A London licensee is attracting quality customers by accepting reservations via social networking site Twitter.
Since setting up the pub Twitter account six months ago, Jeffrey Bell, licensee of private lease the Gunmakers Arms in Clerkenwell, has amassed more than 600 followers, despite only advertising through a small Twitter feed on the pub's website's homepage.
He said it was not the quantity of customers booking through Twitter that makes it worthwhile, but the quality.
"The people who follow me on Twitter tend to be enthusiastic about good food, wine and ales," explained Bell. "They come for a really good knees-up." As many as "three dozen" people book a table through the network each month.
Bell has found Twitter to be an effective way to spread word of changes such as new menus or events.
"If I tweet about a new ale or wine, people will come in specifically to try it.
"Last Monday I left a few messages on Twitter about our new menu and for the launch on Monday night, our quietest night of the week, we had 45 covers instead of the usual 15.
"It helps that people around here use Twitter in their businesses and they are gratified to see it in a pub," added Bell. "It may not work so well for a country pub."