North East Focus: view from the top
30-May-2007
THINK OF the North and the pub trade and it's probably fair to say that for many people the image coming to mind would have a flat cap, a fag hanging...
North East Focus: Head of Steam
30-May-2007
What has been the rest of the country¹s loss has been Newcastle¹s gain with Tony Brookes¹ Head of Steam group. His three flourishing sites in the...
Bar.07 Preview: show highlights
29-May-2007
There will be much to feast on at BAR.07 with more than 200 exhibitors offering a range of niche products, stylish innovations, product launches and...
Bar.07 Preview: something for everyone
29-May-2007
The Worldwide Bar TourLeading mixologists and drink experts from around the world will come together for two days for the Worldwide Bar Tours. The...
Bar.07 Preview: a wealth of ideas
29-May-2007
There are two ways for the average pub to look on that flash style bar down the road. One is to ignore it and pretend it's got nothing to do with...
Small businesses unaware of training opportunities
27-May-2007 By Eleanor Goodman
Seven out of ten small businesses are unaware of government training initiatives, says a survey.A report found that nearly 70 per cent were unaware...
24-May-2007
Phil Dixon maintains that top-tier management should think long and hard about how they motivate their staff I do enjoy spending an idyllic week...
24-May-2007 By Peter Coulson
I have often remarked that the licensed trade has a roller-coaster affair with Government and politicians. For some periods, everything is grand,...
All-round training
22-May-2007
When getting a pub up to scratch, making sure you and your staff are at the top of your game has to be a priority.That's why so many of the category...
BII chief speaks out over scams
17-May-2007
At BII we hear from our members on a regular basis about attempted and, sadly, sometimes successful scams targeted at our trade. What is it about the...
Pubs told to listen up over noise regs
10-May-2007 By James Wilmore
Employers in the pub trade could face a "wave of compensation claims" if they fail to implement new noise regulations coming in next year, a charity...
TV fame booster
10-May-2007
Kevin Wainwright tells Ewan Turney how he and partner David Little increased turnover four-fold within three years with the help of a TV documentary...
10-May-2007 By Peter Coulson
The letter in last week's MA entitled "Legal implications of honesty" shows what problems can arise when you are asked to give a reference for a...
Butt out of our business says industry
10-May-2007 By John Harrington john.harrington@william-reed.co.u
Trade pours scorn on Government plans to force pubs to clean up cigarette butts and litter outside premises Trade groups have slated plans to force...
Customers to pay with contactless cards
08-May-2007
Pub customers will be able to pay for their two pints of lager and a packet of crisps with new contactless credit and debit cards using new readers...
Marketing & promotions: Promotions with prudence
03-May-2007
Whether operating happy hours or running two-for-one deals, pubs have plenty of responsibilities to bear in mind when it comes to marketing and...
Marketing & Promotions: Walk into new trade
03-May-2007
IT'S OFFICIAL. Walking is the most popular recreational activity, with over eight million of us taking walks at least once a month, according to a...
Marketing & promotions: Reaching the rejectors
03-May-2007
There is no question that come the smoking ban the majority of adults in Britain will be aware of its broadest implications. As a result, some of...
Marketing & promotions: Blow your own trumpet
03-May-2007
Some publicans are wary about promotional events. This applies to both 'packaged' events, where suppliers provide marketing materials and prizes, and...
Martin Roslyn, chairman, Pub Accounting Company
03-May-2007
What you would need to consider is the pubco's situation on the unit. They obviously feel that £45k is the optimum rent for the unit - although this...
Rent rise too far
03-May-2007
Mr Q is considering surrendering the lease of his Welsh pub because of a proposed rent increase by his pubco I fear I may have to surrender my lease...
03-May-2007 By Peter Coulson
Although the issue of copyright in televised football has dominated the news over the past few months, this is part of a much wider law which...
02-May-2007 By Iain O'Neil
More than £8,656 was raised for the Licensed Trade Charity (LTC) at the BII's 26th Annual Luncheon yesterday.
Back to basics: air quality after the smoking ban
01-May-2007
If there's one thing that will be missed about smoky pubs it's that the tobacco masked all kinds of unpleasant smells. Licensees in Scotland have...
BII rewards industry's finest
01-May-2007 By James Wilmore
Ten BII members have been awarded the body's highest accolade for their contribution to the industry at a ceremony in London today. Award-winning...
Focus Midlands: treasure island
27-Apr-2007
The high street address might lead you to assume that the Bartons Arms enjoys plenty of passing trade. But the people who pass here are stuck in...
Focus Midlands: back in the pub business
27-Apr-2007
When Chris Sadler finished university in 2004 the road to establishing a successful microbrewery in Lye, near Stourbridge, must have seemed a very...
Focus Midlands: view from the top
27-Apr-2007
When considering the Midlands some of the finest names in British brewing spring to mind - old and established companies that are undoubtedly held...
26-Apr-2007 By Peter Coulson
This comes to you from an island far away, which appears to be populated almost exclusively by ex-licensees - or is it just that I can spot them a...
Severe failure rate for pubs
26-Apr-2007
Pubs, bars and restaurants are three times more likely to go bust than any other business, a new survey has revealed. A study of 150,000 business...
Playing the long game
24-Apr-2007
The recent decline of spirits continues to be big news, yet there are some categories that have bucked the trend. It seems that, where vodka, gin and...
Back to basics: when to use physical intervention
23-Apr-2007 By James Wilmore
It's one of the worst situations you have to face. A customer cuts up rough. They may be drunk. They may be angry. They may become violent. Good...
Training & Recruitment: Fuller confidence
20-Apr-2007
What makes a winning pub operator? It's clear from the pubcos and licensees who make it through to the finals of the Publican Awards that training...
Training & Recruitment: tenant induction
20-Apr-2007
A tenant's first night in their new pub is always a stressful experience. For Karen Richardson and Mark Woolson, the fact they have never run a pub...
Training & Recruitment: team building
20-Apr-2007
Training is not just an add-on to your pub business, like a conservatory or a deep-fat fryer. Training is a whole culture that spreads throughout the...
Training & Recruitment: a guide to NVQs
20-Apr-2007
Skills shortages are having a negative impact on UK productivity in all areas of the economy, and there have been plenty of news reports that we are...
Training & Recruitment: Train to Gain
20-Apr-2007
When former pub managers Mary and Ray Tabone took their first tenancy they knew that staff training would be crucial to their success - not to...
Training & Recruitment: lack of training threatens pub businesses
20-Apr-2007
Training is the lifeblood of your business. And if you didn't believe it before, a report released at the end of last month brings out the shocking...
19-Apr-2007 By Ewan Turney
A Nottinghamshire licensee has successfully claimed back more than £4,000 in penalty bank charges from NatWest. Andy Scattergood, Punch lessee of...
Back to basics: contactless payments
10-Apr-2007
If you thought Chip & PIN was the newest thing in customer transactions, think again. 'Wave and pay', or 'contactless payments', has arrived and...
Dragon customers out for St George's
05-Apr-2007
Anybody got a spare dragon? Pauline Davey, licensee of the award-winning Master Robert village pub at Buriton in Hampshire, is hunting the beast as...
Planning for the future
05-Apr-2007
Careful thought at the beginning of a lease agreement can save you thousands in repair charges, says Davey & Co managing director Paul Davey All...
Martin Roslyn
05-Apr-2007
chairman, Pub Accounting Company Even if you don't believe you have a problem, undertaking regular checks on stock and staff is as big a deterrent...
Anthony Mears
05-Apr-2007
licensee, Ivy House, Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire Firstly, is there any evidence to support your feeling that money is going missing, and are...
Alex McGill
05-Apr-2007
director of marketing Venners stocktakers You should forbid your staff from having money on them whilst they are behind your bar, but you will need...
Tapping into the potential
05-Apr-2007
In the second of her explorations of the world's greatest wines, Fiona Sims samples the South African continent's abundant delights Gearing up for...
Don't let your pub be a target
04-Apr-2007
It was just after 6.30pm, with the pub bustling with punters looking forward to a bank holiday weekend, when the nail bomb went off. The explosion...
04-Apr-2007
BII, a professional body for the licensed retail sector, has launched two new membership categories for door supervisors. Door supervisors who have...
Back to basics: how to be an entrepreneur
02-Apr-2007
Are you an entrepreneur? OK, you're an independent business-person, but to be an entrepreneur you need to have something extra. You know when you're...
Dragon flies
29-Mar-2007
Steve Wragg tells Ewan Turney that cask ale has transformed trade at the Green Dragon in Market Lavington, Wiltshire How I got here We have been here...
