The Publican's 30th Birthday: John McNamara
John McNamara, chief executive of the BII helps mark The Publican Newspaper's 30th Birthday.
- What were you doing 30 years ago?
In 1975 I was a post-graduate student at Trinity College in Dublin studying 19th century British policy in relation to Ireland and the Irish question. The time I spent in Dublin was a superb introduction into real pubs and pub entertainment. Those were the days when it took ten minutes to pour a pint of Guinness (and about three minutes to drink it). Every pub had some music going on and you couldn't go into a pub on your own without some character getting you heavily involved in conversation.
What has been the biggest change in the pub industry in the last 30 years?
The Beer Orders, which saw a revolution in pub ownership and led to the vast majority of pubs in the country being run on a leased or tenanted basis. The change also drove, and is still driving, considerable consolidation within the industry
Which individual has had the biggest impact on the pub trade in the past 30 years?
Tim Martin has made a tremendous impact in devising and delivering a very competitive retail-type approach to management of pubs. His company has made a tremendous impression on the public perception of the industry, and many individual licensees have taken up some of his marketing and customer service ideas to good effect
What are the biggest challenges facing the industry over the next 30 years?
The biggest challenges relate to politics, people and customers. Politics seem to run through every aspect of our business these days, from new licensing law to the prospect of anti-smoking legislation. What seems to be lost in all the plethora of tabloid misreporting and misrepresentation is that this industry is a major factor in the social fabric of our society.
When did you first read a copy of the Publican?
Around 1989/1990 when as a commercial lending manager for Nat West part of my business portfolio comprised of public houses and large entertainment venues. Reading the trade press in that particular job was a good way of identifying current issues and gave some credibility when I was discussing business issues with customers
Do you have a message for us on our 30th birthday?
Congratulations to the whole Publican team on your 30th birthday. The trade press provide a valuable service to the whole industry, both in terms of sharing information and identifying future trends, but also in representing us to the outside world as a responsible and valuable part of the community.
