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By Matt Furnell, 14/02/2011 11:13 am

Mother and Daughter duo give local pub a new lease of life

The Robert Kett pub in Wymondham re-opened its doors this week after a complete makeover by mother and daughter duo, Debby and Charlotte Casey and pub owners Greene King.

The pair have been at the Greene King pub a year and it didn’t take long for them to realise the opportunity, so they decided to set down roots and add their own touch to it.  The new look includes new oak flooring, plenty of cosy seating and a modernised large restaurant. 

Charlotte and Debby at the new look Robert Kett pub.

Charlotte said “The Pub business is in our blood. My Mum grew up in pubs and my Mum’s parents and Grandparents also ran them.  It’s what we do best and we are loving the challenge at the Robert Kett”.

The pub already plays host to a big local crowd coming in for sport, entertainment, food and drink.  It will now offer an ‘all you can eat Chinese and Thai night’ for £10 a head once every month with Charlotte and Debby joining forces with their local Chinese takeaway.  Alongside quality Greene King real ale at £2.39 a pint and a new menu with main meals starting at £4.25 and a Sunday Carvery for £7.95 per head, the pub has certainly been brought back to life!

Debby said “I love being with people and listening to the customers. For me, that’s what it’s all about, our customers come first and I hope that the Robert Kett is somewhere they’ll cherish for a long time in the future!”

Business Development Manager for Greene King, Paul Devine said “Debby and Charlotte have created a great place for local people to enjoy. Whether it’s a good pint you are looking for, a meal out or somewhere for a family get together, you’ll get a very warm welcome from them both at the Robert Kett”.

ENDS

PRESS CONTACT: ELAINE BECKETT, PR & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, GREENE KING PUB PARTNERS, TEL: 07974 132844, EMAIL: elainebeckett@greeneking.co.uk

PUB CONTACT: DEBBY and CHARLOTTE ON 01953 602957

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By Matt Furnell, 18/10/2010 10:44 am

Forget coffee, cup cakes and wifi, a “proper pub” is still all about the food, beer and friendly landlords, according to a survey undertaken by the country’s biggest pub company and brewer.

As some pubs increasingly diversify to attract new trade, the findings will provide succour to landlords whose time-honoured view of the British pub is of an authentic watering hole that prides itself on service and high-quality tipples and meals.

Greene King commissioned the YouGov poll to find out what were the essential ingredients for the “proper pub” of the 21st century.

And, while two thirds (66%) of people said a good choice of food and drinks was top of the pub-goers wish list, just one per cent said wifi was important to them. Of food and drinks most expected to be found in a “proper pub” cakes and Danish pastries attracted less than 1% of votes, and coffee and a range of tea gained just seven per cent of the votes.

A friendly landlord was thought essential by 57 per cent of people, and the idea of the pub as centre of the community is still important, put in the top three must-have ingredients by almost a third of those surveyed (30%).

Rooney Anand, chief executive of Greene King, which runs around 2,400 pubs in the UK, said the results showed that while publicans had to look to new ways of increasing revenue in difficult economic times, the fundamentals of the “proper pub” still hold true.

“We know from our own experience that people are drinking more tea and coffee, and eating more food, in pubs these days, and these are very important for the future of the pub trade,” he added.

“But it’s significant that top of most people’s list is the authentic atmosphere and feel of a British pub that comes from the landlord, the sense of community and the quality of the food and drink on offer.

“The British pub meets timeless human needs that are simply not fulfilled by other meeting places or groups, like social media networks. That’s why it survives and will continue to do so despite all the other opportunities we have for “joining” and for networking.

“It remains an essential community integrator, where people of different ages and backgrounds mix in a relaxed atmosphere.”

A beer garden (27 per cent) and log fire (22 per cent) fared much better in the survey than access for dogs (six per cent) and comfy sofas (15 per cent), while pub games were more popular among 18 to 24 year olds (31 per cent), and 29 per cent of all questioned thought “proper pubs” should be family friendly.

Mr Anand said that the company wasn’t looking for a one-size-fits-all approach to pubs, and the survey shows that there is a need for different pubs for different types of pub-goer.

“It’s quite clear that some people like somewhere they can take their family for Sunday lunch, while to others a “proper pub” is all about somewhere to socialise in the evening with their mates. Other still want the relaxing surroundings of a log fire, comfy sofas and a glass of wine,” he added.

“This research and the campaign which follows will enable us to drill down to see what’s really important to people in different age groups and different areas.”

A website – www.properpubs.co.uk – has been launched to give people the chance to cast their vote on what they think should be in a “proper pub, with the chance to win a personalised pub sign and 100 free meals on offer to those taking part.

Other key findings included:

• More people in the North East than anywhere else like to relax on a comfy pub sofa (25%)

• Those in the North West have a passion for authentic pub games like pool and darts (32%)

• People in the East Midlands are the most likely to want a friendly landlord (63%)

• Pub-goers in the South East believe a “proper pub” should be at the heart of its community (35%)

• Those in the South West want to sit by a log fire (30%), often with man’s best friend at their side (10%)

• While the Welsh believe a “proper pub” should reflect family friendly values (39%)

In the survey, 2,118 people were asked to select the top three characteristics that make up a “proper pub”, from the following list:

• Log fire
• Friendly landlord
• Centre of the community
• Family friendly
• Somewhere I can take my dog
• Comfy sofas
• Wifi for laptops
• Beer garden
• Good choice of food and drinks
• Pub games

They were also asked what type of food and drink they would expect to find in a “proper pub”.

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 2118 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 4th – 6th October 2010.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

For more information please contact Matt Ware or Donna Chessum at Tribe on 01603 417722 or email matt@tribepr.com or donna@tribepr.com

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By Matt Furnell, 15/04/2010 3:46 pm

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

Ends

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, 22/03/2010 5:52 pm

Evelyn with Mike O'Connor from Greene King

Evelyn Miles leaves the Castle pub in Sevenoaks this week after appearing for 35 years behind the bar.  Greene King who owns the pub gave the loyal landlady a fond farewell.

Mike O’Connor, regional manager for Greene King said, “Whilst Evelyn has been behind the bar she’s served over 1,260,000 pints of beer and today she’ll pour her final one.  We thought it was about time she saw where all that beer comes from so we’ve invited her to a VIP brewery tour to start off her new life.  We wish her a long and happy retirement and hope that the memories she has of being such a great landlady stay with her for years to come”.

When Evelyn started behind the bar a pint of beer was around 27p with pub food being a packet of pork scratchings or a pickled egg.  Speaking about her time at the Castle, Evelyn said, “I’ve seen the pub business change over the years but one thing that’s remained the same is that customers want to feel welcome in a pub and they come to make friends.  Here at the Castle, I’ve made sure everyone who comes through the door feels special and that’s been the best bit about running the pub for all this time”.

Eveylyn pulling her very last pint

Evelyn intends to put her feet up for a well earned rest now and is looking forward to being the other side of the bar for many years to come.

Ends

Pictured: Evelyn with Mike O’Connor from Greene King with her last pint when her firstcost 27p 

Eveylyn pulling her very last pint

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

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By Matt Furnell, 15/03/2010 5:54 pm

The Swan, Bradwell, are inviting SWAGs (Sassy, Wise and Grown Up) to join them for an evening of Bubbles and Beauty!  Having already run a successful pilot event, Greene King Licensee, Aimee Winsbury-Cutts is rolling out the pamper evenings to her current and prospective female customers.   The events, taking place on Wednesday 31st March and Wednesday 26^th May, aim to give ladies an opportunity to take some well deserved ‘time out’ away from the hectic pressures of day to day life.

Aimee says, “I recently attended a Greene King ladies day where I had the luxury to think about me, my business and my lifestyle.  I also got to enjoy a glass of bubbly and have a hand massage!  I was inspired to organise a similar event for the ladies in our area offering them a place to meet friends and make new ones and to take some time to have a treatment and maybe purchase something luxurious for themselves”.

Tickets include a glass of sparkling wine on arrival, canapés that are mini versions of The Swan’s menu dishes and the choice of an eyebrow shape or a mini manicure! Guests are also able to enjoy further treatments by local beauticians, and have the opportunity to purchase handbags, beauty products and lingerie on the night! 

Aimee, who also runs The Dolphin, Stisted, goes on to say, “We are thrilled to offer this evening to our female customers who lead very busy lives and deserve an evening of indulgence!”

Speaking about the Greene King pub, regional manager for Greene King, Chris Cocker said, “Aimee is extremely customer focused and always tailors her events around her customers.  Her enthusiasm for bringing new concepts to her two pubs is outstanding. Her customers are in for a real treat!”

Ends

Pub Contact:

Aimee Winsbury-Cutts

Tel: 07525488595

Press Contact:

Elaine Beckett, Public Relations Manager, Greene King Pub Partners,

Tel: 07974 132844

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By Matt Furnell, 18/11/2009 2:32 pm

Selected for their successfully run businesses, Greene King female licensees were invited to be part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, the world-wide movement to highlight the crucial role that entrepreneurs and their ideas play in driving economic recovery and success in the UK and globally.

The all-female event, “Women mean Business 2009″ will take centre stage at Hanbury Manor, Ware on Thursday 19^th November. Guests will have the opportunity to network with fellow innovators and enjoy a fabulous day of inspirational development.

Speaking about the event, Caroline Hollings, director of recruitment and training for Greene King said, “This is a great way to bring like minded business women together to encourage new ideas and innovative ways to further build their pub businesses.  All too often the contribution women make to pub businesses is overlooked and this event will help recognise what value they do add as well as provide even more inspiration to them for the future – it’s all about making entrepreneurs even more entrepreneurial”.

Greene King, leaders in female enterprise with their successful Public Housewives campaign, tailored the event to their licensees, recognising the unique qualities women bring to their pubs.

FOR FURTHER DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT: ELAINE BECKETT, GREENE KING, 07974 132844

www.publichousewives.co.uk

View BBC Look East coverage here

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By Matt Furnell, 06/10/2009 3:03 pm

Lyn Walker and Yvonne Mallinson have become the latest “Public Housewives” to take on a pub with Greene King, the Star in Rolvenden near Cranbrook.  The duo who run their own catering business and local café, the Bread o f Life in Dulwich, London SE22 decided to take over the pub and transform it with their skills and a woman’s touch.

 Speaking about their new venture, Lyn said, “We’d visited the pub when it was thriving and then not, so that’s why we decided we could take the leap into the pub sector and put this real pub for real people back on the map.  Through Greene King’s support we’ve been able to transform the business and create somewhere really special for the locals”.

 The Public Housewives campaign launched by Greene King is aimed at encouraging more women to take the plunge and run pubs as their own businesses.  Caroline Hollings, recruitment and training director for Greene King says, “The impression people get when thinking about running a pub is that there has to be a man behind the bar and nothing could be further from the truth.  We have some really successful women running our pubs of which Lyn and Yvonne are definitely two.  We need to change the perception and get more women who are business minded and great managers looking to this industry as a self employed business option”.

 Lyn and Yvonne have revamped the pub with a new paint job and signage and replanted the gardens, welcomed back the darts and football teams and introduced a good home cooked pub food menu alongside an ever popular Sunday Roast.

 Adding Yvonne said, “You have to have dedication and work hard if you take on a pub but seeing a happy face on the other side of the bar and knowing you are providing something the community wants makes it all worth while”.

 Even Lyn’s husband, Mick, is happy even though it has taken some getting used to, he says, “I must be the only man who goes out to work all day whilst my wife’s down the pub!”.

 More information about the Public Housewives campaign can be found on http://www.publichousewives.co.uk/.

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By admin, 30/09/2009 4:23 pm

I read recently that there’s a new breed of women set to turn us on our tails. SWAGS — Sassy, Wise and Grown Up — representing the 35 to 45 age, really settled and happy in their lifestyle and, as such, knowing exactly what they want.

So to the best bit of consumer research I’d ever asked to be undertaken.  Greene King Pub Partners PR Manager, my PA, our Recruitment and Training Manager and many more of Greene King’s own SWAGS were only too eager to give some honest feedback on what they were looking for.

Large elegant wine glasses and good wine at a reasonable price topped the asks, along with clean toilets with toilet paper!  Unsurprisingly light flavoursome salads were orders of the day along with calorific chocolate covered desserts – two extremes for the SWAGS.  Good coffee was an absolute necessity and why couldn’t they have the weekly glossy magazines as well as the daily papers on offer to read in pubs?

From this very informal research I wonder if our industry is meeting the needs of these women.  Maybe, as according to the research they were the most content of their sex and don’t need more but in all honesty – are we missing a trick?  So the team at Greene King underwent a small experiment, could a pub visit make these ladies even happier with their lot?

Greene King’s own SWAGS got the chance to see, along with their friends who weren’t in on the bit of research.  A visit to one of our very own pub sites near Bury St Edmunds, each SWAG was asked when ordering:

Did they want their drink served in a larger than life glass or a standard wine glass – 100% said yes to the larger glass.

When ordering wine, all wines were shown as the same price and all the women ordered by taste and grape choosing one of the more expensive – these women know their wine and what they like, so quality appears to be key.

 How many picked up the glossy magazines innocently strewn around – every party had a look and the subsequent conversation flowed within the groups.

 And after their visit to the ladies which had the added luxuries solely required by the female market e.g. perfume, hand cream and tissues as well as toilet roll!  Every party commented on the extras and standards!

So in conclusion, our own research showed pubs can make SWAGS even happier than they already appear to be.  Some simple added elements to a pub’s offer and you’ve got SWAGS as key customers.

This also applies in the SWAGS running Greene King pubs, whether they’re part of a couple or as single operators, women know what women want and their influence on the business shows.  So we not only want more SWAGS as customers we want more SWAGS behind the bar.  Come on ladies…

Article by David Elliott  Managing Director of Greene King Pub Partners

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By Elaine Beckett, 25/09/2009 11:20 am

That’s one of Greene King’s Public Housewives view, Angela Poulton who took on the tenancy of the Tollgate pub in Bury St Edmunds, her very own business in November last year and has changed it beyond recognition.

Greene King’s Public Housewives campaign focuses on trying to attract more business minded women into the sector and Angela is just one whose taken the opportunity and made a real go of the challenge.

At 28, Angela joined the pub trade at 18 and has now realised her dream of running her own pub.  She says of her career choice, “I love working with people so taking on my own pub business was very exciting, continuing to do something I love.  It’s hard work and I’ve made a lot of improvements at the pub but it’s worth while as its your own business and your own decisions”.

Adding she said, “I think more women should consider a pub as a self employed business.  They have a woman’s touch making a place more homely and we know that in the main we’re hard workers, organised and able to multi task, real qualities for running a pub”.

Angela has focused her attention on building the Tollgate as a quality community pub, concentrating on the food side of the business as well as holding successful charity events on bank holidays and small music festivals and, improving the garden facilities.

Regional manager for Greene King, Steve Look said, “Angela is a great landlady and an asset to the pub.  We need to change the perception that pubs are run by men and attract more women like Angela to consider a pub as a career.  The benefits are endless as Angela and our Public Housewives will confirm”.

Greene King owns and operates 1400 pubs across England and currently has only 13% of those pubs ran by independent women.  The campaign seeks to change that and the launch of a website dedicated to draw more women into the business is helping to achieve just that, http://www.publichousewives.co.uk/

Ends

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

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By Matt Furnell,

Greene King Pub Partners Public Housewives campaign has recruited sisters Maria Linsley and Natalie Passey who have taken over the popular Kings Head in Great Cornard.

A typical community village pub with a large sporting contingency, the Kings Head needed operators with plenty of enthusiasm for the good old British pub and Maria and Natalie have bundles of it.

Speaking about their new venture, Maria said, “My father ran a number of successful pubs so I know what is involved and Natalie not only has food experience but loves her pub sports so as a team we’ll keep this pub alive. Our ethos is based on giving excellent customer service; we want customers to feel valued and welcomed in our pub – it’s the one treat we believe people still look forward to after a hard day’s work”.

Recruitment and training director for Greene King Pub Partners, Caroline Hollings said, “The Public Housewives campaign is gaining a lot of interest. There are a lot of women out there with business experience who are driven to achieve. Running a pub is all about running a successful business – it’s not just about being a landlady, it’s about being a business woman and I know there’s plenty of women who would be brilliant operating pub businesses”.

Ends

Notes: Maria was previously an operations manager for the serviced office company Regus

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