www.hertsale.org.uk www.watfordcamra.org.uk www.heb-camra.org.uk www.camranorthherts.org.uk HERTFORDSHIRE’S Pints of View The bi-monthly publication f or every discerning drinker December/January 2009 Circulation 7500 No. 232 Our seasonal pub above is the Robin Hood and Little John in rural Rabley Heath, near Codicote. This traditional pub serves MacMullen’s AK, Country, Cask Ale, a seasonal beer and serves home cooked food. Spotlight on the White Horse, Hertford Pages 19 - 20 Watford Beer Festival Report Page 14 CAMRA’s Campaigning activities Page 4 PLUS: Features, beer and pub articles, county pub news, and a lot more! Pubs under Threat - Council Tax is an Issue Too couple of months ago whilst delivering the Good Beer Guide 2009. The Swan also had a big newsletter I was approached by a customer step up and is now similarly rated. I think that the A who highlighted the high council taxes amount of floor space in the living quarters is also some pubs are paying, as well as their rent reviews taken into account. On top of that, those living - which are always upwards. It appears to some there are paying council tax as well, so effectively publicans that council tax works in the same way two lots are being paid for each room. as rent reviews. Owners and brewers are also There are also some examples that seem to be liable to the tax if the pub is closed -the Kings quite low, such as the Nelson - again valued Head in London Colney and the Swan in Park before trade stepped up significantly two and a Street being local examples. I also know of at least half years ago. I know there is a Rural Rate Relief one licensee who is awaiting a council tax re- for 3000 or less population, and when you are assessment but this takes a long period of time and running the only pub or amenity in a locality a has to go before a Review Tribunal made up of 50% rebate or more can be made at the discretion three lay representatives who are volunteers and of the Council. In support of the Sustainable appointed. Communities Bill perhaps the Council should give To understand what community pubs are facing a reduction in situations where the pub is bringing you can compare by location, floor space and turn great value to the community. Having said that over, by entering the post code of the pub or those in Whitehall are generally an uncaring business on the site below. This shows the rateable bunch, if you use the closure of many Post Offices, value in 2000 and last revaluation in 2005. The vital to communities as an example. Once gone so next review is due in 2010, and in difficult trading do most of the other shops and amenities. times there are many that could do with no more If you travel along the A40 at Ealing yes that big large increases. pile of rubble was a pub and the sign is still there They even answer the question of how quizzes, with the 'SORRY MR BROWN NO EMPTY RATES darts and pool contribute to a pub’s rental value - ON THIS ONE!' banner. How they think pub at least they left off Sky TV! owners can sell on a pub in less than 3 months in All this information is in the public domain. I have picked a few for comparison giving their Rateable Great Ormond Value in 2000 and 2005. Street Hospital The Boot, St Albans: £16,500 and £19,900 (up Children's Charity 20%). needs to raise The Lower Red Lion, St Albans: £25,750 and £50 million every year £25,800 (up 0.2%). The Six Bells, St Michaels Village, St Albans: to help rebuild and £14,000 and £31,500 (up 225%). refurbish the Hospital, The Swan, Wheathampstead: £22,500 and buy vital life saving pieces of £30,900 (up 37%). equipment, fund pioneering research The Nelson, Wheathampstead: £8,250 and £9,700 and provide overnight accommodation (up 18%). for 1000 parents a week so that they The Wicked Lady, Wheathampstead: £42,600 and £35,000 (down 18%). can stay close to their sick children. There are some big step-ups and are primarily related to the turnover, profit or potential at the This festive season host a Christmas time of valuation. Some dropped such as the Quiz and help make a difference to the Wicked Lady valued just before the take over lives of seriously ill children. To order when turnover low. I was quite surprised with the Six Bells; the your free Quiz pack including rateable value has more than doubled in five years everything you’ll need simply email: but the trade has improved over this period, and it [email protected] is now a very popular pub, and in the CAMRA or call: 020 7239 3167 2 this climate is beyond me. The picture gets even better when you strip out the So if planning to buy a British pub it may be worth four big multinational corporations that dominate hanging on until after 2010 and you could get five the British beer market, who continue to withdraw years of low rates! Now here is a controversial investment from the ale sector. Looking at just the thought, I wonder if some pubs wind up their pub regional and local brewers, they have only suffered games and hide the pool tables around the time of a volume decline of -0.3%, and in value terms — valuation. The next revaluation could be the final thanks to a move towards premium ales — these straw for even more public houses and it’s only brewers are collectively showing value growth of two years away. Steve Bury 1.8%. The report goes further to say: Cask Ale is Outperforming the • Cask ale is unique to the on-trade — it can’t be bought in supermarkets and is proven to drive Rest of the Beer Market profitability in pubs where it is stocked and kept he UK's true national drink comes to the well. rescue of the British, according to The • Cask ale drinkers are relatively up-market and T Intelligent Choice — a report into the cask ale affluent being more than twice as likely to earn market for 2008/9. The report, by Pete Brown was more than the national average wage. published in September, and is • Research by Cask Marque backed by: Adnams, Caledonian, among major pub companies Fuller’s, Greene King, Marston’s shows clear differences in total and Wells & Youngs, Independent trade — not just cask ale — Family Brewers of Britain, the between pubs with Cask Society of Independent Brewers, the Marque accreditation and those Cask Marque Trust - and the without. In some like-for-like Campaign for Real Ale. outlets, those serving good cask The report shows that real ale is ale have seen trade growth of now the star performer in the UK 14%, compared to a fall of - beer market, which is good news 2.5% for those without. not just for curious drinkers, but • Cask ale is recruiting new also pubs that have been hit by the drinkers in the 25-44 age group. worst combination of business • Cask ale is our national drink. It conditions in living memory. features in any survey of icons The Intelligent Choice Report 2008- of Britishness, and is sought out 9 demonstrates that: by tourists. Tourism offices have seen a strong • Cask ale is showing signs of growth and is demand for information about cask ale across outperforming the rest of the beer market the UK. • Well-kept cask ale can significantly improve • Well-kept cask ale consistently improves a the profitability of a pub. pub’s profitability. • Cask ale is an icon of Britishness and the • 65% of UK drinkers have never tried cask ale. focus of increasing media attention. Among those who do try, 40% convert to • Cask ale provides a compelling reason to visit drinking it. There is huge potential for growth. the pub, much needed in the current climate. • Cask ale is an enduring British icon. • Regional and local ale brewers have seen an The British media is showing growing interest in overall return to net value growth. interesting characterful beer, which has cask ale at The report shows that cask ale drinkers have more its heart. There’s been scant coverage of any beer — money to spend than any other group of drinkers. let alone cask ale — in the media over recent years. In a dire year for beer across the board the total All this changed in 2008, with newspapers upping beer market has declined 8%, but cask ale has their beer coverage, and more than one new TV been the star performer, doing better than any series devoted to beer about to light up our other ale or lager category. screens. It’s not all about cask ale, but cask is at the heart of it. www.caskalereport.co.uk 3 CAMRA’s Current Camp aigning Activities Cider Month • A guest beer right October being Cider Month, CAMRA called on • Scrutiny by the Office of Fair Trading to ensure more pubs to stock real cider and perry (which is that the cost of the beer tie is balanced by not pear cider — see page 7), and announced the benefits available to tenants 2008 Cider Pub of the Year - The Square and • A right of first refusal to buy should the existing Compass, in Worth Matravers, Dorset.