Comments (0)

By Matt Furnell, 09/03/2011 5:03 pm

JOHN BARLEYCORN TURNS WINE INTO WATER

The John Barleycorn pub in Duxford near Cambridge raised £400 at their charity “Wine into Water” event.  The money raised will pay to drill a well and provide clean water for an African village by selling wine!

Bernard Lee, landlord of the Greene King pub said, “By offering a three course meal with wine for each course presented by local wine expert, Richard Shobbrook, we raised the amount needed to provide an African village with clean water.  All we did was sell the wine and we can now send the proceeds to WaterAid who do such work in Africa.  It’s an innovative way to raise funds for this great charity”.

The John Barleycorn is renowned for its fundraising, has raised £4,400 since they opened two years ago.  Charities that have benefitted have included Help for Heroes and Cancer Research.

ENDS

 Notes: WaterAid is an international non governmental organisation. Our mission is to transform lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in the world’s poorest communities.

PUB CONTACT: Bernard Lee, Tel: 01223 832699, www.johnbarleycorn.co.uk

Comments (0)

By Matt Furnell, 02/03/2011 2:26 pm

The John Barleycorn pub team were in for a bit of a shock when they turned up for their team

Dublin Trip

meeting on Monday morning.  They were literally whisked off by their boss and pub landlord, Bernard Lee, to Dublin for lunch and a few drinks to say thank you to them for all their hardwork.

Bernard who runs the Greene King pub in Duxford near Cambridge said, “The John Barleycorn is a fantastic pub and that’s because of the team we have working here.  They do an amazing job and it wouldn’t be the same without their hard work so I just wanted to say thank you.  It certainly made a change from looking at staff rotas and menus for the week”.

Cellar manager, Dennis Cook who has worked at the pub since it reopened in 2009 said, “It was a fantastic day out and a brilliant surprise.  We didn’t expect it, we thought we were just going to a have a bit of lunch together at the pub”.

Bernard Lee took over the John Barleycorn three years ago, gaining many awards along the way, all of which he puts down to his staff.
Pictured: The John Barleycorn pub team enjoying their “meeting” in Dublin. Bernard is top left with glasses.
ENDS

PRESS CONTACT: BERNARD LEE, TEL: 01223 837160

Comments (0)

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

Comments (0)

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”.

Ends

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

Comments (1)

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”.

Ends

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

Comments (0)

By Matt Furnell, 08/12/2009 2:13 pm

7 December 2009

Greene King plc today announces the retirement of David Elliott as Managing Director of Pub Partners, its tenanted pub division, and the appointment of Simon Longbottom as his successor.

After eleven years with Greene King and over 25 years in the industry, David Elliott, the current Managing Director of Pub Partners, has decided to retire. During his time at Pub Partners, David has overseen significant growth: from 620 to over 1,300 tenanted pubs and from £32 million of operating profit in 1998 to £71 million in 2008/9.  More recently, David and his team have been managing the division effectively through the current tough trading environment and delivering improved performance trends.

David will stay with Greene King until 31 January 2010 when he will also stand down from the Board.

Rooney Anand, Chief Executive of Greene King, commented:

“In the eleven years that he has been here, David has made a significant contribution to Pub Partners both in terms of growing profitability and the size and quality of the overall estate. 

“I would like to extend my sincere thanks and best wishes from everyone here at Greene King and wish him all the best for the future.”

Simon Longbottom (37), who will join the company on 1 February 2010, has spent his career working in the leisure industry.  He has particularly strong commercial and operations experience in the pub sector. 

He joins Greene King from Gala Coral Group where he was Managing Director of its Gaming Group.  Simon started his career at Bass Taverns and has since held senior positions at Mill House Inns and Mitchells & Butlers, with over 11 years experience in the pub sector.

Rooney Anand further commented:

“We are delighted that Simon Longbottom is joining the team at Greene King.  Simon has significant and highly relevant experience in the pub and leisure sectors, which will be invaluable to Pub Partners, particularly as we continue to take a leadership role in the adaptation and ongoing improvement of the tenanted pub model.”
- ends -

Enquiries:

Greene King plc Rooney Anand, Chief Executive Tel: 01284 763222
Financial Dynamics Ben Foster Tel: 020 7831 3113

Comments (1)

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

Comments (1)

By Matt Furnell,

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

Comments (0)

By Matt Furnell, 02/10/2009 2:54 pm

Greene King Pub Partners has enhanced its induction programme further to lay down secure roots with Cellar Management becoming a mandatory subsidised course alongside Greene King’s Go for Growth programme for new licensees before they go into a pub.

Speaking about the compulsory training introduced for all new licensees, director of recruitment and training, Caroline Hollings said, “You wouldn’t let a chef in your kitchen if he couldn’t crack an egg and the same applies for running a pub.  Suggesting that a licensee can enter a pub without understanding the importance of cellar management, beer quality and dispense is tantamount to disaster in this trade.  Part of a pub’s appeal is serving a good quality pint so training is vital and we decided to make it mandatory for all new licensees who are already attending the Go for Growth programme”.

The training is subsidised by Greene King and provided by their cellar trainers within Brewing Company.  The licensees receive a full days training in all aspects of operating a cellar and serving a perfect pint. Mandatory training has already been successfully implemented with Pub Partners Go for Growth, Planning for Success induction programme which focuses on preparing new licensees to take on their pub effectively and help it grow.

Adding, Hollings said, “We’ve seen an improvement in retention of new licensees as a consequence of our Go for Growth training with our retention currently tracking at 89% for licensees in their first year.   Making the cellar training essential too will help licensees make more of their business at the very beginning. This early training along with our Specialist trainers and final interview by an operations director ensures we have the right people in the pubs but most importantly the right start to make their businesses a success”.

Comments (1)

By Elaine Beckett, 24/09/2009 4:33 pm

Renowned multiple licensee Ted Docherty has got another “pizza the action” by taking on his third pub with Greene King Pub Partners under his tailor made concept.

Ted already runs four successful food pubs, two with Greene King and is now launching the Kings Arms in Litton near Bath under the tailor made pizzas and tailor made fish banners.

Speaking about his new venture Ted says, “Our concept works because people have their favourite foods and what tailor made invites them to do is build their own dish just the way they like it, so you choose a pizza base and the rest is up to you. If you want plain cheese and tomato or sausage, squid and pineapple you can have it. The same goes for the fish dishes, choose the fillet, the size and weight, how you want it cooking and away you go. Our fresh counters display the food customers can choose to eat – they make the decisions not a faceless chef”

Ted first brought his tailor made steak and burger concept to the area at the Warwick Arms in Clutton only last year following his success at the Greene King pub, the Percy Arms in Guildford.

Adding he said, “It’s all about satisfying the customer and not keeping to a rigid menu. Customers are being far more adventurous these days and so tailor made enables them to create something different or just enjoy one of their old favourites. The result is, everyone’s happy”.

Operations director for Greene King, Steve Worrall said, “It’s brilliant to be able to work with Ted on another pub. His passion for food and customers makes every venue he opens worth a visit and we’re extremely happy that his new site is from our quality pub estate”.

The Kings Arms opens on Monday 8th June and there’s 50% off every meal for the whole of June.

Ends

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

Pub Contact: Ted Docherty, Tel: 07748 305052, http://www.tmsteaks.co.uk/