Inapub magazine september 2017 issue 69

inapub

Issue 69 September 2017 ÂŁ4.95 trade.inapub.co.uk

Gardens of delight

The pubs reinventing their outdoor space

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Run a pub with us and you’ll see what £100 million of nationwide investment means for Britain’s pubs. Call us now on 08085 94 95 96 or visit starpubs.co.uk

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ubs are supposed to be filled with people having a good time, so it is not easy to think about preparing for the exact opposite.

The immediate response of the industry to the terror attacks in both London and Manchester a few months ago is one that we should all be proud of. People put their lives on the line for customers and were then soon back at work to show that our way of life will not be curtailed. Shortly after that funds raised in a campaign went towards buying emergency service workers a drink. What a brilliantly British thing to do.

But what can we do in advance of such atrocities to ensure we are as well prepared as we can be?

In this issue we focus on what companies such as BrewDog and Fuller’s are doing. This could provide you with some tips that we hope you will never need to use.

We also visit a pub that inspired Charlie Chaplin, focus on cask and where it fits in these days of craft, and turn our attention towards Christmas.

Is it really that time of year again already?

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this month Dealing with a terror attack • Googlebores

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drink Last orders for cask? • Christmas cocktails

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eat

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play Gardens with a difference • Brian O’Driscoll

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back-bar business Saving energy

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time at the bar Bar jokes• Your work for charity

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Roast dinners • chips Cheers,

Editor Matt Eley • Deputy editor Robyn Black •

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Production editor Ben Thrush • Chief executive Barrie Poulter •

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Sales & marketing director Matt Roclawski •

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Sales manager Leah Gauthier • Subscriptions trade.inapub.co.uk/magazine •

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Printed by Warners Midlands

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PERFECT SERVE. GREAT TASTE.

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this month.

BARSTOOL EXPERT all you need to know about OFFICE JARGON One for the road?

That is a no-brainer.

A what?

You know, it’s such a good idea I don’t even have to think about it.

Why didn’t you just say that then, instead of using such terrible jargon?

I take offence good sir, that’s not jargon.

It jolly well is — it’s in the top 10 most annoying office jargon phrases.

According to whom though, the Barstool Expert survey of one?

No, it’s a genuine study of 2,000 people, completed by jobsite Glassdoor a few months ago.

I beg to differ – according to yet another survey by vape brand Flavour Boss, using buzzwords and jargon is the third most irritating habit in the workplace after moaning and smoking.

Moaning! Ha — at least I’m only the third most irritating person at work then; you are most definitely the first.

I do not moan!

Run that idea up the flagpole and see the reaction it gets. Maybe we could do a bit of blue sky thinking to come up with a solution? We could see what the stakeholders think and create a road map.

Stop it! Stop it now or I’ll...…

What? See if you can “pick it up and run with it?!”

Is it a game changer?

For the love of all that is good and pure in the world, please stop using such ridiculous buzzwords.

If you don’t like it, get off the bus.

Gah! I take it that was in there as well then?

It most certainly was.

And if you come out with ‘mission statement’ or ‘touch base’ then so help me I will give you a ‘thought shower’ by pouring this pint over your head.

Give over; it’s only curmudgeonly old barflies like you who find it annoying.

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Let’s get our ducks in a row: Don’t fall into the trap of thinking just because you don’t work in an office that you are immune to the jargon trap – too many retailers have been “curating” their drinks lists of late…

Punch a puppy: Literally don’t, of course but also never use this grim office phrase, which means to do something horrible for the greater good.

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IN THE TRADE THIS MONTH Flexitarianism on the march More than a quarter of Brits want to reduce their meat intake over the next six months. Research by Mintel shows a growing trend in flexitarianism with 28 per cent of people saying they want to eat less meat. Trying to lose weight (28 per cent) is the number one reason, followed by animal welfare concerns (24 per cent) and the environmental impact of meat production (24 per cent).

TOP STORIES ON TRADE.INAPUB.CO.UK Millions of people have been proposed to in the pub The rise of the Googlebore (blog)

Nation calls for Gandalf behind the bar Actor and part-time landlord Sir Ian McKellen has been voted the celebrity landlord that pub customers would most like to see pulling pints. In a survey to coincide with CAMRA’s Great British Beer Festival last month he received 25 per cent of the vote – pipping other famous landlords such as Neil Morrissey, Chris Evans, Stuart Broad and James Blunt. Sir Ian is a part-owner of The Grapes in Limehouse, London.

Pub still the place for men to share Men are three times more likely to share their worries over a pint than a messaging service, according to research by Greene King and its charity partner Macmillan. In total, 18 per cent of men would discuss their problems in a pub, compared to six per cent who would use social media or just five per cent who would Whatsapp their worries.

Classic Coke bottle still most popular The classic Coca-Cola bottle remains the most popular serve of the soft drink with pub goers. Three quarters of people prefer that serve, according to OnePulse research, but only one in four pubs offers it. See how you can create the perfect Coca-Cola serve at trade.inapub.co.uk

Need to talk? The pub’s the place Keeping it in the family 70 per cent of pub-goers expect table service when eating

Back to the ’90s It was an Annus Horribilis for the Royal Family, John Major was in Number 10, Gary Lineker played his last game for England… and Hogs Back Brewery was born. To mark its 25th anniversary, 10 pubs near the Surrey brewery sold its flagship beer TEA at 1992 prices — around £1.30 a pint.

Managing director Rupert Thompson, pictured at The White Hart in Tongham with head brewer Miles Chesterman and the pub’s Gemma Elstob, said: “The fact that duty and VAT paid on a pint of TEA today are, at £1.36, more than the total price of a pint 25 years ago serves to highlight the high taxes charged on beer and we’re sure will gather drinkers’ support for the brewing and pubs industry’s request for a cut in beer duty at the next Budget.”

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this month.inapub THE WAY I SEE IT KATE NICHOLLS

TWEET ALL ABOUT IT Here’s what people were saying about #NationalRumDay

Rates regime is a broken system It is scandalous that pubs are unable to access the package of business rate support promised by the government. The concessions — made back in March in the face of the 2017 rate revaluations — included a £300m fund to be distributed to all sorts of businesses, plus pubspecific £1,000 per-venue-relief. They were announced after a significant ALMR-led campaign, and came in recognition of the steep and disproportionate hikes many licensees faced.

However, following research by the ALMR, it is clear that neglect and inertia prevail. In a sample of 25 councils, seemingly no pub business has yet benefited from pub-specific relief, and 22 councils had yet to develop a policy or scheme to address this. Lamentably, some local authorities have devised schemes for the larger, discretionary £300m rates relief pot that actually exclude eating and drinking-out outlets — the very businesses hardest hit.

In short, authorities are sitting on money that has been earmarked for very hard-pressed businesses, they have not responded adequately and they risk contributing to the closure of vital social and economic hubs.

So, what to do? As a collective industry, we must make more noise; not just about this relief issue, but on the inadequacy and inequity of the whole rates regime, and the need for fundamental reform of a broken system. Pubs must engage with their MP and talk to their customers. We need to continue to highlight this unfair tax, which punitively punishes pubs, while the likes of Amazon, Facebook and Google pay much less, relative to their size, turnover and profitability.

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Kate Nicholls is chief executive of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers

Everybody around the world getting into the #Rum Spirit!

Happy #NationalRumDay, everyone! @RudiesLondon Yes. It’s not whisky, it’s rum. Because it’s #NationalRumDay and we’re celebrating it with @AmrutMalt’s Two Indies Rum @_thewhiskyworks On the 16th August we’ll be celebrating national rum day by transforming our outside bar into a rum shack #CocktailOclock #NationalRumDay @thevicsurbiton Good times planning for rumfest ( 18 + 19 ) this year — got some real treats in store #NationalWatermelonDay #nationalrumday #rumisawesome @TheRumsey #love my job #loverum join us for #nationalrumday @foxhoundstheale Drinking Rum before 10am makes you a pirate not an alcoholic! # @NoleneDougan Happy#NationalRumDay. 24 Rums to choose from Golds, Darks, Spiced and Whites they are all here.... #rum #rumday #drinkup #cardiff @pen_and_wig

2.1m

Number of people believed to have been proposed to in the pub, according to an Ei Publican Partnerships survey

Find us online every month at trade.inapub.co.uk @inapub

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Inapub

@inapub_

SEPTEMBER 2017

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Gold Rim Glasses

Dress your cocktails to impress with these vintage-looking glasses from Urban Bar. The luxury barware specialist has designed each glass with a gold rim to frame and highlight the drink inside. They are all made from lead-free crystal and have a cut and polished rim for “finer tasting”. www.urbanbar.com

ASC King Prawns

Make a prawn star out of your seafood with these sustainably sourced and responsibly farmed king prawns. The prawns have been ASC certified (Aquaculture Stewardship Council), have minimal glaze, no additives and come peeled and de-veined in 1kg bags. www.mjseafood.com

Stuff

What’s new in the pub this month

Street Food Collection

Give your sandwich selection the hipster treatment with these new on-trend breads from Mission Foods, which include Smoked Paprika Tortilla wraps, Italian-inspired Piadinas (a flatbread), Sourdough & Ancient Grain Tortillas, chapattis and naan breads. www.missionfoodservice.co.uk

Hopped cider

Made from apples that are “begged, borrowed, donated and saved from languishing in gardens,” this new hopped cider from craft brand Pilango is aimed at luring in beer drinkers to the cider category. It’s a four per cent ABV sparkling cider that is described as having notes of citrus and elderflower. www.pilangocider.com

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this month.

Manchego Truffle Cheese

Cause a kerfuffle with this Spanish truffle cheese on your “queso” board. Spanish food specialist Mevalco has also added four other Spanish delicacies to its range at the same time: confit artichoke hearts, Mejillones en Escabeche (mussels), sardines and Rey Silo Beso (another cheese).

0117 982 6540

Sailor Jerry

Inspired by the “bold, badass and colourful” designs of Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins (the tattooist honoured by the brand), this limited-edition bottle features two of his most famous works: The Hula Girl and Anchor.

Available now while stocks last. www.williamgrant.com

Christmas Cordial

You are cordially invited to try this new festive posh squash from Belvoir Fruit Farms, which is a blend of cranberry and orange juices plus winter spices. It has been designed so that you can serve it warm or cold, with or without a dasharoo of rum or vodka.

01476 870 286

Big Drop Lager

A lager lacking in alcohol but not in flavour, according to Big Drop founder Rob Fink, who describes it as having “aromas of cracker, light honey and pepper”. The 0 per cent ABV lager is joined by an alcohol-free Spiced Ale, said to have notes of ginger and cinnamon. rob@bigdropbrew.com

Wharf IPA

The taste for hoppy US-style craft keg beers shows no sign of abating, says Sussex brewer Harvey’s, which is planning to make its version a permanent part of the range.

Despite the American vibes, “using British hops instead of imported varieties retains the element of local sustainability that separates Harvey’s beers from others,” says spokesman Bob Trimm.

01273 480 209.

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Prepared for the worst

by MATT ELEY

The owners of The Gladstone Arms near Borough Market provided sanctuary for members of the public fleeing the terrorist attack

Horrific attacks in Manchester and London this summer shocked the nation. As BrewDog announces terror training for all its pub staff, we ask how can you prepare for such a nightmare scenario?

It is the worst possible thing you can imagine happening on a night out.

Thankfully a terrorist attack or a major incident of any kind is not something that many people or publicans will ever have to deal with.

But for the unlucky few it became a reality this summer. Terrorists struck in Manchester and London within days of each other.

A single bomber killed himself and 22 victims — primarily women and children — at the Manchester Arena on May 22. Then, under two weeks later on June 3, three attackers went on the rampage in London’s Borough area. The terrorists ploughed into pedestrians on London Bridge before dumping their van outside the Barrowboy & Banker pub.

From there they indiscriminately attacked people simply enjoying a night out at the area’s pubs and restaurants. They claimed the lives of eight and injured many more before being gunned down by police.

Rapid response

In a show of incredible defiance, the same pubs that had faced unimaginable scenes were open again and serving drinks to the public within days.

Speaking shortly after the attack, Patrick Dardis, chief executive of London pubco Young’s, praised the way his staff at pubs in the area responded.

He said: “I am immensely proud of the team who were on duty at The Wheatsheaf and Bunch of Grapes for the way they dealt with what was an extremely frightening situation. I am in no doubt their swift and brave actions saved lives and I cannot thank them enough.”

Many other pubs were affected, directly or indirectly. For pubs such as freehouse The Gladstone, the response was based on simple human instinct.

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Pic: MacDiarmid / REX / Shutterstock A forensics officer searches inside The Barrowboy & Banker. Terrorists dumped their van outside after killing eight people and injuring many more before going on to attack others with knives

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We played relaxing music to control any panic, and offered a phone charging facility so guests could call their families and friends to tell them they were safe trade.inapub.co.uk

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The pub had only been open for a few days under the ownership of trade newcomers Megha Khanna, Abhinav Saxena and Gaurav Khanna.

Megha explained how the pub provided sanctuary for terrified people fleeing the attacks, which had taken place less than a mile down the road.

She told Inapub: “When the London Bridge attacks happened, we had two priorities: make sure that we controlled any panic — we did things such as playing relaxing music — and ensuring that the pub remained open until our guests and staff had a found a way to get home, as all the roads were blocked.”

Ultimately the pub remained open all night as place where people where could take shelter.

“We also offered crisps, juice and water to everyone that came into the pub, as well as a phone charging facility so guests could call their families and friends to tell them that they were safe. We closed the pub once everyone managed to get home, around 6am,” added Megha.

It was an instinctive and compassionate response, but what else can you do? It is

a question many pub companies and individuals will have been contemplating for the last couple of months.

Confronting the threat

Scottish brewer and operator BrewDog recently announced that the 290 staff at its UK venues — primarily located in metropolitan areas — would be given major incident training to help them deal with the threat of a terror attack.

The training, run by specialist Abrras, covers CPR, how to follow the “chain of survival” for the best chance of saving someone who suffers a cardiac arrest, and what to do during a terrorist incident to keep safe.

David McDowall, managing director of BrewDog bars, said: “As a result of the training, our bar staff will be able to assess casualties, administer CPR, and provide emergency first aid.

“We will also train our crew in safety procedures during a terrorist incident to keep people safe. The new training will ensure our people feel prepared for anything that’s thrown at them.”

Fuller’s, owner of the Barrowboy & Banker, also run what they call emergency

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preparedness training sessions for pub staff.

Georgina Wald, corporate communications manager at Fuller’s, said: “You can never be totally prepared for such an atrocity, but we do what we can to give our teams the skills and advice they need. In the aftermath of any incident, we offer access to counselling for our teams.

“It’s important to keep this door open for quite a while — often people think they are fine and dealing with things, but it can catch up with them later. Our people are our most precious resource, so we strive to protect, train and support them.”

Up in Manchester, even though pubs were not directly affected, companies tried to ensure staff were prepared for any future incidents. William Lees Jones, managing director at JW Lees, says: “After the Manchester attack we issued the British Beer & Pub Association guidance notes to all pubs so that people were properly briefed on what to do in a crisis as well as what to look out for day to day.”

And those notes are a good starting point for any pub. Freely available on the BBPA website www.beerandpub.com, they include tips on: how to respond to a telephone bomb threat what to do if you discover a suspicious item or event evacuation plans and securing your premises your business continuity plan.

Another area to consider is taking out insurance, which can now cover both terrorism and cyber attacks.

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steps to deal with a suspicious package

1. Do not touch suspicious items 2. Move everyone away to a safe distance 3. Prevent others from approaching 4. Communicate safely to staff, visitors and the public 5. Use hand-held radios or mobile phones away from the immediate vicinity of a suspect item, remaining out of line of sight and behind hard cover 6. Notify the police 7. Ensure that whoever found the item or witnessed the incident remains on hand to brief the police

From the National Counter Terrorism Security Office advice for bars, pubs and nightclubs, available to download from www.beerandpub.com

Jamie Jenkinson, managing director of industry specialist Sector Associates, says: “Being honest about risk is the best approach — if you are in a metropolitan area you should consider the risk from other areas — not just fire, flood or building damage. If an attack was to take place at or nearby could you sustain the loss of revenue for any period of time?”

The chances of being involved in such an incident are minimal. Between 2000 and 2015 90 people were killed in terrorist attacks in the UK, compared with 1,094 in the 15 years before that.

However, it is always worth being prepared for the worst-case scenario.

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64% OF GUESTS WOULD PAY MORE FOR THE ORIGINAL GLASS BOTTLE.*

PERFECT IS WORTH IT. Mystery shoppers will be visiting participating venues across GB and awarding instant prizes to bar and serving staff for delivering the Coca-Cola Perfect Serve.

To find out more, contact your sales representative, call our Customer Hub free phone number on 0808 1 000 000 or visit cocacolaperfectserve.co.uk

**T&Cs apply. Promotion runs 31.08.17 – 30.11.17. GB only. To enter: mystery shoppers will visit a selection of outlets and order a Coke. If an employee offers a choice between all Coke variants and serves it from a Coke TM glass bottle, or Postmix, they instantly win a prize. Prize: 1 of 1,000 £20 retail vouchers. Max. one prize per employee. For full T&Cs visit www.cocacolaperfectserve.co.uk/mysteryshopper. *OnePulse Real-Time Digital Market Research, 500 respondents, M&F, 18-65 in GB, 16.02.17. © 2017 The Coca-Cola Company. All rights reserved. COCA-COLA, COCA-COLA ZERO, DIET COKE and THE CONTOUR BOTTLE are registered trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company.

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FAMOUS FOR

CHARLIE CHAPLIN

Matt Eley finds the comedian’s inspiration still relevant today

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We have delved into history and made it what it used to be. It has a story and is not just another pub on the corner

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The blend of old and new at The Tankard has been done so well that it is easy to imagine a young Charlie Chaplin peering in from the street outside to see his father propping up the bar.

The boy who would grow up to become one of the highest paid and most celebrated Hollywood stars of his day had a tough start to life in London’s Lambeth. Both his parents were music hall performers and some of Chaplin’s earliest memories were of seeing his dad in pubs such as The Tankard and the nearby Three Stags.

In the century or so since Chaplin left, the pub has changed drastically. It used to gaze over the nearby Bedlam asylum in St George’s Fields before that was moved from the area and replaced by the Imperial War Museum. More recently it was a Grand Union site before that London-based operator was bought by another, Draft House.

The new owners have brought back the original name and nodded to the pub’s past while providing a contemporary offer for its clientele.

General manager Rachel Thomas says: “We have delved into the history quite a lot and made it what it used to be. It has a story and it is not just another pub on the corner.

“A lot of Chaplin’s acts came from watching people in the pubs back then — the drunk, the tramp. He got those characters from his dad drinking in the pub.”

Artwork on the walls include several Chaplin movie posters. The stripped-back décor also gives the impression that you could be sitting in a pub at any point over the last 100 years.

Upstairs is its Victorian terrace — the place from where drinkers would gawp over at the Bedlam mental asylum — and a bar that has

been designed with the music hall in mind.

Rachel continues: “We have festoon lighting and it all feels quite dinky, like a theatre bar. The inspiration for the artwork up there has come from the music hall posters. It was a conscious decision to reflect the past without being gimmicky about it.”

The pub, as with the Draft House group more widely, offers a varied beer selection alongside a menu featuring classics and trendier items. The company’s stated aim is “to do for beer what our culture has done for food and wine over the last 20 years”.

It strives to achieve this by marrying tradition with the contemporary pub scene.

Cast of characters

Rachel says that it is also important that each Draft House is different from the next.

There are currently 11 sites, with five more on the way as part of the Grand Union deal.

“Each site has its own identity. This one feels more pubby, others are more studentled or family-orientated,” she says.

This is achieved through the décor, staff, and the beers on tap.

“The sites all have similarities but there are different beers on in all of them. We choose what we think will work well,” she continues.

And all Draft House staff are given plenty of training to help them make those choices and advise customers as to what they might enjoy.

“The team all get great ongoing training so they are confident about making recommendations,” says Rachel.

“We all go to Beer School in house with our head of beer, learning about history, beer styles, the brewing process and experiencing tastings. In that group environ-

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this month.

The Ta Kenningnkard ton

ment, you can learn from each other.

“Tastings are ongoing because you have got to know what you are selling.”

And it doesn’t stop with the beer, with similar lessons given in cider, wine and the menu.

The five other new Draft House sites are due to be open before winter descends. So far trade has been going well since The Tankard reopened at the end of July.

“We have invited people down to try things. The Sunday roast has been very popular. It’s a mix and match of people and we have had some lovely customers come through the doors,” says Rachel.

In these days of family-friendly pubs, perhaps there could even be a young child watching from the inside and taking inspiration from the characters who gather at The Tankard, more than 100 years since Charlie Chaplin walked this way.

Staff: 16 Wet/dry :7 Beer sale 0/30 s as perc entage o drinks v f olu Best sell me: 75% ers: Cam den beer roast din s, ners Online: www.dr afthouse .co.uk

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RICHARD MOLLOY The Googlebore is a recent and damaging addition to the drinking establishment.

Generally male, often over 50 — the mobile technological revolution has only just hit the grey brigade and they’re loving it — the Googlebore sits and waits for his opportunity.

He sips and nods when Brexit is being debated; mutters in quiet concurrence at the complexities of the Syrian conflict, but as soon as someone ponders on the last player to be sent off for England he comes to life.

While others scratch their beards, look ceilingward and say “Rooney” he quietly unholsters his phone: tap, tap, boom! “Rob Green”, he shouts with the smug air of know-it-alls everywhere.

The problem being that he didn’t fucking know it. Someone else in the bar probably did and the correct answer would’ve been arrived at sooner or later after much debate and social interaction.

What this World Wide Wanker doesn’t understand is that, as far as pub conversations go, the hunt is greater than the kill. The joy is not in getting the answer, but in the journey toward it. It cements friendships and forges connections. It is not just healthy for the pub, it’s essential.

The other week I had around 30 fully grown adults arguing for an hour over whether Sooty is yellow or orange (he’s yellow).Other topics that have got people hot under the collar have included how many sexual positions there were in a one night stand according to Prince’s Gett Off and whether the human race can counter rising sea levels by digging a massive hole.

The Prince one went on for weeks until some downer asked Siri.

This may seem a petty quibble, but landlords know that debate and light-hearted disagreement are the cornerstone of the pub. As far as we’re concerned, the longer the debate goes on, and the more people involved, the better.

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As soon as someone ponders the last player to be sent off for England, the Googlebore unholsters his phone. Tap, tap, boom!

Mobile technology has certainly detracted from the pub conversation, not to mention ruining pub quizzes — oh, the accusing glares as the newcomer strides up to the bar to claim their prize — but without doubt the Googlebore is the most irritating incarnation of the WiFi generation and he must be stopped, or at least tutted at loudly.

Richard Molloy has worked in and managed pubs across Devon for the last two decades. He director of four-strong pubco White Rose Taverns and the microbrewery Platform Five. Read more of his work on trade.inapub.co.uk

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23/08/2017 11:44

Nigel Mort, Morts Wine Bar, Waltonon-Thames

Steve Capel, The Happy Union, Loudwater

Simon Wilkins, The Green Dragon, Haddenham

The graduates: what our soft drinks students learnt This year we joined forces with Britvic to create the Inapub Soft Drinks Academy because soft drinks are more important to your business than ever before. More people are choosing not to drink alcohol on a regular basis; One in five adults is now teetotal and the number of young people aged 16 to 25 choosing not to drink has increased by 40 per cent over the last decade, so you can see where our motivation came from. Since the launch in January we’ve been visiting pubs with Britvic experts to help three lucky licensees boost their soft drinks offers. Here’s a round-up of what we learned along the way.

April: making soft drink sales surge for summer Our first pupil was Nigel Mort of Morts Wine Bar in Walton-onThames, Surrey. His soft drinks range already got top marks, featuring local juices and innovative new products such as Seedlip (a non-alcoholic distilled spirit) but the Britvic team still spotted where improvements could be made to boost sales this summer.

Suggestions included making brands such as J20 work harder, making mixed drinks with them as well as serving them as soft drinks; creating a list of “summer specials” and stocking more low- and nosugar drinks to tap into consumer

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trends, and to give his gin range a fresh twist for the summer, offering gin & Purdey’s, for example.

“We’ve sold a lot of J20 this summer and I’ve concentrated more on premium soft drinks and mixers, a move which has proved popular with customers,” Nigel says.

June: Using soft drinks as mixers Steve Capel has been running the Happy Union in Loudwater, Buckinghamshire for the last 23 years and wanted to learn how to boost his soft drinks sales via mixed drinks.

Introducing pitcher drinks for the groups of office workers who visit after 5pm was one suggestion.

23/08/2017 11:59

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

inapub SOFT DRINKS ACADEMY Building Business with Britvic

Using the Britvic website www.pourmoreflavour.com for inspiration, Steve could create an offer made with brands he already stocks, such as J20.

The most significant bit of advice was to promote mixed drinks properly. Displaying the price of a finished drink, for example, name-checking the mixer as well as the spirit brand, and using more unusual garnishes and glassware.

August: Turn tap water into trade At the Green Dragon in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, bar manager Simon Wilkins was hoping the Soft Drinks Academy could help him create an exciting soft drinks range to tempt the increasing numbers of drivers and teetotallers visiting the venue.

As the pub is food-led, matching dishes with soft drinks seems a good place to start. Classic combinations such as salmon and asparagus with Pear & Raspberry J20 Spritz and

As part of the Soft Drinks Academy we partnered with two of the Britvic Business Builders – expert operators who have perfected their soft drinks sales and can help you do the same.

Nick Harding (pictured right) of Gin Rickey in Chester,uses nonalcoholic cocktails to boost his profits. “Simply mix a premium quality lemonade, such as R Whites, with a syrup or another flavoured soft drink, add a garnish and some nice glassware and you’ve created something for which you can charge a premium,” he advises.

He also promotes soft drinks matches on menus and trains his staff to suggest a soft drink alternative to anyone ordering tap water – something our second Business Builder, Jon Raw of The Black Bull in Morpeth, Northumberland, is also keen on.

“Soft drinks can sometimes be lost on the back bar, so getting staff to proactively communicate the range to customers is a great way of driving awareness of the existing range, as well as trial of any new products or promotions that are running,” Jon says.

ham hock with Pepsi Max could be flagged up on the menu to help non-drinkers feel special.

The selection of soft drink brands should also match the premium food offer, where classic brands like R Whites fit really well. He was urged to introduce flavoured syrups such as Britvic’s Teisseire range, which can be added to drinks to give them a unique twist.

For more information on how Britvic can help you to boost soft drink sales call 0845 758 1781 p20-21 Britvic SDA.indd 21

23/08/2017 11:59

drink Some call it “menuology” which is, of course, a bollox word.

There is a science to writing a menu or a drinks list, however, so much so that the chaps at Pernod Ricard UK undertook some extensive research to try and discover even more about it.

They used eye-tracking technology to see where drinkers concentrate when reading menus; surveys asked customers how they used drinks lists and what they wanted to see on them, and a trial in a well-known cocktail chain provided the field research. What they found was incontrovertible evidence of the power of a cocktail menu – it is the single most important factor influencing what cocktails people choose to drink.

Nine in 10 drinkers said they use one to order a cocktail almost every time and 61 per cent see them as the most influential factor in their choice. Surprisingly, price is not the most important consideration for customers. Price comes third, after the description of what sort of drink the cocktail is (first) and

with ROBYN BLACK

which spirits it is made with (second).

All this is important to you, of course, because if you can help guide your customers to more profitable drinks you can put some more pounds in the till. Pernod Ricard has used the research to develop its own menu maker tool available now to all its customers. If that’s not you, there’s still some help in the handy form of these menu “dos” and “don’ts”.

Don’t: Put the most expensive cocktail at the top; be overexperimental and fail to cater for all tastes; make it too long; make it difficult to navigate.

Do: make it bold and colourful; include clear pricing; provide descriptions of the drinks including ingredients; give an indication of the style of serve through images. Finally, using boxes, larger or bolder fonts, and illustrations or photos was found to be the simplest and most effective way of leading customers’ eyes to certain drinks. That’s a design trick known as creating “eye-magnets”, which if you ask me is another bollox word.

A cocktail menu is the single most important factor influencing what cocktails people choose to drink.

Make it colourful and descriptive

COMMERCIAL BREAKDOWN Wyld Wood • Organic September The UK’s number one organic cider has joined forces with the Soil Association for a month’s worth of activity, to boost awareness of the brand and to encourage people to #ChooseOrganic.

Tennents• Give us a break Running to the end of this month, Scottish pub-goers with no holiday plans will be given the chance to win one of 10 exotic holidays, as well as one of thousands of smaller prizes such as beach towels and luggage tags.

Carlsberg Export • The Danish Quarter The recently re-branded lager has been busy this summer bringing Danish beer and Danish treats to music festivals as part of its ongoing £15m “The Danish Way” campaign.

22 SEPTEMBER 2017

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trade.inapub.co.uk 23/08/2017 12:26

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Littlemill 2017 Private Cellar Edition

It’s nearly Christmas, so why not ask Santa to pop a bottle of recently released whisky, The Last Precious Drops: Littlemill 2017 Private Cellar Edition in your stocking? The spirit is a 27 year-old single malt whisky from a now extinct distillery, thought to be the oldest in Scotland and possibly the world. A snip at just £2,250 a bottle… www.lochlomondgroup.com

Rebirth

Bristol brewery Moor Beer has been allowed to remake a classic Fuller’s ale, as part of a new “Fuller’s and Friends” project. The brewery has produced a new take on flagship Fuller’s ale ESB called “Rebirth”, which is described as “full-flavoured, hoppy and unfined”. Five other breweries will also be invited to take part. www.moorbeer.co.uk

Look out for...

Lurvill’s Delight Lavender Spice

Need to relax before the Christmas onslaught begins? Give this new Lavender Spice soft drink from revived Welsh brand Lurvill’s Delight a go. Lavender is known for its relaxing properties though this drink is also being touted as a low-sugar alternative to ginger beer, as it also contains horseradish, hibiscus and ginger. info@lurvillsdelight.com

Son of a Gun

The Copper Rivet Distillery, opened in 2016 and based in Kent, has developed a cask finished grain spirit called Son of a Gun. The versatile spirit has floral and tropical fruit notes and is made from local grains and water. The craft producer also has plans to add a range of whiskies from 2020. www.copperrivetdistillery.co.uk

Delivering the Perfect Serve every time

By Rob Harris, Out of Home Director GB at Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) Soft drinks represent a huge trading opportunity for licensees, with 15% of wet sales coming from this category and more than a fifth of people not drinking alcohol.

Guests want quality products, and 64 per cent are happy to pay more for the original glass bottle when ordering their CocaCola, Diet Coke or Coca-Cola Zero Sugar.

Offering a premium customer experience can build soft drinks sales, and that’s what the Coca-Cola Perfect Serve programme is designed to do.

At the heart of this platform is the appearance, style and presentation of the Coca-Cola serve, and how these elements contribute to the overall experience.

The glassware should be clean and, ideally, branded, but it’s important staff are consistent with the glassware they use to create continuity and enhance the quality of the serve.

Using fresh, clean ice that has been properly stored maintains the integrity of the drink, and the garnish delivers the taste, appearance and aroma that completes the Perfect Serve.

1. CGA On Premise Measurement Data to P01 28/01/17 2. Office for National Statistics’ Adult Drinking Habits in Great Britain report - February 2015

trade.inapub.co.uk

3. OnePulse Real-Time Digital Market Research, 500 respondents, M&F, 18-65 16/02/17

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23/08/2017 12:26

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23/08/2017 12:33

Roll out the barrel – is it time to ditch cask beer?

by ADRIAN TIERNEY-JONES

We’ve all been there: a pint of cask-conditioned beer, much anticipated, but flat in the glass, brimming with off-flavours and possessed with as much character as the Invisible Man. It might also be served too warm or too cold — one in four UK pubs had a major temperature issue in 2016, according to the Beer Quality Report of 2017.

When events like this happen too often, questions are asked by both customers and licensees about cask’s viability. Drinkers begin to avoid cask like the plague, while licensees start thinking it might too troublesome. This is not only damaging to the pub or bar in question, but also to the cask sector.

Meanwhile, waiting in the wings, more robust and seemingly easier to handle, the new wave of keg beers (or craft keg, if you like) is a more attractive proposition. It’s especially attractive to those who started

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their beer journey on BrewDog’s Punk IPA and have now progressed to the likes of Camden and Beavertown, none of which produce cask-conditioned beer.

Off the menu

There is also a small but growing number of specialist beer bars where cask is completely absent, including The Norwich Tap House, The Grunting Growler in Glasgow, Mother Kelly’s in Bethnal Green and fellow Londoner The Arbitrager.

Dan Solo, general manager at The Arbitrager, explains its absence: “We opened in 2015 keg only. Given the size of the bar, we don’t have the space for

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“

I have worked with cask before and I like it but I think it’s slowly dying

Tips from the top

Paul Nunny, executive director and sales and marketing director, Cask Marque “Good cellar management in general improves yields by at least seven per cent and sales by three per cent through increased quality.

“Craft keg has a role to play in a balanced portfolio of beers on sale, but remember, craft beers still only represent five per cent of on-trade beer sales — 78 per cent of ale drinkers prefer cask and that for many pubs is the core of their business [Eureka MBC Survey 2017].”

Take a look at cask-marque.co.uk, which features a number of YouTube videos, including Cask Beer Uncovered.

cask, but as well as that personally for me I wouldn’t. I have worked with cask before and I like it but I think it’s slowly dying.”

A dramatic statement indeed. To understand Solo’s view, we have to look at some of cask’s problems, perceived or otherwise. For a start,

there is the issue of staff, as Rory Walker, at The Borough in Lancaster, notes. “There is certainly apprehension about cask among some staff, particularly those who don’t drink it themselves,” he says.

“Bar work is often a transitory profession and responsibility is left with a small group of experienced staff or managers.

Everyone has their own way of doing it that works for them. Maybe it’s best left to senior staff or maybe everyone should be trained, encouraged and supported. It always helps if all staff are able to sell cask to customers even if they don’t manage the cellar.”

According to Benjamin Thomas at The Plasterers’ Arms in Norwich, where 15 cask beers and nine

Stacking up: cask beer faces a challenge from the new wave of ‘craft’ keg beers, which are easier to handle and less temperamental than cask ales

26 SEPTEMBER 2017

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drink.

“

There is no point offering a vast array of adventurous cask ales unless you have the facilities and expertise to serve them at their very best

Tapping out: The Arbitrager is one of a number of specialist beer bars to have turned its back on cask beer

keg are offered, “for many people the style, temperature and depth of flavours of cask beers are better than keg”.

He continues: “Keg beer is increasing in popularity because brewers aren’t as constrained by old-fashioned styles that cask breweries think they should be producing, so there’s just more delicious stuff out there. We sell a lot of cask beer still, though, because we spend a lot of time trying to get hold of the most exciting and interesting beer available.”

A demanding drink

Keg beer still needs a certain amount of care and attention, but looking after cask is demanding on a different level. Mark Dorber at The Anchor in Walberswick, Suffolk, says: “It is not the physical preparation, stillaging, conditioning, maturing and tapping so much as the need for constant awareness of the carbonation and fitness of the beer in the cask during its time in the cellar. It is the attention that has to be devoted to cask beer, a rapidly perishable liquid, that is energy-sapping.

“A publican’s day is full of diversions and interruptions and so the need to be on top

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of cask ale can be a task too far for those who are not natural beer nuts like me.”

So what exactly can be done to make sure that your pub’s cask offerings are in tip-top condition? Obviously, serving the beer at its correct temperature and regularly cleaning the lines are two musts.

Staff training is also essential, not just with the actual nuts and bolts of cellar management, but also with beer styles.

Drinkers have a lot more knowledge these days and bar staff need to be able to answer questions with confidence.

Licensees also need to think about what beers to put on the bar-top and realise that it might be judicious sometimes to pick keg over cask.

According to West Berkshire Brewery boss Simon Lewis: “When it comes to selecting beers for your pub, there is one major priority: quality. There is no point offering a vast array of adventurous cask ales unless you have the facilities and expertise to serve them at their very best.

“It is better to offer a smaller, well-edited selection of fine beers you can serve at premium quality and give your customers the sort of excellent experience that will bring

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23/08/2017 13:09

Keeping cask ale properly requires some space in the cellar

them back to your pub in the future. The aim should be to provide a varied choice that will offer something for everyone.

“Keg offers ease of serve, an option to buy smaller quantities and tends to be the format of choice for the newer, edgier craft beers. For pubs and bars with limited throughput, keg may be a more practical choice than cask.”

Room for both?

On the other hand, Pete Tiley, at the multi-award-winning Salutation Inn in Ham, Gloucestershire, doesn’t see why cask and keg cannot sit alongside each other in perfect harmony at the bar.

“While I love craft keg I am always disappointed when I walk into a specialist beer bar and they don’t have any representation of our national drink.

“Cask is a brilliant way to serve beer, so I’m always quite sad when I don’t see it in beer bars.

“I suppose the only time for me when it makes sense to focus on craft keg rather than cask is if the licensee wants to showcase a huge range of beers from a large number of beer lines and is worried about selling them fast enough.”

There’s still plenty of life in cask yet, but sometimes keg can give the beer-loving licensee a helping hand.

Tips from the top

Tom Cadden, operations manager, Craft Beer Co “I would say you should only have cask ale on the bar if you have a cellar suitable for it. If you have minimal space, then you won’t have the room needed to cellar cask ale properly, so you shouldn’t.

“But if you can serve cask ale, then you should, as when cask ale is right, it’s the most beautiful display of beer you can get anywhere in the world.”

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trade.inapub.co.uk 23/08/2017 13:09

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Delivering quality with the

perfect pint

If you think about it, the only reason for even ordering a second beer is the quality of the first.

So while pouring a pint isn’t hard, with just a tiny bit more effort you’ll be able to pour the perfect one - resulting in happier customers, less wastage and more money in the till. We went with HEINEKEN to The Rectory in Birmingham to find out how it’s done.

How to pour the perfect pint Use a clean branded glass

Hold the glass at the base and at a 45 degree angle.

Open the tap and allow the beer to pour down the inside of the glass Straighten the glass slowly as it fills and close the tap as you approach the top.

If you have a Pourtal Tap, gently push the tap forward to fill the glass to the brim with foam

Better pints, happier customers Given that 90% of consumers view beer quality as very important when selecting a venue*, you can see why The Rectory’s Senior Bar Manager, Paul Barr, has placed a huge emphasis on delivering perfect pints every time.

The pub has also adopted the HEINEKEN Perfect Pour method, from the right angle to pour, to skimming the beer with a wet beer skimmer to seal the head if pouring a pint of Heineken.

Paul explains: “Serving high quality beer enhances our customers’ enjoyment and therefore our sales.”

Smart support As well as presenting quality beer to improve business, The Rectory also invested in HEINEKEN’s unique quality draught beer dispense system, SmartDispense. The revolutionary cellar dispense technology from HEINEKEN improves the quality not only through consistently cold in-glass

If pouring a Heineken, start skimming the minute the beer overflows – use a wet skimmer held at a 45 degree angle Serve with the logo facing forward towards your customer The perfect pint should consist of 95 per cent liquid and five per cent foam

To find out more about the support HEINEKEN has to offer, visit www.online.heineken.co.uk or call 0344 556 0109. For more details about SmartDispense visit smartdispense.heineken.co.uk

p26 heineken adv alt v.indd 29

temperatures without the need for cellar cooling, but also gives consistent draught beer and cider with the aid of HEINEKEN technician support, in turn helping to boost business.

“We’ve developed a really great relationship with HEINEKEN and have had lots of support whenever we’ve needed it,” Paul says. “This area of Birmingham is changing and it’s getting more and more competitive.

HEINEKEN helps us stay ahead of the competition ensuring we deliver a great quality pint every time.” says Paul. *Source: Cask Marque Beer Quality Survey Report 2016

XXXXX 2016 23/08/2017 13:22

Photo taken by co-founder Charles.

The hills of Madagascar: source of our hand-pollinated vanilla.

WOULD YOU MIX A HANDCRAFTED, BARREL-AGED WHISKY WITH A REGULAR COLA? NEITHER WOULD WE. Premium whiskies, rums and brandies deser ve a mixer that enhances their complex flavours. So we set about creating one: the first cola designed for mixing with dark spirits, made from a rich blend of kola nut, exotic spices, citrus and vanilla. It was a journey that led to our founders Charles and Tim travelling to some of the most remote regions in the world, sourcing extraordinar y ingredients, such as the vanilla they found in Madagascar.

These vanilla plants flower just once a year and must be hand-pollinated by highly skilled farmers. If this doesn’t happen the day the flowers open, it won’t happen for another year. Whoever said ‘you can’t rush greatness’ had obviously never worked with vanilla. It’s thanks to the vanilla farmers’ tenacity that our cola has such a rich, round flavour that is perfectly balanced with the blend of 20 different spices needed to create this unrivalled mixer.

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23/08/2017 13:24

Christmas Cosmo

Cocktails for Christmas If London’s Selfridges department store can open its Christmas shop on July 31, then we offer no apology for turning your attention to your festive drinks range even before the leaves have turned. We’ve eschewed the usual mulled recipes here to try to inspire you to offer something a little more unique.

2

Deck the halls with winning Christmassy drinks by taking old favourites and adding an extra seasonal ingredient, such as this twist on the Cosmopolitan. Here, we’ve spiked it with ginger, to give it some winter warmth, but other options include pomegranate (swap straight cranberry juice for a pomegranate-cranberry blend) or swap the ginger wine for fizzy wine. vodka •25ml 25ml wine •50ml ginger cranberry juice •Slices of stem ginger •

No, it’s not quite Harry Potter (that was Butter Beer) but this will nonetheless add some magic to your drinks this season. slice •Small of unsalted

Glass: Martini Method: Ask Father Christmas to put a nice-looking cocktail mixing jug in your stocking this Christmas. Fill it with ice, pour over all the ingredients and stir. Strain into a Martini glass and add a few slices of stem ginger for garnish.

Faff factor: ✭✭

Inapub verdict: This is so simple to make, even elves could manage it. It gets extra points because it can be easily scaled up and made in advance for those super busy nights.

Boom, put it there Santa.

butter 2tsp brown sugar Pinch of ground cinnamon Grated nutmeg to taste 50ml rum 50ml boiling water

• • • • •

Glass: Coffee mug or a sturdy dimpled pint glass with a handle Method: Choose a sturdy vessel for this as, not only is the water hot, there is also some vigorous mixing of the butter, sugar and spices in the first step. Once they have combined into a kind of batter, pour in the rum and hot water and stir. Serve with Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans and Hagrid’s Stoat Sandwiches.

Faff factor: ✭✭✭

Negroni Sbagliato

Christmas Cosmo

Buttered Rum

Buttered Rum

Christmas Cosmo

Ultimate Whisky & Cola

1

Inapub verdict: Warming, creamy and delicious, what’s not to like? Just a word of warning though: this is not a cocktail for white rum; rather, use a nice spiced or dark one, which will be just the ticket for the Hogwarts Express.

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23/08/2017 13:29

Negroni Sbagliato

Glass: Rocks

Buttered Rum

5

No alcohol French 75

Ultimate Whisky & Cola

The French 75 is a winning combination of gin, lemon juice and Champagne but this Christmas you can make this version to help all those designated drivers/teetotallers/ pregnant women/need-a-night-off folk out there feel a bit more special.

• • • •

Juice of 3 lemons 1tsp caster sugar Orange bitters (optional) Tonic water

32

SEPTEMBER 2017

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Inapub verdict: We quite often bang on about the importance of using decent ingredients to make decent drinks, something which this recipe proves.

Method: Fill the glass with ice and add the ingredients, finishing with the Prosecco.

Give it a gentle stir and garnish with a slice of orange or a length of peel, depending on how fancy you are feeling.

Faff factor: ✭ Inapub verdict: The Negroni continues to be a popular cocktail but there’s no doubt it’s too strong for some, which makes this version the perfect alternative. We’ve suggested you serve it over ice here but there’s no reason you couldn’t serve it in a Champagne flute for extra pizazz.

French 75 Ultimate Whisky & Cola

Christmas Cosmo

Red vermouth •25ml 25ml Campari •25ml Prosecco •Slice of orange to garnish •

Method: Fill the glass with ice and pour over the whisky.

Top with Fever-Tree Madagascan Cola, garnish with the lime wedge and serve.

Faff factor: ✭

Negroni Sbagliato Buttered Rum

A what?! Well you might ask, but it translates from Italian as a “wrong” or “mistaken” Negroni, for this is made by swapping the gin of a Negroni out for Prosecco. We think that makes it perfectly right, however and not wrong at all.

Glass: Highball

French 75

4

Haig Club •150ml Clubman Whisky Madagascan •Fever-Tree Cola •Lime wedge to garnish

Christmas Cosmo

Ultimate Whisky & Cola

In this drink the inclusion of a premium cola from Fever-Tree, which has been especially blended to enhance the complex flavours of premium whiskies, rums and Bourbons, takes the humble whisky & cola to a whole other level.

Negroni Sbagliato

Ultimate Whisky & Cola

French 75

Buttered Rum

3

Glass: Champagne flute Method: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the lemon juice, sugar and bitters if using. Give it a jolly good shake and then strain into the glass. Top up with the tonic water and voila! Serve with your best French accent.

Faff factor: ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭

Inapub verdict: Quite high on the faff factor this one, due to the juicing of lemons and need for a cocktail shaker but we feel it’s worth it because these days it’s important to keep the non-drinkers happy as well as the party animals.

trade.inapub.co.uk 23/08/2017 13:28

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

CHIPS WITH CARE AND CRAFT With third generation growers out in the fields looking after the McCain Foods potato crop, and more than 50 years’ experience of making chips in Britain, McCain has the expertise to know what’s required to craft a truly great chip that your customers will love

New and improved gluten free Menu Signatures Staycrisp Gourmet Chunky Chips and Traditional Thick Cut Chips, are carefully crafted from very best of the British potato crop and made with the unique recipe McCain StaycrispTM coating for the freshest, crispiest chips in foodservice.

Catherine Rigg, McCain Foods Senior Product Manager, explains: “Care and craft are at the heart of what we do, and that stands out on the plate. We wanted to ensure that the new and improved chips were the freshest and crispiest available, so we have carefully monitored every stage of production from the moment the potato seeds are planted, right until the chips reach the plate.

“The new chips stay hotter and crispier for longer, and are not only better looking they are better tasting, but we don’t leave anything to chance so we invited the experts, our customers, to see what makes them so special and to deliver their professional verdict.”

“They’re a nice straight chip, BRILLIANTLY CRISPY. before our customers even taste the food, their mouths are watering” p33 mccain adv.indd 33

Lee Byers, Food Operations Manager at The McManus Pub Company, says: “McCain invited me to visit one of their farms to see how they grow longer, better tasting potatoes with the perfect consistency to craft the very best chips. I went in thinking it was going to be like all of the other farm visits I’ve been on but it was a real eye opener. The technology they use paired with the care and attention they give to their crops produces amazing results and you can see and taste that in the final product.

“In the short time we’ve been using the new and improved McCain Staycrisp Gourmet Chunky and

Traditional Thick Chips, they have completely transformed the menu in our pubs. They’re a nice straight chip with no defects, slivers or crumbing, consistent in length and colour and are brilliantly crispy. Before our customers even taste the food their mouths are watering and they are getting the best possible experience of the dish.”

0800 146 573 @McCainFoods_B2B foodservice@mccain.co.uk www.mccainfoodservice.co.uk

23/08/2017 13:34

eat It’s been an eventful few months on the Inapub production desk. A game of editorial musical chairs has landed me back on this page in the caretaker manager role — nice to see you again, glad you’re still reading. And the pub at the end of my road, scene of many a post-press day pint, has been razed to a pile of rubble.

Along with the 300-year-old building, the wrecking ball also took out the pub’s seafood shack. No more cockles and mussels for the drinkers of this neighbourhood.

Tradition’s loss is Dixy Fried Chicken’s gain.

It feels like another nail in the coffin of time-honoured British pub culture. Tubs of molluscs, prawns and crabsticks were once the pub-goer’s salty snack of choice, long before the kebab muscled its way into our Friday nights. A few years back, though, the papers ran a story on “Britain’s last cockle seller”. While this moniker may not have been strictly accurate, most Brits these days would certainly be

Punters want waiting on The boundaries between pubs and restaurants have become so blurred that 70 per cent of people now expect table service for dinner at a pub.

However, most people still expect to walk to the bar when ordering breakfast (only 23 per cent expect table service) and lunch (43 per cent). The survey of 1,500 people, by hospitality tech firm Ordamo, also found that customers’ biggest gripes include being ignored by staff (90 per cent) and waiting for the bill (70 per cent).

Nearly half (45 per cent) said they would like to be able to use a tablet or app to order food if in a Wetherspoon’s pub.

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with BEN THRUSH hard-pushed to tell you what a whelk tastes like.

But is this a cuisine due for a revival? Britain’s culinary curiosity has reawakened in recent years, along with a strong current of nostalgia as our nation seeks to define its identity in a rapidly changing world. Witness the rehabilitation of hitherto derided snacks such as the scotch egg and the pork scratching, now promoted to gourmet status with the chefs who create the best examples lauded as artisans. More than ever, people are looking for “authentic” experiences from their leisure time, and a white-hatted seafood seller would surely signal to punters that they are in a “proper pub”.

Add to that increasing public awareness of environmental concerns, and the fact that shellfish are some of the most sutainably harvested seafood available.

With the right presentation and promotion, conditions seem perfectly set for the return of the winkle.

Lamb courts the younger generation Love lamb? Now’s the time to show it ,with farmers urging more pubs to put it back on the menu (see opposite for some inspiration).

According to the Love Lamb campaign, sales have dipped in recent years with the over-55’s making up the majority of those who eat lamb.

Chef Chris Wheeler, who is backing the campaign, said: “Lamb is one of the tastiest and flavoursome sources of protein and iron.

“It can be cooked in a variety of ways, adding a British touch to a Middle Eastern dish, starring as a tasty burger or bringing balance to a spicy curry. It’s much more than a Sunday roast or an Easter treat.

Lamb can be part of the menu any day of the week.”

Love Lamb Week runs from September 1 to 7.

For more information visit simplybeefandlamb.co.uk

23/08/2017 14:50

MOROCCAN BRAISED LAMB SHOULDER Lawrence Samoila, The Three Crowns, Askett, Buckinghamshire

Lamb Baby aubergine

Yoghurt

“I always try to use local and seasonal produce.

This is from Lacey’s Farm.

I also work with suppliers such as Chiltern Ice Cream for our desserts.”

“As well as the aubergine you can see on the plate we also use it in our home-made baba ganoush. We grill the aubergines first, before draining and blending with garlic, tahini and a spoonful of yoghurt.”

“We use Chiltern Farm lamb. It is braised for 16 hours with spices, cinnamon, dates, apricots, turmeric and tomato sauce. We reduce the fat and then serve it like a terrine.”

Hummus

“I make this myself with 400g of chickpeas, garlic, tahini and lime.”

Couscous Apricots

“These are seasonal English apricots cooked for five minutes.”

p34-35 eat intro.indd 35

“The lamb is served on a bed of couscous and there is a trick to getting it right because you don’t want too much water. For every cup of couscous, I use two cups of water.”

23/08/2017 14:50

Secrets of the

Sunday roast

“

Never top up your batter tray, because your Yorkshire puddings won’t rise as well

36

Although the doom-mongers like to tell us that we’ve become a nation of grazers and our meatand-two-veg should be pensioned off, the classic Sunday lunch is still a pub-goers’ favourite.

Let’s be honest, though, it’s easy to be disappointed by a slice of leather-like beef, a dollop of wobbly gravy or a roast spud hard enough to be used in a game of pétanque.

While chefs usually like to protect their advantages, in the spirit of co-operation we persuaded some of the pub trade’s finest to part with a few secrets to serving a perfect roast dinner.

Meat

Johnny Joseph Queen’s Head, Kingston, and Fuller’s Chef of the Year “Ideally, you start by sourcing the best produce, from farmers rearing quality cattle. It all begins there.

For roast beef, my preferred cut is sirloin, cooked nice and pink.

“We roast ours overnight in a controlled oven at 52°C. It goes in at 10pm on Saturday and comes out at about 7.30am

on Sunday, and it’s perfect, rare and rested.

We carve to order, because it keeps all the juices in and so the meat stays fresher for longer, it’s not going to dry out. We hold it in a bottom oven at a low temperature, keeping the joint moist and warm, so we’re ready to just slice and serve.”

Yorkshire puddings

Michael Ibbotson The Durham Ox, Crayke, North Yorkshire “Take any measuring receptacle. I use a mug and use equal measures of eggs, flour and milk — basically a mug of each, which for my pudding tin makes 12 Yorkshires.

“My top tip here is to add a pinch of salt and use a splash of cold water. I use semi skimmed milk, because full fat is a bit too doughy, or half water and milk. Have the tin smoking hot. I use goose fat, usually left over from Christmas which will do me most of the year, or you can use vegetable oil.

Never use olive oil, as it burns at too low a temperature and you get a nasty taste.

“You need a swift pour into the hot fat.

Although it’s tempting if you have any batter left, never top up once you’ve filled the tray, because they won’t rise as well. Finally, avoid curiosity. Do not open the oven and let the heat out!”

SEPTEMBER 2017

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Gravy

“

We cook our beef or lamb on a trivet of root vegetables and use the fat and the vegetables to make a roux for the gravy

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Leroy Allen Executive chef at the Moleface Pub Company “For a classic Sunday gravy, the night before we make a chicken and beef bone stock, and we leave that on overnight, simmering away.

On Sunday morning we start to reduce the stock by about a half, then we cook our beef or lamb on a trivet of root vegetables.

“Once the meat has finished cooking, we use the fat, as well as the roast vegetables, to make a roux by adding flour. We’ll gradually take the roux down to a sauce, using the meat stock.

Once that’s done we add red wine, a bit of tomato paste, redcurrant jelly and some herbs. We then use the vegetable water to flavour the gravy and give it that traditional Sunday roast taste. We make sure it’s nice and smooth, and finish it with a splash of Worcestershire sauce.”

Roast potatoes

Ashley McCarthy Ye Old Sun Inn, Colston, North Yorkshire “Ideally, use King Edward potatoes or, if not, then Maris Piper. Get the roasting tray nice and hot with either oil or dripping — confit oil is good, too — and seal off the raw potatoes on the top of the stove.

“Add cracked black pepper, sea salt, garlic cloves and some fresh rosemary or sage from the garden. Pop the tray into the oven, and when the potatoes are soft, pour the oil or fat off and return them to the oven to crisp up. Serve them as soon as they’re ready.”

Food safety at your fingertips The pressure on pubs to deliver highquality services whilst cutting operating costs is forcing managers to identify areas that can be streamlined to improve profitability.

Activities that fall into this category include daily food safety and hygiene tasks. Completing regulatory checks manually several times a day, then filling in and storing large volumes of paperwork can take up hours of staff time.

Cloud-based food safety management systems such as Checkit remove the pen-and-paper burden of daily checks, optimising compliance whilst enabling staff to spend more time on their core tasks, such as serving more customers.

The Checkit solution features a mobile handset, the Memo, which comes pre-programmed with all tasks required by the Food Standards Agency and can be tailored to include additional checks to suit each pub.

The handset alerts staff when a check is due, providing instructions on how to perform the task. Once completed, the results are automatically time-stamped and transferred to a cloud-based control centre where the records can be remotely accessed by managers.

If a check is missed or the results fall outside the pre-approved parameters, managers are instantly alerted and can take steps to correct the issue before customers, staff or stock are at risk.

Contact us to learn more: www.checkit.net or 01223 941450

23/08/2017 14:57

For your fries only Chips with everything?

It seems so, from the classic chunky pub chip to hipster-friendly spiced twisty fries, and all styles in between, chips remains the side serving of choice with millions of pub meals served every day.

McManus Filthy Fries

Mucky Pig

Chips tossed in Cajun spices and topped with smoked bacon bits & Applewood cheddar

Get Pickled

Chips tossed in Cajun spices and topped with pickled cabbage, chipotle relish, sour crea m, melted Applewood cheddar, pickled onions & gherkin s

Dirty Cop Out

Chips coated in Cajun spices and smothered with three bean chilli, guacamole & sour cream. p38-39 chips.indd 38

The Pub Food Report published by analyst Mintel in June this year found that three of the top four pub dishes in terms of customer popularity are chip-friendly serves — steak, fried fish and burgers. The exception is the classic roast dinner, which of course comes with roasties — and there’s more on that elsewhere in this issue (pages 36-37).

Pimp your potatoes

It’s this very popularity of chips that also throws down a challenge for pubs.

Potatoes haven’t been immune from inflation over the past year, meaning pubs are typically paying five per cent or more for chips than in 2016. So pubs need to extract extra value from a dish customers don’t always see as the most exciting thing on the plate.

Introducing “posh” chips is one way to do this. “Consumers will happily pay a supplement to upgrade their side orders allowing operators to gain greater profit margin,” says Nic Townsend, UK & Ireland marketing manager for Farm Frites. “They perceive chunky, gastro-style chips to be more premium than standard fries. They are aware of the phrase ‘triple-cooked’ when it comes to chips and perceive a hand-cut-style chip to be a posher alternative to the norm.”

Pimping your chips is definitely one way to add interest. Just as the street food scene has moved macaroni cheese to the centre of the plate simply by chucking in a few bits of bacon and other leftovers, the same thing is now happening with chips, according to Jo Holborn, market and category controller for chip specialist McCain Foods.

She says: “Topped fries, a trend that initially crossed over from US casual dining menus to the UK street food scene, are a big hit with consumers, and we expect them to become even more popular as more and more operators wake up to the opportunity.

“Consumers love them and they can

trade.inapub.co.uk 23/08/2017 15:09

eat.

make a big impact on the menu, and the bottom line, with very little additional outlay or operational requirement.”

One operator embracing the trend is McManus Pub Company. Lee Byers, food operations manager, has introduced a topped chips offer called Filthy Fries, which has generated an additional £13,000 in weekend sales across the estate since its launch. “It brings something else to the menu and gives us a whole new revenue stream,” he says. “We can grab an audience we might not have got before. For example, at The Thomas A’ Becket in Northampton, which is a wet-led rugby pub, we can now increase spend per head by selling food to those guys.”

Chip facts The average Brit eats 150g of takeaway food every week, according to the official National Food Survey, of which 33g is accounted for by chips. A simple takeaway menu can be a useful driver of extra sales.

Charles Dickens gave us one of the earliest literary mentions of chips in A Tale of Two Cities, in which between bouts of misery and unlikely coincidence, the characters enjoy “husky chips of potatoes”.

Chilli on chips

The French and Belgians both like to claim that they invented the chip; US President Thomas Jefferson enjoyed “potatoes served in the French manner” at a White House dinner in 1802, but the Belgians will tell you a French chef was just claiming the credit.

Topped chips: an American import providing bang for buck over here

Using McCain Original Choice Thick Cut Chips as the base, Lee and his team continue to experiment with the offer. “For me, the ultimate topping is chilli con carne, but you can just see what works well, listen to customer feedback and then keep tweaking it. For example, we’re looking to introduce something a bit meatier so are developing something with pulled pork.”

Whether your chips are topped, spiced or twisted, highlighting the choice will encourage customers to pay that little bit extra for a premium experience.

• • • •

Encourage staff to offer chips as a bar snack when customers are ordering drinks Ask customers if they would like to upgrade their chips Use menu cards and posters to promote the premium chips menu Post pictures of your fancy chips on social media, and encourage customers to do the same by displaying your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram handles and hashtags prominently.

SEPTEMBER 2017 p38-39 chips.indd 39

39

23/08/2017 15:09

The biggest games, at the best prices Be There

© British Telecommunications plc 2017. * The BT Sport Total pack contains all BT’s top level content including Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League while Sky Sports top pack contains content exclusive to Sky including 126 Premier League games, live games from the Football League and Carabao Cup. Fixture information is correct at time of going to print but is subject to change. Claim based on BT’s live games featuring these clubs in September, October and November in the Premier League, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League and Sky’s content in the same time period Premier League and Carabao Cup. Full terms apply.

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23/08/2017 15:13

play with MATT ELEY Not all pubs can go as far as installing a £12,000 pirate ship (see below), but if you bill yourself as family-friendly, you have got to offer something for the kids.

There are still too many pubs that say children are welcome and then treat them like adults. That attitude was generally OK in the 1970s, when kids were either not welcome in a pub or were expected to just sit still and shut up.

Being family-friendly doesn’t just mean letting adults bring children in, it means ensuring everyone feels welcome so they can have a good time.

Kids have different needs from adults — sitting at the bar with a bag of peanuts and a pint of Weasel Stretcher just isn’t going to cut it with most five-year-olds. They need entertainment of some sort: it can be as simple as a colouring pad and a box of crayons. Trust me, speaking as a dad, when you see a member of staff walking to your table with said items in hand when you are trying your best to stop toddlers climbing the walls, they look like an angel sent from above.

If the kids are happy, the parents will be too, and that is better for all concerned.

Everything’s ship-shape in the Boat Pub’s play area How about this for an addition to a pub’s back garden?

This £12,000 pirate ship play area is now permanently moored in the garden at Jackson’s Boat Pub in Sale, Greater Manchester.

The ship, installed and manufactured by family firm Creative Play, further cements the links the pub has built with local football team Brooklands Dragons Junior.

For not only were players from the under-12s among the first to step aboard the ship, but the pub also gives the club free use of its adjoining playing field.

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Pub manager Dionne Blackshaw said: “The pirate boat is really lovely, we are delighted with it and the new play area has really been the icing on the cake for the refurbishment.

“It provides a fantastic, safe place for children to play while their parents can sit outside enjoying a drink and food. We have also restored our nearby football pitch, bringing it back to its former glory and have agreed the Brooklands Dragons, a terrific local community football team, can use it.”

trade.inapub.co.uk 23/08/2017 15:38

International Day of Charity

According to PubAid, pubs raise £100m for good causes every year, so for most pubs every day is a charity day.

This is the official one, though.

Tuesday, September 5

Let me entertain you James Andrews, The Griffin, Rugby, Warwickshire

Champions League

Happening this month

Europe’s premier cup competition returns and there is plenty of British interest this time. Can anyone knock Real Madrid off their perch?

September 12 and 13, BT Sport

Chelsea v Manchester City

Two of the favourites battle it out at the Bridge in a clash between two sides with eyes on the Premier League trophy.

Saturday, September 30, BT Sport

American Football in London

The NFL returns to our capital, bringing with it a slice of American razzmatazz. Now’s the time to focus on bringing American Football fans in.

Sunday, September 24, Sky Sports

Manchester City v Liverpool

The transfer window is closed, so now it is time to focus on which clubs are going to be Premier League contenders. These two will fancy their chances.

Saturday, September 9, 12.30pm, Sky Sports

Singapore Grand Prix

An enthralling season continues with Mercedes trying to chase down those Ferraris.

Sunday, September 17, C4, Sky Sports

The Griffin has cause to celebrate after the completion of a £346,000 refurb carried out with landlord Punch. As well as a kitchen extension and upgraded beer garden, it has also refreshed its sports room area, which offers live TV sport, as well as pool and darts.

Licensee James Andrews, who is another new addition to the pub, says he now wants to ensure entertainment is at the heart of the pub’s offer.

He says: “Sport is great for us and we also want to do different types of night.

We have talked to our customers and that is what they want from the pub.

“We have got a psychic night and we will also be having live singing on Friday and Saturday nights.”

The pub also brings them in with karaoke and open mic nights.

James adds: “It’s about keeping customers entertained and ensuring the pub always has something to offer. I’m looking forward to getting to know customers old and new and supporting local groups and causes with our fundraising efforts.”

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23/08/2017 15:39

7 garden varieties

by MATT ELEY

7

Is your garden a haven full of customers — or is it just a place where you dump empty kegs and kitchen waste? If it’s the latter you may want to seriously reconsider the use of the space, however small, because having a garden is right up there when it comes to what customers want from pubs.

A YouGov Omnibus survey revealed that it is one of the top five things that customers would like to see at their ideal pub. It was only beaten by ‘meals being served’. The other factors to feature were: a fireplace, staff who know the names of regulars and snacks. So how do you make that garden of yours stand out from the crowd? Here are a few creative ways that other pubs are using their gardens that could inspire you.

1

Turn it into a football pitch…

2

…or a crazy golf course

3

Something a little more theatrical

The Butterbowl in Leeds attracts a host of sports teams to use the custom built five-a-side pitch in the back garden.

Landlords at the NewRiver pub Rick and Bev Firth invested £12,000 on a facility that is used by 120 children every week for football and rugby league. “It’s free to use, and we now want to encourage more local clubs and teams to come and use it,” said Rick. While the kids play outside the parents have a pub to enjoy.

Last spring The Duke of Edinburgh in London’s Brixton used its massive garden space for a nine-hole crazy golf course. It was homed in a marquee that was originally put up for the Rugby World Cup and then came down when the summer arrived.

Sport not your thing? How about using your outdoor area as a performance space?

London operator Fuller’s has had huge success by with its “Shakespeare in the Garden” tours. This year was its biggest yet, with The Comedy of Errors being performed in 30 different pubs. Jonathan Swaine, managing director of Fuller’s Inns, says: “Watching Shakespeare in such an informal environment is as it was originally intended

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23/08/2017 15:50

play.

3

1

5 – it is the perfect marriage of pub culture and Britain’s finest playwright. Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast.”

4

Take on the Odeon

Outdoor cinema screenings are growing in popularity over the summer months. At The Castle in Edgehill, where you will find BII Licensee of the Year Mark Higgs, you could also recently find a showing of the classic Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Outdoor movies were also part of the new garden project at the award-winning freehouse The Bull in Ditchling, East Sussex.

5

Farmyard animals

Not a million miles from The Bull you can visit The Kings Arms in the village of Rotherfield. The garden is the pub’s gem and hosts everything from boules matches through to weddings and a music festival. There’s no doubt who the children go to see though – it’s the pigs and chickens that call the pub home. Whether you choose to keep your animals outside or move them to the menu is of course entirely up to you…

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6

Miniature railway

7

Give a little back

The Fenn Bell Inn hit the headlines this year by becoming the first pub in the country to get a zoo licence. As well as a host of exotic animals in the garden, it has a miniature railway. The pub’s website says: “On your trip you will pass by the duck pond, through a tunnel between the monkeys and parrots, past the platinum foxes, raccoons, coatis, pigs and many others.” Now there’s a claim not many pubs can make.

You could always share what you have with your locals. The Queen’s Arms in Breage, Cornwall, rents its spare land out as allotments for a nominal £1 a year – on the proviso that 10 per cent of what its grown makes its way to the pub. The pub also runs a farmers’ market. Licensee Jodie Phillips says: “We wanted to do something like this for the community, so the monthly farmers’ market gives local farmers, artists and craft suppliers another sales outlet as well as an enjoyable afternoon out for visitors, while our allotment plots feel like a great way to do something for our local residents.”

SEPTEMBER 2017 45 23/08/2017 15:51

INAPUB WITH BRIAN O'DRISCOLL

by MATT ELEY

Whether it was with Ireland, Leinster or the Lions, Brian O’Driscoll was simply one of the greatest rugby union players to ever take the field. Now an analyst with BT Sport, he gave Inapub his views on the season ahead and where he thinks the best pubs in the world can be found. We wonder what he says...

For a fleeting moment, when interviewing rugby union legend Brian O’Driscoll,Inapub gets a sense of what it might have been like to line up against the fearless outside centre.

Sometimes you know the answer to a question before you put it to your interviewee, but you are looking more for the reaction than the

46 SEPTEMBER 2017

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answer. This was the case when we innocently asked “So, Brian, where are the best pubs? England or Ireland?”

What followed was a lengthy pause combined with a stare so hard it would have made many journalists drop the ball and sprint off looking for cover.

“Undoubtedly. Undoubtedly, Ireland,” he confirms, before swerving into the easy charm that has made him a hit as a TV analyst with BT Sport.

“I’ve had a couple of good nights out in England but you have your favourites and you go back to the same ones. I like good ’80s music and a good mixed crowd.

Nothing pretentious and a good pint of Guinness — what’s not to like about that?”

Though the chances of you finding O’Driscoll in a pub these days are slim. He admits that commitments as a father and with BT Sport mean he is more likely to analyse games at home.

Getting together for the game

Ironically, you would have been more likely to have seen him there when he was still playing the game; not that he would have been overindulging at the bar.

“I have never let what I do curtail what I wanted to do socially,” he says. “I think you have to play smart. I have been out lots of times in my career and not been drinking and have driven home. It’s the only way you are only going to see your mates.

“Sport in pubs is great, it brings people together. My friends’ lives are very busy, so you have to make the time to hang out

trade.inapub.co.uk 23/08/2017 16:15

RUGBY TO WATCH OUTplay.

FOR THIS SEASON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 Aviva Premiership starts OCTOBER European Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup, group stage, begins NOVEMBER Autumn Internationals FEBRUARY Six Nations starts

“

I’ve had some good nights out in England but you have your favourites... good ’80s music, a good mixed crowd and a good pint of Guinness, what’s not to like about that?

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together and having just one or two pints in a pub is a nice way of doing that.”

For those not in the know, O’Driscoll is one of those rare sportsmen who is deserving of the “iconic” status that is bestowed upon people far too easily these days.

He captained Ireland for the best part of a decade, making 141 appearances for his home nation and the Lions in the process. His 47 international tries make him the highest-scoring Irish player and the highest-scoring centre of all time. He won three Heineken Cups and played in four World Cups. Quite simply, he would feature in the all-time teams of most people who know anything about the game. So, when he speaks, it’s worth listening.

Saracens’ season?

It should be a highly competitive season ahead, with O’Driscoll believing that just like we have seen in the round-ball equivalent, it is getting more difficult for teams to dominate both at home and in Europe.

“I think it is really tough to fight on both fronts,” he says. “It’s very hard mentally to switch on again, because human instinct is to feel satisfaction with winning something. More often than not the difference is that appetite.

“Having said that, Sarries (Saracens) did the double the season before. There’s nothing in it really, which is the way you want it. You want those cracking games and you do want [Aviva Premiership champions] Exeter getting through to the final and not having Sarries being a dominant force across all fronts, unless you are a Sarries fan.”

Yet it is still Saracens who O’Driscoll expects to be the team to beat this season.

“With the likes of Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje, Jamie George, and Mako and Billy Vunipola you have got a brilliant core of leaders there and they could be a dominant force for a good few years,” he says.

He adds that Newcastle have impressed him with transfers and could push for Europe, Leicester too are looking stronger but that Saracens will still be the team to beat.

Either at home or in Europe, following the success of the Lions and England, interest in rugby this season should be as firm as an O’Driscoll tackle.

BT Sport is the only place to watch rugby from the Aviva Premiership, European Champions Cup and Challenge Cup where the best teams from domestic and European rugby go head to head.

For more information visit http://sport.bt.com/rugby

SEPTEMBER 2017 47 23/08/2017 16:16

Striking a chord

by MATT ELEY

Nick Dagger Photography

Conventional wisdom suggests that to be successful these days food will generally be part of any plans to revitalise a pub’s offer. But in true rock ‘n’ roll style, convention doesn’t really come into it as far as Ye Olde John O’Gaunt is concerned.

The Lancaster pub has had a long-term reputation as a leading music venue, but when new owner Alan Ackers took it on a couple of years back and announced a major refurbishment it was assumed the kitchen would come into play.

Instead Alan, who runs six pubs in the North West with his Halmer Inns multiple operation, opted to turn the live music association up to 11.

He explains: “We knew we had a good pub but we wanted to take it to the next level. I didn’t want to open up the kitchen and put food on because for me the mix of food and live music is not a good one.

“Food can be great but it can also create extra costs, such as chefs. Also, it isn’t easy to have people sitting down for food while live bands are performing.

“So I decided that we would fully commit to the music.”

He took the bold move to go 100 per

cent wet and 100 per cent live music when it came to entertainment. And he hasn’t looked back.

In a joint investment with landlord Punch, around £250,000 was spent to revitalise the pub. It was a delicate operation with Alan and the team keen to maintain the traditional feel at the Grade II-listed building.

Photos of musicians adorning the walls help tell the story, as does an artefact in the gents — part of a barstool that was favoured by legendary actor and drinker Oliver Reed.

Topping the bill

With history preserved, Alan and the team pushed the live music offer forward by putting on live acts seven nights a week, including two open mic sessions.

Ensuring the acts are what a knowledgeable and music-loving audience wants is the responsibility of general manager Claire Tomlinson.

“We are lucky in Lancaster in that there is so much talent around so it isn’t difficult to find acts,” she says. “We get loads of bands coming to the area for the Lancaster Music Festival and we have built up a reputation so that people are keen to play here.

“If there is a band that we know has a bit of a following or maybe are popular with the student crowd then we will give them a try, usually midweek.

“Also we have the open mic nights and occasionally you will see someone who you

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23/08/2017 16:45

Ye Olde John O’Gaunt Lancaster Style: Music and wetled pub

Where: Near Lancaster station

Staff: Seven Best sellers: Cask, whisky

“

We knew we had a good pub but we wanted to take it to the next level.

I didn’t want to open up the kitchen and put food on because for me the mix of food and live music is not a good one

want to book there and then.”

All acts are paid, generally somewhere between £50 and £160, depending on the length of performance, the make-up of the act and its popularity.

Keeping it fresh

A variety of styles are catered for, such as jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, soul and rockabilly. The small size of the bar means heavy metal tends not to get a look in.

Claire is also wary of giving regulars “too much of a good thing”, so looks to keep the line-up fresh.

“We have some acts who have been like house bands and have played three or four times a month, but generally we don’t want to have the same acts all the time.”

The approach has worked as has the friendly atmosphere at the pub, with acts from places as far-flung such as San Francisco getting in contact to request to

perform at the John O’Gaunt.

This reputation has been built up over years and is one that Claire was familiar with before she became the GM. “I was a customer before I worked here. It is such a special place and has an amazing atmosphere. Many of the staff are musicians as well. If they are not musicians, they love music — if they don’t they are in the wrong place really.”

This passion attracts music fans from far and wide. And even when the live music isn’t on, this crowd still uses the pub.

Alan adds that this is encouraged by the pub’s cask offer: “Cask and music are a good combination and we have eight different casks a week on rotation. It is popular with the student crowd as well. We also do a lot of malt whiskies.”

Not unlike the bands that perform at the pub, it is all about a blend of things that the audience wants to enjoy.

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23/08/2017 16:45

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23/08/2017 16:48

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23/08/2017 15:08 16:48 17/08/2017

back-bar business

Waste not, want not Shaun Underwood, director at Utilita Business Energy, offers licensees some hot tips on reducing their power needs and keeping down their energy bills

With rising energy costs putting the squeeze on pubs, every little thing you can do to keep down the amount of power you use can help.

People and power are likely to be your biggest operating costs and you need them both to run a successful pub. The latter is likely to cost you somewhere between four to seven per cent of your turnover and that alone could be enough to force some businesses to turn off the lights permanently.

Research by independent energy supplier Utilita Energy shows more than half of small business owners (57 per cent) believe rising energy costs are threating their future. Worryingly, seven per cent have been cut off and 29 per cent have been forced on to a high tariff because they are seen as a credit risk.

What’s more, almost half (42 per cent) feel they get an unfair deal from energy suppliers and more than two-thirds (71 per cent) say they have been caught out by unexpected T&Cs such as crippling rates, inflexible payment terms, high deposits and extended contracts.

Shaun Underwood, director at

Utilita Business Energy, says: “We should be supporting Britain’s small businesses in these times of uncertainty — but it is clear there are a significant and growing number of small businesses that appear to be treated unfairly and have very real concerns.

“I believe customers should not be asked to pay crippling up-front deposits when cashflow is a problem, should not be put on to discriminative contract rates and should not be punished or shunned by suppliers.

We faced these very same issues in the early days, so we really do understand.”

As a result, Utilita has introduced a single tariff with flexible payment options and no up-front deposits. The company has also taken the time to provide Inapub readers with a few choice tips on how to save energy in the first place.

Heating

Heating accounts for more than 40 per cent of energy use in business buildings, meaning you can make big savings by correctly controlling temperature. For example, in a guest bathroom 26 degrees is appropriate.

However, it only needs to be 20 degrees in a bar. Consider turning the heating off an hour before closing or turn it off completely in unoccupied areas.

Moving your thermostat can also reduce costs. For example if it sits in an area of direct sunlight, the reading will be inaccurate and the temperature insufficient for the building.

Lighting

Lighting is a fundamental part of any business, but making small changes can reduce energy costs by up to 50 per cent.

Implement a “switch off” policy — this can be as simple as to place stickers above light switches reminding members of staff to switch off lights.

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23/08/2017 17:13

Keep it down: making sure you have thermostats set to the right temperature for different parts of your premises can help keep your energy bills down

“

Overcooling the cellar by one per cent can add up to 10 per cent to cellar energy costs

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Installing sensors and timers in communal bathrooms or corridors can reduce energy costs as lights only come on when required. Also consider installing low-energy bulbs, which will provide a sufficient, attractive light source, while reducing costs.

Cellar

Cooling drinks in a pub can account for 10 per cent of the total energy cost — half of which goes towards keeping the cellar cool.

Replace “standard” lighting with compact fluorescent bulbs or strip lighting and ensure lights are turned off when no one is in the cellar. This will save energy and reduce the temperature.

Heat-producing equipment — such as line coolers for drinks and ice makers — should be located outside the cellar.

Ensure cooling system temperature sensors are placed where they can provide a reliable indication of the cellar temperature. Overcooling the

cellar by one per cent can add up to 10 per cent to cellar energy costs.

Hot water

Service boilers regularly to ensure there is no increased energy cost through faulty pipework — a regularly serviced boiler could save five per cent on annual heating costs. Ensuring all hot water temperatures are set at appropriate levels is important, as excessive heating of water not only increases energy costs, but is incredibly wasteful.

Properly insulating pipes, valves, hot water tanks and boilers will also prevent heat escaping and in turn will lower energy costs.

Consider installing a smart meter so you can see your energy usage and spend in real-time, meaning no more estimated or large unexpected bills.

For more information about Utilita visit utilita.co.uk/business.

SEPTEMBER 2017 53 23/08/2017 17:13

time at the bar

TOP

10

BAR JOKES It’s not just priests who get a reaction walking into a pub 1. A man walks into a bar.

Ouch.

2. A horse walks into a bar.

The barman says: “Why the long face?”

3. Another horse walks into a bar.

The barman says “hey”.

The horse says “you read my mind, pal.”

4. A lobster walks into a pub and asks the landlord for a pint.

The barman says “I’m not serving you.”

“Why not?” asks the lobster. Because every night you come in here giving it all that. (barman imitates lobster by opening and shutting hands… you need to see it)

5. The past, present, and future walk into a bar.

It was tense.

6. A man walks into a bar with a chunk of asphalt under one arm.

The man says, “Beer, please, and one for the road.”

7. A bear walks into a pub and says: “I’d like a beer please, and ... ... ... some of those nuts.”

“No problem,” says the bartender, “but what’s with the big pause?”

8. A dog goes into a bar and orders a Martini.

The bartender says, “You don’t see a dog in here drinking a Martini very often.”

The dog says, “At these prices, I’m not surprised.”

9. Times New Roman, Helvetica and Comic Sans walk into a bar The barman says ”we don’t want your type in here.

10. A priest, a rabbi and a minister walk into a bar.

The barman asks “is this some kind of joke?”

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That’s Brakspear chief Tom Davies bee-ming in the middle with a couple of friends. The Henley-based operator has donated nearly £3,000 to Friends of the Earth from sales of seasonal ale Honey Bee. The cash, raised from a donation of 10p for every pint sold, will support the Bee Cause campaign to help Britain’s threatened bees.

Tom said: “We’re delighted that Honey Bee sold so well across our estate and raised such a good sum for Friends of the Earth’s Bee Cause.

“This donation is more than double the amount raised two years ago (when the beer was first brewed) so will go even further in helping protect our precious bees.”

THE COLLECTION TIN What pubs around the country are doing to help good causes A countryside pub exceeded its expectations by raising £10,000 for a local hospice. Mary and Charles Kennerley, licensees of Robinsons’ Horse Shoe Inn in Astbury, Cheshire, had only expected to raise a few hundred quid by auctioning off belongings donated by regulars. They ended up with £10,000 for the East Cheshire Hospice.

Hospitality professionals have helped raise £104,000 for Grenfell Tower survivors. A fundraising dinner was held at the Novotel Hammersmith for 500 guests from the industry with staff, food, drink, entertainment and audio-visual equipment all provided free of charge.

If you recently saw 300 Spartans on the march, don’t worry, it was just staff from Stonegate dressed up in aid of children with life-limiting conditions. Three hundred employees from 150 pubs trekked 12.5 miles from Bexleyheath to The Alice in Houndsditch for the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice.

Joseph Holt has been honoured for its community work by being presented with the National Pub Aid award from the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group. The Manchester brewery and pubco has close links with several organisations, including the Christie Hospital, for which it has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Some of the best chefs from the capital’s pubs will be battling it out this month in the “Slider Decider”. The ETM-run event at The Botanist in the City will pit the talents against each other to see who can create the most impressive slider.

Can anyone take the title from double champ Adam Rawson? He impressed last year with his “Global Traveller” creation featuring an aged Basque beef patty, truffle aioli, wild rocket, balsamic onions, pancetta and gorgonzola.

On the day of the event, September 16, The Botanist will be serving up a menu of croquette cones including mac ‘n’ cheese with truffle mayo, black pudding with HP sauce, and shrimp & bacon with mustard aioli. Priced at £5 per cone, 50 per cent of the proceeds will go towards ETM’s chosen charity, The Childhood Trust.

Are you raising funds for a great cause? Let us know at editorial@inapub.co.uk

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PLATE OR SLATE? Where the nation’s publicans stand on the really big questions Mark Higgs, The Castle, Edgehill, Warwickshire Mark is the tenant at the Hook Norton pub, which proudly surveys the English Civil War battlefield at Edgehill in the Cotswolds. Unlike many pubs that go by the name this one is literally a castle, built in 1742 to mark the 100th anniversary of the battle. Mark recently made his own piece of history by becoming the 2017 BII Licensee of the Year — the biggest accolade in the trade.

“

Background music isn’t everyone’s choice, but it can help create the ambience you are looking to achieve

Plate or slate?

Dress up or dress down?

Three years ago I would have said slate, but we are definitely back on plate. We have just purchased some lovely new Churchill crockery, which I think is truly beautiful.

Smart casual, but most of all feel comfy.

Cocktails or cask ale?

Packet of scratchings or Michelin Stars?

Always aim for the stars.

Mmm, that’s a difficult one because our landlord, Hook Norton, is a top brewery and produces some wonderful beers. However, we also have a fab small cocktail list.

Background music or silence is golden?

Background music. It isn’t everyone’s choice, but I think it can help create the ambience you are looking to achieve.

Table service or order at the bar?

It is very much table service within the pub.

In the garden it is order at the bar and we are working on improving that service.

Menus online or on paper?

Both, you always need both. We have a great website and use [online service] Res Diary for online bookings, but we still have paper brochures, menus printed to take away, and postcards of the pub that we give out.

Wellies or heels?

Another tough one, we have both. Saturday night is much more heels, Tuesday lunchtime is probably more wellies — Hunter wellies though.

Big night out or a meal with friends?

Meal with friends, beers, G&T, cocktails, great food, after-dinner drinks, taxi home.

Dogs allowed or the only animals are on the menu?

Definitely dogs welcome, they are a huge part of pubs nowadays. We are familyfriendly too.

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23/08/2017 17:24

time at the bar

HAIR OF THE DOG Tales of the unexpected from the wonderful world of pubs I’ll check with the chef... a better way at a pub, What could be After a good night’s sleep boiled egg? a king prawn vindaloo and to start the day than… a ommodaacc t tha ts weirder reques That was just one of the they ivo Evi nt age ng oki online bo tion business owners told survey. had received, in a recent 17 per t, opt for a full English, and cen Most guests, 63 per no re’s the ell, …w ers kkie but oth cent like a Continental bre accounting for taste.

Lloyd ooked pasta with a jar of A plate of fried onions, unc lic sauce, Grossman tomato & gar , and g rlin Ca in Corn Flakes ite rm Ma ite, our fav our smeared on a dry Weetabix, were all requested by visitors.

It makes you wonder, is the customer really always right?

BrewDog raises canine-friendly stakes Here’s an idea that will give you paws for thought. Would you let staff stay at home to help a new pooch settle in?

BrewDog (who else?) has started such a scheme for pub workers with new pups. The self-styled punks have shown a softer side by introducing Pawternity leave, to give staff a paid week off to help their new best friends get used to their new homes.

Can we assume that the Fat Cat and Cat & Wickets pub companies will be offering similar schemes for those with feline friends?

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Clerical error Seven priests walk into a bar… and immediately get turned away for looking like a stag do in fancy dress.

The mass of Catholic priests (surely the correct collective noun?) were out for a pint at Cardiff’s City Arms to celebrate one of their order being ordained at a nearby cathedral.

But the priests were told to sling their hooks (that would have worked better if they were bishops) by staff worried about rowdy stag groups.

Thankfully the pub’s manager realised the priests were for real and invited them back for a free round of, what else but, Brains’ beer Rev James.

Frosty reception The phrase “wou ld you like ice wi th that?” took on new meaning wh a whole en beer brand Am stel opened a po The Cold Tub Pu p-up pub. b recently pulled up in London’s Pa help refresh cycli sts taking part in ll Mall to the Prudential Ri Not only could th deLondon. ey cool down wi th a glass of the they also had th beer but e option of takin g a plunge in an the same time. ice-bath at Cycling great M ark Cavendish was on hand to help dish out the punishment, sorry, recovery treatm ent.

The only way we ’re likely to get sadd le — sore is by parkin g on a barstool for too long, so we’ll stick to the beer, thanks.

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