1 x Free Keg and POS kit with every install of Best/Black/80 Shilling Keg.
Deal 2 Greene King Packaged Deal p12
Buy 3 cases of Greene King bottles or cans and get 1 case Free.
Deal 12 Asahi 4+1 Packaged Deal p36
Buy 4 cases from the Asahi packaged range and get 1 Free. 1 per customer
Deal 3
Maltsmiths Install Deal p14
Free 30L keg and POS kit with every install of Maltsmiths.
Deal 4 Prior Life Install Deal p16
2 x Free Kegs and POS kit with every install of Prior Life.
Deal 5 Hazy Day Install Deal p17
2 x Free Kegs and POS kit with every install of Hazy Day.
Deal 6 Greene King IPA p18
Buy 1 x Greene King IPA (Firkin or Keg) plus 1 x 70cl Black Eye Gin for a chance to win tickets to a live celebrity podcast.
Deal 7 Wolfpack Aplha Stout Install Deal p21
1 x Free Keg and POS kit with every install of Wolfpack Alpha Stout.
Deal 8 Greene King Craft Install Deal p24
2 x Free Kegs and POS kit with every install.
Deal 9 Wolfpack Install Deal p28
1 x Free Keg and POS kit with every install of Wolfpack Sesh, Pilsner or Lager.
Deal 10
Estrella Galicia Install Deal p34
1 x Free Keg and branded glassware with every Estrella Galicia install.
Deal 11 Estrella Galicia 2+1 Packaged Deal p34
Buy 2 cases of Estrella Galicia 4.7% or Gluten Free 5.5% and get 1 case of Estrella Galicia 0.0% Free. 5 per customer
Deal 13
Save £2 on Peroni Capri p36
Save £2 on a case of Peroni Capri. 1 per customer
Deal 14 Molson Coors 4+1 Packaged Deal p38
Buy any 4 cases from across the Molson Coors packaged range and get 1 case Free. 3 per customer
Deal 15 Rocking Rudolph p42
Buy 1 x Rocking Rudolph (Firkin or a PIN) and get a Free POS Kit.
Deal 16 Stella Unfiltered 4+1 Packaged Deal p44
Buy 4 cases of Stella Unfiltered and get 1 case & POS kit Free. 1 per customer
Deal 17 Moretti Install Deal p46
1 x Free Keg and POS kit with every install of Moretti
Deal 18 Carlsberg Install Deal p48
1 x Free Keg and POS kit with every install of Carlsberg Danish Pilsner
Deal 19 Rekorderlig 4+1 Packaged Deal p50
Buy any 4 cases from the Rekorderlig range and get 1 case of Rekorderlig Peach and Rasberry Free. 1 per customer
Deal 20 Thatchers 3+1 Packaged Deal p52
Buy 3 cases of Thatchers 0% and get 1 case Free.
Deal 21 Westons Install Deal p54
1 x Free Keg and POS kit with every install of Henry Westons Vintage Draught Cider.
Deal 22 Stowford Press Install Deal p54
1 x Free Keg and POS kit with every install of Stowford Press Apple Cider or Stowford Press Dark Berry.
Deal 23 Kopparberg 4+1 Packaged Deal p56
Buy 4 cases across the Kopparberg range and get 1 case of Kopparberg Mixed Fruit 0% & POS kit Free. 1 per customer
WINE
Deal 24 I Heart 8+1 Deal p56
Buy any 8 cases across the I Heart Wines 12x187ml range and get 1 case Free. 3 per order
SPIRITS
Deal 25 Save £2 on Lustre Cream Liqueurs p58
Save £2 per bottle across the Lustre Cream Liqueurs range.
Deal 26 Save £10 on Jagermeister and Red Bull p60
Save £10 when you buy 3x70cl Jägermeister and 2 cases of Red Bull Energy. 5 per customer
Deal 27 Save 50p on Blend Passion Fruit Liquer p60
Save 50p on each bottle of Blend Passion Fruit Liqueur.
Deal 28 VK 3+1 Deal p62
Buy any 3 cases from the VK or Hooch range and get 1 case of Kick Energy Free.
Deal 29 Save £1.50 on Campari p62
Save £1.50 on each bottle of Campari 70cl.
Deal 30 Save £2 on The Drinks Bureau p64
Save £2 on each cocktail box across the range.
Deal 31 Jura Whisky POS Deal p66
Buy a bottle of Jura 10YO and get a personalised label Free.
Deal 36 Save £5 on Sourz p70
Save £5 across the Sourz range when you buy 4x70cl bottles.
Deal 37 Save £4 on Laphroaig p70
Save £4 on Laphroaig when you buy 2x70cl bottles.
Deal 38 Pernod 11+1 Deal p72
Buy any 11 bottles from across the Pernod Ricard Spirits range and get 1x70cl bottle of Bumbu Rum Free.
Deal 39 William Grant & Sons 5+1 Deal p74
Buy any 5x70cl bottles from across the William Grant & Sons spirits range and get 1x70cl bottle of Sailor Jerry Free.
Deal 40 Save 80p on Diageo 1.5ltr p76
Save 80p on each bottle across the Diageo 1.5L Spirits range. 1 per site per week
Deal 41 Save 40p on Diageo 70cl p76
Save 40p on each bottle across the Diageo 70cl Spirits range. 1 per site per week
Deal 42
Save £1.50 on Disaronno and Limoncello p78
Save £1.50 per bottle when you buy Disaronno or Limoncello.
Deal 43 Save £2 on Duppy Share p79
Save £2 on each bottle of Duppy Share White or Duppy Share Spiced Rum.
Deal 44 Served 3+1 Deal p79
Buy any 3 cases from across the Served 12x250ml range and get 1 case Free. 5 per customer
Deal 32
Save £1.50 on Disaronno Velvet & Tia Maria with POS Deal p68
Save £1.50 per bottle when you buy Disaronno Velvet or Tia Maria. When you buy both, receive 6 Espresso Martini coupe glasses Free.
Deal 33 Save £6 on Famous Grouse p70
Save £6 on Famous Grouse when you buy 4x70cl or 2x1.5L bottles.
Deal 34 Save £2 on Roku Gin p70
Save £2 on each bottle of Roku Gin.
Deal 35 Save £3 on Highland Park p70
Save £3 on Highland Park when you buy 2x70cl bottles.
Deal 45
Save £1.50 on Au Vodka p80
Save £1.50 on each bottle when you buy both bottles in the Au Vodka range. 5 per customer
Deal 46
Save £1 on Courvoisier p80
Save £1 on each bottle of 70cl Courvoisier. 1 per customer
Deal 47 Save £2 on Edinburgh Gin Liquers p82
Save £2 on each bottle of Edinburgh Gin Raspberry liqueur or Rhubarb and Ginger Liqueur.
Deal 48
Save £5 on Loch Lomond p82
Save £5 on each bottle across the Loch Lomond Whisky Range and Ben Lomond Gin. 1 per customer
Deal 49 Whitley Neil & Dead Man’s Fingers 4+1 Deal p83
Buy any 4 bottles across the Whitley Neil or Dead Man’s Finger range and get a bottle of Whitley Neil Rhubarb and Ginger 0.0% Free.
Deal 50 Save £1 on Sazarac Spirits p84
Save £1 on each bottle across the Sazerac Spirits range.
Deal 51 Bacardi 10+1 Deal p86
Buy 10x70cl bottles across the Bacardi Martini Spirits range and get 1x70cl Bacardi Spiced Free. 3 per customer
Deal 52 Brown-Forman 4+1 Deal p86
Buy 4 bottles from the Brown-Forman spirits range and get 1x70cl El Jimador Blanco Free. 3 per customer
Deal 53 Aperol POS Deal p87
Buy 3x70cl Aperol and get a Free POS kit worth £30.
Deal 54 Shanky’s Whip POS Deal p88
Buy 2 bottles of Shanky’s Whip and get a POS kit Free.
SOFT DRINKS
Deal 55 Save £3 on Appletiser p90
Save £3 on each case of Appletiser 250ml cans. 3 per customer
Deal 56 Save £1 on Schweppes Mixers p90
Save £1 on each case of Schweppes 150ml Can Mixers or 200ml Glass Schweppes or Coke Mixers. 5 per customer
Deal 57 J2O 4+1 Deal p92
Buy 4 cases from the J2O range and get 1 case of J2O Orange and Passionfruit Free. 5 per customer
Deal 58 Fentimans 3+1 Deal p94
Buy any 3 cases across the Fentimans range and get a case of Raspberry Lemonade Free. 5 per customer
Deal 59 Save £1.40 on Cawston Press Fruit Waters p94
Save £1.40 on each case of Cawston Press Fruit Waters.
Deal 60 Save £2 on Cawston Press Sparkling Cans p94
Save £2 on each case of Cawston Press Sparkling Cans.
Deal 61 Save £1 on Lucozade Sport p96
Save £1 on each case of Lucozade Sport across the range.
Deal 62 Save £2 on Lucozade Energy p96
Save £2 on each case of Lucozade Energy across the range.
Deal 63 Red Bull 2+1 Deal p98
Buy 1 case of Red Bull Energy and 1 case of Red Bull Sugar Free and get 1 case of Red Bull Tropical Free.
Deal 64 Save £3 on Oasis p99
Save £3 on each case of Oasis 330ml Sleek cans. 4 per customer
Deal 65 Save £3 on Coca-Cola Zero Sugar p99
Save £3 on each case of 330ml Glass Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. 3 per customer
Deal 66 Save £2 on Fanta & Sprite p99
Save £2 on each case of 330ml Glass Fanta or Sprite. 3 per customer
Deal 67 Aqua Libra 3+1 Deal p100
Buy 3 cases of Aqua Libra 330ml cans and receive 1 case Free. 5 per customer
Deal 68 Frobishers 2+1 Deal p102
Buy any 2 cases from the Frobishers Fusion range and get 1 Free.
Deal 69 Fever-Tree 4+1 Deal p102
Buy any 4 cases of Fever Tree mixers and get a case of Mediterranean Tonic or Ginger Ale Free. 2 per customer
Deal 70 Simply Fruity 4+1 Deal p103
Buy 4 cases from the Simply Fruity range and get 1 Free.
Deal 71 Save £1 Funkin Mixers p104
Save £1 per mixer across the Funkin range.
PRODUCT DISCOUNTS NOW AVAILABLE
Discounts are reimbursed as account credit at the end of the promotional period
P13 Greene King News
Greene King and Belhaven Beers add to their awards haul.
P15 Greene King News
44-year-old beer returns to Belhaven Brewery.
P22 Online Ordering
The quick and efficient way to do business.
P26 Value Hub
save up to £5,000 a year with exclusive discounts.
P30 Lead Feature
Making the most of Christmas in venues.
P37 Consumer Insight
Key festive trends to tap into.
P40 Seasonal Opportunity
Rocking Rudolph returns!
P45 Category Corner
Greene King’s new category vision for ale.
P49 Customer Profile: High Brockholme Barns
Spectacular wedding venue in profile.
P59 Customer Profile: Alyth Hotel
Massive refit drives business in Perthshire.
P69 Cellar Services
Moving to Greene King transforms Nottingham members club.
P73 Meet The Team: Distribution Team Find out how we keep the beers flowing.
P85 Range Freedom: Champagne The ultimate festive tipple.
P93 Premium Spirits
A Complete Selection of Beers, Lagers and Stouts WINTER 2024
Greene King keg RANGE
IT’S TIME TO KEEP THE DRINKS FLOWING!
November and December will, we all hope, deliver a golden period for venues across the country and help you fi nish a challenging but positive calendar year on a high.
Key Dates:
1st-3rd Nov
F1 Brazilian Grand Prix
2nd Nov
England v New Zealand Test
Rugby
5th Nov
Bonfire Night
9th Nov
England v South Africa Test
Rugby
30th Nov
St Andrew’s Day
25th Dec
Christmas Day
31st Dec
New Year’s Eve
There’s nothing quite like the magic of Christmas to help your customers put the worries of the year behind them and let their hair down with family and friends for a few weeks. We all know that it’s been another tough year for many people and household budgets may be tight, but we also know from market data that many customers still want to go out and have a good time and when they do go out, they want to have great experiences and make lasting memories – and Christmas is the ideal time to do that.
In this issue of Value for Venues we offer you lots of insight, advice and suggestions on how you can help ensure your customers have a fantastic time this year. A lot of that advice is around encouraging your customers to trade up, whether that means right to the top –Champagne and super premium spirits – or simply trade up to better quality versions of the drinks they enjoy all year round. Premium drinks mean premium profits, and that’s true across all categories from soft drinks and wine to spirits and cask beer.
Feedback Survey 2 minutes!
9
Talking of cask beer, our Rocking Rudolph seasonal ale returns again this year and we fully expect it to be the best-selling festive ale for the 9th consecutive year. Plus there’s the additional bonus that we will give 5p (plus VAT) to Macmillan Cancer Support for every pint sold – so please do stock it if you can.
fully expect it to be the best-selling festive
Availability is, of course, critical all year round but becomes doubly important at the key festive period, so I would encourage you to read our Meet The Team article in this issue where you will learn about the remarkable lengths our Distribution Centres go to in order to make sure you can keep the drinks flowing and your business growing. We are truly there for you when you need us.
All that remains for me to do is wish you fantastic festive trading and I hope that Christmas delivers the magic we all want to see.
We’re always keen to listen and improve our service to you. Please take our 2-minute feedback survey to let us know how we’re doing.
Just scan the QR code or visit https://forms.office.com/e/ZWxgJG5A3c
Thank you!
www.valueforvenues.co.uk
Paul Downing On Trade Sales Director, Greene King
GREENE KING CHRISTMAS DELIVERY SCHEDULES
In order to accommodate the Christmas and New Year Bank Holidays, as in previous years, we have to make some adjustments to your usual order and delivery arrangements. Below you will find your revised delivery schedule for the Christmas period.
Please be aware if your delivery is made by courier or carrier delivery it will be slightly different to the schedule advertised below.
If you would like any additional help or advice, please do not hesitate to contact your Sales Development Manager, or call the Greene King Customer Sales Team on 0345 600 1799.
Please note that telesales and distribution offices will be closed on 25TH,
26TH DECEMBER 2024 AND 1ST JANUARY 2025
MONDAY DELIVERED CUSTOMER
Normal Call Day Normal Del Day Xmas Call Day Xmas Del Day
Cask Size: for over 200 years. Everything from traditional to seasonal cask ales.
9 G ABV: 4.3%
Seasonal Range
Keep your line-up fresh with beers for all occasions
AVAILABLE DECEMBER
ABBOT RESERVE PREMIUM ALE
ABV: 6.5%
A super premium ale. Distinctive, full bodied, smooth and mature, bursting with fruit cake and toffee flavours.
AVAILABLE NOV & DEC
FIRESIDE
WINTER ALE
ABV: 4.5%
A full bodied ruby Winter ale with a mellow fruity finish, with grapefruit and lemon citrus characters. Black malt also adds a nice level of refreshment.
AVAILABLE NOV & DEC
ROCKING RUDOLPH
PREMIUM BITTER
ABV: 4.2%
A delicious, full bodied beer with fruity esters and a malted toffee taste. No wonder it continues to be a best selling Christmas ale!
9 G
Cask Size:
9 G ABV: 3.9%
Be confident in stocking 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 and credit for remaining volume on broached casks*. For more information speak to your Sales Development Manager. *Excludes 4.5G pins. Cask Iron Guarantee terms and conditions at www.greenekingbrewery.co.uk/CaskIronGuarantee
GREENE KING AND BELHAVEN STEAL THE SHOW AT WORLD BEER AWARDS
WORLD BEER AWARD WINNERS
PRIOR LIFE – GOLD & COUNTRY WINNER – SESSION IPA
OLD SPECKLED HEN – SILVER WINNER – PALE AMBER BEER
OLD CRAFTY HEN – SILVER WINNER – DARK BEER
LEVEL HEAD – BRONZE WINNER – SESSION IPA
BELHAVEN BEST – BRONZE WINNER – PALE BEER (BITTER UP TO 4.5%)
BELHAVEN BLACK – BRONZE WINNER – STOUT & PORTER
OLD BUT GOLD!
Old Crafty Hen and Old Master Hen, both part of the Old Speckled Hen brand, have both secured prestigious medals at the Great Taste Awards this year following tough competition.
Old Crafty Hen was awarded 2-star status in its category, an accolade only awarded to around 10% of all entrants, while Old Master Hen was awarded a star.
Greene King and Belhaven’s unique portfolio of fantastic beers further enhanced their reputation by winning no fewer than seven medals at the recent World Beer Awards.
The World Beer Awards recognise the very best in all internationally recognised styles and selects country and world winners as well as awarding gold, silver and bronze awards in each style category.
Among the winners was new Prior Life which secured not only a Gold award in the Session IPA category, it was also named Country Winner – remarkable achievements for a beer that was only launched earlier this year.
Old Speckled Hen, Old Crafty Hen, Level Head, Belhaven Best and Belhaven Black also claimed medals on what was a spectacularly successful night for Greene King and Belhaven, and testament to the skill, passion and heritage that gets poured into creating every pint.
To further add to the good news, Belhaven Brewery collected two more trophies. Belhaven Black secured the award for the Best Porter or Stout at the Scottish Beer Awards while the Brewery’s Visitor Experience secured Highly Commended status at the Icons of Beer Awards.
The Great Taste Awards feature a panel of over 500 experts who can confer a 1-, 2- or 3-star accolade to products deemed to have met the high standards required of winners.
David Spencer, Head of Marketing for the Old Speckled Hen range, said: “We are delighted to have received such brilliant results for our beers with Great Taste this year. We are passionate about making great beer and these results are an exemplification of our brewers and their skills in creating the delicious range that we have.”
Speak to your Sales Development Manager for more information or to arrange an install
A
WHITE ROSE ALE RETURNED AFTER 44 YEARS!
44-year-old Collector’s Beer created by Belhaven Brewery in the 1980s has been returned to the brewery to sit proudly among its collection of artefacts.
A 44-year-old bottle of White Rose Ale that was produced by Belhaven Brewery in 1980s has been returned to the brewery by a private collector to take pride of place among other historical brewery artefacts on display to the public.
The White Rose Ale was created as a speciality beer for the collectors’ market and was believed to have been sold through off-licences and wholesale. The liquid used for the beer was the still popular Belhaven 80 Shilling which was rebranded for this special run.
Tony Brookes, a keen collector and previous customer of Belhaven Brewery, uncovered two bottles of the beer this summer and decided to return one to the brewery to join the collection of historical beers on show at the Visitor Experience in Dunbar.
Tony opened a real ale off-licence in Newcastle in 1980 and Belhaven Brewery was among his first suppliers.
Tony spotted some small errors on the labels of two of the
White Rose Ale bottles and decided to hold on to them and has kept them safe for more than 44 years. Just as remarkably, when Tony discovered them again this summer, he even opened one for a taste! Tony commented: “I knew I had to give it a try, even 40 years on. I opened one of the bottles, not holding out much hope for a tasty liquid, to discover a lovely drink tasting of port wine. I couldn’t believe how delicious it was.”
Visitors will be able to see the White Rose Ale along with other historically significant beers such as the Silver Jubilee Regal Ale (1977) and the Belhaven Princess Ale (1981), as part of the Visitor Experience Tour with Belhaven Brewery.
PETER EBBENS RETIRES AFTER 46 YEARS’ SERVICE
Last month saw an historic farewell at Greene King Brewery as Peter Ebbens, born and raised in Suffolk, retired after 46 years’ service at the brewery.
Peter started with Greene King on 23 October 1978, aged just 18. The Friday before joining, he met his wife to be, Sue, who would also go on to join Greene King and who has also recently celebrated 25 years in the business. Over those 46 years Peter worked in many different roles, including in the warehouse, as an LGV driver, a foreman in
the transport office and a supervisor, ultimately ending up as Health & Safety Manager for the entire company.
Peter said: “It has been a pleasure to work at Greene King for the last 46 years and I will miss it dearly. My wife, Sue, still works at Greene King so I am sure she’ll keep me up to date with everything. I have seen many changes over my 46 years’ service and seen it develop into the business that it is today, and I am proud of that.”
A tr ibute to the or iginal Bur y St Edmunds master brewers, the Benedictine monks, whose ghosts are said to still walk our Abbey today. This sessionable IPA is as divinely fr uity as the low strength beer they drank litres of daily, as it was safer than water at the time.
INCLUDES: GLASSWARE, BAR RUNNERS, BEER MATS, STAFF T-SHIRTS, LANYARDS AND MINI CHALKBOARD
In the 16th Century in Bury St. Edmunds, those convicted of minor crimes were sentenced to a day in the pillories. With clouded judgement & a hazy sense of morality, locals would come to heckle, goad & even throw things at the miscreants!
TASTING NOTES
A SMOOTH, UNLAWFULLY FRUITY HAZY IPA WITH ORANGE, CITRUS AND TROPICAL NOTES HOPS
CASCADE, CITRA AND TALUS
£1.50 from each bottle sold is donated to support three key pillars: Research, Risk and Recovery
Rugby legends Mike Tindall and James Haskell, alongside television presenter Alex Payne, are the proud founders of Blackeye Gin - the ‘unofficial spirit of rugby’.
Blackeye was born out of the overwhelming enthusiasm from the loyal listeners of the founders’ podcast, The Good, The Bad and The Rugby, the world's biggest rugby podcast. Blackeye was named in homage to the physical nature of the sport but also captures all those who ride the storms and celebrate the sunshine.
The trio have since developed a brand with a mission to support the future of rugby, creating a fund with the backing of an impressive advisory board and significant support from some of the most iconic names in rugby globally.
CONSUMER SPENDING ‘BACK IN GROWTH’ IN AUGUST
Consumer spending returned to growth in August in welcome news for caterers and hospitality venues as the important festive period looms.
Consumer card spending bounced back to growth in August, up 1% year on year, a sign that will be welcomed by venues everywhere as they begin to gear up for the critical festive period. Bars, pubs and clubs, meanwhile, enjoyed even bigger growth, with spend up 3.2% YOY. Takeaways and fast-food venues also saw growth with sales up 0.7%.
The latest data comes from The Barclays Consumer Spend report that combines hundreds of millions of customer transactions with consumer research to provide an in-depth view of UK spending.
The increase is welcome news, even though the 1% growth still
lags behind the latest CPIH inflation rate of 3.1%.
Restaurants continued to suffer in August with sales down 16.9% YoY.
Jack Meaning, Chief UK Economist at Barclays, said: “Having seen government spending drive the economy in the second quarter, and private consumption relatively muted, this data very much supports our view that the balance will shift over the second half of the year and into next. Growing real incomes and strengthening consumer confidence should combine with falling interest rates to increasingly allow consumers to put their spending power to work.”
FOODSERVICE INFLATION FALLS FOR 13TH MONTH
Price inflation in the catering and foodservice sector fell for the 13th consecutive month in July, according to the latest Foodservice Price Index data from CGA by NIQ.
Price inflation rates fell to 3.1% but a small increase in month-on-month prices was noted in the report, driven largely by drinks categories covered by the index, particularly mineral waters, soft drinks and juices, tea, coffee and cocoa.
STEP 1
STEP 1
Direct the new customer to our sign-up form, found to the right.
Direct the new customer to our sign-up form, found to the right.
STEP 2
STEP 2
They sign up and include your details on the form (under ‘Referrals’) and progress to open a new trading account.
They sign up and include your details on the form (under ‘Referrals’) and progress to open a new trading account.
STEP 3
We’ll send your rewards; £500 account credit & £100 high street voucher! For the sign-up form and full Terms and Conditions, scan the QR code above or visit www.valueforvenues.co.uk/customer
STEP 3
We’ll send your
ALPHA STOUT
DIVE INTO THE DARK DEPTHS OF WOLFPACK ALPHA STOUT, WHERE ROBUST ROASTED BARLEY MEETS THE BOLD KICK OF COFFEE AND THE LUXURIOUS COMPLEXITY OF CHOCOLATE MALT. SIMPLY HOPPED WITH CHALLENGER, THIS BREW OFFERS A CLEAN BITTERNESS, LETTING THE DECADENT FLAVOUR TAKE CENTRE STAGE.
Online Platform Features
1. Products & Range
View our full range
2. Promotions
Find all our live promotions
3. Services
Find out more about our nancial support & other services
4. Content
Find our latest news, guides and magazine
7. Value Hub
Access discounts on entertainment, services, equipment and much more
5. Invoices & Statements
Quickly download both online & phone order invoices & full statements
8. Online Cellar Learning
Find learning, best practice and support
6. Full Ordering History
Find your full ordering history inclusive of phone orders
9. Online Ordering
Build a basket over the week and check out when you are ready
If you need help with setting up your online account or have any questions on how to use the platform please contact us on 0345 850 4545 (weekdays 8:00am-4:45pm) or email us onlinesupport@greeneking.co.uk
ONLINE PLATFORM: EVERYTHING IN ONE PLACE
During the festive period, every second counts so it’s vital that you make the best possible use of your time to free up as much capacity as possible to driving sales and profits. One fantastic way to win back some time is to use the fantastic Value for Venues online ordering platform.
You can find it at greenekingorders.co.uk and the platform is an invaluable resource that provides much more than simply an online ordering system. On the platform you can find a whole array of support, content and services that have been created to deliver real-world help and advice for you and your venue.
The platform brings all your ordering and support requirements together in one place, saving you time and allowing you to order 24 hours a day.
Greene King and Belhaven’s online platform makes it quick and easy to place orders 24 hours a day as well as access our services and content.
As well as access the entire Greene King and Belhaven portfolio, you can view all of the current promotions on offer and add any product to your order directly from within the site.
Additionally, users can view their entire ordering history, download invoices direct and re-order products effortlessly, as well as ordering from a saved list of products that you have created – those that you order regularly, for example.
Plus you can gain access to news, advice, online cellar learning support, Value Hub and much more: everything you need, all in one place.
Or, if you’d prefer to continue ordering over the phone, you can do that too. We’re here for you, however it works best for your venue.
GET READY FOR CHRISTMAS
Christmas is THE peak period for Craft Ale, delivering 8.6% of beer sales in the last 4 weeks to New Year. In addition to this volume opportunity, there is also extra profit to be made from customers who are willing to spend more – the average price of a pint of craft ale increases by 15p during the Christmas period, as customers trade up to premium brands.*
BARWARE & VISIBILITY
USE ADDITIONAL SPACES AROUND THE BAR TO DRIVE AWARENESS OF YOUR PREMIUM CRAFT RANGE. ICE BUCKETS AND NEON SIGNS ARE AVAILABLE
STAFF
BRANDED FAIRY LIGHTS
AVAILABLE TO ADD A FESTIVE ATMOSPHERE
STAFF CAN PLAY A ROLE IN UPSELLING CUSTOMERS TO YOUR PREMIUM RANGE. BRANDED CLOTHING IS AVAILABLE TO HELP WITH BRAND ADVOCACY
PERFECT SERVE PITCHERS
USE BRANDED GLASSWARE TO DELIVER THE PREMIUM SERVE TO YOUR CUSTOMERS
SELL MORE THIS CHRISTMAS. UPSELL TO 4 PINTS FOR SHARING. AVAILABLE WITH SUPPORTING POINT OF SALE
SPEAK TO YOUR SALES DEVELOPMENT MANAGER ABOUT POINT OF SALE AVAILABLE.
EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS WITH VALUE HUB!
Value Hub allows you to take advantage of Greene King and Belhaven’s buying power to save thousands of pounds a year on venue essentials.
Cutting the cost of doing business has never been as important as it is today – which is exactly where Value Hub comes in.
Value Hub is our new platform that allows you to take direct advantage of Greene King and Belhaven’s buying power by securing substantial savings on everyday expenditures like sports TV subscriptions, gaming costs, payment and card services, equipment, furniture and waste and recycling collections.
These are exclusive savings and discounts available only to customers of Greene King and Belhaven and can help save your business many thousands of pounds a year.
Taking advantage is quick and easy – so why not see how much you can save today?
To find out more, simply visit valueforvenues.co.uk/value-hub or speak to your SDM.
SAVE ON…ENTERTAINMENT, SERVICES, EQUIPMENT & MORE
VALUE HUB: HOW OUR CUSTOMERS BENEFIT
Value Hub is helping Greene King and Belhaven customers save many thousands of pounds a year, driving up their profi ts. Let’s hear from two of those customers…
TRACEY SHEPLEY, SECRETARY, WEST BRIDGFORD CONSERVATIVE CLUB
KEVIN HEALY, DIRECTOR, THE HEALY GROUP
“We only moved to Greene King about six months ago from another supplier and a lot of it was to do with the fact that Greene King treat us like an important customer, despite the fact that we’re a very small members’ club. Moving to Greene King has helped literally transform the club and they helped us revamp our range and appeal to a much wider audience, particularly younger people. They even provided a special West Bridgford Bitter just for us!
“The benefits have been immense and, more recently, Greene King helped us secure a new deal with WorldPay which has essentially halved our terminal rental and saves us 1% on every single transaction. I can’t recommend Greene King highly enough, I really can’t.”
“We were first introduced to BeerTech by Greene King and following a formal presentation, we trialled our first site with the Flowmaster system in March 2016 in our flagship site, The Wyvern in Fleet.
“Over the next couple of months, we extended our line cleaning from once every seven days to once every 21 days without compromising on the beer quality. This resulted in us saving the lost pints on the line cleans in between, which equated to in excess of 800 pints! This represented a cost price saving in excess of £1,300 – for just one site!
“We quickly rolled it out in the rest of our sites and have extended this further across our estate into 19 other sites.
“Line cleaning alone using BeerTech has seen us save in excess of £25,000 a year and we would highly recommend it to any venue owner, be it a multiple or single site operator.
“In addition, we also trialled and then installed across our estate the BeerTech SmartCellar system which has proved to save around £1,200 per site every year in reduced electricity and energy costs.”
NB: The Healy Group operate venues within Greene King’s tenanted division, where BeerTech is also available. This bene t is now available to Free Trade customers through Value Hub.
MAKE THOSE FESTIVE TILLS RING!
A fantastic Christmas trading period would be a suitably positive end to another challenging but encouraging year for venues – and Greene King has everything you need.
There’s nothing quite like the festive season to get people off their sofas at home and out to the pub for a few drinks and maybe a bite to eat with friends, family and work colleagues.
We know that many people are choosing to venture out less often than they once did, but we also know that when they do make a trip to the pub or restaurant they want to really enjoy the experience. What that means is that Christmas represents a huge opportunity for venues in terms of growing footfall and driving sales and profits.
It’s a once-a-year unique opportunity that will hopefully see
It’s a once-a-year unique opportunity that will hopefully see many people loosen the purse strings and spend some muchneeded time relaxing and enjoying a few drinks and maybe a
One of the biggest opportunities of all lies in cask ale, a drink that is literally like no other. Beer has a proud place at the heart of the great British pub and when it comes to finding the freshest beer or ale, you can’t do better than cask ale.
Crafted with traditional and artisanal techniques, cask ale needs to be served fresh to get the best of its uniquely complex and intricate flavour. It’s an experience that simply cannot be enjoyed at home – so cask offers a brilliant opportunity like no other to drive footfall to venues.
ROCK IT
As many venue operators will know, cask ale drinkers are a loyal bunch. Some 70% of them say they know they’ll choose cask even before they leave the house. Not only that, 60%1 of them say they will try at least two different cask products per visit.
To meet that demand, Greene King has the finest selection of cask beers available, spanning both our permanent range of classics and favourites and our seasonal starts that form part of our annual Fresh Cask Releases programme.
The undoubted star of that seasonal show is Rocking
Rudolph, the bestselling festive cask ale for eight consecutive years and looking set to make that a ninth chart-topping performance this festive period. It really is a must-stock this Christmas and not only will it deliver for you, Greene King will give 5p (plus VAT) from every pint sold to Macmillan Cancer Support. Doing the right thing never tasted so good!
POPULAR DEMAND
But it’s not just Rocking Rudolph that will be driving the cask category over the next couple of months. Back by popular demand once again, Abbot Reserve has become a staple in the seasonal calendar and has done a remarkable job over the years of driving footfall, sales and profits for venue stocking it every December.
At 6.5% ABV, it’s a full-flavoured dark-copper premium ale that is considered by many drinkers to be a natural festive trade-up on the much-loved Abbot Ale. Utterly distinctive, smooth and mature, Source: 1CGA, 2024
CASK ALES THIS SEASON KING
breweries for over 200 years. Everything from traditional to seasonal cask ales.
Seasonal Range
Keep your line-up fresh with beers for all occasions
AVAILABLE DECEMBER
ABBOT RESERVE
6.5%
A super premium ale. Distinctive, full bodied, smooth and mature, bursting with fruit cake and toffee flavours.
AVAILABLE NOV & DEC
ABV: 4.5%
A full bodied ruby Winter ale with a mellow fruity finish, with grapefruit and lemon citrus characters. Black malt also adds a nice level of refreshment.
ROCKING RUDOLPH
PREMIUM BITTER
A delicious, full bodied beer with fruity esters and a malted toffee taste. No wonder it continues to be a best selling Christmas ale! ABV: 4.2%
AVAILABLE NOV & DEC 9 G
Be confident in stocking 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 and credit for remaining volume on broached casks*. For more information speak to your Sales Development Manager. *Excludes 4.5G pins. Cask Iron Guarantee terms and conditions at www.greenekingbrewery.co.uk/CaskIronGuarantee
options from the luxury classic Champagne –see our feature on p85 – to a huge range of premium and super-premium spirits.
Remember, however, that encouraging your
That’s why Greene King and Belhaven’s seasonal range is so important and why you should consider stocking some seasonals alongside your permanent cask line-up.
SPANISH, NOT SPAN"i SH"
customers to trade up doesn’t necessarily mean trading up all the way to the top. Yes, some of your customers will want the best of the best, but for many trading up can simply mean buying a more premium alternative to the drink or brand they usually buy.
Focus on key categories like gin, vodka, whisky and rum and add a more premium option or two and you won’t go far wrong.
COCKTAIL CASH
Similarly, cocktails tend to be popular at Christmas, whether you painstakingly make them from scratch or whether you go to the opposite end of the spectrum and offer ready-to-drink premix options in cans. Either way, your customers will pay a premium for cocktails and the benefit can be seen in your bottom line.
Simply visit greenekingorders.co.uk to check out our range, and a little extra effort could make all the difference.
PINS MAKE LIFE EASY
It’s no secret that meeting the needs of your cask drinkers for a variety of styles can sometimes be challenging. There is always a balance to be had between offering choice and keeping waste to a minimum. This is where Pins come in – and our seasonal ales are now available in Pins format!
Containing 4.5 gallons of ale, Pins are half the size of a traditional nine-gallon firkin which means you only need to sell 12 pints a day to maintain quality, which is vital for keeping your ale drinkers happy.
PINS CAN HELP YOU:
1. Broaden your range of ales
2. Add cask ales to your line-up
3. Offer cask during quieter times during the week
UNLOCK PREMIUM PROFITS THIS FESTIVE PERIOD
The latest consumer insight shows the premiumisation trend continues to grow and the festive period is the perfect time to cash in on consumers’ desires for quality drinks.
By Nathan Boyes, Insight Manager – Brand and Product
Making sense of consumer trends in the post-pandemic period is a challenge, there’s no doubt about that. But one trend that is clearly discernible is the inexorable rise in the importance of premiumisation.
Whatever is driving this seemingly counterintuitive trend in the current tough economic times, it’s clear that more and more consumers are seeking out better-quality products in pubs, clubs, bars, restaurants and other hospitality venues.
We know that there are some consumers who are venturing out less frequently and are keen to make the most of it when they do and this represents a clear opportunity for venues.
So let’s take a deeper dive into the premiumisation trend and how you can capitalise on it this festive period.
KEY POINT 1 PREMIUMISATION JUST KEEPS GROWING
It’s clear from the latest data that the trend of premiumisation has continued throughout 2024 – and across all drinks product categories.
Consumers continue to trade up into categories such as World Lager, Premium Spirits and Cocktails.
World Lager in particular has continued to grow share over the last year, overtaking standard lager volume share, driven by categories such as Spanish Lager (Madri, Cruzcampo).
Almost half (48%) of consumers would be willing to pay more for a better-quality drink – but this doesn’t have to be a superpremium option. Affordable trade-up options are becoming more important for consumers as spend is squeezed.
A quarter (25%) of consumers were driven to a specific pub by ‘drinks range’ and ‘quality’ during the Christmas 2023 period, so offering great-value trade-up options is important, particularly for the festive season when consumers are in treat mode.
SO WHAT?
The huge consumer interest in more premium quality products offers venues a great opportunity to grow sales that bring more money and more profit into the till.
Offering a strong range of premium options across all key drinks product categories is a great way of driving footfall at Christmas when consumers tend to be more relaxed about their spending habits.
Remember that premium doesn’t necessarily mean super premium. Trading up for many of your customers may simply mean buying a better-quality product than they would usually buy, rather than trading up all the way to the top of the tree. So make sure you offer some good value trade-up options too.
Cobra
Aspall
Blue Moon
Coors
KEY POINT 2
ALCOHOL-FREE IS HERE TO STAY
Alcohol-free products may have started out as little more than interesting curiosities, but they have now become a full blown long-term trend and are fast approaching mainstream status.
Consumers are clearly continuing to look after their health when going out, with moderation one of the key ways to do this.
Over a third (35%) of consumers say they’re actively moderating their alcohol consumption, with switching to alcohol-free versions of their favourite a key way of achieving this. Many consumers are switching between alcoholic drinks and alcohol-free throughout a day or night out, or are solely drinking alcohol-free options.
During the festive period last year, a very significant 42% of consumers drank an alcohol-free version of a drink. Strong merchandising of alcohol-free options could drive more sales in the category.
SO WHAT?
As alcohol-free becomes mainstream, it’s clearly important to ensure that you have a strong range of products across all key Beers, Wines and Spirits categories.
With many consumers keen to simply shift to an alcohol-free version of the product they normally drink, it makes sense to focus on the major brands and the credible alcohol-free alternatives they have brought to market.
With alcohol-free penetration so high last Christmas, it’s critical that you communicate your range effectively this festive season and that means both in-venue and on social media.
KEY POINT 3 COCKTAILS MATTER!
More than one in five consumers drink cocktails in venues and this number continues to grow year on year as consumers look for a real, indulgent treat when going out.
Over a third (34%) of consumers drink cocktails during winter, highlighting a key opportunity for the category over Christmas. Data shows that Pornstar/Passionfruit Martini cocktails remain the number one option for consumers – but there has been significant growth in Spritz cocktails over the last year, allowing for lighter, operationally simple, interesting serves in venue. Almost three-quarters (72%) of cocktail drinkers drink Spritz serves at least occasionally, so make sure you offer a strong range of Spritz cocktails covering different flavour profiles.
SO WHAT?
Cocktails represent a huge opportunity – and that opportunity is growing. It’s also an opportunity that is likely to peak during the festive period.
Consider adding a bespoke cocktail list to your drinks menu, if you don’t already do so, and be sure to offer at least one Pornstar Martini variant as well as some Spritz options to capitalise on the key trends.
Offering cocktails needn’t be complicated: from ready-made cocktails to pre-prepared juice mixes where all you have to do is add the alcohol, there are options that can take all (or most!) of the effort out of offering a strong cocktail list that will grow sales and profits this Christmas. Check out our deals on page 64 and on the back cover of this issue to help you build a strong range.
RING IN THE SEASON WITH ROCKING RUDOLPH!
The number one festive cask ale, Rocking Rudolph, is back to bring Christmas cheer for another year.
After the stresses and strains of the year, Christmas provides people with the perfect reason to take a break from their everyday struggles and indulge in some quality time with friends and family down at their local watering hole.
With the cost-of-living crisis continuing to bite, many folks have had to tighten their belts, but come Christmas, most allow themselves a little treat – something that brings a smile to the face and a warmth to the palate. And with Rocking Rudolph,
ROCKING RUDOLPH WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW…
Rocking Rudolph
Style: Premium Bitter
Colour: Dark Copper
ABV: 4.2%
Firkin Code: 198914
Pump Clip Code: 209571
The UK’s bestselling Christmas Ale! Dark and full bodied, packed full of hops giving interest and complexity. Challenger and Target provide underlying herbal hop and the rare Bramling Cross adds redcurrant and blackcurrant into the mix. Horlicks’ malty character comes from the pale malt, and toffee from the crystal malt gives warmth. The unique blend of hops and malts provides a crisp bitterness that consumers
the UK’s number one selling Christmas cask ale for the last eight years in a row, you can offer them something truly special.
From its welcoming, winter berry undertones and marvellous, malted toffee flavours, to its decadent dark copper hue, this sumptuous, rotund beer is positively brimming with Christmas mirth.
The ingenious pairing of Challenger and Target hops, combined with much rarer Bramling Cross hops creates a unique taste profile, while Horlicks maltiness and toffee notes come courtesy of Pale and Crystal malts.
For added standout and some cheeky festive fun, a flashing pump clip ensures that all eyes will be on Rocking Rudolph as soon as punters enter your venue, enabling you to drum up extra sales, spread some holiday cheer, and encourage new customers to venture into the cask ale category.
With all the flavour and flair of the festive season and the quality that only Greene King can deliver, adding Rocking Rudolph to your Christmas line-up is a no-brainer.
GIVING BACK
As well as sending your sales soaring higher than Santa’s sleigh, Rocking Rudolph is also guaranteed to lift spirits to the roof by enabling you and your customers to do their bit for charity. For every pint you sell between 30 October 2024 and 4 February 2025, Greene King will give 5p (plus VAT) to Macmillan Cancer
WHY SHOULD I STOCK IT?
UK’s best-selling Christmas ale for eight consecutive years
UK’S BIGGEST-SELLING CHRISTMAS ALE FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS
Support, providing people with yet another reason to sup this scrumptious seasonal beverage.
A vibrant range of POS, including drip mats, posters and bunting, is available with every pin or firkin purchased. These materials will clearly communicate the 5p (plus VAT) payment to customers, fuelling sales of Rocking Rudolph, and helping to raise vital funds for what is an invaluable and highly respected charity.
Selling Rocking Rudolph is one of many ways that Greene King has generated funds for this crucial cause. The company has already raised more than £18m for Macmillan Cancer Support through a variety of initiatives, including a partnership with digital collection tin Pennies, and Greene King’s Tub2Pub recycling scheme. By ordering Rocking Rudolph, you and your customers can continue to play your part in supporting this extremely worthy cause.
LIMITED EDITION
Part of Rocking Rudolph’s appeal is of course that it is available for just two months. The beer is one of numerous limited edition and seasonal cask ales starring in Greene King’s Fresh Cask Releases range, and it certainly holds a special place in people’s hearts.
The finest quality fresh ale crafted with expertise
Showstopping POS
5p (plus VAT) will be given to Macmillan Cancer Support for every pint sold
As one consumer told us: “Christmas beers can be a bit hit and miss but Rocking Rudolph certainly rocks!”
Greene King’s Fresh Cask Releases 2024 range of 13 beers comprises a winning combination of returning favourites, exciting collaborations, and brand-new ales, inviting consumers to explore, indulge and celebrate the glorious cask ale category. A perfectly poured pint is the epitome of British pub culture and you can’t get fresher than cask ale.
While consumers may try to emulate a pub beer at home with a can or keg, the cask ale experience is impossible to replicate, making an extremely strong case for consumers to visit their local. Cask ale must be served fresh to capture the complex and intricate flavours created by its traditional and artisanal production techniques and therefore the only way to enjoy its superb quality is in-venue, meaning it is an excellent way to grow footfall.
Having already cultivated a strong fan-base, Rocking Rudolph is a great example of a fantastic-quality cask ale that will drive customers to your venue. Its delectable taste and delightful design, coupled with the knowledge that every pint sold equates to 5p (plus VAT) given to Macmillan Cancer Support, makes Rocking Rudolph a must-stock this season.
AVAILABLE TOORDERNOW
Rock with Rudolph this Christmas! WITH HIS TRADEMARK GUITAR AND FLASHING PUMP CLIP, CHRISTMAS JUST WOULDN’T BE THE SAME WITHOUT HIM!
Dark copper in colour, this full bodied, malty and fruity ale is guaranteed to put your customers in the festive mood.
Packed full of hops and with a malty and toffee character from the pale and crystal malts this festive delight delivers warmth with a crisp bitterness. It’s a Christmas sensation in a glass!
Great with Christmas Dinner, sausage and rich mash, meaty or veggie burgers and mince pies.
WHATʼS MORE for every pint of Rocking Rudolph sold, 5p (Plus VAT) will be given to Macmillan Cancer Support*
Don’t forget a carrot for Rudolph! ITʼS one for your NICE list!
POS KIT INCLUDES 1/2 PINT CHALICES, BAR RUNNER & T-SHIRT
CATEGORY CORNER: PERFECT PRESENTATION
In the latest in a new series of articles on Greene King’s new category vision for ale we take a deep dive into the fi rst key pillar of the new vision: perfect presentation.
By Angie May, On Trade Category Manager
In the last issue of Value for Venues magazine, we unveiled our new category vision for ale, known as ‘How to Win with Ale’, and we explained how we intend to drive fresh excitement –and sales – in the vital ale category.
We know that today’s customers are looking for elevated experiences. Some of them may not be venturing out as often as they once did, but when they do they expect to have a memorable experience, and are less forgiving if they don’t receive it.
Yes, that means having a good, appropriate range of ales on the bar, but it also means ensuring that every pint they buy is in perfect condition and is perfectly presented.
TOP TIPS FOR PERFECT PRESENTATION
1 Ensure that the bar area is kept clean and tidy and your range of beers isn’t blocked by other point of sale like WIFI passwords or menus
2 Make sure that cask clips are there and visible
3 If a cask isn’t available, don’t just turn the clip round, we recommend adding clip toppers and wobblers that talk about options that are coming soon. Avoid putting an empty pint glass over the pump handle - it can make the area look neglected.
4 If you have a spare cask tap and you are unable to offer an additional ale to your line up you can add an additional clip of an existing beer to keep the area looking full
5 Serve all draught beers in a clean, cool, branded glass
6 Make sure that your beer selection is appealing to a broad demographic – a mix of well known and seasonal options in cask, different styles and flavours in keg will also help to drive interest and appeal
At Greene King, we go to enormous lengths to ensure that every pint that leaves our brewery is in tip-top condition. When that ale then arrives with you, it’s important that you take good care of it too so that every pint that makes its way into the hands of a customer is the best pint it can be. That’s what makes happy customers who will come back again and again.
Our vision is broken down into key pillars and in this issue
CELLAR KINGS
Great presentation starts in the cellar. Greene King provides expert cellar training to our customers, both in person and with useful online guides through our Beer Genuis online portal. Check it out now at www.beer-genius.co.uk
we will take a deep dive into the first of those pillars: perfect presentation.
HUGE OPPORTUNITY
Before we do that, however, it’s worth reminding ourselves of how important ale is to venues across the country and, indeed, to your customers. Ale is a fundamental cornerstone of a credible beer offer for any venue and one in every five pints sold is ale. Additionally, cask ale is the third-biggest category by rate of sale per venue, with more than 130 pints sold per week. That’s ahead of keg ale, and indeed the ever-growing stout category which sits in 5th position.
That’s why we strongly believe that there is a huge opportunity for Greene King to play a leading role in helping transform the way the industry looks at the ale category.
‘How to Win with Ale’ embraces the importance and role of ale on the bar and the challenges and opportunities for the category and it also provides a fresh perspective on innovation, quality, and presentation for the industry.
PRESENTATION MATTERS
Just as ‘location, location, location’ is the mantra in property, there’s a strong argument for ‘presentation, presentation, presentation’ being the equivalent in ale – and never is that more critical than during the festive period.
Christmas is the perfect time to encourage trade-ups and we know that almost six in 10 (58%) of ale drinkers are willing to trade-up their ale option [CGA BrandTrack Apr 2024]. To help them justify that extra spend, it’s important to get the presentation just right.
BIRRA MORETTI IS THE MOST VALUABLE LAGER IN THE ON-TRADE*
Perfect presentation goes hand in hand with quality, of course, but the way that ale is presented throughout the consumer path to purchase is vital. That path begins before the consumer even steps through the door, particularly if you talk about cask online or on your social media channels. Widely sharing the fact that you have a quality ale offering is key to bringing consumers to your venue in the first place.
Having enticed them to your door, the next step is making sure that ale is displayed and presented correctly.
NEW AUDIENCE
An important part of Greene King’s new vision for ale is bringing a new, younger demographic into ale – so what exactly are younger consumers looking for? Some of the trends we are seeing at the moment are consumers looking for authenticity and crafted, artisan, unique options that have character and variety. Something that cask ale, for example, has in abundance!
There’s a cask ale style to suit every taste, it’s unique to the on-trade and it is the most cared-for option on the bar. So the platform is already there but what we need to work on together is making cask more engaging at point of purchase – something that craft keg has managed to successfully tap into.
There’s also no question that perfect presentation is important to new drinkers and is one of the key ways to bring them into the category. It’s all about the display and presentation of cask at the bar – it needs to stand out.
Look at a typical bar through a
consumer’s eyes, for example, and what do you see? A vast selection of draught keg options, founts, funky tap handles, light-up lenses and more – and that’s just beer. With colourful bottles of spirits and cocktails being served too it can be easy for consumers to miss the cask section of the bar.
Consequently, we need to make sure that cask is displayed at its very best by making sure that pump clips are there and visible and by ensuring that the pump handle and beer engine are clean. Is the cask section being blocked by POS like Wifi passwords or menus, for instance?
And if a cask ale isn’t available, it’s important not to just turn the clip round. Instead, we recommend adding clip toppers and wobblers that talk about options that are coming soon.
Then, when serving cask to your customers, guaranteeing perfect presentation is a relatively simple task: it means offering your customers greatquality ale in an appropriate branded, clean glass and presented in the bestpossible way. Providing that elevated experience is what guests now expect –and it is the key to unlocking increased footfall, sales, profits and loyalty.
It all comes down to showing ale off to its best in your venue and in the glass.
RANGE FINDER
In terms of range, our advice is to make sure that the selection is appealing to a broad demographic. That means a mix of well-known and seasonal options while incorporating different styles and flavours can also help to drive interest and appeal.
You could also try selling beer flights to allow a wider spectrum of your customer base to sample the wonderful world of ale. Offering a few different options in 1/3 pint glasses for a fixed price can help bring new customers into ale and can also add some theatre in your venue. Seeing other customers with their beer flights on little wooden plinths is all-butguaranteed to have someone else in the venue say ‘I want one of those’.
To build a thriving future for ale, the entire industry needs to recruit new drinkers into the category and show them that there is a world beyond lager by addressing the key barriers perceived with drinking ale and taking learnings from other categories that have managed to build that fresh appeal and image.
Craft ale is a great tool for overcoming the most commonly occurring barriers like image, taste and temperature. Craft ale can be a great way to bring new drinkers into the category.
CRAFT ALE
Greene King has already made great strides forward in reinvigorating the craft ale category with the launch of our craft beer portfolio featuring new beers like Level Head, Prior Life and Hazy Day.
These thoroughly modern beers benefit from colourful and innovative branding and glassware which helps tackle the perceived barriers to entering the category and offers bold and exciting new beers for the modern drinker.
The high quality, eye-catching glassware and POS materials also help you deliver that all important perfect presentation every time.
NO HALF MEASURES
Alan and Rachel Scaife have recently completed the construction of one of the most spectacular wedding venues in the country and are already reaping the rewards of their vision and investment.
Spotting a gap in the market is something that most successful entrepreneurs have a flair for, but often they tend to test the waters before going all in. Not Alan and Rachel Scaife, who have recently spent the better part of £3m building what has to be one of the most impressive luxury wedding venues in the country.
To call High Brockholme Barns a wedding venue is under-selling it. It’s more of a wedding complex with two huge function rooms, a six-bedroom house, four three-bedroom houses, a dedicated bridal suite of rooms, and an office. And the entire site sits atop a hill with truly spectacular views in all directions. Only 18 months previously, the site had housed a 100-yearold-dairy farm owned by Rachel’s family.
“It’s a long story,” laughs Rachel, “but it was an opportunity that came up and we decided to go for it.” And when Rachel and Alan go for it, it seems like they well and truly go for it.
“I’m the one with the hospitality background,” explains Alan. “My parents had pubs and clubs when I was young, so I grew up in the trade. As I grew up, I ran pubs and managed hotels and eventually launched an outside drinks and events business, a business we still have today which is going from strength to strength, actually. We set up bars at all sorts of festivals, parties and so on and it’s getting bigger every year.”
In the middle of all this, Alan and Rachel met and then married 10 years ago. At the time, Rachel was a jeweller and sometime dairy farmer.
Then, a few years later, the opportunity came up to take over a pub not very far from where High Brockholme Barns stands today. That venture went well, arguably too well.
“We made it into a really popular pub and it was doing well,” comments Alan.
“It got me off having to work the cows,” chuckles Rachel. “And we even turned my dad from a farmer into a publican! He loved it. Then we learned that the owner wasn’t going to let us renew the lease.”
Because the outside and events business was in full swing by then, Alan and Rachel had grown aware of the fact that there were very few good venues in the area.
BUY 3 CASES OF THATCHERS GET 1 CASE FREE ZERO &
Thatchers Zero is the #1 alcohol free cider in supermarkets and pubs & bars.
No and low is on the up - 2/3rds of the population are moderating the way they drink – either completely abstaining or alternating their alcoholic favourite with the non-alcoholic version.
Apple is over 61% of all cider sales –making a non-alcohol apple cider a crucial part of any pub range.
Alan explains: “When you’re doing all these events and setting up bars in all sorts of weird and wonderful places, you start realising that part of the success is that there are only so many appropriate permanent venues in the area. They’re either too small or they’re not very attractive, they’re really old and falling down or whatever.”
That realisation got Alan and Rachel to thinking.
“We didn’t initially set out with this plan to build a huge, luxury wedding venue – but we did know we’re ambitious and we wanted something that, firstly, was big enough to let us make money and, secondly, was sufficiently impressive to bring people from miles around, or even further,” says Alan.
“Weddings are a big deal,” adds Rachel. “With a bit of luck, people don’t get married very often so when they do, they want it to be the most special day of their lives. That means that the venue has to be just right. We’re in a very rural location which is why the site had to be self-contained. It had to have its own function rooms, bedrooms for a decentsized wedding party and a fancy bridal suite. That was what we realised – and that’s what we set out to build.”
And it’s fair to say they’ve succeeded in fine style, which explains why the venue is already attracting brides and grooms from the other side of the country and even further afield.
“There aren’t all that many bespoke wedding venues at this level in Great Britain, so we quickly started seeing enquiries from all over.”
So much so that Rachel and Alan already have bookings into 2027 – and High Brockholme Barns only opened in June this year.
“We started work on the site in March 2023,” says Alan, “and we finished just in time for our first wedding in June this year. I’m not going to lie, the last few weeks were tense. The builders were still on site on the morning of that first event! But we got there, and we’ve been flying ever since.”
By flying, Alan means that the venue is full literally all the way through until January while 2025 is already filling up and, as mentioned above, 2026 and 2027 are already following suit.
“We mostly only do weekend events,” says Rachel. “That was our first goal: to fill up the weekend slots, and we’ve mostly managed that. We’re very aware that an empty venue four or five days a week is a missed opportunity, but our primary goal was to get the day job done by selling every weekend.
HIGH BROCKHOLME BARNS
CUSTOMERS: ALAN AND RACHEL SCAIFE
LOCATION:
DANBY WISKE, NORTHALLERTON
VENUE TYPE:
LUXURY WEDDING VENUE
STAFF: 21
“Now that we’re making good progress on that front, we’re looking at ideas to start filling up some weekdays. Several people are interested in having weddings on, say, a Thursday for instance and we’re also looking at marketing the venue as the ideal location for all sorts of other events in addition to weddings. Christmas party nights, quiz nights, charity fundraising events and so on.
“Plus, we often ‘donate’ the venue free of charge to local groups or charities, which helps them and also helps us as we build a rapport with the local community.”
Possibly the most striking aspect of High Brockholme Barns is that it’s crystal clear that no corners were cut in the build and fit out. The bridal suite is nothing short of splendid, the bedrooms are luxurious, and the main events spaces are spectacular.
“The whole venue had to look and feel ‘just so’,” says Alan. “Weddings are special, and we needed to make sure that we did all we could to keep them that way.”
And even though the dust has hardly settled on the multimillion-pound build, the couple are planning to close the venue in January for maintenance and improvements. It’s hard to see what could be improved but Rachel and Alan clearly hold themselves to extremely high standards.
And all the while, the outside and events business continues to grow. “Broadly speaking, I look after the outside bar business and Rachel looks after the venue,” says Alan. “It’s not quite that simple in practice, but that’s generally how it works.”
And it’s through that outside bar business that Alan started working with Greene King. “Up until about five years ago I had been with another partner but they let me down – big time,” he says. “I had a huge event on and they basically only delivered half of what I needed, and didn’t seem too bothered about that fact. I had this big event on and spent the day pulling rabbits out of hats to get the stock I needed – or any stock for that matter.
“At that point Helen Southerland, our Greene King SDM, walked in and we liked what we heard, so we switched to Greene King
– and we’ve been with them ever since. They supply the outside bar business and the venue, and we buy pretty much everything from them. We do buy a bit of wine from a specialist company but mostly everything else we get from Greene King, probably 99% of what we buy. It makes life easy and lets us focus on our customers.”
In the venue, wedding guests can find Old Golden Hen, Level Head, Estrella Galicia and Belhaven Best, among other things.
Alan and Rachel don’t cook on site but instead use contract catering companies and also use contractors to decorate the venues for the weddings – or allow brides-to-be to organise the room décor themselves, something that many choose to do.
“A lot of our brides have a very clear vision of what they want the room to look like for their big day, so we just let them get on with it,” says Rachel. “It works for everyone.”
The venue holds up to 300 and is regularly full, and the couple are seeing an increasing demand from the Asian community for weddings.
“The weddings often go on for two or three days and they’re
truly spectacular to see,” she says. “It’s amazing to see the venue looking so breathtaking and it makes it feel like it was all worth it.”
With the venue opening mostly on weekends, Alan and Rachel have found a clever staffing solution by offering extra work to the outside bar team. “It’s fantastic because they get more work and more money, and we get a team we know and trust. Actually, we only have one full-time team member at the venue. The rest come over from the outside events business as required.” Again, it just works.
With the core business now well under control and performing ahead of expectations, Alan and Rachel can now devote more time to adding the bells and whistles: mid-week weddings, midweek entertainment and events and so on.
“We have so many options and opportunities going forward,” concludes Rachel. “It’s always going to be critical to focus on the core business, but we have plenty of ideas for the future.”
As it is, it looks like many more happy brides will celebrate their big day in style at High Brockholme Barns and it’s not hard to see why.
Vision and passion
Alasdair and Hazel Lightbody have transformed and revitalised the 250-year-old Alyth Hotel with a massive refurb and boundless energy and passion, as well as a little help from Belhaven.
THE ALYTH HOTEL
CUSTOMERS:
ALASDAIR AND HAZEL LIGHTBODY
LOCATION:
ALYTH, NEAR BLAIRGOWRIE
VENUE TYPE:
“The day before we opened the restaurant part of the business after a massive refurb,” laughs Hazel, “scalding hot water started pouring in through the ceiling in the adjacent lounge, right over our brand new banquette seating. Apparently, the carpet fitters who were busy upstairs had unknowingly dislodged an old nail, which punctured a heating pipe. It not only flooded the room below but also sprayed boiling hot water all up the walls in the freshly painted bedroom they were working in. I was just glad nobody got burned!”
“Then we had electrical issues that caused a surge that wiped out four brand-new and very expensive pieces of kit in the kitchen including a fryer, a griddle, an ice machine and a walk-in freezer. I started to think we were jinxed!”
But Hazel and Alasdair are entirely pragmatic and reasonable on that front and simply did what they always do: rolled up their sleeves and got on with it. The result is a truly spectacular hotel, restaurant and bar that is literally unrecognisable from the one they bought almost exactly a year ago.
How the couple ended up in Alyth is an interesting tale in itself. The potted version is that Alasdair worked in the public sector and bought a run-down shooting lodge in Lochranza on the west
“BELHAVEN IS SO SUPPORTIVE AND FLEXIBLE - IT WAS NIGHT AND DAY VERSUS OTHER SUPPLIERS.”
coast island of Arran, met Hazel who at the time was working in the charity sector, and the two of them spent 5 years turning it into the number one guest house on the island. They decided to sell the guest house to take on a bigger project together: an 18-bedroom hotel in Carrbridge in the Scottish Highlands that was in need of some TLC. Their offer was accepted on that property just days before Covid lockdown was announced, so unlike many venue operators who suffered horrendously because of the pandemic, Hazel and Alasdair managed to dodge that bullet just in the nick of time.
“We were very, very fortunate with how the timing fell - selling our previous business before Covid happened, and not being committed to our next venture when the pandemic really hit home,” says Alasdair. “We felt like someone was definitely looking down on us, and we’ve been mindful not to squander that good luck since.”
That undoubtedly came as a relief to the pair, but it left them with no business, no income, and living in a tiny flat in Edinburgh, where Hazel is from. Alasdair returned to contracting and Hazel started up her own furniture refinishing and interiors business. At
the same time they used the deposit they’d set aside for their next venture to buy a 1950’s semi in the city, which required complete modernisation. “It was the perfect post-pandemic project” says Hazel “it kept our minds busy and gave us much-needed focus.”
Eventually, when the world began to re-open, Hazel and Alasdair set out in search of their “next thing” and discovered The Alyth Hotel. “It wasn’t in great shape,” explains Alasdair, in his understated way. “It was an absolute mess!” clarifies Hazel. “It was a shell. It has 14 bedrooms but was empty and had most recently been used as a hostel, so it was in truly awful shape. There had clearly been no investment in decades.”
“But we had done a lot of research and knew that it definitely had huge potential,” adds Alasdair. “Alyth has a lot going on for it. It’s a beautiful part of the world and there are spectacular hills, walks, cycling, golf courses, shooting, fishing and hunting all close by –and not many hotels, restaurants or bars, despite the fact there’s something like 6,000 people who live in and around the town.”
Hazel and Alasdair took the plunge, bought the freehold and got stuck in with their characteristic energy. “I was here full time on my own for two months at the start,” says Hazel. “No heating or hot water. It was worse than a building site. I was sleeping in one of the guest bedrooms upstairs and working all day every day – and I’m not exaggerating when I say that anything that could go wrong, did go wrong!”
In spite of all of that, by the 2nd of May this year, The Alyth Hotel was ready for a partial re-opening with the full site gradually rolling out in phases. The attention to detail in the fit-out is impressive. Hazel’s years of experience in interior design and furniture restoration have paid dividends, with the result being a loosely Art Deco-inspired feel to the venue, in homage to some of the original elements of the building which at one time a century ago must have been a very impressive venue.
Hazel dipped into her personal treasure trove of antique and beautiful furniture to decorate every bedroom individually. She designed her own striking ceramic tiles, which she had manufactured in Spain, that feature throughout the venue and bring it all together, and installed stunning wood panelling throughout the public areas. Essentially, no detail was too small to ignore.
To further enhance the high-end feel, and visually tie every bedroom and public room together, Hazel selected 54 different prints from legendary wildlife artist John James Audubon’s “Birds of America” collection, and the result is truly striking.
So, how have the first six months or so been?
“Great, actually,” says Hazel. “We have nothing to benchmark against and the poor weather hasn’t helped but we feel like we’re in a good place. We’re already packed every weekend and we’re learning how to bring footfall during the week so it’s all moving the way we want it to.”
Trying to figure out ways to drive footfall has been an interesting challenge for Alasdair. “We were worried at the start, for example, about having quiet periods but
we got to know other venue operators in the area, and we quickly learned that when we were quiet, so were they. It wasn’t something we were doing wrong; it was a challenge affecting the whole region.”
But the pair have learned a lot over those first six months and have already started introducing new ideas and events to bring customers to their door during quieter periods – and they have plenty of plans for the future. “It’s just been so hectic for the last while that finding time to plan is difficult,” says Hazel, “But we’re getting the important stuff done and it’s working. We were worried about staff recruitment as we’d been told that it’s a huge challenge for the sector, but we’ve actually been really lucky. We have a great team, and they’ve really bought into what we’re trying to do.
“Even in the kitchen, we’ve managed to build a fantastic team with a Head Chef, two Chefs de Partie and two KPs. We try to use local produce as much as we can and obviously use a lot of local berries, potatoes, mushrooms and so on because Perthshire is famous for the quality of its produce.”
Alasdair is also quick to praise the support he received from Belhaven along the way. “We didn’t inherit Belhaven when we took over,” he explains. “We made the decision to go with them. I’d met with BDM Andrew Miller from Belhaven and was very impressed with everything. To complete my due diligence I did, however, speak to some other potential partners but nobody came close. It
MADE BY A SCOTTISH ISLAND COMMUNITY
was night and day and, to be honest, it’s one of the best decisions we made. They’ve been amazing from day one. Belhaven is so supportive and also very flexible, which we appreciate.
“We buy all of our beers and about 99% of our spirits and soft drinks from Belhaven and we have Old Speckled Hen, Belhaven Best, Ice Breaker and Estrella Galicia behind the bar, among others.”
Hazel and Alasdair have also taken a small £5k loan from Belhaven to allow them to develop a new beer garden in time for next summer, further broadening the scope to grow footfall, sales and profits in the critical summer months.
Also for the future, keen golfer Alasdair is working with local and regional golf clubs to market the hotel to golfers descending on the area to take advantage of its many world-renowned golf courses.
Meanwhile, Hazel is also looking to capitalise on her own interests
A
£5K LOAN FROM BELHAVEN IS ENABLING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW BEER GARDEN FOR 2025
and experiences by marketing the hotel as the ideal venue for retreats. “Having lived in Edinburgh, I know a lot of women who I think would be interested in retreats here to relax and chill out,” she says. “We have everything we need here in the hotel to deliver yoga retreats or writers’ retreats in the peace and quiet and beauty of the area.”
And that’s in addition to an existing more traditional programme of live music, quizzes and so on. “So far so good,” concludes Alasdair with a broad smile on his face. “We know it’s going to be a challenge to get through the winter but we’ll do it and I think we’ll be in a really strong place by next spring – and after that? Who knows? We’ll just do what we do and see what happens.”
It’s difficult to imagine how the revitalised Alyth Hotel will be anything other than a resounding success and will play an increasingly important role in the wider economy of the whole town. “That’s our goal,” laughs Hazel.
Velvet Martini
25ml Disaronno Velvet
25ml Tia Maria
15ml Vodka
50ml Espresso
Tia
Shake and strain into a martini glass.
Maria topped with with Disaronno Velvet.
NEW LEASE OF LIFE
West Bridgford Conservative Club moved to Greene King around six months ago, a move which has given the Members Club “a new lease of life”.
Located in the very heart of the borough of Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire, West Bridgford Conservative Club is a traditional Members Club with two bars and two lounges.
A popular and busy venue, the Club offers a range of entertainment options including a pool table, dartboard, a selection of gaming machines, three full-size snooker tables and live entertainment every Saturday evening.
“We first came across Greene King when we had a call from SDM Michael Murphy,” explains Club Secretary Tracy Shepley. “It was purely on spec but the conversation we had with Michael really struck me.
“We had been with another supplier, and we have always known that we’re a tiny venue so we never really expected any sort of special treatment. But one day we were told that the minimum order level was being increased and it was basically beyond what we needed.
“When I queried it, I basically got nothing back. A sort of ‘tough luck’ and there’s nothing we can do about it type call. Then
Michael arrived and I explained the situation and his attitude couldn’t have been more positive and encouraging. He said it didn’t matter what size we were, every customer is important. And do you know what? For the first time it dawned on me that what he was saying was absolutely right. It shouldn’t matter that we’re only a small venue, we should still get treated well and like a valued customer.
“That little shift in attitude was all that we needed, and we started thinking of ourselves in a completely different way. A little lightbulb switched on – and it’s been a huge plus for us.
“We formally moved to Greene King about six months ago and it’s given us a new lease of life, it really has. We buy the vast majority of our stock from Greene King and everyone we deal with at the company has been the same. The tech guys have been brilliant, for example. We had a couple of tiny issues in the cellar and both times they arrived before the end of the shift and sorted everything in no time with zero fuss.
“Greene King also helped us revamp our range in line with modern trends, which has been huge for us. Our customers
“OUR SDM HELPED US REALISE THAT IT SHOULDN’T MATTER THAT WE’RE ONLY A SMALL VENUE, WE SHOULD STILL GET TREATED WELL AND LIKE A VALUED CUSTOMER.”
are typically older, into their 70s, but we’ve always been keen to attract a younger crowd. So we reworked our range, added Greene King IPA permanently on one hand pull and make use of their other two hand pulls we have for seasonal cask ales. We always try to offer one higher-ABV and one lower-ABV alternative, and that’s the same policy on keg.
“In cask we’ve had Blood Hound Halloween ale, for example, and Bonkers Conkers. We’re bringing Rocking Rudolph in for Christmas.
“Then, to help target that younger audience, we spoke to Greene King about swapping out Stella Artois, which has never really worked for us. We brought in Maltsmiths and it’s more
popular than Stella ever was already, and it’s bringing younger customers through the door, particularly as we have three fullsize snooker tables which helps drive custom during the week. We have a students’ discount scheme which means we offer some of the best value around and that helps business.
“Greene King even created a special, unique West Bridgford Bitter just for us! Our customers love it!
“Since then, Greene King helped us secure a new deal with WorldPay which has essentially halved our terminal rental and saves us 1% on every single transaction. I can’t recommend Greene King highly enough, I really can’t. They’ve help us revitalise the Club and we are so grateful.”
Meet The Team: Joe Chamberlain & Neil Wardle
In this issue we talk to the team with arguably the most important role in keeping the drinks flowing and your business growing at Christmas: the distribution and dray team.
SO, GENTS, YOU ARE THE GUYS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE VENUES HAVE DRINKS TO SELL THIS CHRISTMAS?
Joe: Pretty much! It’s our job, and that of our various teams, to make sure that the drinks keep flowing this Christmas. Having said that, that’s our job all year round but it gets a little more exciting at Christmas as you can imagine.
NO PRESSURE THEN?
Joe: To be fair it can be a pretty pressurised job as you’re dealing with all sorts of things you can’t control as well as all the things you can, so you end up having to be very organised and very prepared, but also very flexible and responsive as things change.
WHAT DOES A DISTRIBUTION CENTRE MANAGER ACTUALLY DO?
Joe: So, we have three depots. Eastwood in Nottingham, which I run, then one in Bury St Edmunds and one in Abingdon. At Eastwood, we do a huge volume of wine and spirits as well as beer for the whole Greene King business. As it’s spirits sales that tend to peak
most dramatically at Christmas, that means we’re in the spotlight at this time of year. But we also move a lot of beer. And when I say a lot, I mean a lot.
HOW MUCH IS A LOT?
Joe: Well, we measure beer in tonnage, rather than by pint, but we typically deal with around 52,000 tonnes of beer a year.
AND WHAT IS THAT IN PINTS?
Joe: Give or take, it’s about 75 million pints a year. We do about 44,000 delivery stops a year over 4,786 different routes. In total, that tallies to almost 618,000 miles a year.
THAT’S A LOT OF BEER! HOW MANY VEHICLES DO YOU HAVE?
Neil: That’s where I and my team come in! We have 22 vehicles at the moment, and we have 91 members of the team including 45 Dray Operatives and the people at the depot. It’s a big job, as you can see.
DOES IT GET EVEN BIGGER AT CHRISTMAS?
Joe: Yes, Christmas is our busiest period and we do use agency staff as required to cope with the spike in tonnage but we try to manage that as cost-efficiently as possible. At Christmas we usually see a 20 to 25% increase in output through Eastwood and, on wine and spirits specifically, that increase is closer to 50%.
THAT SEEMS LIKE A MONUMENTAL CHALLENGE, NEIL?
Neil: It is indeed! As I only joined in January I haven’t worked through the Christmas period with Greene King yet but I’m already confident about this year. Our biggest KPI is called OTIF, which stands for ‘On Time In Full’. Basically, every order from a customer arrives on time and complete with nothing missing from the order. We measure that
daily at the depot level and we are averaging 97.58% OTIF scores which is not bad at all.
IT’S BETTER THAN ‘NOT BAD’!
Neil: Yes, we’re pleased with it and we know it matters a whole lot to our customers and it’s easy to see why. You can’t keep the drinks flowing if they turn up late or they don’t turn up at all! But it does get even more complicated at Christmas because of the challenges that Joe mentioned above. Over the festive period we see big growth in spirits which are typically packed in cases or what we call ‘small packs’. Yes, a very technical term, but it differentiates them from ‘large packs’ which is the way beer is transported. With a 50% spike in spirits volumes, it means a lot more manual handling and time to shift all those small cases, but it’s all accounted for in the planning and the team does a fantastic job for our customers.
EASTWOOD DISTRIBUTION CENTRE IN NUMBERS
52,000 tonnes of beer a year – equating to 75 million pints
44,000 delivery stops a year
618,000 miles covered
22 vehicles and 91 colleagues
20-25% increase in output over Christmas
50% increase in wines and spirits output over Christmas
97.58% ‘On Time In Full’ deliveries average
“OUR APPROACH IS BASICALLY A ‘WHATEVER IT TAKES’ APPROACH. WE’VE LITERALLY HAD DEPOT MANAGERS JUMP INTO A TRUCK TO DELIVER A CUSTOMER’S ORDER BECAUSE DRIVERS HAD CALLED IN SICK.”
ABOUT JOE AND NEIL
Joe Chamberlain is Distribution Centre Manager at the Eastwood Depot in Nottingham, one of three depots in the Greene King network. Joe has been at Greene King for 14 years, having started as a Dray Operative and working has way up to Distribution Centre Manager, so he knows the distribution business like the back of his hand. Neil Wardle is Transport Manager and joined Greene King in January this year having held similar roles in the past within major waste management businesses.
AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMETHING DOESN’T GO TO PLAN?
97.58% OF DELIVERIES ARE ‘ON TIME IN FULL’
Neil: Our approach is basically a ‘whatever it takes’ approach. In the past I know we’ve literally had Depot Managers jump into a truck to deliver a customer’s order because drivers had called in sick. We try to avoid situations like that obviously, but it demonstrates the lengths we go to in order to make sure our customers get their orders. They’re relying on us, and we need to maintain that trust and that relationship by helping them keep the drinks flowing.
HOW DO THINGS STEP UP AS CHRISTMAS APPROACHES?
Joe: Normally we’re a Monday to Friday business because that’s the way venues want it. They don’t want deliveries at the weekend – but at Christmas that changes and we start doing weekend deliveries to help our customers maintain stock levels. It really is all hands on deck and we do double shifting and encourage the teams not to take holidays in the run up to Christmas.
We’re also set up so that the three depots can help each other out if required and that provides another safety net, another level of comfort and confidence that we won’t let our customers down. And it requires unbelievable amounts of high-quality teamwork. But you can’t argue with 97.58% OTIF scores!
HOW DO YOU FEEL CHRISTMAS 2024 WILL
PLAY OUT?
Joe: We know the trade has suffered through the pandemic and we haven’t quite gotten back to the baseline numbers we compare ourselves with in 2019, the pre-pandemic numbers. But I have a feeling that if it goes well over the next couple of months, we might see us hitting those levels for the first time since 2019.
Neil: One thing is for sure, Joe and I and our teams will be doing literally everything we can to help our customers hit those numbers. Nothing would put a bigger smile on our faces.
FRESHEN IT UP FOR CHRISTMAS
With Christmas drawing ever closer, why not try some of the new products that we have recently listed to help you drive sales and profi ts this festive period.
DISARONNO VELVET 70CL
A fresh take on the unmistakable taste of Disarrono Originale, this new Disaronno Velvet liqueur masterfully and harmoniously mixes the distinctive imprinting of Disaronno Originale with velvety notes and unexpected nuances. Incredibly smooth, it has been created to be enjoyed over ice, a true tasting experience that enhances its unique and fresh taste.
A silky texture and warming sensation with floral and fruity character of almonds and nuances of chocolate and vanilla, Disaronno Velvet incorporates Italian elegance with a contemporary all-white look. Perfetto on the rocks.
SERVED COCKTAIL CANS 250ML
Make it quick and easy to serve top quality cocktails to your customers this year with a range of SERVED 8% ABV cocktails in a can. Created with the help of English pop star Ellie Goulding, these bar-quality cocktails are made with a double measure of premium spirit and the best naturally sourced ingredients including ‘wonky’ fruit. Four variants are available in some of the most popular UK cocktail formats: Margarita, Piña Colada, Mojito and Passion Fruit Martini.
The drinks are made for a modern lifestyles, featuring fewer calories than many alternatives and contain no added sugar, artificial flavours, colours or sweeteners.
FENTIMANS RASPBERRY LEMONADE 275ML
The ideal mixer for festive drinks, Fentimans Raspberry Lemonade uses carefully selected botanicals to give this drink a vibrant red berry colour with an aroma of freshly picked raspberries. Bold and elegant, this drink is bursting with tart fresh raspberry flavours and a delicately light and crisp finish.
It can be simply poured over heaps of ice and enjoyed or works well in many popular cocktails as well as in simple mixes with vodka or gin.
CHAMPAGNE SEASON!
As the Christmas season approaches and your customers are looking to let their hair down and splash out on some festive treats, what better way to maximise sales and profi ts than by building a strong Champagne list?
By Fiona Davies, Category Manager – Wine
We know from endless data sources that Greene King monitor that your customers are still facing significant challenges managing their household budgets – but we also know from that same data that more and more of those same people are keen to make sure that when they do go out, they do it in style.
The strong likelihood is that the time of year when they are most likely to push the boat out a little and treat themselves and their family and friends is Christmas. After another tough year in many ways, this Christmas could present a fantastic opportunity for venues to help make those festive days and nights out special.
For many people, nothing says luxury and decadence quite like Champagne. The real stuff, the stuff that’s legally protected and can only be made from grapes grown in the hallowed Champagne region of France.
Yes, the demand for value and the pressure on domestic budgets mean many consumers will often settle for a Prosecco or a Cava but when it comes to Christmas, only the best will do. That’s fantastic news for venues because premium wines mean premium sales which, ultimately, means premium profits.
Champagne is a romantic, theatrical drink that instantly announces that tonight is special and that’s something that venues can take advantage of by stocking a good range of Champagnes, ensuring that they are properly chilled and training your front of house team to bring the serve to life with some theatre and drama.
Good-quality glassware and a nice ice bucket with a white towel draped over it are all that’s required to make the customer feel that they really are getting the best of the best and will get full value out of their purchase.
The great news is that Greene King and Belhaven offer a
While it can’t legally be called Champagne, there’s no doubt that the quality and quantity of English wines on the market is increasing every year and there are now some fantastic English sparkling wines available from Greene King and Belhaven.
We offer a great range from top quality producers like Chapel Down, Kingscote and Fitz that make ideal home-grown alternatives to Champagne.
Check out our full range of English sparkling wines at greenekingorders.co.uk or speak to your SDM.
fantastic range of Champagne options to meet all tastes and all budgets.
From the top-end crème de la crème Dom Perignon Vintage Champagne to the much more budgetfriendly Jacques Bardelet Brut Champagne, there’s something for everyone. And let’s face it, there’s no such thing as a bad Champagne.
Fortunately, at Greene King and Belhaven we have some time-served experts in wine so every Champagne we have on offer is outstanding quality and great value.
With rosé wines still performing well, we even offer a couple of Champagne Rosé options which could help bring more new consumers into the category: rosé wine drinkers that want something that’s familiar but also something that’s just a little bit special.
Whatever you need, we have it – and please do speak to your SDM if you would like some expert advice on building a strong Champagne list for this festive period.
GOOD
326913
JACQUES BARDELOT BRUT CHAMPAGNE
243869
France | 12.5%
Delicate and discreet aromatics with a lively mousse and soft mouthfeel. A well-balanced champagne with a delightful finish.
JOSEPH PERRIER N/V BRUT
420761
France | 12.0%
Elegant and light! Fresh and fruity.
JOSEPH PERRIER N/V ROSÉ
France | 12.0%
Elegant and light with flavours of juicy red fruits.
BETTER
010049
LANSON LE BLACK CREATION CHAMPAGNE
France | 12.5%
108516
CHAMPAGNE LIST
If you don’t already have one, why not consider creating a dedicated Champagne list for the festive period this year?
BUYER’S RECOMMENDATION
A light and elegantly dry Champagne with a fine mousse and a mild, fruity finish.
LANSON LE ROSÉ CHAMPAGNE
France | 12.0%
010073
BUYER’S RECOMMENDATION
A delicate, fresh rosé. Salmon pink in colour with a palate of delicate red berry fruit.
VEUVE CLICQUOT CHAMPAGNE
180292
France | 12.0%
Intense fruit on the nose and a perfect harmony of flavour, leading to a lingering, toasty finish.
TAITTINGER BRUT CHAMPAGNE
You could either feature it within your main wine menu or, for added impact, create a standalone list that you can feature on every table to help drive impulse purchases and encourage your customers to trade up to Champagne over the next few months.
You could also list tasting notes to elevate the experience and help guide your customers to choose the Champagne best suited to their tastes.
022837
MOËT & CHANDON BRUT CHAMPAGNE
010103
France | 12.0%
The Brut Imperial is a dry, elegant Champagne, medium in weight and fruit.
BOLLINGER CHAMPAGNE
France | 12.0%
A bone-dry, full-bodied Champagne. Crisp and fresh with a good mature flavour and longlasting mousse and after-taste.
086525
DOM PERIGNON VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE
France | 12.5%
One of the flagship Champagnes. Classic and beautiful elegance.
France | 12.5%
Delicate and elegant, with green citrus fruit and subtle hints of biscuit and brioche.
PREMIUM SERVES, PREMIUM PROFITS
If your customers are going to loosen the purse strings, it’s likely to be at Christmas and a great way to help them have a great time and grow your profi ts is by focusing on premium serves.
We all know that it’s been another difficult year for many of your customers on the financial front and the reasons are well documented and understood. But the latest data shows that they still want to go out, even if they’re not doing it as often as they used to – and when they go out, they want it to be special.
That trend has been going on all year but if it’s going to come to a crescendo, it’s most likely to do so at Christmas time.
That has got to be an exciting prospect for venues across the country but rather than sit back and watch the customers and profits roll in, why not build a strategy to give your venue the best possible chance of maximising that footfall and those profits?
One clear and obvious option is shifting your focus towards the premium end of the spend spectrum. If customers are going to cut loose, Christmas is when they’ll do it – and what does cutting loose mean? It means premium brands, more indulgent serves, maybe a glass of Champagne or two or a luxury cocktail.
Premium serves mean premium profits, so bring it on. But to truly maximise that opportunity, you have to have those premium brands and serves in place, behind the bar and on your drinks menu. And it probably also means shouting it from the rooftops on social media. Premium could be the lever you use to set yourself apart from the competition and attract new faces across the threshold.
NUMBERS GAME
Firstly, let’s look at the evidence. CGA data to March 2024 shows that the share of the total spirits market held by ‘premium+’ products is a whopping 35.4%. More than a third of all spirits sold in the on trade are premium+. If your range doesn’t reflect that fact, it may be worth taking a fresh look at what you have on offer.
Then there’s a study by Vypr that found that more pub customers are drinking premium alcohol in a pub environment than ever before. More than a fifth of them (21.1%) now do so, up from 17.8% the previous year.
Not only that, but the same data also shows that more than half of all pub-goers (52.5%) drink spirits and some 30.6% of them drink premium spirits. Long story short, whether it’s on the rocks, with a mixer, or as part of a cocktail concoction, it’s time to ensure your line-up of whisky, gin, rum and vodka is the perfect recipe to keep consumers in good spirits.
THE MOST POPULAR SPIRITS BRANDS
1. Baileys 59%
THE MOST POPULAR SPIRITS BRANDS WITH MILLENNIALS
1. Captain Morgan 62%
2. Jack Daniel’s 62%
3. Beefeater 58%
4. Smirnoff 54%
5. Jim Beam 53%
6. Grey Goose 53%
7. Baileys 51%
8. Archers 50%
9. Bacardi 50%
10. Malibu 48%
SOURCE: YOUGOV Q2 2024 PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO SAY THEY LIKE
2. Jack Daniel’s 54%
3. Smirnoff 53%
4. Bacardi 52%
6. Gordon’s 48%
7. Pimm’s 47%
8. Beefeater 46%
9. Martini 44%
10. Jameson 43%
SOURCE: YOUGOV Q2 2024
5. Captain Morgan 51%
AGE MATTERS
It’s worth noting when reviewing your range, however, that the range you settle on should to a large extent be dictated by the typical age of your customer base.
As you can see from the two ‘Top 10’ charts in this feature, the favourite spirits list for millennials is significantly different from that of the entire audience. Grey Goose doesn’t even make the main Top 10 but is number six with millennials.
So, step number one is making sure you have the right range of spirits behind the bar, one that caters to all main tastes and offers easy trade-up options for customers looking to treat themselves and their friends and families this Christmas.
Step number two could be to consider how you and your team add further value by doing a little extra work to offer a wider range of premium serves. That could simply be by spicing up classic serves like a G&T or a vodka and Coke with some nice glassware, plenty of ice and a slice of lime or lemon or some other eye-catching garnish.
It could be offering premium versions of these classics: vodka and Coke with Grey Goose – and ‘real’ Coke.
Or you could take it to the extreme and build a full cocktail menu of hand-crafted, made-from-scratch cocktails that command super-premium prices and deliver super-premium margins.
It will all come down to your own circumstances and your specific customer base. It’s always a balancing act. Making cocktails from scratch takes time, talent, experience and patient customers. But if that’s why they’ve visited your venue, they’ll expect to wait a few minutes to have a work of art in a glass created for them.
But there are plenty of ways to skin that cat. Greene King offers a range of bar-quality cocktails that come pre-mixed in cans. No fuss, no prep time, seconds to serve, job done.
Or you could settle somewhere in between by using pre-mixed juices that simply require your team to add a spirit, some ice and some garnish. Check out our deals on page 64 and the back cover of this issue to help you with your range.
It all comes down to what you feel is right for your venue.
There’s little doubt however that there is a clear demand for more premium options and your customers will pay more for better. Christmas is likely to be the time when that opportunity peaks – so is it time to take a fresh look at your premium range of products and serves?
B U Y 1 CA S E O F RE D B UL L
E N E R G Y D R IN K A N D 1 CA S E O F
SU G A R F R EE A N D R E C EI V E 1 C A S E
O F TR O P I C A L E D I TI ON FREE
Red Bull Energy Drink 24 x 250ml RB243828
Red Bull Sugarfree 24 x 250ml RB244054
Bull Tropical Edition 12 x 250ml RB204963
Red
Harrogate,
your
23/03/2024
mindful British cocktail mixer.
Stock up on Harrogate Spring now and scan the QR code to discover our mindful cocktail recipes!
Greene King Free Trade customers have helped raise more than £3,600 so far this year for Macmillan Cancer Support – and our Invisible Pint initiative provides a great way for your customers to help support the charity too.
Our amazing Greene King customers, aka you, have helped us raise an awesome £9,300 year to date in support of our charity partner Macmillan Cancer Support. We cannot thank you enough as every penny goes to making a difference to someone struggling with cancer; so we are not the only ones who appreciate your support.
This year Greene King Brewery are on a mission to raise £100,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support and our team members are busy running, walking, cycling, baking and eating to achieve this. However, to help support our fundraising we have come up with the idea of “THE INVISIBLE PINT” as a way for your customers to help support Macmillan Cancer Support too.
All they need to do is to scan the QR code on the pump clip or the poster with the camera on their phone and they can choose a donation amount to be paid via the payment method on their phone (e.g Apple Pay).
So, if you have an unused pump on the bar then you can order the pump clip via our online platform (greenekingorders. co.uk/Sundries & Point of Sale) or via our Customer Sales (0345 600 1799) and it will be delivered alongside your next beer & drinks delivery. The pump clip code to order is 231607.
If this is not an option, you can download the poster here to pin up in your venue.
