Inapub magazine july 2016 issue 56

inapub

Issue 56 July 2016 ÂŁ3.95 trade.inapub.co.uk

Harness the Olympic spirit p01 cover WOB.indd 1

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he Summer Olympics may not be an obvious golden opportunity for pubs but, as we hope this month’s lead feature shows, it could be a chance to try some new ideas.

The chances of getting people in to watch the marathon from start to finish are slim but tapping into the feel-good factor the Games should generate is one way pubs can benefit.

In fact, it is the way pubs do lots of little things that can be the difference between success and failure. The days of opening the doors at 5pm to a bunch of men who will drink pint after pint of the same beer are gone and they are not coming back. Nowadays pubs have to do so much more to attract and retain customers. In this issue we feature pubs that are achieving this with as diverse a set of ideas as fantasy Moto GP, weddings, Portuguese food and nostalgic menus.

The pub has evolved into being many different things to different people and, as someone often found on the other side of the bar, I believe they have never offered such high levels of hospitality, product quality or entertainment as they do now. Perhaps that really is the gold medal standard.

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this month The Olympics • From Boots to beer taps

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drink Cocktail hacks to make your life easy • Branded wine

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eat Portuguese pork chops • Menu writing • Kitchen equipment

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play Moto GP • The Premier League kicks off a new season

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back-bar business Social media guide • How to sack someone

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Cheers,

Editor Matt Eley 07538 988 296 • matte@inapub.co.uk Deputy editor Robyn Black 07909 251 231 • robynb@inapub.co.uk

60 time at the bar Your work for charity • Celebrity tipples

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Eat writer Bronya Smolen 07967 634 624 • bronya@inapub.co.uk

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Production editor Ben Thrush 07810 620 169 • ben@inapub.co.uk

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Chief executive Barrie Poulter 07908 144 337 • barrie@inapub.co.uk

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Sales & marketing director Matt Roclawski 07950 447 488 • mattr@inapub.co.uk

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Visit us online at trade.inapub.co.uk

Sales manager Adam Skinner 07884 868 364 • adam@inapub.co.uk Subscriptions trade.inapub.co.uk/magazine 08452 301 986 • subscriptions@inapub.co.uk

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POSTCARD from the pub frontline A Highlands pub will be dancing to a new tune after winning a staggering £10,000 to transform its live music offer.

The Tooth & Claw in Inverness picked up the top prize in the PRS Music Makeover competition, which attracted more than 200 entrants from across the UK. Lee Gripton, general manager at The Tooth & Claw, said: “Words cannot describe what this means to us. We’re now in a position to really set our dream in motion. We’ve worked extremely hard to get to where we are now.

“The help from PRS means we can achieve our goals

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perfectly and really contribute to the ever-growing music scene in Inverness.”

The money will be spent on converting the upstairs of the town centre bar into a dedicated live music space.

The panel of judges, which included Inapub’s editor Matt Eley, also picked two runners-up. The Brook Inn in Plymouth won the second prize of £5,000 with the Booth Hall in Hereford picking up £2,500 for coming third.

Find out how the money helps the pub improve its live music offer in a future issue of Inapub.

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IN THE TRADE THIS MONTH BII winners

TOP STORIES ON TRADE.INAPUB.CO.UK

Cornwall couple Rob and Lucy Brewer, of The Rashleigh Arms in Charlestown, have been named the BII Licensees of the Year. The couple were praised by judges for going above and beyond to differentiate their offering.

Giving customers power to choose Around 100 pubs in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland, are offering 125ml wine measures as part of a campaign to provide more choice. This follows a survey which found 71 per cent of locals would support the introduction of the smaller wine measure. Pubs in England and Wales are already legally obliged to provide 125ml measures.

Smirnoff moves into cider 5 pubs to inspire your BBQ offering WATCH: Inapub visits Young’s Garnish Garden I

‘Staycations’ on the calendar for Brits More Brits — 85 per cent — will be taking a “staycation” this year, according to Greene King’s Leisure Spend Tracker Report. The increase of three percentage points is good news for pubs, as the tracker found that 87 per cent of people look forward to eating out the most when holidaying in the UK, and 69 per cent said that they will enjoy a drink.

Sky hikes prices Sky Business has confirmed licensees face a 10 per cent hike in prices from the start of August. Sky pointed to the increase in sports content, cost of rights and the support it provides licensees as reasons for the second price increase in six years.

In or out in the Brexit debate? Vote with your pint “Tinder for pubs” — how to offer pop-up food

Community pub gets help from the taxman A campaign to re-open a 500-year-old Suffolk pub has been given a boost by a new government scheme.

Residents in Somersham have raised more than £200,000 in a bid to re-open the Duke of Marlborough, but it is not quite enough. Now, the government-backed Social Investment Tax Relief (SITR) scheme, which provides tax relief equivalent to seven per cent interest each year, means the pub is getting closer to its target.

Customers’ top 10 bugbears 1. Disappointing food 2. Having to ask for service 3. Taking too long to bring drinks or food 4. An unclean table from previous occupant 5. Being ignored on arrival 6. Dishes arriving at different times 7. Slowness bringing the bill and taking payment 8. Incorrect order arriving 9. Being ignored at the bar 10. Slow taking of food order

HospitalityGEM, 2016

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JULY 2015

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this month.

Can being an Asset of Community Value be detrimental to your pub?

VIEW FROM THE BAR When my wife Linda and I bought the building in 2007 we had to apply to a National Planning Appeal to overrule Leeds City Council’s refusal to change the use to a pub.

In January 2015 Otley Pub Club successfully listed 19 out of 20 pubs in Otley as Assets of Community Value. This was heralded by them and CAMRA as an overwhelming success. Our formal request to withdraw from the nomination was ignored.

The ironic upshot is that if we decide to sell the property, permission has to be approved by Leeds City Council.

They then ascertain whether any local community groups are interested in submitting a bid. Any party has six weeks to register intent and then six months to submit a proposal. During this time we are prohibited from selling.

My understanding is that an ACV listing was designed to be used selectively and with discretion to retain threatened buildings of great value to the community.

A blanket listing of all the pubs in Otley is misusing the principle of the ACV.

The restrictive covenant on our title deeds limits future lending against our property. Banks are reluctant to lend against a building that actually cannot be sold for six months.

We are now handicapped in raising additional funds, to sustain our business or for refurbishment. This increases our business risk and potentially the employment we offer to 10 local people.

Whilst protection of historic buildings is to be generally commended, a pub failing after the grant of the ACV protection may have to remain empty and possibly fall into dereliction if its owner can’t pursue an alternative use.

If people are serious about buying their local pub then they don’t need to nominate it as an ACV — go to the bank, raise the money and buy the pub.

CAMRA are encouraging people to nominate as many pubs as possible.

Think before you nominate, at the very least go have a chat with the landlord and freeholder first.

Lee Pullan is the freeholder of the Old Cock in Otley, West Yorkshire

SECOND OPINION With 27 pubs closing every week – often converted into residential properties or supermarkets — the ACV process has empowered communities and licensees to find a way of saying “we care what happens to this pub in the future.” Communities across the country share this view, with over 1,500 pubs now

listed as ACVs across the country.

The government too has seen the value in helping communities run pubs at threat by investing £3.2m to support groups in purchasing their locals; but importantly, these groups can only bid for funding when a pub is threatened with closure, demolition or conversion.

While the pub is still viable, and serving its loyal customers and community around it, the ACV listing is promoted by CAMRA as a badge of honour – a place where people really care about their local.

Jonathan Mail is the chief campaigns officer at CAMRA

What’s your opinion? Email your thoughts to editorial@inapub.co.uk

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JULY 2015

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Freedom Brewery Prototype Pale Ale

Staffordshire’s Freedom Brewery has launched a prototype Pale Ale into 100 pubs and is inviting feedback so it can create its first crowdsourced beer. People are asked to send their thoughts on the recipe using the hashtag #FreedomPrototype to shape the final Pale Ale, which will hit bars in September.

Kudos to anyone who suggests using a black malt. www.freedombrewery.com

Tork Smartfresh toilets

We all judge a venue by its loo, so try out the new automatically flushing, cleaning and deodorising toilets from Tork. The Smartfresh lav also has an integrated screen allowing operators to display advertising or video to a captive audience. www.tork.co.uk

Stracchino

Stracchino might sound like something unfortunate you might cough up after a bad coffee but it’s actually a type of Italian soft cheese. With over a quarter of the market back in Italy, the Nonno Nanni brand is launching here to capitalise on our love for Italian food. The mild cheese can be stirred through soup, pasta or risotto, served in salads or used to make cheesecakes.

0208 8175 285

Stuff

What’s new in the pub this month

Petrus Sours

Some say we’re sour enough but we can’t get enough of sour beers here at Inapub Inn, so we’ll be ordering some of this range as soon as it arrives from its native Belgium. The three beers being launched are: Petrus Aged Pale, a 7.3 per cent super-sour beer; Petrus Aged Red, a 8.5 per cent ABV cherry beer and Oud Brun, a 5.5 per cent ABV oak-aged brown beer.

Bottles via www.jamesclay.co.uk and kegs from www.boutiquebarbrands.com

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JULY 2016

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this month.

Smirnoff cider

It might sound unlikely but Smirnoff has moved into the cider category with the launch of two fruit-flavoured vodka-infused ciders. The two variants, Raspberry & Pomegranate and Passionfruit & Lime, weigh in at four per cent ABV. Believe it. www.Diageo.com

Womersley Fruit Vinegars

Dip, dash, splash, drizzle, pour and shake to your heart’s content with these good old British vinegars from Womersley, the Yorkshire-based fruit vinegar people. The relaunched range contains 25 per cent less sugar than before and comprises nine variants, including Lime, Black Pepper & Lavender and Strawberry & Mint.

01608 646 445

Pravha

For lovers of Czech lager, a new Staropramen is born, with this launch from the same brewing team. Pravha is a four per cent ABV pilsner which is said to have “the iconic flavour and gentle bitterness of a high quality Czech pilsner” but to also be “crisp, light and refreshing.” It will be available exclusively on draught to pubs and bars.

PravhaEnquiries@molsoncoors.com

Pidy Trendy Coco Shells

Are you finding your chocolate patisserie range just isn’t hip enough? Fear not, Pidy — the Belgian producer of ready-to-fill pastry products — has created the Trendy Coco Shell range, made with straight sides to “hit the current fashion for exciting, zen-like plates of food.” The chocolate flavoured shortcrust pastry shells are available in two sizes (regular and mini) and three shapes (triangle, square and circle).

01604 705 666

Sunmagic coconut water

Customers on a health kick to get themselves “beach body ready” for their summer holiday? Get them to swop their usual soft drinks for something a little healthier, such as these new variants from Sunmagic. The range also includes healthy summer sippers Beetroot & Berry Cold Pressed Juice, and the low-calorie, lowsugar Caribbean Delight Juice Drink. www.sunmagic.co.uk

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Games face on…

by THE INAPUB TEAM

Braziliant drinks Cocktail: Caipirinha The Mojito’s Brazilian cousin. Bash 2 tsps of brown sugar and half a lime (cut into wedges) together in a glass. Fill it with crushed ice, add 50ml of cachaça, stir and serve.

Beer: Brahma Brazilians love their beer and this is their favourite.

Soft drink: Coconut water Feted by some health nuts as better for you than water, this has gone mainstream in the UK, thanks to brands such as Vita Coco. Transport your customers to Copacabana beach in one simple drink (add rum for more fun).

Hot drink: Coffee Brazil is by far the world’s biggest coffee producer, so you can easily brew up a podium-worthy cup.

Can it really be four years since Her Maj jumped out of that plane and kicked off the London Olympics? In less than a month’s time, it starts up all over again, and for two weeks the minds of a large section of the public will be in Rio. Talking to licensees, we heard mixed reports about trading during the last Olympic Games. While some pubs were able to tap into the mood of excitement, others struggled to prise people away from their home TV screens.

That seems like a missed opportunity.

The Olympics is one event that brings everyone together and gets strangers talking to each other. Local rivalries are forgotten as a wave of patriotism engulfs the nation and people gather around screens to cheer our British boys and girls on to glory. It could

The Inapub Games Crouch End, 2016

With the roster of Olympic sports in constant flux, it’s a shame how few of our classic pub disciplines have made the cut.

Inapub endeavoured to put this right with a pub pentathlon held in the arenas of North London’s Crouch End. Deputy editor Robyn Black flew the flag for Wales, while Eat writer Bronya Smolen represented her ancestral home Poland and English hopes rested with production editor Ben Thrush.

With various events companies offering “Pub Olympics” packages to stag parties, corporate away days and the like, this format could work long after the dust has settled in Rio. If you’ve got table football, skittles or even a couple of straws and a ping-pong ball, why not give it a go and see if you can get a piece of the action?

almost have been designed for pub viewing, and with the games live on the BBC, it’s a chance for pubs without Sky or BT Sport subscriptions to grab a piece of the sporting action.

With this in mind, we’ve put together a few ideas for how you could help make your pub the place to be to watch the Games.

Offering Brazilian drinks or food could turn your establishment into a little piece of Rio. Or, for punters feeling inspired by the cream of the world’s sports stars, you could even host your own rival event.

Despite the time difference, there are plenty of events being screened at sensible pub times, many offering the chance of British medals. So check out the selected schedule on these pages and get on your marks. Let the games begin…

Watch the Inapub Games at trade.inapub.co.uk

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next month.

Event 1 Bar skittles

Venue: The Railway Tavern

ONES TO WATCH WEDNESDAY AUGUST 3 – 1ST EVENT Women’s football 5pm FRIDAY AUGUST 5 Opening ceremony SATURDAY AUGUST 6 Men’s cycling road race Will Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas medal for GB? Beach volleyball begins A big hit with spectators.

How: Players swing a hanging ball clockwise round the pole to knock down skittles. Three swings per turn. The number of skittles downed is your score, and first to 61 wins.

Match report: England took an early lead while Wales and Poland struggled. The match ended on a high for England, who struck the only spare of the game and won.

Play or nay: A lot of getting up and down, and could be time-consuming with lots of people. However, good fun and great for all ages.

Equipment cost Ease of set-up Spectator engagement Fun factor

£30–£200 ★★★★★ ★★★ ★★★

Event 2 Blow football How: Set up goal posts and use a straw to blow a ping-pong ball into the opponent’s goal.

Play or nay: We loved this game. Lots of laughs and a great sport for spectators.

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2pm

MONDAY AUGUST 8 Diving: Men’s 10m platform synchro Can Tom Daley and Dan Goodfellow bag a medal?

8pm

2pm

Weightlifting: women’s 63kg 7.30pm Hopes for GB’s Zoe Smith.

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 10 Rowing: first gold medal races 12.30pm Can GB write another chapter in the men’s quadruple sculls…

Match report: Wales proved a dark horse here, thrashing Poland 8-1. Poland’s clearly tiny lung capacity knocked her out of the tournament, but England went on to win in the final. Again!

Equipment cost Ease of set-up Spectator engagement Fun factor

1.30pm

SUNDAY AUGUST 7 Women’s cycling road race 4.15pm Lizzie Armitstead, Emma Pooley and Nicole Cooke likely to line up for GB.

TUESDAY AUGUST 9 Equestrian team final Will your punters shout themselves horse for GB?

Venue: The King’s Head

11.15pm

£3 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Cycling: time trials …with Chris Froome and Emma Pooley burning rubber on the other screen?

12.30pm

‘How many points do they play to anyway?’

One of the best things about the Olympics is everyone getting into watching sports they barely understand. Printing out some sheets with a brief explanation of volleyball or water polo and leaving them on tables while the event is being screened could add to punters’ enjoyment and help mark your pub out as a great place to watch the Games.

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THURSDAY AUGUST 11 Women’s gymnastics final 8pm One classic Olympic showdown shares the bill with another…

Track cycling finals Including men’s team sprint

8pm

FRIDAY AUGUST 12 Women’s heptathlon begins 1.35pm Could Jess Ennis-Hill and Katarina Johnson-Thompson write the story of the Games?

Team dressage final 2pm People in top hats riding dancing horses. Gripping viewing with a couple of drinks for even the fairweather fan.

Tennis: Men’s doubles final Will the Murray brothers make it a golden afternoon?

4pm

Cycling: Men’s team pursuit final A Friday night Wiggins win?

We could all drink to that.

8pm

SATURDAY AUGUST 13 Rowing finals

SUNDAY AUGUST 14 Golf: Men’s final round

12.50pm

8pm

How: Each person has a pound coin. The aim is to get their coin as close to a bottle top in the middle of the table as possible by sliding it.

Match report: Both Poland and Wales launched their coins off the table to start, but soon got the knack. Unsurprisingly England took top spot on the podium.

Play or nay: Surprisingly addictive and tense for anyone with a few coins.

Equipment cost Ease of set-up Spectator engagement Fun factor

£3 ★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Beat the branding police!

1. DON’T use protected official expressions such as Olympic Games, Olympic, Olympics or Rio 2016 in your marketing. A poster reading WATCH THE GAMES HERE should be OK. 2. DON’T use the Olympic logo or typeface.

3. DON’T associate special offers with the Olympics — “2 for 1 on Olympic cocktails” could attract the wrong kind of attention.

11am

Tennis: Men’s singles final If Murray makes it, the eyes of the nation will be here.

4pm

Track cycling: Men’s sprint Jason Kenny could be flying the flag for GB.

8pm

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Brazilian bites

Bauru sandwich Slices of roast beef, mozzarella, tomato & pickled cucumber, held together in a baguette.

Men’s 100m final 2.25am If there’s one event worth staying up for, it’s probably this.

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Venue: The King’s Head

At London 2012, branding restrictions were enforced with zeal, with publicans ordered to scrub chalkboards, and a butcher who arranged some sausages in the shape of the five rings also coming a cropper. Here are three rules of thumb for promoting your pub as a place to watch the sport.

Tennis: Women’s singles final 4pm Track cycling: Women’s keirin and team pursuit Laura Trott and GB team likely to be in the mix.

Event 3 Coin curling

Brazilian Barbecue Meat, meat and more meat all done simply — good cuts, seasoned with rock salt and pepper before, during and after cooking.

Picanha steak Swap your regular steak for this cut of the rump, pronounced “pee-kahn- yah”.

Feijoada This stew is considered the national dish. Easily made in advance with black beans, plus various meats such as pork, ribs, sausages or jerked beef.

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next month.

Event 4 Jenga

Venue: The King’s Head

How: Take turns to remove a block from the tower, the first to knock it down loses. Play in a knock-out tournament.

Sailing: Men’s Laser final GB’s Nick Thompson at the helm.

Match report: The first game took time, but the tower eventually tumbled when Poland took a dodgy block.

Come the final, England were finally beaten as Wales took the gold.

Play or nay: We pulled in actual crowds for this one. A great one for both spectators and players, but slightly noisy (we may have woken up a baby).

Equipment cost: Ease of set-up: Spectator engagement Fun factor:

£4-7 ★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Event 5 Table football

MONDAY AUGUST 15 Swimming: Women’s open water 1pm Keri-Anne Payne dives in for GB. 5pm

Track cycling: Men’s omnium final 5pm Mark Cavendish goes through the gears.

TUESDAY AUGUST 16 Sailing: Men’s Finn final Giles Scott pushes the boat out.

5pm

Track cycling finals 8pm Laura Trott, Becky James and Jason Kenny could all be involved.

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 17 Sailing: Men’s and Women’s 470 Could feature Saskia Clark, Hannah Mills and Elliot Willis.

Venue: Earl Haig Hall

5pm

THURSDAY AUGUST 18 Men’s triathlon Can the Brownlee brothers make headlines again?

FRIDAY AUGUST 19 BMX finals Liam Phillips rides for GB.

3pm

5.30pm

Hockey: Women’s gold medal match Will GB be world-beaters?

9pm

SATURDAY AUGUST 20 Golf: Women’s final round

How: Use the handles to turn the players and hit the ball into your goal.

Match report: There was no hiding that both Wales and Poland played this game like old aged pensioners without their glasses on. England, of course, took to the table like a pro, and won the tournament.

Play or nay: Another game scoring high on fun factor and spectator engagement. Once the table is purchased, setting up a tournament would be easy.

Equipment cost: Ease of set-up: Spectator engagement Fun factor:

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£100-600 ★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★★

11am

Women’s triathlon Jodie Stimpson mixes it up.

3pm

Boxing: Women’s 51kg The stage is set for Nicola Adams.

6pm

Football: Men’s gold medal match 9pm

SUNDAY AUGUST 21 Men’s marathon

1.30pm

Men’s basketball gold match

7.45pm

Closing ceremony

11.15pm

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FAMOUS FOR A NEW LEASE OF LIFE

Matt Eley checks out a converted chemist dispensing good times

“

One lady had her 21st birthday here, got married here, had her 40th here, had her husband’s 70th and then his wake. She still comes on a Friday night

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Transforming an iconic local building into a pub can be a challenging and costly but rewarding experience.

Nottingham brewery and pubco Castle Rock has discovered this over the last 18 months with the acquisition, renovation and ultimately exceptional trading at The Embankment.

The pub, on the City side of Trent Bridge, is well known in the area. It started life in 1907 as one of the first Boots stores and was developed by Jesse Boot into a social club for his workers. Whatever its use, its distinctive look lets people know where they are.

James Johnson, general manager at the pub, says: “I have customers who come in and say when they see this building they know they are back in Nottingham.”

Part of the mission was to retain a sense of history whilst opening a modern pub that would appeal to a wide demographic.

The modernising efforts of the 1960s and 1970s were stripped back, with original features left alone or emphasised. Jesse Boot’s original office has barely been touched and now serves as a conference room from where you can peer over the pub as he would have done the shop floor.

Wall-size photos and pieces of memorabilia around the pub celebrate its past.

But this is very much a modern pub. The downstairs Dispensary room serves a wide range of craft beer, the other side of the bar sees locals and diners mingle and upstairs a glamorous function room is attracting a growing wedding trade.

One of the key developments was actually making the pub look more like it used to, externally at least, when it was a chemist’s.

Colin Wilde, Castle Rock managing

director, explains: “We had to change it, partly with the garden to draw people in but mainly with the windows at the front to turn it back to the original chemist look. As soon as we did that we could see the potential.”

People who walk or drive past can now look in and, judging by the turnover (it is already in the top three of Castle Rock’s 20 pubs) they like what they see.

Its location means it attracts football and cricket fans, workers coming back from the city and, perhaps most importantly of all, residents who live nearby.

Keeping the locals on board

Colin adds: “It has been more successful than we thought it would be. Dragging people over the bridge from West Bridgford was going to be the hardest part because nobody had really managed it before. The craft beers, the modern look and people realising everyone is welcome has helped.”

And they have seemingly managed not to alienate those who used the venue in its social club days.

James adds: “We still have them in every week. They have live music and a bit of bingo. One lady had her 21st birthday here, got married here, had her 40th here, had her husband’s 70th and then his wake. She still comes on a Friday night.

“It’s not a place that you feel is too posh or too poor. There are different people in the bars. You can have a pint of craft beer and bring your grandmother for a drink.”

The plan now is to grow the business further, potentially opening up more space in the basement and increasing the take on food. You never know, Nottingham might just have another icon on its hands.

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this month.

From Boots to beer The Embankment is now a Grade II listed building. It was designed by Albert Nelson Bromley and opened in 1907 as Boots Store 2 — the second one in the city.

A dozen years later it made its first move towards selling a different kind of drug with the Boots Social Club opening on the same site as a place of recreation for staff.

It proved so popular it expanded across the building and took it over entirely when the store closed in 1979.

It remained as a social club, though not solely for Boots staff, up until last year when Castle Rock took on its biggest ever single site development.

The Embank ment Nottingham Staff: 25 Style: Versa tile commun ity and destinat ion pub Ownership: Castle Rock managed ho use Cost of devel opment: ÂŁ600,000

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drink If you are one of the 41 per cent of wet-led pubs that still don’t offer a wine list (stat courtesy of a new survey for Carlsberg’s Crown Cellars arm), then let me help.

It genuinely it isn’t that hard – despite what the mustard corduroy brigade would have us believe.

First up, take a good, hard look at what you stock. The research shows that people want to see a good range of popular grape varietals that reflect what they are drinking at home (this last one is key, so think about the importance of listing some branded wines too — see pages 28-30 for more on this).

As a guide, the three top-selling white wines are Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc, and the top three reds are Merlot, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Add a rosé and a couple of sparklers and you have the makings of a popular offering.

Now it’s time to design that list. Matthew Clark calls this

with ROBYN BLACK

“Menu Engineering,” which makes it sound rather daunting, but if you keep it simple you can easily do it yourself using these key rules: use lots of headings to break up the text, for example breaking up your red and white wine sections by style (e.g. “light & crisp”); highlight your most profitable wines with a bold font or a different colour, and remove the pound signs — they distract from the useful but simple descriptions you have put under each wine.

Now you just need to make sure you deliver on the promise.

So make sure wine is served at the right temperature, please — 39 per cent of those surveyed said white wine in pubs wasn’t served cold enough.

And, if you’ve got to the end of reading this and still think there’s no need to act, think again. The report showed that while 61 per cent of the trade think wine quality in pubs has got better, only 35 per cent of customers think the same…

Take a look at what wine you stock.

People want to see a good range of popular varietals that reflect what they drink at home

COMMERCIAL BREAKDOWN WKD BLUSH • Blush Hour Made in Chelsea star Binky Felstead is the face of a campaign that is intended to associate the variant with getting Saturday nights off to a good start.

AMSTEL • The Smallest Bar in Amsterdam A new TV ad aims to celebrate the beer’s Amsterdam provenance and further boost sales of a brand that has seen double-digit growth in the on-trade in the past five years, according to brand owner Heineken.

APPLETISER • 50 Years of Appletiser Coca-Cola European Partners is celebrating Appletiser’s 50th birthday this year, with partnerships including Ascot, singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Richard Woods, aka “the Cocktail Guy.”

18 JULY 2016

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drink.

Franklin & Sons Scottish Artesian Water

Said to “open up” the flavours in whisky, this has been launched alongside a Scottish Soda Water, which is intended for use in more complex cocktails. The two are the latest additions to Global Brands’ Franklin & Sons range of soft drinks and tonics, along with a new ginger beer. www.globalbrands.co.uk

St Peter’s downsized

The St Peter’s Brewery has created a smaller 330ml version of its signature oval bottle for its new Crafted Range. The line-up includes the brewery’s first cider, a 4.6 per cent dry and crisp version of the drink, and a seven per cent ABV Black IPA, described by the head brewer, Steve Groves, as “the Rioja of Black IPAs”. www.stpetersbreweryco.uk

Look out for...

A makeover for Blossom Hill

The wine brand has been given a new look and will get a £2m campaign this summer, following the acquisition of the brand by Treasury Wine Estates from Diageo. The “refreshed packaging” is intended to appeal to the brand’s core audience and bring in new drinkers from other categories, such as cider and cocktails. www.tweglobal.com

The Glenlivet Cipher

In an opaque black bottle and with no tasting notes or cask information, the latest launch from The Glenlivet is designed to be the “ultimate challenge” for malt whisky fans. Just 1,200 bottles of the whisky have been launched and clues to help decode the spirit will be posted online, as part of a social media campaign. www.theglenlivet.com

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Sassy Cidre

Touted as a new generation’s take on traditional Normandy cider, the product is set to launch in the UK this summer.

Fresh from success in its home market, the lowcalorie, organic and glutenfree cider is made from the juice of Chevalier Jane, Binet Blanc and Doux Normandie apples. www.enotriacoe.com

On the bar John Prior, The Hop Shop, Chelmsford, Essex

We model ourselves on the micropub, so we are a licensed premises built into a beer shop.

The whole ethos of a micropub is beer — there’s absolutely no music or gaming machines and people rely on tasting a variety of different ales and enjoying each other’s company.

We sell a lot of Belgian and German bottled beers, and we like to serve those in the correct glasses. We also sell keg beers now, which are mostly from London brewers. We have three of them, and are looking to get another.

However, traditional ales are still a big part of what we’re about — in fact the cask ales still tend to be the most popular.

We try to support our local Essex brewers a lot, we find people are very attracted to those ales.

Brewers we have on regularly would be the likes of Roundtower, Morgans and Bishop Nick breweries.

27/06/2016 16:04

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13/05/2016 08:25 10:02 20/06/2016

9 Cocktail hacks

Robyn Black suggests some slick tricks to take your mixed drinks to a whole other Goddamn level

1

Name cocktails after bar staff

You can add an all-important air of expertise to your cocktail menu by using staff names to personalise drinks (e.g. Sally’s Sea Breeze or Mike’s Mai Tai).

This has the added benefit of encouraging ownership of those drinks by bar staff — Sally’s going to make it seriously clear that every single one of her colleagues needs to be on their A-game when making *her* Sea Breeze.

And if you really want to engage staff, suggest they personalise “their” cocktails with a new ingredient or garnish, thus making Sally’s Satsuma Sea Breeze truly unique to your pub. And then hope Sally doesn’t leave to go and live in a shepherd’s hut in Margate to practice “mindfulness.”

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2

Sell just 8 cocktails

If you’re new to cocktails and think offering 30 is a good idea, then you need a reality check, my friend. Luckily Inapub is here to help, so listen up: more choice doesn’t equal more sales. Capiche?

Start by taking a look at your sales list and seeing what you sell the most of. Experts say just two cocktails can make up as much as 95 per cent of your cocktail sales, so choose around eight drinks based on the flavour profiles of your top sellers.

There’s no need to waste menu space on really ubiquitous cocktails, either — people will ask you if they want a Mojito (there’s no helping this sort) or a Long Island Ice Tea (seriously? It’s not 1997 guys).

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drink.

3

Only offer the same cocktails in promotions

Speed up service and simplify the life of bar staff by offering — for example — two-for-one cocktails during happy hour only on the same cocktails.

That means when a customer orders a happy hour tipple staff only need make one drink in double quantities, not a daiquiri and then a margarita, for example. This is much quicker, cutting wait times and numbers of ingredients and glasses needed. It also reduces pressure on staff during what will likely be your busiest times for cocktail sales.

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4

Invest more in your liqueurs

We know premium spirits are vital these days, so why then go and mix them with a cheap liqueur, like a fool?

Many mixologists say the liqueur has a bigger impact on flavour than the spirit, so a switch can transform the quality of your drinks for just a few pence. If you doubt my authority on this matter (and if you do, frankly, why are your reading this?), try it with the liqueur you use most and then Tweet me a profuse and very public apology when your cocktails taste better than the competition’s.

5

Ditch the fruit garnish

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that the cocktail world is about 75 per cent strawberry garnish, so dare to be different. A slice of lemon, a blackberry and some mint can be a third of the cost of the drink, so boost your margins by being more inventive.

The Cocktail Trading Company use everything from biscuits to candyfloss on their drinks. Think about using retro sweets, popcorn or even small toys bought cheaply on t’interweb. This works because most people order on the “I want one of those” impulse, driving them to spend their last £8 in the world on a cocktail called Army & Navy, garnished with toy soldiers, for example.*

*True story

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6

Always use two straws

It’s the small things that count, as my ex-boyfriend used to say, so pimp your cocktails by presenting them with one that has, at the very least: a basic garnish, two straws in the glass and is on a beverage napkin. You can add 10p to the final cost of the drink for that kind of palaver.

If you want to get a bit more serious (as the ex never said), invest in a sexy bar spoon or two. Even the simplest mixed drink can be given a veneer of professional care and attention if gently stirred with an elegant bar spoon.

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7

Use the same glass for everything

It doesn’t even have to be a glass — empty jam jars seem to suffice for everything from serving a Porn Star Martini to pretentious muesli bowl nowadays.

If you want to add some pizazza. delicate and elegant martini glass for Martinis or a kitsch coconut cup for a Piña Colada are a good idea, but if you don’t want to make a huge investment in a fledgling cocktail offer, or you want to speed up service, just have one standard cocktail glass for everything.

A highball works works well.

8

Get your shakers out

There is literally no point in offering cocktails if you don’t shout about it, so put any equipment you have on show as a sort of visual aid.

Also promote your highest margin drinks on blackboards, A-boards and menu boards until you’re bored — but by then you’ll have made a ton of extra money, so you won’t care as much. And just in case someone still hasn’t clocked that you are the local freakin’ cocktail maestro, paperclip your cocktail list to your food menu as well. If they still don’t order one after that, then they probably just want a pint of cooking lager.

trade.inapub.co.uk 27/06/2016 10:57

9

Make cocktails in advance

In hipster-speak this is known as “pre-batching”, a method made trendy by influential bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana, who sells ONLY pre-batched cocktails at his White Lyan bar in London.

You can take a leaf from Ryan’s book and make them from scratch in-house or you can take the less labourintensive route and buy in premixes such as those from Funkin or Finest Call. Hi-Spirits’ Tails range will take you one step further, with the spirit already incorporated into the bottle. You can then spend all the time and money you’ve saved on an all-inclusive luxury break in the Caribbean for yourself and the Inapub team that helped you save all that dosh in the first place. It’s only fair.

With thanks to…

John Parsons, UK ambassador for Bols, Maxxium UK Andrew King, chief executive, Funkin Rob Poulter, on-trade consultant, Diageo Dan Bolton, managing director, Hi-Spirits Manuel Terron, global brand ambassador for Midori Amy Burgess, trade communications manager, Coca-Cola Enterprises Matthias Lataille, brand ambassador, Martell Cognac UK

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27/06/2016 10:53

PROMOT I O NAL F EAT U R E

Did you know your fridge is your secret salesman?

Inapub returns to The Wheatsheaf to see the impact of Diageo’s fridge makeover

* EPoS data, The Wheatsheaf: Sales during 07.03.16 – 17.04.16 compared

Did you know that making a few simple changes to your back-bar fridge and the way you display products can have a huge impact on your bottom line?

Sue Dwyer, licensee at The Wheatsheaf in Bramley, Surrey, reaped the benefits after winning an exclusive Inapub competition to receive stock and a visit from Diageo’s Category Development Manager Sarah McCarthy. Sarah’s advice and expertise saw: • New and exciting products such as Pimm’s Cider Cup moved to the top shelf of the fridge, along with other fruit ciders • Beers banked together, ranging from wellknown brands to newer products such as Guinness West Indies Porter • Premium soft drinks range Franklin & Sons given more prominence • Familiar brands that customers call by name moved to the bottom of the fridge • Staff given additional training to make them more familiar with the brands in the fridge and to increase their confidence when selling to customers

• The pub also provided samples of new ranges to customers And the results have been impressive, with an 18 per cent increase in alcohol sales from the fridge.* Profits are up at the pub with sales from the fridge boosting the overall take.

The packaged category generally punches above its weight and is worth 17 per cent in value to the on trade – around £2.4bn each year, so it is well worth investing in.

Sue says that Sarah’s advice has made a positive contribution to the business and made her look at the fridge in a different way.

“It has made an impact,” she says. “Our bar blocks the bottom part of the fridge so placing newer products at the top where customers can see them has really encouraged people to ask what they are and to try them.

“Before, I had it stocked so it was easy for me to reach things that we sold a lot of, such as Coke. It was done more for convenience than as a sales tool.”

The new fridge layout has helped to build the younger adult crowd increasingly attracted

to sales for 18.04.16 – 29.05.16

ALCOHOL SALES FROM THE FRIDGE

SOFT DRINK SALES FROM THE FRIDGE

18% UP 58%

UP

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to The Wheatsheaf by showcasing the products they’re looking for. Even better, it has also led to new customers trying these products for the first time.

She says: “The younger clientele already buy from the fridge, but stocking new products at the top meant that when we had a large group of builders staying in the pub’s accommodation recently, they were all drinking avoured ciders because they saw it and wanted to give it a try.”

We will definitely leave it as it is and we will be thinking about the way we use the fridge a lot more. If we get new products in we will put them on the new shelf and will refresh avours to keep the interest up.

“It’s been really worthwhile doing this.The products stocked in the fridge are becoming ever more popular so we want to stay ahead of the curve.There is always a danger of getting stuck in your ways, so Diageo coming in to give us a fresh perspective has been incredibly useful.”

T O P

T I P S

T O

RANGE

LAYOUT

As sub-categories currently in growth, there are always new fruit ciders and craft beers launching throughout the year. Licensees should ensure they regularly review their range to capitalise on these innovations and keep their offering fresh and interesting for customers.

Position new innovation and premium products at the top of the fridge and make the most of the profit margins they offer.

Licensees could try running multiple facings to draw the customer’s eye to product lines they particularly want to promote.

Diageo’s Sarah McCarthy comments: “The improvement in packaged product sales at The Wheatsheaf just goes to show that a few small yet impactful changes to the fridge layout and range can make a huge difference to the bottom line.

“We’re thrilled with this success and encourage Sue to continue monitoring her range, training her staff and speaking to customers about new innovation to make the most of the increasing popularity of fruit ciders and other bottled products stocked in the fridge.”

D R I V E

S A L E S

VISIBILITY TRAINING 38% of consumers admit that visibility influences their decision2. Keep the bar clear and clean so as not to block the view of the back-bar fridge. This should also be a consideration when placing PoS – obstructing the fridge will only hide the range on offer.

Frequent cider and craft beer drinkers are more likely to experiment2 by trying something new, and are more likely to choose their drink at the bar — so make sure staff are trained to confidently communicate the range available.

For more information visit www.spirits-revolution.com 1. CGA Strategy Brand Index MAT data to 26/12/2015

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2. Peach Brand Track, July 2015

27/06/2016 11:14

h t u r t the

Branded wine

by ROBYN BLACK

19 Crimes was developed by Treasury Wine Estates to appeal

cent of other wine drinkers)* No matter how hip you 42 per cent of people, when asked to • choose the most appealing wine menu from think your customer is, one that contained only branded wines, one that featured only non-branded wines when it comes to and one that had a mix of both, chose the branded wine menu.** splashing out on a What we can deduce from all this is that drinkers clearly want to see branded bottle of plonk in the wines in pubs and that many of the objections to such a move are less from pub, they want the pub-goers themselves and more from the reassurance of a familiar category’s gatekeepers, and by that we mean you — the person who chooses what drinks to stock. So let me, and a few more people brand. With who have far more expertise on this matter than me, take this opportunity to dispel some Millennials making myths around branded wines in pubs. wine-drinking cool Myth 1 again, can you afford ‘People do not want to pay over the odds for a bottle of plonk they can buy in the supermarket for £5’ to ignore them?

to Millennial Man

Branded wines have no place in pubs, nor bars and restaurants for that matter, right?

Wrong.

Recent research clearly shows there is as much of a place for branded wines in pubs as there is for branded spirits and beers, and by failing to stock them licensees are missing out on a huge profit boosting opportunity.

Put it this way: 79 per cent of frequent wine drinkers drink branded wine in the on-trade* branded wine drinkers visit the on-trade more often than other wine drinkers, with 72 per cent visiting at least once a month (compared with 64 per

•

•

This is really the big one, the objection wine brand owners hear the most from publicans and restaurateurs – and it’s utter hooey.

As Louise Boddington, wine buyer at Carlsberg’s Crown Cellars arm, puts it: “In my opinion, the trade exaggerates this issue – drinkers do not seem to question the price differential between a pint of beer, or even a bottle of Champagne, when ordering in a bar, compared with the take-home price for a similar item from a supermarket, so why should a bottle of wine be any different?”

Certainly a bit of sensible pricing needs to be implemented, which can easily be achieved by swapping from a high GP on a bottle to a decent cash margin and, as with any drink bought in a pub these days, the serve has to be perfect to justify the price — no Paris goblets and warm Pinot Grigio, please.

* CGA Strategy study of 7,509 consumers 2015 ** Atomik Research Omnibus study of 2,000 people, 2015

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Rebirth of cool? With Milllenials now making up the majority of wine drinkers in the US, branding has taken a new direction and innovation has taken off

“

Brands give reassurance, whether you are spending £20 in a pub... or £150 in a top-end venue. A familiar brand makes parting with cash less of a gamble trade.inapub.co.uk

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Myth 2

‘Wine drinkers want to drink something a little different when they are out compared with at home’

Even if this were true — and I absolutely dispute that it is — aside from the stats I shared above, imagine if Gordon’s Gin or Heinz tomato ketchup, or any of the big lager brands, suddenly weren’t available in pubs any more because you can buy them in the supermarket? People wouldn’t know what to order, they’d be baffled.

And that’s because one of the reasons people like brands is because they can use them as a signpost.

It tells them what sort of pub this is (posh lager on tap = posh pub) and helps them navigate unfamiliar brands too. If the smallbatch, hyper-local, craft gin with a label that looked like a toddler put it on is £1.50 more per measure than the big brand on the Optic, ergo it is more premium.

Wine is no different. Indeed, there may be more of an argument for branded wines in this context, as most people find wine a very confusing category.

“It is also true that people are reassured

by branded wine,” explains Paul Lister, shopper insight manager at Pernod Ricard UK. “Our research shows they are a key factor in purchasing decisions: six out of 10 drinkers perceive branded wines to be good value for money in the on-trade, compared with non-branded alternatives.*” That’s the kind of reassurance you need if you are about to splash out £15 on a bottle of plonk.

Myth 3

‘I’ve got a young, hip customer base and they don’t like branded anything.

Or wine’

I would argue that even the craftiest of craft products is still a brand but, leaving that aside, if you want to stay ahead of the game, you need to start looking at your wine range now.

As highlighted in last month’s issue of Inapub, Millennials (18 to 35 year-olds) now make up the majority of wine drinkers in the US for the first time, according to the US Wine Market Council and, earlier this year, Restaurant magazine predicted that wine bars would become cool again.

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Top on-trade wine brands u v w x y z { | } ~

Jack Rabbit Stowells Hardys Blossom Hill Fetzer Echo Falls Maule Valley Tierra Footsteps Concha Y Toro Jacob’s Creek

Source: CGA Strategy to January 23, 2016

“

The last two or three years have seen some exciting developments.

There is clear evidence of innovation that has started with genuine customer insight 30

JULY 2016

p28-29-30 wine.indd 30

Wine producers and suppliers have also seen the potential of a more modern approach to branding, taking their cues from craft beer and spirits, with launches such as the Morgenrot Group’s Crash Wines range, Bone Orchard Malbec and Box Of Budgies Sauvignon Blanc from Crown Cellars, and 19 Crimes from Treasury Wine Estates.

“It’s an interesting time for innovation in wine,” says Treasury’s managing director for Europe, Dan Townsend.“For so long, innovation in the industry has been confined to launching a new varietal into a range, but the last two to three years have seen some exciting developments. There is clear evidence of innovation that hasn’t started in the vineyard but with genuine consumer insight.”

To this end, Treasury launched the aforementioned 19 Crimes and the Lindeman’s Gentleman’s Collection, both of which are aimed at Millennial males.

Away from the craft end of the market, “fruit wines” such Echo Falls Fruit Fusions, Gallo Spritz or even Jacob’s Creek Sun Craft range, are also making an impact with this demographic.

“Fruit wines are making inroads into the off-trade already,” says Amy Ledger, marketing manager at Continental Wine & Food. “Brands such as our Silver Bay Point Fruits are perfect served over ice in summer, mixed with lemonade or soda for a refreshing spritzer, or as the base for an array of deliciously fruity cocktails or pitchers.”

Myth 4

‘Even if wine brands might work in mainstream venues, they don’t have a place in my top-end pub’

Not the case at all, says Amy White, marketing director at Accolade Wines.

“A brand like Hardys offers a wine for every occasion, from the commercial/house wine level right up to the iconic Eileen Hardy and Thomas Hardy ranges, which are perfectly suited to top-end dining venues,” she says.

The success of a brand like Penfolds further boosts the argument — as Dan at brand-owner Treasury Wines points out: “If anything, our conversations about brands like Penfolds with top-end sommeliers can be more positive than those in more mainstream venues.

“We know brands give reassurance, whether you are spending £20 in a pub, £50 in a restaurant or £150 in a top-end venue. A familiar brand makes parting with cash less of a gamble.”

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eat I’m sure I am not the only one who hates those tourist menus abroad. Littered with dodgy, yellow tinted pictures of every meal as if nobody knows what an omelet looks like. If anything, they simply put you off ordering anything at all.

There is a place and a method when it comes to pictures of your food. If you can get it right on social media, you’ll find your new dish has gone viral, or your Instagram account suddenly gained 200 followers drooling over your menu.

Another thing for you to think about is video. As resident “multimedia” reporter at Inapub, I’m always out and about with my camera, and your food can look fantastic on film.

One particular pub I visited this month (see page 34-35)

with BRONYA SMOLEN made use of talent in the family to create a 30-second video, which has had thousands of hits on YouTube.

It’s simple, but it really gives customers a feel of the venue and the food. And there isn’t a tacky tourist menu in sight.

If you’ve got a smartphone then you’ve got a video camera.

Making even just a 10-second video of your chef serving up the daily special, or your favourite customer tucking into your signature dish, can go miles on social media.

I say get creative and see what happens, you’ve not got much to lose. And if you want some inspiration *shameless plug alert*, then head to our website and watch a few of our very own videos…

Superfood trends of 2016

Get your food safety right

Black pudding High in protein, iron, zinc, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Serve with a poached egg on top or with scallops in a salad of spinach leaves.

The trade was alerted to the potential consequences of lax food safety recently, when a restaurant owner was handed a six-year prison sentence for manslaughter by gross negligence.

Mohammed Zaman, 53, of The Indian Garden restaurant in Easingwold, North Yorkshire, was found to have substituted a cheaper ingredient containing peanut powder. This caused the death of a customer who had told staff about his allergy.

Dr Lisa Ackerley, food safety advisor at the British Hygiene Association (BHA) said: “Many businesses may be tempted to buy cheaper ingredients, but our message is ‘beware’ — you get what you pay for. Check your ingredients and be mindful of food fraud as substitutions and adulterated products can be dangerous. If it is too good to be true, then there is probably something wrong with it.”

Now, the BHA has launched its Industry Guide To Good Hygiene Practice: Catering 2016, to help foodservice operators everywhere avoid finding themselves in a similar situation.

Avocado oil High in oleic acid and vitamin E, and the fats in avocado oil can make you feel satisfied more quickly. Use in place of vegetable or olive oil.

Kelp Kelp has the highest natural concentration of calcium — ten times that of milk. Add to salads or soups, and to rice when cooking.

Bone broth Rich in collagen, chondroitin sulphate and glucosamine. Can help heal joints. Use as a base for soups and noodles.

Source:buyagift.com

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The guide will be available to download for £10, or as a hard copy for £16 from July 11. For more info visit www.bha.org.uk/industry-guide-good-hygiene-practice trade.inapub.co.uk

27/06/2016 11:55

Shell-on prawns

WHITE HORSE SEAFOOD PLATTER Fran Hartshorne, The White Horse Brancaster Staithe, Norfolk “The White Horse seafood platter is designed for two people to share, our customers eat it either as a starter or a main. It is very popular and diners get a real taste of what our coast has to offer.”

“We try to source all our seafood locally fished from our local coastline or surrounding area. We source locally smoked or cured products from Norfolk suppliers.”

Cromer crab “It is simply boiled and then dressed. This highlights the delicate flavours of the meat so well.

Garnish with a wedge of fresh lemon.”

“These are steamed, keeping the meat tender and succulent. They are then smoked at our sister establishment just down the road The Jolly Sailors smokehouse. They are given a light ‘smoke’ for about an hour and served simply with salt and lemon wedge.”

Smoked mackerel pâté “We pick down the smoked mackerel and then mix it with dill, horseradish and Greek yoghurt. This can be spread on the rye crisps and chargrilled sour dough — it is all about giving a mix of textures and flavours.”

Pacific rock oysters “We serve these natural with lemon to really show case them. They are actually harvested at the bottom of our car park”

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27/06/2016 16:10

Portugal with a pint

by BRONYA SMOLEN

Personal favourites Michael De Gouveia The Avon Brewery

“Ah, my grandmother’s pork chops. It’s two pork chops, fries and salad but most importantly this is about the sauce. It’s marinated in a vinegar wine and garlicky bay sauce. I love cooking it and I love people’s reactions. I’ve seen people literally sat there with the plate licking their fingers. My kids have always loved it, it was my favourite as a kid and now it’s becoming a favourite of some of my customers.”

Move over Glastonbury, and imagine a sandwich so popular it has its own festival. The Francesinha is a legendary sarnie from Portugal, and The Avon Brewery sees punters flock from far and wide to try theirs.

Michael De Gouveia, aka Mike, has been running the pub for nearly two years with his wife and kids. But he has been cooking the food of Portugal since he was six. He has personally transformed his corner of Salisbury into an outpost of authentic Portuguese food. But first, back to the sandwich...

A serious sandwich

“We call it the manwich,” says Mike.

“We have guys who come from army bases who’ve ordered 20 of them for lunch, then stuck around and ordered 20 of them again for dinner. It’s ham, bacon, cheese, chouriço (Portuguese chorizo) and steak, topped with more cheese and then secret beer sauce and a fried egg. It’s great for hangovers.”

An annual festival in Porto pays tribute to this gastronomic icon. It brings the best chefs together, so locals can sample different versions of the epic sandwich.

“Authentic Portuguese food in a traditional English pub” is the tagline. “I picked it up from my father. I love the seafood aspect of it, it’s hearty and full of taste. It’s my life and I think my passion comes through in my cooking.”

“The locals were not sure about the pub’s Portuguese concept at first, but then the food took off. When we first started we were 120 out of 203 on Trip Advisor, now we’re at number 12.” By contrast, Nandos is at number 107. You do the maths. He continues: “We are unique. I was making piri-piri chicken way before Nandos came along.

When we first got here we tried to maintain traditional pub lunches but now we stick to Portuguese because that is what is popular.”

Why compete in a town full of classic English pub food, when you could excel at the cuisine you know best? “I get requests from other diners, especially Portuguese people,” says Mike. “The Portuguese community here means I can ask ‘what do you want?’ We have a suckling pig coming up,

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eat.

The Avon Brewery

Salisbury, Wiltshire Opened: September 2014 Staff: 6 Entertainment: Rock ‘n’ roll bingo Online: www.avonbrewery.om

5

Authentic Portuguese dishes

Bacalhau Salt cod. This is eaten regularly in Portugal in different ways, such as baked with cream & potatoes.

Pastel de Nata The Portuguese custard tart. Each bakery in Portugal uses a slightly different “secret” recipe.

Caldo Verde A simple comfort food dish comprised of potato, onion, olive oil, kale & chouriço.

Cataplana A classic Portuguese stew often made with seafood & potatoes, served in a unique copper dish.

Pasteis de Bacalhau Cod fish cakes. These are a popular appetiser, traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve.

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which is very popular in Portugal.”

Some chefs might say they’d walk to the ends of the earth for the sake of their menu, but Mike really does (nearly). He regularly goes on walking holidays through Spain and Portugal to pick up menu ideas.

“Later this year I’m walking 500 miles from Lisbon to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. I walk eight hours a day, but you get to stop off the beaten track, visit restaurants and look at their menus. In this industry you need to get out and keep in touch with your roots and the type of food.”

For Mike, authenticity is key, so he looks to import the real deal from Portugal wherever he can. “We import things like pastel de nata, which is a very famous custard tart.

Also cod fishcakes, prawn rissoles, suckling pig rissoles, chouriço, cured meats, cheeses and a selection of wines.”

All this hard work and passion isn’t for nothing. Food sales are helping grow the pub’s takings by more than 20 per cent each month, and his dishes have received the seal of the approval from the hard-to-impress Portuguese community.

“Picture this”, says Mike. “There was a big Portuguese family who came in the other day, the father is at the end of the table eating one of my beef Espetatas (hanging skewers). “He turns and just says in a deep voice ‘this is good food’ and carries on. That is all I want to hear from a Portuguese guy!”

Pics: Josh Lynch josh@282video.co.uk

27/06/2016 12:02

Tool up your chefs

by BRONYA SMOLEN

Frima’s VarioCooking Centre Multificiency

Your kitchen is where the magic happens, and good kit can make all the difference. If you want to send your team into battle equipped to perform to their potential, here are some things to bear in mind.

Saving space

Evaluate exactly how much space you have to spare, so you can find an appropriate piece of kit. Adam Hill, commercial product manager at Burco Commercial, says: “Available space and expected capacity are key considerations.

Ensuring the model suits the needs of the food offering is paramount as the initial purchase of a new oven especially, is likely to be a substantial investment.” Get that tape measure out and get stuck in.

Future proofing

It will pay off to invest for the long term.

Rag Hulait, senior sales consultant at Monika, says: “Not only can future proofing help save on expensive refurbishments and refits in the short term but also lead to efficiencies and cost savings from the offset.” So make a list of priorities and spend your budget wisely.

Making it a design feature

With the current focus on authenticity giving rise to a trend for letting the customers see

Burco’s convection oven

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27/06/2016 12:11

eat.

Keep it efficient Whether it is a warewasher or an oven you’re buying, look out for the features that will help your business save on energy. Some things to look out for are: The volume that needs to be washed at peak periods Choose a warewasher with a capacity that meets the demands of your business.

The PT Warewasher from Winterhalter

Energy and watersaving features that will help lower running costs. Models with sophisticated filtration systems will keep the washwater “cleaner” for longer, so there’s less need to replenish it.

How will a new warewasher impact on the extraction / ventilation system? These days there are virtually steamfree models that require little or no extraction.

Easy, user-friendly operation will save time and help avoid staff error, especially if you employ temporary staff or those whose first language is not English.

The choice of detergents and rinse aids has a big impact on the quality of the wash results – for example, specialist formulae can help plastics dry more quickly

Don’t just stick to what you know Mark Hogan, marketing and sales manager of Foodservice Equipment Marketing (FEM) says: “If you’re buying replacement equipment it’s tempting to go for like-for-like, just for convenience. But it’s always worth considering what else is available.

Modern equipment is often easier to use, safer, more energy-efficient and more reliable.” Go on, try something new.

Multifunctional appliances Why buy four pieces of equipment when you could buy one? Graham Kille, managing director of Frima UK, says: “It means a smaller kitchen footprint and savings on extraction systems and overall running costs.”

My kitchen equipment John Calton, The Staith House, North Shields What do you look for in a dishwasher?

A dishwasher has to be a good, solid, chunky piece of kit, something that’s sturdy and can take a daily battering. At our place we have a Hobart. It cost £4k but it has never broken down yet, touch wood.

What is the biggest kitchen equipment disaster you’ve had?

I’ve had it all — explosions, total loss of power... But it has to be during my time as a commis chef in Jersey learning my trade. I worked in a large hotel and boiled over a large pan of cream — it set the sprinkler system off and 250 guests were evacuated into the street, some in dressing gowns, with curlers in their hair. Needless to say I wasn’t popular with my head chef at the time.

If you could invent a piece of kitchen equipment to solve your problems, what would it be?

Something which peels walnuts — a totally laborious task

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— and picks shell out of crab meat, it’s so time-consuming and painstakingly boring.

Do you have a favourite knife?

Mac Santoku — very versatile.

It’s like a loyal labrador, it never lets me down.

What piece of equipment could your kitchen not do without?

A walk-in fridge — somewhere to hide the dead bodies of kitchen porters who weren’t fast, clean and organised but also, as our kitchen is very small with limited storage, the fridge gives essential storage to our fresh meat and fish. Oh, and our chef de partie Victor. The lad’s a machine, we couldn’t do without him.

27/06/2016 12:11

into the kitchen, functionality is no longer the only consideration.

Armend Aljo is operations manager at Oakman Inns, owner of 14 pubs including The Navigation Inn in Cosgrove, Northamptonshire. He says:“We recognised our menu was going to focus on home-cooked food with a Mediterranean influence, everything from fresh pizza and pasta through to an array of fish, meat and sharing platters.

“The design for The Navigation featured an open-plan kitchen, allowing our chefs to demonstrate their skill and allowing the customer to interact with the cooking process. We like to be honest with the customer and as a result we needed equipment that would do the job but look good too. This is where Jestic, a company we had worked closely with many times before, came in. Helping us to spec and design the kitchen layout, we purchased a Josper Charcoal Oven, a Wood Stone woodfired pizza oven and a Henny Penny Fryer.”

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Cooking on Falcon Foodservice Equipment’s F900 chrome griddle

27/06/2016 12:12

Steps to starting your own pub business Enterprise Inns is searching for chefs and professional cooks who dream of running their own business.

From TV chef Tom Kerridge and the acclaimed Dominic Chapman, to the on-trend Oxford Blue Smoke House which does a roaring trade serving American-style barbecue food, Enterprise works with some of the top food operators in the UK. Matt Ralphs, Recruitment Marketing Manager at Enterprise, said: “We’ve got some fantastic buildings in great locations with the right demographics. We’re looking for entrepreneurs who can cook – we can offer a lot of support for all other areas of running a pub.”

Jack Baker, who has been a chef for 18 years in various outlets from fine dining restaurants to traditional pubs, had always wanted to run his own restaurant, and it was his partnership with Enterprise that enabled him to realise his dream.

He now runs the Castle Inn at Bradway in Sheffield. He said: “My business partner and I are both chefs so we’d run kitchens before, but we didn’t have the knowledge or experience of running a pub.”

Enterprise has been very supportive and helped us set up from scratch. They helped with everything from the website to the complete re-design of the pub. They gave us training on cellar management, advertising, profit and loss and accountancy, as well as general management, so we knew what we were doing.

For Jack, the biggest challenge was finding the right venue, but this was also something Enterprise was able to help with. “If you know the style of food you want to serve and the type of venue you want, Enterprise will put a shortlist together for you,” he said.

“This was the first pub we saw and we fell in love with it straight away. We worked with our Regional Manager who gave us loads of ideas and helped through the whole process, and we’ve ended up with a cracking business.”

Jack took over in February and said it’s the best thing he’s ever done.

The pub is now drawing in the crowds who are enjoying his vision – which includes a snug room and a lounge area in addition to an open kitchen which makes flat bread pizzas to order, a chicken rotisserie and barbecue outside, alongside a Pimms area on the decking.

Matt added: “Many outlets being run by chefs are hugely successful and are outperforming the competition. There is a real opportunity here when you consider that quality food is a key reason why consumers go back to a venue.”

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We’d love to recruit more chefs who share Jack’s passion and want to run their own pub business.

If you have the skills in the kitchen, we can help with the front of house.

Any chefs interested in running their own pub business should contact the recruitment team on 0800 953 0072 or visit enterpriseinns.com/run-a-pub

22/06/2016 10:34

The write stuff

by HUGH THOMAS

“

A well-written menu conveys expertise, shared with warmth and generosity — the essence of hospitality

40 JULY 2016

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Hand people a description of your food and some will skim through it, while others will digest the thing from top to bottom.

Question is, what makes a menu a well-written one?

What whets the appetite without overindulging the reader’s senses before they’ve even tucked in?

Look at some of the country’s best gastropubs (the Michelin-starred Sportsman near Whitstable in Kent, The Marksman in east London) and you will see — perhaps surprisingly — their menus leave as much to the imagination as possible.

Copywriters such as Becca Magnus — the co-founder of food, drink and lifestyle agency Swift & Magnus — will tell you menus are as much an advertisement for a pub as they are an explanation of its food offering.

“When

they research your pub, people will go on your website, look at your menu and judge whether they want to come based on it,” Becca says. “A well-written menu conveys expertise, shared with warmth and generosity — the essence of hospitality. It’s a pub’s first chance to truly make an impression on diners, so it’s important to get it right.”

Keep it real

Neil Taylor, creative director of copywriting agency The Writer, agrees. “Not everything has to be grass-fed or pan-fried or handtickled or French. People go to a pub for something that feels real, so call a burger a burger, not a hambourgeois in a brioche bun on a bed of lettuce with tomato coulis.”

One thing that should be elaborated on, however, is locality. “If you’re proud of your sourcing,” says food and drink copywriter William Thomas, “then by all means declare certain items where relevant, but try to stick to one or, if it’s absolutely essential to a main, two named ingredients where you feel it adds something to a dish.”

But terroir and locality don’t count for much if you lack an effective and appealing way of communicating them. As Neil points out, “people will warm to you if you can write even the allergy advice like you write the rest of the menu – you don’t have to sound like a health and safety inspector. Byron, for example, organise their wines into categories of ‘good’, ‘better’ and ‘great’, which feels down-to-earth, like them.”

While this is a great way for customers to get a sense of a pub from its menu, they can be turned off in an instant — whatever you’re offering them — by overzealous use of platitudes.

“Avoid clichés at all times,” says William.

“Follow Ramsay’s Law and keep your menu short,” Neil says. “It looks like you’ve thought

trade.inapub.co.uk 27/06/2016 12:24

eat.

Steven Smith

“

Chef-patron, The Freemasons, Wiswell, Lancashire

Keep your menu short. It looks like you’ve thought about the right dishes to include. And it might be dark and your customers tipsy

What’s your formula for your menu?

The number one factor is seasonality. After that it’s about ensuring there’s something for every taste and budget.

Has your menu gone through a process of evolution since the pub started out?

Without doubt. When we began, we were first and foremost a pub, and throughout our development we’ve grown into a place that offers the best gastronomic experience, where guests can feel as relaxed as they would at home.

Details are best used sparingly, so why the odd “duck fat” and “slow-cooked” descriptions?

The details are there to convey the quality, undoubtedly. The produce and its origin, along with the techniques we use in the kitchen, are things we’re proud of and

about the right dishes to include. And it might be dark and your customers tipsy.” lunc bites sunshi And while ne 22°c h ricotta, crab pe rouille soup sage & a, mint, some people hate qv ap & crou escarole e r it iv tons 5 o 9 loquat radishes bellini clichés, others, sm oked & anch ovy 5.5 9.5 sandw eel ich grilled like Becca, deplore 9.5 ogle sandw shield ich 5.5 spelling mistakes.

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Get graphic

The same goes for presentation — William implores publicans to “never use Clipart”, while Becca sug-

want the customer to know about. We do mean the diner to be informed without being intimidated.

gests “working with local graphic designers and illustrators, if you have the budget, to get a menu which really feels unique to your pub and your area”.

Like in most things, people appreciate originality, but when you’re really stuck for ideas, look at who’s doing it well. Becca points to London restaurant Quo Vadis’s menu, saying: “Great design. Printed every day fresh, it has the weather, which I think is a lovely touch.”

Lovely though it may be, Bombay café chain Dishoom has the menu she wishes she’d written. “There’s just enough copy to explain choices to diners in an informal, conversational tone. If pubs wrote like this they would sell more stuff, for sure.”

So a good menu imparts a relaxed tone, in the right language and with killer details. But as William says, and perhaps most importantly of all: “Remember you’re a pub. You’re about people, characters, conviviality. Don’t shy away from expressing your pub’s personality. This is what customers respond to.”

JULY 2016

41

27/06/2016 12:24

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27/06/2016 12:58

l s

This season, we have more Premier League games across more days of the week. That means more customers, staying longer, and spending more

Finbar Holian, Landlord The Claddagh Ring, Hendon Showing Sky Sports for the 25th year

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23/06/2016 12:58 10:09 27/06/2016

play with MATT ELEY There are certain dates every year that jump out at you.

Christmas and the day of the week it falls on, various Saints days depending on which ones work for you and National Talk Like a Pirate Day… ok, well maybe not the last one.

You can add another one to that list this year – Sunday July 10. Not only should this be a glorious mid-summer day with blazing sunshine and packed beer gardens but it also has three sporting events that could all attract different clientele.

Petrol heads will be keen to watch the British Grand Prix at 1pm. While Lewis Hamilton is hopefully on the way to

victory the Wimbledon’s Men’s singles final will be served up on the BBC. That in itself could provide enough drama for the day but at 8pm there’s the small matter of the Euro 2016 Final.

So, in theory pubs could be celebrating a British Grand Prix Victory, Andy Murray doing it for Scotland and the rest of the nation, and England (or Wales or Northern Ireland) topping the day off by winning the Euros.

OK, so all of those happening perhaps seems a little fanciful. But either way it is a day that pubs should be well prepared for.

LET’S TAKE THIS OUTSIDE HospitalityGEM’S research shows what pub customers want from their outdoor experience

39%

expect a children’s play area

32%

Want music played through loudspeakers

37%

would be more inclined to eat outside if they could order via an app

44

JULY 2016

p44-15 play intro.indd 44

trade.inapub.co.uk 27/06/2016 16:28

British Grand Prix

Start your engines those boy racers are back in town for the glamour of the British Grand Prix. Can Lewis bring it home?

Sunday, July 10, 1pm, Sky Sports, C4

Wimbledon Finals

The women and men grace Centre Court at the end of Wimbledon fortnight that will no doubt see a smiling Novak Djokovic clutching that famous trophy.

Saturday July 9 – Sunday July 10, 1pm, BBC

Let me entertain you Michael Goss, The Appleby Inn, Swadlincote, Derbyshire

Happening this month Euro 2016 Final

You never know, England might have avoided the misery of a penalty defeat and could actually be playing in their first major final for 50 years. OK, by the time you read this you do know, but it should be a decent game anyway.

Sunday, July 10, 8pm BBC & ITV

The Open Championship

Zach Johnson was the surprise winner at St Andrews last year but who will take the crown at Royal Troon. On Sky for the first time this year.

Thursday July 14 — Sunday July 17, Sky Sports

Imbibe Live

One of the best trade shows for pubs, bars and their teams returns to London’s Olympia.

Monday July 4 — Tuesday July 5, 10am-5pm

World Chocolate Day

Just thinking about this makes us drool like Homer Simpson. Hmmmmm chocolate.

Thursday July 7

The family who run the freehouse hotel and pub are celebrating 30 years in business this year and to celebrate they are taking a trip down memory lane.

Rooms around the hotel have already been adorned with photos from years gone by and customers are in for some meals to remember too.

Michael Goss runs the business with dad John and his grandfather Adrian who originally bought it with his wife Alma. Michael explains: “We are highlighting dishes on the menu that have been here all of the time, including the homemade steak pie and the lasagne bolognese.

“The chef Lee is also bringing back some old classics including basket meals.”

To accompany the dishes customers can enjoy Appleby Anniversary Ale, which has been brewed especially for the pub. The food should be familiar to some of the customers who have been at the pub as long as the family.

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27/06/2016 12:47

Big with bikers

by MATT ELEY

Harley and me: the Green Man has tapped into its customers’ love of all things two-wheeled

On Sundays at The Green Man it can be a case of two wheels good, four wheels bad when it comes to TV sport.

To the surprise of landlord Matt Feeney, the pub, in Willington, Derbyshire, has built up a steady income stream from a Moto GP fan base.

Matt, who has been running the Punch Taverns pub under a Falcon retail agreement since November, says: “We have Sky and BT Sport as part of the deal with Punch, which is one of the benefits. We thought ‘what is different about BT?’ and, as well as the Champions League, the Moto GP stood out.

“We had a lot of customers with bikes, so we put it on the first Sunday and about 20 people turned up. There were more in for that than for the football, so it stayed on the main screen.”

Crowd-puller

And it has continued to grow ever since, becoming one of the biggest draws for live sport at the pub. “I thought there’s no way this will work — people will watch the F1 but not the Moto GP,” Matt says. “But I gave it a try and it’s growing — we now get between 20 and 30 and it’s a mix of men and women.”

One of the benefits of Moto GP is that with three races over a weekend (Moto GP, Moto 2 and Moto 3) there is a sustained period of trading for licensees.

Matt says it is also less predictable than Formula 1, which the pub also screens.

However, the fantasy league the pub runs for the motorbikes probably wouldn’t

MOTO GP RACES 2016 SUNDAY JUNE 26 Dutch Grand Prix SUNDAY JULY 17 German Grand Prix SUNDAY AUGUST 14 Austrian Grand Prix SUNDAY AUGUST 21 Czech Republic Grand Prix SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 4 British Grand Prix SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11 San Marino Grand Prix SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 25 Aragon Grand Prix SUNDAY OCTOBER 16 Japanese Grand Prix SUNDAY OCTOBER 23 Australian Grand Prix SUNDAY OCTOBER 30 Malaysian Grand Prix SUNDAY NOVEMBER 13 Valencia Grand Prix

1pm 1pm 1pm 1pm 3.30pm 1pm 1pm 6am 6am 7am 1pm

Moto GP is broadcast on BT Sport

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27/06/2016 12:54

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22/06/2016 13:06

Pic: Diego Sideburns

Green Man

Willington, Derbyshire Staff: 12 Style: Community local Ownership: Punch Taverns Falcon retail agreement Turnover: £12-13k p/w Online: greenmanwillington.com

A Moto to live by: landlord Matt Feeney has turned showing motorcycle racing into a point of difference

“

I thought there’s no way this will work — people will watch the F1 but not the Moto GP. But I gave it a try and it’s growing

48

translate well to Formula 1.

He continues: “We started a fantasy league, which is running through the entire season. Everyone pays £3 each week and they choose a rider in each race. You get more crashes and engine blows, so it is not as predictable as F1 and the favourites do not always win.

“Whatever they score in the race, you score in the league. The top three will share the pot at the end of the season. It’s been popular but we will refine it next year so we have weekly winners rather than yearly.”

He also describes bikers as a passionate and loyal crowd, which has helped bring in people from further afield.

Biker-friendly

The pub promotes itself as biker-friendly on its Facebook page, which has attracted custom from various motorbike groups.

To further cement the pub’s link with the world of two-wheeled sport, Matt and around 20 regulars recently went on a trip to Donnington to watch the World Superbikes Championship.

All in all it has seen Moto GP become the secondmost popular sport in the pub, behind football — and the bikes are even more popular

than some of the less high-profile Premier League games.“They stay in the afternoon to watch the football afterwards. It has been a focal point for the pub because word gets around,” Matt adds.

The success of Moto GP has been one of many at the pub. Matt also runs The Malt in Aston on Trent but the Green Man is his first retail agreement. The deal allows Matt to take home a percentage of the turnover rather than paying for costs such as beer, rent and TV sport. “Initially I wasn’t interested but when I looked at the way they have done it, it really appealed and it has gone very well,” Matt says. In fact turnover has doubled since he took the pub over, and it is no small thanks to trying new things such as Moto GP. BT Sport’s director of commercial customers Bruce Cuthbert adds: “A number of licensees are tapping into this fastgrowing sport, which enjoys a dedicated and enthusiastic fan base.

Don’t assume your customers won’t be interested, ask them or better still put it on and see what response you get.

Publicans should look at Moto GP as they would any other sport and advertise the race schedule as they would football fixtures, in the pub or via social media.”

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22/06/2016 13:08

Premier League 12 preparations

by MATT ELEY

Yes the cricket season is still in full swing and not everyone is back from the Euros yet, but the Premier League will be returning before you know it. Here are 12 things you can do to be ready 1

Remember there’s more to see

The Premier League is a known crowdpleaser and this year there are more games than ever being broadcast. There will be 168 in total, with 126 on Sky and 42 on BT Sport.

2

Spurs will be hoping to reprise their new-found role as title challengers while Man Utd will be hoping the Mourinho era brings a restoration to former glories

Tap into that Friday feeling

The football weekend is starting earlier, with 10 games this season kicking off on Friday evenings. These will be shown on Sky. In fact, with Monday night football, the league weekend is fast becoming a week…

3

Tune in to BT Sport on Saturday evenings

The early evening game on Saturdays (5.30pm) will now be the BT Sport slot. In previous years the majority of its coverage has focused on Saturday lunchtime fixtures.

Sky has retained the Sunday and Monday night matches.

4

Check the fixtures

5

See what discounts are available

6

Get them in early

Fixtures were released last month so you can already have a guess at what games will be screened. Keep an eye out for the broadcasters’ announcement on this later this month.

You have to pay for the privilege of screening the Premier League but discounts are available. BT Sport has linked up with Heineken and Sky has a similar deal with Molson Coors. Check with your suppliers to see what’s available.

Research by Carling — the official beer of the Premier League — shows that on average football fans arrive at the pub 19 minutes before a game and leave 30

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27/06/2016 13:25

Will Arsenal watch another title slip tantalisingly out of reach? The Gunners face Liverpool on the opening day, Tottenham on November 5, Man United on November 19 and Man City on December 17

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27/06/2016 13:25

Leicester, champions seriously.

Will this season produce another remarkable story?

minutes after the final whistle. Their average spend is £17.29, so do what you can to get them to come in earlier, stay longer and boost that figure.

7

“

Do deals

Offers of your own are one way to keep them in, according to Donna Pisani, trade communications manager at CocaCola European Partners. She says: “Drinks offers are often the best way to incentivise people to stay in a pub or bar for longer, and ‘early-bird’ discounts for those arriving before the action begins could be effective. With sporting events taking place mid-week as well as over the weekend, consumers may increasingly turn to soft-drink choices, offering licensees an opportunity to maximise sales.”

the season) to lift the trophy. Can they do it again or will the big boys get their act together this year?

10

… but remember the drama off the pitch

11

Play with the big boys

With Jose Mourinho going to Manchester United, Pep Guardiola over the road at City and Antonio Conte joining Chelsea, the cast of managers is almost as exciting as the players. When you add Klopp, Wenger, Ranieri and Pochettino to the mix, the news conferences and post match interviews could generate as much interest as the fixtures themselves.

Your local team will draw the punters in but the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal always attract a crowd. Alison Dolan, deputy managing director of Sky Business, says: “The Premier League is the only competition that gives pubs the opportunity to show English teams throughout the season from August to May and therefore make more money. Sky Sports showed 85 matches involving the top seven finishers last season and 75 involving Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United, bringing its customers the biggest matches week in, week out.”

forget: football is king 33 per cent of 8 Don’t There’s no getting away from it, footpub-goers say ball is still the national game and the stats prove it. Alpesh Mistry, UK customer marketthey regularly ing director at Molson Coors, says: “33 per cent of pub-goers say they regularly choose choose the pub the pub to watch sports, with football reeling in the biggest crowds (17 per cent). This is to watch sports, substantially higher than other sports such as rugby league (11 per cent) and tennis with football (nine per cent). As we head to the new Premier League Season, this represents a reeling in the great opportunity for pubs.” biggest crowds 9 Focus on the story on 12 the pitch…

Last year was the most incredible season in the Premier League’s history, with Leicester defying the odds (5,000/1 at the start of

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Make use of pub finders

By screening live sport with Sky Sports or BT Sport, you will be listed on their apps that tell fans where the games are on, giving you greater reach to the public.

trade.inapub.co.uk 27/06/2016 16:30

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE RISING STAR

Service with the skills

Celebrity chef Colin McGurran, the focus of our Rising Star series in partnership with HEINEKEN, runs a fine dining restaurant as well as the Hope & Anchor pub in South Ferriby, North Lincolnshire, so he understands the importance of quality. In this month’s instalment we see how HEINEKEN’s free training is helping Colin and his team deliver pint perfection.

Boosting customer satisfaction

“I know from running the restaurant that it’s the little details that make all the difference to a customer’s experience,” says Colin.

“When you’ve made a bit of an effort to come out for the night the last thing you want is a grumpy barperson plonking a warm pint of beer, which is dripping with foam, down in front of you and calling it service.”

While he does plenty of in-house training himself, particularly around food, Colin admits beer isn’t his specialist subject and so his team has been a grateful recipient of HEINEKEN’s Pint Perfection training.

Last month they convened for their latest session with one of HEINEKEN’s globally accredited Draught Masters. Staff learned all about how beer is made, glassware management and waste reduction, as well as perfect serve training. They also took the “three pint challenge”, to demonstrate the difference in taste between a badly, and a perfectly, poured pint.

Learning is fun

Some 15 key members of the Hope & Anchor team attended the training session, all of whom reported they had enjoyed the experience and found it very useful. “It was witty and humorous, so very engaging,” explains Colin.

“And it wasn’t confined just to HEINEKEN brands

either, it was much more of a category approach.

“I think the team most enjoyed learning about the history of beer and how it is made, and it has already paid off. They are now very competitive about the quality of the pints they are serving and their confidence has increased a lot.”

HEINEKEN’s category and trade marketing director, Andrew Turner says…

“At HEINEKEN, we want to help our customers grow, by encouraging more consumers to come into the on-trade, more often and spend more when they do. Impressing consumers with quality pints time and again is a large part of that – after all, the only reason consumers buy a second pint is the quality of the first. Ultimately it’s important for licensees to ensure their bar staff are properly trained, so that customers receive the excellent drinking experience they expect, driving more value for the outlet, every time. Our Draught Masters are highly qualified, to global HEINEKEN standards, and through our Pint Perfection training can help licensees make sure their staff are consistently delivering high-quality pints to their customers.”

Please go to www.online.heineken.co.uk or contact your HEINEKEN Sales Manager for more information

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ASK THE EXPERTS A member of staff isn’t performing, how do I let them go?

“

It’s one of those jobs that nobody wants to do but is an almost inevitable consequence of running your own business.

There may not be a good way of telling somebody they no longer have a job but there are some ways of making it more bearable for you, the person in question and the rest of your team.

In the first in a new series we ask our experts their opinions.

Generally only employees who have been employed for two years or more can bring an unfair dismissal claim Martin Price

Martin Price is an employment lawyer and partner at Knights1759. For more visit www.knights1759.co.uk “To protect your business from the risk of a successful tribunal claim I would suggest the following approach.

First, check the employee’s length of service. Generally only employees who have been employed for a continuous period of two years or more can bring an unfair

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dismissal claim. If you’ve inherited staff when you took on the business be careful, their employment with a previous employer may count towards the two-year period.

If the employee has less than two years’ service you could be more relaxed in your approach, but you must be careful because if the employee can link the dismissal to an element of discrimination, the two-year rule won’t apply.

Best practice would be to follow the following procedure in all cases: You must have adequate evidence of incompetence. Appraisals, supervisors’ views, customer complaints and complaints from colleagues may all provide evidence.

You should then hold an informal meeting at which you tell the employee where they are falling short, the improvement required, a reasonable timeframe to improve and the consequences of a failure to improve.

If no satisfactory improvement is forthcoming a first formal meeting should be held. The employee must be informed of the improvement required, be given a reasonable time in which to achieve it and be warned of the consequences of a failure to improve.

The next stage would be a second formal meeting. This takes the same form as the first but the consequences of a failure to improve — dismissal — must be made clear.

Finally if no satisfactory improvement is forthcoming, then you may move to dismiss by giving the employee their contractual notice. This decision must be recorded in writing and the employee must be given the right to appeal.

You will also need to consider whether the employee may be capable of fulfilling an alternative role.

The ACAS website, www.acas.org.uk provides further handy hints.

Remember act in haste, repent at leisure, it may be costly.

trade.inapub.co.uk 27/06/2016 13:57

Despite weeks of intensive training, Janet still hadn’t mastered the microwave

“

If someone is not performing, we take every step to help them. If this doesn’t work then at the next stage we would consider their future in the business

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Ashley McCarthy

Former BII Licensee of the Year Ashley McCarthy and his wife Kelly are the freeholders at Ye Old Sun Inn in Colton, North Yorkshire. They have run the pub for 12 years and have a team of around 25 people.

“If someone is not performing the first thing we do is take every step to help them. This will include encouragement, training and regular conversations about why they may be struggling. If this doesn’t work then at the next stage we would consider their future in the business.

You have to do everything by the book and make sure you have had disciplinaries, and documented everything. If they are not

performing and you get to the stage when you have to let them go for the good of the business, you must have valid reasons and you need to be able to justify your decision with documented evidence. Initially, don’t get other staff involved but you may need to get statements from them at a later stage.

We have contracts and job descriptions for everyone. If the role changes these are updated in agreement with the member of staff. They have to know what is expected of them in their role.

Some people try to manage staff out but you have to be careful that you are not liable for constructive dismissal. If you are taken down that path it is awful for everyone involved, including the wider team. It is also a process that goes on forever. It happened to us but we had done everything by the book.”

Got a question

on a problem you face when running a pub?

Email editorial@inapub.co.uk and we will find the best people to get you an answer

JULY 2016

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Pursuing perfection Next Generation is sponsored by

When Chris and Carmel Williams decided to enter the pub trade, it was partly based on a desire to see more of their children. But busy trade and long hours meant it didn’t quite work out that way in the beginning.

Supported by Carmel was a social worker, while Chris’s daily commute to his logistics job in London meant he didn’t see as much of the family as he would have liked. After a period of planning, pondering and making projections, the couple took the plunge and signed a five-year tenancy with Charles Wells to run the Chandos Arms in Weston

Turville, Buckinghamshire. Chris, 33, said they had been conservative in their projections for the business and what they hadn’t foreseen was the level of trading the pub attracted from the off.

“We knew that to start with we would have to put in a lot of hours but it was far harder than I thought it would be.

“We did a five-year forecast and we were hitting year-four projections straight away.

This meant we were massively understaffed and the processes that needed to be done were left.”

This, initially, led to the couple putting in 18-hour days and the family not getting the attention they had envisioned.

Over time, they recruited a good team and now, two-and-a-half years in, they are seeing double-digit growth, while managing to achieve a work-life balance.

To help them see the wood from the trees, they try to step back from the business and attend events such as Inapub’s Next Generation, which is designed to help new licensees and managers making their way in the world of pubs.

Chris continues: “I sometimes need a push to get out but it is always worth it. If we can take one or two things from an event, it’s worth it. Next Gen in London was really good, especially brand-building expert Mark McCulloch. His advice on how you look at your business, its values and ethics was really helpful.”

Inspiring ‘awesome’ values

Right: They’re smiling now, but running The Chandos Arms was tough at first for Chris and Carmel

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The values are already being applied at The Chandos, where Chris shows me the guidebook he has designed for staff to understand the standards he wants them to attain. Photographs taken around the pub show “what is awesome” and what isn’t.

The couple plan to use this passion and pursuit of perfection – along with

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Above: The Chandos Arms places great emphasis on customer service and the training and retention of staff

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Chris’s logistical skills — to eventually become multi-site operators.

They will seek to replicate what they have already achieved at The Chandos which, in many ways, is typical of a successful modern pub: food plays an important role; the owners place great emphasis on customer service and the retention and development of staff; there is an eclectic customer base that changes throughout the day and various events are run to keep guests entertained.

Be part of the Next Generation

The second Next Generation event will be held at the award-winning Rain Bar in Manchester on Tuesday, September 13. There will be a host of expert speakers to help new licensees and managers with aspirations of taking on their own business develop their careers. It will also be a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and share experiences.

Spaces are limited so, to express your interest in attending, and to receive Next Gen updates email nextgen@inapub.co.uk

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One of these, a Bank Holiday music event, The Chandos Fest, brought in double an average week’s takings, but the couple are already working on improvements so that a second event in August can be even more successful.

It will be pushed out on social media — which is another element of the modern pub game that they have embraced.

Adapt or die

While running pubs presents constant challenges, Chris says he is happy he took the chance to become part of the Next Generation of licensees.

“A lot of people who have been running pubs for a long time say there’s no money in it any more but, for me, that’s not the case.

Customers are just more selective.

“The days of 50 men drinking in the pub all night has gone. Lifestyle and attitudes change but it amazes me how many places don’t offer good service or utilise the free tools available to them.

“There’s a phrase in business ‘you adapt or die’, and that is absolutely true.”

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back-bar business

Social media master

by ROLAND ELLISON

“

When looking at your goals, think about what you’ll need in terms of technology and skills to make them a reality

So you’ve set up a Facebook page and maybe even a Twitter account, and you’ve tried a few things on them with varying degrees of success. So now what?

How are you going to continue to use these free marketing channels most effectively to bring people through the doors? Here are some ideas to help you maximise the potential of social media.

1 Who First, identify the different types of customer you’d like to see more of in your pub: is it office workers who come in for lunch, students on week nights or the mums who like a coffee in the afternoon?

Think about them in more detail. How old are they? Where are they from? What times of day are they most likely to visit the pub?

Then think about the tone of voice and type of information that would appeal to them.

and when 2 Where Once you have your target audience in mind, think about when they are most likely to be looking at their phones and planning their leisure time.

Most will be on Facebook, so that should be your default marketing channel. Have a look for specific groups dedicated to the type of people you are looking for. For example, there could be a mums’ “Buy and Sell” group on Facebook you could reach them through.

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For younger crowds, check local search terms to see what hashtags people are using on Twitter and Instagram. What about office or homeworkers groups on LinkedIn — are there local networks people use to share information, promote local events and connect with one another? Check the social feeds of your competitors to see who they are engaging with online. It shouldn’t take too long to dig around and find out where your target market is spending its time online.

USP 3 Your Have a think about what your pub has on offer that day that no-one else in the area can provide. What sets you apart from the rest? Does your garden suit a sunny afternoon, or is your quiz night the ideal winter warmer for a cold evening? Can you tie your messaging in with local news, events or even the weather?

Once you have this in mind, it’s much easier to come up with a plan of action as to how best to time your social media posts for maximum impact.

goals 4 Establishing Now you’ve done your research you should be in a good position to set clear goals as to what you want your social media channels to help you achieve.

Whether you want to boost trade at certain times of the day/week, attract a specific customer type or push a particular product or service, make sure you are clear as to how social media will help you achieve this.

Are you looking to increase the number of “likes” from local people on your Facebook page? Or are you looking to register more engagement from your posts?

With a clear set of attainable social media goals committed to paper, they can be adapted and made more ambitious as and when they need to be.

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Captive audience: almost everyone is on Facebook these days, so it should be the default marketing channel for your venue

objectives 5 Setting When looking at your goals,

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think about what you’ll need in terms of technology and skills to make them a reality.

Do you have all the right kit in terms of your camera phone for taking photos and video? Free photo editing software like PicMonkey.com can be useful for adding a few words of copy to an image to give it more impact.

As your social media footprint expands, you might want to look at how social media management tools like SocialConnect, Hootsuite or Tweetdeck can help you manage the timing of multiple posts across different channels.

If you’re not confident with digital technology, perhaps there’s someone on your team who would be better suited to take

charge of your social media accounts.

You can go through the strategy of what you want to achieve together, and then empower them to execute it for your pub.

your strategy 6 Executing Whether you’re writing posts yourself or have entrusted someone else to do it, make sure you agree on the style, tone and the timing of posts so they clearly align with your overall strategy, tone of voice, target market and the ambition of your business.

With these key points addressed and objectives set, you should have a much clearer view of where you want to be in terms of the social media presence of your pub and a good indication of what you need to do to get there.

For further social media support or a new website for your pub, visit

www.inapub.co.uk JULY 2016

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27/06/2016 16:35

time at the bar

PLATE OR SLATE? Where the nation’s publicans stand on the really big questions Stevie Mulgrave

The Duke of Edinburgh Brixton, London As part of his role as general manager of the Duke of Edinburgh in Brixton, Stevie gets to make use of one of South London’s biggest beer gardens, where he serves customers a “fine range of ale and cask beer on rotation” and “unpretentious pub classics” from the kitchen — but no bacon in vases. Ever.

Plate or slate?

Dress up or dress down?

I once had an assistant manager who thought it would be a good idea to serve bacon from a vase. It wasn’t for me. I like a plate and actually think it’s a bit weird when you start serving things on something that’s supposed to be on your roof.

Dress down. We’ve a relaxed policy here and because we’ve such a big beer garden it’s a lot of jeans. You can always tell the people who are going on somewhere else because they are more dressed up.

Cocktails or cask ale?

Here we do cask ale but I come from a cocktail background, so this one’s a bit difficult to decide. It’s too busy to do cocktails here really, though we do jugs in the summer – white sangria, Pimm’s as well as some of our own concoctions.

Apple Pay, for sure. Around 80 per cent of our sales here are on cards. I want to get that up even higher, and contactless pay is even better because it’s so quick. I’ve seen some pop-ups that don’t even take cash any more, it’s all by card, so things are only going to move more and more that way.

Wellies or heels?

Pork scratchings or Michelin stars?

Well, appearances can be deceptive because from the outside this pub looks like it would be wellies but come in here on the weekend and it’s definitely heels.

I’m sitting on the fence for this one. We don’t want to go away from our roots, and there are always bar snacks available, but people do come here for the food. So, although we don’t have a Michelin star we definitely push ourselves in terms of our food quality.

Karaoke or pub quiz?

I don’t like either! I don’t mind a pub quiz, to be honest, because at least everyone can get involved and it’s not too intrusive. But I don’t like turning up to a bar and somebody who can’t even sing is screaming into a microphone.

Cash or Apple Pay?

Uniforms or whatever you like?

Whatever you like! It’s a relaxed atmosphere here and I think that should extend to the staff as well. I’m wearing shorts today.

Family-friendly or keep the kids at home?

Kids are allowed until 7pm but it gets a bit busy after that, so we’d prefer to keep it to adults in the evening.

Book in advance or find a seat when you get here?

I think it’s nice for large parties or for a special occasion to be able to book in advance but I don’t want customers to walk in and find every seat is reserved. So, in the garden especially, we keep it to about 40 per cent booked and the rest is a free-for-all.

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27/06/2016 14:47

P U N E H S E R TIME TO F TA

O N ?

E G N A R R YOU

NE W To start stocking please call:

08453 710 199 @CrownCellarsUK www.crowncellarswines.co.uk

Exclusively available to the On-Trade through Crown Cellars ad page2.indd 61

27/06/2016 16:40

time at the bar Staff at The Horse and Groom in Writtle, Essex, have got their hands dirty to raise more than £1,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

The managers from the pub took part in the Adrenaline Rush 5km obstacle course in Stratford. Pub workers braved a barbed wire crawl, monkey bars, zip wires and a gunge tank.

Tom Odell, general manager of the pub, said: “Myself and my team would like to thank everyone who has donated and sponsored us this year. We look forward to a new challenge next year.”

Tom is pictured with Sam Northfield, Daisy Brewster, Caroline Poole and Scott Bolwer from the pub’s management team.

THE COLLECTION TIN What pubs around the country are doing to help good causes Foodservice potato supplier Aviko raised £500 for Coeliac UK during Coeliac Awareness Week in May. The company donated £2 for every follow and retweet on its Twitter account throughout the week. It also launched a guide called Top Tips for Gluten-Free Out-Of-Home, which contains tips, facts and recipe ideas.

Greene King has made a splash by cutting water costs by £900,000 — the equivalent of 304 million pints. The business worked with independent water management consultancy Waterscan to make its water consumption more efficient.

Watch out Gregg Wallace! The Sun Inn in Basingstoke, Hampshire, is running a MasterChef-style competition with the local college to hunt for talent. Three young contestants will cook for 30 guests, who will vote on their favourite dish and pay what they deem it worth. Money raised will go to Basingstoke’s Ark Cancer Centre Charity. Greene King purchasing manager Gavin Worthington said: “This project was an important part of our corporate social responsibility programme.

The Sandmartin in Chafford Hundred, Essex, offered Macmillan cancer nurses a free Sunday lunch. Nurses were encouraged to tuck in as a reward for their hard work.

Pic: Archant

The Unruly Pig in Suffolk has handed over £2,325 to the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA).

The pub, near Woodbridge, collected voluntary donations of 25p for the RDA whenever a customer bought the T-bone of pork off the menu.

The money will support the charity’s quest to offer riding and carriage driving for people with disabilities. Brendan Padfield, owner of The Unruly Pig, says: “We are so delighted to be proud sponsors of RDA. They are part of our local community and just up the road from The Unruly Pig. It gladdens our heart to see what great work they do.”

Brendan is pictured with Shirley Green from Riding for the Disabled Hollesley Group.

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

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trade.inapub.co.uk 27/06/2016 17:34

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22/06/2016 13:38

time at the bar

TOP

10

CELEBRITY TIPPLES

You’re not really famous if don’t you have your own booze 1

1. George Clooney’s Casamigos Tequila Back when he was the world’s most eligible bachelor™ George spent his evenings knocking back tequila with property squillionaire Mike Meldman and Rande Gerber, husband of Cindy Crawford. One evening they decided to create their own version.

2. Brangelina’s Miraval Provence wines Not content with being Hollywood stars, parenting a zillion children and saving the world, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie also make (well, own) what is said to be the best rosé in the world. Seriously guys, talk about making us feel like underachievers.

3

3. David Beckham’s Haig Club whisky Controversy swirled around the launch of Golden Balls’ foray into whisky back in 2014, with Alcohol Concern concerned he give the spirit appeal to younger drinkers. Frankly, if Alcohol Concern thinks a 41-year-old father of four can make a grain whisky in a perfume bottle costing £45 a pop appeal to under-18s, I want some of what they’re on.

4. Ian Botham’s Botham Merrill Willis wines 8

The story is Australian wine maker Geoff Merrill overheard a conversation between Sir Beefy and fast bowler Bob Willis in which the pair likened Aussie beer to “weasel’s piss” so invited them to try the wines instead. They were so bowled over (sorry), they decided to create their own range.

5. Justin Timberlake’s Sauza 901 tequila It’s funny to think Timberlake was once just another boy band member. It’s amazing what caressing Kylie’s bottom during the Brit Awards and causing Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” at the Super Bowl can do

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for your image. And, if you are going for the bad-boy look, what better drink to launch than your own tequila?

6. Ron de Jeremy Rum The three “adult rums” in this range from The Hedgehog are variously described as “seductive,” “long and smooth,” and leaving you “begging for more”. All of which makes you glad he didn’t take the easy-cheesy way out and use his career as a star of quality movies to promote his liquor, doesn’t it?

7. Hanson Brothers’ Mmmhops Beer While there’s been no shortage of celebrities co-creating beers with breweries, very few have put their own hard-earned cash behind such a thing. Hanson, of the 1997 earworm MMMBop, launched their fullbodied pale ale in 2013.

8. Dan Aykroyd’s Crystal head Vodka It’s an additive-free vodka that’s been quadruple-distilled, filtered through crystals and comes in a skull-shaped bottle but, before you scoff, it’s won a few awards. If you need a decent vodka, who you gonna call?

9. Danny DeVito’s Limoncello Curiously this one’s got a scratch and sniff label and, more curious still, its own song: “Danny DeVito’s Limoncello, it’s a taste delight from this famous fellow/It’s so very nice, perfect served cold on ice,/The finest summer drink from Italy.” Words fail us.

10. Francis Ford Coppola’s Francis Coppola Wines Some slebs might be in the booze game to make a quick buck but no one could accuse the Godfather director of such a move – wine making has been in his family for generations and he’s been at it himself since 1975.

trade.inapub.co.uk 27/06/2016 17:14

Invested

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22/06/2016 13:38

time at the bar

HAIR OF THE DOG Tales of the unexpected from the wonderful world of pubs Easy riders se friendly… iendly, tick again. But hor Child-friendly, tick. Dog-fr alport, Co in Inn ry of The Brewe That’s the claim to fame is in the s, kis tch Ho na Fio by se, run Shropshire. The freehou middle of what she calls “horsey country” and she ers provides facilities for rid e. alik eds ste ir and the use Those stopping off can p kee to ed vid the tie rings pro e giv ce, pla one in ses their hor get them a drink of water and ing back on using the mount ful use y larl ticu block — par after a pint or two. tick So horse-friendly gets a the mp tru you too… but can Brewery Inn? Llama or lion friendly anyone?

Toilet talk Some of the team here at Inapub have a slightly odd fascination with novelty urinals but we have always believed that toilets play a vital part in the operation of a business.

Now, thanks to research by hospitality hygiene brand Tork, we can wipe away any doubts about that claim. Of the 1,000 people they asked, 90 per cent said they would judge an operator on the quality of the toilets with 78 per cent saying an unattractive washroom would stop them returning to eat in that establishment. Though why they want to eat in the bogs in the first place isn’t clear from the survey.

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Youth still hanging tough Despite reports that young people just don’t drink like the generations before them, it seems they still suffer like anyone else when it comes to the morning after.

According to research by drinks delivery company Booze Up those aged 18 to 24 experience an average of two hangovers a week, each lasting a painful six hours.

It doesn’t get any better with age, with the 65-plus drinker taking the best part of seven hours to recover.

And there is a lot of recovering to do with Brits spending around two years of their lives hungover in total.

Maybe it’s time to start stocking paracetamol and providing a quiet little place for a nap…

Brian Clough disco vered alive and w ell

Fans of Nottingha m Forest might not be surprised character called that a Brian Clough do es exactly what and is massively he pleases popular down th e pub.

But this Cloughie is not a manager He is in fact a ca or a even a youn t that has becom g man. e something of At 7pm every ni a celebrity. ght Brian visits Th e Blue Bell in Sandiacre and is particularly fond of darts on Tues the bell ringers on days and Thursdays.

He is so popula r he even has his ow n stash of treats behind the bar.

Do you have stra ys that can’t stay aw ay?

Tell us about them at the usual addres s… actually, maybe that isn’t such a good idea.

trade.inapub.co.uk 27/06/2016 15:05

Repaired

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22/06/2016 13:40

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22/06/2016 13:54