Interest soars in Admiral community pubs enquiries
Enquiries during January increased by 48% while that rose by 89% in February compared to the first two months of 2022, demonstrating a continued support for community pubs across the UK despite the cost-of-living crisis.
More than 65% of Admiral’s applicants this year have come through its new website, which was launched in spring 2022, to ensure prospective licensees have a more interactive and informative experience. Admiral also launched a new LiveChat function which drove in excess of 56% of all enquiries in 2022.
Fantastic to see
Admiral Taverns head of recruitment and operations administration Ceri Radford said: “It’s fantastic to see the strong interest in running a community pub despite the wider economic situation.
“Our licensees come from all walks of life and our team does everything it can to ensure we find the right pub to match our applicants’ vision. We also regularly review and tailor our approach, support and training to meet those needs.
“There is no doubt the industry, as a whole, needs more support from the Government but, at Admiral, we are exploring all opportunities to ensure our community pubs continue to thrive. We’re proud to have recently launched further support packages for several of our pubs to attract new talent.”
Flexible terms
Admiral’s support packages include flexible terms along with start-up rents, such as half price rent for the first three months of the tenancy, as well as utility bill support for new licensees. Pubs that qualify for Small Business Rates relief under the April 2023 revaluation are also highlighted on the basis the licensee only occupies one property for commercial purposes.
Last year, Admiral invested £1m into energy-saving initiatives to make cellar cooler systems more efficient, which is already saving licensees more than £400 a month.
Admiral also offers new licensees extensive training support that includes a three-day course focused on everything from building a retail offer to marketing, finances and the pubs code. On top of the extensive training videos available, CPL training and British Institute of Innkeeping memberships are included, which offer almost an extra 30 training courses.
