Snifter

BBN chair not part of scheme

The new chairman of Best Bar None, Lib Dem peer Lord Redesdale, has admitted that his own pub is not part of the licensed premises accreditation scheme. The reason, he told Snifter, is because it's located in a village where no scheme currently exists.

But he added: "There's no reason why rural schemes wouldn't take off in the future. It's a self-help group for all licensees in any area."

Redesdale, who owns the Redesdale Arms, near Otterburn in Northumbria, said: "My experience of owning a pub is it's a very, very hard environment to work in and it's a difficult business to get right."

Snifter scrums down in France

Cyber Snifter and his PubChef sister joined the Mont Tauch wine growers for the annual Wild Boar Touch Rugby Challenge in Tuchan in the south of France. 

Seasoned rugby pro Snifter was enlisted on the website specialist Barsbank team, and tackled his way to the semi finals. Snifter was proud of his triumph over a bunch of Majestic managers — who probably wished they hadn't ventured into Perpignan the night before.

Ms Snifter's all-gal Femme Fatale team lost all three of their games — despite Ms S's early try.

The teams retired to Paziols village hall for a wild-boar feast and a bop to a mixture of French techno and greatest wedding hits. There was also some excitement involving a toy wild boar and an eager young local, but thanks to the giant bottle of Mont Tauch Fitou, that's all Snifter can report.

First kosher pub in Britain

Snifter has heard that Britain's first kosher pub has opened in Hendon, north London.

The former White Bear has been developed by new owners, Israelis Sam Elia and Gil Ovadia under its new name, Fernando's Chicken Grill and Bar.

The bar will cater predominantly for a young market with the accent on a kosher food menu.

Elia believes the venue is not just the first kosher pub in the UK, but the first of its kind in Europe.

"We saw an opportunity to do something for the young Jewish crowd by opening up a new front in the kosher market," he said. "The pub is a place for young people and we have no problem with them staying until midnight in a place they feel safe."

The pub serves mainstream beers and wines, but kosher drink products too, including mevushal-produced wine.