Back to Basics: Open fires

Nobody in the trade can doubt that a real fire, glowing merrily in the hearth, is a wonderful way to attract more people into your pub.Customers' faces light up when they come in after a blustery trek across the moors - or a five-minute stroll from the chippy, for that matter - and there's no doubt that a fire blazing in the hearth can give you a point of difference and help create that elusive 'atmosphere' that makes your pub the place to be.

Many people in the business, however, are put off from opening up the old fireplace, let along installing a new one, by the fear that a real fire will be more trouble than it's worth, and too expensive.

Yet if you have a flue that has fallen into disuse, and a hearth that now merely houses an old firescreen or bunches of artistic twigs, the priceof getting it up and running with the services of a reputable and accredited chimney sweep is unlikely to exceed £300.

"This should give you your flue back in fully operational first-class order," promises Martin Glymm, official spokesman for the 250-member-strong National Association of Chimney Sweeps, the trade guild that was put in place to monitor costs and quality levels in this market sector.

Even if you have no chimney system built into your pub, a real fire could still be worth considering to give yourself an advantage in the race for customers.

An all-new flue system will probably set you back some £4,000 to £5,000, according to Jim Lambert of the Solid Fuel Association.

"You get a lot more for a great deal less than most folk have been led to expect," he says.

But what about the environment? In fact, thanks to technological developments, the new generation of solid fuels are now reckoned to be one of the greener alternatives, and have won the approval of Ian Pearson, the minister of state for climate change and the environment.

Modern 'briquettes', for example, made from lignite coal or sawdust, burn with a genuine log-like glow but emit very low levels of sulphur, making them both clean and green.

• For more information, and a range of leaflets giving advice on everything from building regulations to which fuel to use, go to www.solidfuel.co.uk​

Fuel for thought

So you've got your open fireplace, you're going to need something to burn. But you can't just throw on your old furniture. First you must check whether your pub is in a smoke control area.

Under the 1993 Clean Air Act local authorities have the power to declare smoke control areas. Most have chosen certain zones. Some cover the whole authority. Within these areas you are only allowed to burn certain authorised smokeless fuels on your open fire - and they certainly don't include wood.

Go to www.uksmokecontrolareas.co.uk to find out whether your in a controlled zone - you'll also find a list of authorised brands of fuel there.

Now you'll need a supplier. Standards are set by the Approved Coal Merchants Scheme (ACMS), so mit's a good idea to check whether the supplier is a member.

Members must follow the Coal Trade Code which states they must:

• Give a clear description of the coal or smokeless coal, so you fully understand what you're buying

• Give you trustworthy advice about the most appropriate coal or smokeless coal for your appliance, and offer you help and advice from the Solid Fuel Association

• Advise you of any summer discounts

• Investigate promptly and sympathetically any complaint about the fuel or the service provided.

D J Davies is one company that's a diploma member of the ACMS, which means it offers a service in excess of this.

It offers a wide range of fuels from the UK and Germany, including 'clean' fuels which give off low sulphur emissions, and will give advice on what's best for your pub.

One happy customer is John Les Tomos, licensee of the beautiful old real fire pub the Royal Oak in Efail Parcy, Flintshire.

John has even banned music from his bar so that customers can better enjoy that old chinwag around the hearth that was the hallmark of the tavern of yesteryear.

"People like the chance to talk around the fire," he says. "They stay far longer and come back sooner."

Chimney sweeps

Dick Van Dyke might have raised a quizzical eyebrow but today's chimney sweeps have their own professional organisation with a code of conduct.

You can find your nearest approved sweep through the National Association of Chimney Sweeps website at www.chimneyworks.co.uk, or give them a call on 01785 811732.