Brulines keeps beer under control

Working with Brulines has already started to deliver results for the pubs who signed up for Sell More Save More earlier this year.

Since the company's innovative Brand Quality Monitoring (BQM) system was installed in four of the pubs taking part in May weekly reports have been sent to the licensees at the Rose & Crown in Perry Wood, near Faversham in Kent, the Cross Keys at Henley in Suffolk, the Priory Arms in Stockwell, South London and the Guide Dog in Southampton.

And the pubs are beginning to point to some genuine cost savings coming from using the technology to monitor cellar temperatures and keep their beer under control.

The licensees also have access to live data via the Brulines web site, which enables them to monitor key areas of their business twenty four hours a day.

The BQM system uses the latest intelligent flow meters, which monitor all beer served through each font recording the volume, flow rates and beer temperature. They also record whether lines are cleaned, using technology which can distinguish between beer, line-cleaning fluid, and water.

All of the licensees are able to view data on beer volumes to the decimal point of a pint, flow rates, temperature at the point of dispense, and the cellar temperature live on the Brulines web site using a secure log-in.

Temperature probes are installed in every cellar so the temperature can be constantly monitored to ensure that they are within the specified range.

Cutting the losses​

For Mark White, the licensee of the Cross Keys in Henley, Suffolk, the cellar-monitoring element of the system saved him from some costly losses, according to Brulines retail and marketing director Clive Consterdine.

"Our analysts constantly monitor for problems in the pubs using our system - and on two occasions flagged up a problem with cellar temperatures at the Cross Keys which were too high," says Clive.

"The first was a local power cut but the second two weeks later highlighted to Mark that the cellar cooling had failed, which allowed him to get a service engineer out to fix the system, before too many customers complained or beer was lost."

The system has also had the line-cleaning process at the Cross Keys in its sights. The intelligent flow meters pinpointed the fact that the process was not as effective as it should be, and Mark has taken direction action as a result. "The solution was too diluted, which he has been able to correct, improving the pub's beer quality," adds Clive.

Tracking the trends ​

Mark says he is now regularly using the website to view the live data.

"I have found the information the system gives invaluable as it tells me what is going on in the pub, allowing me to track buying trends and providing peace of mind that the beer is served at the optimum quality," he says.

"The weekly summary sheet and the analysis of beer volumes have also been useful in looking at overall patterns and planning for the future."

Brulines' Clive Consterdine says the benefits of the BQM system have been twofold at the Cross Keys. Not only has the pub benefited from the troubleshooting aspects of the system, as licensee Mark is now making proactive, informed decisions based on the data the system has provided.

"This is why we wanted to get involved with Sell More, Save More - to help pubs build sales, profits and beer quality and to demonstrate how technology can play a positive part in developing a business."

And Tim Robinson, licensee of the Rose & Crown in Perry Wood, near Faversham in Kent - the second rural pub involved in Sell More, Save More this year - has also been seeing some tangible benefits from making full use of the system.

"Brulines has showed us that nine times out of 10 we are achieving the right temperature on our ales and lagers," he says.

"I've also found it helpful with our flow rates - we are in no doubt about what sells and how much of it we have sold. It's really confirmed to us how cask led we are."

The system will be working overtime at the end of the month when the pub's beer festival takes off over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

New dimension​

In the next 6 months Brulines will be adding a new dimension to the data given to the Sell Move Save More pubs by working with EPoS champion Mission Integrated Systems.

The pubs will be provided with weekly reports comparing dispense volumes by the hour with Epos transactions - enabling licensees to pinpoint precisely beer lost through wastage or product being given away.

"Our experience with many operators and licensees tells us that significant levels of beer can be lost through poor pouring practices, poor dispense conditions, and staff theft," Clive adds.

"In comparing our dispense data with Epos or till transactions these losses can be identified and controlled producing profit increases, which, in some cases, run into thousands of pounds, so it could be a revealing trial for all of the pubs we are working with."