drinker there are some outstanding Chilean options including the Vina Ventisquero Chardonnay and the Ventopuro Sauvignon Blanc, both characterised by tropical fruit

SELECTING THE RIGHT RANGE FOR YOUR VENUE

Creating the perfect range for your specific venue can be a complex task so, to help you, we have used our long experience in working with every type of venue, to share advice on building the perfect wine list for your specific venue type.

EXAMPLE 1

VENUE TYPE: FOOD PUB

Food pubs tend be focused on the food offering, with a wide-ranging menu to cater for all tastes.

Food pubs will typically serve food either throughout the day or at lunch and dinner times and will often offer a traditional Sunday roast.

OUR ADVICE

Wines should be selected first and foremost to complement your food offering, while also ensuring that the range offers wines for every budget but without compromising on quality. Venues should feature good quality house wines as well as offering a selection of more premium wines.

With Low Alcohol wines an emerging trend in your customer base, we also have a range of single serve options for you to offer choice to customers looking to moderate their consumption.

EXAMPLE 2

VENUE TYPE: BAR

From late night, cocktail and wine bars to craft, student and other specialist bars, the main focus is on the drinks offering.

Bars will often offer a small or basic food menu and are usually open to midnight although some may close later. The atmosphere can be mixed from low key and relaxed, through to a higher tempo energetic vibe.

OUR ADVICE

Whether you are a cocktail, wine, or craft bar, or are carving your own niche in your very own style, the wines should cover every customer’s taste preference.

Focus on offering great quality house wines with perhaps a premium option or two for those looking for something a little more upmarket like Champagne, Prosecco or Cava for those celebrating a special occasion.

EXAMPLE 3

VENUE TYPE: GOLF CLUB

Golf clubs will generally open throughout the day and cater to regular members and visitors.

They tend to have a good range of drinks offering value for their members and may also have a premium range to cater for corporate events and other functions like weddings.

The food offering varies from simple bar snacks through to a more formal dining experience.

OUR ADVICE

Stock wines to cater for all day parts and the various events hosted throughout the year. We recommend offering some great quality house wines as well as some superb trade-up options for those special events, and award winners with English Sparkling Wines well worth considering.

GOOD, BETTER, BEST

To help you ensure that you are meeting every consumer need, all wines available from Greene King are classified as either Good, Better or Best.

We have worked with our wine buyers to recommend a list of wines for our customers based on their specific and unique needs – broken down into three groups:

1. Good: entry level but still great quality wine

2. Better: mid-range, high quality wine

3. Best: premium wines offering something a little special

Our research tells us that many consumers choose wine predominately on price so having something from all three groups will ensure you have a wine for every taste and every budget.

and citrus notes.

For Old World loyalists, the Domaine Guy Allion Sauvignon Blanc from France is a great option, intense and fresh with aromas of citrus and pineapple and flavours of gooseberry and grapefruit.

And for those who prefer to support home-grown producers, why not try the Kingscote Bacchus, a great expression of the English Bacchus, bold and aromatic.

VALUE AND QUALITY

At the entry level end of the market, Greene King has everything you need to help grow sales and bring more consumers into wine at affordable price points.

The Giotto Inzolia Pinot Grigio is a fine

example of a light and dry Italian pinot grigio with fresh citrus fruit character, the Ara Pinot Gris is a fantastic option from New Zealand that carries delicate aromas of pear and nectarine while the Wild Zebra Chardonnay from South Africa is packed full of citrus, lime and tropical flavours.

If you’re looking for something a little more leftfield to add interest to your wine list, why not consider the Moldovan Bear & Star Pinot Grigio, a soft and refreshing wine with notes of lemon and white blossom on the palate?

Whatever you’re after, Greene King can help and if you think you might need some support in creating a wine list that will work in your venue, please do speak to your SDM.

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.

GOOD

Giotto Inzolia Pinot Grigio

(10.5% ABV)

Italy

Light and dry Italian Pinot Grigio with fresh citrus fruit character.

Ara Pinot Gris

New Zealand

Delicate aromas of pear and nectarine which flow through to honeyed floral and citrus notes on the palate.

Wild Zebra Chardonnay

(12.5% ABV)

South Africa

Full of fresh citrus, lime and tropical flavours.

Bear & Star Pinot Grigio

(11.0%)

Moldova

Soft and refreshing wine with notes of lemon and subtle white blossom on the palate.

BETTER

19 Crimes Chardonnay

(13.0% ABV)

Australia

Notes of melon coupled with stone fruit all carry onto the palate supported by creamy oak.

Vina Ventisquero Chardonnay

(13.0%)

Chile

Elegant and expressive aromas of tropical fruits with soft citrus notes. Good volume, round and with rich acidity.

Domaine Guy Allion Sauvignon Blanc

(12.0% ABV)

France

Intense and fresh with aromas of citrus and pineapple. Flavours of gooseberry and grapefruit and the finish is zesty and fresh.

Kingscote Bacchus

(11.5% ABV)

England

A great expression of English Bacchus, this bold, aromatic wine entices you with its distinctive floral aromas and classic notes of apple and gooseberry and its lingering, crisp finish.

BEST

Palmetto Barossa Riesling

(11.5% ABV)

Australia

Citrusy sherbet with a tight mineral line, well-balanced palate features crisp, natural acidity quintessential to dry Eden Valley Rieslings.

Joseph Drouhin Chablis

(12.5% ABV)

France

Elegant and classy Chablis with lean citrus flavours and some nervy mineral complexity.

Charles Smith Vino Pinot Grigio

(12.5% ABV)

USA

Full-flavoured and classy, mineral aromas with flavours of citrus and melon. A NEW AND UPDATED VERSION OF THE GREENE KING WINE BROCHURE IS NOW AVAILABLE. PLEASE REQUEST A COPY FROM YOUR SDM OR YOU CAN VISIT HTTPS://ISSUU.COM/GREENEKINGFT/DOCS/GREENE_KING_WINE_GUIDE_2024_V11_FINAL_ TO VIEW A DIGITAL EDITION OF THE UPDATED GUIDE.

GET IN THE SPIRIT THIS SUMMER

Making the most of the summer opportunity means ensuring your drinks menu features a range of options that will entice as many customers as possible over the next couple of months.

With any luck at all, the next two or three months will see some glorious weather that will help bring big crowds to your venue, especially if you have an outdoor area or pub garden available.

Even if you don’t, a scorcher of a summer will go a long way to ensuring that July and August are bumper sales months as customers enjoy a well-earned and long overdue chance to relax and chill out after the challenges of the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis that has placed so much pressure on household budgets.

TOP 10 COCKTAILS

According to Google, the top 10 cocktails in the UK are:

1. Margarita

2. Pornstar Martini

3. Mojito

4. Espresso Martini

5. Piña Colada

6. Old Fashioned

7. Cosmopolitan

8. Negroni

9. Aperol Spritz

10. Mulled wine

Don’t speak too soon, but the economy seems to have turned some sort of a corner and, hopefully, better times lie ahead – so what can you do to max out summer profits?

IN THE SPIRIT

Hot weather means bigger sales in most categories, as a general rule, but one area to focus on in the near future is spirits and summer serves. Taking your drinks menu to the next level can be as sophisticated or as simple as you like. Perhaps you already have a cocktail list, or are thinking of introducing one?

IMAGE BY FREEPIKA

If you’re embracing that opportunity for the first time, it may pay to focus on the classics, the drinks that your customers will be familiar with and can be confident in ordering.

Again, there are a couple of ways of doing this, depending upon what your priority is: from scratch or using pre-mixes. Making cocktails or mixed summer drinks from scratch using big-name brand spirits as the base and good quality mixers is a great way to set your venue apart from the competition. Insta-friendly cocktails also make for good theatre and can help encourage other customers to decide they want a fancy cocktail too. Additionally, scratch cocktails can help drive profits as premium drinks command premium prices and thus margins.

The downside is that they can be time-consuming and occasionally complex to make – and you need a team trained and ready to tackle elaborate cocktails with long ingredients lists. You also need enough people behind the bar to ensure that those simply looking for a pint or a bottle of cider don’t have to wait 15 minutes to be served because the team are busy making cocktails.

An alternative solution is to use pre-mix cocktails which are available either ready to drink (on tap or in a can) or as premix juices and mixers which you simply add to the required spirit.

SPIRIT OF THE OPEN

WHY NOT TRY? PIMM’S CUP

Ingredients:

200ml Pimm’s No.1

600ml lemonade

Mint sprigs, sliced cucumber, sliced orange, strawberries

WHY NOT TRY?

Ingredients:

100ml Aperol

150ml Prosecco

WHERE TO START?

When launching a cocktail menu for the first time, a good place to start is with the UK’s most popular cocktails. According to Google, search data shows that the majority of cocktails that feature in the Top 10 are perfect summer serves. From the Margarita and the Pornstar Martini to the Mojito, the Piña Colada and the Aperol Spritz, there’s a plethora of well-known options to consider that don’t require many ingredients and can be made with relatively little effort.

Even simpler to make and serve are some classic mixed drinks that can easily by elevated by adding a few garnishes and serving in some eyecatching glassware. The Cuba Libre (rum, Coke and lime) or G&T are good examples while a simple Pimm’s Cup is a sure-fire summer winner that requires nothing more than Pimm’s and lemonade with some mint leaves, cucumber, orange slices and strawberries to deliver a knockout punch.

ELEVATE IT

If you already have a cocktail or summer serves menu, why not consider taking it up a notch by taking a fresh twist on classic drinks, or by going to town on glassware and even more exotic serving vessels like coconut shells?

WHY NOT TRY?

MOJITO PITCHER

Ingredients:

350ml white rum

600ml sparkling water

6 limes

Mint sprigs

Elevate a classic G&T by turning it into a Rhubarb G&T, sweeten up a Spritz by creating a Limencello Spritz or give your coolers some style by serving them in small mason jars.

You could also consider serving cocktails by the pitcher which helps grow spend as well as speeding up service.

GO MINIMALIST

If, however, you would prefer a zero-effort way of adding breadth to your range of summer serves, it might be an idea to look at the RTD range that you offer. RTDs are the fastest-growing segment of the entire Beers, Wines and Spirits category and make for super-quick service as well as ensuring happy customers as they’re guaranteed a ‘perfect serve’ every time.

Greene King offers an array of RTD options from big brands like Jack Daniel’s, Bombay Sapphire and Diageo to help meet most needs this summer. Again, to add some theatre, why not offer a bucket of RTDs for a set price, presented on ice and ready for consumption. Fast, effective and profitable.

MOTORPOINT ARENA TRIALS FRESH APPROACH TO DRIVING SALES

Greene King customer Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham is one of the foremost music and entertainment arenas in the whole of the UK, regularly hosting up to 10,000 fans at a time for performances by global stars like Beyoncé, One Direction, Elton John, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber.

And while the huge venue has more than 30 bars and restaurants on-site, it is always looking for ways to grow sales and drive even more memorable experiences for its near million customers a year.

With Alcoholic Ready To Drink (ARTD) products in major growth at the moment – it’s the fastest-growing category in Beers, Wines and Spirits, according to Nielsen data – the venue worked with global soft drinks giant Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) to trial a first-of-its-kind project. The trial involved using branded, chilled backpacks to sell cans of Jack Daniel’s & Coke direct to customers both outside and on the main concourse before the performance began.

Chilled backpacks have been used before for beer and cider, but this was the first time they had been used for ARTDs.

The trial saw a single member of the Motorpoint team spend just one hour mingling with over 8,000 customers on the night of a performance by Tenacious D in May and offering chilled cans of Jack Daniel’s & Coke for £7 or two-for-£12.

The results were conclusive: a total of 123 cans were sold in the hour, more than two per minute!

The project was so successful, in fact, that Motorpoint is now adding a further five chilled and branded backpacks, two each for Jack Daniel’s & Coke, Absolut & Sprite and Monster. These can then be used as required, depending upon the nature of the event.

In a unique trial working with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham sold two cans of Jack Daniel’s & Coke every minute from chilled backpacks.

Samantha Crick, Account Manager at CCEP, comments: “ARTD is one of the fastest-growing beverage categories and it’s also an incredibly impulsive category. That means they’re great product to serve to customers around the arena when they’re milling around before the performance or in their seats, as not only can you guarantee the quality of the product with it being in a can but it’s also really quick to serve and drives strong additional revenue and also adds some great theatre.”

Motorpoint Food & Beverage Manager Dana Zuravlova said: “Participating in the Jack Daniel’s & Coke trial at Tenacious D was an exciting venture for us at the Motorpoint Arena. Our primary goal was to enhance customer experience and drive forward with service innovation. We had previously explored various ‘hawking’ methods, including trays and beer dispense alternatives but with strong support from CCEP we successfully rolled out the branded dispenser backpacks, complemented by eye-catching t-shirts and caps. This initiative not only boosted our spend per-head but also significantly improved the speed and efficiency of our secondary services.

“The trial received enthusiastic feedback from our customers, who appreciated the convenience. Given its success, we’re excited to expand the program with five additional backpacks. We believe this new approach enhances the overall atmosphere in the arena.”