McMullen's: try before you buy pub scheme

New licensees can run a pub for 12 months with no long term financial commitment under a "Try before you Buy" scheme, launched by Hertfordshire brewer and operator McMullen's.

The brewer has doubled the industry standard cooling off period to a year for new entrants and those with limited finances as part of its new Code of Practice, which has received accreditation from the BII Benchmarking Accreditation Scheme.

McMullen's has actually been running the scheme for around 18 months.

Its new code outlines how it will ensure a fair relationship with its tenants and outlines details on length of agreement, rent reviews and repairs.

"We have always prided ourselves on the fair and open relationships we have with our tenants and this new Code of Practice provides a clear overview of how we will operate," said Fergus McMullen, tenanted trade director at McMullen & Sons.

"It has been developed following the feedback from our existing tenants and builds on the success of our ground breaking Business and Tenancy Agreement, which has long been regarded as the blueprint for the industry."

BII chief executive Neil Robertson added: "McMullen's has always set very high standards when it comes to working with their tenants.

"They were one of the first brewers to develop the new generation of tenancy agreements and this new Code of Practice demonstrates how committed they are to working with their tenants to develop a mutually beneficial relationship."