Chris Maclean: If you want to get ahead - ban hats

The first time I was ever thrown out of a pub it was for wearing a T-shirt. Nothing too serious then. But it was almost 30 years ago - simple as that. The landlord had a strict dress policy and would not serve anyone wearing a T-shirt. In isolation it seems ridiculous. Who would do that now?

But his argument then was that, being located near the University, he didn't want the student trade and had clearly identified an alternative and, presumably, lucrative clientele who were unlikely even to possess T-shirts.

I write this only to illustrate a point as I rewrite my staff training manual.

Last week a diner in the restaurant returned a glass of port he had been served. It had been delivered in a whisky tumbler which he knew to be wrong. The barperson had used their initiative (a thing I encourage) to guess the correct glass but then hadn't checked (a bad thing) to see if that met the standard. And it was the absence of a clearly defined standard that led me to start rewriting my manual.

I originally wrote it about six years ago mainly for the brewery's Staff Training Pub of the Year award (which we won) but also to define clearly what was expected of the staff. It is seriously out of date and totally inappropriate for the operation we have here. But I am enjoying the exercise of setting the standards.

What size measure is a Campari? Or a port? What is the best glass for a sherry? How do you remove a cork? Petty stuff maybe ~ but I've seen some extraordinary things in my time. Certainly as a student I remember a bar where the staff were convinced port was served using the wine measure. At about £1 for 125ml I took quite a shine to port.

So I'm re-visiting the standards I am aiming to achieve here - and it is causing me some problems.

I want to discourage some elements of the town's trade ~ and I've already done so by eliminating shots, alcopops and a few other drinks. I've no fruit machine or music.

But I also want to introduce a behaviour code. No swearing. No bare chests. No one without shoes. No men with hats (except Jewish men). I am trying to ring-fence things that will reinforce what I'm trying to achieve ~ but it keeps throwing up anomalies.

No, I don't want young men in baseball hats. But what of the old boy who wears one to protect himself from the sun. What about him?

I am hoping that, at the end of it, I will end up with a coherent list of standards my staff understand and which clearly establish what we represent. My only fear is we might be creating a silly set of rules.

But I don't think it will be as odd as chucking someone out for wearing a T-shirt.