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Bobby's Gull

DAFT Bint
Jul 6, 2003
2,009
Bed
Agreed. Seen lots of good managers lose pubs because of this approach. The big monopolies (Scottish Newcastle/Whitbread etc) got broken up years ago only to be replaced by lots of little Pubcos doing the same thing. I like the way that the "Bev" has bounced back with the community based approach. More please.

Enterprise Inns can take a lot of blame as well.

It's a real shame to see pubs closed & boarded up. Two where I live have closed in the past six months. One's becoming flats & apparently the other one has been sold to a micro brewery ....

IMO - drinking habits have also changed in the past 15 years. People are encouraged to drink less & let's face it you don't go to a pub for a cheeky lime & soda.

It's a real shame as pubs are proper communities. I've found jobs, places to live, good friends all thanks to a pub I started going into as a teenager. Which ironically is now a soulless JD Wetherspoon's.
 


crookie

Well-known member
Jun 14, 2013
3,305
Back in Sussex
Rates revaluations will lead to a load more closing too. Our pub in London, which is small, but central is facing a doubling in rates bill, from £1400 to £2800 per month once the tapered relief runs out. You can see how the much trumpeted £1000 annual rebate for pubs means in this context, won't even cover one months increase. Need to take an extra £700 a week just to cover the increase
 


Bobby's Gull

DAFT Bint
Jul 6, 2003
2,009
Bed
Rates revaluations will lead to a load more closing too. Our pub in London, which is small, but central is facing a doubling in rates bill, from £1400 to £2800 per month once the tapered relief runs out. You can see how the much trumpeted £1000 annual rebate for pubs means in this context, won't even cover one months increase. Need to take an extra £700 a week just to cover the increase

BT Sport & Sky Sports base their prices on rateable value so if pubs/bars have had an increase then you're f*cked on that level as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 


Bob'n'weave

Well-known member
Nov 18, 2016
1,970
Nr Lewes
Enterprise Inns can take a lot of blame as well.

It's a real shame to see pubs closed & boarded up. Two where I live have closed in the past six months. One's becoming flats & apparently the other one has been sold to a micro brewery ....

IMO - drinking habits have also changed in the past 15 years. People are encouraged to drink less & let's face it you don't go to a pub for a cheeky lime & soda.

It's a real shame as pubs are proper communities. I've found jobs, places to live, good friends all thanks to a pub I started going into as a teenager. Which ironically is now a soulless JD Wetherspoon's.

Enterprise are a good example. There are a few smaller outfits with under 20 pubs that are not too bad, but as the numbers get larger, the focus tends to shift to bottom line and your nice local becomes an "asset", and the customers/community slip further down the food chain. I miss the London Unity which was a nice place to have a decent pint and a chat, used to make a nice change from the Horse and Groom up the road which is still open, again, just.
 


Wrong-Direction

Well-known member
Mar 10, 2013
13,395
Was a bit of a dive in there tbh

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crookie

Well-known member
Jun 14, 2013
3,305
Back in Sussex
BT Sport & Sky Sports base their prices on rateable value so if pubs/bars have had an increase then you're f*cked on that level as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Both been ditched. Sky went up from £300 a month to £1200 in about 8 years.

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Hugo Rune

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Feb 23, 2012
21,495
Brighton
The planning permission has been applied for by one of the owners of Coldean Pharmacy. If the welcoming atmosphere and customer service is anything like that of the chemist, it will be a wonderful venue. Exciting stuff!
 






Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,323
Uffern
The planning permission has been applied for by one of the owners of Coldean Pharmacy. If the welcoming atmosphere and customer service is anything like that of the chemist, it will be a wonderful venue. Exciting stuff!

It's the pharmacist's brother apparently. The pharmacy and local shop are wonderfully run, a superb example of what local shops should be. I'm rather looking forward to the new-look Hiker's
 








BensGrandad

New member
Jul 13, 2003
72,015
Haywards Heath
May I ask why you're not a fan?

IMHO the quality and taste of the beer is far inferior generally to the major brewers. This is obviously a personal view as is indicated by the fact that I do not like Harveys or Dark Star but I do like Arundel Brewery beers. I apprexciate that Harveys and Dark Star are nopt micro brewers but follow similar production techniques.
 
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beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
35,264
IMHO the quality and taste of the beer is far inferior generally to the major brewers. This is obviously a personal view as is indicated by the fact that I do not like Harveys or Dark Star but I do like Arundel Brewery beers. I apprexciate that Harveys and Dark Star are nopt micro brewers but follow similar production techniques.

its a very odd opinion when the major brewers often use lower quality ingredients. and im curious what difference in techniques you think there are between Harvey's or Arundel, or for that matter any brewer. methinks by "inferior" you mean "not to my taste".
 


pearl

Well-known member
May 3, 2016
12,711
Behind My Eyes
its a very odd opinion when the major brewers often use lower quality ingredients. and im curious what difference in techniques you think there are between Harvey's or Arundel, or for that matter any brewer. methinks by "inferior" you mean "not to my taste".

maybe the water's better in Arundel :D
 


BensGrandad

New member
Jul 13, 2003
72,015
Haywards Heath
its a very odd opinion when the major brewers often use lower quality ingredients. and im curious what difference in techniques you think there are between Harvey's or Arundel, or for that matter any brewer. methinks by "inferior" you mean "not to my taste".

In my opinion it is inferior because I do not think it is as good, but as you say perhaps I should have said not to my taste.
 






pearl

Well-known member
May 3, 2016
12,711
Behind My Eyes
You may scoff but I was told on a visit to Guinness Brewery in London that the water was taken and processed so that it was exactly the same as the water used in Dublin.

I wasn't scoffing.
Interested to know what the G Brewery in London did to make the water same as Dublin ... add rats maybe?
 





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