Our community pubs
Community Pubs
Licensee: Graham Bulpett
The pub: The Priory Arms, Stockwell, London
Location: The Priory Arms is in a popular area of South London on a busy road, with plenty of flats and residents but little competition in the immediate vicinity
Time in the pub: Seven months
Time in the trade: 14 years
Wet/dry split: 80/20
Beer/wine/spirits split: 70/20/10
Current entertainment: Sky TV, board games, Sunday quiz nights
Strengths: "People, people and people!" says Graham. The loyal, friendly customer base can be very demanding, which the licensee believes is good for standards. With a great, warm atmosphere "it's a real pub!" he says. An upstairs function area is also a real benefit.
Weaknesses: The distressed cellars are the biggest problem with the business, he says - "in time everything will need replacing and modernising".
Biggest threats to the business: The need to expand as the business grows - can it keep up with the pace? - and government intervention as it looks to curb "irresponsible drinking"
What do you hope to achieve from Sell More, Save More?
"I know it can be hard to get supplier support. I'm at the start of the business and the more support I can get the better," says Graham. "As an ex-manager and an ex-tenant I feel excited at the prospect of truly developing a real pub as a business with the freedom a freehouse allows."
Licensee: Paul Barden
The pub: The Guide Dog, Southampton
Location: The Guide Dog is in a densely populated area, a mile and a half from Southampton city centre, and not far from Southampton FC's St Mary's Stadium
Time in the pub: Two years
Time in the trade: Four years
Wet/dry split: 95/5
Beer/ wine/spirits split: 95/3/2
Current entertainment: None
Strengths: The pub serves seven real ales and attracts, as Paul puts it "a mature and sensible clientele". There is no Sky TV, no jukebox or AWP machines, and Paul believes it has created a real atmosphere in the pub.
Weaknesses: Paul believes the pub is severely restricted by its physical layout. Previous landlord Wadworth sold off land to the back of the pub which could have been used as a garden, while the kitchen is too large for the pub - and is currently not being used anyway.
Biggest threats to the business: The increase in beer prices; and the government's assumption that all drinkers are "binge-drinkers", and restrictions coming in to combat that
What do you hope to achieve from Sell More, Save More?
"We're approaching the point where we are almost at our maximum and we want to look at new ways of increasing the business with the limited space we have," says Paul. "I always go to pubs looking for ideas and so many pubs have done nothing. I'm a big believer in evolving. I am worried that if I don't introduce food in the right way I may well lose my hard-core drinking clients."
