BII launches campaign to boost image of pubs
by John Harrington
The BII is to highlight responsible pubs as part of its long-term campaign to improve the image of the trade.
BII (British Institute of Innkeeping) member pubs will be
sent stickers to display in their windows saying they are a responsible operator.
The message will also be carried inside the pub on posters that list the steps it has taken to act responsibly.
The stickers and posters will be included in the next edition of BII Business magazine, to be sent in the first week in December.
The BII is also launching a training course dedicated to responsible trading.
The BIIAB Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing will be launched on 24 November to mark the start of the licensing regime.
The developments form the first stage of the BII's Responsible Alcohol Retailing campaign to prove to politicians and the media that pubs are responsible and vital to communities.
BII chief executive John McNamara kicked off the campaign last week at a conference on the issues facing towns and city centres at night.
McNamara emphasised the crucial role that pubs play when he addressed a crowd of council leaders, police and town planning experts at the Civic Trust's summit at the Magic Circle headquarters in London.
He said that each week 16m people drink in pubs that serve 1.3bn meals a year. About 85% of tourists prefer British pubs to bars at home.
'If you find a good pub in your local area then it makes a difference.' He added: 'I keep saying it, but when did you last have a good leaving do at a Costa Coffee?'
The BII boss also praised the Morning Advertiser's 'very successful' Heart of the Community campaign, which emphasises the role of the pub at the centre of local life.
'It is that message that very much needs to be enforced,' he said.
McNamara said the BII's initiative would be a 'long-term sustained campaign'.
'It won't be an overnight victory, but as an organisation we believe in the importance of our industry and are prepared to shout about it,' he added.
