Industry urged to help "marginalise" rogues

Tenants will help put rogue operators out of business if they can encourage their landlords to meet the BII's standards, a pubco boss has argued.

Speaking at a BII seminar on rent reviews in Birmingham last week, Stephen Oliver, managing director of Marston's, said the industry had "a duty to marginalise poor operators".

He highlighted the BII's Benchmark and Accreditation Scheme, launched in April, which scrutinises pub company codes of practices for prospective and current tenants and lessees.

"People should get in touch with their BDMs and managing directors to encourage them to take up this process. It has to help us and it can help the industry," he said.

Marston's, Punch Taverns, Enterprise Inns and Fuller's are the first pubcos to be accredited under the BII scheme. It is hoped that other pubcos will follow suit and adopt the scheme.

Oliver added: "This can only be good news for tenants who get sucked into deals with dodgy operators. The scheme, I believe, is a genuine move in the right direction."

However, he warned licensees that it was a deal that "cut both ways" and certain standards were expected.

Later during the seminar, which sought to explain the rent review process, multi-award winning licensee Richard Macey, highlighted preparation as the key for publicans facing this process.

"The less you prepare, the higher the rent usually is," he said. "You have to be prepared to fight, but you have to do it professionally. Sometimes you can win a battle, but lose the war - you have to know when to stop."

But his message to the pubcos was clear: "Please don't pull the wool over our eyes, please keep to the code of practices. I have read them and I have to say they are bloody marvellous."

Other speakers at the event included Fleurets' chairman Barry Gillham and Punch Taverns' property and strategy director Neil Griffiths.