Thank goodness for the arrival of the gastro entrepreneurs. Individuals such as Michael Belben, Paul Salisbury and his partner, Paul Hales, Tom Ettridge, Paul Whittome, Michael Bedford, Rupert Clevely and Andrew Pern have shown just how wonderful pub food can be. Add in top service, fresh design and original decor and these individuals and many others have given the trade a true pocket of excellence. As Ted Tuppen argues, the pub is a very strong unbranded brand. Talk to people unconnected to the industry and they will often have a strong romantic idea of their perfect pub: open fire, great beer, lovely food, pretty setting. Many of the best gastro pubs live up to this romantic ideal and the high standards evident in the gastro sub-sector are making their way into the estates of the mainstream operators.
Mitchells & Butlers is working closely with Paul Salisbury and Paul Hales on its own impressive gastro offering: Project Orange. Fellow managed operator Spirit has a number of gastro pubs in its DevCo brand incubator. Even JD Wetherspoon has spotted the increased demand for fresh food and is hand-battering its fish at a number of sites. The gastro movement now has an unstoppable momentum, perpetuated by the top chefs' quite natural desire to own their own businesses.
Pubco leases offer a low-cost starting point and pubs offer a natural home for informal dining.
It is hard to imagine a more virtuous circle for the industry.