Author / Stuart Mills

by Stuart Mills

ROLLOUT OF ELECTRIC CAR PUB CHARGING POINTS CONTINUES

Independent family brewer and pub company Shepherd Neame has now installed electric car rapid charging stations at six of its pubs in the South East.

A total of 15 rapid charging points are available across the following sites: 

It is just one of the initiatives that Shepherd Neame is investing in as part of its People, Pubs, Planet campaign, heralding a trio of ambitious environmental goals:  

  • Net zero carbon for direct emissions by 2030
  • Net zero for Scope 3 emissions no later than 2040
  • Zero waste to landfill by 2025

Shepherd Neame’s Head of Professional Property Services John Barnes said: “As a company, we are committed to doing the right thing for our environment, and our investment in electric charging points across our estate is part of that strategy. They not only to help promote cleaner transport but offer an additional service for our customers. 

“All of the sites chosen have big car parks perfect for the installation of the charging points, and are conveniently located for drivers at key points across the country near major road systems. We have seen a great response, with lots of new customers visiting our pub while they are charging their car. A rapid charge typically takes around 30 minutes, depending on the car, so it is the perfect opportunity to pop in for refreshments while you are waiting.” 

Drivers don’t need an account or an app and there are no connection fees, it is pay-as-you-go with contactless card payment. Charge points also accept electric vehicle roaming cards and fleet solutions.

Find more pubs with electric charging points.

by Stuart Mills

New venue in Manchester gets £900k investment

Manchester family brewers, JW Lees, officially opened the doors on Founder’s Hall, Albert Square, last night. The redevelopment takes JW Lees forward and brings the people of Manchester a space to experience the vast line up of the brewery’s beers all in one place, as well as creating 25 new jobs.

Located in Albert Square, Manchester, in the shadow of the work-in-progress Manchester Town Hall, replacing the former duttons Manchester site which opened 10 years ago, Founder’s Hall has a unique but familiar feel and will be a place to meet, eat and drink. With the Brewery at the heart of the business, paying homage to their Founder, John Lees and nearly 200 years of brewing history, Founder’s Hall is a shrine to JW Lees beers, showcasing a vast range of cask ales, craft lagers, traditional brews and small batch Boilerhouse beers.

JW Lees wanted to shout about its heritage, so the décor reflects this and the beers are the heroes – customers will be able to enjoy tasting flights and beer cocktails and the team are knowledgeable in JW Lees beers to create a more immersive experience. Service style will be hands-off, akin to a pub rather than a bar, whereby ordering is done at the bar and customers are welcome to sit, eat and drink where they are most comfortable.

The external area will be extended and feel comfortable enough to attract diners as well as drinkers and, when the weather allows, the bi-folding patio doors open to create a real ‘outside / inside’ experience. The whole site will also be flexible in order to accommodate extra footfall that will be generated by large events on Albert Square in the future.

The menu features nibbles, bar snacks and small plates perfect for pairing with a few pints or sampling something new with beer flights. The main event is the individually hand-crafted pies made on site and packed full of flavour, as well as some JW Lees pub favourites, best of the season dishes and a cracking Sunday roast with unlimited Yorkshire puddings and gravy.

Whether Manchester is pouring with rain or the sun is shining on the square, this is a space to catch up with friends, enjoy your favourite beers, cocktails or a few glasses of wine and drink up the atmosphere. From late February a calendar of weekly and monthly events will start rolling out including quiz nights and ambient DJ evenings, to give city centre workers a place to relax and enjoy after a long working week and a venue to enjoy throughout the weekend.

by Stuart Mills

SHEPHERD NEAME UNVEILS A SHINING EXAMPLE OF A 21ST CENTURY PUB

Independent family brewer and pub company Shepherd Neame has reopened its historic pub in the beating heart of Blackheath Village, The Crown, following a £750,000 transformation.

The former 16th century coaching inn has undergone a seven-week refurbishment which has introduced a stylish new look and feel while also lovingly retaining its unique features.

The pub’s traditional heritage has been celebrated throughout and now has a fresh, modern take on Edwardian décor, with a rich palette of dark blues, browns and vintage-inspired floral wallpapers.

Welcoming drinkers in, as well as surveying the refurbished outside seating area at the front of the pub, is a new traditional swing sign featuring a crown, the design for which took its inspiration from vintage signs on display inside Shepherd Neame’s Old Brewery Store at its Faversham brewery.

The Crown has been fully redecorated inside, with gleaming newly-sanded floors, imposing fireplaces, and leather benches, along with Edwardian tiling and rich, floral fabrics on the upholstery, providing a classic but contemporary feel.

There is a nod to Shepherd Neame’s long brewing history, from the introduction of period pump clips right down to the vintage beer mats featuring The Crown’s new logo.

There are now period tiles in burnished tones on the ceilings, in keeping with the atmosphere of a traditional London pub, while a piano has been installed in the side bar area to be used for weekly sing-a-longs – and impromptu customer performances!

Outside, the building has had a stunning refresh, with a standout gold theme incorporated in the brewer’s logo and crowns around the site. 

More local artistry has also been employed by James Titcher of Aero Arts Graffiti who has decorated an external wall with a quirky depiction of an off-duty royal sentry, enjoying a pint.

The project has also seen a new lease of life for the first floor area, which has been crowned with the new name of the King Charles III Dining Room, as a tribute to the new King following his coronation last year, named through a competition which was won by Crown regular Lee Tester.

As an authentic home of real ale, the pub will serve a wide selection of award-winning craft ales on draught, in glass and pewter tankards. 

And helping ensure an ice cold beer for customers is state-of-the-art energy efficient equipment now installed in the cellar.

Customers can enjoy a wide range of ales and lagers, including one of Shepherd Neame’s Classic Collection draught keg beers, Bishops Finger, along with premium wines and spirits. 

A delicious new menu of homemade traditional bar snacks and pub classics has also been introduced, but with a contemporary twist, using the finest locally sourced produce.

Managing Director, Pubs, Jonathon Swaine, said: “This stunning refurbishment of The Crown, Blackheath, is part of Shepherd Neame’s ongoing investment in our estate.

“We have drawn on our history as Britain’s oldest brewer to bring a new look to a popular pub in a perfect part of Blackheath Village, which is a spectacular mix of old and new. We look forward to welcoming customers back in for them to admire the work we have put in over a pint.”

The pub, led by General Manager Jan Mullerson, reopens to customers this evening (Friday, February 23), while an official opening, led by Chief Executive Jonathan Neame, with local dignitaries and charity representatives, will be held on Wednesday, February 28.

by Stuart Mills

Useyourlocal raises a glass to GigPig music partnership

A collaboration between useyourlocal and music marketplace GigPig has been struck to boost footfall in pubs and bars across the UK.

Useyourlocal, the UK’s leading platform for pubs and bars, provides a single source of information for punters looking to find out everything they want to know about every one of the 42,904 locals nationwide. Until now, any live music events taking place in those venues needed to be manually added to the website by the operator themselves.

The new partnership with GigPig, which works with more than 6,000 artists and 650 venues nationwide to host thousands of live gigs in grassroots venues weekly, will mean that any gigs booked through GigPig will automatically appear on useyourlocal, without the licensee having to do a thing.

Live music is proven to boost footfall for hospitality venues. The Live Music Index, an industry-first report published in autumn 2023, found that 79% of venues see increases to revenue and footfall (79%) when gigs are staged. In particular, gigs can see spend per visit rise by 64%, dwell

time by 61% and footfall by 36%.

Useyourlocal’s audience of up to 1 million monthly visitors are all in the very moment of looking to go to the pub. There are currently more than 140,000 useyourlocal members signed up to follow one or more local pubs and receive regular updates from them about what’s happening, where and when. By seamlessly adding these upcoming live gigs to every pub’s page, each venue significantly increases their chances of those consumers seeing what’s on and visiting their pub.

Both useyourlocal and GigPig are on a mission to attract more people to visit pubs and bars nationwide to support millions of hospitality jobs and ensure cities, towns and villages have a thriving night time economy.

Michael Forster, CEO of GigPig, said: “I’m really pleased to partner with useyourlocal because it paves the way for more customers to support their local venues and artists. Venues save time, safe in the knowledge that live gigs booked via our platform will be seen by an engaged and interested audience wanting to support their local. Boosting their footfall at a time when the cost-of-living continues to bite is crucial and we want to do all we can to support the hospitality sector.

“Often artists live within a 10-20 mile radius from gigging venues, so customers are also supporting homegrown talent by heading to live music gigs at their local. That support is hugely important for the music industry and gives professional artists the chance to carve out a great career. This is an exciting collaboration and I can’t wait to see how it develops.”

Stuart Mills, Founder of useyourlocal, said: “We know that live music is a massive attraction for customers visiting our website, so this is a hugely positive step forward in making sure that we are driving up footfall for these pubs and bars. Our mission has always been to get people to visit their local, more often. We’re delighted that this partnership makes it as seamless as possible for GigPig’s venues to promote their upcoming events to the widest audience possible, and it’s a brilliant bonus for those artists registered on GigPig too.”

Dave Finn, Landlord at The Queen’s Head in Great Whittington, added: “It’s great to see our gig listings going live through this partnership and we are already starting to see new people visit because they’ve seen the events online. We are supportive of any initiative that seamlessly connects our venue to potential customers who enjoy live music. This partnership has the potential to have a lasting positive impact on the pub and bar sector with relatively low input from venues once a gig is confirmed.” Founded in 2022, GigPig is the UK’s fastest growing music marketplace and booking platform providing venues with a streamlined way to search, book and manage entertainment in-house, while offering artists a free platform to find, play and get paid for gigs. GigPig has been the catalyst for staging more than 18,000 live music gigs in pubs, bars, restaurants to date.