Gerry Price blog: pubco report could cause years of turmoil

Gerry Price, Enterprise leaseholder, The Inn, West End, Surrey says the pubco power report could cause five years of turmoil.

Oh sorry day! The Business and Enterprise Committee has reported and while I agree with all its findings I can only foresee five years of turmoil similar to the years after the Monopolies and Mergers Commission reported at the end of the eighties.

I would like to think it will lead to a fairer, better system but I am not holding my breath.

There is so much at stake for Punch and Enterprise and they are both so heavily indebted that they will prevaricate and fight every inch of the way to preserve the status quo.

Regrettably they only have themselves to blame. I have been around long enough and had rent battles aplenty to know that if a brown furry animal with a long tail runs over my feet, that despite what anyone tells me that animal is a rat.

From the days of the beer orders when brewers ceased owning pubs to sell beer to the present days, the pub companies have been cleverly ruthless at extracting every bit of profit they could with no social conscience whatsoever.

From the 35ml spirit measure, the 250 ml wine glass and the 'All you can drink' offers to the way rent reviews have squeezed small operators and forced up rents so that comparables in an area are meaningless.

I am very pleased that the hornets nest has been poked with a very long stick, but I have no confidence that the buzzing and flapping of arms will not die down to reveal a sting in its tail.

Life goes on​

On the basis that I can't do much about the situation I must carry on with life at The Inn. Things have slowed up a lot early in the week but fortunately I have been able to fill the gaps with a couple of tutored wine tastings, a funeral and a small wedding party.

One tasting had four people who didn't drink, which was a bit of a challenge but we went through the same process with fruit juices and it was very interesting.

As I have been in the industry a long time, I am giving myself a kick up the proverbial by going on a BII supported training course in licensed hospitality. The key units are profit and loss and budgetary control, understanding your market and motivating your team.

Some would argue that if I can't do that already I shouldn't be in the business and I would agree.

However, it is good to see how things have moved on, meet other licensees having similar problems to oneself and network while getting time away from the spotlight in which one works.

First assignment and exam have been taken but I don't know the results yet and I have the preparation work to do for the marketing module — interesting stuff.

Fantastic customers​

I mentioned last week that we have some fantastic staff, which we do. We also have some great customers and we get involved with them in many ways other than just eating and drinking.

Last week we put a team of ten into an "It's a Knockout Competition" at a local hotel, raising money for Children with Special Needs.

Two staff and eight customers were in the team and they had a really fun time. It was great team building as well as raising money for a good cause.

This week there are twelve of us going on what my accountant calls an "International Tax Conference" and I call a "Wine tasting trip" to the Alentejo in Portugal.

Some might call it an err... Jolly, but it isn't being paid for out of public funds — all out of our own pockets — so who cares.

It will be a good time to experience a working vineyard, taste a few wines and have a good laugh as only blokes together can. It all engenders that sort of huge family feeling that is The Inn @ West End. Oh, and it helps me to forget about that report, too.