Landlord of the Royal Blenheim, Steven Lyne, on why people need to appreciate pubs now more than ever
It’s a fragile time for pubs. With recent announcements in budgets leaving more and more pub operators feeling like the “rug is being pulled out from beneath them”, we need to take a step back and have a proper look at how we can keep the Great British Pub thriving. At a time when pubs have been building themselves back up after a difficult time thanks to the pandemic, a lot of help is going to be needed to keep pubs going.
There is very little wriggle room for operators, with inflationary costs up across the board. Too many times, I’ve spoken with General Managers and could not believe some of the eye watering costs they’re having to pay in their venues. Some pubs are busier than ever, but their bottom lines are still struggling. Without further support, I fear we will see plenty of pubs close their doors in the next 12 months.
Whilst there are a great many people doing fantastic work to try and swing the Government’s perception of the hospitality sector around to give us more support, I believe it all starts with the people reading this article. The punters.
I’ve had the pleasure of being able to visit quite a few pubs across the country in the past few months. I’ve been able to get out of my own pub for a change! I’m always curious to see how other venues are run, as a landlord myself, to see if there are any bits I can draw inspiration from and bring to my own venue. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery after all.
However, I have noticed a troubling trend with many of the pubs I have been visiting, and I think it’s one of the root causes of why a majority of pubs are struggling at the moment. Quite a few seem to lack a sort of “magic” and presence that just doesn’t seem to be there. It can be a beautifully presented pub but there just feels like there is something missing.
Before people jump in and say, “Well, what do expect from a pub at 2pm on a Monday afternoon?”, I’ve been in plenty of venues that haven’t struggled at all at that hour with only a handful of people in. Many of these lacklustre venues all suffer from the same issues. You walk in only to feel like you’ve walked into a pub that has come from a flat pack. The same as the pub around the corner, and the same as the pub in the last city you visited earlier in the week. The bar encourages you to grab a seat, pull up their loyalty app, scan and order from the table. A staff member brings your drinks over and that’s the end of your interaction. After sampling what they have on offer, off to the next pub I suppose.
This style of running a business in hospitality has always been prevalent, particularly in chains, but in recent years it has really started creeping into pubs. Pub operators are always trying to implement changes to benefit their customers and to try and improve business. However, if it is not done well, the pub starts to lose a little bit of its identity, something that makes it that little bit more special, its “magic”.
It’s making it harder than ever to grab some mates together to head down to these pubs. “Why are we heading there? It’s been bad in there for years!” often gets dropped into a conversation. It’s not surprising though, really. Pubs are meant to be the heartbeat of its community, where everyone can get together for any occasion. Work drinks, a leisurely lunch, a funeral wake, a catch up with some friends after a long week. Pubs capture so much of life’s stories, being such an integral part of British lives. It’s often why we see pubs being so prevalent in TV and film. It’s a space that can capture so many different stories of every person that walks through its doors. However, when the venue itself doesn’t have its own heartbeat, can you be surprised that people are struggling to find the motivation to visit them?
What will be important in the upcoming year is for venues to focus on what truly keeps them open. The regulars and their time. Yes, money in the tills is what pays the bills at the end of the day, but time is so much more valuable. With cash being tighter than ever, people are being very selective about where they choose to part ways with it. They will therefore gravitate towards places that they feel they have a connection to.
The Royal Blenheim, many times Oxford CAMRA City Pub of the Year
At the end of the day hospitality is about storytelling, and a pub is just a collection of different stories all happening at once. A pub that has a sense of community and that has its own heartbeat is a very challenging thing to create. Yet, once it’s there, the spark of magic draws people back. Knowing that you walk through the doors of a pub and feel that is a very special thing indeed.
The pubs that do it well make it look effortless, but I can tell you it’s one of the hardest things I have to manage as a pub landlord. However, it is probably the most rewarding aspect of the job. Being able to create a space that people feel so comfortable in is an addictive feeling. Let’s hope that is enough to convince other venues to get on board and make it through the next few months!
The Magic of Proper Pubs
Landlord of the Royal Blenheim, Steven Lyne, on why people need to appreciate pubs now more than ever
It’s a fragile time for pubs. With recent announcements in budgets leaving more and more pub operators feeling like the “rug is being pulled out from beneath them”, we need to take a step back and have a proper look at how we can keep the Great British Pub thriving. At a time when pubs have been building themselves back up after a difficult time thanks to the pandemic, a lot of help is going to be needed to keep pubs going.
There is very little wriggle room for operators, with inflationary costs up across the board. Too many times, I’ve spoken with General Managers and could not believe some of the eye watering costs they’re having to pay in their venues. Some pubs are busier than ever, but their bottom lines are still struggling. Without further support, I fear we will see plenty of pubs close their doors in the next 12 months.
Whilst there are a great many people doing fantastic work to try and swing the Government’s perception of the hospitality sector around to give us more support, I believe it all starts with the people reading this article. The punters.
I’ve had the pleasure of being able to visit quite a few pubs across the country in the past few months. I’ve been able to get out of my own pub for a change! I’m always curious to see how other venues are run, as a landlord myself, to see if there are any bits I can draw inspiration from and bring to my own venue. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery after all.
However, I have noticed a troubling trend with many of the pubs I have been visiting, and I think it’s one of the root causes of why a majority of pubs are struggling at the moment. Quite a few seem to lack a sort of “magic” and presence that just doesn’t seem to be there. It can be a beautifully presented pub but there just feels like there is something missing.
Before people jump in and say, “Well, what do expect from a pub at 2pm on a Monday afternoon?”, I’ve been in plenty of venues that haven’t struggled at all at that hour with only a handful of people in. Many of these lacklustre venues all suffer from the same issues. You walk in only to feel like you’ve walked into a pub that has come from a flat pack. The same as the pub around the corner, and the same as the pub in the last city you visited earlier in the week. The bar encourages you to grab a seat, pull up their loyalty app, scan and order from the table. A staff member brings your drinks over and that’s the end of your interaction. After sampling what they have on offer, off to the next pub I suppose.
This style of running a business in hospitality has always been prevalent, particularly in chains, but in recent years it has really started creeping into pubs. Pub operators are always trying to implement changes to benefit their customers and to try and improve business. However, if it is not done well, the pub starts to lose a little bit of its identity, something that makes it that little bit more special, its “magic”.
It’s making it harder than ever to grab some mates together to head down to these pubs. “Why are we heading there? It’s been bad in there for years!” often gets dropped into a conversation. It’s not surprising though, really. Pubs are meant to be the heartbeat of its community, where everyone can get together for any occasion. Work drinks, a leisurely lunch, a funeral wake, a catch up with some friends after a long week. Pubs capture so much of life’s stories, being such an integral part of British lives. It’s often why we see pubs being so prevalent in TV and film. It’s a space that can capture so many different stories of every person that walks through its doors. However, when the venue itself doesn’t have its own heartbeat, can you be surprised that people are struggling to find the motivation to visit them?
What will be important in the upcoming year is for venues to focus on what truly keeps them open. The regulars and their time. Yes, money in the tills is what pays the bills at the end of the day, but time is so much more valuable. With cash being tighter than ever, people are being very selective about where they choose to part ways with it. They will therefore gravitate towards places that they feel they have a connection to.
At the end of the day hospitality is about storytelling, and a pub is just a collection of different stories all happening at once. A pub that has a sense of community and that has its own heartbeat is a very challenging thing to create. Yet, once it’s there, the spark of magic draws people back. Knowing that you walk through the doors of a pub and feel that is a very special thing indeed.
The pubs that do it well make it look effortless, but I can tell you it’s one of the hardest things I have to manage as a pub landlord. However, it is probably the most rewarding aspect of the job. Being able to create a space that people feel so comfortable in is an addictive feeling. Let’s hope that is enough to convince other venues to get on board and make it through the next few months!
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