Thursday July 12: Toast your team
The frontline of pub retailing the people who customers are most likely to deal with face-to-face are the nation¹s barstaff.
That¹s why, on Thursday July 12, we want you to recognise them for what they do and celebrate your staff by joining a national toast to the nation¹s bar teams at 8pm.
Not only that, but we want you to tell The Publican about them too as we look to build up a national picture of the country¹s bar workers, and what they do in their workplace that makes so many of us Proud of Pubs.
John McNamara, the chief executive of the BII, says staff are the heartbeat of successful pubs and it¹s about time they received fuller recognition.
"This is a marvellous idea," he says. "The majority of the people customers see in pubs are not the licensees it¹s the staff who work for them. This is all about the team."
Nine out of 10 successful licensees have their staff at the heart of their businesses, continues John."Take Richard and Jacqui Macey from the Fountain Inn at Clent in Worcestershire, the BII Licensees of the Year in 2006.
"If you look at the difference in their business, a lot of it is about the way they train their staff. Seven or eight of them now have the BIIAB Level 3 Advanced Certificate qualification."
It¹s an approach that last year's BII NITA Licensee Trainer of the Year has also embraced. Maxine Blake of the Cutting Room in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, ensures her staff are fully engaged with her business with a series of incentive schemes, offering them extra cash for everything ranging from customer service to increased sales.
"We try to make sure they are fully rewarded and recognised for what they do," says Maxine.
"Staff are under-appreciated in pubs. As a manager I¹m often tied up doing other things, but the recognition for both the good and bad things usually comes to me. I'll definitely be raising a toast to my team on the 12th."
Recognise your staff
There are a number of other ways that licensees should think about recognising their staff during Proud of Pubs Week, continues John.
Among other activities, he suggests:
you take staff members out to a strong competitor to get you all thinking about the business
you put on a wine or beer tasting session for all of your team
you invite staff members to work with you on weekly or monthly business plans for the pub.
Above all, use this day to make sure that your staff are fully involved and engaged in the pub, rather than simply turning up to pull pints and collect their wages.
"Successful licensees believe in the people who work for them," says John. "They know successful, motivated staff will give the place a buzz."
And by joining our toast to the nation's barstaff, you will also be adding to the buzz around your pub in Proud of Pubs Week!
Tell us exactly what makes your bar team so great, and nominate them for recognition in The Publican later this year. Write to Proud of Pubs Thursday, The Publican, CMPi, Ludgate House, 245 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 9UY or visit www.thepublican.com/proudofpubsthursday
Proud of Pubs at the Great British Beer Festival
Pub-goers visiting this year¹s Great British Beer Festival, at London¹s Earls Court from August 7 to 11, will be urged to nominate the bar teams in their own locals for a new Publican initiative.
As trade partner of the festival, which is expected to attract 65,000 visitors from across the UK, The Publican will be inviting drinkers to tell us what makes the staff in their local pub back home so great.
With both customer and staff nominations, The Publican is looking to build up a picture of the nation¹s barstaff later this year. Watch this space for further details.
