85 years old, French, decorated with the Legion D’Honneur, war hero, rich, innovator, self-made and claims to have created 650,000 new jobs as a result of his campaigning! And that’s just a bit of his life story!!
Jacques Borel the name, inspirational the man!
His campaign, simple; reduce VAT on Food and Drink, up go sales and profit, up go jobs! Easy to summarise? Difficult to achieve? absolutely, but he has achieved it across many countries and now he is focusing on Britain!
If you want to be inspired, if you want to see real strategy designed to address cause not effect, do no more than read Roger Protz brilliant interview with “The Man” in the Publican/Morning Advertiser. Fantastic!!
Martin Read CMBII
Managing Director of Inn-Dispensable Personal Licence Training
Thursday 25 April 2013
Thursday 18 April 2013
A Plea For Minimum Alcohol Pricing Leadership
In a Blog some months ago I had a torturous argument with myself as to whether I supported Minimum Pricing or not, eventually on the grounds that it would contribute somewhat to helping The British Pub, I came down in favour of a Yes!
Now today 12 very influential CEOs within our industry have written in the Telegraph with a similar plea to “Call me Dave” to “stick to his guns” and bring in the measure.
The argument goes something like this:
Minimum pricing will not solve all of our alcohol-related ills, but it will help to encourage responsible drinking and curb excessive drinking. All too often customers arrive at licensed premises already blitzed, often to be refused entrance. They then go onto cause mayhem in town centres which in turn reflects badly on pubs and clubs, but its nothing to do with them because the alcohol has been consumed at home beforehand!! Pretty unfair, Eh?
In their letter, they urge Dave (my term) “not to waste the opportunity” and ask that he continues to show courage and leadership in theses difficult times. Bit of a different degree of courage that Maggie (God rest her soul) had to show when the Falklands were invaded. But never the less Dave needs to follow up his pledge of some time ago that minimum Pricing is a pillar of conservative policy.
The Treasury are opposing the introduction, and several ministers have argued that it will penalise the majority of drinkers - so time to be counted Dave. The British pub needs all of the support it can get. 1 million jobs, £8 billion raised in taxes!
Martin Read CMBII
Managing Director of Inn-Dispensable Personal Licence Training
Now today 12 very influential CEOs within our industry have written in the Telegraph with a similar plea to “Call me Dave” to “stick to his guns” and bring in the measure.
The argument goes something like this:
Minimum pricing will not solve all of our alcohol-related ills, but it will help to encourage responsible drinking and curb excessive drinking. All too often customers arrive at licensed premises already blitzed, often to be refused entrance. They then go onto cause mayhem in town centres which in turn reflects badly on pubs and clubs, but its nothing to do with them because the alcohol has been consumed at home beforehand!! Pretty unfair, Eh?
In their letter, they urge Dave (my term) “not to waste the opportunity” and ask that he continues to show courage and leadership in theses difficult times. Bit of a different degree of courage that Maggie (God rest her soul) had to show when the Falklands were invaded. But never the less Dave needs to follow up his pledge of some time ago that minimum Pricing is a pillar of conservative policy.
The Treasury are opposing the introduction, and several ministers have argued that it will penalise the majority of drinkers - so time to be counted Dave. The British pub needs all of the support it can get. 1 million jobs, £8 billion raised in taxes!
Martin Read CMBII
Managing Director of Inn-Dispensable Personal Licence Training
Thursday 11 April 2013
Fantastic Alcohol Course at Historic Brewery
I ran a course recently for delegates to take an ARAR qualification (Award for Responsible Alcohol Retailing) sponsored by the great generosity of SAB Miller and hosted by the great generosity of Hook Norton Brewery.
We were very kindly allowed the privilege of running the session in the oak-panelled, age-old, Board Room of Hooky, a board room which must have had on the agenda; creating a “tied trade” way back in 1859. The directors no doubt discussed the benefits such a system would bring to tenants who did not have the wherewithal to buy their own pubs! So whilst the tied system has its issues today, lets not knock totally a system that in this instance has been successful for over 150 years!
This is a fabulous traditional brewery in the heart of a country village, which was founded in 1849. SAB Miller was of course founded in Johannesburg in 1895, so a youngster compared to Hook Norton.
But my how these two brilliant companies have progressed, and how they both see the value of promoting and supporting “Responsible Alcohol Retailing”. The two businesses combine tradition with modernity and demonstrate the way an age-old industry needs to adapt to current matters.
I would mention that during a coffee break I peeked into the hand-written ledgers in the boardroom and could have stayed there all day fascinated by such history (and prices for a barrel of Hooky!)
A great day for the delegates (all of whom passed) - and a great day for me.
Thank you SAB Miller and Hook Norton, and thank you to the BIIAB for a great qualification.
Martin Read CMBII
Managing Director of Inn-Dispensable Personal Licence Courses
We were very kindly allowed the privilege of running the session in the oak-panelled, age-old, Board Room of Hooky, a board room which must have had on the agenda; creating a “tied trade” way back in 1859. The directors no doubt discussed the benefits such a system would bring to tenants who did not have the wherewithal to buy their own pubs! So whilst the tied system has its issues today, lets not knock totally a system that in this instance has been successful for over 150 years!
This is a fabulous traditional brewery in the heart of a country village, which was founded in 1849. SAB Miller was of course founded in Johannesburg in 1895, so a youngster compared to Hook Norton.
But my how these two brilliant companies have progressed, and how they both see the value of promoting and supporting “Responsible Alcohol Retailing”. The two businesses combine tradition with modernity and demonstrate the way an age-old industry needs to adapt to current matters.
I would mention that during a coffee break I peeked into the hand-written ledgers in the boardroom and could have stayed there all day fascinated by such history (and prices for a barrel of Hooky!)
A great day for the delegates (all of whom passed) - and a great day for me.
Thank you SAB Miller and Hook Norton, and thank you to the BIIAB for a great qualification.
Martin Read CMBII
Managing Director of Inn-Dispensable Personal Licence Courses
Wednesday 3 April 2013
The Next On-going Pub Battle!
New powers have been given to councils across the UK, under the National Planning Policy Framework, to give greater protection to community pubs; the trick is to get more councils to make use of them!
Some 18 pubs continue to close each week and we need councils to follow the lead of Cambridge, Bristol and a few others in creating Pro-Pubs policies.
All too often loopholes in the planning system allow a pub to be knocked down and turned into a supermarket, betting shop or payday loan shop. Once a pub has gone it really has gone and will not be replaced!
CAMRA that mighty and good organisation is supporting the Save the Pub groups campaign to encourage councils to use policies to support and protect pubs with strong local policies. We at Inn-Dispensable are also doing all we can to add our weight to this worthy cause.
These efforts must be backed up by the Government to close loopholes that allow pubs to be demolished or converted to other uses without local community consultation.
All who contributed to the Beer Duty Escalator issue and won, can now show another united front to protect one of the worlds Greatest Institutions: THE BRITISH PUB.
Personal Licence Training from Inn-dispensable
Some 18 pubs continue to close each week and we need councils to follow the lead of Cambridge, Bristol and a few others in creating Pro-Pubs policies.
All too often loopholes in the planning system allow a pub to be knocked down and turned into a supermarket, betting shop or payday loan shop. Once a pub has gone it really has gone and will not be replaced!
CAMRA that mighty and good organisation is supporting the Save the Pub groups campaign to encourage councils to use policies to support and protect pubs with strong local policies. We at Inn-Dispensable are also doing all we can to add our weight to this worthy cause.
These efforts must be backed up by the Government to close loopholes that allow pubs to be demolished or converted to other uses without local community consultation.
All who contributed to the Beer Duty Escalator issue and won, can now show another united front to protect one of the worlds Greatest Institutions: THE BRITISH PUB.
Personal Licence Training from Inn-dispensable
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