Going out of style

I can’t say I have much time for style bars, but it had always been assumed that their trade would withstand the smoking ban better than that of traditional pubs. But apparently, since the ban, a third of them have lost trade.

And, as customers become more concerned about their mortgages, pub food isn’t exactly proving to be the saviour it was claimed to be, either.

Reality bites

After originally puffing the smoking ban to high heaven, it’s good to see reality breaking out in October’s issue of What’s Brewing:

Smoking ban puts back real ale resurgence

A potential resurgence of cask ale could be delayed by the English smoking ban, but it’s not all doom and gloom, according to a market analyst.

Graham Page, from AC Nielsen, said there was potential for the cask ale market to move into growth, after several years of decline, but believed the poor trading of pubs as a result of a wet summer and the effect of the smoking ban might prevent this for the next few years.

He’s predicting total beer sales in pubs could drop by as much as seven per cent in 2008 – meaning up to 200 million fewer pints sold.

(my bold)

…the next few years… …as much as seven per cent… - now that is a serious setback to the pub trade, although one that was predicted by opponents of the ban.

I was also rather taken by this brief letter from one Peter Edwardson of Stockport (ahem!):

I assume all those campaigning for local real ale will also be advocating the banning of imports of Budweiser Budvar or having it brewed under licence in Northampton.

Irish Stew

The recent lack of postings is explained by the fact that I have just come back from a holiday in Northern Ireland . Despite its reputation as a scene of sectarian conflict, it is in fact well worth a visit, with splendid scenery, a wealth of fascinating historic sites and quiet, well-maintained roads. Belfast can also offer restaurants of a quality to match any other major British city. But one significant problem I came across was that it was extremely difficult to find any decent, informal lunchtime food such as would typically be offered by pubs in Great Britain. Sometimes it was hard to find anything at all.

For example, I visited Ardglass in County Down, a picturesque fishing port noted for its “seven castles”. There was nowhere at all to have a meal or snack, whereas in its English equivalent there would probably be four or five pubs offering good food. I ended up having to get a sandwich from a small supermarket. It’s not uncommon to find a village or small town with six or eight bars on its main street, none of which give any indication of offering food. The smoking ban has obviously not led Irish pubs to broaden their horizons.

I have to say I had a similar experience when I visited the Republic in the mid-1990s and was disappointed to find things really no better in the North a decade later. Now obviously this must stem from a fundamental social difference, that people in Ireland just don’t go out and generate the demand for lunchtime food that we do over here. But it must be a major factor holding back the tourist trade and giving visitors a negative impression of the country on both sides of the border.

The truth will out

The Publican newspaper was widely criticised for seeing the smoking ban as an opportunity for pubs rather than a threat. But its contributors now seem to be waking up to the truth. See these two pieces:

The smoking ban - your experiences

Smokers, non-smokers and 'antis'

Shrewsbury

I’ve written before in praise of York, and Shrewsbury deserves praise too. Although on a smaller scale than York it’s a very atmospheric historic town with a wealth of half-timbered buildings, and the best of its pubs bear comparison with anywhere – in particular the Loggerheads must be one of my top ten pubs anywhere in the country. There's an excellent on-line guide to Shrewsbury pubs here.

Don’t drink and ride

I’ve written to What’s Brewing myself on the subject before without my letter being published, so it was good to see the following appear in September’s letters column from Jim Sack of Birmingham:

Why is CAMRA encouraging drinking and driving on bicycles? We all know the dangers of drinking and driving motor vehicles but being drunk in charge of a bicycle can be just as bad. A bicycle is not just ridden, it must be driven ie steered, slowed, braked and stopped. Alcohol can impair the judgment of a bike rider just as it can that of a motorist.

I do feel very uneasy when reading WB articles on pub cycling tours.

The fundamental law is exactly the same for drivers and pedal cyclists – you must not drive or ride while under the influence of alcohol. The only difference is that there is a prescribed alcohol level for drivers above which somone can be prosecuted without any supporting evidence of impairment.

Now I have no objection at all to someone going out on their bike and having a couple of pints. But it is wrong of What’s Brewing or any other supposedly responsible publication to print articles that actively encourage people to do so, or imply that it is “safe”. Some CAMRA newsletters – particularly that published by the York branch – are equally guilty of this.

Also see this column of mine from October 1999.

Instant atmosphere

It's been widely reported that the removal of tobacco smoke from pubs has uncovered a variety of unpleasant aromas such as sweat, stale beer and flatulence that were better left concealed. This must be the ultimate way of dealing with the problem.

Room for children?

I was heartened today when I was sitting in the main lounge area of a pub and a couple came in with a small boy about four years old. The bar staff politely asked them to move to a (very comfortable) separate room towards the front of the pub where children were allowed, which they did without demur.

The unrestricted access of young children to bars must be one of the major turn-offs for adult pubgoers, so it’s good to see a pub enforcing a policy that is fair to everyone.

And I continue to maintain that the most anti-children attitude of all is to want them admitted to all areas of all pubs at all times.

The domino effect

If anyone was still in a state of denial over the fact that the smoking ban is the thin end of the wedge of the campaign against alcohol, see here, where the Welsh Secretary of the BMA, Dr Richard Lewis, says “After smoking, alcohol is the next big public health issue”. You have been warned!

What I say, not what I do

There have been a number of opinion polls such as this one suggesting that people are more likely to visit pubs following the smoking ban. However, you need to discount the inbuilt bias in such polls that some respondents will give the answers they think the pollsters want to hear, rather than what they genuinely feel – hence why polls always understate Conservative support at general elections.

And when you look at the detail it doesn’t necessarily agree with the headline anyway. The number of non-smokers saying they were actually visiting pubs more often was 32%, compared with 47% who said before the ban they would – clearly showing that reality does not always accord with expectation. On the other hand, 45% of smokers said they were going to pubs less post-ban.

These results also take no account of the frequency of visits – if those who went once a month now went twice a month, but those who went four times a week now went twice a week, overall it would lead to a substantial downturn in trade. This reinforces the oft-expressed view that the smoking ban is a means of changing pubs to fit in with the tastes of people who aren’t, and never will be, regular pubgoers.

The evidence is clear on the ground that wet-led pubs have lost trade following the ban, in some cases only marginally, in others very significantly. The only true measure is the hard facts on takings, not the results of opinion polls.

Frozen out

Apparently sales of Magners “cider” are down by 45% in July. What a shame!

Meat and two veg, please

On the Catherine Tate Show, there are a middle-aged, Northern couple who repeatedly express their disgust at what many would now regard as commonplace cuisine in Britain – “and it was served on chee-a-batter bread!!”

Yet it seems this attitude is alive and well in our pubs. We are often told about the “pub food revolution”, yet apart from a tiny handful of gastro-pubs, all too often what you end up with is a long list of dishes from the freezer combined with the traditional chips and veg. Where are the pasta, the rice, the noodles, the couscous, the pizzas? “Oh, sea bass is fashionable, let’s serve it up with mash, carrots and peas!”

The “Mediterranean diet” may be a staple of the colour supplements, but it is conspicuous by its absence in the typical British pub, even those with upmarket aspirations.

Hobson’s choice

I see that Hobson’s Mild from a micro-brewery in Shropshire has been chosen as CAMRA’s 2007 Champion Beer of Britain. It’s not a beer I’ve ever personally tasted, but I have no doubt it’s a worthy winner. But is selecting a representative of a declining and unfashionable beer style, from a small producer who will be unable to take maximum advantage of the award, really the best way of raising the profile of cask beer? Might there be a case for introducing a minimum annual barrelage figure for the competition, to avoid it ending up simply as a celebration of obscurantism?

Reaching out to youth

The government are constantly reminding us of how much they value young people. But at the same time, they keep restricting what young people can do, raising the minimum age for buying cigarettes and starting full-time work, and now planning to increase the minimum driving age.

I'm sure young people will draw their own conclusions as to how much they're valued.

Foot in mouth

Apparently the source of the current foot and mouth outbreak has been linked to a government lab.

If DEFRA now start demanding the mass slaughter of farm animals I can see uproar in the countryside.