Project update 1: our high street pub

Ex-insurance analyst Richard Podesta has only been running Barcena in Burgess Hill, West Sussex, since the end of January. And he's already been forced to get to grips with some of the typical challenges of running a licensed business.

Richard's bar manager Phil recently resigned, forcing Richard to take on a bit more responsibility behind the bar than he had planned.

He is also having to cope with a fluctuating trading pattern at the bar, with a DJ helping to bring in the crowds at the weekend, but a much thinner customer base earlier in the week.

"It's the same old problem that loads of places have - at the weekend we are absolutely packed, but in the early part of the week we are dead," says Richard. "But even the weekend is not as good as it should be."

Barcena is a bit too modest about itself, with more than one of our category champions visiting the venue to make their first assessment noting that it was hard to find, despite being in a busy high street location.

Our champions are urging Richard to ensure Barcena becomes famous for something over the months ahead, be that food, wine, beer or simply for being an all-round great venue. He has already put in place some of the activity suggested by the champions.

Richard is particularly grateful for the support of InBev and Innserve on the cellar side, who have pointed out some really quick wins, such as bringing down the temperature of the beer by topping up the coolant. He had his beer lines cleaned last week.

"It's made a real difference to the quality of our beer," reports Richard. "Before, it was like learning to drive in an old banger - I wasn't sure whether it was me or the equipment which was going wrong!"

He is hoping to pick up more tips from Innserve and do some cellar training later this year. He is also already booked on a Diageo 360Þ esp training course later this month. "Without a doubt, it's the practical advice which is the best," he says.

SPIRITS​

Barcena already has a strong selection of premium spirits, but it currently uses a house brand as its main pouring brand.

Diageo's advice to Richard and his team is to change to quality, well-known brand names - sending out the message to Barcena's customers that they deserve a quality drink. More than half (53 per cent) of pub customers believe that they are being ripped off on house spirits, according to research carried out for Diageo in 2002.

Diageo category development executive Toni Lian Michel, who visited Barcena, said: "The back-bar was well stocked, had a good selection of the main spirits categories and was divided up by category - yet there was no hot spot or quality cues. We recommend having good-quality ice in an ice bucket and a bowl of fresh fruit, to enhance the customer confidence in the outlet and the products sold. Also, locating best-selling spirits close to the till will have greater impact and also increase the speed and ease of service."

Toni recommended the bar took up the new long mixed spirits serve - a tall 16oz or 12oz glass packed with ice, a measure of spirit, plenty of mixer and a wedge of fresh fruit - to respond to the growing consumer demand for mixed spirit drinks during 'mid-tempo' occasions in UK pubs and bars.

In addition, she recommended Richard and his bar manager Phil attend a training course as soon as possible. "Diageo suggests that Richard develops an ongoing interactive training programme for all his staff," she says. The areas Diageo advises the training programme focuses on are: staff recommendation, customer service skills and general consistency of serve.

FOOD​

Barcena needs to increase its reputation as a bar that serves food, look at the various meal occasions during the day and perhaps look at food that is more suited to the style of bar and its customer base, according to the experts from Brakes.

But Mark Irish, Brakes' senior development chef, Nick Willis, its pub trade director, and Simon Henrick, from marketing, felt that food was a real area for potential in the venue after visiting Barcena last month.

"Barcena has an opportunity to really focus on each meal occasion," says Mark. "It is on a high street with shoppers and local business people walking by all day long. Its food offer needs to appeal to these people more.

"Some of the initial ideas I hope to be discussing with Richard are a morning patisseries offer, tapas, sharing platters and specials. He has a team of energetic young chefs whose enthusiasm will help to deliver results."

BEER​

When it comes to its beer offering, our category champion InBev UK believes Barcena needs to focus on quality.

Chris Bull, InBev UK senior development manager (on-trade), says the bar needs to offer something different from the value offerings close by on the same high-street circuit.

"The bar already has a 'quality' perception based on decor, but it needs to translate that into offering via choice and quality of serve," he says. "At the moment there are only two beer brands on the bar - Fosters and Kronenbourg 1664 - and one cider, with a great deal of wastage and limited sales. The bar also needs to address the quality of the beer, while Richard needs to take a closer look at the margin on beer sales."

Among Chris's recommendations are:

- Make draught beer the key differentiator by offering best quality and range in Burgess Hill via a focused premium range

- Range must also support the weekend crowd with lower ABV options

- Encourage staff to upsell on best margin products

- Serve one key upsell brand (Staropramen) in frosted glass

- Offer more packaged beer, particularly as quality of draught is poor

- Full training support on brands once installation has taken place.

THE CELLAR​

The cellar area at Barcena is currently a little unorthodox - it is in a corridor at the bottom of a flight of stairs.

Innserve commercial director Julie Charge explains: "This meant that the supply distance to the bar was very short but despite that, the beer was fobbing to an extent that at least one keg in four was being wasted."

Julie pinpointed a number of reasons why this was happening. "The water level in the cooler was very low - this must be kept topped up by every pub," she says. "There was no cellar cooling, so the beer temperature was starting its journey at 21ÞC instead of 10-12ÞC and the lines were also showing a build-up of yeast, which was affecting beer quality.

"With the exception of the location of the installation, all of the beer quality and yield issues can be solved almost immediately, giving a tangible saving of one keg per week. The long-term objective is to re-site the dispense equipment to an area that is not a thoroughfare and has cellar cooling."

Mercury Facilities Management is drawing up some proposals to move the cellar area to another part of the pub.