Category: News

Making a good pub great is something most, if not all, publicans aim for. While people will have slightly differing views of the perfect pub, everyone wants to feel comfortable and at-home when they visit a pub.

It should be a welcoming space

Creating a convivial environment is made up of a few different factors, from the hosts to the décor and the overall vibe, which all your customers contribute to.

Friendly staff led by a warm landlord/lady who has a great connection with the regulars, expertly serves their customers and can tell you where the closest cashpoint or best local Chinese takeaway is.

A pub’s décor, style, aesthetic, whatever you want to call it, has a big impact on how customers receive it. Ideally, a pub will be big enough so as not to feel overcrowded, but be broken out into cosy little niches. You want to make people feel like they’re relaxing in one of their friends’ living rooms, not like they’re in a bland expanse like a school hall.

Traditional wooden features, particularly beams and columns, help create a cosy, rustic vibe. Adding comfortable seats and good sturdy furniture help make people feel safe and centred.

Creating separate spaces

It should also be a tolerant space. Pub is short for public house and this means all are welcome, however, maintaining a good balance between alcohol-drinking adults and families with young children needs to be achieved.

Having distinct spaces on-site for each group can help this, such as not allowing children in the bar area, and clearly marking family areas so your more boisterous customers or those who may be having more mature conversations know to steer clear.

Good, homecooked food

Now, pub food does not need to be anything fancy – a pub is not a restaurant and it doesn’t need to be. Good pub fare needs to be hot, tasty and filling, with British pub classics including bangers & mash, fish & chips, roast dinners and all-day breakfasts. Pub food should also be at reasonable prices.

Your punters may not fancy a full meal but instead prefer a light snack to go with their drink of choice, such as crisps, peanuts or a sandwich. Having a variety of options means your customers will be able to choose something that suits their needs.

Drink

Of course, a pub should have a good range of quality drinks for your punters to choose from, so you can be sure there’s plenty to wet their whistle.

There are four main areas when it comes to pub drinks: beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks.

Beers are one of the first things that come to mind when we think of pubs, particularly traditional pubs where the bar staff literally pull the pints through the pipes with a great wooden handle. Draught beer generally covers ales and the various subcategories within (such as stouts, IPAs and brown ales) as well as lagers; you may also have cider on tap. A variety of beer taps, prominently displayed along your bar, will show your customers which beers you offer and which are in stock.

Wines are also a popular option for many adults and they expect a good selection when it comes to whites, rosés and reds, as well as sparkling varieties. Wine is generally served by the glass in measures of 125ml or 175ml (or multiples thereof, such as 250ml), or a group may order a bottle (or three!) to share, to save them heading to the bar after each glass. Prosecco, as a sparkling white wine, has enjoyed fantastic popularity in recent years, so it’s well worth keeping stocked up

After beer and wine come the spirits, including gin, vodka and rum, as well as brandy and whisky. There are many varieties within each subcategory, beyond the flavours and level of alcohol and into the detail of how the spirit may have been distilled or steeped, and many customers will have a favourite brand of spirit, so it’s well within your interest as the owner of the pub to offer a wide selection of spirits. This is particularly true of gins as their popularity, and indeed their range, has exploded in the last few years.

Soft drinks. More people are becoming conscious of the health effects of excessive alcohol consumption and are more likely to want a greater selection of soft drinks beyond juice and coke. Many alcoholic brands are now producing alcohol-free versions of their drinks that you can keep stocked behind the bar, and virgin cocktails are popular choices for designated drivers. Staples like J2O, Appletiser, Shloer and Fentiman’s provide a range of options for those who may not be drinking for any number of reasons.

Your staff should be able to tell your customers about each kind of drink, covering important details like their flavour and alcohol volume (ABV). You may even, for your more loyal regulars who have an unusual (or perhaps outdated) penchant, such as crème de menthe, choose to keep a bottle behind the bar for when they come in.

Being able to offer your customers the drinks they want and tell them about other drinks they may be interested in will help set your pub apart from other bars.

If you’re considering buying and running your own pub, get in touch with a member of our skilled and experienced team who are on hand to help you discover your dream pub.

Serving alcohol at your hotel, restaurant, B&B or pub is a great way to boost your revenue thanks to the high margins that come with alcohol, but you’ll need an alcohol licence to do so legally.

What are the different types of alcohol licences?

There are two types of alcohol licences: a premises licence and a personal licence.

A premises licence authorises a venue for licensable activities, including the sale of alcohol.

A personal licence permits somebody (typically a business owner or manager) to become a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS).

How to get a premises licence

You need to apply to your council for a premises license, and this can be done either by post or online, provided your local council accepts digital applications.

There are different online applications depending on where in the UK you are: England & Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The postal forms are available here and are the same across the UK.

The cost of your premises licence will vary based on the rateable value of your property (how much the property would rent for) and can cost from £100 to £1,905.

The premises must have a designated DPS when applying for a licence, and the DPS must hold a personal licence.

When applying for your premises licence, you will need to provide your council with details of you and the DPS as well as a detailed plan of the premises and an operating schedule (including details of when alcohol will be sold).

How to change a premises licence

If you need to change any details to your licence, you will need to apply for either a minor or full variation to your location council.

Minor variations cost £89 and cover small changes to the license, such as reducing the hours you sell alcohol, the removal of irrelevant conditions or the removal or addition of other licensable activities (such as playing live music or showing a film). You can begin the minor variations application process by downloading a form from the GOV.UK website.

Full variations cost the same as the original application for a premises licence and follow a very similar process. Full variations include extending the opening hours of your business, making major changes to the premises or the bar layout, selling alcohol between 11 pm and 7 am, or increasing the number of hours during which alcohol may be sold.

How to get a personal licence

You’ll need to gain a Personal License Qualification as part of the personal licence process; the qualification takes about a day and the assessment is done via a multiple-choice exam.

The personal licence itself costs £37 but you may also need to pay for a DBS check which costs £25.

You can apply for a personal licence through the GOV.UK website.

What is the Designated Premises Supervisor responsible for?

Being responsible for the premises means there are certain duties the DPS must take care of; the DPS is the first point of contact for the local council and the police

The DPS must ensure ID is provided where necessary. Most premises subscribe to the Challenge 25 policy where anyone who looks 25 or under needs to present an acceptable ID (driver’s licence or passport) that proves they are over 18.

The DPS is also responsible for the bar serving legal measures:

• Wine: 125 ml, 175ml
• Spirits: 25ml, 35ml
• Draught beer and cider: full pint or half, third or two-thirds of a pint
• Fortified wine: 50/70ml
• And multiples thereof, e.g. a cocktail may include a double shot of a spirit, or a large glass of wine may be 250ml.

Jiggers and spirit measures make it easier to serve correct volumes.

What else do I need to know about alcohol licensing?

You must display your ‘license summary’ at your venue in a place where it can easily be seen. You should keep the other pages of your licence in a safe location at your premises; the council or police may inspect them at any point. Failure to provide your licence may result in a fine of up to £1,000.

Premises licences typically come with an unlimited duration, so you don’t need to reapply for them (unless you need to make variations). There is, however, an annual fee – find out more here.

Selling alcohol without a licence can lead to a fine of up to £20,000 and/or a prison sentence of up to 6 months.

If you are thinking about opening a hotel, B&B, restaurant or pub, we can help with financing. Get in touch today to find out how we can help you start or grow your business.