Minimum pricing of a unit of alcohol… will they wont they?

Minimum pricing of a unit of alcohol…….Will they wont they?

Latest indications suggest that Labour will not make this a policy commitment in the forthcoming election, this despite the Health Secretary Andy Burnham wanting the policy to be a central plank of the forthcoming Labour Party manifesto.

I take the view that a ban on below-cost selling, not minimum pricing, is the best way to tackle alcohol-related problems.

Whilst I defend the free market principle it cannot be right that a supermarket can sell alcohol at much lower prices than a pub licence can even buy the same product at. There is clear evidence that “pre-loading” prior to a pub visit is harming the pub industry and giving publicans a headache when “already intoxicated” punters turn up for the last hour of business!, Pubs should be part of the solution not be seen as part of the problem.

Interesting ; watch this space

Why do the Brits drink as if there is no more going to be made?

It may be no more than a much maligned reputation or legend, or it may be true, that compared to probably the rest of the world, the Brits take great pride in sinking 10 or 12 pints or more in a session, whilst the rest of the world saviour a sip at a time over a leisurely lunch or evening.

Having just spent Christmas at my brother in laws (splendid) home in Treveren , just out side of Brussels, and having enjoyed his  stock of beers (lowest ABV at 7%) I reckon I know the reason we drink the way we do ; its our culture what does it!

Now culture comes from history and practice, and of course, until the advent of Premium Lagers and for hundreds of years before that fatal day, we have been drinking ale and the like at about 3.5% ABV, so of course the lads knew they had to sink 12 pints to get even a glimmer of the brain altering effect of the hop, yeast, water and barley.

Following the 12 pints and 12 visits to the loo, lads got a reputation as being great drinkers “Cor you want to see him down his ale” was a frequent praise heard from less talented mates. This in turn caused every new and young drinker to believe it was the quantity sank that gave them the stripes and so a self fulfilling prophecy of drinking more and more has been continued.

Problem is that now we have 5 + % products, the Brits haven’t caught on that you need less of it!! And what do you know; the Gals have joined the lads but have come straight in at 12 pints @ 5%! I do not wish to be unkind but a lass with 12 pints on board is less attractive than one with a few sips! (in my opinion)  (Oh and experience)

12 pints of Stella (great product that it is) needs a bit more respect than 12 pints of the local 3.2% bitter, when will they learn?

Well let’s tell them when they are young and educate them before they leave school and join the12 pint a night team.

Changing a culture is a long process, education at a young age might be a start point, I’m a governor at a secondary school and what do you know; its not on our agenda! (Yet)

Just £6 a head

The missus invited some pals over for lunch on Sunday and whilst the gals devoured a few G & Ts in our house, the lads’ decided a trip to the local was a must do.

Our local “Village Pub of the Year” clearly signed out side (well we only have one pub so it must be mustn’t it) was warm and welcoming, a log fire, a happy landlord, some of the best nibbles I’ve tasted in yonks on the counter and the local Best Bitter at £2 a pint (yes £2 in the heart of the Cotswolds)

We talked about Football , Rugby , Golf , Katie Price, the Recession and loads more rubbish, three pints and then home to lunch.

Thank the Lord we still have a village pub, where else can you spend an hour and £6 each so enjoyably?

Martin Read

Pubs still attractive

Who says pubs are not an attractive business opportunity? One of the country’s largest business agents specialising in the licensed sector (mostly pubs) has reported a 15% increase in enquiries year on year, equating to about 720 people looking to take a pub each day! Despite all of the doom and gloom it is still a great business and in the leased and tenated sector a low cost entry way to becoming your own boss in one of the world‘s great institutions. Don’t do though unless you are; brilliant with people, have the highest standards, are a great leader and motivator, a financial genius, have flair and creativity, believe passionately in customer service,  belive passionately in trasining and development, have the energy and enthusiasm of a rampant Ox and like a pint (would be my advice)

Martin Read

Use your local pub or lose it

I see that a parliamentary Bill aiming to give people the power to stop local pubs being torn down or having a change of use without consultation has been tabled today.

MP Greg Mulholland has introduced the “presentation” Bill, which says councils should need planning permission before a premises of land used as a “local service” is demolished or converted for change of use.

I think that Mr Mulholland has got it half right; it will be great if the locals can oppose the closure of their local pub. On the other hand why should any pub owning company keep a pub open if the locals do not frequent and support it?

Pubs are not only a community service they are commercial undertakings, the solution lies in the hands of the customer, use it or lose it!

Martin Read

Blimey a politician who might understand the pub industry

Shadow culture secretary Jeremy Hunt, has got it absolutely right! Amongst other things he has said he believes:

1 A Conservative Government “would not turn the clock back to 11pm drinking time”.

2 Pubs are part of the solution, not the problem”, when it comes to anti social behavior. He said the solution to problem drinking had to be a localised one.

3 Fighting the problems of alcohol abuse was not about “punishing the middle classes”, such as his parents, “who apparently drink too much”. Instead, “it’s about finding a way to deal with the minority (of problem drinkers) on a localised level.”

Hey this sounds like an enlightened politician who might even understand some of the industry challenges

Ban laughter in pubs next on the agenda?

 

And another thing you soon will not be able to do in a pub (laughter next?) you will not be able to purchase ciggies from a machine, this following a rejection by the House of Lords of an attempt to prevent a ban.

The Lords held that they did not believe a ban would cause “disproportionate harm and damage’, well they would say that wouldn’t they, did they ask the 650 people that rely on these machines for their incomes? Or the publicans who want to provide this service for their customers or the smokers (not me I am pleased to say) who have a legal right to buy ? Bet not!

Martin Read

Keep your local pub open

About a year or so go our local authority announced that our village primary school “must and will close”, this apparently as a result of some sort of review, no doubt conducted by the mighty pen of some unseen bureaucrat.

Well: the kids, the parents, the villagers, our local MP and others said “OH no it won’t” and the campaign began; banners, TV and radio appearances, marches through the village, posters and many other ways were launched to fight the fight for survival of our treasured 100 year old school, and so the battle was won (we suspect for “now” only but we are ready for any new round they want to bring on).

However as I watched Country File last night and saw the report on a village that has seen its THREE pubs close, I thought to myself  why didn’t they fight harder to keep at least one of them open? Once the village school, post office, pub and church go what chance social cohesion?

Fight to keep your pubs open, as on the same Country File program, they featured a set of 100 villagers who financially clubbed together to buy their local to keep it open , good on them I say.

Pubs the Golden Goose?

About one million people employed either directly or by association with The Great British Pub industry and yet HMG hammer the industry by way of tax increases.

When VAT reduced to 15% , what do you know HMG INCREASED tax on Beer by 8% to compensate (an extra £600m into their coffers) and now when VAT returns to 17.5% the extra 6p a pint will put even more pubs under pressure and could well see more close.

Talk about killing the Goose that laid the Golden Egg!

Drinking to oblivion, change the culture

The festive season will see plain-clothed police officers planted in pubs and clubs in various parts of the country “monitoring the level of drunkenness and taking action against licensees who are seen to break the law”, not sure if they are also going to “monitor and take action” against persons who purchase alcohol for another person “who appears to be intoxicated” but both are offences under the Licensing Act.

Little doubt that the UK is seeking to change a culture where “getting hammered” (or any other tag given to the way some Brits seem to like drinking to oblivion) is underway.

Rightly so.

Martin Read