That is certainly something we’ve been seeing during the judging of the Great British Pub Awards over the past few months (see p37 onwards). The vibrancy and variety that is on offer throughout the UK is great to see and it’s been a real honour to be able to get around and visit some of those businesses.
From the smallest countryside establishment to the shiniest city-centre cocktail emporium, these establishments are all offering something exciting and welcoming to their customers and should be celebrated.
We’ll be showcasing all of our finalists in the coming weeks, in the run-up to awards night, and I’d urge you to take a look, and better still get out and visit some of those businesses — you may pick up some ideas for your own premises.
Meanwhile, the tracker data also highlighted a great opportunity for the pub sector when it comes to the concept of a ‘third space’. Pubs can tap into that growing demand for people to spend time away from home and the office.
We’re not talking about providing a place to escape the pressures of work or home and sink a few beers, this is about competing with the growing masses of coffee shops and casual-dining hot spots, which offer people the chance to sit all day, bashing away at their computers.
If you give me a choice between sitting at my laptop in a coffee shop or in a pub, I know which I’d choose.
But you’ve got to get the offer right. Things like improving your selection of non-alcoholic drinks — several pints is not going to help improve the typical keyboard warrior’s annual report back to the boss!
And Wi-Fi has to be key — these people need to be able to get online. If you’re not offering free internet access in this day and age, the simple question is ‘why not?’ Whether that’s for the yummy mummies to update Facebook with the latest picture of little Henry’s adorable antics or for the office staff looking to escape the drudgery of the workplace.
Pubs are all about service, hospitality and socialising — as one publican put it “how can you have a social environment if you don’t provide facilities for people to stay connected?”.
Meanwhile, there’s not such great news on the crime front for London pubs, with the Met Police recording the first rise in violent crime in licensed premises since 2010.
According to figures obtained by the PMA, the Met said offences ranging from common assault to murder had risen from 2,529 in 2013 to 3,129 in 2014.
While those increases may well be down to police targeting violent crime in licensed premises — after all it’s the age old issue, if you look hard enough you’ll find what you’re looking for — there was obviously enough of an issue there for the police to launch such a blitz.
It serves as a salient reminder that safety must remain a priority for all businesses: train your staff, work with the authorities and crack down on antisocial elements — we must not lose that status as vital community assets.