Opinion - Jo Bruce, Editor

New laws are meat and drink to licensed trade

The arrival of the new licensing laws not only heralds a new era in drinks retailing in the on-trade but also new food

opportunities.

Replicating a European café culture, one based around food and drink, was always at the back of politicians' minds when drafting the new licensing laws.

Many enterprising licensees already have food solutions in place to take advantage of the new licensing law.

Geronimo Inns will be offering a range of bar snacks, to be offered after the main kitchen has closed, such as sausage

rolls, Scotch eggs and pizzas. Spirit Group will offer hot wraps and chips and many other operators are looking at tapas menus and late-night teas, coffees and takeaways.

As well as being an excellent profit opportunity, offering food to drinkers amounts to responsible drinks retailing,

a notion which would make many Daily Mail readers splurt out their Earl Grey.

Many pubs have embraced the option to open for breakfast with the enthusiasm of Tony the Frosties tiger.

Most JD Wetherspoon pubs will serve breakfast from 9am until 11am, following a trial in 60 pubs in the north west.

For the UK pub trade, now is the time to create the café culture that the 2003 Licensing Act seeks to engender.

There are now countless lucrative opportunities to offer your customers food.

There is no issue of PubChef next month as we know you will all be too busy with Christmas parties and stuffing turkey to read it.

I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and New Year and see you in 2006.

Jo Bruce

Editor, PubChef