Let's make some noise.
Pubs in England will be undergoing some seismic changes in the first weeks of July. After all the talk, all the years of lobbying and all the planning, the smoking ban will finally cover the entire UK.
Some consumers will be thinking of popping into the local pub, perhaps for the first time, to see what the fuss is all about. Smokers, who might be considering staying at home during the first days of the ban, might need some reminding about all the great things that make most pubs what they are.
The warm welcome, the great service, the great quality food and drink… and the sheer entertainment of spending the evening in the pub.
These are the reasons why we are urging pubs to look at doing something different and host your own Proud of Pubs Night on July 10 - to mark the second day of Proud of Pubs Week.
Stephen Martin, who as category manager for Punch Taverns has put together a series of ideas for licensees in Punch's 'How to' guides, says: "Entertainment is a great way to build loyalty among customers and attract new ones into your pub. One of the most tried and tested forms of entertainment is the pub quiz. They are cheap to set up, easy to run and consistently pull in the crowds."
The key to a successful event, says Stephen, is in getting staff to take ownership of it. "With staff on board you can encourage them to invite friends and family, offer incentives and make sure the atmosphere on the day is positive," he says.
Perhaps the best message of all that you can take to your community will be to raise money for a local charity.
By planning ahead you'll give yourself the maximum chance to market the event before Proud of Pubs Week - there'll be more tips and advice on how you can do this in The Publican as we count down to July.
WIN A SET OF PROUD OF PUBS SHIRTS FOR YOUR TEAM
Tell us what you are planning to do in your pub on Proud of Pubs Night and you could win a set of Proud of Pubs polo shirts to kit out your staff with.
We've got four sets of five Proud of Pubs shirts - all a one-size fits all size 'L' - to give away to the four pubs who tell us their best ideas for a fun evening in their pub during Proud of Pubs Week.
Email proudofpubs@thepublican.
com or write to: Daniel Pearce, The Publican, CMPI, Ludgate House, 245 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 9UY, before June 4.
The usual competition rules apply - and the best ideas will be printed in a future issue of The Publican.
- Tell us what Proud of Pubs merchandise you would like to see
in your pub. Email us on proudofpubs@thepublican.com or call 020 7955 3710.
The bar team at The Publican's local, the Mad Hatter in Southwark, London show their pride with their Proud of Pubs shirts
PUB GAMES
Traditional pub games
Dust down the old shove ha'penny board, the table skittles or the cribbage set and show today's pub-goers what they are missing.
In 2005 more than 1,000 pubs got involved in the Bring Back Pub Games campaign, led by Ruddles, with each receiving promotional kits featuring a traditional pub game and advertising material from the Greene King brand.
Psychologist Dr David Lewis, who was enlisted to boost the campaign, says: "Traditional pub games are convivial activities which help bring players closer in a light hearted and good humoured social occasion." Why not lay on three or four games and pull it all together into a pub Olympics?
Darts
Darts sounds like the oldest of pub chestnuts - but the Save Our Darts campaign, led by Phil 'The Power' Taylor, is creating some real interest around the 'arrers' again. Why not host a Save Our Darts Night in your pub on Proud of Pubs Night? Or lay on a knockout darts or pool competition and offer a star prize. It could become a regular midweek night.
More information:
www.ruddles.co.uk/pubgames/
www.saveourdarts.com
FOOD
Cheese and wine night
With customers more interested in local produce, and wine continuing to be one of the growth areas in pubs - a trend which is only likely to increase after the smoking ban - a cheese and wine night could tick two boxes at once. Why not source some local or regional cheese from a wholesaler, and take some advice on matching it with your wine list? Or why not think about a cheese and beer night? Take some advice on what goes with what, or create your own matches.
Speciality food evening
Pick one country and theme your evening accordingly. You could showcase one of the more obvious cuisines - such as French, German, Chinese, Indian or Italian - or pick out a more unusual theme.
Tracy Harrison at the Dog & Duck in Linton, Cambridgeshire, runs a speciality food evening every month. An Australian Night at the pub last weekend saw everything from skewered crocodile with lime and ginger sauce to kangaroo lasagne served up to customers - while a didgeridoo player keeping them entertained.
"We do a lot of research on the internet and we try to offer the tastes and the sounds of a particular country," says Tracy. "We get people to pre-book beforehand, and we always sell out. It's hard work, and you've got to get it absolutely right otherwise there's no point in doing it."
Other events at the Dog & Duck this year will include an American night - featuring bison and elk on the menu - and a Peruvian evening.
Other food ideas: barbecues, hog roasts, meal promotions such as free food or £1 a dish nights, or even a school dinners night - offering a discount to customers entering the pub in school uniform. Contact your usual food wholesaler or suppliers for advice.
PUB QUIZZES WITH A DIFFERENCE
Most pubs will have tried a pub quiz at some stage or another. But putting on a pub quiz with a difference during Proud of Pubs Week might provide the answer to your questions about trading post-July 1. You could lay on a simple themed 60s, 70s or 80s evening depending on who you want to attract.
Companies such as Buzztime and Mediatheme can also provide hi-tech equipment which can help you put on everything ranging from a race night to an outside pub quiz.
Gary and Cherie Bree at the Merlin's Cave in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, have begun running outdoor pub quizzes through Buzztime in a new decked area. Players use silent hand-held Playmaker consoles to answer quiz questions or play games such as Texas Hold 'Em or Crazy Golf.
Gary, who also owns the White Hart at Chalfont St Peter, added: "What we've noticed is that you don't have to miss a question if you go indoors. People take their Playmakers with them. They get quite addicted."
More information:
www.quizzing.co.uk
www.buzztime.co.uk
www.mediatheme.com
www.innterplay.tv
BEER
Beer Festival
Get organised and celebrate local beers or beers from further afield. Plan ahead and work with your usual suppliers to lay on a range of unusual cask beers - but be careful to gauge the right amount. Work out a simple price structure, and provide a beer menu with tasting notes.
Beers of the world
Get in a selection of bottled beers from around the world and run an organised tasting - a World Cup of beers. Why not use a map and get them to take a trip around the world?
More information:
www.camra.org.uk
www.thepublican.com/drinks
Talk to your usual drinks supplier.
LIVE ACTS
Local entertainers
What about a local magician, or perhaps a hypnotist - you could get one to host a fun stop-smoking evening. Or have you thought about a local "lookalike" competition, with prizes for customers who look most like a TV celebrity?
It could be a good week to get a local stand-up comedian into the pub for the first time. You might want to see them perform first to make sure they are appropriate for a family audience if you are l