MA300: Laine Pub Company's Gavin George says pubs should reflect local culture

George addressed last week’s MA300 conference at Brighton’s Grand Hotel to explain the story behind his 40-strong estate in the city.

Admitting that his industry presentations have been compared to the South Bank Show for their heavy emphasis on culture, George gave a potted history of Brighton from the Regency period to Fat Boy Slim, via Pinkie Brown and Quadrophenia.

The chief executive of the firm, which opened its latest site in Clapham last week, said when the firm first launched in Brighton the aim was to “understand the elements that make up Brighton without overtly expressing them.”

He highlighted two examples of pubs the company had tailored to fit Brighton.

The Mesmerist has become one of their flagship sites but George remembered that when he took over the cavernous site in 2010 it was no easy task.

Eclectic​

He said: “It used to be an Old Orleans and although we could see a lot of potential in there it took a long time to change people’s perception of the place. It was very much associated with ribs. We tried to offer an eclectic drinks and entertainment offer and slowly that new audience got to know it was there. It took about six months to communicate to people that this place had changed and that it was an exciting place to go.”

George went on to describe how the North Laine Pub and Brewery was designed to fill another gap in the market when it opened in 2012. The pub has a microbrewery provided Laine branded ales specifically for the pub.

He said: “At the turn of the 20th century there were around 10 breweries in Brighton. There was a big brewing heritage in Brighton but no breweries. We had a great reaction to it.”