As the nation awaits the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Great British pub is readying itself for a bumper weekend as people look to celebrate the royal wedding in true British fashion – at their local. With licensing hours for Friday 18thMay and Saturday 19thMay extended by two hours from 11pm to 1am for the royal wedding, along with the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester United taking place on Saturday evening, an extra £20 million is expected to be spent in pubs across Great Britain, which many are billing as ‘Super Saturday’. Beer and food are expected to benefit most from the royal wedding fever and FA Cup final, with food sales predicted to increase by 8%, closely followed by beer at 5%. During the weekend, over 100 million pints are expected to be sold. To celebrate the occasion, hundreds of pubs from across the country have come up with creative and quirky ways to ensure that royal wedding revelers get the very best experience from the day. For example, pubs like The Swan, located in Hyde Park, will be hosting a wedding high tea with cupcakes, chocolates and a photo shoot from the balcony. For those in the Stockport, the aptly named Windsor Castle will be opening its doors to the public for a royal weekend of events, including a raffle, afternoon tea and a ‘Royal Curry’. Beer connoisseurs will also be spoilt for choice over the weekend with a wide range of tailor made beers on offer, which have been brewed to give Harry and Meghan a proper ‘cheers’ to their marriage: Surrey brewery Hogs Back has brewed ‘Hoppy ever after’, a golden beer with refreshing citrus notes made with the perfect marriage of American centennial and English cascade hops Oxford’s Brakspear Brewery has brewed ‘Hooray Harry’, a limited edition 4.1% ABV ale, made from a blend of British and American hops, which has proved so popular it has already sold out! The Channel Islands’ Liberation Brewery has launched ‘Meghan’s Sparkle’, a 4% ABV session ale created from the marriage of British and American hops, with a hint of ginger Fans of TV series Suits may want to try Wadworth’s ‘Suits You Sir’, a ‘ginger’ hued ale with American hops and British malt creating a light and refreshing ale McMullen’s has also brewed ‘Best of Both Worlds’ to celebrate the day, which will be exclusively available at The Duchess of Cambridge pub in Windsor BBPA Chief Executive Brigid Simmonds OBE commented: “A royal wedding is a fantastic celebration and the perfect opportunity for both the nation and tourists to get together in the Great British pub. With extended hours, promising weather and plenty of pubs putting on events to make the most of the wedding, what better place is there to celebrate than at the Great British pub?”
With only four weeks to go until Russia 2018 kicks off, the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has produced definitive guidance for pubs to help ensure that this year’s FIFA World Cup screenings are a success. The new advice has been developed with the support of the Local Government Association (LGA) and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). Live sport is a hugely important part of the pub experience and the World Cup is a major opportunity to attract customers who want to watch live matches with a great atmosphere. The guidance is intended as a template for pubs, local authorities and police to work together to ensure that the FIFA World Cup is an enjoyable occasion for all. It provides a handy checklist for licensees to run through in making sure all angles are covered for busy and successful screenings. Advice for pubs includes contacting the police and licensing officers to let them know plans for showing FIFA World Cup events, making public transport information readily available to assist customers in leaving venues safely, and being vigilante for suspicious behavior or anything that seems out of place or unusual. BBPA Chief Executive Brigid Simmonds comments: “Pubs are the home of live sport and will be at the heart of the World Cup for those fans who won’t be making it to Russia. This new BBPA guidance has been designed to help pubs have a successful tournament by working closely with their local authorities to ensure as many people as possible choose to enjoy the football at their local.” A spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs’ Council commented: “We welcome the guidance published by the BBPA and hope that premises adopt the good practice it contains, this will help ensure that all those who wish to watch the World Cup in Pubs, Bars and Clubs can do so in as safe an environment as possible.” BBPA World Cup Guidance for licensees 2018
Commenting on the Government response to the consultation on proposals for changes to Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures, Brigid Simmonds, Chief Executive to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), commented: “The BBPA is disappointed that no changes have been made in particular to the stake for Category C machines - we had asked for an increase from £1 to £2 in the stake to allow innovation in the 50,000 machines in pubs for customers who enjoy playing these low stake and low prize machines. We understand however that the focus of this review was on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals and will work with the Government to ensure that our Social Responsibility Codes are robust. “There is a real need for a clearer focus on deregulation to reduce the burden on pubs. The costs to small business under the current regulations for gaming machines are too high. In the coming months we will encourage Government to look at some of these issues more closely. The bureaucratic requirements for regular notification to local authorities on the mix of machines and change of licensee are costly, archaic and in need of review.”
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