Campaigns Against Ever-Rising Pub Closures

Against a background report from CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), that in the six months to March this year, an increased rate of pub closures went up from eighteen per week to twenty six per week, the industry and other parties are stepping up their tremendous efforts to protect and promote our pub industry.

Here are a few things that are happening;
A new consumer campaign, complimentary to the campaign I blogged on last week (Pubs are Great) has been launched to celebrate Britain’s passion for pubs. “Its Better Down the Pub” encourages pub goers to celebrate why they love pubs so much.  Take a look on YouTube at the video. There are some heavyweight players behind the campaign including Admiral Taverns, The BII, Everards, Fullers, The Pub is the Hub and SIBA (Society Independent Brewers) and many other supporters.

Then there is Jacques Borel continuing with his campaign to have VAT reduced for the Hospitality Sector, some £1.4 million has so far been spent on the campaign and Mr Borel boasts that in 6o countries across the world where he has run similar campaigns, he has been successful in 58 of them! In addition to his belief that a reduction will drive job opportunities he further argues that with an election not too far away, politicians will be eager to demonstrate any way in which they can reduce un-employment. Some senior politicians seem to rubbish his rationale…we will see.

Then we have the Skills Sector for Hospitably forecasting that 50% of all employers will take on an apprentice, this will do wonders to raise the skill level and customer care levels within pubs.

Politically, another campaign to save pubs from closure is running via CAMRA. “List you Local” encourages residents to list their local pub as an “Asset of Community Value”, once listed it gives more time and opportunity to explore other options rather than closure.

And how about UKIPs campaign “Save the Pub” no matter what your politics are, saving the pub seems a pretty neutral political thrust but only UKIP claim to be the Political Party for The Pub (their words not mine!).

Here's another for you “Fair Deal for Your Local” - even more political this one, I chose to stay out of this debate! Not sure where HMG is with Minimum Pricing but I guess it is still on an agenda somewhere!

As for Inn-Dispensable, we continue with our efforts to raise Knowledge Skill and Attitudes of staff within pubs throughout our extensive range of courses!

All of this combined surely must have an impact on encouraging customers back into the pub?


Martin Read CMBII
Managing Director of Inn-Dispensable Personal Licence Training

Key Points to Running a Successful Pub - From a Winner

How refreshing to read of Mahdis Neghabian experience of being a judge in this years BII’s Licensee of the Year, having herself triumphed last year.

Here are some of the reflections she makes; The competition forces you to:
Turn the mirror onto your own business and ultimately improve it
Be original
Be innovative
Examine all aspects of the following:-
    •    Socially responsible alcohol retailing
    •    Customer service
    •    Marketing
    •    Using new media effectively
Take a step back to view your business as the customer views it

I knew we have been doing something right at Inn-Dispensable because we've been featuring all of these messages (and more) within our courses for the last 20 years. The challenge is to get more licensees like Mahdis to actually DO IT!

Martin Read CMBII
Managing Director of Inn-Dispensable Personal Licence Training

'Pubs are Great' Campaign To Promote UK Tourism

A combined initiative to promote British Pubs, who would have thought it?

What is: a great product, one of the world’s greatest institutions and the third most popular reason given by tourists for visiting Britain?…THE BRITISH PUB!

And so the BBPA (British Pub and Beer Association) have teamed up with Visit Britain to launch a campaign to encourage people to visit pubs.

The marketing will be titled 'Pubs are Great' and HMG will be involved, as their Visit Britain campaign will give support to the initiative.

Is this what "Dave" meant when he recently said, "We are going to do more to help the British Pub"? Let's hope so. More of it say I!

Thought for the day: "It's never too late"

Martin Read CMBII
Managing Director of Inn-Dispensable Personal Licence Courses

Pro-pub MP Downplays VAT Cut

The battle lines are being drawn! The PMA reports that Chairman of the All-party Beer Group Andrew Griffiths has declared campaigns designed to persuade the Chancellor to cut VAT for the hospitality sector as an "exercise in fantasy politics". The MP said that "As a politician I couldn’t seriously go into the Treasury and, with a straight face, make the case for a VAT cut like this."

Thought for the day: “Well he would say that wouldn’t he”

Martin Read CMBII
Managing Director of Inn-Dispensable Personal Licence Training