As the popularity of St George's Day grows, Rosie Davenport looks at how pubs can make the most of the celebrations
Wells and Young's is encouraging licensees across the country to lead the celebrations for England's patron saint, by toasting the dragon slayer with a pint of Wells Bombardier at 10.45pm on St George's Day.
Wells Bombardier has consistently spearheaded the campaign to celebrate England's national day and 23 April is now firmly established in the pub calendar as the third busiest day of the year. In recent years the campaign has gained momentum, and a new independent organisation has been established to extend the celebrations into communities throughout the country.
"Celebrate St George's Day" was founded by Bruno Peek who has had a leading role in national events, including the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002 and the New Millennium celebrations. And he is now making sure that the whole of England celebrates in style.
Already, Bruno has begun a three-month tour of 50 cities in England, taking with him the Loving Cup of England. The tradition of the Loving Cup dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was used at banquets and feasts to symbolise trust and friendship. People from all walks of life will drink from the modern-day Loving Cup in order to bring the nation together in one common celebration.
Reaching the nation
The climax of the celebrations, and the last port of call for the Loving Cup, will be a grand banquet at Mansion House in Whitehall. Heralded by a fanfare, Paul Wells, chairman of Wells and Young's Brewing Company will lead the toast to England and St George for the whole nation. With the impressive work that Wells Bombardier has conducted over recent years to establish 23 April as a national holiday, Bruno approached Wells Bombardier to be the official drink for the toast.
And licensees are being encouraged to follow Paul Wells by leading the toast in their pubs. "In so many villages, towns and cities, pubs are at the heart of the community," says Chris Lewis, director of marketing at Wells and Young's. "It's a great opportunity to reach large numbers of people. We want the whole of the nation to get behind the campaign to celebrate St George."
Bombardier's top tips to celebrate St George
l Make England and the English the theme of the event with an English fancy dress competition featuring traditional music and food - whether it's free snacks on the bar or a full-blown medieval banquet.
l Celebrate English music with live bands or a DJ. You could play anything from Land of Hope and Glory, to the Beatles, to the Spice Girls - just make sure it's English.
l Put on traditional English food - bangers and mash, pie, beef Wellington, spotted dick, toad in the hole and perhaps run a special offer on the price.
How licensees are getting behind our campaign
Neal Lloyd from the Anchor Inn, a Charles Wells pub in Great Barford, Bedfordshire, says that his regulars are still talking about his St George's Day extravaganza last year. "We held a themed food night with classic English food. There was lots of singing and a really great atmosphere," says Lloyd.
The menu included venison terrine, beef stew with dumplings and roast pork with all the trimmings. The climax of the evening was the dessert which was a baked Alaska for each table. "We put sparklers in the tops of them, dimmed the lights, and to the sound of the Dambusters' March, waitresses presented a pudding to each table." The restaurant was full and had been booked up early for the tables of eight. Lloyd says that it worked well because regular customers brought people that had never been to the pub before. "Profit-wise, it was definitely worth doing as the restaurant was completely booked out, which was excellent for a Monday night."
Lloyd also hosted an inter-table singing competition, where each group was given a song sheet of traditional English songs. They included Jerusalem, Land of Hope and Glory and Heart of Oak. "I ended up giving every table a prize because they really got into the spirit of things," adds Lloyd. "We'll be holding a similar evening again this year because it was so successful, and this time, along with the rest of the nation, we'll be raising our pints at 10.45pm to celebrate St George and England."
Dress your pub to the nines - and win £1,000
As well as celebrating everything English and putting on a special event, the MA has teamed up with Gaffney Party Products to reward the licensee who puts the most effort into decorating their pub for the occasion.
To be in with a chance of winning the Best Dressed Pub competition, with a first prize of £1,000 and special plaque, you need to send us some pictures of your outlet dressed up to the nines for the event.
Pubs can enter by logging onto
www.celebratestgeorgesday.com.
The closing date for the competition is 28 April. It will be judged at county level, with one overall national winner.
Making the most of the opportunity
Independent research shows that English companies are missing out on a potential £38.8m of trade on St George's Day. And for pubs this figure would be £14.1m, if St George's Day was celebrated in the same way as St Patrick's Day. For licensees hosting a St George's Day event, it's a great way to increase profits. This year, England's national day falls on a Monday, which means pubs can have a weekend-long celebration of Englishness, culminating with the toast on Monday evening.
"There is growing support for the campaign to make St George's Day as recognisable as St Patrick's Day, which means there is a considerable amount of profit potential for licensees," explains Chris Lewis, director of marketing at Wells and Young's Brewing Company. "Every year, more people want to celebrate England's national day, and Wells Bombardier is leading the way in this celebration, creating a focal point for consumers in pubs nationwide."
There are a number of opportunities for pubs to maximise profit on St George's Day, from holding an English-themed party with live music and providing a St George's day-themed menu, to hosting an England-only pub quiz. Tips and other ideas on getting involved with St George's Day are available on www.thevalueofstgeorge.com or www.bombardier.co.uk .
Toast England and St George and scoop £1,000
Wells and Young's is offering a £1,000 prize to the drinker who toasts St George in the most unusual place in the country.
As well as the cash prize, the winner will receive a uniquely-crafted, three-inch diameter silver medal and a certificate for choosing the most imaginative location to toast the saint at 10.45pm on his special day.
To enter, send a photograph of you performing your toast with Wells Bombardier, plus a written description (no longer than 50 words) of what you did, and where you did it, to: Wells Bombardier Toast Competition, St George's Day 2007, The Office, 21 Coverdale, Carlton Colville, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 8TD. Closing date is 28 April. See www.celebratestgeorgesday.com for terms and conditions.