BII chief hints at extending membership services
The organisation has traditionally been a body for individual publicans, but Hulme told the Publican's Morning Advertiser sister title M&C Report that he sees the BII stretching beyond this remit, into managed pub groups and even food-led operators and casual dining chains.
"The spaces between pubs, restaurants and hotels, and other outlets, is becoming blurred,” he said. “Now It’s very hard to distinguish what is a pub and what is not, so why wouldn’t we get closer to some of the [other] brands and organisations?”
He flagged up London-based premium bar groups Drake & Morgan and the Young’s-owned Geronimo Inns as two examples.
“Those people are facing the same sort of compliance and regulatory framework as our individual memberships. So why wouldn’t we provide the support mechanisms [for them]? It’s about saying they can trust us, the information we are providing is credible and valid.”
The BII Arms?
Meanwhile, the BII could operate its own pub, Hulme said.
He said: “Why wouldn’t we take a tied pub, take a lease and run it as a training facility? We are investigating all options at the moment.”
It comes as the organisation looks for a new headquarters to replace its current site in Camberley, Surrey. Planning permission has been secured for the current HQ.
Hulme has ambitions to locate nearer London, and the group is looking at “co-location opportunities”.
