Operations

Hospitality Guild launches Apprenticeship Awards

11-Sep-2012 By Michelle Perrett

The Hospitality Guild has launched a new apprenticeship awards programme recognising the achievements of both workers and employers.

Pubwatch encourages BII to come to meetings to promote apprenticeships

10-Sep-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Pubwatch assistant secretary Frank Marnell has called for the BII (British Institute of Innkeeping) to attend pubwatch meetings up and down the country if it wants to push apprenticeships.

More than two-thirds of football fans will watch their teams from their local pub this season

06-Sep-2012 By Michelle Perrett

More than two-thirds (68%) of football fans will watch their teams from their local pub this season, with a quarter of those doing so at least once a week.

Welsh Assembly Member hopeful of fairer Sky prices for pubs in Wales after meeting with David Rey

06-Sep-2012 By Adam Pescod

A Welsh Assembly Member (AM) is confident that Sky will consider a fairer pricing scheme for pubs in Wales, following a meeting with the broadcasting corporation’s head of business David Rey.

Crawley: Time to create an Olympic legacy for pubs

04-Sep-2012 By Stephen Crawley

I was lucky to be invited to the opening ceremony of the Paralympic games. It was a fantastic occasion for the 4,000 plus athletes from 140 nations.

Seven ways to get game on your pub menu this year

30-Aug-2012

The main game season is highly anticipated by those in the trade. Sheila McWattie looks at seven ways to get it on to the menu this year

Pubs using European viewing cards to show Premier League football now limited to one 3pm game every Saturday

29-Aug-2012

The Premier League is selling only one of its live 3pm Saturday games per weekend to European broadcasters from this season onwards, the Publican’s Morning Advertiser understands.

Brush up your upselling skills

29-Aug-2012 By Robyn Black

A plea from me to WH Smith: please can you desist from your insane policy of trying to sell huge bars of chocolate to people, when it is quite obvious that they only want a newspaper and are in a rush for a train?

Pub rent reviews: In praise of PIRRS

28-Aug-2012 By Barry Gillham

When the Pubs Independent Rent Review Scheme (PIRRS) was introduced in 2009, it was seen as the new BII-led low-cost ‘arbitration’ service. Barry Gillham, chairman at property agent Fleurets, explains why the scheme is the way forward.

Pub People claims recruitment drive through Facebook is a success

23-Aug-2012 By Gurjit Degun

A pub operator has found social media website Facebook helpful in recruiting new staff for one of its pubs, after struggling to get any applicants through traditional media.

Pubs could benefit from new £41m tourism marketing campaign

21-Aug-2012 By Michelle Perrett

Pubs could be set to benefit from a £41m Government-backed marketing campaign launched by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF) with contributions from VisitEngland and the private sector.

Look after pub punters and they’ll look after you

20-Aug-2012 By Mitch Adams

We are very lucky to have both a bar billiards and a quoits team. Roughly once a fortnight we have the opportunity to entertain a visitingteam and show them what we’re all about. We are expected to feed around 10 to 12 players.

First two apprentices complete new training course with British Institute of Innkeeping

16-Aug-2012 By Michelle Perrett

The first two hospitality apprentices to successfully complete a new training course have been unveiled by the BII (British Institute of Innkeeping).

Video: How pubs in Stratford traded during the London 2012 Olympics

15-Aug-2012

The Publican's Morning Advertiser, along with its sister title Big Hospitality, paid a visit to Stratford during the second week of the Games to see how pubs in the area had fared during the London 2012 Olympics, which took place on their doorstep.

The value of a chair at your pub

14-Aug-2012 By Alastair Scott

Last year I went through the very painful but exciting process of refurbishing a pub. The pub has 80 covers inside and a big outside area with at least 80 covers, possibly 200 when it can cope with the volume.

London 2012 Olympics: Deliveries go to plan but volumes down

14-Aug-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Deliveries over the Olympics went to plan with little disruption, however some logistics teams have reported volumes down by up to 60%.

London 2012 Olympics: Final day of pub landlady Janet Dooner's diary

13-Aug-2012

Janet Dooner, licensee of the Railway Tavern in Stratford, a stone’s throw from the Olympic Park, completes her exclusive Olympic diary. Follow her diary by signing up to our daily news alert

London 2012 Olympics: Day 10 of pub landlady Janet Dooner's diary

10-Aug-2012

Janet Dooner, licensee of the Railway Tavern in Stratford, a stone’s throw from the Olympic Park, continues her exclusive Olympic diary. Follow her diary by signing up to our daily news alert

London 2012 Olympics: Day 9 of pub landlady Janet Dooner's diary

09-Aug-2012

Janet Dooner, licensee of the Railway Tavern in Stratford, a stone’s throw from the Olympic Park, continues her exclusive Olympic diary. Follow her diary by signing up to our daily news alert

Mystery Dining Company: The importance of customer feedback at your pub

09-Aug-2012

With a food offer key to the success of many pubs, particularly since the introduction of the smoking ban in 2007, operators have been raising their game to try to provide a genuine, informal dining alternative to chain restaurants. However, with this...

London 2012 Olympics: International visitors spent £450m on Visa cards during the first week

08-Aug-2012

International visitors to the UK spent more than £450m on Visa cards during the first week of the Olympic Games, up by 8% on the same time last year.

London 2012 Olympics: Pub celebrates Ben Ainslee win with golden post box on premises

07-Aug-2012 By Michelle Perrett

The Pandora Inn, Restronguet was celebrating Olympic fever after the post box, which is built into the wall of the 13th Century pub, has been painted gold in tribute to sailor Ben Ainslie.

The Big Interview: John Hayes, BEDA chairman

07-Aug-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Would you believe that a man of John Hayes’ age — that is “39 and 319 months” — and status has been refused entry into a nightclub? It’s a little bit ironic when he’s been a driving force in lobbying for nightclubs for many years, and knows the mechanics...

London 2012 Olympics: Father of South African Olympic gold medalist Bert Le Clos celebrates his son's win at the Slug@Wimbledon

07-Aug-2012 By Michelle Perrett

Internet sensation and father of South African Olympic gold medalist Bert Le Clos decided to celebrate his sons win at the Slug@Wimbledon.

London 2012 Olympics: Day 6 of pub landlady Janet Dooner's diary

06-Aug-2012

Janet Dooner, licensee of the Railway Tavern in Stratford, a stone’s throw from the Olympic Park, continues her exclusive Olympic diary. Follow her diary by signing up to our daily news alert .

Training the team at your pub is money well spent

06-Aug-2012 By Cheryl Hickman

As I have travelled the UK and beyond, all too often I will find a fantastic pub or restaurant where the food is excellent, but — and there is a big but — the team who are there to look after you are below standard and, in essence, let the side down.

London Olympics 2012: Dorset pub where Gold medalist Peter Wilson worked besieged by media

03-Aug-2012 By Michelle Perrett

The licensee of the pub where Gold medalist Peter Wilson used to work has been inundated by the media in the last few days following his win.

London 2012 Olympics: Day 5 of pub landlady Janet Dooner's Diary

03-Aug-2012

Janet Dooner, licensee of the Railway Tavern in Stratford, a stone’s throw from the Olympic Park, continues her exclusive Olympic diary. Follow her diary by signing up to our daily news alert.

London 2012 Olympics: Provincial pubs see little uplift in trade despite "feel good" factor

03-Aug-2012 By The Publican's Morning Advertiser

Pubs in the provinces are reporting little increase in trade despite the ‘feel good’ factor of the Olympics.

London 2012 Olympics: Day 4 of pub landlady Janet Dooner's diary

02-Aug-2012

Janet Dooner, licensee of the Railway Tavern in Stratford, a stone’s throw from the Olympic Park, continues her exclusive Olympic diary. Follow her daily diary by signing up to our daily news alert ...

Apprenticeships offer an easy opportunity for a well-skilled pub workforce

02-Aug-2012 By Mike Berry

In a previous life I wrote for a magazine covering the human resources sector (now there was an industry that could win an Olympic gold in navel-gazing). One of the topics that generated pages of copy was that of apprenticeships; what they are, why they’re...

London 2012 Olympics: Pubs in central London suffer as West End becomes "ghost town"

02-Aug-2012 By Adam Pescod

Pubs in central London have been hit by a significant drop in trade as the West End has turned into a “ghost town” since the start of the Olympics last Friday.

London 2012 Olympics: Day 3 of pub landlady Janet Dooner's diary

01-Aug-2012

Janet Dooner, licensee of the Railway Tavern in Stratford, a stone’s throw from the Olympic Park, continues her exclusive Olympic diary. Follow her daily diary by signing up to our daily news alert...

Business Boosters: Three ways to drive food and drink sales at your pub

01-Aug-2012

Pub Chef looks at what three licensees are doing to help drive food and drink sales at their pubs.

London 2012 Olympics: Day 2 of pub landlady Janet Dooner's diary

31-Jul-2012

Janet Dooner, licensee of the Railway Tavern in Stratford , a stone’s throw from the Olympic Park, begins her exclusive Olympic diary. Follow her daily diary by signing up to our daily news alert.

London 2012 Olympics: Breweries report mixed sales but deliveries going well

31-Jul-2012 By The Publican's Morning Advertiser Team

Brewers have had mixed sales in the lead-up to the Olympics — although early indications were that there have been no problems with night-time deliveries.

The Big Interview: Jonathan Neame, BBPA Chairman

31-Jul-2012

Shepherd Neame boss Jonathan Neame tells Michelle Perrett what he, as the new chairman of the British Beer and Pub Association, sees as the organisation’s main aims, and how the industry should handle some of its major challenges.

London 2012 Olympics: A pub landlady's Olympic diary with Janet Dooner

30-Jul-2012

Janet Dooner, licensee of the Railway Tavern in Stratford, a stone's throw from the Olympic Park, begins her exclusive Olympic diary with her experiences of the opening ceremony and first weekend. Follow her daily diary by signing up to our daily...

Consider boules as a way to boost business at your pub

27-Jul-2012 By Jason Read

Namby pamby French boules? What use is that in my pub? Think again. Boules is a growing sport in this country and, for a small outlay, can significantly increase the number of customers visiting your pub during the summer — even in the rain.

London 2012 Olympics: Pubs hopeful of a bumper fortnight

27-Jul-2012 By Adam Pescod

Sign up to our daily alert for pub trade Olympics news and Janet Dooner's - licensee of the Railway Tavern in Stratford - Olympic diary.

London 2012 Olympics: Games set to cause 'major disruption' for pub deliveries

26-Jul-2012

Deliveries during the Olympics are going to be a “complete disruption” for pub delivery teams — that’s the view of Mike Bracey, chairman of the Brewery Logistics Group.

St Austell and Heavitree offer licensees free BII services

24-Jul-2012 By Michelle Perrett

Two pub companies — St Austell Brewery and Heavitree Brewery — are the latest companies to pay for BII (British Institute of Innkeeping) membership and training for their licensees.

The late-night levy: What could it mean for your pub?

23-Jul-2012 By Adam Pescod

The Government recently published its draft regulations on the late-night levy. Set to come into force alongside early morning restriction orders (EMROs) in October, the levy will have implications for thousands of licensees, should their local authorities...

Refresh your pub staff with some legal training

19-Jul-2012 By Michael Kheng

Hopefully summer will arrive one day and with it more customers to our bars. Like us, some pubs will be looking at taking on extra staff over the summer period and training up the newly recruited members.

Pubs need to improve service standards for international visitors warns VisitEngland chief

19-Jul-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Licensees need to do more to improve service in pubs to accommodate international visitors — that’s according to VisitEngland chief executive James Beresford.

Top Tips: Raising funds for your pub business

18-Jul-2012 By Phil Mellows

Looking to grow your pub empire? Think there’s a shortage of money around? Well, think again. There are plenty of potential investors out there — it’s just that the organisations who have got it, are afraid to use it.

Students are going out more, says new research

17-Jul-2012 By John Harrington

Students are going out more often despite the difficult economic conditions, according to a new study from CGA that says they spend up to £3.2bn per year on nights out.

Premier League issues football copyright warning to pubs over TV Ad Tech system

12-Jul-2012 By Adam Pescod

The Premier League has warned that it could “take appropriate action” against licensees using a new piece of technology which is claimed to bypass the copyright issues on pub football broadcasting.

How pub business rates are calculated

11-Jul-2012 By Michael Yass

Business rates are one of the highest costs for pubs, and many licensees disagree with how much they have to pay. So how does the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) work it out? Ratings surveyor Michael Yass, director at Chesterton Humberts, de-mystifies the...

Purple Flag status awarded to six more towns

09-Jul-2012 By Mike Berry

Six more towns and cities have been awarded Purple Flag status - given to town centres that demonstrate and maintain an enjoyable and safe night-time economy.