Operations

Summer loving: the good weather over Easter helped drive drink sales (image credit: omgimages/gettyimages.co.uk)

Easter heatwave boosts pub sales

By Nikkie Sutton

The high temperatures of the 2019 Easter weekend helped push sales in pubs and bars by 5.3% but restaurants saw a 19.4% drop when compared to last Easter, new research has found.

National stage: pubs like the Griffins Head in Northamptonshire are up for a public vote

Pubs recognised by small business awards

By Emily Hawkins

Pubs can enter to win the Pub of the Year title at this year’s SME National Business Awards, with a public vote being factored in for the winning entry.

A fair deal: Farrah Qureshi, CEO and founder of consultancy Global Diversity Practice explains what unconscious bias is

How to avoid unconscious bias when hiring pub staff

By Nikkie Sutton

Believe it or not, it is natural to form a biased opinion even if it couldn’t be further from your intentions. The same thing can happen when recruiting staff so heed this advice to avoid the pitfalls.

Pay and display: There’s not a lot worse than no-shows at your premises – your site is empty, staff are doing very little and there’s no money to pay them

Spotlight

Should pubs use deposits to tackle no-shows?

By Nikkie Sutton

Customers that fail to arrive after booking a table are a bugbear for operators across the hospitality trade but could charging a deposit be the answer to this problem?

Shiny happy people: Will Jago Johnson, Bert Thomson, Megan Pattinson, Emma McClave, Andy Mounsey and Maroula Dawkins (l-r)

My Pub: The Star, Godalming, Surrey

By Gary Lloyd

Great British Pub Awards finalist the Star in the commuter belt of Godalming, near Guildford, is renowned for its cider offer and lovely garden facilities too. Licensee Andy Mounsey tells us more

Empowered: How can offering phone charging services benefit your pub?

How phone charging can boost trade

By Emily Hawkins

Several pub companies are addressing a demand for phone-charging facilities because research shows some customers decide whether to stay or leave a venue based on whether they can charge devices.

Inn on the act: The Coach & Horses will stage a play starring television actor Robert Bathurst (image: Tom Howard)

Soho pub to stage play amid battle over lease

By Emily Hawkins

A London pub will stage a play about a past patron to celebrate the site’s cultural presence as part of a campaign against Fuller’s plans to take back the lease.

'Sense of opportunity': 'We all have opportunities within our business to make them better. It may be a simple coat of paint or getting the garden tidier' according to Matt Slocombe of the Crown Inn

Guv'nor

Pubs must strive to be better despite cost pressures

By Matt Slocombe

Whether freehold, leasehold, tenanted or managed, operators have to keep looking at ways to get better, says Matt Slocombe of the Crown Inn in Woolhope, Herefordshire - winner of the best cider pub at the John Smith's GBPA 2018

Snap decisions: What should you keep in mind when posting images of customers?

Can you post images of customers on social media?

By Emily Hawkins

You want potential customers to see images of a bustling venue with happy faces when they look up your website or go to your social media page. But is there a risk in posting images of punters?

Having a ball: Heath Ball (centre) with Chris Jowsey of award sponsor Heineken (left) and Ed Bedington of The Morning Advertiser

Enter now for free

Could you be a Great British Pub Awards winner?

By Nicholas Robinson

Revamped and ready to go, the Great British Pub Awards are back with a new look and new categories to boot. The question now is: do you have what it takes to be crowned a champion this year?

Mindful drinking: Club Soda and Budweiser are developing an online tool to help moderate hospitality employees' drinking habits

Club Soda and Budweiser to track drinking habits

By Emily Hawkins

Brewer Budweiser and mindful drinking organisation Club Soda have joined forces to develop an online project that will aim to help people working in the licensed trade who want to drink less alcohol.

Pub power: visitors to the Pint & Poppy and Embankment will be able to recharge their electric cars at the pubs

Castle Rock hooks up with car charge point provider

By Stuart Stone

Brewer and pub operator Castle Rock is buzzing to announce it has installed electric vehicle chargers at two of its pubs in partnership with electric vehicle charge point operator, Alfa Power.

Take the lead: there are different styles of management

What kind of pub manager are you?

By Nicholas Robinson

Management skills can be complex, but understanding basic styles and then learning what kind of manager you are can set you on the right path

Football debut: For three seasons, starting with the 2019/20 campaign, Amazon will broadcast 20 Premier League matches

Amazon enters Premier League jungle

By Stuart Stone

With the broadcasting landscape set to change drastically next season with Amazon’s Premier League debut, we ask industry experts what pubs can expect

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Britain’s greatest pub owner guest edits The Morning Advertiser

By Nicholas Robinson

In celebration of the great British pub, The Morning Advertiser (MA) has commissioned Heath Ball, Pub of the Year winner at the Great British Pub Awards 2018, to edit the current issue of the magazine – which is out this week.

Pull more pints: how do sleepy pubs turn into busy watering holes?

Promoted content: in association with Lightspeed

Five ways your pub can make more sales

By MA Editorial

There are around 20,000 fewer pubs in the UK than there were 30 years ago. This must be seen as an opportunity to make the most of fewer rivals. However, you still have to fight for every pound so take heed of these tips and make life a little easier.

Capital gains: data indicates that the gender pay gap among London’s luxury and fine-dining establishments is below the national average for the sector

UK’s hospitality gender pay gap narrows by 2% in past year

By Stuart Stone

According to figures from luxury hospitality recruitment company The Change Group, the average salary of female hospitality staff has increased at a faster rate than male counterparts to narrow the sector’s gender pay gap.

Good to talk: the ban has been put in place in a bid to help encourage social conversation (image credit: DenisKot/gettyimages.co.uk)

Samuel Smith bans mobile phones from pubs

By Nikkie Sutton

Brewer and pub operator Samuel Smith has banned customers from using their mobile phones in its venues and punters should go outside to take calls “in the same way as is required with smoking”.

Creativity: unique outdoor and alfresco areas are more likely to increase customer dwell time and make it onto social media

How to make your outdoor space 'Instagramable'

By Stuart Stone

Hot off 2018’s record-breaking summer and with hard-to-reach Gen Z-ers and Millennials favouring shareable experiences and mindful drinking, the future looks bright for operators getting creative with their outdoor space.

Match day staple: 'Visiting the great British pub is central to the match-day experience' according to The British Beer & Pub Association’s chief executive Brigid Simmonds

How can sport pubs help tackle poor fan behaviour?

By Stuart Stone

Given pubs are a firm fixture in fans’ match-day experience, and in light of shocking recent instances of spectators interrupting football matches to confront players, we ask what role pubs play in tackling trouble at football

Pub love: Pub is the Hub boss John Longden outlines how the funding will benefit licensees

£190k funding boost to support rural pubs

By Nikkie Sutton

Rural pubs across the nation will be expanded to include Post Office facilities, grocery shops and libraries following £188,000 of Government funding.

Sign of the times: training staff in the language programme could benefit your business

What is Makaton and should pub staff learn it?

By Emily Hawkins

Makaton is a language programme that uses signs and symbols to help people with communication difficulties. The Makaton Charity is encouraging pubs and restaurants to teach staff.

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