Over the last two years, we've served as a hub for celebrations, a meeting place for friends and families, or just a local pub to visit for a quick pint after work.
However, in recent times, we've also become a frontline witness to the growing cost of living crisis and how this is affecting local pubs like ours.
The cost-of-living crisis is an issue that permeates every aspect of our lives. It's not just about the rising prices of everyday essentials, but it has also hit hardworking individuals and family’s disposable income, making the luxury of going out or treating themselves less common.
This crisis manifests itself in various ways within the hospitality industry, and its impact on pubs is particularly profound.
Due to the cost-of-living crisis, the affordability of a night out has changed in all aspects of the industry.
Patrons who were once dining out two or three times a week, may now think twice before just ‘popping’ out for a quick bite to eat.
Increased expectations
The difference between staying home and ordering in, to going out is now more evident and that spare cash at the end of the month just isn’t always there now.
This in effect has increased the expectations of customers dining out, as people now are more conscious of getting quality and value for money.
Our priority throughout this cost-of-living crisis has been to maintain our quality menu and incredible service, which in turn means we do get our repeat custom in these difficult times.
One of the most evident effects of the cost-of-living crisis on the actual pubs has been the steady increase in operating costs.
As prices for energy, ingredients, and wages rise, we are forced to adjust our own prices to keep in line with these increases.
As a business, we have had to work hard to maintain the balance of adjusting our prices to match the increases we face, but not out pricing ourselves to keep our customers returning to us.
It is imperative that policymakers and industry leaders recognise the importance of pubs as vital community assets and take steps to support them.
To minimise the impact of these increases, we have all had to be innovative and adaptable. At The Plough there are several things we have done to try and tackle this, and one key thing is being aware of the prices of ingredients and products we are buying in.
Keeping up with the changes of prices gives us that ability to tweak and adjust menus, ensuring the quality is always up to standard but we are also getting the best prices.
We also assessed how energy-efficient our site is, changing to LED lightbulbs, installing smart meters, and training the staff to be energy efficient. This over the last few months has minimised the effect of the energy increases as much as possible.
Additionally, we've introduced a set menu, a new lunch menu and a steak night offer to make our pub more accessible to a broader range of patrons throughout the week.
We are also doing weekly promotions on social media with different prizes to be won as well as throughout the school holidays running a ‘kids eat free’ offer.
With our amazing beer garden, this has encouraged families to come out during the holidays, despite the cost-of-living crisis.
However, these efforts alone are not enough to address the underlying issues of the cost-of-living crisis.
Preserving an institution
It is imperative that policymakers and industry leaders recognise the importance of pubs as vital community assets and take steps to support them.
This could include measures such as reducing the tax burden on pubs, offering targeted support for staff wages, and incentivising landlords to provide stable rental agreements to pub owners as just a few ideas.
It's crucial for everyone to rally around their local independent pubs during these challenging times.
Supporting these pubs isn't just about enjoying a drink; it's about preserving an institution that plays a fundamental role in the community.
The cost-of-living crisis has defiantly cast a shadow over local pubs like the Plough and the other 3 Pubs in our group.
We are an industry that has worked hard over the challenging covid times, to then be hit again with the cost-of-living crisis seems wildly unfair. However, as an industry, we are forever adapting and evolving, and are resilient in what we do.
