If Becks cost 49p in a supermarket

[Mark Dodds]

Dave the link in your post makes interesting reading. I struggle to see anything positive about tied businesses. What's your girlfriend doing now?

[david_carnell]

It was quite a event. Youngs basically stuck two fingers up at the wishes of the local drinkers. The ex landlord owned his own brewery and sold through the pub. Obviously Youngs wouldn't let that continue. They said they had never encountered this sort reaction when taking voer pubs before. The trouble was, they didn't research the pub first. The just buy off a list and find out later.

My girlfriend is now out of the pub business (she loved her time there, but it took a toll on our relationship as I worked 9-5 and rarely got to see her) and works in tourism and leisure.

Neither of us have been back since. The micro-brewery is still going (just) and sells all over the SE. If your lease allows you to, buy a few barrels from the Pilgrim Brewery and tell them I sent you!

[Mark Dodds]

Thanks David,

I'd love to serve Pilgrim's but it's not on my product list so I can't.

Same old story.

[Christopher]

char1ie Wrote:

>

> You'd be the best person to tell us about that

> Steve. If you need pointers I guess for

> Weatherspoons it is about a strategy of low cost,

> multi-locations and discount prices. For somewhere

> like Lewis & Clarke the aim is trendy, central,

> well-located with great lighting, friendly staff

> and 'exotic' drinks and cocktails. High prices,

> high costs, very high start-up cost.

>

> Business strategy guides your decisions. Are you a

> local boozer (CPT), a high street trendsetter

> (Black Cherry), gastro (Palmerston), student

> hang-out (Inside 72), etc. Once you have decided

> what your strategy will be then the decor,

> service, prices, service, product choices and

> music must all fit. If your choice of strategy is

> right and you make the right decisions then you

> will succeed - like all these boozers are doing.

>

> If your pub or bar is a local boozer trying to be

> a gastro, or a trendsetter that doesn't quite

> work, then you are screwed. Tell us about your

> strategy.

>

>

> Charlie

Well said Charlie... Combined with the "loss leader" factor in Supermarkets - we get a very skewed opinion of what constitutes "value"... In a pub / bar / restaurant you are sitting enjoying your beer in a seat for, say 30 minutes. You're served by staff, the beer has been chilled at the bar's expense, you're using their glassware (that they will then clean), the heating is paid for by them... Lets say that the "normal" price for Becks in shops is around 80p - ?1.00, then I honestly don't think that ?3.00 is too expensive at all.

If beer is only worth what you pay for it in the supermarket, fine, buy that, drink it at home and leave that seat in the bar for somebody else!

[david_carnell]

From today's BBC website:

Tesco chief 'is binge godfather'