Beer Garden

The Lock In Podcast

Wasp wrangling and other tips for summer success

13-Jun-2023 By Ed Bedington

Wasps can ruin many a pub garden experience, but how best to handle them? The Lock In team tackled the perennial pests and other top tips on making the most of summer trade.

GBPA Best Pub Garden: The Brisley Bell

29-Sep-2021 By Ed Bedington

There’s been a lot of change at The Bell in the north west Norfolk village of Brisley since co-owners Amelia Nicholson and Marcus Seaman came on board, and that has netted them the title of Best Pub Garden in the Great British Pub Awards.

'Shockingly quiet' first week of indoor trade

21-May-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Operators have described the first week of indoor trading after lockdown as “shockingly quiet” but said they are optimistic as sales data shows a boost.

Customers implored to 'wrap up warm' before complaining about heaters

06-May-2021 By Emily Hawkins

The Morning Advertiser (MA) asked operators how they had adapted to trading at the mercy of a cold British spring.

Almost a quarter of operators’ outdoor trade ‘barely worth reopening’ for

26-Apr-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Operators have detailed a mixed bag of trade experiences since reopening on 12 April, an industry survey has revealed.

Payment guidance reiterated after confusion

08-Apr-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Operators have been reassured they can take payments indoors in exceptional circumstances after confusion on social media.

'Red tape' won't ruin summer for pubs, minister says as licensing freedoms extended

08-Mar-2021 By Emily Hawkins

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has confirmed it will extend provisions to make it easier for pubs to utilise outdoor space.

What are the rules around outside trading?

24-Feb-2021 By Nikkie Thatcher

With pubs being able to reopen for outdoor trading only as of 12 April, The Morning Advertiser takes a look at the rules around external structures and pavement licences.

3 in 5 pubs unlikely to reopen in April

23-Feb-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Three in five pubs across the UK will remain closed when outdoor service only is permitted from 12 April, a trade body has said.

Leeds publican bans smoking in beer garden to get ahead

02-Jun-2017 By Georgina Townshend

A publican from Leeds banned smoking in his beer garden because he can see it “becoming a lot more common in the next couple of years”.

Summer

Licensees reveal their summer plans for pubs

25-Jul-2016 By Nikkie Sutton

Licensees have revealed their plans for this summer at their pubs to make the most of the current good weather.

TripAdvisor

Licensee's furious response to beer pricing TripAdvisor complaint

06-Jul-2016 By Oli Gross

TripAdvisor reviewers can be infuriatingly harsh in their assessments of pubs, and none more so than a customer who branded his experience ‘terrible’ based purely on the price of a pint.

Legal

Can you have a beer garden without a licence?

24-Apr-2015 By Poppleston Allen

Summer is fast approaching and the forecasters are predicting a three-month heatwave, so now is the time to put those green fingers to good use and get your beer garden looking great in time for what the less cynical among us hope will be a summer of...

Mark Daniels: Nice pub - nasty tax

29-Sep-2009

I've spent most of the summer improving my beer garden. I've cleaned up areas that were full of unnecessary clutter, I've put fencing up to separate...

Gavin Webb, senior negotiator, Davey & Co

05-Jun-2008

Over the past few months the licensed trade has been beset with challenge after challenge. A number of factors — the big three being the smoking...

Pick of the pubs

15-Jan-2008 By James Wilmore

Mid-Devon freehouse the Red Lion is the only pub in the village of Shobrooke, five miles from Exeter. The pub is a large, detached, stone property...

Pubs ponder smoke ban noise

19-Sep-2007 By James Wilmore

Smokers are in trouble again. Despite having been banished to the patios, beer gardens and pavements of pubs around the country, they are still...

South East

18-Jan-2007

The Swan at the Vineyard Lamberhurst, Kent Vanessa and Sean Arnett aren't exaggerating when they say the beer garden at the Swan is a "massive draw"....