pub closures

We discussed this a while ago. The BBC has caught up and featured the
topic on my regional current affairs programme, Week in Week out.

Unsurprisingly, the beeb reiterated the views expressed on UKRM. They
acknowledged that the smoking ban, taxation and the price differential
for off sales were contributory factors. The main blame was put onto
the two largest "pub cos" Punch Taverns and Enterprise. Their
unrealistic rents and monopoly beer supply at inflated prices make
many of their pubs uneconomic.

IIRC, this seemed to be the UKRM consensus.

The programme can be seen on iplayer http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00h9tsl

As I opined in the other thread, the documentary shows some of the
people entering into contracts with the pubcos are dreamers, who have
little understanding of a contract and running a business.

The ethnically sensitive/bigotted may wish to note that the
documentary features some Welsh people.

 

Also in Clarkson's column in this week's ST.

 

Interestingly the pubcos are struggling to make any money out of this
equation too, I know first hand that the staff of one of those you
list above have all been notified they're at risk of redundancy.

 

Friend of mines just sold her pub to a dreamer (mug)

She was paying £370 per barrel for her beer through the brewery yet the same
brand at the wholesalers was being knocked out for £150 a barrel

Same senerio with most of the spirits too , infact at one point it was cheaper
for her to buy her spirits at asda than through the brewery

 

Hmm, interesting. Enterprise Inns head office is just down the road
from my house and a couple of mates work there.

A bunch of people where protesting outside there earlier this week
about pub closures.

 

That's been the case for years though, with many a landlord earning a
bit extra buying supermarket/wholesale along with the usual ullage
scams and beer watering-down.

P.

 

In the last local property auction over half of the buildings for sale
were pubs.

 

Ah, ullage recording.

Kept me in beer for my entire third year at uni.

 

I think the main problem is that a couple of years ago both firms were
seen to be making a fair amount of profit, and in an increasing
property market[1] plowed it back into increasing managed properties,
and rennovation programmes.. Well, I imagine you can work out the
rest, when it comes to Punch the phrase "4.5 Billion in debt" was
mentioned in the Times a while back.

[1] ooh there's a clue..

 

Haven't watched the program, but I'm not surpised as a collective lot,
many of them would be unable to organise a piss up in a brewery.

 

Personally, I'm just confused at the pricing. It's no longer a case of
"London Prices", it's cheaper in Central London than it is out in the
sticks. (Kingston/Surbiton).