Proud of Pubs Week: Here's to pubs!

The waiting is over and the biggest annual event celebrating all that is great about pubs is finally here.

Proud of Pubs Week 2010 launches today and we have come up with a diary of events to make sure that you can make the most of the week.

This is your chance to shout loud and proud about the things that make your pub a valuable asset to your community.

You can take part everday, pick and choose or tailor the events to suit your own needs.

The important thing is to ensure you use the week to celebrate your pub, put on some great events for your customers and drive some new trade through your doors.

Monday July 19: Proud of Pubs Party

We want things to start off with a bang which is why we have been encouraging pubs to launch the week with a party.

In these tough times with rising VAT among a host of issues impacting on licensees and consumers it is more important than ever that pubs become the number one choice of destination to relax and unwind.

By throwing a Proud of Pubs Party at the start of the week you can reward your loyal customers and encourage new ones to visit the pub.

We are holding our own party at the Wiremill in Surrey - The Publican's Pub of the Year. Drinks will be provided with our own Proud of Pubs Summer Ale available and there will be entertainment in the form of live music and world record attempts by beermat flipping champ Dean Gould.

Around the country other pubs will be hosting an array of events suited to their own customers' needs. The Churchill Arms in London's Notting Hill is coinciding a Proud of Pubs Party with licensee Gerry O'Brien's 25th anniversary celebrations, while the White Horse in Bedford will be riding the waves at the Bedford River Festival in a 40ft raft. They are combining the festival with their Proud of Pubs Week activities.

Scores of other pubs have planned fancy-dress parties, karaoke nights and themed events to get the week off to a great start.

Tueaday July 20: Raise funds for a great cause

On average every community pub raises an impressive £3,000 for charity each year.

But this phenomenal fundraising effort rarely gets a mention in the media. So when you have an event to raise money for charity make sure you tell you local newspapers exactly what you are doing to get the good news out there.

You can also register the amount you raise at the industry website www.pubaid.com. This continues to spread the word about how much the industry collectively raises, with the total currently standing at £4.3m.

There are so many ways to raise funds, it could be as simple as a collection box on the bar, teaming up with a microbrewer to produce a charity beer or staging a fundraising quiz or other event.

This year The Publican has teamed up with WaterAid to support its Tap into WaterAid initiative to help some of the world's poorest communities.

Getting involved couldn't be easier as all it involves is asking for a donation from customers when they ask for a free glass or jug of tap water. For more information on how you can support the initiative visit

Wednesday July 21: Getting web-wise

These days getting internet-savvy is an essential part of marketing for most pubs. If you haven't branched out to reach your online communities yet use Wednesday to investigate how the likes of Twitter and Facebook can benefit your business.

You might also want to update your own website and check out how industry sites such as www.inapub.co.uk​ or www.useyourlocal.com​ can work for you.

Sky has also revealed it will be launching a live sports fixture website - PreviewLive - to help pubs promote sport. It will give licensees tips on marketing and promotions to make the most of live sport.

There are also a stack of tips available for you at www.proudofpubs.com​

Pub company Charles Wells is using Proud of Pubs Week to help licensees understand what can work for them. Its online marketing workshop has already inspired licensees such as Chris Daley of the Cock Inn, North Crawley, Buckinghamshire, to refocus his efforts.

"I've been enthused for a subject which I thought was secondary to my marketing effort. I now realise that it needs to be our primary marketing tool," he said.

Thursday July 22: A day of diversity

With pubs having to compete more and more with other operators as well as the take-home market it has never been more important to offer your customers something different.

That is why this year we are encouraging pubs to try something different to bring in business on the Thursday of the week. It could be as simple as staging a night you've never tried before, perhaps comedy or live music.

It could also be providing something more fundamental to your business and community. Pub is the Hub has helped hundreds of outlets across the country diversify by adding new elements to their businesses, such as village shops, playgrounds and post offices. Director John Longden said: "For schemes to be a success you need to talk to people in your community and find out what they want. It is about what is right for them."

So why not use Proud of Pubs Week to really find out what your customers want, and then deliver it?

Friday July 23: Get 'em in
In the fours years Proud of Pubs Week has been running, MPs from all four corners of the land have got involved by visiting pubs.

This has helped spread positive messages to Westminster about the benefits pubs bring to society as well as helping licensees explain the potential pitfalls they can face.

Following the election this year there are more than 200 new MPs and we have written to them all to encourage them to visit a pub in their constituency.

Scores of MPs have been in touch to show their support including energy and climate change secretary Chris Huhne and former Labour ministers John Healey and Vernon Coaker.

Heidi Alexander, MP for Lewisham East, is another who is getting involved. She said: "I'm really pleased to support the Proud of Pubs campaign - not least because it gave me an excuse for a rare night off! Good pubs are vitally important to community life in the UK and I wish The Publican all the best in its efforts to promote and support the trade."   

And if you do get your MP to your pub invite your local press there to cover the occasion - or any other Proud of Pubs event for that matter.

Proud to be involved

Booker, the UK's leading food & drink wholesaler is delighted to be supporting The Publican's Proud of Pubs Week again this year.

Throughout the week The Publican team are encouraging you to take part in a variety of different events to help raise awareness in your community of the importance of your pub. This includes throwing a party to celebrate all the great things about pubs, have a fund-raising day, embrace the internet by starting your own website and hold a 'diversity' day to try something different in your pub. All of these events could be supported by your MP's and local press.

The great British pub is an institution that we should all celebrate and be proud of. In these tough times, Proud of Pubs Week could be the opportunity for you to build your business by looking at the local market and tailoring to the local demand. Pubs offer great value to the increasingly value-conscious consumer with quality beer, wines and tasty, delicious food.

Booker is there to help publicans prosper and are an ideal local supplier, with 172 branches nationwide. It offers the complete food service solution for pubs with fully trained catering butchers offering high quality fresh meat, a wide range of prepared fresh fruit & vegetables, frozen, chilled and ambient foods, as well as a fantastic drinks offer.