Belhaven Magazine Issue 2 - Jan-Feb 2023

GOTSOMETHING TOSAY?

A new year, a new set of opportunities

hearThisisyourmagazineandwewantto fromyou.Getintouchbyemailingmagazine@greeneking.co.uk

A very warm welcome to the latest issue of your new Belhaven magazine – Value for Venues. We are delighted to share our new Value for Venues vision with you in this issue as we continue to evolve our business so that we can better serve your needs and, critically, help you grow your footfall, sales and profits.

We know that running a venue can be tough at the moment and when you’re looking for help, there’s never been one place to go for support –until now. ‘Value for Venues’ delivers everything your venue needs in one place.

This new vision centres around three specific areas where Belhaven can really leverage its unique heritage, assets and skillsets to help you make your business more successful and more profitable: Range Freedom; The Best Customer Service; Financial Support & Business Advice.

You can read all about Value for Venues inside and I would urge you to do so. Life is full of challenges but Belhaven can help you navigate your way through and thrive in 2023 and beyond.

Also in this issue you will find a lot of advice and insights to help you tackle what will undoubtedly be a challenging first couple of months of the new year. The cost of living crisis and general economic turmoil means your customers are being more careful than ever with how they spend their hard-earned cash. But we also know people still want to socialise

and make memories. A night out at the pub or the restaurant remains very much at the heart of that for many.

The Six Nations is clearly a huge opportunity to drive footfall and sales in the first couple of months of 2023 and we are working hard to help you leverage that opportunity, as you’ll find out inside.

We have also highlighted some trends like Low and No Alcohol Beers that are likely to see growth in the new year as more of your guests choose to moderate their consumption. Moderation, however, needn’t mean lost sales. There are some great low and no alternatives available –including our own Estrella Galicia 0.0% – which can help you ensure the profits continue to flow in January, February and beyond.

These are difficult times, but there are many reasons for optimism and positivity as we embark on a fresh new year – and we are there for you.

On Trade Sales Director, Belhaven

Paul Downing

We know that running a venue can be tough, especially today, and when you’re looking for help, there’s never been one place to go for support – until now. ‘Value for Venues’ is our new vision and the latest example of that customer-first vision and strategy. Value for Venues delivers everything your venue needs in one place.

Greene King and Belhaven has a long and proud heritage spanning over 300 years and we have achieved that remarkable longevity by continually evolving to ensure that we always meet the changing needs of our customers and consumers.

This new vision helps us focus even more on what you have told us is most important to you and your business –and helps us focus on how we can help you achieve your goals.

POSITIVE CHANGE

There’s no question that the world has changed dramatically in the last few years – and we are changing with it, to allow us to offer you the best possible support and advice.

Value for Venues is our response to this shift in our industry landscape and our new vision centres around three specific areas where Greene King and Belhaven can really leverage our unique heritage, products and skillsets to help our customers become the very best version of themselves:

You

know us as a

of market-leading beers or a pub company with thousands of outlets across the UK, but to many of our customers, we are much more than that.

Greene King and Belhaven has introduced

RANGE FREEDOM

J Beers

J Ciders

J Spirits

J Wine

J Low and No Alcohol

J Soft Drinks

Get great drinks, competitive prices and the ultimate in convenience with complete freedom on what you buy. Our expertise and networks mean you can get all the best-selling beers, ciders, soft drinks, spirits and wine for your venue in one reliable delivery – without the need for multiple suppliers and at extremely competitive prices due to our scale.

Our one-stop-shop model means you can access everything you need for your drinks range with one order and one delivery with complete freedom. In other words: great choice, optimal efficiency and minimal effort.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

J Logistics & Distribution – on time, in full, fast, efficient deliveries

J Cellar Services – expert cellar services, technical support and advice

J Customer Care – 363 days a year over-the-phone support

LOGISTICS & DISTRIBUTION TEAM

Our extensive and experienced Logistics & Distribution Team helps ensure that you get what you need, when you need it.

CELLAR SERVICES TEAM

Our Cellar Services Team can resolve most of your issues over the phone and, if not, our in-house team of more than 70 technicians has a unique capability to offer expert support to our customers when they need it, quickly and efficiently resolving any issues.

All of which means that we are able to minimise valuable down time and free our customers up to get on with that they do best: providing great products and great experiences to their customers.

CUSTOMER CARE TEAM

And if things go wrong, as they occasionally do, you call one number and speak to one of our Customer Care Advisors who will take ownership of your problem and resolve any issues for you.

We have a team of over 65 Customer Care Advisors who are on the end of the phone for you 363 days a year and can offer quick, efficient over-the-phone troubleshooting.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

J Money Maker – Save up to £5k a year on your operational costs

J Financial Support – tailored packages to suite your precise needs

J Business Insight & Advice – expert support to help you grow your business

MONEY MAKER

Because we operate thousands of pubs UK-wide, our buying power can save you money on business essentials like waste management, entertainment packages, payment services and insurance through our Money Maker programme – in many cases, we save our customers up to £5,000 per year.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Our tailored financial support packages can help see you through a difficult period or help you leverage a growth opportunity that you have identified. Perhaps you would like to expand your garden area, upgrade your kitchen, retrain staff or even buy a new pub? Value for Venues can help.

BUSINESS INSIGHT & ADVICE

We are able to use the insight we gain from running our own pub estate to provide real-world advice and data on everything from the latest trends to what is working, or not working, to help remove risk for our customers.

We can also provide powerful tools to help you work with brands in outlet as well as innovative ways to help you market your business and, ultimately, to grow footfall, sales and profits.

We can, for instance, provide high quality POS kits or produce bespoke Wine Menus for you. It’s all part of the service here at Value for Venues.

ALL DELIVERED THROUGH A VARIETY OF COMMUNICATION METHODS

We will use every communications channel at our disposal to ensure that we support you as effectively as we can, round the clock, all year round.

This will include producing a number of high-quality print materials to help share our vision with you and provide you with the help, insight, advice and support you need to thrive in 2023 and beyond.

Key among these is this magazine, Value for Venues, which will be produced and mailed to your door every two months and will feature a wide range of news, information and advice, all created specifically to help you grow and develop your business.

A new Value for Venues website is being created as we speak to keep you up to date with all the latest developments in real time and share business-critical information promptly and efficiently, helping you run your business effectively and profitably.

ADDING VALUE

Value for Venues, at its heart, will help add value to your venue and will help ensure that we continue to be your perfect partner for the months and years that lie ahead.

We can offer the support you need on terms that work for you. Talk to us today and find out how we can help you.

Value for Venues: everything your venue needs in one place.

Greene King backs craft beer launch with

£10m spend

Greene King is investing £10m into the launch campaign for its new premium beers, Level Head and Flint Eye, over the next two years.

The campaign aims to drive further brand visibility through billboards, digital display, social media, and video on demand. The investment also sees a TV advert created to celebrate Greene King’s launch into the craft market.

The 30-second film celebrates the two new beers which embody Britain’s eccentric past but are designed for the modern day, with the advert visually bringing the legends to life.

The animated film ad – “Brand New Beers,

Centuries in the Making” – takes Greene King’s 200 years of brewing heritage, the historical myths and legends of Bury St Edmunds and the freshly reimagined recipes of the beers and combines them into a contemporary visual homage.

The billboard advertising is proximitytargeted to appear within 500m of a venue stocking Level Head and Flint Eye, meaning consumers are within easy reach of the new beers.

Industry welcomes business rates relief improvements

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has welcomed changes to the UK’s business rates system in the Chancellor’s statement in November but has lamented the failure to provide any further relief or support. The statement made no mention of a longrequested VAT cut and also confirmed that the National Living Wage for over-23s will increase from £9.50 an hour to £10.42 an hour from April 2023, which will mean an annual pay rise of over £1,600 for a full-time worker.

Business rates relief for those in the hospitality sectors will continue for another year and rise from 50% to 75% for 2023-24, up to £110,000 per business.

BBPA Chief Executive Emma McClarkin said: “It is right the Chancellor has extended and increased relief to 75% for pubs, so they do not continue to be penalised through unfair taxation. [But] the failure to provide any further relief for our industry will hit pubs, breweries and their customers extremely hard and will have a devastating, lasting impact on communities across the country.”

GOVERNMENT URGED TO TACKLE

RECRUITMENT

Hospitality industry trade bodies have joined forces to write to the Secretary of State for Work & Pensions Mel Stride MP, urging the government to urgently address what they refer to as the current “recruitment crisis” in the industry.

Hospitality job vacancies are at almost three times the national average, prompting the letter from the British Beer & Pub Association, the British Institute of Innkeeping, UKHospitality, the Institute of Hospitality and charity Springboard.

They have called on Stride to support a new industry-wide recruitment campaign, Hospitality Rising, which has been created to change the perception of what it’s like to work in the sector and encourage more people into a fastmoving, fulfilling career.

Greene King’s new premium craft beers – Level Head and Flint Eye – are being backed by a £10m media campaign to drive sales for customers.

Pub and bar market recovers pandemic loss

New data show that the UK pub and bar market is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this year.

The UK’s pub and bar sector will this year recover the market share lost because of pandemic restrictions. That’s the prediction from new research by Lumina Intelligence, which expects the sector to be worth £22.5bn in value in 2022, recovering to 2019 pre-pandemic levels.

The research finds that managed, branded and franchised pubs are set to account for half of the UK pub market value in 2022, up from a 46% share in 2016. Turnover share for these venues was 49.8%, up from 45.5% in 2916 and 49.3% in 2019.

Meanwhile, the trend for supporting local pubs is enduring, with residential area visits growing share to 22%, up from 18% in the 12 weeks ending 8 August 2022. Additionally, city centres show signs of slow recovery, increasing share by 2% year-on-year with pubs offering lunch deals during office hours to target professionals.

Lumina Intelligence is forecasting that the number of pubs will return to growth in 2025, expecting the market to expand to 42,729 sites. Recovery in the economy and consumer confidence is expected to foster pub market growth to a total of £23.9bn in 2025.

SUSTAINABLE DELIVERY OPPORTUNITY

A new study by route planning software specialist Descartes has identified an important opportunity for hospitality businesses in the form of sustainable home delivery.

The survey of 8,000 consumers found that over half of respondents wanted more sustainable home delivery options and 54% would be willing to accept slower delivery times for more sustainable deliveries. Only 38% believed businesses were currently doing a good job of using sustainable delivery practices.

In addition, the report identified how sustainable home delivery options result in lower costs to the operator.

Options from increasing lead times and using electric vehicles to grouping orders to providing eco-friendly time windows help hospitality providers to lower both their carbon footprint and their delivery costs.

HOSPITALITY SECTOR SERVES UP 10% GROWTH

The number of hospitality businesses in the UK grew by 10.1% last year, new ONS data reveals. The industry saw 20,000 new hospitality companies formed in the year to the start of 2022, reaching a total of 220,950.

In comparison, total business numbers across all industry sectors in the UK overall fell by 1.5% over the same period.

The number of people employed in the hospitality sector held steady, growing by 1%, suggesting that the furlough scheme and other initiatives were largely successful in keeping businesses going.

Despite this, turnover in the accommodation and food service sector fell from £116.6bn at the beginning of 2021 to £82bn a year on, due largely to the effects of the pandemic.

Greene King unveils plans for new purpose-built distribution centre

NEW FLINT EYE TRUCKS HIT THE ROAD

Greene King is helping drive awareness of its new premium Flint Eye dry-hopped lager with a specially liveried delivery truck.

The truck has been decorated with an eye-catching design that is attracting attention everywhere it goes.

Greene King will move its distribution centre in Bury St Edmunds to a new purpose-built site at Suffolk Park, less than three miles from its existing operation and close to the A14. The current distribution centre sees more than 20 million pints transfer through every month.

Moving to a newer facility in 2023 will allow Greene King to maintain its high levels of operational excellence as well as improving its environmental footprint as far fewer vehicles will need to take up space on the town’s roads.

Hundreds of team members are employed by Greene King in its hometown and this investment highlights the company’s commitment to investing in Bury St Edmunds. The proximity of

Suffolk Park also means that no jobs are at risk.

The new distribution centre will be a more sustainable, purpose-built structure helping further improve the service provided to Greene King’s customers.

Matt Starbuck, Managing Director of Brewing & Brands, commented: “Managing to secure this new site is a really exciting opportunity for Greene King, and sites of this scale and suitability do not often become available so close to Bury St Edmunds.

“We are excited about the plans and we will keep our customers fully updated as we continue to develop our business – and theirs – for the future.”

David Cartledge, Logistics Contract Manager at Greene King, said: “The new vehicle looks fantastic and has certainly generated a lot of attention. Flint Eye is a fantastic, premium beer and the truck really helps generate awareness and interest. Our crews also love driving it!”

Greene King is set to move its distribution centre to a new purpose-built site which will help drive operational efficiency and sustainability improvements.

Destination

Driving footfall is a challenge for most venues wherever they are located but when your pub sits in the middle of Epping Forest with absolutely no public transport links and almost no passing trade, you have to think a little more creatively about how you bring guests through the door.

“I knew when I bought Kings Oak that I had to make it a destination venue,” says owner Linzi Pollard. “It’s a difficult place to get to and we sit slap bang in the middle of 8,000 acres of forest so I knew we had to create a reason for people to come.”

That reason turned out to be pretty straightforward: events. “Kings Oak is a stunning venue and I instinctively knew on the first day that I ever saw it that it had massive potential and I knew that reshaping it as an events venue would be key,” says Linzi. “Unlocking that potential,

however, turned out to be a task and a half!”

Built in 1887, Kings Oak was originally intended to sit at the end of a new railway line which was meant to make it easier for wealthy ladies and gents from the City to travel to glorious Epping Forest.

The railway line was never completed and only ever reached Chingford, which left Kings Oak as an isolated pub and restaurant in the middle of the forest – but that didn’t stop it becoming a Victorian playground for affluent Londoners keen to escape the city.

INSTANT ATTRACTION

The first time Linzi ever set eyes on Kings Oak was around 13 years ago. “I grew up in hospitality and from the age of about three I was immersed in family restaurants,”

says Linzi. “I then went to London School of Economics and completed a degree in psychology and then went straight into business, opening my first restaurant in Chislehurst in Kent at the age of 21. That was where it all started, and over the years I built up a chain of 13 restaurants in Kent with my partner. Unfortunately we then split up and I decided I needed a change of scenery – so I moved to Essex.”

And it was Kings Oak that took her there, as she explains: “One of my best friends told me about Kings Oak and told me it would be perfect for me. So I went to see it and it was love at first sight, even though it was in a pretty terrible state at the time.”

It’s worth noting that this was in May 2009, the last major recession, at a time when the pub trade was on a downward spiral.

In the last 13 years Linzi Pollard has created a thriving pub and events venue in the middle of Epping Forest despite a complete lack of public transport and almost no passing trade.

“My friends and family were definitely questioning my sanity at the time,” laughs Linzi. “My brother said ‘how typical of my sister to invest in the biggest pub in England when pubs are going out of business left and right!’”

Undaunted, Linzi promptly bought the lease, supported by a loan from Greene King, and quickly learned that the venue was actually in much worse condition than she had believed.

“I was handed a 68-page schedule of dilapidations!” she says. “I couldn’t believe it, but I just had to get on with it. And I was still convinced that Kings Oak had the potential to be a brilliant business. It was in a fabulous location in an unbelievably beautiful area, it had an extensive outdoor arena with Forest Garden and kids play area, it had four events rooms and potential for 10 bedrooms. And

something I’ve always loved about this place is that it has a genuine, iconic 1930s lido – even if it was full old bicycles and junk at the time.”

There are not many pubs or restaurants that can boast an original lido and these days it definitely lends a certain classy, retro chic to the venue that Linzi leverages to the hilt.

“It’s very busy during the warmer months,” she says. “Lots of guests absolutely love it and it can look a bit like the French Riviera here on a sunny day! And every summer we crank up the pump and hope it still works as it’s the original pump and it’s the size of an aircraft engine – but it hasn’t let us down yet.”

DOWN TO BUSINESS

With so much potential, there was nothing

else for it but to roll up her sleeves and get stuck into the schedule of dilapidations.

“All told, it took a full year to complete the refurb, with only the Gastro Pub open during the first 10 months,” recalls Linzi. “We developed new menus on a classic pub food theme, all freshly prepared and presented. During those 10 months we renovated the whole place including the four events spaces, as I knew that events would be key to turning Kings Oak into a destination venue.

“As we worked we also uncovered all sorts of surprises. There had been suspended ceilings throughout much of the place and when we removed them we found these glorious high ceilings with original cornicing and gilded panels. We also removed six or seven layers of lino, carpet and floor tiles and uncovered a stunning original floor which we have retained. I tried to uncover and retain as many of the original Victorian features as possible.”

The next challenge, equally as tricky, was to renovate the clientele! When Linzi first took over, Kings Oak was frequented by “a motley crew” of unsavoury types. “It was difficult but I knew I had to create a new clientele and make the place appealing to the weekend family audience from North London, the City, Canary Wharf and the Docklands area. I also had to make it the sort of place that people would want to come to for weddings, birthdays, corporate events and other types of larger-scale celebrations.”

At the same time, Linzi recruited her “wonderful events team,” headed by Paula Silkeman, to start marketing the venue as the ideal place for all sorts of events and gatherings.

“It certainly wasn’t easy,” she says, “because we were trying to sell the events spaces before they’d even been refurbished but we were passionate enough and lucky

“IN A CERTAIN SENSE, THE KINGS OAK’S BIGGEST WEAKNESS ON DAY ONE – ITS REMOTE, DIFFICULTTO-ACCESS LOCATION –HAS TURNED OUT TO BE ITS BIGGEST STRENGTH.”

LINZI POLLARD

enough to find guests who understood and believed in our vision.”

PANDEMIC PROBLEMS

By the end of the first year the events spaces were open, the Gastro Pub was flying and the business was performing beyond Linzi’s wildest dreams – and so it continued for many years until the pandemic struck.

“To put the scale of the challenge into context,” she says, “consider that we had one hundred weddings booked that year. We managed to host just four. We were answering the phone on a daily basis to brides in tears and could do nothing but reassure them we’d look after them as soon as we were allowed to reopen. It was heart-breaking, and it was very difficult for my team.

“Most people were understanding and we were able to reschedule – but we lost £1m in turnover in that year alone and we made

refunds of over £250k.”

Linzi and her team tried to remain upbeat and took advantage of Government grants, which have been repaid. Her landlords – The City of London, which owns most of Epping Forest – were also very understanding, and the business managed to navigate its way through the mire.

“The worst moment of all was in December 2020 when we has just received a reprieve and were told we could open for Christmas with Covid safety measures in place,” says Linzi. “Then, on 14th December, my birthday, we were told we had to close the following day. By then the Christmas decorations were up, we had bookings in place and had taken payments. We had even installed private dining pods on our Poolside Terrace to offer guests hygiene protection. So I ended up sitting alone in one of my beautiful pods on Christmas Eve with the fairy lights on and the Christmas songs playing like some lonely little elf, and I sat there and cried for us all.”

FRESH START

From that low point, things began to improve and Linzi credits her amazing team and guests who bided their time and accepted belated weddings, engagement parties and birthday celebrations. “There were a lot of 41st, 51st and 61st birthday parties that year!” laughs Linzi. Kings Oak had weathered the storm – even if there are still a few squalls lying ahead.

“The next big issue is rising costs,” she explains. “Everything is so much more expensive. We’re trying to keep food and drink prices cost-effective and sustainable for our guests but it’s harder than ever. As a business we have had to swallow many of the price increases and just accept a drop in margin.”

Shortage of staff is another huge issue for the business, as Linzi says: “We lost many of our team through Covid and Brexit, and trying to recruit through the ranks has been a nightmare. We have applied for our

sponsorship visa to bring in skilled staff from overseas but it saddens me as we like to recruit local youngsters.”

Linzi’s adventure in hospitality has been an epic one with more than its fair share of ups and downs but limitless passion, energy and commitment have seen her and her team build a truly inspiring business.

“I was a fairly experienced businesswoman when I bought Kings Oak,” she concludes. “So when I first saw the potential, it wasn’t a naïve dream or hopeless optimism. I knew it had real potential and I’m glad I have managed to turn that potential into a great business that our guests love. In a certain sense, the Kings Oak’s biggest weakness on day one – its remote, difficult-to-access location – has turned out to be its biggest strength. We have a beautiful venue in a glorious part of the world that feels a million miles from London. That helps make the many events we host here extra special for our guests.”

A star in Dunbar

Legendary American inventor Thomas Edison once said that “opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work” –and he could have had Dunbar publican James Hughes in mind when he made that insightful observation.

James had been busy running the F&B side of the nearby Dunbar Golf Club when he happened to spot the opportunity that was to change his life – and it was very much dressed in overalls and looked an awful lot like hard work.

“I had been working at the Golf Club for about eight years when I decided to approach the landlord of a run-down pub called The Mason’s Arms on Dunbar High Street to see if he was interested in selling it,” recalls James.

“Various people had attempted to make a success of it over the years under lease, but it never really came to much, so I approached him and said I was interested, but only if I could buy it, not just lease it. That was how the conversation started.”

That conversation developed quickly, and the landlord told James that he was planning to retire in five years and didn’t want to sell before then – but they reached a compromise that worked for both parties: a loan purchase with a fiveyear lease.

“In some ways it was the perfect solution,” explains James. “It gave me a few years to really understand the pub, but I knew that I could then buy it if I wanted to for a pre-agreed price once that five year lease was up.”

James Hughes has revitalised the historic Brig & Barrel pub in Dunbar with a full refit and, after the challenges of the last couple of years, is looking forward to an exceptional 2023.

STARTING AFRESH

Having known the pub for years, James was under no illusions about the amount of work that would be involved to convert the tired, under-invested site into a bustling, modern, comfortable pub that would appeal to both locals and the many tourists that visit Dunbar each year for its glorious beaches, its frequent sunshine and, of course, to visit the nearby Belhaven Brewery.

“Belhaven is the oldest working brewery in Scotland, so a lot of people come here to visit it,” says James. “And it is almost literally just around the corner. In fact, you can see it from the beer garden.”

With the lease purchase deal agreed, James had to roll up his sleeves and get stuck into what was a monumental piece of work. “The pub was in a real mess,” laughs James. “It was very, very

run down – but that was where I thought the opportunity lay. So I just got my head down and got on with it.”

After re-mortgaging his home to fund the refit and going maybe “four or five times over budget,” the pub finally reopened 11 months after James first got the keys in May 2019 – and the scale of the transformation is difficult to put into words.

“We replaced everything,” explains James. “And I mean everything. We gutted it and the only thing left when we were finished was the original fireplace, which we retained because it was beautiful and makes a nice centrepiece. We removed a wall that was splitting the pub in two, to give the place a more homely, open plan, welcoming feel that is both family- and dog-friendly.”

The building itself was constructed way

back around 1800 and the site has been a pub since 1880 so the history and heritage is absolutely there, and James has tried to retain that ambience but with a modern twist.

“We tried to make it very clean and up to date but without losing the warm, homely feel,” he says. “And we’ve tried to capture some of the heritage in various ways. I’ve always had a great working relationship with Belhaven Brewery so when we were refitting the place, we asked them if they had any artefacts or interesting bits from the brewery we could display in the pub,

and they kindly offered all sorts of lovely items like stained glass windows, signage and artwork. It looks great in the pub and helps tie the pub back to that history and that centuries-old heritage. It just works.”

BRIG & BARREL

With the refit finished, James’s next challenge was to choose a new name for his pride and joy. “It was actually the hardest part about the whole adventure,” smiles James. “I wanted a new name that captured the essence of the pub, the essence of the town and with a nod to the brewing

heritage of Dunbar. Then one day I got the inspiration I was after! There’s a famous bridge in Dunbar that gets flooded by the sea at high tide every day and it looks like it’s floating. Everybody knows that bridge, so I knew I had my name: The Brig & Barrel.”

So, on that fateful day, The Brig & Barrel opened its doors for the first time as a nervous James stood behind the bar desperately hoping all the hard work would pay off. He needn’t have worried: “It absolutely flew from day one!” he laughs.

The pub proved to be a magnet for the

rapidly growing local population of Dunbar and for the many tourists that visit the town.

“I’ve been in Dunbar for about 15 years and the population has probably doubled in that time,” says James. “It’s only 19 minutes from Edinburgh by train so it’s popular with commuters. And we get a lot of tourists visiting us because they want to have a pint of Belhaven in Belhaven!” he says.

With James’ grand plan coming together nicely, he committed to further significant investment at the end of 2019 in the form of a brand new professional kitchen to meet growing demand for food.

“We decided to gut a huge storage room in the basement and turn it into a full-scale professional kitchen, and that opened for service in January 2020,” recalls James. “We were seeing food sales grow and grow and we wanted to be able to offer a broader, better-quality menu.”

Additionally, James had ordered a mammoth batch of wood to deck the back garden area which, up until that point, looked more like a domestic garden than a pub garden. And it was at that point that James’ world turned upside down. Three weeks after opening the new kitchens, Covid struck.

“It was a nightmare, I’m not going to lie,” says James. “We looked at our options and decided to just do what we could and not worry about the stuff we couldn’t control. So I immediately went back to our wood supplier and told them we’d need to extend our order to make the garden much, much bigger. Then the garden just grew arms and legs, and we ended up building a dedicated bar in the garden too – as well as a food prep area with covered seating and tables and all sorts.”

James continued to invest in the garden through the second lockdown in autumn

2020 and the third one at Christmas that same year.

That turned out to be a very wise decision. “If it wasn’t for the garden we wouldn’t be here today,” as he puts it.

The shift to food has also paid off handsomely, as James comments: “PreCovid we were probably 70% wet-led. Today we’re around 65% food, by offering great quality, home-made traditional pub fayre. But we still sell a lot of Belhaven beer! We’ve got Belhaven Best, Ice Breaker, Belhaven 80/- and Estrella Galicia on draught and we’re just in the process of

“WE GET A LOT OF TOURISTS VISITING US BECAUSE THEY WANT TO HAVE A PINT OF BELHAVEN IN BELHAVEN!”

getting Level Head installed. Plus we have Belhaven Oat Stout, Craft Pilsner and Scottish Ale in bottles.”

MAINTAINING MOMENTUM

So James and his team are very much still here today and are looking forward to what he hopes will be a strong 2023. “The pandemic was such a major challenge in so many ways, but we managed through it and with lockdowns now well behind us, we’re looking forward to 2023. There are still huge challenges for our customers with the cost-of-living crisis and so on and I think the first couple of months of the year are going to be really tough, but we didn’t want to close down for a few months because we don’t want to lose the momentum we’ve worked so hard to build.”

James remains concerned about costs, particularly electricity, as the business is a “heavy user,” thanks in no small measure to the fully electric kitchen, but if he can

navigate his way through the first quarter of 2023, he is confident that it can be a very positive year.

James has recently mitigated some of the cost rises by switching to restricted opening hours, opening at 4pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays, which are typically quieter anyway.

“That strategy seems to be working because, despite all the investment and challenges, we’re debt-free already and we’re looking forward to the year,” he comments.

And, of course, there is the small matter of the five year lease ending in 2023. So will James be going for it and buying the pub outright? “Absolutely we will!” concludes James. “Greene King helped us finance the original deal and I’m talking to them about some support to buy the pub at the end of the lease, so 2023 should be another landmark year for us. Bring it on!”

Fresh Cask Releases – all year round!

With over 200 years of brewing heritage and history and a relentless desire to create fantastic beers that your customers love, Greene King is proud to be the home of several of the nation’s favourite cask brands. In 2023 Greene King will once again use its expertise and heritage to continue developing its existing range and create new and exciting cask beers for the future.

After the challenges of 2022, it’s more important than ever that together we continue to offer your customers experiences that cannot be enjoyed anywhere else – and there’s no doubt that cask offers an opportunity like no other to drive footfall to pubs.

The brewers at Greene King have been passionate about fresh, quality cask beer for over two centuries and they continue to challenge themselves to evolve and deliver unique hand-crafted ales, something that simply can’t be enjoyed on the sofa at home.

As part of that commitment, Greene

King is also investing twice as much in marketing its brands versus prepandemic levels, with £12m being spent to increase its brands’ visibility in the market.

FRESH RELEASES

For 2023, Greene King will be launching a new series of ‘Fresh Cask Releases’: a portfolio of 18 limitededition cask beers available at specific times in the calendar.

The range features a combination of returning favourites, key calendar creations, collaborations and new and exciting ales offering Greene King customers plenty of opportunities to drive footfall, sales and profits. So why not introduce or expand your range and encourage your guests to explore the possibilities of these unique, high quality ales?

QUALITY RANGE

The Fresh Cask Releases range includes many established favourites

Greene King will be offering its customers extensive new opportunities to drive sales and profits with the launch of 18 limited edition cask beers throughout 2023.

CASK IRON GUARANTEE

Green King’s Cask Iron Guarantee allows you to buy cask ales with complete confidence. The Guarantee means that if any cask ales you buy from Greene King don’t sell through, you’ll get your money back!

You can claim a full refund for unbroached casks as well as claim credit for any remaining volume on broached casks.

Or, to put it another way: you can confidently stock Greene King cask ales with zero financial risk.

Whether you’re a new cask stockist taking your first firkin of Greene King IPA or a specialist expanding your range with one of the limited editions featured in this article, there’s never been a better time to expand your cask offering to bring new customers to your door.

WHAT’S NEW FOR 2023?

Greene King has teamed up with a global award winning design agency to create a brand new visual identity providing stunning new branding for some returning favourites as well as new creations inspired by people and places in British history.

FEBRUARY & MARCH

like Gangly Ghoul and Rocking Rudolph, some seasonally themed specials, and even includes three brand new cask ales for 2023: Opening Session, Hopping Special and Mischief Maker.

The range has also been curated to leverage key events throughout the year which remain a vital factor in driving footfall into pubs. These will include an exclusive commemorative Coronation Beer for the anointment of King Charles III and an amber ale – Scrumdown – which will be available throughout the Six Nations. To further support and celebrate rugby, Fresh Legs golden ale will be launching on to the bar for the Rugby World Cup in October.

COLLABORATIONS

The Fresh Cask Releases line-up would not be complete without some exciting collaborations with other breweries that share the same passion about cask ale. Following the success last year of Top Dog, Greene King has teamed up with Nethergate Brewery again to prove that old dogs can indeed learn New Tricks, a golden ale with a twist.

Spring Break, a golden ale created by as part of the Future Brewers national brewing apprentice programme, will be returning in March and April and Greene King apprentices will also be launching something new and exciting for October and November.

Also making a debut will be a collaboration with Big Hug Brewing and Pave the Way Pale Ale. This joint venture was born of mutual support for Only a Pavement Away, a charity that aims to connect forwardthinking employers in the hospitality industry and charities working with prison leavers, veterans and people facing or experiencing homelessness.

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

Opening Session will be a lightly hopped, pale, sessionable ale with subtle tropical fruit characters. Brewed at 3.8% ABV to increase sessionability, this cask ale was inspired by the World War I legislation that limited pubs opening to sessions for munitions workers.

MAY & JUNE

Hopping Special will offer an alternative beer style to the golden ales of summer. Mango and passion fruit characters can be found in this amber ale, brewed with Galaxy hops. The hoppy delight takes its name from the train services put on for hop picking families in the UK in the 19th and 20th centuries.

AUGUST & SEPTEMBER

Mischief Maker will celebrate the harvest season and the exciting British hop project. The ale’s name takes inspiration from another experimentalist, the renowned 17th century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper – aka Mischief Maker – who brought medicine to the masses. This doubledry hopped harvest IPA uses two new hop variants, delivering heaps of hoppy, fruity characters.

COLLAB

FEB-MAR

FEB-MAR

STYLE: AMBER ALE

ALC. VOL. 4.1%

COLOUR: AMBER ALC. VOL 3.8%

COLOUR: PALE ALC. VOL. 4.6%

A FRAGRANT, FRESH AND EASY DRINKING AMBER ALE. BREWED FROM SWEET PALE MALT AND CLASSIC ENGLISH HOPS. PERFECT TO ENJOY WITH THE RUGBY.

PRODUCT CODE: 418384 PUMP CLIP CODE: 213854

CODE: 213951

STYLE: PALE ALE

A LIGHTLY HOPPED,

SEP

STYLE: BROWN ALE

ALC. VOL. 4.1%

COLOUR: AMBER

A COMPLEX AUTUMN BEER WITH FRUIT AROMAS AND TASTE SET AGAINST BISCUITY MALT WHICH ADDS BODY AND WARMTH. FRAGRANT NOTES OF BLACKCURRANT, LEMON AND ORANGE PEEL.

PRODUCT CODE: 195206 PUMP CLIP CODE: 213919

Kick 2023 off in style!

The forthcoming Six Nations tournament is undoubtedly the key opportunity to drive footfall and sales over the next few months but there are plenty of other opportunities too.

The first few months of the year can be challenging ones for the trade as customers reign in their spending after the excesses of the festive period, but there are still plenty of opportunities out there to tempt people to your door. Chief among these over the next few months will be the Guinness Six Nations Championship, the oldest international rugby tournament in the world.

First held way back in 1883, the tournament initially started out as a competition between the home nations before expanding in 1910 to include France. In 2000, Italy joined the fun and the Six Nations as we know it today was born.

SIX NATIONS FUN FACTS

It might surprise you to learn…

J The tournament has been contested since 1883 when it was just the home nations who played.

J England and Wales have won the Championship the most times, both with 39 titles, but England have won the most outright titles with 29.

J Since the Six Nations era started in 2000, only Italy and Scotland have failed to win the Six Nations title.

J Only England and Ireland have avoided finishing last. Italy have finished last 15 times in the Six Nations era and have lost every match 11 times.

J The Championship Trophy is made of sterling silver, has 15 sides (to represent the 15 players on each team) and three handles (to represent the three match officials).

J The Cup has a capacity of 3.75 litres, which just happens to be the enough for five bottles of Champagne.

J Alcohol sponsorship in sport is prohibited in France, which is why the word ‘Guinness’ is replaced for matches in France with the word “Greatness” in the same colour and typeface as the official Guinness logo.

This year’s Six Nations kicks off at precisely 2.25pm on Saturday 4th February when Wales take on Ireland and the tournament runs all the way through until the final round of matches on 18th March. In other words, a lot of opportunities to bring rugby fans to your venue to enjoy a few pints, a glass of wine, maybe a snack or some food and generally have a great time with friends and family.

PACKED SCHEDULE

Every round of the tournament throws up mouthwatering clashes and, as ever, almost literally anyone could win it, further adding to the excitement, anticipation and thirst levels of your guests. The one possible exception is Italy who have finished last in 15 of the 21 Six Nations tournaments they’ve taken part in so far – and have also managed to lose all five of their matches on 11 occasions.

So, the scene is set, and all that remains is to ensure that you’re geared up and ready to take advantage when the referee’s whistle blows for the first time on this year’s Six Nations.

Key to leveraging the tournament will be familiarising yourself with the match schedule and then making the Six Nations unmissable in-venue.

A great way to achieve that is by making use of a free Six Nations POS kit available from official Six Nations sponsor Guinness. Greene King customers who buy 3x50l or 5x30l of Guinness [see p38] can claim the kit and add some quick and easy theatre to their venue.

The kit contains official tournament t-shirts and bunting as well as indoor and outdoor flags and will definitely help keep the Six Nations front of mind for your customers as well as helping ensure that that you sell a few pints of the black stuff along the way.

IPA FOCUS

With its long-standing relationship with rugby, Greene King IPA offers another great opportunity over the next few months. At 3.6% ABV, it’s the ideal sessionable beer for your rugby-loving customers to enjoy as they celebrate their team’s victories – or drown their sorrows in defeat.

It’s also worth highlighting to customers in participating

Wales v Ireland (2.15pm) England v Scotland (4.45pm) 5TH FEB Italy v France (3pm) ROUND 2 11TH FEB

Ireland v France (2.15pm) Scotland v Wales (4.45pm) 12TH FEB England v Italy (3pm)

ROUND 3

Italy v Ireland (2.15pm) Wales v England (4.45pm) 25TH FEB France v Scotland (3pm)

ROUND 4

11TH MAR

Italy v Wales (2.15pm) England v France (4.45pm) 12TH MAR Scotland v Ireland (3pm)

Scotland v France (12.30pm)

France v Wales (2.45pm)

Ireland v England (5pm)

CUSTOMER’S VIEW DIY FOOTFALL DRIVERS

James Hughes, The Brig & Barrel, Dunbar

“January and February in particular can be difficult months for the trade and I think, in the current economic climate, we’re going to have to work extra hard this year to drive footfall in the early months.

“We try to work hard to give our customers reasons to visit us, reasons to put on a coat and venture out into the cold and dark and make their way down to the pub. We’ve been here a little while so we know our clientele and we know the sorts of things they like and what will bring them along.

“Obviously the Six Nations is a big opportunity for us. We’re not really a football pub. We’re more of a rugby pub because that’s what our customers like, so the Six Nations is massively important and we’ll be going big on it this year. Burns Night is usually a good night for us too, and we’ll be getting behind that as usual.

“Apart from that, we’re not reinventing any wheels but we’re trying to make an effort and, in general, our customers appreciate that and support us. So we’ll be putting on some live music, doing some pub quizzes and things like that. It doesn’t require much planning or investment but it can fill the pub on what would have been a quiet night.”

venues that 10p from every pint of Greene King IPA sold goes to grassroots sport, including rugby, through the Greene King IPA Proud To Pitch In initiative.

The ideal way to communicate this donation is using the Greene King IPA rugby visibility POS kit which is available free to customers purchasing 2x9G casks of IPA. The kit includes fixture posters, bunting and social media assets to help you drive footfall, increase your sales and help raise much-needed money for grassroots sports.

BURNS NIGHT

The Six Nations may be the highest-profile event of the next few months but there are many other opportunities to bring more customers to your venue more often and encourage them to spend more while they are there.

Burns Night is a great example – and not just north of the border. Burns Nights are a common feature of the annual calendar throughout the UK.

Ostensibly a celebration of Scottish poet Robert Burns and celebrated on 25th January – Rabbie was born on that day in 1758 – Burns Night offers a great seasonal opportunity to drive some footfall and add some fun into one of the quietest months of the year for the trade.

While it may once have been centred around drams of whisky and plates of steaming haggis, the celebration has evolved over the years and has become more of a celebration of all things Scottish. Belhaven Brewery even produces a special Limited Edition Robert Burns Brown Ale.

Why not consider launching a Burns Night celebration, if you don’t do one already, and see if you can’t turn a quiet Wednesday night into a busy, fun evening that could become part of your annual seasonal events calendar?

DIY APPROACH

Driving footfall in the early months needn’t all be centred around established events like the Six Nations or Burns Night. There are countless other tried and tested ways of getting your customers off the sofa and into the pub, even if it is dark and cold. Pub quizzes, live music, karaoke, DJs, beer festivals – everything is worth considering to help bring that extra footfall to your door.

Speak to your Sales Development Manager for more ideas on how to kick the year off in style.

GREENE KING IPA: A RUGBY LEGEND

With the Six Nations tournament generating plenty of interest in rugby over the next few months, it’s a great opportunity for venues to capitalise on Greene King IPA’s long-standing and very deep relationship with the sport.

Greene King IPA was the Official Beer of England Rugby for eight consecutive years and was title sponsor of the English Championship for eight years. That high-profile relationship with high-level rugby continues to this day through Greene King IPA’s official partnership with three Premiership clubs: Saracens, Newcastle and Gloucester.

Greene King IPA also supports grassroots rugby through its Proud To Pitch In initiative, as well as counting over 100 rugby clubs as Free Trade customers.

At 3.6% ABV, it’s the perfect session beer for your customers to enjoy during the Six Nations tournament – so make sure you keep it prominent in-venue over the coming months.

To help you do just that, Greene King is offering a free, high-quality rugby visibility POS kit to customers purchasing 2x9G casks of IPA.

The POS kit includes fixture posters, empty belly match posters, bunting and social media assets. Everything you need to help grow your sales of Greene King IPA – and don’t forget that 10p from every pint sold goes to grassroots sport through the Proud To Pitch In initiative in participating venues.

£10k up for grabs for grassroots sports

Greene King IPA celebrated the one-year anniversary of its grassroots sports funding scheme ‘Proud To Pitch In’ with a £10,000 lump sum giveaway.

ROBBIE SAVAGE

HOW DOES PROUD TO PITCH IN WORK?

J Greene King donates 10p from every pint of Greene King IPA sold to the grassroots sports fund*.

J Fully funded by Greene King – with no impact on operators’ revenues.

J Grants of up to £3,000 are available through the scheme.

J A goal to hand out over £1m by 2023.

J Ambassadors for the programme include sports stars James Haskall and Robbie Savage.

*Participating outlets only.

Local sports clubs had a chance to win a huge £10,000 lump sum as part of the Proud To Pitch In initiative, a grassroots funding scheme by Greene King IPA.

Launched in 2021, the Greene King IPA Proud To Pitch In scheme allows grassroots sports clubs to apply for a funding grant of up to £3,000. Over £250,000 has already been handed out to over 100 grassroots sporting projects, benefiting more than 19,000 people. Greene King IPA intends to hand out over £1m by the end of 2023.

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of the scheme, however, a one-off lump sum of £10,000 was made available to clubs.

According to new national research from Greene King IPA, the 2022 UEFA Women’s Euros has inspired a surge in grassroots sports participation, however there is more work to be done when it comes to funding.

While the research revealed almost one-third (30%) of people decided to take up a grassroots sport due to the success of the Women’s Euros

“GREENE KING IPA’S PROUD TO PITCH IN SCHEME IS SO IMPORTANT AND A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR TEAMS TO RECEIVE ALLIMPORTANT FUNDING.”

THE STORY SO FAR:

J Launched in 2021.

J Over £250,000 already handed out.

J 19,000 beneficiaries.

J 100 grassroots projects supported.

J Open to all sporting clubs with participants aged 18 and over.

tournament, many people feel clubs lack funding and that barriers to participation still exist.

The call out for clubs to apply for funding is being led by ex-footballer and Proud to Pitch In ambassador Robbie Savage, who maintains that grassroots sports are essential to the UK’s sporting pyramid.

He said: “Grassroots clubs are essential for communities up and down the country. It’s fantastic that so many people have been inspired by the incredible Lionesses. However, it’s clear that clubs are struggling for funding, especially during the cost-of-living crisis, and with energy bills rising. Attitudes towards grassroots sports still have a long way to go which is why Greene King IPA’s Proud To Pitch In scheme is so important, and a great opportunity for teams to receive all important funding.”

Will Hemmings, Greene King Brewing and Brands Marketing Director said: “We are delighted to celebrate one whole year of the Greene King IPA Proud To Pitch In scheme. For us, the scheme isn’t a one-off campaign, but a continuous pledge from Greene King to create a lasting impact for thousands of clubs across the UK.

“We want grassroots sports to flourish, however we’re aware of the challenges that many clubs face, which is why supporting clubs with additional funding is so important. With a cost-of-living crisis affecting households across the country, it is now, more than ever, so important that we keep clubs funded – in order to help maintain, and improve, the nation’s social, mental, and physical wellbeing.

“Pubs and grassroots sports both play a critical role in local communities. They are spaces people can socialise and meet new people, which is great for mental health and wellbeing. What’s better than bonding with a new friend about sport, over pint of IPA, in a cosy pub?

“So, whether you play football or hockey, are in a roller skating club, or organise a Zumba class, we want to support as many local clubs as possible – which will hopefully go a long way to keeping everyone in action.”

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

J According to new national research from Greene King IPA, only one in 20 people (6%) believe their local sports club receives sufficient funding.

J Over a quarter (26%) of people believe local sports clubs need more funding for training facilities, kits, clubhouses, and pitch or court maintenance.

J In addition, nearly two-fifths (37%) of 18–24-year-olds said there are no grassroots sport opportunities in their local community.

J Over half (59%) of women said that, as children, they were not encouraged to take part in sports.

J Over a quarter of people (29%) revealed the cost-of-living crisis had impacted their decision to join a grassroots sports club, including almost half (42%) of 35–44-yearolds.

“FOR US, THE SCHEME ISN’T A ONE-OFF CAMPAIGN, BUT A CONTINUOUS PLEDGE FROM GREENE KING TO CREATE A LASTING IMPACT FOR THOUSANDS OF CLUBS ACROSS THE UK.” WILL HEMMINGS, MARKETING DIRECTOR, GREENE KING BREWING AND BRANDS

TO APPLY FOR GRANTS OF UP TO £3,000 OR TO NOMINATE A CLUB SIMPLY GO TO GREENEKING-PUBS.CO.UK/ PROUD-TO-PITCH-IN

ABOUT AARON

Aaron Potton lives in Nottingham and has worked for Greene King for seven years. He is now in charge of the cellar services team that helps optimise quality in Greene King and Belhaven pubs, helping customers ensure that the quality of the beers that they serve to their guests is as the best that it can be.

Before joining Greene King, Aaron was employee number 14 at Coffee Nation, the coffee business that was ultimately acquired by Whitbread in 2011 and went on to become Costa Express. He started his career with Coffee Nation as a junior engineer and progressed to becoming the Service Manager at Costa Express before leaving to join Greene King.

Meet The Team: AARON POTTON

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AARON…

Well, I’m Head of Quality & Dispense Services at Greene King and I’ve worked for the company for seven years. Prior to that I worked in the set-up team as a junior engineer at a little start-up called Coffee Nation which went on to be acquired by Whitbread in 2011 and then became known as Costa Express. By the time I left to join Greene King, I was the Service Manager at Costa Express.

BUT YOU STARTED YOUR WORKING LIFE IN CELLAR SERVICES?

Yes, that’s true! My very first paid job was as a pub cellar hand in a pub that my brother managed. I had my two brushes – a short one and a long one – and a load of mops and cloths and I basically had to keep the cellar in tip-top condition. The only thing I wasn’t allowed to do was line cleaning. My brother considered that task far too important a job for a junior like me to do! Interestingly, that pub was a Hardys & Hansons pub and Hardys & Hansons was subsequently bought by Greene King in 2006. So in a sense I’ve ended up back where I started!

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ROLE NOW?

In Cellar Services, we operate across the entire business. We work with our free trade customers, managed pubs, tenanted pubs and owned pubs

– and what we like to say is that our job is to help great people in great pubs serve great beer. My team is there to make sure that the quality and consistency of beer that is served in all of our customers’ pubs is the best it can be, ensuring that consumers come back time and again as well as helping reduce cost and wastage.

JUST HOW IMPORTANT IS QUALITY?

Quality is the beginning, the middle and the end of the story. A pub’s reputation is founded and maintained on quality and the quality of the beer served in a pub is only as good as the team providing it. Anybody can dispense a pint of beer, but serving a top-quality pint of beer relies on a lot of processes being done well. Hygiene is at the heart of this, especially for pubs selling cask ales. Hygiene is profit, in a very direct sense.

HYGIENE IS PROFIT?

There is documentary statistical evidence to demonstrate that beer line hygiene has a significant impact on how profitable a pub is. The majority of wastage that pubs experience is due to hygiene issues. My team can fix anything but great quality beer is only possible if the day to day practices that are carried out in a pub are done correctly to a high standard. At the end of the day, my team exists to help our customers run profitable pubs; it’s better if we can avoid issues happening in the first place by giving the pubs

This

issue, we meet up with

Aaron Potton,

Head of Quality & Dispense Services, to learn a little more about how he and his team help great people serve great beer.

the correct knowledge and support to help their business flourish.

SO, WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE NOW?

A typical day sees me sitting behind my laptop these days, but it’s co-ordinating the amazing work that my team does that keeps me behind my laptop. I lead a diverse team including our support centre team of around 20 people who take 45,000 requests a year, the investments team who enable 1,300 refits of pubs a year and our team of 52 technicians that covers the length and breadth of England and Scotland.

In very simple terms, the install team installs the equipment, the support centre helps our customers with any problems they have and our technicians step in with any problems that can’t be resolved over the phone.

The support centre operates 363 days a year and provides a genuinely outstanding

service. Our technicians have combined experience of literally hundreds of years and that means we have the experience and skills and knowledge to offer a fantastic service to our customers.

ARE THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC NOW BEHIND US?

To a certain extent. Covid was pretty scary and the constant start/stop was souldestroying for many of our customers. We were dealing with customers every day who were worried about losing their business, their home, their livelihood and we had no choice but to double down and keep doing what we do but with renewed energy. I couldn’t be more proud of my team and what they achieved. They did absolutely everything they could do to help and support and encourage our fantastic customers.

HOW IS 2023 LOOKING?

Well, we’re in the middle of the rollout of

our premium Level Head and Flint Eye beers for Christmas and the World Cup then we move straight into the challenges of January and the typically quieter months at the start of the year. With lower volumes at that time of the year, it can be tempting for customers to cut corners so we spend a lot of time in January and February educating and encouraging customers to maintain the high standards that will see them prosper throughout the year. We all know that how people use pubs and make use of their social time has changed but we also know that they still want to socialise and make memories – and pubs are still at the heart of that. We want to help our customers grow. We can offer an amazing range of products, world-class support services and great insight and advice to help our customers build great reputations and run profitable businesses. It’s been a difficult couple of years but I think 2023 could be a lot better than many customers are expecting if they adapt and focus on experience and quality to build guest advocacy.

“THERE IS STATISTICAL EVIDENCE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT BEER LINE HYGIENE HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE PROFITABILITY OF A PUB”.

A £3k saving… just like that!

With business costs rising across the board, every opportunity to cut your operating costs is an opportunity not to be missed. Every penny you save helps increase your profits – and that’s exactly what Kieran Ganley of Ganley’s Irish Bar in London discovered when he made a huge saving on his insurance bill through Greene King’s Money Maker scheme.

“I first heard about Money Maker through my brother who also owns pubs,” said Kieran. “I had just received my usual farcical insurance quote through from my existing provider and was obviously looking to find a better price, so I decided to call Greene King and find out more about Money Maker and to see if it could help me reduce some of my costs.

“Within a week-and-a-half of contacting them, I got the new quote back through Jensten Insurance and it was £3,000 a year less. That’s a pretty hefty saving!”

Located across the road from Morden Tube Station, Ganley’s is a massively popular Irish Bar, renowned in the area, with a strong focus on live sport. The bar features 13 high definition, large, flatscreen TVs and shows live sport every day from around the world.

“Working with Greene King, I’ve also managed to secure a 25% reduction on my Sky TV bill which is fantastic and saves me a lot of money every year.”

Ganley’s Irish Bar in London made a saving of £3,000 on its annual insurance bill through Greene King’s Money Maker initiative.

Teeing up fresh growth

Financial support from Greene King allowed Romford Golf Club to install a state-of-the-art irrigation system on the course, helping to retain existing members and attract new ones.

Located just a couple of miles from junction 29 of the M25 and only 18 miles from the centre of London, Romford Golf Club has long been ideally situated to pull keen golfers from miles around – as well as providing a welcome watering hole for the many locals who live nearby.

Founded in 1894 and designed by Open Champion James Braid, the course has been used as a qualifying venue for The Open and has a long and storied history. Like every business, however, Romford Golf Club has faced its fair share of

challenges over the last few years. Many of those challenges were related to the pandemic, but not all of them, as Club Director Colin Jones told Value for Venues: “In recent years we’ve been having really long and really hot summers which is obviously great news for most people, but for us it was having a detrimental effect on the quality of the golf course itself.”

Keeping the greens and fairways in the fantastic condition that the club’s members had been used to over the decades was becoming increasingly

difficult. “We knew that the only solution that we could absolutely rely on was to fit an irrigation system right across the course,” said Colin. “But irrigation systems are expensive. Very, very expensive.”

TOUGH DILEMMA

So the directors at Romford Golf Club faced a tough dilemma: try to secure sufficient funding for a new irrigation system or risk losing club members if the quality of the course deteriorated, which would also make it more difficult to attract new members.

“At the end of the day, the quality of the golf course itself is our number one asset,” explained Colin. “Everything else that happens at this historic golf club is founded on the quality of the course, which has a great reputation. We’ve hosted qualifying rounds for The Open in the past and that tells you all you need to know about how good our golf course is.”

So the tough decision was, in the end, a simple one to make. The course approached the bank who were prepared to lend some, but not all of the six-figure sum required. It was at that point that Colin approached Greene King.

“We weren’t sure about how the conversation would go because we

weren’t looking for money to buy beer or refit a bar – we wanted money to fit an irrigation system!”

As it turned out, Colin needn’t have worried. An agreement was reached, and Greene King provided the money required to allow the work to begin.

WINNING FORMULA

The work was finished in spring 2021 and the new irrigation system has been working hard ever since.

“It’s been a massive benefit to us,” says Colin. “The course is in fantastic condition. So much so, that we were asked to host the three-day England Amateur Seniors PGA tournament in 2022. We hosted it jointly with Essex Golf Club and the final was held at Essex in 2022, but we’re jointly hosting it again in 2023 and this time the final will be held here.”

Again, that tells you all you need to know about how well the irrigation system is working and what condition the course is in.

Colin comments: “It’s hard to be precise and analytical about the benefits the investment made to our golf club. There were so many things going on over the last couple of years with the pandemic

and so on, but it’s clear to me that the investment in the irrigation system has played a key role in helping us continue to develop the golf course and the business.”

19TH HOLE

The golf course may be the heart and soul of Romford Golf Club, but the famous 19th hole is still a fundamentally important part of the wider business.

“We’re lucky because we are what we call a ‘chimney pot’ golf club,” explains Colin. “We sit in an urban area with lots of houses around us and a big local community who use the club bar regularly, even if they’re not playing golf.

“The fact that members get a 15% discount on drinks has helped us through the tougher times and has meant that footfall has been good and we’re looking forward to the year ahead.”

It’s an inspiring tale of how investing in your business can help deliver solid financial benefits – so if you have identified an opportunity that could help take your business to the next level, why not speak to your Sales Development Manager to find out how Greene King could help? What could you achieve with the right investment in 2023?

New lines for a New Year

JAMESON BLACK BARREL

70CL

With St Patrick’s Day on the horizon on March 17th, this special pot still whiskey-heavy version of Jameson is likely to be a hit. Black Barrel has lots of first-fill bourbon and sherry casks in the mix, giving it a much richer flavour than regular Jameson with a strong sherried note. Jameson Black Barrel is on promotion as part of the Jamesons basket deal offering customers a free St Patrick’s Day POS kit when they buy two 70cl bottles from the Jameson range.

70CL

Burns Night wouldn’t be Burns Night without a glass or two of finest Scottish single malt whisky – and Aberfeldy 12 Year Old is a perfect dram for the celebration. A fruity, clean and polished malt with a touch of honey and spice, Aberfeldy 12 Year Old is an excellent introduction to this Highland distillery and will be appreciated by both committed whisky drinkers and those looking to try a quality whisky on Burns Night. Aberfeldy 12 Year Old is part of a special promotion offering a free case of Fever Tree Ginger Ale to customers buying two 70cl bottles.

24X558ML

If you want an easy way to cash in on the annual Guinness-fest that is St Patrick’s Day, Guinness MicroDraught cans are a great solution. Designed for exclusive use with the Guinness MicroDraught tap, this easy to use, plug-and-pour solution delivers a perfectly domed head and smooth Draught Guinness on tap. The cans contain exactly the same freshtasting Guinness from St James’s Gate that your customers love.

Low alcohol, big profits

The early months of the year typically see a rise in the number of consumers seeking to moderate their alcohol consumption after the excesses of the festive period and, this year, the thrills and spills of the recent FIFA World Cup. Initiatives like Dry January will also help accelerate that trend – but losing the alcohol needn’t mean that you have to lose footfall, sales or profits. Greene King offers a fantastic and growing range of low and no alcohol products that are perfect for targeting those customers keen to moderate their consumption.

Research data shows that one in six (18%) adults who drink alcohol are planning

to have a month off drinking for January 2023. This equates to some 7.9 million UK adults – and that’s a significant 22% increase on last year when 6.5 million did the same.

It’s worth pointing out, however, that despite the common misconception, Dry January is not actually the peak moderation month. Perhaps surprisingly, June is actually the most popular time for consumers to moderate their alcohol consumption.

In other words, low and no alcohol products can play a role all year round.

More people than ever are choosing to moderate their alcohol consumption and Dry January will help accelerate that trend – but losing the alcohol doesn’t mean you have to lose the sales and profits.

QUALITY MATTERS

Low and no is particularly important to younger, more affluent consumers. Under 45s account for over a quarter of all spend in the category but bear in mind too that every age bracket – with the single exception of 50+ males – has grown its share of drinkers looking to moderate.

With that in mind, if you want to cash in on this important trend, it’s important to stock a range of low and no alcohol products that will appeal to those relatively younger drinks who are most eager to moderate. Giving them a great selection of alcohol-free products to choose from will keep them coming to your door and keep them spending while they are there.

The low and no category has evolved rapidly in recent years, particularly when it comes to product quality and taste. Once upon a time, many low and no alcohol products were distinctly inferior in terms of taste and body. That’s no longer the case and a fantastic example is Estrella Galicia 0.0%, which was voted Spain’s best-tasting non-alcoholic beer by Spanish consumer organisation OCU.

Produced by a 115-year-old family-owned independent brewery in Galicia in north-western Spain, Estrella Galicia 0.0% is exclusively distributed in the UK by Greene King and this top-quality beer is brewed based on the full-strength Estrella Galicia recipe but using an interrupted fermentation technique specifically designed to ensure the highest quality and taste while avoiding the generation of alcohol.

A refreshing and light Pilsner-style beer, it is full of hoppy and

bitter flavours with a crisp freshness, making it the perfect allrounder.

It’s the perfect time to cash in on the growing demand for great quality zero alcohol beers and help your customers discover Spain’s best tasting non-alcoholic beer.

OLD BUT GOLD

For customers looking for a modern take on a traditional classic, but without the high alcohol content, Old Speckled Hen 0.5% is a brilliant alternative for those looking to moderate their consumption.

A refreshing, low alcohol beer, Old Speckled Hen 0.5% is brewed with fine ingredients to deliver exceptional taste and aroma and is very evocative of the nation’s favourite premium ale – but with 54% fewer calories.

Brewed using Pale and Crystal malts as well as a blend of Challenger, Pilgrim, First Gold and Goldings hops, Old Speckled Hen 0.5% is great product to have in your range for customers who are looking for a great, traditional British beer but without the alcohol.

Low and no alcohol beer promotions

ESTRELLA GALICIA 0.0% DEAL P54

J Buy any 2 cases from the Estrella Galicia 4.7% or Gluten Free 5.5% 330ml range and get a free case of Estrella Galicia 0.0%.

HEINEKEN 0.0 DEAL P56

J Buy a case of Heineken 0.0 and a case of Old Mout Pineapple and Raspberry or Old Mout Berries & Cherries and get a third case of any of these three products free.

ERDINGER ALKOHOLFREI DEAL P56

J Buy 4 cases of Erdinger Alkoholfrei 12 x 500ml NRB and receive 6 branded glasses free.

Greene King puts environment & social purpose at its heart

Greene King is taking a defining step in its 220-year history to help tackle the climate emergency by adding ESG (Environmental Social Governance) as one of its core strategy drivers.

These eight drivers underpin the group’s goal to be the Pride of British Hospitality, famous for outstanding experiences.

The announcement means the company now puts an even greater focus on supporting communities, giving people better lives and reducing environmental impacts.

This follows a pledge earlier this year by the country’s leading pub company and brewer that it would become carbon net zero by 2040.

The key strategic drivers were first introduced under the leadership of CEO Nick Mackenzie and include leveraging digital, investing in people and growing reach through compelling profitable brands.

By adding ‘environment & social’ as the eighth driver, Greene King is putting the

issue front and centre of people’s minds when making strategic and business decisions for the company.

Nick Mackenzie commented: “We are building a sustainable business for the future that places our care for the environment and social purpose at the heart of our decision-making. We’re serious about meeting our net zero target by 2040 as we play our part in tackling the climate emergency.

“We know it’s a monumental task so it’s important we add it into our strategy to ensure it remains a goal that we’re all working towards. Putting ESG front and centre of our business strategy is not just the right thing to do, it makes commercial sense as we face into the challenges of our time.

“Our company purpose is to pour happiness into lives, and we are committed to delivering that for our customers, our people, our partners and the communities in which we operate, helping people to live better lives through our community, charity and social mobility programmes.”

KEY GOALS

Earlier this year, Greene King publicly committed to set near-term emissions targets in line with climate science with Science Based Targets. These targets include:

J Reducing absolute Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% by 2030 from 2019 base year.

Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions generated by the company under direct operational control. Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions generated from the purchase of electricity and used by the company. Scope 3 emissions are all other indirect emissions generated outside of the company’s control.

J Becoming carbon net zero by 2040.

Environmental Social Governance will now be incorporated as one of the company’s eight key strategy drivers.

“WE ARE BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS FOR THE FUTURE THAT PLACES OUR CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL PURPOSE AT THE HEART OF OUR DECISIONMAKING.”

NICK MACKENZIE, CEO

Rocking Rudolph supports Macmillan

A donation of 5p from every pint of Greene King’s Rocking Rudolph festive ale is helping raise vital funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Greene King, the UK’s leading pub company and brewer, is helping generate some vital funds for Macmillan Cancer Support by donating 5p to the charity from every pint of Rocking Rudolph sold over the festive period.

The money raised helps Macmillan continue to provide vital care and support for people living with cancer. This is one of many fundraising efforts from Greene King, which has been in partnership with Macmillan for 10 years and has raised over £13m for the charity to date.

The seasonal cask ale favourite is a 4.2% full-bodied ale with fruity esters and a malted toffee taste, as well as a crisp bitter finish, providing a perfect taste of festive cheer.

The exclusive ale, which has been the number one Christmas ale in the on-trade for the last eight years [CGA, Oct 2022], is part of Greene King’s seasonal calendar and was available throughout November and December.

Jack Palmer, Head Brewer at Greene King Brewery, said: “It’s always an exciting time when Rocking Rudolph returns with its memorable flashing hand pull and this year we are proud to be supporting Macmillan with a donation from every festive pint.

“Christmas is about coming together and with Rocking Rudolph this year, guests and outlets will be able to share their support for such an important cause.”

JACK PALMER, GREENE KING HEAD BREWER

Cashing in on MODERATION

The steady growth of low and no alcohol beers presents a new opportunity and Spain’s ‘besttasting’ alcohol-free beer is the ideal product to help you cash in.

We are all aware of the growth of the low and no alcohol beer category in the last two years, driven by an increased focus on health, especially during the pandemic, and by a wider trend towards moderation. We can only see this continuing to grow in future and the great news for our customers is that the variety, quality and availability of low and no alcohol beers is growing month on month, presenting operators with exciting new sales, footfall and profit opportunities.

Beer is already high in vitamins, minerals and fibre as it is produced through completely natural fermentation, and non-alcoholic beers share these characteristics as well as bringing great isotonic factors and a low calorific content. How we as brands and publicans connect with consumers and drive the health

message through social marketing will dictate the pace of growth in the future.

This opportunity is traditionally a particularly important one in the early months of the year. We know, for instance, that one in six (18%) adults who drink alcohol are planning to have a month off drinking for January 2023. This is estimated at 7.9 million UK adults – up from an estimated 6.5 million last year, a 22% increase.

It’s also worth noting however, that low and no can play a role all year round. While many may assume that ‘Dry January’ is peak moderation month, June is actually the most popular time to moderate alcohol consumption.

Low and no is especially important to younger, more affluent consumers.

Greene King Head of Partnerships Kelly Hall highlights opportunities in the low and no alcohol sector and how Estrella Galicia 0.0% can help grow footfall and sales.

ESTRELLA GALICIA 0.0% WAS VOTED ‘SPAIN’S BEST TASTING NONALCOHOLIC BEER’ BY SPANISH CONSUMER ORGANISATION OCU

Under-45s account for over a quarter of all spend in the category, compared to just 18% of total alcohol spend. But while low and no is particularly appealing to younger drinkers, every age bracket with the single exception of 50+ males has grown its share of drinkers looking to moderate.

As low and no tastes have evolved, so too has the range and quality of products available, with Estrella Galicia 0.0% being a great example. Produced by a 115-year-old familyowned independent brewery in Galicia in north-western Spain, Estrella Galicia 0.0% was voted “Spain’s best tasting non-alcoholic beer” by Spanish consumer organisation OCU – and for good reason.

Greene King is the UK’s exclusive distributor of this top quality beer, and it is brewed based on the fullstrength Estrella Galicia recipe using an interrupted fermentation technique specifically designed to ensure the highest quality and taste while avoiding the generation of alcohol.

A versatile refreshing and light Pilsnerstyle beer, it is full of hoppy and bitter flavours yet with a crisp freshness that makes it great for an aperitif and general drinking but also for pairing with dishes such as seafood, cheeses or lighter meats.

What’s more, the Estrella Galicia brewery officially achieved carbon neutrality in March 2021, something which is important to an increasing number of drinkers.

Interestingly, alcohol-free beer accounts for a significant 14% of the total beer trade in Estrella Galicia’s native Spanish market. In the UK alcohol-free beer accounts for less than 1% of total sales – so we can see huge growth potential in the UK, especially with the breakthrough of non-alcoholic beer onto draught.

There’s never been a better time to take a fresh look at your low and no alcohol beer range and to help your customers discover Spain’s best tasting non-alcoholic beer.

ABOUT KELLY

Kelly Hall is Head of Brand Partnerships at Greene King and manages the relationships with Greene King partner brands, helping them to drive growth.

She has more than 20 years of experience working in large FMCG companies including 13 years at Britvic where she was Senior National Account Manager in the on-trade and latterly Brand Activation Manager for the soft drinks giant, helping develop activation strategies for challenger brands.

She also spent five years at Molson Coors as a Senior Shopper Marketing Manager, developing activation strategies with top grocery accounts.

DRS:

what does it for mean you?

DRS: What you need to know

With Scotland’s new Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) set to come into force on 16 August 2023, the DRS Scheme Administrator, Circularity Scotland, has issued fresh advice and information to the hospitality sector to help it prepare for the new regulations.

Under the scheme, consumers will pay a 20p deposit whenever they buy a drink in a single-use container and will get their deposit back when returning the empty bottle or can for recycling. Circularity Scotland aims to recapture 90% pf Scotland’s single-use containers. The DRS will cover all drinks sold in PET plastic, metal and glass which are between 50ml and 3l in size.

ON-PREMISE ONLY SALES

If your customers only consume the drinks you sell on site, and you collect all the containers, you can operate what’s known as a closed loop system. This means you must:

Q only sell drinks from registered producers;

Q only sell drinks that the producer has made available for sale in Scotland;

Q pay the 20p deposit to your supplier for each scheme article purchased;

Q store empty containers in a safe way.

In this scenario, scheme packaging is not expected to leave the premises and therefore there is no requirement to charge customers the deposit. You should collect and store the scheme packaging for collection by the scheme administrator.

OFF- AND ON-PREMISE SALES

Some hospitality businesses will operate both as hospitality retailers (on-site consumption) and as retailers (consumption off the premises), selling drinks to be drunk on the premises and also to take away.

Q If your business serves drinks to customers to consume off the premises you must charge a deposit and operate a return point.

Q If your customers only consume the drinks you sell on site, and you collect all the containers, you can operate what’s known as a closed loop system.

Q If you sell drinks for both off- and on-premise consumption, you will need to meet both sets of requirements above.

In this case, you must meet both the regulations outlined above, including operating a return point (unless you are exempt), as well as the following regulations for drinks sold for consumption off the premises.

Q charge the 20p deposit when selling a drink that is part of the scheme;

Q make it clear to the customer that the drink is part of the scheme and a deposit applies;

Q clearly display the price of the deposit (20p) in any place that a drink is displayed for sale;

Q clearly display information on how the customer can redeem the deposit;

Q operate a return point (unless exempt) or takeback service.

EXEMPTIONS

Hospitality businesses that sell drinks containers to take away can apply for an exemption consideration if they wish.

Visit depositreturnscheme.zerowastescotland.org.uk/ applications to apply for an exemption.

Please note that the advice and guidance continues to change and evolve so it is vital that catering customers in Scotland regularly check the latest advice. Visit circularityscotland.com and sign to up receive the latest updates.

BEERS, LAGERS & CIDERS

Deal 1 80 Shilling Keg Install Deal p2

New keg install deal (free keg & POS upon install)

Deal 2 Belhaven Can Deal p3

Buy 3 packs from the 440ml can range and get 1 case of Robert Burns Ale FoC

Deal 3 East Coast IPA keg & POS Deal p5

Buy 2x50L East Coast IPA for glassware & collector card kit

Deal 6 OBV Packaged 500ml Deal p14

Buy 3 cases from the 500ml range and get 1 case FoC

Deal 9 OBV 5 & 1 Cask Deal p18&19

Buy any 5 x 9G casks from our Permanent or Seasonal ranges and get a 6th cask completely free

Deal 10 IB/ECIPA/YB keg deal p24

New keg install deal (free keg and POS kit)

Deal 11 Camden Hells Install Deal p30

Install Camden Hells on draught for free 30L keg and premium point of sale kit

Deal 12 Guinness + POS deal p38

Buy 3x 50L Kegs / 5x 30L Kegs of Guinness to receive a free 6 Nations POS kit

Deal 14 Thatchers Install Deal p52

Install Thatchers Gold or Thatchers Haze to recieve FOC Keg and POS Kit

Deal 19 Heineken Silver Deal p58

Buy one case of Heineken silver bottles ( 24x 330ml bottles ) get a pos kit free

Deal 20 Crabbies Deal p58

Crabbies 12 x 500ml – buy a case of either original or Rhubarb and receive 6 x Crabbies glasses.

Deal 24 Coors NRB Deal p64

Buy 3 x 24 330ml cases of Coors to receive 6 Coors branded T shirts

Deal 21 Dead Mans Finger Deal p60

Buy 3 x bottles of Dead Man’s Fingers Raspberry Rum Cream Liqueur and receive 6 x shot glasses

Deal 22 Whitley Neill Deal p60

Buy 3 x bottles and get 6 x glasses free

Deal 23 Aberfeldy Deal p64

Buy 2 x 70cl Aberfeldy 12YO, get 1 x 24x200ml Fever-Tree Ginger Ale FREE

Deal 25 Opihr Deal p67

Buy 2 bottles of Opihr & receive a winter Kit

ALCOHOL FREE

Deal 15 Estrella Galicia Install deal p54

Install Estrella Galicia for free keg & glassware

Deal 16 Estrella Galicia Pack Range Deal p54

Buy 2 cases from the EG range and get 1 case of 0.0% FoC

Deal 17 HUK 0% Packaged Deal p56

Buy 2 cases of 0% alc products and receive one free

Deal 18 Erdinger Alc Free Deal p56 Buy 4 x Erdinger Alkoholfrei 12x500ml NRB, get 6 x Glasses free

SOFT DRINKS

Deal 4&7 Schweppes Tonic deal p12, p16

Buy any 2 Schweppes Pink Soda or Slimline Elderflower tonic 200ml & get 1 Schweppes slimline tonic for free

Deal 26 IRN Bru Deal p68

Buy 8 cases from 330ml IRN BRU, irn bru sugar free cans or nrgb recieve 1 case 330ml lemonade can free.

Deal 27 Simply Fruity Deal p68

BUY 4 CASES FROM THE SIMPLY FRUITY RANGE AND GET 1 FREE

SPIRITS

Deal 5 Jameson St Pats Deal p12

Buy any 3 x 70cl from the range and get a free St Patrick’s Day POS Kit

Deal 8

Diageo Gin Range + Schweppes Tonic Deal p16

Buy any 6 70cl from Gordons & Tanqueray range (70cl tropical passion, Sicilian lemon, Gordons 0%, Gordons London dry, Tanqueray Sevilla and Tanqueray royale) to receive Gordon’s POS and x1 case of Schweppes 200nl Slimline tonic and x1 case of Schweppes 200ml Elderflower tonic

Deal 13 Diageo Draught Cocktail Install Deal p38

Install Draught Cocktails and receive x2 10L BIBs and x24 glasses free