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By Matt Furnell, 14/06/2010 3:58 pm

BEST SEATS FOR WORLD CUP AVAILABLE
SOCCER CITY COMES TO FULHAM

There’s no jostling to see our good old England team in action at the Hurlingham pub in Fulham thanks to indoor terrace seating for a pitch side view of the big screen.

Indoor terrace seating at The Hurlingham Pub in Fulham

Pub Landlord, Ben Hurley has neatly grassed the interior of the pub and added luxury terraced seating so his customers don’t miss any of the action.  He says, “It’s along way for many of us to South Africa so to get as much of the atmosphere as possible here, I created our very own mini version of the Soccer City in Fulham”.

All the matches are being shown throughout the tournament at the pub with plenty of excitement and demand around the England matches.

Regional Manager for Greene King Pub Partners, David Carless said, “This is the event of the sporting calendar and we need pubs to really get behind it and bring some of the atmosphere of South Africa here.  The Hurlingham has done just that – a great way to support our team over there”.

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Press Contact: Elaine Beckett, Public Relations Manager, Greene King Pub Partners, Tel: 07974 132844

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By Matt Furnell, 11/06/2010 7:59 am

Greene King today announces an agreement to acquire four pub restaurants from Punch Taverns PLC for a total consideration of £5.3m. The consideration will be financed from the funds raised by the Company’s rights issue and is expected to complete on 8 July 2010.

These pub restaurants are highly attractive, food-led, destination sites in Aberdeen, Northampton and Nottingham and meet the strict strategic and financial criteria set out at the time of the rights issue. In the year to August 2009, these sites generated EBITDA of £342,000. We expect, following targeted capital investment and operational synergies from integration into Greene King, that these sites will return to more normalised, historic trading levels, equating to c. 7x EBITDA. Following this acquisition, from both targeted packages and single sites, we will have invested £100m of the rights issue proceeds in acquiring and improving 34 high quality, freehold, retail sites and repurchasing below par debt.

Rooney Anand, Chief Executive of Greene King, commented: “We are very pleased to have acquired these sites. They are freehold retail sites in great locations currently trading below their potential. We expect to convert the sites into our market-leading pub restaurant brands, Hungry Horse and Eating Inn, further strengthening our position in the UK eating out market”.  
For further information:
Greene King plc Rooney Anand, Chief Executive
Ian Bull, Group Finance Director Tel: 01284 763222
  
Financial Dynamics Ben Foster
 Tel: 0207 831 3113

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By Matt Furnell, 10/06/2010 4:03 pm

Justin Adams, managing director of Greene King brewing company, has gone back to the floor at the Buxhall Crown pub near Stowmarket to help with the pub’s first ever beer festival.

The pub’s landlord, Barry Davis, secured Justin’s help after ‘winning’ it at a charity auction. The brewing boss was one of over 50 executives from Greene King whose time was auctioned off to licensees in order to raise money for the company’s nominated charities: Sport Relief and the Dallaglio Foundation. The total amount raised by Greene King from the auction and from a Paris to London bike ride now stands at over £65,000.

Justin’s shift consisted of working non-stop in and around the pub to help with the beer festival. He was kept busy helping to pull pints for a host of queuing customers as well as keeping an eye on the cellar and taking his turn at cooking on the barbecue.

Speaking after the event, licensee Barry Davis said: “Hats off to Justin for being such a great sport. It’s his team at Greene King who brew, market, sell and distribute the beer, so it seemed appropriate to get him doing the other most important job in the beer industry: pulling and serving the pints.

“We had number of different beers on tap for the day, from Ruddles County and St Edmunds to The Reverend James and Bomber County. The beer festival gave people a chance to sample real ale and learn all about it from the ultimate expert. Alongside the cracking barbecue for customers, we raised some much needed funds for Sport Relief.”

Justin Adams added: “The Buxhall Crown is a great example of a pub serving its community - fantastic food, excellent beer and a tremendous atmosphere. The beer festival was a good way to raise the profile of the pub and attract new customers. I’m sure that those people who came for the first time will become regulars.   

“It’s been a while since I’ve worked behind the bar – it was a good reminder of how much hard work it is and how important it is to train people properly in selling and serving real ale. Congratulations to Barry and his team for running such a great pub and raising some much needed money for two great causes.”

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For further information please contact James Cameron jamesc@consolidatedpr.com or Lottie Dutton lottied@consolidatedpr.com on 020 7781 2300

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By Matt Furnell, 25/05/2010 2:38 pm

Date: Saturday, 25th May 2010
Time: 1pm onwards
Venue: The White Lion pub, 40 Linkfield Street, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 6BY 

To kick off the bank holiday weekend, one of the area’s most popular pubs, the White Lion pub in Redhill is hosting a Help for Heroes charity event for all the family, in a bid to raise thousands for charity.

From 7pm, there will be a charity auction hosted by Paralympics Gold medallist, Kelvin Daniels.  There will be an opportunity to bid for signed F1, rugby, cricket and football memorabilia.

Pub Landlord, John Connolly and his staff at the White Lion pub will be on hand from 1pm to kick off the fundraising activities, which include:
- Live bands throughout the day
- Sponsored Tug-o-War
- Craft and activity stalls by local shops
- Army stand with rifle shooting
- Raffle with items donated by local companies
John, said,  “There will be something for everyone and we are anticipating a crowd of around 300 people on the day.  The support so far has been amazing and I’d to thank all those who are joining in with our fundraising drive, especially those who have donated prizes, helping to make a difference.”

Gary Stewart, Greene King regional manager for the White Lion pub, said:
“We have been really impressed with the commitment and enthusiasm from John in launching this charity day.  It is so impressive that a local pub can host such a fantastic event for its customers, highlighting the important role that the pub plays within the local community.”

The Help for Heroes charity supports British soldiers who have been injured in conflict.

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For further information on the event, please contact Hew Leith hewl@consolidatedpr.com or Lottie Dutton lottied@consolidatedpr.com on 020 7781 2300 or 07917 417651.

Notes to Editors:

About Greene King

Greene King Pub Partners has over 1,300 tenanted and leased pubs in the UK and is part of Greene King, the brewing and beer business responsible for Greene King IPA, the country’s best selling cask beer.

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By Matt Furnell, 19/05/2010 10:17 am

The John Barleycorn pub in Cambridge has been accredited as
members of Cask Marque, passing the test with flying colours

The John Barleycorn pub in Duxford, Cambridge has scooped yet another recognition for the quality of its beer.  The pub gained Cask Marque, an independent accreditation for serving the perfect pint of cask ale with a phenomenal 100% score. 

During a mystery visit to the John Barleycorn, the undercover judges tried a selection of beers and ales ranging from Greene King IPA, Abbot Ale and Old Speckled Hen to the more unusual tipple of Barleycorn Best Bitter.  The pub has since received a plaque, framed certificate and merchandising material to inform its customers of the award.  The news comes as cask ale sales in pubs recently increased 5.7 per cent, according to new figures .

Licensee Bernard Lee is thrilled that the pub’s hard work and attention to detail has been recognised.  He said, “We are chuffed to bits to have been recognised as a member of Cask Marque.  It is a really great achievement and is a credit to the hard work of our team.  Cask ale plays a huge part in our success and I’m ecstatic for everyone at the pub.  We concentrate on keeping our cask ales in tip-top condition, and pride ourselves on giving the locals great service in a place where they can soak up the friendly atmosphere.”

Greene King regional manager, Phil Arnold said, “This is a fantastic result for the pub and Bernard. Cask ale is the best drink there is when served in good condition, and the John Barleycorn knows a thing or two about making this happen.  Lots of pubs are taking advantage of the renewed interest in real ale and more of our licensees like Bernard are doing their bit to make sure everyone can enjoy a good pint of cask ale and first rate service.”

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For further information on the event, please contact Hew Leith hewl@consolidatedpr.com or Lottie Dutton lottied@consolidatedpr.com on 020 7781 2300

Notes to Editors:

About Greene King

Greene King Pub Partners has over 1,300 tenanted and leased pubs in the UK and is part of Greene King, the brewing and beer business responsible for Greene King IPA, the country’s best selling cask beer, and Belhaven, the Scottish brewing, beer and pub operator.

About the Cask Marque scheme
The scheme is operated by an independent body called Cask Marque Trust which is a limited company, limited by guarantee, and a non profit making organisation.

Pubs that join the scheme will be visited unannounced by an independent assessor twice a year.   The assessor will check all cask ales on sale for temperature, appearance, aroma and taste.

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By Matt Furnell, 18/05/2010 8:54 am

- Licensee Harry Burton of The Nelson and Railway pub celebrates his 40th anniversary of taking over the business –
 
Seven different prime ministers and 14 England football managers have come and gone in the 40 years since licensee Harry Burton took over the Nelson and Railway pub in Kimberley, Nottingham. The achievement of becoming Nottingham’s oldest licensee has been celebrated by Greene King, with four decades in the bag making him the longest serving licensee with the company.

Harry took over the lease for the pub back in 1970 at 29 years of age, after joking with the then tenants, Bill and Addie Williamson that he would like to take on the business some day. They themselves had held the licence for 24 years, since 1946. At the time of joining the pub, Harry was an instrument mechanic in the RAF and a regular visitor to the pub. His family grew up and lived in a house directly opposite.

Speaking about the anniversary, Harry said: “It’s quite extraordinary to believe I’ve been running this pub for 40 years now. Things have changed a lot. When I took on the business, we were still using a pre-decimal currency system, and the price of a pint of bitter was around two shillings and a penny. From memory, a band called The Beatles had just released Let it Be in the charts, Brazil won the World Cup and Edward Heath became Prime Minister.”

On hand to recognise this momentous occasion was managing director for Greene King Pub Partners Simon Longbottom and regional manager Paul Vavasour. Harry was presented with vouchers and a bottle of quality brandy to help celebrate the achievement.

Paul Vavasour,  operations manager for Greene King Pub Partners, said: “Hats off to Harry for this remarkable achievement. To have been able to run a successful business and adapt to changing market conditions over four decades shows what a great asset he has been for the people of Kimberley and Greene King.”

Today, the pub is run by Harry’s son Mick (44), who took over the day-to-day running of the business in 2002. However, as the licensee holder, Harry is still on hand to provide support and business advice to Mick.

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For further information please contact James Cameron jamesc@consolidatedpr.com or Lottie Dutton lottied@consolidatedpr.com on 020 7781 2300

Notes to Editors:

The Nelson and Railway pub, Station Road, Kimberley, Nottinghamshire               NG16 2NR

http://nelsonandrailway.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4&Itemid=4
About The Nelson and Railway
http://www.nelsonandrailway.co.uk/

The Nelson and Railway, so called as it was originally two pubs which were knocked together approx 150 years ago, is run by Harry and his son Mick Burton. It includes 11 en-suite letting rooms which have recently been upgraded. It was the former “brewery tap” of the Kimberley brewery.

The neighbouring town to the west is Eastwood, birthplace of D.H.Lawrence and the pub is close to Newstead Abbey, once home to Lord Byron.

Significant events happening when Harry took over the Nelson and Railway:

• Edward Heath becomes Prime Minister
• The first jumbo jet, the Boeing 747, enters service
• Apollo 13 is launched towards the moon

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By Matt Furnell, 22/04/2010 4:17 pm

It’s official, the Whitmore Arms in Orsett is the proud owners of Best Leased and Tenanted Pub of the Year in Britain Award following the pub industry Oscars last night, The Publican Awards.

Held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, with over 1700 people present, Victoria who runs the pub with her parents Jim and Margaret Orman picked up the award from comedy genius, Michael McIntyre.

Speaking about the award, Victoria said, “We are absolutely thrilled we’ve gained this recognition.  We’ve really got to thank and give so much credit to our team here who make every customer feel special.  We’re certainly going to make sure we have a good celebration”.

Clive Chesser, Operations director for Greene King, the owners of the pub said, “When you get people like Margaret, Jim and Victoria running a pub with us, you get an exceptionally good pub, which keeps everyone happy and it’s brilliant that this award has been given to such high calibre licensees.  Our sincere congratulations, from everyone at Greene King, go out to the whole family and team at the Whitmore Arms”.

The family have operated the village pub under a tenanted agreement for the last thirteen years.  Renowned for its great British menu, very high standards and quality cask ale, they have picked up a stream of prestigious awards over the last few years, but this latest addition is of the highest calibre.

The Publican Awards are the national pub awards, which recognise all those pubs that make a real difference to their community and customers.  With over 57,000 pubs in the UK, being a national winner is a well respected accolade.

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Press Contact: Elaine Beckett, Public Relations Manager, Greene King Pub Partners, Tel: 07974 132844

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By Matt Furnell, 15/04/2010 4:51 pm

Greene King Pub Partners commissioned Oxford Brookes University to carry out research into their Go for Growth mandatory induction programme for new licensees.  The training course is compulsory before licensees get the keys to their pub and results show it’s an enormous success.

96% plan for the growth of their business rather than just working in it
96% review customer care as part of their ongoing strategy
96% developed and managed their staff more effectively

Speaking about the results, director of recruitment and training, Caroline Hollings said, “We developed this course for all new licensees on the back of our BII NITA Supreme Award training course, Go for Growth.  Many in the industry didn’t believe it when we said all our licensees irrelevant of their experience had to attend the course before they got the keys to one of our valuable assets.  Even some licensees were shocked but all of them get so much from the training when they attend and we know that they’re fully prepared for taking on such an important business and making a profit.  These results show that this training is right, relevant and un-mistakenly an asset to all licensees going into a Greene King pub”.

Prasong Suppadungchon, licensee of the Old Tom in Oxford took over his pub from a restaurant background, since attending the course he has increased gross profits by 50% and reduced operating profits by 10%, he says, “The course totally boosted my confidence, it focused my attention – I was so busy running the business and making it a nice place for my customers I completely forgot about profit”.

After attending the second day six months later he added, “I would definitely recommend this course to others, it makes you focus on what’s important to the business and spend time planning the way forward”.

Another attendee is Vernon Blackmore of the Anchor pub in Woodbridge.  Vernon was a chef but had never run a pub before.  Since taking on the Anchor and attending Go for Growth Induction he has seen turnover trebling, saved £2k on bank charges and improved wage percentage by 5%.  He said of the course, “It showed me a lot we were doing was right, but it also exposed some things we weren’t so good at.  It made me more confident about the business and gave me clarity of vision on how I want to take things forward”.

Adam Rainford licensee of the Welcome Inn, Eastleigh adds, “The course made me look at the bigger picture – I used to spend one hour after service thinking about the business which wasn’t quality time as I felt burnt out.  I now spend two uninterrupted hours a day”.

Other licensees have also achieved real financial success following the course with Dee and Tommy Takacs from the White Hart in Fulbourn seeing turnover double in nine months and Nigel and Gail Woodley of the Golden Ball in Littlemore having turnover increase by £3,500 per week and nearly £4,500 on costs saved in a year.

Concluding Hollings says, “It’s vital in this industry that you retain the good quality licensees you have and you can only achieve that by giving them the best start.  With Go for Growth we know that everyone will have the right level of skills to operate what is a very cash driven business but also the best platform to build it in the long term.  It’s our duty to do that but also absolute business sense”.

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Press Contact: Elaine Beckett, Public Relations Manager, Greene King Pub Partners, Tel: 07974 132844

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By Matt Furnell,

Janet Wallace, landlady of Greene King pub the Fleece in Barkisland, Halifax has become the most recent addition to the company’s flagship Public Housewives campaign.  The initiative has been set up to empower more women to take on their own pub and make it a success.

After 24 successful years in the pub industry, and now as one of Greene King’s  successful female licensees, Janet was recommended for the campaign by her regional manager.  She is keen to impart her advice to women looking to get into the industry.

Speaking about her role in the campaign, Janet said:

“Times have changed and the role of a landlady is no longer just about pulling pints.    

It’s about establishing a successful business that appeals to the modern pub customers, such as women and families.  I want to get the message out that running a pub isn’t daunting and more women should seriously consider it.

“Now is a great time to do this.  Although it’s a difficult time for some in the industry, well run pubs that focus on value for money and fantastic quality are thriving.”

Speaking about the campaign, director of recruitment and training, Caroline Hollings said:

“The changing role of the pub means more women and families are visiting pubs.  Female licensees are ideally placed to understand and cater for these new customers by tailoring their pub to suit.  Greene King wants to use successful licensees like Janet to inspire women and highlight the fantastic opportunities in the pub industry.

“Running a Greene King pub is a great career choice for enterprising women who are looking to maximise their potential.  In an industry which is sometimes seen as male dominated, Greene King is urging women with entrepreneurial flair to consider running their own pub.”

Greene King is calling for any female entrepreneurs who are interested in a career within the pub industry to visit the Public Housewives website: http://www.publichousewives.co.uk

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For more information please contact: Lottie Dutton or Hew Leith at Consolidated PR – lottied@consolidatedpr.com, hewl@consolidatedpr.com or telephone: 020 7781 2300

Notes to Editors:

Public Housewives Campaign

For more information on Greene King’s campaign to raise awareness of the opportunities available to female entrepreneurs thinking of running their own pub, please visit: http://www.publichousewives.co.uk

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By Matt Furnell,

The influence of St Edmund, the late king of East Anglia is celebrated even more with the opening this week of The St Edmunds Tavern in Bury St Edmunds.

The 15^th century pub in Risbygate Street has undergone a total refurbishment, emphasising the beauty of this old inn.  Now a bright and airy interior, it boasts two log fires, traditional British food “without the twist” and real ales and wines to suit everyone. 

Following the changes, the St Edmunds Tavern will be right back on the Bury map.  Its unique qualities and features are enhanced with antique furniture and fittings throughout. 

Steve Look, regional manager for Greene King said, “The St Edmunds Tavern is now a very special place and will be an asset for the people of Bury St Edmunds”.

Opening early for coffee and cakes, the St Edmunds Tavern will welcome you whether you’re out for the day shopping or want to celebrate something special.  Food will be served every day lunchtime and evenings and afternoon tea after lunch.

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Notes:  The pub officially opens on Wednesday 14^th April 2010 where St Edmunds ale will help guest celebrate the opening. 

About Saint Edmund

Saint Edmund, also known as Edmund the Martyr, was originally the English patron saint but was ousted by St George in 1305.  A Saxon king of East Anglia, Saint Edmund became the patron saint of Suffolk, following his death in 869.

Saint Edmund’s body was laid to rest in the market town of Bury St Edmunds, home to the Greene King brewery.  Bury St Edmunds’ ruined abbey is the shrine to Saint Edmund, and has become one of the most famous pilgrimage locations in England as a result.

Press Contact: Elaine Beckett, Public Relations Manager, Greene King Pub Partners, Tel: 07974 132844

Pub Contact: Jo and Jason Wallace, Tel: 01284 701166