Meet the finalists: Best Drinks Offer sponsored by Coca-Cola Europacific Partners

Berkeley Inns​

The team at Berkeley Inns manage to bring a dynamic drinks offer to traditional surroundings. A passionate team are given freedom to influence their own drinks offer that is perfect for each site. This empowerment, combined with the guidance of the senior team has resulted in a wide, eclectic, high quality and bespoke drinks offering at each location.

The judges found a great deal to be impressed with including the team’s attention to detail when it came to the correct glassware with the right drink, as well as bartenders with an extremely high level of drinks knowledge and a passion for educating the customer and taking them on a journey of discovery.

Despite the rural locations of many of the Berkeley Inns sites, they have won over a strong and loyal following, and it’s easy to see why.  There really is a drink for everyone at their sites, including an amazing line-up of ‘low and no’ drinks, perfect for venues that more often that not will require a dedicated driver…who certainly won’t feel they are missing out on the fun.

Albion and East​

Given their dedication to distilling their own gin in each site, you would be forgiven that these operators could be one trick ponies – but that couldn’t be further from the reality. From a range of fresh smoothies created onsite each morning, to brewing the best coffee to fuel the busy ‘hot deskers’ in the day, each site then blossoms into a vibrant celebration of great cocktails, beer and wine.

The judges were particularly impressed by the level of detail the management team at Albion and East go to on every part of their drinks offer. A fantastic and wide range of self-distilled gins were always a given, but deploying the chefs to make amazing smoothies and being market leaders in environmentally sourced, shipped and served wines through their bespoke key keg initiative, brings something new to the category. The way they source, buy and present their wine, gives us an opportunity to look at what the future of wine retailing may look like for multiple operators.

The judge experienced the daytime offer and returned to enjoy the evening session, witnessing a transformation. “The day was full of people on laptops, but each were enjoying smoothies or coffee and unlike most sites that attract the office crowd, most people took the opportunity to eat too.

The team behind Albion and East are not only amongst the best in class in their retailing of drinks, but are also leading the way in operating transitional venues which optimise trade from daybreak to late night. 

Head of Steam​

Given their connection with Camerons Brewery, it would be easy to think that each Head of Steam site would be a celebration of beer ahead of the rest of the drinks list, but the team demonstrate a skill to satisfy the needs of the most demanding customers with an extensive cocktail offering and best-in-class ‘low and no’ drinks list.

There’s a great connection between the team and the management, with the bar staff actively encouraged to share their drinks discoveries and have influence on the ever-changing drinks line-up. The team’s involvement can be seen in the latest initiative where they are asked to enter a competition to create a new cocktail to go onto the menu – three will be chosen as finalists,  with the winner going on to the drinks menu in all HoS sites.

Q. Who’d ever heard of a pub having its own canning machine? A. Every customer who visits a Head of Steam site, with each pub equipped with its own machine, converting cask and keg beers to the best train beers in the World!

The Team behind The Head of Steam brand are a shining example to all breweries who have, or plan to, venture onto the high street and want to create a fantastic all-round offering.