A storm in a pint pot
I read with interest your article on metric measures at the Cardinals Hat in Worcester and what you can and cannot serve. The law says that beer should be served via a "measuring instrument". This can be a Government-stamped glass or a beer meter. For hundreds of years in this country we have held the "pint" as a symbol of pub life. Meeting up for a pint has meant more than simply going for a drink, it has social implications and has been at the heart of our culture. Under European metrication, we have won special dispensation to keep the pint for milk and beer along with the mile for road markings. The tradition of the "pint" has been a long and hard fought battle and should not be discarded lightly. The issue with the metric measures is surely one of ensuring transparency in pricing. We all understand £2 per pint, but do we understand £1.76 per half litre, and which is more expensive? The public is consistently served short measures in this country. The argument over the full pint has filled many columns of many publications for many years. We are encouraged to "ask for a top up" if we are not satisfied with the measure served. I can see no recourse for those who are served metric measures. Finally the article is misleading when making reference to the award by the British Weights and Measures Association. The implication is that this organisation has something to do with the National Weights & Measures and Trading Standards, it does not. We are proud of our pint; we should not let it slip away. Brian Bunting Chairman BFBI Dispense Committee Our laws must be observed I read with some involvement and interest the article on illegal metric measures being served by an another "Johnny Foreigner" coming to the UK and taking no notice of our laws whatsoever. How ironic that we should present Andrea Shutz with an inch-perfect award. No wonder she's proud; as a former psychologist she has realised that there's more money in selling illegal short measure beer than mental health. How can we sack and fine some licensee for selling short measure, even when dispensed into a legal brim-measure glass, or take a market trader to the high court for selling bananas for £s per lbs, and then say we have not got time to charge this landlady for blatantly serving an illegal measure. I am an ardent campaigner for the full pint which Tony Blair promised to implement in the Labour Party manifesto. Please let's once and for all make it one standard measure throughout the realm. Jeff Harding Dispense Committee Adviser to the Department of Trade and Industry Act before you sign a lease I read with some interest the woes of Alan Smallman at the Tramway ("Running on Empty", Morning Advertiser, 30 October) Here at SureStock we have acronyms for most types of clients and, nice guy though Mr Smallman appears to be, he would fall into our NITWIT category noble intentions, traded woefully, in trouble. In my 20-odd years in the trade which included a period as a business development manager before setting up SureStock I have heard a similar story more times than Phil Dixon has appeared at LVA dinners. We are often called in (too late) to try and rescue the Tramways of this world, and it constantly amazes us how many people part with good money to set up in business without doing their homework properly, and just how naïve they can be once they commence trading. I don't profess to know all the details of Mr Smallman's case, but feel sorry for him and even sorrier that Unique has been blamed for his demise (and no, they are not clients or ours!). Before anyone else ends up in the same position as Mr Smallman can I suggest the following before they sign a lease! 1. They establish a breakeven point for the business a 10-minute job that can be done by anyone if they visit the Union pubco's website and use their free "profit estimator" at www.tupc.co.uk. 2. That they don't rely solely on the pubco's statistics and do some detailed research of their own. 3. They actually look at surrounding businesses to see if there is a demand for food in the area, prepare a competitor survey and do a SWOT analysis. 4. They properly inspect the premises to establish what they are going to need to spend on improvements (and even carpet cleaning!) they could even employ a chartered surveyor! (sorry, Mr Dixon). 5. That instead of just raising the bar staff's basic rate, they train and offer incentives to their team and then pay on results. 6. If you want to sponsor a football team do it on a weekly basis and agree with them in writing what the deal is. 7. Don't sign a tied lease and then whinge about the tie how many McDonald's franchisees could buy burgers cheaper elsewhere but don't. If you want to run a freehouse go and buy one. 8. If you don't have the experience or expertise to understand, or carry out the above, pay someone (like us!) to advise you. Quite why Mr Smallman had a barman on duty when he was only taking £38 to £100, I really don't understand any more than I understand why people shout at their staff. We also have clients who, for a small outlay on car park control, generate a substantial income from this asset. I am sorry that Mr Smallman's experience is by no means the first, nor the last case of a lessee whose business failed. Perhaps the only consolation is that he didn't fall into our worst-case scenario acronym of Blabbermouth blames brewery, blames everyone, raised money, obviously uneconomic, totally hopeless. Trevor Brown Managing Director SureStock
