I was out delivering our CAMRA Branch magazine (which I edit) today. As always I try and have a quick word with the licensee, just to see how things are. Maybe its different elsewhere or maybe we just have a better relationship with ours, but I always find them keen to talk to CAMRA. At one pub the licensee was bemoaning his limited cask guest beer list - a common complaint. He was also denied for reasons of which he was unsure, to a more wide ranging list which the PubCo also runs. I cooed sympathetically and asked "Is it Enterprise?" - as it usually is in such cases. "No" quoth he, I wish it was. It's Heineken. Bastards!". The licensee also tells me things have got a lot worse since they took over from Scottish and Newcastle. So there. Enterprise aren't, in some eyes at least, as bad as Heineken. That should cheer old Tough Ted Tuppen up.
For all PubCos say about how things are much better for their tenants, I can tell you that's not what they tell me.
At least the pub was busy when I called at lunchtime, so that's something.
We sell a lot to Enterprise pubs thought the SIBA direct delivery scheme.
ReplyDeleteRe the SIBA scheme. How much does it cost the licensee for a firkin versus one you would deliver yourselves?
ReplyDeleteA lot of our local Punch & Enterprise licensees have suddenly had the SIBA scheme opened up to them and are going for it majorly.
ReplyDeleteAt least in Enterprises case, the SIBA beers are no more expensive than via Enterprise warehouse, but they don't count towards the pub's barrelage for overall discounts etc.
John
I too have found that going around pubs on business as a CAMRA mag editor does get a different response from licensees than when I'm just a customer. I've heard many stories that give the lie to the pubcos' current assertions that, "Yes, we got it wrong in the past, but we're good boys now and don't need regulating." This is something I wrote about here. Anyone who takes pubco statements with anything less than a lorryload of salt is making a big mistake.
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