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By Matt Furnell, 12/12/2011 2:50 pm

Dave Root must be the longest serving drinker of Greene King IPA with an estimated 100,000 pints to his name, so on his 93^rd birthday he has been recognised by his local landlord Wayne Evans and brewer Greene King for his fantastic loyalty.

Drinking Greene King IPA in the Royal Oak in Halstead since the tender age of 18 he was presented with an engraved tankard from Greene King so he can enjoy his favourite tipple for a long time to come.

Landlord of the Greene King pub, the Royal Oak, Wayne Evans said, “Dave really is part of the furniture.  He arrives every day and enjoys his favourite brew and we thought his loyalty to the drink and the pub needed to be recognised and to do just that on his birthday.  It’s great to have him as a customer and certainly keeps my cask ales sales up”.

Business development manager for Greene King, Geoff Liyanage said, “Greene King wanted to say a big thanks to Dave for drinking and enjoying our beer and pubs for so many years.  He knows a decent pint when he sees one and a good pub and this was just a way of sending our gratitude”.

Dave who not only received an engraved tankard was also given a few bottles of Greene King IPA to enjoy at home and a pint or two to have in the pub. He said of the presentation, “This is just wonderful, I’m overwhelmed. I never thought you could receive recognition for just enjoying a pint!”.

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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, 27/10/2010 8:32 am

With tongue firmly in cheek, Greene King IPA is today (22nd October) unveiling a new national marketing campaign, Man Deserves a Proper Pint that celebrates men’s everyday “heroic” deeds.

The £1m campaign recognises how men often feel they deserve to treat themselves for all the “arduous” jobs they do at home. Trapping scary spiders, blowing up the kids’ paddling pool or clearing up dog mess – these tasks are undoubtedly deserving of the richest of rewards: a proper pint of ale, a Greene King IPA.

The ads reinforce Greene King IPA’s credentials as a “proper” pint with real, natural ingredients. The tagline for the adverts, ‘Real beer brewed in Bury St Edmunds since 1799’ reflects the ale’s local ingredients, traditional brewing methods and proud Suffolk heritage.

Dom South, marketing director for Greene King Brewing Company said “The new campaign focuses on modern man and the high regard in which he views his efforts around the house. It’s an amusing take on how even the smallest of mundane tasks can take on Olympic proportions.

“The eye-catching imagery is intended to provoke a self-knowing chuckle among men, but should also cause wry amusement among women, who will no doubt recognise the tendency among men to ‘big up’ the contribution to household chores. It will be great to see the campaign create a bit of banter around who deserves a proper pint and what heroics they have carried out to deserve it!”

The ads will feature in national newspapers and men’s lifestyle magazines. They are due to run for five months and will be seen by 14 million people. An additional campaign will support the England Rugby team sponsorship during autumn internationals at the home of rugby, Twickenham.

Cask ale continues to be the rising star in the drinks market, consistently outperforming the total beer market and Greene King has been supporting this growth with massive investment in the ale category and in its highly popular, award-winning brands. The brewer has Red Tractor accreditation for all its beers, which are brewed using English hops, the finest local barley malted just two miles from the brewery and water from the ancient chalk wells of Bury St Edmunds.

“The Man Deserves a Proper Pint campaign will act as a rallying call for drinkers to head to the pub to enjoy the ultimate proper pint – Greene King IPA of course,” concludes Dom.

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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, 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, 15/03/2010 6:03 pm

The Jolly Farmer, Hurst, is expecting quite a gathering on Saturday 20^th March!   A day for the whole family, full of vintage activities, the Jolly Farmer will play host to the local annual steam rally that attracts guests from as far a field as Holland and Germany.  Customers will get the chance to see up close some exquisite vintage vehicles and steam engines as well as watch the exciting races of the mini steam engines and the mamods!  The event is a particular passion of The Incredible Dr Busker, the last Victorian Pub Pianist who will be playing into the evening.

Greene King Licensees, Nick and Jane Flatters said, “We are thrilled to offer our customers a day that is out of the ordinary. It really is something the whole family can get involved in, from having breakfast together at the pub, through to supper watching Dr Busker in the evening!  We are proud being associated with an event that promotes the preservation of our fantastic heritage”.

Speaking about the Greene King pub, regional manager for Greene King, Robin Tidd said, “Nick and Jane are really looking forward to welcoming their regulars and new customers to this fantastic day. The Jolly Farmer is a great pub for this event, offering a great welcome as well as great beer and food! ”

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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,

The Kensington Arms, Redland is renowned for its laid back atmosphere and relaxed approach; a local pub with great modern British food. So it’s no surprise that the pub recently had the honour of being awarded an ‘AA Rosette for Culinary Excellence’, recognising them as an outstanding pub in the area of Bristol. 

A mystery visit led to the award showing The Kensington Arms offered fantastic and consistently high quality food.

Speaking about the award, licensee at the Greene King pub, Tom Nunn said, “It’s brilliant news for the whole team.  We’re very proud that all the hard work and effort to make our dining experience something special has been accredited with an AA Rosette. It recognises the quality and consistency of our food that our customers have come expect”.

Toby Brett, regional manager for Greene King said, “It’s wonderful that The Kensington Arms has been awarded such a prestigious accolade. Tom and his team have done a great job at The Kensington Arms and this certainly puts the pub firmly on the map”

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Press Contact:

Tom Nunn, Operations Manager, Brunel Pub Company, Tel: 07714 205108

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

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By Matt Furnell,

The Woolpack, Chelmsford, is on a winning streak! Following on from their 2009 success of being named the Morning Advertiser’s ‘Cask Ale Pub of the Year’, Greene King Licensees, Dave and Maggie Gentry have received the accolade of ‘Pub of the Year’, voted for by CAMRA members of Chelmsford and Mid-Essex.  The Woolpack was packed to the rafters on the evening of Thursday 11^th March, when the presentation was made to the popular licensees.

Dave and Maggie said, “We are thrilled to receive such a prestigious award and it means so much that our loyal regulars and CAMRA members took the time to vote for us. We always try to offer a great range of quality beers for our customers and they really seem to appreciate it”.

The celebrations continue into Spring as The Woolpack are holding their Easter Beer Festival from 1^st-4^th April – an event that is sure to bring together real beer lovers.

Speaking about the Greene King pub, regional manager for Greene King, Steve Head said, “Dave and Maggie truly deserve the recognition that this award brings. They are committed to pouring the best pint for their customers and the Woolpack is a superb local for is regulars and new customers”.

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By Matt Furnell, 12/01/2010 2:04 pm

Cask ale lovers can try their hand at brewing their very own beer with a new free App from Greene King’s Head Brewer’s Club and Pub Partners.  Choose a mix of hops, barley, water and yeast, shake it all about and create the perfect pint all on the iPhone or ipod Touch.

Ibrew Application developed for the Head Brewers Club

It also allows fans find a perfect pint too by helping them discover cask ale pubs certified as having excellent cask ale by Greene King’s quality team and Head Brewer, John Bexon.  All 336 Head Brewer’s Pub Partners pubs are featured and can be found with the iPhone map by name or county or connected with telephone link.

Speaking about the iBrew App, Commercial Manager for Greene King Pub Partners, Anthony McEvoy said, “This is a unique App allowing a bit of fun with its very own brewing game and providing pub lovers easy access to great cask ale pubs all over the country.  The pubs get better publicity than they would from just a standard website and customers can use the iPhone map system to direct themselves straight to the pub of their choice”.

Greene King’s Head Brewer’s Club is an initiative to promote brilliant cask ale pubs and the unique qualities they offer to customers up and down the country.  All pubs have been rigorously assessed for their consistent delivery of real ale.

Download the app here http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/ibrew/id347288864?mt=8

Pictured:  Images of the iBrew App screens

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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, 18/11/2009 2:56 pm

 The Port Mahon pub in Oxford has undergone a complete transformation by pub operators Joe Hill and Nick Bassett.  The duo, who already have the Fir Tree pub have used their experience to turn the Greene King pub around.

Speaking about their new venture, Nick said, “The Port Mahon is like two pubs rolled into one, the best of both worlds.  Sports fanatics can take advantage of the Sports bar with all the Sky features, whilst music lovers can enjoy the live entertainment in the traditional pub”.

Adding he said, “We wanted to bring the pub back to life.  It’s always had a reputation for good music but the pub needed some tlc and both Joe and I have given it that”.

Regional manager for Greene King, Robin Tidd said, “Nick and Joe know what they are doing and are just the right people to take this pub and make it work really well”.

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

Tel: 07974 132844