Building food business Robinsons' tenants Join the club

There are certain pub companies out there for whom bringing a group of tenants together in the same room might be seen as a high-risk strategy.

Not so Stockport family brewer Frederic Robinson, which is organising a series of events for its 400 or so tenants with a view to helping them to establish or grow their food trade.

The 1748 Club Lunch

The initiative is known as the Villeroy & Boch 1748 Club Lunch. That name will need no explanation to tableware enthusiasts, but for those of us who don't always turn our plate over to read the underside, it's the year that industry supplier Villeroy & Boch set up shop.

The tableware company is a partner with Robinsons in the initiative, which aims to link licensees with potential suppliers in an informal setting with no hard sell.

The first 1748 Club Lunch event in North Wales was held at the Quay Hotel in Deganwy, North Wales, in June and was attended by around 20 Robinsons licensees from its Welsh estate.

The hotel's picturesque setting, looking out over the seaside town's recently-developed marina to the Irish Sea, helped proceedings, as did the excellent weather and opportunity to enjoy Robinson's Nosey Parker summer ale and imported Veltins Pilsner.

Among the licensees present were Derek Mckeon and Kelly Rowlands, tenants at the Tafarn Y Rhos in Llangefni on the Isle of Angelsey.

"It's always good to take the opportunity to get out of the business and chat to other licensees," says Mckeon. "It's a chance to compare notes - you can always pick up a few ideas for driving trade."

The chance to talk to suppliers is also useful. The pub has a healthy food trade, including a B&B operation and thriving Sunday carvery, which generates some large orders.

"Our meat bill is pretty hefty, for example," says Mckeon. "I've no problem with the quality of my current supplies, but if we can get a better deal without a drop in quality, we'd have to look at it - especially in the current market."

Supplier agreements

The supplier initiative builds on the work Robinson's catering consultant, Chris Whittleworth, has undertaken since joining the company at the start of 2008.

A key part of his brief has been to put in place supplier agreements which enable Robinsons' tenants to take advantage of the buying terms 400 pubs can command - as well as making sure tenants know about deals already in place.

"It's been hard work," says Whittleworth, "but seeing tenants take the time to come out and meet suppliers is great."

Angela and Bernhard Lanz, tenants at the Royal Ship Hotel in Dolgellau, Gwynedd, found the event useful.

"We've built up a destination food trade, thanks to Angela's hard work in the kitchen," says Lanz. "We appreciate the chance to meet up with other licensees, as well as suppliers."

Robinsons' focus on developing food sales across it estate has seen it hit the acquisition trail, with nine pubs bought from Punch Taverns over the past three months.

"They're all strong food houses or have good potential," says director Paul Robinson, "and barrelage is also up in the pubs since we took them over."

• Along with Villeroy & Boch, suppliers at the 1748 Club event included C&G Wholesale, Arrezo coffee, Decantae mineral water, M&J Seafood, Delice de France, Essential Cuisine, DF Designs, Harlech Foodservice, Llandudno Fruit Renaissance, Tibard Workware, and Pig in a Poke wine.