Greene King Magazine Issue 5 - Jul-Aug 2023

BEERS, LAGERS & CIDERS

Deal 1 Greene King Packaged 3+1

Buy 3 cases from the Greene King bottled range and get 1 case FoC

Deal 2 Ice Breaker / Maltsmiths / East Coast IPA Install Deal

New install deal, free keg & POS upon install

Deal 3 Ice Breaker POS Deal

Buy any Ice Breaker to receive POS kit and consumer promo. ONLY 500 AVAILABLE

Deal 4 East Coast IPA POS Deal

Buy 2 x 50L East Coast IPA for a free POS kit. ONLY 100 AVAILABLE

Deal 5 Belhaven Black / 80 Install Deal

New keg install deal - Belhaven Black & Belhaven 80 (free keg & POS upon install)

Deal 7 Kopparberg Strawberry & Lime Install Deal

Free keg and POS kit on new draught installations

Deal 8 Guinness POS Deal 3 x 50l

Buy 3 x 50L kegs of Guinness to receive a FREE POS kit of 100 coasters and 10 Tent Cards for a Guinness competition! ONLY 300 AVAILABLE (FOR BOTH QUALIFIERS)

Deal 9 Guinness POS Deal 5 x 30l

Buy 5 x 30L kegs of Guinness to receive a FREE POS kit of 100 coasters and 10 Tent Cards for a Guinness competition! ONLY 300 AVAILABLE (FOR BOTH QUALIFIERS)

Deal 11 Wolfpack Install Deal

Free 50L keg and POS kit with every install of Wolfpack Sesh, Pilsner or Lager

Deal 12 Level Head & Flint Eye Install Deal

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

Deal 15 San Miguel Install Deal

Install San Miguel and receive a free keg & POS kit including 2 x Deckchairs

Deal 16 Belhaven Best Install Deal

Install Belaven Best for 2 free kegs and POS

Deal 20 Estrella Galicia Install Deal

Free 50L keg and branded glassware with Estrella Galicia install

Deal 21 Estrella Galicia Packaged Deal

Buy 2 cases of Estrella Galicia 4.7% or 5.5% Gluten Free and get a case of Estrella Galicia 0,0% free. ONLY 100 AVAILABLE

Deal 29 ABK Hell Install Deal

Free Keg plus Oktoberfest Kit and POS upon install

Deal 30 Coors POS Deal

Buy 3 kegs of Coors and receive 24 pint glasses and a font dangler. ONLY 250 AVAILABLE

Deal 31 Madri Install Deal

Install Madri to recieve a free premium POS kit

Deal 34 Budweiser Packaged Deal

Buy 4 x cases from the range and get a case of Budweiser free. ONLY 600 AVAILABLE

Deal 35 Cruzcampo Install deal

Free POS Kit Upon Install

Deal 36 Thatchers Packaged Deal

Buy 4 Mixed cases of 6 x 500ml Rosé or 6 x 500ml Zero recieve a case of Zero Free

Deal 37 Greene King 5+1 Cask Deal

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

Deal 38 Greene King 5+1 Keg deal

Buy 5 x kegs from our range and get a 6th keg completely free

FOR ALL ORDERS PLEASE CONTACT OUR CUSTOMER SALES ON: 0345 600 1799

SPIRITS

Deal 6 Bacardi / Fever-Tree Deal

Buy 3 x 70 cl get 1 x 24 x 200ml fever tree free. ONLY 250 AVAILABLE

Deal 10 Smirnoff POS Deal

Buy any 3 x 70cl from the Smirnoff range and receive a FREE POS kit! ONLY 150 AVAILABLE

Deal 13 Kopparberg Packaged Deal

Buy 6 15 x 500ml cases and receive a free case of new Kopparberg Summer Punch 15 x 500ml. ONLY 700 AVAILABLE

Deal 18 Malibu 70cl Deal

Get a free cases of coke or Schweppes lemonade mixers when you buy any 4 x 70cl of Malibu or Malibu Strawberry. ONLY 100 AVAILABLE

Deal 19 Malibu 1.5l Deal

Get a free case of Coke or Schweppes lemonade mixers when you buy any 2 x 1.5l of Malibu or Malibu Strawberry. ONLY 100 AVAILABLE

Deal 22 Jack Daniels POS Deal

Buy any 4 from the Jack Daniel’s range and get a FREE POS kit. ONLY 200 AVAILABLE

Deal 23 W Grant POS Scratchcard Deal

Buy any 2 x 70cl from the range get a free scratchcard kit with instant win prizes. ONLY 300 AVAILABLE

Deal 24 Whitley Neil 5+1 Deal

Buy any 5 of Whitley Neill Gins 70cl get a Whitley Neill Distillers Cut London Dry gin FOC

Deal 26 Southern Comfort 6+1

Buy 6 x 70cl of Southern Comfort and get 1 x 70cl free. ONLY 300 AVAILABLE

COCKTAILS

Deal 28 Draught Cocktail POS Deal

Buy any 2 BIBS of Draught Cocktails for a FREE POS kit! ONLY 200 AVAILABLE

SOFT DRINKS

Deal 14 Capri Sun 3+1 & POS Deal

Buy any 3 x Capri Sun 200ml (32 pack) & get the 4th free plus Capri Sun POS pack. ONLY 1500 AVAILABLE

Deal 25 Fentimans 3+1

Buy 3 x cases of 275ml Fentimans get 1 x case 275ml Free. ONLY 100 AVAILABLE

Deal 27 Lucozade Tri-Bottles Competition

Buy 5 Cases for a chance to receive 6 Exclusive Lucozade Sports Bottles. ONLY 75 AVAILABLE

Deal 32 J2O 4+1 Deal

Buy 4 cases from the J2O range to receive 1 x case of J2O Orange and Passionfruit Free. ONLY 200 AVAILABLE

Deal 33 Schweppes Soda POS Deal

Buy 3 cases of the new Schweppes Melon Watermelon or Peach Coconut Soda & receive Schweppes Copa glassware. ONLY 250 AVAILABLE

WINE

Deal 17 I Heart 8+1 Case Deal

Buy any 8 cases of I heart 12 x 187ml get one case free. ONLY 1200 AVAILABLE

FOR ALL ORDERS PLEASE CONTACT OUR CUSTOMER SALES ON: 0345 600 1799

A summer of sun, sports and sales

With summer well and truly underway and a packed calendar of sporting events over the next few months there’s plenty to get excited about – and we’re here to help you make the most of it.

After the challenges of the last few years, this summer feels like it could be the first ‘normal’ summer the trade has enjoyed in a long time –and it’s certainly a mouth-watering prospect.

It will help, of course, if the weather holds up its end of the bargain and we see some sustained periods of sunshine and warm weather to help encourage customers out of the house and down to the pub or beer garden with family and friends.

Regardless of the weather, however, one thing is for sure: the next few months are packed to the rafters with opportunities for venues across the country to drive footfall, sales and profits. Chief among these opportunities could be the seemingly back-to-back sporting calendar, which is why we’ve adopted a sporting theme for this issue of Value for Venues. There is very little that gets people off their sofas and down to the pub quite like live sport – and we’re absolutely spoilt for choice when it comes to first-class international sport this summer.

Whether your customers are into football, cricket, rugby, F1, tennis or golf, they won’t be stuck for something to watch over the next few months. The key challenge for the trade is to ensure that they watch their sport of choice in the pub with a pint in their hand, rather than at home on the sofa with a few cans.

There’s no question that live sport on a big screen in the pub surrounded by friends and family and sipping on a freshly poured pint is a better experience than sitting alone at home. So I would encourage all of you, who show live sports in your venue to work hard on social media and invenue to make sure that everyone knows you’re showing the biggest matches and tournaments –and serving great beers to boot.

And if you don’t show live sports in your venue, perhaps it’s time to consider it? It’s a proven footfall driver and it’s also a proven sales driver. In this issue you’ll learn how pubs that show live sports average £83,000 of additional sales a year. Is that an opportunity you can afford to miss? Especially when Greene King and Belhaven customers can save up to 50% on the most popular TV sports subscriptions. Just speak to your SDM to find out how we can help.

July and August look set to be fantastic months for the trade, and I wish you all fantastic trading over this critical summer period – and if you do need any help or support, we’ve got your back. Just talk to us and we’ll do all that we can to ensure it’s a red-hot summer, regardless of how the weather turns out.

Paul Downing

On Trade Sales Director, Greene King

Contents

P9 Value for Venues Online ordering easier than ever before.

P13 Belhaven awards Belhaven beers and visitor centre collect more awards.

P21 DRS delayed Scotland’s recycling scheme postponed once more.

P24 Lead feature Golden and pale ales come into their own in summertime.

P28 Consumer insight How important is sustainability to your customers?

P30 Customer profi le Behind the bar at the world’s most famous golf course.

P36 Customer profi le Traditional wet-led pub thriving in Earls Colne.

P42 Summer of sport Cashing in on a packed summer of televised sport.

P48 Cask pins Industry first as smaller cask pins hit the market.

P52 Brand Genius Cash rewards for delivering great experiences.

P54 Meet The Team Hayley Hunt –Installation Coordinator.

P57 Money Maker Save up to 50% on sports TV subscriptions.

P69 Proud To Pitch In Penrith Pumas Wheelchair Rugby Club collects £10k.

P71 Guest Column Jason Lockwood –leveraging the power of live sport.

GIVE YOUR CUSTOMERS

THE CHANCE TO WIN £10K

BUY 1x KEG OF ICE BREAKER AND RECEIVE

2x FREE CASES OF PINT GLASSES AND A ROS DRIVING KIT CONTAINING:

600x ICE BREAKER DRIP MATS

2x ICE BREAKER STRUTS A4 STRUT BOARDS

2x ICE BREAKER FONT HANGERS

20x ICE BREAKER TABLE TALKERS

3x ICE BREAKER A3 POSTERS

A PINT OF ICE BREAKER IS SOLD EVERY 8 SECONDS[1]

Online ordering: everything in one place

BENEFITS VIEW FULL RANGE

The platform allows you to browse the full range of products available via Greene King and Belhaven, from cask ales, to keg beer, from stouts and ciders to wines, spirits and mixers…you can buy all the drinks your business needs in one place.

It’s now quicker and easier than ever for Greene King and Belhaven customers to order products and view their purchase history directly through our online platform, which now also delivers additional benefits to just ordering. Our new invoice functionality will allow you to view your orders and invoices online, whether you ordered online or via our telesales team!

As part of our Value for Venues commitment to keep continually evolving to provide you with everything your business needs in one place; the online platform, found at greenekingorders.co.uk, makes it simpler and quicker than ever before to order products as well as providing some major benefits for Greene King and Belhaven customers.

In essence, the refreshed now Value for Venues online platform aligns with our ‘Product Flexibility’ pillar bringing together all your ordering requirements in one place. Users can browse the entire range of products available from Greene King and Belhaven as well as being able to access all current promotional offers. When you find what you are looking for, you can then order directly from within the site.

Re-ordering has also been made as simple as possible thanks to the ability to quickly re-order

a previous order or the ability to order from saved lists of favourite products, those that you order regularly for instance…if you have multiple venues with different ranges, you can create a list of products for each venue to shop from!

Last but no means least, invoices are now available to view within the “My Account” section of the online platform. So now you can see your orders and your invoices, whether the order was placed online or via our telesales team in one place. They can be downloaded whenever you need them by simply logging in and downloading the required invoice.

In line with the core ethos of Value for Venues, the platform gives you everything you need, all in one place…but we won’t stop there; look out for announcements of further developments in later editions of the Value for Venues Magazine.

VIEW ALL PRICES IN ONE PLACE

Using the platform, users can rapidly check the prices of all products available.

COMPARE PRODUCTS

The platform allows you to instantly compare products to help you precisely find the right lines for your customers.

ACCESS LIVE PROMOTIONS

Another fantastic benefit of the platform is the ability to view and access all live promotions. Users can check out all promotions and order directly through the platform, all in one place.

SIMPLE REORDERING PROCESS

The platform allows you to quickly re-order products that you have previously ordered, or order directly from saved lists of favourite products.

REVIEW YOUR ORDER & INVOICE HISTORY

The platform provides you with instant access to your order history and allows you to access and download invoices.

86-year-old Coronation Ale auctioned for charity

Greene King has raised money for the Prince’s Trust charity after auctioning two crates of unsold Coronation Ale made in 1936 to mark the abandoned coronation of Edward VIII.

HISTORIC BREW

As part of the campaign, Greene King Brewery worked alongside renowned royal historian and author Professor Kate Williams to delve into the history behind the cancelled coronation.

Williams said: “It is absolutely fascinating that these beers have been lying in the cellar for 86 years, having originally been brewed to celebrate the Coronation of Edward VIII on 12th May 1937.

“We know that when Edward succeeded his father as King in January 1936, there was already doubt in his mind that he wanted to proceed, due to his relationship with Wallis Simpson. At the time, members of the Royal Family weren’t permitted to marry divorcees, and this clearly weighed on his mind.

“The elaborate Coronation preparations took over a year to arrange, but by the time the event came around he had already abdicated, leaving the ceremony, and these celebratory beers, redundant.”

Greene King has raised money for the Prince’s Trust, the charity founded by King Charles III, by auctioning two cases of an exceptionally rare ‘Coronation Ale’ that was originally brewed to commemorate the Coronation of King Edward VIII in 1937.

The 1937 coronation was then abandoned when Edward abdicated in 1936 to marry the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson and the ale had lain untouched ever since in the cellars under the South Yard at Greene King’s brewery in Bury St Edmunds.

The historic bottles were rediscovered during renovations at the South Yard in 2011 and were put up for auction on eBay the day before the coronation of King Charles III in May. The funds raised has been donated to The Prince’s Trust which supports young people aged 11-30 from disadvantaged communities to develop essential life skills.

In 2020, Greene King announced a five-year commitment plan with The Prince’s Trust with the ambition to support

1,000 young people into its workforce and lift the percentage of young people from minority ethnic backgrounds entering the business. Greene King also donated £20,000 to The Prince’s Trust Young Persons’ Relief Fund at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The original recipe for the 1937 ale produced a heady 12% ABV and had a rich fruit flavour, using barley and English hops.

Greene

To celebrate the recent coronation of King Charles III, Greene King developed a 2023 edition of the Coronation Ale. The modern version was a refreshing 4% hoppy serve with drinkers able to enjoy notes of citrus and tropical fruit from four fragrant hops upon tasting.

Jack Palmer, Head Brewer at Greene King, said: “We’ve been brewing beer for over 200 years and creating special brews, such as the 1937 and the 2023 coronation ales. We’re proud to capture moments in history to share with generations further down the line.”

Belhaven claims global awards and 4-star status

Belhaven has added three Monde Selection medals to its trophy cabinet as well as achieving a 4-star ranking for its Visitor Centre.

STAR TURN

The Belhaven team had further cause to celebrate with the news that the Brewery’s Visitor Experience has been given 4 Star Quality Assurance status by VisitScotland –reflecting an excellent customer experience in the eyes of their expert tourism assessors.

NEW AWARDS

Monde Selection 2023:

Belhaven Scottish Oat Stout

GOLD MEDAL

Belhaven Wee Heavy

GOLD MEDAL

Belhaven Scottish Ale

SILVER MEDAL

VisitScotland: Belhaven Brewery Visitor Experience

4 STAR QUALITY ASSURANCE STATUS

Belhaven Brewery, Scotland’s oldest working brewery, has three new additions to its trophy cabinet after the results of the world-renowned Monde Selection 2023 were announced.

Belhaven scooped three medals at these prestigious global quality awards: two Golds for Belhaven Scottish Oat Stout and Belhaven Wee Heavy, plus a Silver for Belhaven Scottish Ale.

The news continues a period of global acclaim for Belhaven, underpinned by the company’s long-standing commitment to brewing exceptional quality Scottish beers.

Belhaven’s Scottish Oat Stout in particular has been recognised globally for its darkly rich, perfectly balanced character. It was named ‘World’s Best Stout’ at the World Beer Awards 2022.

Having only opened its doors in 2021, this is a huge win for the brewery team, who have worked hard to bring the story of their historic ‘home of Scottish brewing’ on East Lothian’s golden coastline to life in a personal, engaging and entertaining way.

Fiona Matheson, Belhaven Brand Manager, said: “We are bursting with pride to have received such good news about our beers and our brewery visitor experience. So much hard work goes on behind the scenes and both accolades are a tribute to our teams and the dedication and passion they bring to everything that we do here in our Dunbar home.”

VisitScotland Regional Director Neil Christison added: “Belhaven Brewery has been a fantastic addition to the tourism offering in Dunbar and East Lothian since they first started welcoming visitors for tours in 2021. This is a fantastic achievement which reflects their commitment to providing an excellent customer experience and insight into the workings of Scotland’s oldest working brewery.”

“THESE ACCOLADES ARE A TRIBUTE TO OUR TEAMS AND THE DEDICATION AND PASSION THEY BRING TO EVERYTHING THAT WE DO HERE IN OUR DUNBAR HOME.”

FIONA MATHESON, BELHAVEN BRAND MANAGER

50ml Grey Goose Peach & Rosemary + 15ml Martini Extra Dry + Fever-Tree Ginger Ale + Garnish with a peach/orange slice

50ml Grey Goose Strawberry & Lemongrass + Fever-Tree Raspberry & Orange Blossom Soda + Garnish with a strawberry

50ml of Patron Tequila + Fever-Tree Pink Grapefruit Soda + Garnish with a pink grapefruit slice

50ml Grey Goose + Fever-Tree Mexican Lime Soda + Garnish with lime wedges

Trade bodies unite to demand action on ‘unfair’ energy costs

INTEREST RATE HIKES

‘A HUGE WORRY’

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has joined forces with a number of other leading trade bodies to call for urgent intervention on what it terms “unfair energy costs”. Since the beginning of the energy crisis, members of the trade organisations have faced a raft of business-critical challenges, with 50% being forced into contracts between July and December 2022, in an “uncompetitive market” when energy prices were at their highest.

Hospitality trade bodies, the BBPA, UKHospitality (UKH) and the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) have written to Amanda Solloway MP, the Minister for Energy Consumers and Affordability, calling for urgent Government support for hospitality businesses, some of whom are on the brink of collapse.

Ofgem, the industry regulator, has investigated evidence from hundreds of pubs and hospitality businesses, showing the unfair nature and length of contracts, sky-high standing charges and management fees, and aggressive sales tactics by some energy suppliers, but the action taken so far has been too little, and for many will be far too late.

A spokesperson for the trade bodies stated: “Following any meaningful Government support tailing off at the end of March, operators now face bills

between three and four times higher than in 2021, locked into contracts that are destroying their otherwise viable and vibrant businesses.

“We have been engaging with Government Ministers and officials, as well as Ofgem, for over a year now, sharing the often-immoral behaviour of energy suppliers, whose actions have plunged pubs and hospitality businesses into debt and uncertainty. Domestic customers have been protected to some extent, but small businesses supporting families and communities have been left exposed to untenable costs and contracts, threatening livelihoods the length and breadth of the UK.

“Ofgem’s limited powers leave it unable to intervene in contracts between these suppliers and hospitality businesses. We are calling urgently on government to step in and take action to save essential community hubs and thousands of jobs from being lost forever.”

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls has responding to the announcement from the Bank of England that interest rates have been increased once again, stating: “Interest rates reaching their highest levels since 2008 will be a huge worry for hospitality businesses and could significantly impact business viability.

“Hospitality was the business sector most affected by the pandemic, with a large number of businesses forced to take out loans to survive. With those loans now due, consistently rising interest rates compound debt and inflict further economic pain on venues.

“Urgent action is needed from Government to bring costs down and more needs to be done to assist businesses in their pandemic debt. We would urge HMRC to be lenient in their demands from businesses at this point, allowing Time to Pay arrangements.”

The UK’s leading pub and hospitality trade bodies have joined forces to demand urgent action on what they call “unfair energy costs” in an “uncompetitive” market.

Swindon club toasts CAMRA top spot

The Ashford in Swindon has been voted ‘Club of the Year’ in this year’s Campaign for Real Ale awards, thanks to its commitment to serving consistently top-quality Greene King ales.

Club secretary Jenny Brownley and the team at The Ashford in Old Town in Swindon have been celebrating in style and making headlines in the local press after being voted ‘Club of the Year’ by members of the Swindon and North Wiltshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).

The Greene King customer took the top award thanks to its commitment to serving top-quality cask and keg ales, all of them from Greene King. The venue puts properly prepared, maintained and served cask and keg ales at the heart of its offer and all staff proudly wear bespoke Greene King polo shirts every day to help encourage customers to try its cask ales.

CAMRA Clubs Co-ordinator Paul New commented: “We were very impressed. The quality of the real ales at The Ashford was very good.”

The Ashford is an impressive 127 years old and was first built back in 1896 thanks to a £1,200 brewery loan to buy the land and fund the construction.

“We were absolutely thrilled to accept the CAMRA award and it’s such a boost for the Club and all our Members here at The Ashford,” Jenny told Value for Venues. “Ales are a fundamental part of our offer, and we only buy from Greene king, who are our preferred Supplier. We are also extremely careful about how we look after our cask ales because we know how

important quality is to our customers.

“Our current cask range includes Old Golden Hen, Old Speckled Hen and Greene king IPA. We took Coronation Ale in just before the Kings Coronation and that has now sold out.

“We invested heavily in a major refurb during Covid and we re-invest all profits into the venue. We want to offer great quality ales and fantastic service in a brilliant environment, and we are delighted that our strategy seems to be working. As well as winning this amazing award, we’ve also achieved the highest standards from Cask Marque.

“In tandem, we’ve seen club membership increase from only around 160 about four years ago to over 600 today. We must be doing something right – and long may it continue!”

EASTER SALES LIFT BODES WELL

Data from Barclays, which sees nearly half of the nation´s credit and debit card transactions, shows that hospitality and leisure businesses benefitted from a 2.7% increase in the total number of sales over the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend compared to last year, as people made the most of the warmer weather and enjoyed days out after months of cutbacks.

Restaurants saw a 3.09% uplift in transaction volumes over the weekend, suggesting increased consumer desire to visit pubs and restaurants.

Marc Pettican, Head of Barclaycard Payments, said: “Consumer spending surged across hospitality and leisure and, while our research shows that half of consumers are consciously trying to cut back on discretionary spending overall, this uplift in transactions demonstrates that many are still keen to spend their time off socialising and eating out with friends and family.”

Pub, bar and restaurant spend continues to climb

Data from Barclays, which sees nearly half of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions, shows that consumer spending in hospitality and leisure venues in Britain continues to grow, fuelling hopes that 2023 may mark the beginning of a return to form for the trade.

The combination of a series of bank holidays, long weekends and warmer weather has seen spend in pubs, bars and restaurants increase dramatically when compared with the same period last year.

During the last weekend in May, for example, pub and bar transactions were up a significant 27.3% as consumers headed out to socialise and make the most of the warm weather. Restaurants also saw good

growth of 11.5%.

Marc Pettican, Head of Barclaycard Payments, said: “Consumer spending has surged, especially in the hospitality and leisure sectors, as the arrival of the warmer weather kicked-off more sports and socialising.

“Pubs, bars and restaurants received a significant boost from consumers getting together with friends and family. This uplift in trade will be some welcome news for the sector, amidst the ongoing strain of rising energy bills and the impact of the cost of living. Businesses will no doubt remain hopeful that customers continue to offer their support and keep venues busy as we enter the peak summer season.”

RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN TOPS 120K APPLICATIONS

Recruitment campaign

Hospitality Rising has announced that it had received over 120,000 job applications through the platform that was created to help boost recruitment into the hospitality sector.

The campaign has received over £900,000 of investment from operators, suppliers and sponsors to support the recruitment drive.

The initiative was launched in October last year as an attempt to tackle the sector’s increasingly severe challenges in filling job vacancies and changing young people’s perceptions of a career in hospitality.

Margarita tops cocktail search rankings

While the Pornstar Martini has long been hailed as the most popular cocktail in Britain, new research has revealed that, according to analysis of Google search rankings, the Margarita is the most popular cocktail among British consumers looking to mix drinks at home.

The findings suggest that adding a Margarita to your cocktail menu could be a good idea, if you don’t already offer one.

Event management company MGN events

analysed Google search data to determine the nation’s most-loved cocktail and found that the Margarita took top spot with monthly search volumes of almost 84,000. Long-standing favourite the Pornstar Martini wasn’t far behind at 84,000 while the Mojito took third spot with 80,600 searches.

Some way behind were the Espresso Martini, the Pina Colada, the Old Fashioned, the Cosmopolitan and the Negroni, with the Aperol Spritz and Mulled Wine completing the top 10.

Barclaycard data shows that the combination of warm weather and long weekends has helped boost spend in pubs and bars by more than 27%.

IN A WORLD BECOMING MORE AND MORE ISOLATED WOLFPACK EXISTS TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER.

add sweetness & body. This new brew is built for the session!

FREE 50L KEG & POS KIT

WITH EVERY NEW INSTALL OF SESH, PILSNER OR LAGER

24 GLASSES

TAP HANDLE

TAP BADGE

3 X T-SHIRTS (MIXED SIZES)

2 X TRUCKER CAPS

100DRIPMATS

Scottish DRS postponed to 2025 and aligned with UK

Scotland’s flagship recycling project has been postponed until at least 2025 to launch at the same time as similar schemes in England and Northern Ireland.

LATEST DRS CHANGES…

All hospitality premises that sell the large majority of their drinks products for consumption on the premises will be exempt from acting as a return point.

Drinks containers of under 100ml will be excluded, removing miniatures and other smaller containers from the scheme.

Products that sell fewer than 5,000 units per year will be excluded, which will particularly benefit craft producers.

Glass likely to be excluded

The Scottish Government’s flagship Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) environmental policy has been delayed once more, this time until October 2025.

The scheme was pushed back twice within a month after Scotland’s new First Minister Humza Yousaf confirmed that the scheme would be delayed and that hospitality premises in Scotland that sell the large majority of their drinks products for consumption on the premises will be exempt from acting as Return Points.

In a subsequent twist, the UK Government then agreed to permit an exemption from the Internal Markets Act, but only on condition that the Scottish scheme aligned with the planned English and Northern Irish schemes by excluding glass.

In the wake of the announcement the Scottish Government then announced that the scheme is now being pushed back to at least October 2025 to allow to launch at the same time as similar schemes are due to go live in England and Northern Ireland.

It is expected that glass will be excluded but the Scottish Government has not confirmed this yet.

DRS AND CASHFLOW

Under the legislation, the flow of deposits in the hospitality trade should be cost-neutral. As the containers will not be leaving the premises, venues will: pay a 20p deposit on every item of stock that they buy from a wholesaler or drinks producer; receive 20p from the scheme administrator for every bottle or can that they return.

Because venues will not be passing the deposit on to their customers, hospitality operators will be responsible for collecting and storing the empty bottles and cans from within the premises.

PREMIUM POS KIT *

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

SPEAK TO YOUR SALES DEVELOPMENT MANAGER TO DISCUSS ELIGIBILITY FOR YOUR VENUE.

* Promotion available for new installs of Level Head or Flint Eye during July and August 2023. New stockists only. One deal per customer per brand. First free 30L keg and POS will be issued upon confirmed install of Flint Eye or Level Head. Second free 30L keg will be awarded after 8 weeks continuous stocking. Eligibility of venues will be confirmed by a Greene King Sales Development Manager. Point of sale items are subject to availability and may be substituted or delayed. 100 deals available.

GOLDEN SUMMER POS KIT

To help you make the most of your golden and pale ales this summer, Greene King is offering a fantastic themed POS kit that can be used with any of the three seasonal fresh cask releases throughout July and August.

The kit will draw attention to your range and encourage trial and purchase.

To order your kit please speak to your SDM (while stocks last).

With summer now well under way, it’s the perfect time to take a fresh look at your range and ensure that you have some great options for drinkers looking for lighter, brighter ales to match the lighter, brighter, warmer days. And what could be better on a balmy summer’s day at the pub with family and friends than a delicious, refreshing golden or pale ale?

Summer is the time when golden and pale ales traditionally come into their own and the category typically sees sales peak in the warmer months, which represents an outstanding opportunity for venues to maximise footfall, sales and profits.

SEASONAL STARS

To help you do precisely that, Greene King has included a collection of top-quality, intriguing golden and pale ales in its Fresh Cask Releases limited edition range for 2023.

Golden opportunity

Golden and pale ales truly come into their own in the summertime and Greene King and Belhaven have the perfect range of permanent and seasonal lines – as well as new dedicated POS – to help you make the most of this golden opportunity.

Many of you will have stocked the recent Coronation Ale in April and May to mark the ascension of King Charles to the throne while the ever-popular St Edmunds Golden Ale returned in June to bolster sales.

Building on that golden and pale ale momentum, the Fresh Cask Releases range features another three fantastic brews between now and the end of September, all backed by a brand-new summer-themed POS kit that is available for free.

New Tricks and Ale Fresco golden ales are available throughout July and August while the double dry hopped ipa, Mischief Maker is available in August and September.

The new summer POS kit includes drip mats, tent cards and a clip crowner, all helping raise the profile of cask golden and pale ale in your venue and encouraging your customers to give one a try.

The kits are available free while stocks last and can be ordered from your SDM.

BREWING BETTER

The three Fresh Cask Releases seasonal golden and pale ales bring the unique combination of collaboration, innovation, tradition, quality and history that characterises Greene King’s range, helping to bring more customers into cask and helping generate fresh excitement in a vitally important category.

New Tricks Golden Ale is the latest brew from a long-standing collaboration with Nethergate Brewery, a 4% ABV golden ale that combines ginger and lemon to deliver crisp refreshment and juicy, fruity flavours.

Also available in July and August, Ale Fresco Golden Ale is the quintessential easy drinking, approachable and utterly delicious summer ale. A 4.3% ale, it is brewed with centennial hops to deliver lovely light citrus flavours and should be

PERMANENT GOLDEN ALES

OLD GOLDEN HEN

4.1% ABV

Brewed with a selection of hops, including galaxy, that give subtle tropical fruit notes and a deliciously smooth finish.

DEUCHARS

3.8% ABV

A winner of over 40 awards, Deuchars is solid gold in colour and strongly aromatic with hints of fresh citrus. The distinctive light malt and fresh floral flavours combine with the zesty citric hop to deliver a mouth-watering adventure.

YARDBIRD

4.0% ABV

Full of hops and with lasting fruity flavour, this beer is inspired by bold American pale ales.

SEASONAL STARS

a huge hit on warm summer days.

Last but not least, Mischief Maker will be available in August and September and brings something new and engaging to help drive footfall and sales.

A super-hoppy ale brewed using two varieties of British hops to deliver a complex mix of fruit aromas and flavours, this 6% ABV cask ale is a full flavoured, rich and rewarding brew which was inspired by 17th century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper who is credited with having brought medicine to the masses and was, by all accounts, a bit of a mischief maker himself.

SEASONAL FAVOURITES

The limited-edition seasonal golden and pale ales will help drive interest and trial throughout the summer and perfectly complement Greene King’s permanent ale range.

From the American-inspired Yardbird to the classic Old Golden Hen and the aromatic Deuchars, there’s no shortage of options to cash in on the summertime golden and pale ale bonanza.

With the sun shining and the mercury rising, it’s the perfect time to give golden and pale ales the chance to shine in your venue.

Speak to your SDM for advice on ranging, POS and how Greene King can help you enjoy a great British summer.

JUL-AUG

NEW TRICKS

4% ABV

Brewed in collaboration with Nethergate Brewery, this golden ale combines ginger and lemon to deliver delicious refreshment and fruity characters.

JUL-AUG

ALE FRESCO

4.3%

A smooth and easy-drinking golden ale with a twist, brewed using centennial hops to deliver light citrus flavours.

AUG-SEP

MISCHIEF MAKER

6% ABV

A double dry hopped IPA brewed using new British hops to deliver a complex mix of fruit aromas and flavours, inspired by the renowned 17th century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper, who brought medicine to the masses.

How important is sustainability?

In the latest in our new series of insight-driven articles, Caroline Morley shares Greene King customer research into the increasing importance of sustainability to your customers.

By Caroline Morley, Insights Manager – Consumer

It’s very clear that sustainability is an increasingly important issue for many of your customers – and it’s only likely to get more important in the future. Here’s what 2,000 sample consumers* had to say on the issue…

FINDINGS PART I SUSTAINABILITY IS BECOMING MORE IMPORTANT TO YOUR CONSUMERS

1 CLIMATE CHANGE MATTERS

Consumers cited climate change as the second-mostimportant issue to them after the cost-of-living crisis.

2 BUYING BEHAVIOURS ARE CHANGING

66% of consumers said they shop more sustainably now compared to this time last year.

3 SUSTAINABILITY IS MORE FRONT OF MIND

56% of respondents said they think more about sustainability now than they did this time last year.

4 LOW IMPACT ON VENUE CHOICE

Only 14% said that strong environmentally-friendly practices are important when choosing which pub to visit.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?

While the findings show sustainability is a massive issue for consumers, the survey also indicates environmental concerns are not yet influencing how customers choose the venues they visit. But with sustainability increasingly front of mind for consumers, and buying behaviours changing, the results suggest sustainability is likely to begin influencing venue choice in the future, particularly once the cost of living ceases to be an overriding concern for consumers.

Make any sustainability improvements to your business now if you can, and broadcast this through social media and POS. Then you’ll be ahead of the curve in establishing your sustainability

credentials to existing and potential new customers.

FINDINGS PART II CONSUMERS FEEL PRESSURE TO ACT SUSTAINABLY

The second key strand in the findings from our sustainability survey centres around how consumers feel about acting sustainably.

1 CONSUMERS FEEL GREEN PRESSURE

41% of respondents said they feel pressure to act sustainably.

2 CONSUMERS FEEL GREEN GUILT

More than half of consumers (51%) said that they feel guilty when they don’t act in ways they perceive to be sustainable.

3 CONSUMERS WANT TO DO BETTER

78% of respondents said they want to act in a more sustainably.

4 WASTE REDUCTION IS KEY

64% said reducing the amount of waste they generate is their main strategy in acting more sustainably.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?

The findings show consumers feel pressured to act sustainably, feel bad when they don’t and want to do better in the future. With almost two-thirds of respondents focusing on waste reduction, there are some obvious opportunities to venues here.

By making it easy for your customers to make more sustainable choices, you can help relieve this pressure – and ease their guilt.

By demonstrating your venue is committed to waste reduction, you can help make it easy for your customers to feel comfortable that they are acting sustainably. This will make environmentallyconscious consumers feel more positive about your venue, increasing the likelihood that they will visit more often.

On the right course

Managing The Jigger Inn at The Old Course Hotel in St

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE OLD COURSE

Golf has been played on the Links at St Andrews since around 1400 AD and the Old Course is renowned throughout the world as the Home of Golf.

Golf still plays a massive part in the culture and economy of St Andrews today and, as the 600-year history of the Links has unfolded, the site has developed into seven public golf courses, attracting hundreds of thousands of golfing pilgrims from around the globe. St Andrews Links is the largest golfing complex in Europe and all six 18-hole courses can be booked in advance.

In 1754, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club was founded under its original name of the Society of St Andrews Golfers, and it now governs the rules of golf everywhere except the USA and Mexico.

The club also runs the Open Championship and important amateur championships.

The Old Course originally consisted of 22 holes, eleven out and eleven back. In 1764, it was decided that some holes were too short and combined them, reducing the course to the standard 18 holes we are familiar with today.

St Andrews Town Council reacquired the Links in 1894 following the passing of the first Links Act by Parliament, thus safeguarding public access to the Links for locals and visitors alike.

In 1974, with the demise of the Town Council following local government reform, St Andrews Links Trust was created by another Act of Parliament to continue running the Links as public golf courses open to anyone.

In 1995, St Andrews Links Trust took the historic decision to permit commercial access to guaranteed Old Course tee times. Subsequently, The Experience St Andrews brand was established by its parent company, Keith Prowse Hospitality, to market and sell the times within a luxury golf tour programme. Throughout the successful partnership with St Andrews Links Trust, the revenue generated by The Experience St Andrews has assisted in the development of many of the facilities that have helped to elevate the town into a world class destination.

As golf courses go, The Old Course at St Andrews needs no introduction, even for those with little interest in the sport. It’s the most famous golf course on Planet Earth, widely acknowledged as the spiritual home of golf – and taking pride of place overlooking the 17th hole is one of the most famous hospitality venues in the world, The Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa.

The 5-star hotel complex is rightly recognised as one of Europe’s leading luxury resorts and boasts a raft of accommodation, relaxation, entertainment and eating and drinking options to suit all tastes, for golfers and non-golfers alike.

Among them is The Jigger Inn, often described as “the most famous 19th hole in golf” – and it’s the job of manageress Louise Dougall to keep this historic pub running as sweetly as Rory McIlroy’s

Andrews is a daunting task - but manager Louise Dougall has had 17 years to get into the swing of running a massively popular pub.

swing when he visits St Andrews to play The Open.

Louise has been at The Jigger for more than 17 years and has overseen the continued development of the venue as it evolves to cope with growing demand as global interest in golf has flourished –with St Andrews as its ancestral home.

“The building that The Jigger Inn sits in dates all the way back to the 1850s when it was the stationmaster’s lodge,” explains Louise. “It’s a truly historic pub and its heart has always been in golf. The walls these days are adorned with some fantastic golfing memorabilia and it’s a great place for everyone whether they’ve just finished their round and want to enjoy a pint and talk about that putt they missed, or whether it’s the many local people who use The Jigger as their regular watering hole.”

With panoramic views over the 17th hole

and onwards to the sea, The Jigger enjoys a truly breath-taking setting, especially for guests enjoying the beer garden which sits literally on the edge of the world’s most famous golf course.

“The beer garden has become more and more popular over the years,” says Louise. “We expanded it during Covid and we expanded it again last summer to 17 tables in total and added a permanent covering, so we can probably sit more people outside than we can inside now! We can sit around 41 people inside and we definitely have more than 41 outside on a nice day.

“It’s a really beautiful spot to enjoy a pint or a bite to eat and when there’s a major golf tournament it’s so busy you can hardly move! The tables right at the edge of the course are like gold dust and we get people coming here before we even open the doors in the morning just to claim a prime spot!”

OLD COURSE HOTEL, GOLF RESORT & SPA

As Louise alludes to, however, The Jigger doesn’t exist purely for golfers and golf tourists. “There’s no question that golf drives a huge amount of footfall in one way or another, but we work very hard to ensure that The Jigger is accessible and welcoming to everyone and that very much includes residents of St Andrews. There are a lot of people who view The Jigger as their local – and we want to keep it that way.”

That strategy extends to pricing. Despite its incredibly special location, pricing in The Jigger is kept “competitive” in comparison with other venues in St Andrews. “If you go into the main Old Course Hotel, yes, you’ll pay a premium for that unique 5-star experience,” explains Louise. “But in The Jigger, we need to remember that we’re a public bar and that we’re competing with the other pubs and venues in St Andrews, so we have to offer fair pricing to make the pub affordable, particularly to the permanent

The Jigger Inn is one of three hospitality venues operated by the Group in St Andrews. These are: The Jigger Inn Hams Hame The Duke’s Club House

local community.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, both the local and tourist populations are keen to sample home-grown beers, something that aligns nicely with The Jigger’s sustainability credentials.

“The Jigger, as part of the Old Course Hotel, is owned by the Kohler company, which has a very strong sustainability ethos. As part of that ethos, in recent times we’ve been looking to source more of the products we sell from the local region. We have had a longstanding and very successful relationship with Belhaven and the brewery is only about 40 miles away as the crow flies.

“Belhaven Brewery also enjoys a long and storied history so there’s something nice about these two ancient businesses working together to help our customers make memories and have lovely times.”

Consequently, The Jigger stocks an extensive range of draught Belhaven products including Belhaven Best, East Coast IPA, Maltsmiths and Saltire as well as its very own Jigger Ale, brewed for the pub by Belhaven.

Interestingly, Jigger Ale is only on available in two pubs on earth: The Jigger Inn in St Andrews and sister pub The Horse & Plow in Wisconsin in the USA.

“Obviously the many American and European golfing tourists we see want to try some Scottish beers, so we’ve got something for everyone,” says Louise. “But the locals who know their beers also love Belhaven products so the range we get from Belhaven keeps everyone happy.”

For customers looking for a bite to eat, The Jigger offers a menu of pub favourites like fish and chips, burgers and club sandwiches

with vegetarian and vegan dishes available too.

Unsurprisingly, The Jigger is busy all year round – or “absolutely rammed” as Louise puts it – and the biggest challenge she and her team face is simply coping with the volume.

“It seems to be getting busier every year,” she says. “The pandemic was obviously an extremely difficult period, but we got through it

and there seem to be more and more people visiting St Andrews these days. When you talk to some of the visitors you realise that coming to play a round of golf at The Old Course is a lifelong ambition.

“So when they come here, it’s really, really special for them and that means we have a responsibility at The Jigger to help them enjoy their trip of a lifetime.”

With so many venues having had to ‘pivot’ after Covid and make food a much larger part of their business, it makes a refreshing change to see a good old-fashioned wet-led pub that is thriving by focusing on great drinks, great service and a welcoming environment. The Drum Inn in Earls Colne in Essex, about 10 miles or so north-west of Colchester, is what many people would think of as a ‘proper’ pub – and that commitment to a traditional style pub hasn’t happened by accident.

“When we first took over the pub back on the 15th of November 2021, we had done our homework beforehand and had canvassed the local village to find out what they wanted us to do with the place when we got the keys,” says Edd Herring who runs The Drum Inn with his wife Laura. “Their answer? Do nothing with it! Keep it exactly as it is. They told us it was the only ‘proper’ pub in the village, and they wanted it kept that way.”

It’s banging at The Drum

The previous landlord had had the place over 20 years but a change in private circumstances meant that the pub was up for grabs for the first time in decades –and Edd and Laura jumped at it.

“We met when we were both involved in running petrol forecourt businesses and we discovered we make a great team,” says Laura. “We work really well together. We’re quite different as people but I think we complement each other well and I think that relationship is what underpins the success of the pub. It’s a people business and I love being behind the bar, chatting with the regulars and having a laugh. It sometimes feels like we’re being paid to just have a laugh with our friends in the pub!”

But it wasn’t always that way. “Edd had experience of running pubs in the past but on day one here at The Drum, I had absolutely no experience of working in a pub,” explains Laura. “The team here literally had to show me how to pull a pint

on the first morning!”

FOCUSED OFFER

Earls Colne has a population of only around 4,000 people and its rural location means it doesn’t see a lot of passing trade or tourist traffic. In other words, the vast majority of footfall is going to have to come from the village which explains why Edd and Laura work so hard on giving the local community what it wants.

“What it boils down to is providing our customers with great-quality beers and great service in a great environment with reasonable prices,” explains Laura.

“Costs are going up all the time, but we work hard to mitigate those rises by absorbing some of the increased costs ourselves. It’s vital that we’re the cheapest pub in the village.”

Interestingly, Edd and Laura are particularly open with their customers

Edd and Laura Herring have put their traditional wet-led pub firmly back at the heart of the Earls Colne community since taking over the venue in 2021.

about cost increases. “Everyone knows the cost of everything is going up all the time,” says Edd, “so our customers expect to see some increases here and there, but we think that by being open and honest with them, we can demonstrate that we’re being fair. For instance, when we get cost increases on a specific beer, we’ll often tell customers that drink that beer how much the cost has gone up and we’ll

show them that the pub has absorbed a big percentage of the cost increases, to help minimise cost increases to them.”

The Drum Inn also counts a number of CAMRA members among its regular clientele, so ensuring that the range of cask ales on offer is served in perfect condition is a key priority for Edd. The proof that Edd does indeed take the best of care is evidenced by his recent 100% Cask Marque score, not to mention his 5-star cellar hygiene rating.

“We stock two permanent cask ales –Abbot Ale and our own Drum Inn Ale that Greene King brews for us – and we then rotate the other two pumps,” he explains. “We often take local beers from Colchester Brewery which is only about half a mile away and we mix it up with other cask ales from Greene King as well as other brewers.

“Our CAMRA guys can smell a pint that isn’t in pristine condition from a hundred yards away, so we have to be on top of our game! I clean the beer lines every Wednesday and we get our deliveries on a Wednesday too, so that’s usually a busy day for us.”

It’s not all about cask ale, however, and the pub does offer a broad range of keg lagers and beers to cater for most tastes, including Maltsmiths, which Laura says is beginning to develop a bit of a following.

THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT

Alongside the beers, the other main draw for The Drum is a rolling programme of entertainment. A pool table, fruit machines and a dartboard keep the traditional ‘proper’ pub vibe going, as does the jukebox while two large TV screens in the main bar area show different sports, as demanded by the customers: IPL cricket on one screen and horse racing on the other on the day that Value for Venues visited.

As well as live music most weekends, Edd and Laura also host open mic nights, a monthly quiz, bingo, DJ nights (run by one of the bar staff who is handy on the decks), ‘play your cards right’ nights and a host of other themed evenings to tempt as many of those 4,000 locals off the sofa and into the pub as often as possible.

“We aim to have Friday nights loud and Saturday nights mellow,” laughs Laura. “The live music nights are unbelievably popular. It can be absolutely rammed in here and the atmosphere is amazing. We have all sorts of different acts to try to appeal to a wide audience.

“At the end of the day, this is very small village so we work hard at putting on events that appeal to everyone. We are very family friendly – and dog friendly!” says Edd, as a regular lifts his dog onto

a bar stool and Laura offers a couple of treats from a jar behind the bar.

“The Drum had a reputation for being a little bit lively before we took over,” Edd adds. “But we made it clear from day one that this would be a pub for everyone of all ages, somewhere anyone could come, feel safe and enjoy some time with friends and family. And it’s working – we don’t get any problems and we’re doing well.”

HAPPY DAYS

In line with their commitment to offering great value and driving footfall from a limited catchment area, the pub runs regular happy hours, particularly on quieter periods of the week but also at peak periods to maximise the appeal.

“We do a happy hour from 5pm to 7pm on Friday,” says Edd. “It’s £3 a pint or spirit and dash and we also do a happy hour on Thursdays from 8pm to 11pm and we offer free pool and free jukebox. We’re

looking at doing it on Mondays too, just to give our customers another reason to venture out of the house.”

Edd also says that Greene King has been extremely supportive throughout. “We’ve been with Greene King from day one and the pub was a Greene King customer before we took over,” he says. “We did talk to a number of other brewers, but Greene King’s offer was by far the best. Our SDM is amazing and they’ve been so flexible and helpful, so we can’t complain.”

Of course, running a pub in a very small village has its challenges. “If there’s a big anniversary or birthday party or whatever, people will often host a party at the local Constitutional Club Hall,” says Edd. “And when that happens, everywhere else in the village is empty! But that’s just one of those things in a village this small and we all take it on the chin. It’s a really closeknit community and we all have to play our part.”

FUTURE PLANS

As for the future, Edd and Laura plan to just keep doing what they’re doing. The Drum is busy and profitable and there’s no doubt that the pub has cemented its place at the heart of the Earls Colne community.

The constant stream of good-natured banter at the bar between Edd, Laura and the regulars speaks volumes for how the locals have taken the pub to their hearts and the future looks very bright indeed for a couple who have managed to make a huge success out of running a proper pub and getting basics rights time and again.

“It can be hard work and it’s relentless,” laughs Laura, “but we’re really enjoying it and it’s clear that our customers appreciate the effort we put in to giving them somewhere to go and just relax and have a laugh with their mates. For us, that’s what a pub is all about.”

Win with sport this summer

Live sport is a fantastic way to drive footfall to your venue and this summer’s packed sporting calendar offers plenty of opportunities to grow sales and profits.

There’s nothing that gets customers off the sofa and into a pub more reliably and more regularly than live sport and, with an absolutely packed international sporting schedule ahead of us over the next few months, there will be endless opportunities to boost footfall, sales and profits.

And if you’ve ever wondered whether

showing live sport in your pub is actually worth the expense of committing to a TV sports subscription, then it’s time to think again.

According to Fanzo, the hugely popular app that helps fans find venues showing live sports in their local area, the annual sales uplift to the average pub for showing live sport comes in at a whopping £83,000!

In other words, depending on what you pay for your sports TV subscriptions, that’s an average return on investment of somewhere between x4 and x8. In terms of bang for your buck and the straightforward skills required to make a success of it, nothing else in the pub industry comes close, says Fanzo.

That said, sports channel subscriptions are more expensive than ever – but

there’s good news here too. Through their Money Maker initiative, Greene King and Belhaven are able to offer their customers discounts of up to 50% on their subscriptions.

With a veritable feast of top-class sport on the cards over the next few months, now is the perfect time to consider how you could cash in on the British love of competitive sport to drive increased footfall and help grow your bottom line.

THIRST QUENCHERS

Leveraging the allure of sport, however, is only part of the solution. The key challenge – and major opportunity – lies in turning that extra footfall into increased sales in your venue. Fortunately, Greene King and Belhaven’s longstanding and very deep links with a range of sports offers you the perfect platform to build on.

Top-quality ale has long enjoyed a harmonious and mutually beneficial relationship with quintessentially British sports like rugby and cricket. Greene King IPA is the perfect example, having been the Official Beer of England Rugby for eight consecutive years and title sponsor of the English Championship for eight years.

That high-profile relationship with highlevel rugby continues to this day through

MAKING THE MOST OF LIVE SPORTS

When it comes to making the very most out of your sports TV subscriptions, the key is to avoid simply sticking a TV on in the corner and hoping people come in, according to Fanzo, the leading app that helps fans find venues showing live sports in their local area.

“The biggest battle publicans face isn’t other pubs showing live sports, it’s getting sports fans off their sofa at home,” says Fanzo. Thankfully, beating the sofa and making a success of sport in your pub isn’t rocket science, as the golden rules from Fanzo below demonstrate:

1. MAXIMISE

THE RANGE OF SPORTS YOU SHOW

It’s a big mistake to only show the Premier League. Yes, Premier League and Champions League ties will always reign supreme, and football is critical: it accounts for 53% of all online searches for pubs showing sport. That other 47%, however, represents a massive opportunity to experiment, set yourself apart from other venues and maximise your profits.

Consider sports, such as NFL, that are experiencing huge growth each year and experiment with new sports to target specific groups. Is there a South Asian or Australasian community in your town? Advertising live cricket could be a great way to get new customers through the door.

The best thing about diversifying what you show is that most of these events happen outside of the traditional football slots. Indian Premier League cricket takes place on weekday afternoons, whilst the NFL and Serie A (Italian football) are great opportunities to get sports fans into your venue on otherwise quiet Sunday nights.

2. FIND OUT WHAT’S ON

Not sure what to show? There are lots of ways to check out every sporting event that’s scheduled, including a free TV guide for sport at Fanzo (fanzo.com/en/tvguide) which is particularly handy for venues showing Amazon or Premier Sports, with literally hundreds of fixtures to pick from each week.

3. REACH CUSTOMERS ON THEIR MOBILE

With an exciting range of sport in your venue each week, it’s vital you tell people about it, both existing and potential customers. In the past, you might have placed a chalkboard listing the games outside your bar but these days you’re far more likely to drive new footfall by reaching customers on their mobile phone. So, it makes sense to list your fixtures on social media.

4. DELIVER A HIGH-QUALITY EXPERIENCE

Flatscreen TVs and dropdown projectors are more affordable than ever so it’s cheaper now to offer the sort of high-quality experience that will get customers off the sofa, away from their own TV and their cans of beer, to come to the pub for great quality pint and an immersive, social experience. The key to winning this battle is to offer a superior experience to the one that customers can get at home.

Here are some more top tips to help achieve that: COMMENTARY ON

Having commentary on is ‘very important’ to 35% of customers surveyed by Fanzo. Customers who have left their house to come and watch a game are invested enough to want to hear it as well.

ZONING YOUR VENUE

Not all pubs are dedicated sports venues and have to consider the needs of all their customers. One way around this is effective zoning, breaking your venue up into separate areas, allowing you to focus on the specific needs of customers in each.

CONSIDER TABLE BOOKINGS

A fantastic way to entice groups in for sport is to take table bookings. A whopping 65% of Fanzo’s survey respondents said guaranteeing a seat was ‘important’. To mitigate any potentially lost pre-match trade, you could set a time limit on the booking, insist customers claim their table at least 30 minutes before kick-off, or only make half of your table space available for bookings.

BRANDED PROMOTIONS/GAMES

Sports fans love a challenge, whether that’s quizzes, prediction games or raffles. Running these in your pub is a brilliant way to engage customers before and after big games whilst rewarding them for their loyalty. Speak to your Greene King or Belhaven SDM to find out how they can help.

SPORT MEANS SPEND….

According to Ipsos data from Jun 2022, 57% of pub-going sport viewers spend more when watching sport than when not. Sport delivers unmatched drama, which is proven to bring in more customers, who stay for longer, spend more – and keep coming back. Greene King and Belhaven have a range of discounts to help you save on your bill, and free marketing support tools so you maximise your return on investment. Speak to your SDM about how we can help.

According to BT Sport:

85% of sports fans spend more on drinks when watching live sport

76% would stop going to their local if they stopped showing live sport

89% of those who go to the pub to watch sport, do so to watch football

92% of sports fans said that showing live sport during the week positively influences their visit frequency to a pub.

Summer of sport

28th Jun-2nd July

Ashes 2nd Test

1st -23rd July

Tour de France

3rd-16th July

Wimbledon

6th-10th July

Ashes 3rd Test

7th-9th July

Formula 1 British GP

13th-16th July

Scottish Open Golf Championship

19th-23rd July

Ashes 4th Test

20th-23rd July

The 151st Open Championship

20th Jul-20th Aug

FIFA Women’s World Cup

Greene King IPA’s official partnership with three Premiership clubs: Saracens, Newcastle and Gloucester.

Greene King IPA also supports grassroots rugby through its ground-breaking 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 in the coming months.

Similarly, the recently refreshed Belhaven Best has enjoyed a lengthy involvement with rugby and is a firm favourite of many drinkers when it comes to spending a few

hours in the pub watching the match.

PACKED PROGRAMME

It seems that there are more live sporting fixtures than ever these days and this summer in particular is packed to the rafters with top notch matches and tournaments across all key sports including rugby, cricket, football, golf, tennis and F1 to name but a few.

The highly anticipated Ashes series sees England and Australia continue their time-honoured battle over five separate Tests until the end of July, Wimbledon gets underway from the 3rd of July and just a few days later the British Grand Prix takes place.

27th-31st July

Ashes 5th Test

1st Aug

The Hundred 2023 commences

3rd-13th Aug

UCI World Cycling Championships

5th Aug

Wales v England Rugby Union

12 Aug

England v Wales Rugby Union

19th Aug

Wales v South Africa Rugby Union

25th Aug

New Zealand v South Africa

Rugby Union

26th Aug

England v Fiji Rugby Union

27th Aug

The Hundred 2023 Finals

28th Aug-10th Sep

US Open Tennis

8th Sep-28th Oct

Rugby World Cup

29th Sep-1st Oct

Ryder Cup

5th Oct-19th Nov

ODI World Cup

“THE ANNUAL SALES UPLIFT TO THE AVERAGE PUB FOR SHOWING LIVE SPORT IS A WHOPPING £83K, A RETURN ON INVESTMENT OF BETWEEN x4 AND x8.”

Golf fans have the Scottish Open marked on their cards for the 13th to the 16th of July and the 151st Open Championship to look forward to just four days later.

In August, cricket and rugby move to the fore with the Autumn International rugby union series of Test matches and the increasingly popular Hundred cricket tournament.

And let’s not forget a real highlight of the next couple of months, the FIFA Women’s World Cup. With the heroics of the Lionesses in last year’s Euros still fresh in the memory, the World Cup is sure to drive footfall, particularly if England or the Republic of Ireland manage to reach the latter stages of the tournament.

WORK IT HARD

According to Fanzo, however, the key to turning live sports into sales and profits lies in working your sports TV subscriptions hard.

WANT TO UP YOUR GAME?

If you are keen to embrace the opportunity that showing sports in your venue can offer, Greene King is able to help you do just that through its tailored financing package solutions. Whether you are adding sports TV for the first time or ramping up your in-venue offer, perhaps with more screens, improved seating, introducing zoned areas or in any other way, Greene King can provide you with fast, costeffective access to finance to help you make the very most of the opportunity.

Speak to your SDM to find out how we can help turn your vision into reality.

The biggest battle publicans face isn’t other pubs showing live sports, it’s getting sports fans off their sofa in the first place.

Key to this is communicating the fixtures you are showing in your venue as widely as possible, to both existing and potential customers. A chalkboard outside your pub or a fixtures list on the wall might help drive more business among existing customers but to reach new customers, social media is vital.

It’s also recommended that venues maximise the value of their subscriptions by experimenting with sports other than just football, rugby and cricket. You wouldn’t pay for a keg of beer and throw half of it away, so why pay for a subscription and only show a fraction of the matches, asks Fanzo?

Consider other growing sports like NFL and consider tailoring your programme to suit your

audience. If you have, say, Indian, Irish or Australian communities in your area, why not show some sports that will appeal to those communities to see if you can drive some new footfall?

Best of all, these types of sports tend not to clash with traditional football slots so you can get the most out of your subscription.

FRESH PROFIT

It’s worth remembering that you’re already paying for your subscriptions, so every single new customer you can attract by showing live sport is helping increase your return on investment.

And, if you don’t currently show live sports but are considering it and would like to take advantage of the discounted deals available through Greene King and Belhaven, speak to your SDM now to find out how to win with sport this summer.

FRESH LEGS IN SEPTEMBER

Even as the summer begins to wind down, Greene King will be helping venues make the most of the sporting occasion by launching a rugby-themed limited edition cask ale available in September and October.

Fresh Legs Golden Ale is a 4% ABV ale with citrus, soft tropical fruit and fresh, dry hop notes to deliver a clean, easy drinking ale –ideal for the autumn rugby internationals.

Fresh Legs, like all limited-edition Fresh Cask Releases will be available in the smaller Cask Pins format to help you eliminate waste, maximise choice and optimise profits.

Pins make cask ale more accessible than ever

Greene King has become the first major cask brewer to launch cask pins in the UK, making cask ale more accessible than ever for free trade customers.

The smaller 4.5-gallon unit containers are set to hit the market in July following a seven-figure investment with cask pins being made available to all customers across Greene King’s seasonal cask beers range. The Limited Edition Fresh Cask Releases programme features a rolling portfolio of cask styles and flavours tailored to specific points in the year. The first seasonal products to be made available in cask pin format will be the Ale Fresco and New Tricks limited edition ales.

What’s more, Greene King and Belhaven customers will be offered products in cask pins as well as firkins, on a fixed price basis for the whole availability period of the seasonal range, allowing them to plan ahead and stock the ales in confidence.

Greene King believes that the

introduction of pins containing 36 pints per unit (half the size of the industry standard 9g container) will reinvigorate the sector by helping licensees deliver a range of fantastic cask-fresh beer to customers every time, whilst at the same time minimising wastage.

STOCK WITH CONFIDENCE

The launch of pins dovetails neatly with the launch last year of Greene King’s Cask Iron Guarantee which entitles all free trade customers to a full refund for unbroached firkins and a credit for any remaining volume on broached firkins that that go out of date ahead of being sold through.

With the effects of the pandemic still echoing and the cost-of-living crisis leading consumers to drink out less frequently, these investments will provide customers with the opportunity and the confidence to expand the range of cask ales on their bar which will help encourage more people to try cask ale and ultimately broaden its appeal.

Greene King is the fi rst major cask brewer to make cask pins available, off ering venues big benefi ts in terms of reduced wastage, range improvement and increased profi ts.

The Fresh Cask Releases consists of a combination of returning favourites, key calendar creations, collaborations and new and exciting ales, inspired by legendary stories of the people and places associated with beer.

With the introduction of pins, customers will have the ability to manage a lower throughput at quieter times of the week, meaning less waste or risk of serving beer past its best quality. During busier times, cask pins offer the customer the opportunity to provide a seasonal cask ale, providing a wider choice on the bar.

CGA BrandTrack data shows that cask drinkers are happy to pay more for a great-quality pint and Greene King believes the launch of pins is another step in positioning cask ale as the premium product it should be on the bar.

INVESTING IN CASK

John Malone, Head of Brewery Engagement at Greene King said: “The launch of pins within our business is one

USING PINS VS FIRKINS

of many ways we are investing in the cask beer sector and in the industry. We have addressed the challenges serving this unique product can bring, and we believe the introduction of pins will help our customers serve our fabulous beers in perfect condition every time, whilst minimising wastage and maximising profits.

“Introducing pins will also provide our customers with the opportunity to expand their range and offer seasonal ales that provide a wider choice of styles and flavours to their guests. Cask ale is at the heart of a great pub, driving footfall and guest loyalty. We aim to support our customers in serving the best range of perfect quality beers for their bar.”

Greene King is passionate about the future of cask and, as part of many other support tools for customers, offers full cellar training and guidance for pubs to ensure they have all the knowledge and support to sell quality cask beer.

THERE ARE THREE REASONS TO STOCK PINS

1 TO BROADEN YOUR RANGE OF CASK ALES

2 TO ADD CASK ALE TO YOUR LINE UP

3 TO OFFER CASK ALE DURING QUIETER TIMES DURING THE WEEK

Pins are not suitable for all customers andour9gallonfirkinsmaybea better and more cost efficient option for your venue.

Ourcaskironguaranteeprogramme offerscustomerswhohavesigned uptotheprogrammepeaceofmind astheycouldrecovercostsofany unsold beer from a 9 Gallon Firkin.

Formoreinformationspeaktoyour sales representative, full details available on our website www.greenekingbrewery.co.uk/ caskironguarantee

PINS: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

WHAT ARE PINS?

Pins are smaller containers for cask conditioned ale. Containing 4.5 gallons of ale, they are half the size of a traditional 9 gallon firkin. This means you only need to sell 12 pints a day to maintain quality (rather than 24 when using firkins), which is vital for keeping your ale drinkers happy.

WHY AND WHEN SHOULD YOU USE PINS?

There are three main reasons for stocking pins:

1 To broaden your range of ales.

2 To add cask to your line up.

3 To offer cask ale during quieter times of the week.

ARE PINS ALWAYS A BETTER OPTION?

Not necessarily. If you sell a full firkin every three days you do not need to switch to pins. Clearly, however, you could still take advantage of pins to add more choice to your range. And don’t forget Greene King’s Cask Iron Guarantee – Customers who have signed up can recover costs of any unsold beer from a 9g firkin.

HOW DO YOU CARE FOR PINS?

The way to prepare cask ale does not change when using pins. Depending on how you store your cask ale, you may need to tweak your cellar set up.

1 HORIZONTAL STILLAGE

If you use horizontal wooden stillage you may need to shorten the gap to fit the smaller size. If your existing wooden stillages are too wide to support a pin-sized container, (yellow arrow), this distance may need to be narrowed by attaching wooden inserts to the stillage to narrow this gap (green arrow).

2 VERTICAL EXTRACTION

The simplest way to store and serve through pins is using vertical extraction – using a chock to ensure the cask is tilted ½” to 1” on stillaging. (see image, left). This should provide the required stability to stop premature cloudy beer being dispensed. Alternatively, using a floating widget will enable an easy, quality serve.

WHAT DOES GREENE KING RECOMMEND?

Greene King recommends an auto tilt set up. This is a simple way to maintain quality of serve. It’s important to tilt ale in the correct way as incorrect tilting results in increased wastage:

Too much tilt and the sediment can block the tap.

Too little tilt and the beer will be left below the level of the tap. Even if you already have an auto tilt set up you may need to invest in a new rack in to fit the smaller container size – these are readily available and fairly inexpensive. Ensure you purchase the ‘pinkin’ size for pins.

Greene King also offers the following tips for tilting:

1 Ideally tilt when the cask is at least two-thirds full, not less than half.

2 Tilt at the end of the trading session.

3 If tilting manually, it is best carried out by two people. Tilt by raising the back higher than front by three to four inches, supported by a scotch.

HOW DO YOU PREPARE CASK FOR SALE?

It’s important to prepare cask ale before selling. It is after all, a live brew that needs time to develop a full flavour and aroma, just like wine, whisky and other spirits. The good news with cask is that this time is much less – so your customers get to enjoy a great pint of fresh cask within four days!

It takes around three days for ale to fully ferment, clarify and develop its full flavour and aroma – but it’s worth the wait.

WHERE CAN I GET HELP IF I NEED IT?

CELLAR DOCTOR

Cellar Doctor is here to help you diagnose and troubleshoot any problems you may be having. Visit beer-genius.co.uk/cellar-doctor for more information.

BEER GENIUS

Beer Genius is a great source of brand information, online training videos, free e-learning courses and problem-solving tools to enable anyone working with beer to learn the essentials required to serve the perfect pint.

‘Brand Genius’ to reward bar staff for delivering great experiences

Greene King’s new Brand Genius programme will help bar staff deliver great experiences for their customers – and reward them with up to £50 in shopping vouchers for their eff orts.

Greene King and Belhaven have unveiled a new programme called Brand Genius which has been created to help bar staff provide consistently excellent experiences for their customers – and which will reward them instantly with up to £50 of shopping vouchers for doing so.

For many years the company has been championing beer quality through its Beer Genius training platform and its Cellar Doctor programmes, which provide venues with a one-stop-shop solution where they can find all the right tools and knowledge to operate perfect cellar management and care for their beers and dispensing equipment.

Now the company is extending that programme with a front of house programme called Brand Genius that will ensure bar staff can enhance selling the perfect pint through brand knowledge while delivering a great experience to the customer. What’s more, bar staff will be rewarded on the spot with prizes of up to £50 through a mystery shopper programme.

The simple three-step programme is designed to give staff the tools they need to learn some simple facts about Greene King and Belhaven beers that will help them to engage better with their customers, make recommendations and sell with confidence, driving a better customer experience.

The programme centres around the simple and achievable goals of ensuring your staff have a strong understanding of the beers, offer samples and deliver perfect serves.

The brand genius programme will be offered throughout the year on all new installs of core keg brands and at various times of the year for other brands.

when on a new keg line and we will send you the for on a

To take part, simply opt in when you take on a new keg line and we will send you the Brand Genius POS packs for that line. Then, within eight weeks of the brand appearing on the bar, our mystery drinker will enter your venue and ask for a recommendation. If the team member serving talks about the focus beer, offers a sample and then executes the perfect serve they will be handed a Love To Shop voucher as a reward for becoming a

KNOWLEDGE MATTERS…

Beer is one of the first things your customer sees on the bar – but there’s far more to our beers than just a colourful pump clip or an illuminated font. Behind every one of those taps or hand pulls is a story, an exploration for the taste buds, an experience driven by passion. Our brewers work tirelessly to ensure that every drop we make is both unique in its proposition and consistent in its flavour profile. The different flavour profiles and brewing techniques make every brand different, whether it’s the tropical and citrus fruit notes of our recent fresh cask release Coronation Ale or the malty toffee notes with distinctive hints of caramel balanced by a touch of fruit that make the taste of Old Speckled Hen so uniquely refreshing. Whatever your customer’s palate, there’s a perfect beer within our range.

And just like a good wine, every one of those beers pairs excellently with food. It could be the malty richness of Abbot Ale with a cheese platter or traditional Sunday roast, or the delicate tropical and herbal hoppiness with a clean crisp finish that you get from our Flint Eye lager that is perfect for cutting through the spice of hot buffalo chicken wings. Whatever your customer is eating, be it a celebration meal with the family or just a light snack, there will is a perfect beer to accompany their choice.

That explains why it’s vital that your team understands our range and can offer informed advice – and it also explains why we have launched Beer Genius, to incentivise your team to get to know our beers a little better and provide your customers with even more memorable experiences.

Brand Genius.

BRAND GENIUS: 3

EASY STEPS

Brand Genius is quick and easy to implement and involves just three steps:

1 LEARN ABOUT OUR BEERS

Our back of house POS kits will arm your team with everything they need to become an expert on the beers from tasting notes to food pairings and even some interesting tales of the history and provenance of the beers. A QR code takes users to a short but informative video that will give your staff the knowledge they need to talk confidently about the beer and complement any orders with the perfect serve.

2

OFFER SAMPLES

Offering customers a small taste of the beer is key to enhancing their repertoire and driving that great hospitality experience. In a recent onepulse survey 42% of drinkers cited the reason behind them not trying new beers was not wanting to risk buying a pint and not liking it. Offering customers a small sample mitigates this risk for them and can also enhance their experience. Around 60mls in a tumbler or sample glass will be enough to experience the aromas, look and taste of the beer.

3

PERFECT SERVE

If the customer wants to buy a pint, make sure it’s served perfectly in a cool clean glass and preferably a branded glass if available. CGA data shows 40% are more likely to purchase a beer if they see it served in a branded glass.

Meet The Team: Hayley Hunt

In this issue of Value for Venues, we catch up with Installation Coordinator Hayley Hunt from Greene King’s Cellar Services team to hear about the role she plays in keeping installations running smoothly and effi ciently for customers.

HAYLEY, TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF…

I’m Hayley Hunt and I’ve been with Greene King for more than five years. I first joined in January 2018, and I have worked in our Cellar Services team ever since – and I absolutely love my job. I’m a real people person so I thoroughly enjoy the regular and varied interaction I have with colleagues and customers, and I get a lot of satisfaction out of helping ensure our customers get the best possible service – with a smile of course!

YOU’VE HAD AN INTERESTING CAREER SO FAR?

You could say that. I started out as a Care Assistant in a care home then I joined the Prison Service where I spent 13 years as a Prison Officer. After that I had my first taste of hospitality when I started working in the Riverside House Hotel in Mildenhall. I began as a receptionist but I’m ambitious and I work hard, so I was eventually promoted to Assistant Manager.

I was there for about a year before I joined Greene King.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS?

I’m one of five Installation Coordinators in the Cellar Services team, which basically means that I help to organise any installations required by our customers. That could be new products being installed or it might be new equipment. Personally, I’m mostly focused on our Belhaven customers in Scotland but between the team we cover all of Scotland, England and Wales. Our Sales Development Managers (SDMs) meet regularly with their customers and if they need something new installed, they reach an agreement with their SDM who then hands them over to us. From there we then get in touch, sort out the details, provide quotes and then organise the actual installations, working directly with our team of engineers. It’s a seamless service and it really helps our customers.

SO YOU ARE OFFICE-BASED?

Yes, we’re fully office-based but I’m a real people person, so one of the many bits of the job that I love is speaking directly to our customers, building a rapport and basically just making sure that we’re delivering the best, friendliest and most efficient service that we possibly can. I also enjoy the regular contact I have with my colleagues, including those who are on the road. In fact, there’s not many bits of my job that I don’t love.

ARE YOU BUSY, THEN?

It’s absolutely hectic – but in a good way. At the moment we’re kept really busy with a lot of installations that are going on around the Coronation. We’re also seeing big demand for new installations of products like Flint Eye and Level Head, as well as our limited-edition range

of seasonal cask ales, which is fantastic. The Coronation should be a brilliant period for our customers, and we’re committed to ensuring that they have everything in place in plenty of time for the big day. That bank holiday should be a huge sales opportunity for our customers, which is fantastic.

YOU’RE DOING AN APPRENTICESHIP?

Yes, that’s right. I’m in the middle of completing a Level 3 Apprenticeship in Customer Service which I started last year. My boss asked me if I would be interested in doing an apprenticeship and I told him that I definitely would. It’s been so interesting, and I’ve learned so much about our company values, goals and strategies. It really helps me in my daily role. I’m due to complete the course later this year, so it’ll be nice to have another qualification and be able to offer even better service to our customers!

ABOUT HAYLEY

Hayley Hunt is an Installation Coordinator at Greene King and is part of the company’s extensive and highly knowledgeable Cellar Services team. Hayley has been with Greene King since January 2018 and has worked in the Cellar Services team since day one.

Before joining the company, however, Hayley enjoyed a diverse career including a period as a Care Assistant in a care home and 13 years in the Prison Service as a Prison Officer. Just prior to joining Greene King, she spent a year in hospitality at the Riverside House Hotel in Mildenhall where she was promoted to Assistant Manager before leaving to take up her current position.

To qualify - Buy 5 Cases to enter the prize draw to win 6 individual Lucozade Sports Tri Bottles. Maximum 75 sets of 6 Tri Bottles available (Bottles comeindividually). By purchasing this promotion you consent to sharing your details with Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I for delivery of Lucozade Sports Tri Bottles. *IRI Wholesale Symbols & Indies – Value - Latest 52w data to 24/10/21. Recommended retail price.

Save 50% on sports TV!

Showing live sports in your venue is a tried and tested way of driving new footfall and sales – and you can save up to 50% on TV sports subscriptions as a Greene King or Belhaven customer.

The annual sales uplift to average venue for showing live sports is an enormous £83,000 a year, a return on investment of between x4 and x8 on a typical subscription rate. That’s according to data from Fanzo, the leading app that helps sports fans find pubs that are showing live sports in their area.

That’s a fantastic return on investment by any standard, but Greene King and Belhaven customers can push that return even higher thanks to heavily discounted deals on the main TV sports subscription services.

SKY SPORTS

Available to Greene King and Belhaven customers, the Molson Coors Sky Sports deal is now bigger and better than ever with more flexibility, more choice and more savings.

Weekly Purchase Amount

SAVE UP TO 30%

BT SPORTS

3 kegs across Molson Coors brands: 15% saving

4 kegs across Molson Coors brands: 20% saving

5 kegs across Molson Coors brands: 25% saving

6 kegs across Molson Coors brands: 30% saving

WHERE CAN WE HELP YOU SAVE?

TV subscriptions

In-venue games costs

Insurance

Payment & card services

Waste & recycling collections

LPG

MONEY MAKER: WHO DO WE WORK WITH?

SWR

To qualify for a discount of up to 50% on BT Sports, all that Greene King or Belhaven customers need to do is add a Budweiser Brewing Group (BBG) Brand to their bar!

Add one BBG brand: £240 annual discount

World Pay

Calor

Regal Gaming

SAVE UP TO 50% FROM ONLY £120 A MONTH

Add two BBG brands: £480 annual discount

Add three BBG brands: £840 annual discount

VIAPLAY SPORTS

Greene King and Belhaven customers gain access to discounted rates on Viaplay Sports of just £120 a month, or £140 a month with LaLiga TV.

No Sky or BT subscription is required and there is no annual contract.

Jensten Insurance

Viaplay

Sky Sports (in partnership with Molson Coors)

BT Sports (in partnership with ABInbev/BBG)

TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANY OF THESE DEALS, PLEASE SPEAK TO YOUR SDM.

Category Masterclass: Soft Drinks

We team up with international soft drinks giant CCEP to fi nd what’s happening in soft drinks and what venues need to be doing to maximise their returns from this vital category.

In the first of a new series of category management features, we team up with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) to get the lowdown on the critical soft drinks category: the latest trends, the biggest opportunities, the longer-term challenges and more.

Soft drinks is a massively important category for all venues and the information below is drawn from CCEP’s latest Category Vision, entitled ‘Refresh Tomorrow’. Ultimately, the Vision distils down years of experience, insight and data to deliver a roadmap that can help the soft drinks category unlock £3bn of additional sales between now and 2025.

GROWTH DRIVERS

Refresh Tomorrow highlights four particularly important drivers for Greene King customers, the ones that will drive the biggest sales growth:

Healthier Choices

Choosing healthier and nutritious drinks to increase wellbeing.

Enjoy With Food

Enhancing the meal ritual with drinks to accompany everyday food, special meals & snacking.

Enjoy Socialising

Enriching socialising and celebratory events with distinctive and premium drinks.

Responsible Living

Buying ethically conscious beverages to live responsibly.

These drivers are, of course, interlinked in many ways and provide a solid base for you when reviewing and updating the range you buy in for your venue.

According to CCEP’s Refresh Tomorrow vision, there are four big opportunities for Greene King customers to win with soft drinks in 2023. Read on to learn more…

OPPORTUNITY ONE: ENERGY DRINKS

Energy Drinks are worth £235m in the On Trade and growing by +7%1

Energy drinks provide an opportunity to unlock incremental sales and drive recruitment by attracting a younger consumer.

UNLOCKING THE OPPORTUNITY WITH MONSTER ENERGY…

Monster is the fastest growing of the Top 3 Energy brands5

And the Juiced range attracts both a younger and more female consumers than the average Energy drink6

Unlock the Energy opportunity with the Monster range…Monster Energy / Mango Loco / Pipeline Punch

HOW CONSUMERS ARE ENJOYING ENERGY DRINKS IN PUBS & BARS

59% On its own

47% As a Mixer

11% In a Cocktail

Energy Drinks over-index by 140 with under 34yos2

+14p and command a higher average price (vs. other Soft Drinks)3

1 in 5 would like to see more Flavoured Energy Drinks available in Pubs & Bars4

73% of consumers have enjoyed an Energy Drink alongside a Meal or Snack4

78% would like to see Energy Drinks included in Meal

in

OPPORTUNITY TWO: FLAVOURED SODAS

Soda is worth £16m in the On Trade and growing by +10%1

Flavoured Sodas are a new emerging sector within Mixers, which can help drive recruitment of younger consumers.

UNLOCKING THE OPPORTUNITY WITH SCHWEPPES...

Schweppes is the Number 1 Soda brand in the UK, and growing by +26%6

Schweppes Sodas were created through taking inspiration from summer memories – the emotions, experiences, and tastes

Unlock the Soda opportunity with the new Schweppes Soda range… Melon Watermelon / Coconut & Peach

82% of consumers would be interested in trying the new Schweppes Sodas7

SODA TAPS INTO THE TREND OF LONG DRINK CONSUMPTION AND LESS SWEET DRINKS

20-29yos over-index with Soda, leading to a recruitment opportunity for the category2

+612% vs. 2012 – The growth in Flavoured Gin sales demonstrates how consumers are seeking new & interesting flavours3

Flavoured Sodas are still being established in the On Trade, but have grown by +41% in the last year4

1 in 4 consumers would choose Soda as the Mixer for their drink in Pubs & Bars5

OPPORTUNITY THREE: LIGHT COLAS

Light Cola is worth £1.1bn in the On Trade and growing by +22%1

Through delivering the brands consumers love, and served perfectly, the Cola sector has the opportunity to increase dwell time.

UNLOCKING THE OPPORTUNITY WITH LIGHT COLAS…

6 in every 10 Light Colas sold in the on-trade is a Coke product7

70% of consumers would choose a Coca-Cola branded Light Cola if given the choice8

UNLOCK THE LIGHT COLA OPPORTUNITY BY RANGING…

Diet Coke: The #1 Sugar Free Cola brand9

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar: The fastest growing Cola brand9

OPPORTUNITY FOUR: KIDS DRINKS

Kids Drinks are worth £133m in the On Trade and growing by +28%1

Delivering for Families by ensuring you have the right range of Kids drinks has the opportunity to unlock longer dwell time.

UNLOCKING THE OPPORTUNITY WITH CAPRI SUN…

1 in 3 parents would choose Capri-Sun for their Kids in Pubs & Bars6 (when asked vs. Fruit Shoot or No preference)

The Top 3 reasons parents tells us they’d choose Capri-Sun over other Kids Juice drinks are...6

#1 The great taste and flavours

#2 They see it as healthier

#3 Their kids simply prefer it!

Unlock the Kids Drinks opportunity by ranging… Capri-Sun Orange 200ml, Capri-Sun Apple & Blackcurrant 200ml, Capri Sun Orange NAS 200ml and Capri-Sun Apple & Blackcurrant NAS 200ml

8 in 10 consumers drink Cola in Pubs & Bars2

Light Colas account for 55% of all Cola sales in the On trade3

Over 50% of consumers would pick a Light Cola over Regular if given the choice4

73% specify they want a Sugar Free variant when ordering a Soft Drink and 57% when ordering a Spirit & Mixer5

WHY IS THE WAY IT’S SERVED SO IMPORTANT?

78% of Cola drinkers say having it served perfectly improves the overall experience6

72% say having it served perfectly would encourage them to have another drink and/or return to that venue in the future6

1 in 4

& Bar occasions are Families2

58% of Parents go to Pubs & Bars regularly or fairly often with their kids3

Parents with 1 or 2 Children are most likely to go to Pubs & Bars regularly or fairly often with their Kids

WHAT DO PARENTS TELL US?

4 in 10 parents would choose a Kids Juice Drinks for their Kid(s) when at Pubs & Bars4

71% of Parents prefer to buy no added sugar juice drinks for their Kids5

Fruity favourites!

With summer upon us, fresh and fruity fl avours feature prominently in some of the latest major NPD to hit the market.

BEEFEATER PEACH & RASPBERRY 70CL

With notes of fresh peach and a contrasting raspberry tang, Beefeater Peach and Raspberry takes inspiration from the quintessential British flavours and recipes that brand founder James Burroughs experimented with in the 1800s. The 37.5% ABV gin stays true to the original Beefeater London Dry Gin recipe with the addition of natural peach and raspberry flavours. Pour over ice and top with tonic water and a slice of fresh peach for a refreshing take on the classic G&T or use it to add a summery twist to a cocktail.

KOPPARBERG ORANGE GINGER BEER 500ML

Having not so long ago added a Summer Punch limited-edition line, Kopparberg is nowofferingv enues fresh opportunities to tap into the power of the UK’s leading fla voured cider brand with the launch of new Kopparberg Alcoholic Orange Ginger Beer. The 4% ABV product does just what it says on the tin – a refreshing and fiery ginger beer with a taste of orange – and makes it ideal for warm summer days or for pairing with spicy cuisine.

GREY GOOSE WHITE PEACH & ROSEMARY 70CL

After the recent listing of Grey Goose Essences Strawberry & Lemongrass, Greene King and Belhaven customers can now expand their repertoire of products from the French specialist vodka brand with the listing of Grey Goose Essences White Peach & Rosemary. A light and vibrant 30% ABV spirit, it is made with Grey Goose vodka infused with sweet white peach notes and herbaceous rosemary. Perfect for sassy summer cocktails and for simpler serves, it delivers a lighter, more delicate take on the Grey Goose flavour that many of your customers love.

Cellar management

tips top

Good cellar management is key to ensuring the beer you serve to your customers is in the best possible condition at all times. Cellar Service Team Leader Toby Mills off ers his top tips…

Great quality beer is a fundamental element of the experience for your customers when they visit your venue. Greene King and Belhaven pour their hundreds of years of experience into every pint they produce, so when that beer arrives in your cellar it’s vital that that it receives the care and attention it deserves.

Good cellar management is absolutely critical in ensuring that every pint you pour for your customers is in the best possible condition. The good news is that effective and efficient cellar management isn’t complicated or difficult. It simply requires a little commitment and attention to detail. Look after your cellar and it will certainly look after you.

DEAL

Deal runs from 1st July to 31st August 2023. Only 200 deals available and 2 deals per customer. Qualifying range includes J2O Blends and J2O Spritz 275ml NRB x24. Free case is J2O Orange & Passion fruit 275ml NRB x24*. While stocks last. Glassware imagery is for visual purposes only.

Promoter: Britvic Soft Drinks, Breakspear Park, Breakspear Way, Hemel Hempstead HP2 4TZ

To help you make sure you are adhering to best practice when it comes to cellar management, here are 10 top tips:

1Flat dispense is nearly always caused by one of just three things: bad glassware, glasswasher issues or a faulty barrel.

6Cask should be sold within 3-5 days, and keg products within 7-10 days of broaching.

2Ensure your cellar temperature is always between 11-13 degrees, all year round.

7Line clean every 7 days following the correct process.

3If your cask cooler is buzzing or making a bit of a racket always try topping it up with water first.

8Stock needs to be in cellar for 48 hours to come down to temperature before serving!

4Do not leave water in your lines for long periods of time, it will go stagnant and cause more damage than if you just left beer in them!

9Make sure you are pouring in a cool, clean, and ideally a branded glass.

5Avoid storing food in your cellar –your beer can absorb the odours… Who wants a nice pint of IPA tasting like onions? it happens!

10Make sure you turn off your gas at night, overcarbonation can cause excessive wastage!

Penrith Pumas awarded £10k from Greene King IPA fund

Penrith Pumas Wheelchair Rugby Club has been awarded a £10,000 grant from Greene King IPA’s Proud To Pitch In fund.

Cumbria-based wheelchair rugby club, Penrith Pumas WRC, has been awarded a £10,000 cash grant through the Greene King IPA Proud To Pitch In fundraising scheme, which was created to support grassroots sports clubs across the country.

The scheme recently celebrated its first anniversary and, as part of the celebrations, offered one club a one-off grant of £10,000 – up from the usual £3,000 Proud To Pitch In grants that are ordinarily made.

Penrith Pumas WRC was founded in 2021 and applied for the grant last year with the aim of expanding their existing facilities and equipment to help allow more people get involved in the sport.

With more than 30 members across Cumbria, Penrith Pumas WRC is open to a mix of abilities and disabilities, with participants ranging from experienced wheelchair rugby players to total novices.

For the club, the cost of purchasing a single rugby wheelchair can be upwards of three thousand pounds, not including maintenance costs – so the incredible £10,000 lump sum from Proud to Pitch In will go a long way towards providing new equipment.

GREENE KING IPA PROUD TO PITCH IN over 183 local sports clubs supported over £475,000 awarded to clubs over £1m to be awarded before the end of 2023

As a result of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, the Penrith Pumas need to do everything they can to make the sport as accessible as possible, including subsidising travel to events, and helping with costs for overnight stays for games.

Megan Pettit, Founder and Managing Director of the Penrith Pumas, said: “Wheelchair rugby is such an amazing sport as it allows people of all ages, abilities and physiques to compete on a level playing field.

“The Penrith Pumas was set up to provide locals with a fun, inclusive and exciting sport in Cumbria, however the current cost-of-living crisis is making it even harder financially to keep the sport accessible to all.

“We’re so incredibly grateful for the donation from Greene King IPA’s Proud to Pitch In scheme – the money will go straight back into the community and we’re so excited to share the news with our members.”

Emma Hibbert, Head of Marketing for

Greene King IPA, said: “When reviewing the applications for our anniversary donation scheme, the submission from the Penrith Pumas really resonated with us. Their dedication to supporting the local community and ensuring there’s a role for anyone that wishes to join, whether that’s playing the sport itself or volunteering, officiating or even refereeing, spoke volumes.

“Their offering of an inclusive, accessible and fun sport is clearly central to the Cumbria community, and beyond, and they thoroughly deserve the £10,000 grant.

“To date, over 183 local clubs have been supported by Proud to Pitch in, and over £475,000 has been granted to sports clubs across the UK, funded from the sales of Greene King IPA. We are aiming to give away £1m to clubs before the end of 2023, so we encourage clubs to apply and share how we can support.”

Greene King is donating 10p from every pint of Greene King IPA to support the Proud To Pitch In scheme.

Time to up your

LIVE SPORTS GAME?

Showing live sports in your venue can be a fantastic way of growing footfall, attracting new customers, increasing spend and boosting profi t – particularly with a packed schedule of topclass international sports this summer.

On the face of it, there are very opportunities open to venues that can quickly and reliably deliver a return on investment (ROI) like taking out a popular sports TV subscription. Even paying full price for a Sky Sports or BT Sports subscription, the typical venue will see a return of between 4x and 8x – but as a Greene King or Belhaven customer, you can access specially discounted deals of up to 50% on your subscriptions, meaning your ROI could be even higher. Can you think of many other quick and easy investments you could make that could make such a dramatic impact on your bottom line?

In pound note terms, the annual sales uplift to the average pub for showing live sport is a staggering £83,000 a year, according to Fanzo, the popular app that helps fans find venues showing live sports in their local area.

Take a quick look at the international televised sporting calendar over the next few months and it won’t take long to start appreciating how live sports could help transform your business.

From the Ashes Tests, Wimbledon and the British Grand Prix to The Open Golf Championship, The Hundred, The Ryder Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup, to name but a few, the summer is packed to

the rafters with endless opportunities to get people off their sofas and into the pub.

According to BT Sport research, 92% of sports fans said that showing live sport during the week positively influences their visit frequency to a pub.

And once you have lured them to your venue, the data clearly shows that sports fans spend more. The same research showed that 85% of sports fans spend more on drinks when watching live sport. Ipsos data from June last year backs this up, showing that more than half of pub-going sport viewers – 57% – spend more when

watching sport than when not.

Critically, the BT research also found that 76% would stop going to their local if they stopped showing live sport.

TV sports subscriptions are also a terrific way to drive footfall in traditionally quieter periods. Yes, 89% of fans in the BT research went to the pub to watch football specifically, but if you’ve paid your subscription, why not show all the other sports available? There are significant numbers of cricket, rugby, golf and tennis fans and that’s before you get to sports that might be popular in your venue if you have people in your community who might be interested in, say, American football or ice hockey. It all comes down to understanding your specific customer base and making use of your subscription to drive new footfall and fresh profit opportunities.

As a Greene King or Belhaven customer, we can help you access up to 50% off a BT Sport subscription or up to 30% off a Sky Sports subscription, as well as help you gain big discounts on a Viaplay subscription.

If you would like to find out more, speak to your SDM today and see how live sport can add another dimension to your venue – and a new source of footfall for your business.

Greene King Head of Entertainment Jason Lockwood discusses how Greene King and Belhaven can help you unlock the enormous potential of showing live sports in your venue.

Grow your business with Hive

Greene King’s innovative Hive model off ers a fully supported, low-investment way into growing your portfolio of venues.

With a challenging couple of years now behind us and a future full of opportunities lying ahead, this could be the perfect time to consider expanding your business by taking on another pub. If that is something you have dreamed of, Greene King’s Hive Pub Franchise Agreement is a low-cost, lowrisk way to achieve your ambition.

Hive provides you with a pub that’s ready to trade with all food and drink supplied. Greene King takes care of all marketing and promotions and installs smart till systems so you can understand precisely how the business is performing. Greene King even covers most of the bills.

The only ongoing bills that Hive franchisees must pay are employee costs, insurance and Council Tax / TV licence for any on-site accommodation. All other bills are taken care of.

With everything fully set up, you can concentrate on growing your business and serving customers.

EXPERIENCE MATTERS

A Hive Pub Franchise Agreement could be a great opportunity to develop those in your team who have experience of managing a pub but who want to take the next step in their career.

HIVE IS PERFECT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE: EXCELLENT OPERATORS

You pride yourself on being the best, delivering the best experience for your community.

BRILLIANT WITH PEOPLE

You are a people person, putting a smile on your customers’ faces.

TEAM LEADERS

You are great at running a team in a fastpaced environment.

DRIVEN TO SUCCEED

You’re ready to roll your sleeves up to make a pub the best it can be.

STEP UP

Greene King has opportunities across the country for experienced operators who are approachable, energised and genuine and who are seeking a low-cost, low-risk way of moving their business to the next level with the full backing of a company with over 220 years of experience and expertise in brewing and pubs.

Why not make 2023 a landmark year for your business with Hive?

£20K GUARANTEED

With Hive you will receive a minimum annual income of £20,000 franchise fee plus additional income based on performance.

LOW RISK

Low ingoing cost of £5,000 includes agreement fees, induction and on-site training.

READY TO GO

A quality pub that’s ready to go, making it easy for you to focus on the business.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN EXPANDING YOUR BUSINESS WITH HIVE, SPEAK TO YOUR SDM.

ranges below COMpletely free

it’s time to focus:

from the 24% in value*

SEASONAL ALE RANGE

AVAILABLE JULY & August

Style: Golden Ale • Colour: Gold • ABV: 4.3%

A smooth and easy drinking golden ale brewed using Centennial hops to deliver light citrus avours.

AVAILABLE AUGUST & SEPT

Style: IPA • Colour: Gold • ABV: 6%

A super hoppy IPA brewed using new British hops to deliver a complex mix of fruit aromas and avours.  Inspired by the renowned 17thC herbalist Nicholas Culpeper who brought medicine to the masses.

stock Cask RISK FREE

cask ale is growing

AVAILABLE JULY & August

Style: Golden Ale • Colour: Gold • ABV: 4% Brewed in collaboration with Nethergate Brewery, this golden ale combines ginger and lemon peel to deliver delicious refreshment and fruity characters.

For full details of our 2023 Fresh Cask Releases, scan here

Our Cask Iron Guarantee is a sale or return policy, giving you the confidence to stock a full range of Greene King cask ale for your drinkers to enjoy.

If any Greene King cask ales – broached or un-broached – go out of date, you can claim a full refund for un-broached & credit for remaining volume on broached casks*** For more information and to sign up, speak to your Sales Development Manager.