Smoking Charter compliant pubs can be a success, say licensees
Two award-winning licensees have said that publicans can make a major success of their pub if they sign up to the Smoking Charter.
Alison Carter and Clive Mansell, winners of The Publican BII licensee of the year 2003, run the Ship Inn in Owslebury, Hampshire.
They said their decision to sign up to the Charter as a pub with separate areas for smoking had been a great success and could be a model for other pubs across the country.
Speaking at a meeting discussing the progress of the Charter, they outlined the changes they made. They said: "We allow smoking at the bar but the big difference is that we have separate restaurants. We have a 48-cover non-smoking restaurant and a 40-seater smoking eaterie.
"It has been a great success. We hadn't thought of having separate areas until three years ago when we were refurbishing. We had a couple of customers asking for it and then we heard about the introduction of the Charter."
Mr Mansell did say that there was more to do: "We feel we have to improve the standard of ventilation at the bar, because the most important thing for us is to provide an atmosphere that doesn't threaten the health of others."
The Charter promotes self-regulation on smoking in pubs through good ventilation, the use of signage and no-smoking areas where possible.
Meanwhile, at the same meeting, Simon Emeny, retail director of Fuller, Smith & Turner plc, defended the right of some pubs to sign up to the Charter as "smoking throughout".
He used the example of the Dove Inn in London (part of the Fullers estate), one of the smallest pubs in the country. He said: "It is a 15th century listed building and has an amazing atmosphere. You couldn't introduce ventilation as you would never get permission because of its historic status.
"Separate areas would not work as the ceilings are too low and therefore some would say that the only option would be to have no smoking throughout. But that would destroy the pub's trade and atmosphere. It would die a death and have to close before too long."
