BII welcomes newcomers to the trade

Despite the pressures facing the industry, surveys regularly show many people still harbour dreams of running a pub.

It appears that even in the face of pub closures, cheap supermarket booze and an, at best, lukewarm coalition, there is still a degree of romanticism attached to the trade.

So to tell people how it really is and to make sure they have their eyes wide open when they take on a pub the BII has launched a series of introduction events for newcomers.

At the first, held at the Boatman, in Guildford, Surrey, around 30 newcomers or 'soon-to-be' licensees heard former BII Licensee of the Year Phil Davison outline some of the potential pitfalls of a career in the trade.

Davison, licensee of the Sun in the Wood, in Newbury, Berkshire, warned the audience: "In the first year of running a pub you will work seven days a week, often for 16 hours, for very little return."

He explained ways for licensees to succeed by running their pubs "properly, professionally, and profitably".

"If a pub isn't making a profit it is a not a business, it is a hobby," he warned.

He also urged licensees to work in a pub before taking on a lease or tenancy, getting people to help with areas you might not understand - such as accountancy and law, and always to think about marketing your pub.

Potential licensees were also given advice on subjects as diverse as training, regulation and the tie.

It clearly left some in the room inspired while others looked slightly daunted by the magnitude of what they were taking on.

Elizabeth Manning is about to take on a lease with Greene King at the White Horse in Easebourne, West Sussex.

She said she was looking forward to the challenge having found out as much about the business as possible before signing up.

"I am going to be running it with my family so I know I will have their support. There is so much help available out there and I would recommend anybody looking at getting into the trade takes it."

Meanwhile a co-op that has taken on the Windmill in Ewshot, Surrey revealed how they were trying to get to grips with the business.

One of the five strong co-op Janet Sisk said: "We are more hands on than we wanted to be. We are doing our homework and there is a huge amount to learn around things such as health and safety and regulation.

"We bought it because we wanted to keep the pub going but you can't run it by committee and we are trying to give as much autonomy as possible to the manager."

And BII chief executive Neil Robertson urged people not be intimidated by the task ahead.

"There is a lot to learn but it takes experience. This has given you a flavour and the rest you can learn," he said.

The BII is also planning a series of similar events. For the latest Check www.bii.org for more information.

Dates for the Diary

The next newcomer events will take place at the following locations

Tues 15th Feb - The Counting House, Cornhill, London

Mon 21st Feb - The Sun in the Wood, Newbury

The BII is also planning a series of similar events in the North. Check www.bii.org.uk​ for more information on upcoming events.