– DECEMBER & BAR PUB 2020 / ISSUE 2020 189

NORTHERN PLANTING ONE FOR POWERHOUSE IDEAS THE ROAD William Lees-Jones How vegan food Pub & Bar samples talks through current can help with your some standout DECEMBER 2020 / ISSUE 189 / pubandbar.com / £4.10 life at JW Lees New Year sales London takeaways The pie’s the limit What constitutes a bar snack? We speak to Cheshire Cat Pubs & Bars about light bites and quick pub food

WELCOME TRISTAN O’HANA Editor [email protected] / 01474 520247 / @TrisOHana

TIERS THE SEASON TO BE… …Angry? Restricted? Optimistic? I’m sure there are a fair few is on the horizon, people), but also to turn some of the pandemic’s adjectives pub and bar operators would like to insert in place of the silver linings into great big shining prospects. For example, when customary ‘jolly’, but, alas, this magazine isn’t the place to host such takeaway goes back to being an additional revenue stream, as profanities (as much as I’d like to offer some creative suggestions of opposed to a venue’s only option, think how far the on-trade will my own). have come in delivering such a service (page 38). And how about For the truth is, as I sit here writing the morning after England’s William Lees-Jones’ thoughts on enforced table service? “It meant tier allocations were announced, there’s not a lot of jolliness out the quality of service went up and staff were running around giving there. According to UKHospitality, 98% of the UK’s hospitality trade amazing hospitality, rather than looking at their phones and texting will now take place in tier two and three regions and, should the their mates. And then they were getting great tips as a result. restrictions last the entire month of December, an estimated £7.8bn Everybody wins.” You can read our lead interview with the JW Lees worth of trading is set to be wiped out, compared to 2019. managing director on page 18. The British Beer & Pub Association said that the tiers will impact Whichever tier your venues are placed in this month, Pub & Bar over 30,000 pubs, with 16,454 pubs being forced to close within tier is with you every step of the way. We wish the entire UK on-trade three regions. Of the 21,091 pubs that are in regions classified as tier every bit of luck over the coming weeks and very much look forward two, 13,920 pubs will either remain closed because they don’t serve to seeing you all on the other side. substantial meals or will be financially unviable due to the impact on revenue of the additional restrictions, including no household mixing Tristan O’Hana - Editor and only serving alcohol with meals. Merry Christmas, everyone. With this sobering reality concluding what has already been, for the most part, a joyless year, what could Pub & Bar’s December 2020 issue possibly include to offer operators even the smallest tidings of comfort and joy? Well, hopefully the next 50 pages can act Whichever tier your venues are as stimulus, inspiration and, most importantly, a reminder of what placed in this month, Pub & Bar this industry can deliver… once it is permitted to do so. is with you every step of the way Throughout this edition, we’ve done what we can to not only present some ideas around future trading opportunities (Veganuary

ROSANNA SPENCE GEMMA BRADISH JAMIE ROBBINS ANDY GIBB Deputy Editor Features Editor Managing Director Divisional Director - Hospitality [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 07789 818660 01474 520263 01474 520261

EMMA DORAN ABBIE GEORGE SUE STUNT Key Account Director Business Development Manager Products and Services Manager [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 01474 520258 01474 520251 01474 520243

The paper used within this publication [email protected] has been sourced from Chain-of-Custody CIRCULATION: certified manufacturers, operating within international STUDIO MANAGER: Marc Ayres PRODUCTION: Hannah Broad DESIGN: Stine Arnulf environmental standards, to ensure sustainable sourcing of PUBLISHED BY: H2O Publishing, Media House, 3 Topley Dr, Rochester, ME3 8PZ TEL: 0345 500 6008 the raw materials, sustainable production and to minimise our PRINTED BY: Buxton Press carbon footprint. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publishers.

pubandbar.com / DECEMBER 20202019 / Pub & Bar / 03

CONTENTS

DECEMBER 2020

06 NEWS 24 14 LEGAL BAR SNACKS AND QUICK 48 NEW PRODUCTS PUB FOOD 51 EVENTS 16 Small and speedy SPORT The Premier League games are stacking up

18JW LEES William Lees-Jones on operating life in 32 VEGAN the north west How The Harwood Arms caters to plant- based diners

38 40 PUB PRODUCTS REVIEWS IN REVIEW Three takeaways A look back on this from south east year’s launches London

@PubandBarMag Pub & Bar online - pubandbar.com

pubandbar.com / DECEMBER 2020 / Pub & Bar / 05 NEWS

WHERE WE’VE BEEN

@PubandBarMag

VENUES POISED FOR NATIONAL PUB & BAR AWARDS LIMELIGHT Entries for the 2021 National Pub & Bar Awards will open at the beginning of next month, as the annual celebration gears up to deliver what could be its most important year yet. The event, which aims to showcase the UK’s finest pubs and bars on a national scale, will once again be crowning the best venues within 94 counties across England, Wales, We’re loving the look of @adamhandling’s pre- Scotland and Northern Ireland. batched bottled cocktail range, launched from his zero-waste bar @evebarldn in London’s Covent In what could be described as a rollover year, entries for the 2021 National Pub & Bar Garden. Awards will combine with those received for the 2020 event, which was unable to take place due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Pub and bar operators can submit their entries on- line from Monday 4 January. “As always, it’s our mission to recognise and reward the incredible work of these hos- pitality operators through the National Pub & Bar Awards,” says Tristan O’Hana, editor of Pub & Bar, which hosts the event. “Now more than ever, pubs and bars need as much sup- port and promotion as they can get – we will do all we can to ensure that every National Pub & Bar Awards winner gets the attention and praise they deserve. Summer trading in 2021 could be the most pivotal occasion the industry has ever encountered, and an award win at that time could make a massive difference to footfall.” For more information and to submit your entry, visit nationalpubandbarawards.co.uk

DELIVERY MARKET COULD HIT We’re loving what the clever folks at @yummypubco are doing with their new £7.1M THIS YEAR cocktail takeaways. The team from Yummy’s @thewiremill have packed up some classics. New research has revealed that the food delivery market in the UK could be worth £7.1bn by the end of 2020. The data, shared by The NPD Group, compares the period from January to October this year with the same period in 2019. It shows that delivery is up 14% in visit terms (to 804m) and has seen a 40% increase in spend to £5.7bn. Although delivery has met consumer needs during the pandemic, the positive news for pubs and bars is that consumers still value eating out and many plan to do so as soon as they are able. The NPD Group says delivery could finish 2020 with visits up 16% to break the 1bn bar- rier, with spend projected to be up by 42% at £7.1bn. That would be the equivalent of a 12m monthly increase in visits versus 2019, and a £177m monthly boost to spend. In terms of what’s being ordered, figures show that pizzas, chips and burgers have been the nation’s top food delivery choices during the examined period. “Delivery is the silver lining in the otherwise very black cloud that hangs over Britain’s foodservice sector and has been the standout performer in 2020,” comments Dominic All- port, insights director (foodservice) at The NPD Group. “Delivery spend peaked in July at 51% above pre-Covid levels, but this trailed off as foodservice operators reopened and with the Before November’s lockdown, we paid one final August Eat Out to Help Out scheme. It’s now rising again amid the return to stricter lockdown visit to our locals, one of which being the always rules and we expect it to see further success in the colder winter months and on into 2021.” wonderful @thegreyhoundsydenham.

06 / Pub & Bar / DECEMBER 2020 / pubandbar.com ADAM HANDLING’S EVE BAR LAUNCHES BOTTLED COCKTAILS BBPA SUMS UP TIER LOSSES AFTER THE Chef and restaurateur Adam Handling has launched a pre-batched bottled cocktail range from his zero-waste bar Eve in London’s Covent Garden. CHANCELLOR’S BUDGET Available nationwide, the specially curated ‘prepared by us and poured by The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has revealed that you’ menu allows customers to enjoy some of Eve’s cocktails from the comfort the new tier system introduced by Boris Johnson will cost of their own home. wet-let pubs £47,000 each for the month of December alone. Eve’s signature cocktails include the likes of the No ‘X’ in Espresso coffee According to the trade association, if all wet-led pubs martini and Pandan Old Fashioned, which are available alongside some brand in the UK were to be subject to the restrictions in tiers two new concoctions, such as the Lemon BonBon and the Eve ‘Grounded’ Negroni. and three, this would cost the sector £1.5bn (or £47,000 for The bar, situated beneath Handling’s Frog restaurant, is also offering a Ma- each wet-led pub in the UK). The BBPA claims £680m of ple Salted Negroni as a non-alcoholic alternative. this would be from lost beer sales alone, the equivalent of Each bottle is 500ml and comes pre-prepared, complete with tasting notes 180m pints, meaning the restrictions will also hugely dam- from Eve Bar’s team of mixologists. Cocktails can be ordered individually or in age Britain’s brewers. a set of four. The trade association has once again reiterated that many pubs will have to close for good unless the govern- ment does the right thing and provides vital grant support that these businesses urgently need. Impressing the seriousness of the situation, the BBPA has written to the chancellor to make clear to him the crisis fac- ing the sector without government financial support. UK- Hospitality has also written to the chancellor. They have urged him to deliver emergency grants to pubs in line with those in the first lockdown, as 90% of pubs placed under the new tier two and tier three restric- tions will operate at a loss – leading them to financial ruin without support. The current support grants range from just £1,300 to £3,000 per month, not anywhere near com- pensating for lost revenue and ongoing fixed costs. “I cannot overstate how serious the situation facing our brewers and pubs is at this stage,” says Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the BBPA (pictured). “It would be utterly heart-breaking if, having survived through the last nine months, pubs now face ruin with the end of the pandemic in sight.”

EXPECTED LOSSES AT YOUNG’S, BUT HOPE FOR FUTURE Young’s has revealed company losses within its half year results, but remains more than optimistic about future trading across the estate. Total revenue for the period was £55.1m (£168.2m seen in 2019), with an ad- justed EBITDA of £2.9m (£47.2m in 2019). The lengthy period of closure across the industry has had significant impact on the results, with Young’s delivering an adjusted operating loss of £14.3m and an adjusted loss before tax of £19.2m. However, total revenue for the 10 weeks since opening on 20 July was en- couragingly 84% of last year. Adjusted operating profit for August and Septem- ber was £5.9m, with an operating margin of 12.1% and positive cash flow. Like- for-like sales for the 10 weeks’ trading was 81%. “Our business recently celebrated 189 years and the last six months has been one of the toughest periods in that incredible journey,” says Patrick Dardis, chief executive of Young’s. “The resilience of our customers has truly amazed us. The cautious approach we adopted and the safe environment we provided were key reasons why our customers flocked back in large numbers. “The continued efforts of our pub staff to go above and beyond in protect- ing our customers in these challenging conditions is a testament to our won- Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the BBPA derful people.”

pubandbar.com / DECEMBER 2020 / Pub & Bar / 07 NEWS

CRAFT UNION LAUNCHES TEARS FOR TIERS CAMPAIGN Craft Union has launched Tears for Tiers, a campaign helping local communi- ties throughout the ever-changing Covid-19 restrictions. Over the next few months, volunteers from across the Craft Union commu- nity will help organise local food banks to feed the hungry, help hospitality’s homeless and start toy appeals to ensure every local child wakes up on Christ- mas morning to a present. Craft Union, a managed division of Stonegate after its acquisition of Ei Group earlier this year, is working in partnership with hospitality charity partner Only A Pavement Away, supporting them by also raising funds for the charity. “As we continue to navigate our way through the pandemic, it is becoming more apparent that our operators want to do as much as they can to help and be there to support their local communities,” says Frazer Grimbleby, opera- tions director for Craft Union. “Although we cannot trade as normal, our pubs have continued to be community hubs, and our local heroes are, as always, there to support those people who need them most. Tears for Tiers is just one of the many initiatives that our operators are undertaking to help their community. “As no one really knows what 2021 will look like in the new Covid-19 world, it is important that we continue to work together and help others in any way we can, continuing to keep spirits high.”

NATIONAL BURGER AWARDS 2021 NOW NIGHTCLUBS WRITE TO THE OPEN FOR ENTRIES PRIME MINISTER Entries for the 2021 National Burger Awards are now open, Following eight months of closure for the UK’s nightclub industry, a long with pub chefs across the UK called on to put their best list of admired operators have written to the prime minister to reiterate burger forward for the seventh year of the competition. their concerns. Once again, chefs from restaurant, pub and QSR opera- Unlike other hospitality businesses, which were able to trade over tions will battle it out to see if their burger has what it takes the summer months, nightclubs have not been able to open at all, re- to see off competition and be crowned National Burger of sulting in zero revenue since March. the Year. Last week, the nightclub industry, led by the #SaveNightclubs cam- Chefs will also face technical challenges using specific paign group, issued an open letter to Boris Johnson urging the govern- products for the chance to win other coveted titles, includ- ment to act now or permanently lose the country’s nightclub sector and ing National Burger Chef of the Year. the enormous economic contribution it makes to the UK. “It’s about time chefs around the UK had something to You can read the full letter at pubandbar.com look forward to,” says Rosanna Spence, editor of Dine Out, Pub & Bar’s sister title, which organises the awards. “We’re determined to celebrate the best burgers out there next year and invite entries from all kinds of menus – from low- and-slow cooked meat to plant-based creations and every- thing in between. “This prestigious cook-off is all about the burgers and we cannot wait to start reading through the first wave of entries.” At the 2020 awards, which took place in February, Guy Greaves from The Botanist won the Vegan Burger of the Year accolade, taking home a trophy on behalf of the pub sector. The Double Cheeseburger from Bleecker was named as the best burger in the UK. The latest instalment of the UK-wide search for the best burgers on British menus is sponsored by Ameri- cana, Danish Crown, Farm Frites, Hellmann’s, Kühne and Meatless Farm. For more information and to enter your burger, head to nationalburgerawards.co.uk

08 / Pub & Bar / DECEMBER 2020 / pubandbar.com pubandbar.com / DECEMBER 2020 / Pub & Bar / 09 NEWS

PUBS SUPPORT COMMUNITIES THROUGH SECOND LOCKDOWN Pubs across the country stepped up last month to help their local communities through the second national lockdown. As seen earlier on in the year, many pivoted to offer essential supplies to residents, deliver food parcels to the elderly and vulnerable, and boost local morale and mental wellbeing with online quizzes and chats. The Roebuck in Mobberley, part of the Cheshire Cat Pubs & Bars group, again offered its popular ‘Just Heat’ meals – pub favourites recreated for home dining. The group, which also runs the Best Pub in the UK, The Church Inn in Mobberley, offered takeaway fish and TGI FRIDAYS LAUNCHES BAR CONCEPT chips on Thursdays and Fridays, and a range of TGI Fridays UK is launching a new cocktail-led bar concept called 63rd+1st, with the first ven- sausage rolls, pies, local cheese, eggs and other ue opening in Cobham on 8 January 2021 and more sites planned to open in the UK through- goodies. The team has also introduced some out the year. festive twists, including the ‘12 Wines of Christ- The new brand is named after the original Fridays founded in 1965 in Manhattan, on the mas’ and hampers of local produce, with an corner of 63rd Street and 1st Avenue, and is a ‘respectful nod’ to the heritage of the first order for 90 already placed by a local company. Fridays restaurant. “Customers have welcomed our efforts to 63rd+1st will feel like a Manhattan loft, with exposed brickwork, polished concrete, re- bring some early festive cheer to this rather claimed timber flooring and bespoke fittings with a 1960s vintage vibe. depressing situation,” says co-founder Tim Its brand identity sees the use of the plus motif, representing both the New York grid and Bird. “Everything we did during lockdown one the crossroads where 63rd Street and 1st Avenue meet. was about keeping our pubs visible and rel- At the heart of 63rd+1st is the cocktail bar – a New York-influenced menu includes a selec- tion of sharing plates, salad bowls, and entrees celebrating both surf and turf with a focus on evant by supporting our local customers and quality and provenance. Brunch will be served seven days a week. communities. They told me that we helped to Spanning 180sqm, the Cobham restaurant will seat 96, with outdoor dining for an ad- create some good lockdown memories locally, ditional 20 covers. so we’ll be aiming to do the same for the rest of this month.”

ANOTHER VENUE FOR THE INN COLLECTION GROUP The Inn Collection Group has landed a third Yorkshire site with the addition of Whitby venue The Stables at Crossbutts to its estate. The completion of the nine-bedroom inn, which sits be- tween the North York Moors and one of the UK’s best-loved seaside towns, is the group’s second November transaction, bringing its inn count to 17. The undisclosed deal will grow the group’s brand in York- shire, where the north of England pubco already owns free- hold sites The King’s Head Inn at Newton-under-Roseberry and The Black Swan at Helmsley. Last week, The Inn Collection Group made its Lancashire debut, with the completion on the 88-bedroom The Lindum Hotel in Lytham St Annes. “Whitby has been in our sights for a number of years and we’ve been excited by the opportunities generated by this su- Inside The Stables at Crossbutts perb site and its operators for a considerable time,” says Sean Donkin, managing director of The Inn Collection Group.

10 / Pub & Bar / DECEMBER 2020 / pubandbar.com pubandbar.com / DECEMBER 2020 / Pub & Bar / 11 NEWS #NationalBurgerAwards ENTRIESOPEN WADWORTH CEO PREPARES ERS TO LEAVE BUSINESS RG W Wadworth, the brewer and tenanted and managed pub opera- tor, has announced a restructure of its business. U Chief executive officer Chris Welham is to leave the company O this month, having led the business for a period of five years. B Toby Bartholomew, son of chairman Charles Bartholomew, will R take over as managing director. “After just over five years as chief executive officer for Wad- E worth, I can confirm that Chris Welham is to leave the company T at the end of December 2020,” comments Charles. “Chris has been a loyal and dedicated

Jonathan Lawson, CEO of Liberation Group member of the board and has led us through a considerable period of change. It was H always the intention for Chris to oversee an orderly transition of his duties to a family H director. “I am pleased to confirm that Toby Bartholomew will become managing director of T LIBERATION GROUP Wadworth once Chris has left us. My sincere thanks go to Chris for the way he has led our business over the years and also for the help and support he and his team have given to ACQUIRES 21 SITES WORSHIPPING Toby. Chris goes with our best wishes and huge appreciation for his considerable con- The Liberation Group has announced that its tribution to the company. I am obviously delighted that Toby will take over and that the Bristol-based subsidiary Butcombe Brewery leadership of the company once again comes back into the family fold, as planned, fol- has exchanged contracts to acquire 21 pubs lowing Chris’s tenure.” from Wadworth. In addition to its family brewery, Wadworth operates in excess of 150 pubs across The sale, which has been agreed for an un- south west England and London. disclosed sum, comes days after Wadworth an- nounced the departure of its current CEO Chris Welham. The acquisition is in line with Liberation’s ARTFARM ANNOUNCES ITS ARRIVAL longer-term strategy to grow Butcombe’s pres- ence throughout the West Country via the ac- IN LONDON quisition of high quality, predominantly free- Artfarm, the independent hospitality company behind Somerset’s Roth Bar & Grill and The Fife hold pubs capable of supporting a premium Arms in Braemar, has announced its first London project. food-led offering with accommodation. The ac- The company has signed a lease with Grosvenor Britain & Ireland for The Audley pub on May- quisition will deliver an additional 140 rooms to fair’s Mount Street. the Liberation Group’s managed estate, taking Artfarm was founded in 2014 by Iwan and Manuela Wirth. That year, Artfarm opened its first the total number of rooms to 223. restaurant, Roth Bar & Grill, as part of the Hauser & Wirth art centre in Bruton, Somerset. In Liberation will incorporate the acquired sites 2018, it opened The Fife Arms in Braemar, Scotland, a Victorian coaching inn that underwent and associated employees into Butcombe’s extensive restoration to return the building to its former glory. It was named The Sunday Times existing 39-pub portfolio and intends to invest Hotel of the Year in 2019. Other Artfarm properties include Manuela restaurant in Los Angeles substantial capital into many of the businesses and Durslade Farmhouse in Somerset. to support future growth. The Channel Islands- “We are delighted to be bringing this historic pub back to its former glory with Grosvenor and based business will finance the entire cost of to make it the heart of the local community for years to come,” says Jonathon Cornaby, chief the acquisition by way of a new equity invest- financial officer at Artfarm. ment from its ultimate shareholder Caledonia Built in 1888, The Audley was designed by Thomas Verity, the man who designed the ex- Investments plc. terior of the pavilion at Lord’s Cricket Ground. Grosvenor and Artfarm will renovate the grade “We are delighted to be welcoming the II-listed building, restoring many of the original historic features lost due to bomb damage teams of these fantastic pubs to join Liberation in the Second World War. The renovation of the five-storey building is provisionally set to be Group and Butcombe Brewing Co,” says Jona- completed in autumn 2022, with the pub reopening to the community with the addition of a than Lawson, CEO of the Liberation Group. “We restaurant and rooms. BACK TO FIND have worked closely with Wadworth to ensure that the sites we’re bringing into the Liberation Group family are the best fit for us and that the The Audley on Mayfair’s Mount Street transition is smooth and successful. With the ISLINGTON METAL WORKS support of Caledonia, our ultimate shareholder, APRIL 2021 - we look forward to maximising the opportuni- Entries can be made at www.nationalburgerawards.co.uk ties we believe these sites present via a blended approach to the offer and environment of these pubs delivered by their great teams.”

12 / Pub & Bar / DECEMBER 2020 / pubandbar.com

#NationalBurgerAwards ENTRIESOPEN RGERS W BU O R E T H H

T

WORSHIPPING BACK TO FIND

APRIL 2021 - ISLINGTON METAL WORKS Entries can be made at www.nationalburgerawards.co.uk

pubandbar.com / DECEMBER 2020 / Pub & Bar / 13 LEGAL Clifton Davies Consultancy Ltd

Clifton Davies Consultancy Limited specialises in all licensing, gambling and regulatory issues affecting the pub and bar industry. The views expressed by David Clifton and Suzanne Davies are given without any assumption of liability on their part. If you have any questions, do get in touch and they will be pleased to provide answers, either via this page or direct. E: [email protected] / [email protected] W: cliftondavies.com

EMERGING FROM UNDER THE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS GOVERNMENT’S MICROSCOPE Q: Is the planning use class for pubs no longer A4? Suzanne Davies summarises findings from the first statutory review A: That is correct. Since 1 September 2020, of the Pubs Code and the performance of the PCA pubs have no longer fallen within the A4 Use Class category. Changes introduced by the It is well over four years now since the first Pubs Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Code Adjudicator (PCA) was appointed in May The Code is not (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2020 2016 and the Pubs Code came into force two consistently delivering have placed pubs (as well as wine bars and months after that. the outcomes other drinking establishments) in a ‘sui Since then, the Code has attracted a good generis’ category of their own. Sui generis deal of criticism, even though it is based on those principles were uses cannot be changed to any other use two seemingly uncontroversial principles, intended to without specific planning permission being namely ‘fair and lawful dealing by pub-owning support obtained to do so. However, planning businesses in relation to their tied tenants’ applications can benefit from using the old and ‘tied tenants should not be worse off than A4 Use Class or the new sui generis use they would be if they were not subject to any than if they were free-of-tie. This has led the class until 31 July 2021. product or service tie’. government to ask the PCA whether the roles Last year, in issue 176 of Pub & Bar, I of Code Compliance Officers and Business Q: Can I can sell takeaway beer even wrote about views and evidence then being Development Managers are being carried out though my pub’s premises licence sought by the Department for Business, as intended. does not authorise off-sales? Energy & Industrial Strategy in advance of the While the government recognises the A: Under section 11 of the Business and government’s first statutory review of the Pubs role played by external arbitrators appointed Planning Act 2020, a premises licence for Code and the performance of the PCA, based by the PCA to speed up management the sale of alcohol solely for consumption on the first three years of the Code’s operation. of the arbitration caseload, it has noted on the premises is automatically granted Fast-forward now to 3 November 2020, the concerns expressed by both tenants and a temporary permission (valid until date on which the government report on the pubcos regarding the extent to which those 30 September 2021) to sell alcohol for outcome of that review was published, some external arbitrators understand the Code’s consumption off the premises, as long as the six months after Fiona Dickie succeeded Paul complexities. licence was first granted before 22 July 2020. Newby as PCA. It also wants examples to be publicised The report’s main finding is that while the of the PCA working successfully with pubcos Q: Due to Covid-19 restrictions, I have government does not believe the tied tenancy to resolve issues and the PCA to clarify how been unable to open my late-night model is inherently wrong and considers information about non-compliance and bar beyond 10pm and now I can’t the Code itself to be consistent with the complaints about pub-owning businesses’ open at all because of lockdown. Do I overarching principles on which it is based, behaviour are dealt with. still have to pay the Late Night Levy? the Code is not consistently delivering the Although the report has flagged up the A: I am afraid your local authority has no outcomes those principles were intended to possibility of future strengthened powers power to waive payment of the levy support. for the PCA, that may be unnecessary. I say and you will remain liable for payment In other words, the Code is not working as that because just over a fortnight before throughout the times that you are well as it should, evidenced by some tenants publication of the government report, the PCA either unable to trade to the later hours saying they found it hard to exercise their fined Star Pubs & Bars £2m for frustrating the authorised by your licence or unable to Market Rent Only (MRO) rights or that the MRO principles of the Pubs Code between 2016 and open at all. This does seem very unfair process was weighted against them, with 2019 by persistently forcing its tenants to sell which is why UKHospitality, the BBPA and issues not being resolved quickly enough by unreasonable levels of Heineken beers and the British Institute of Innkeeping have arbitration. ciders when they requested to go free-of-tie, written to the Crime and Policing Minister, The report also expresses concerns that despite repeated regulatory interventions and calling for local authorities to be given the provision of access to good information clear arbitration rulings. power to cancel levy payments. In my view, and advice to help tenants make informed Slamming Star for “systemic corporate this could be achieved by brief amending decisions is not always happening, particularly failures” in its approach to compliance, the legislation, varying relevant provisions in the case of new tenants who are not PCA described the £2m financial penalty as “a within the Police Reform and Social sufficiently aware of their Code rights or deterrent to future non-compliant conduct by Responsibility Act 2011. Fingers crossed! able to assess whether they are no worse off Star and other pub-owning businesses”.

14 / Pub & Bar / DECEMBER 2020 / pubandbar.com LEGAL Clifton Davies Consultancy Ltd

pubandbar.com / 24.07.2017 / Pub & Bar / 15 PUB & BAR TAKESIN ASSOCIATION A LOOK WITH AT THE BIG MONTHLYPUB & BAR’S PUB & BAR TAKES A LOOK AT THE BIG SPORTING EVENTS THAT PUBS CAN SPORTING EVENTS THAT PUBS CAN SPORTSPORTING UTILISE OVER THE NEXT MONTH UTILISE OVER THE NEXT MONTH MONTHLY

BOXING DAY FIXTURES

PREMIER LEAGUE ALL TIMINGS TBC AT TIME OF WRITING

EVERTON V MAN CITY CHELSEA V MAN CITY LEICESTER V CHELSEA LIVERPOOL V MAN UNITED

28 December 2 January 12 January 16 January Everton will be looking to discover their Back-to-back away challenges for Man City, This will be a very tricky game for Frank One of the fiercest rivalries in the history start of season form when they welcome as they travel to west London very soon Lampard’s Chelsea to win. Leicester are of the game. Liverpool will be the Pep Guardiola and a very reliable Man after a tough encounter in Merseyside. Will on the hunt for a top four finish, as are the favourites, but this Man United team City to Goodison Park. it hinder their performance? Blues. Should be a cracker. perform well away from home.

16 / Pub & Bar / DECEMBER 2020 / pubandbar.com MORE TO SEE

FOOTBALL SNOOKER SCOTTISH CUP FINAL MASTERS 20 December 10-17 January 2021 – BBC – BBC Scotland and Premier Sports The 2021 Masters snooker tournament After the semi finals between Hearts and is set to take place between 10 and 17 Hibernian, and Celtic and Aberdeen, the cup January 2021 at the Alexandra Palace will either go to Celtic or Hearts. in London. PREMIER LEAGUE 26 DECEMBER

Boxing Day football fixtures are almost as traditional as the day itself. With the football-free festivities of the day before out of the way, fans can (hopefully) make their way to their locals to watch a number of games, as every team in the Premier League is in action. If the tier-based restrictions allow it, operators can prepare to host those looking to catch every kick, welcoming pub goers into their venues to see out what has been a trying year for all. There are a few tasty looking matchups on 26 December too – Arsenal are hosting Chelsea, with the pressure most certainly more on the Gunners to deliver a home win; Man United travel to Leicester, where the TENNIS AMERICAN FOOTBALL Foxes will be hoping to dampen the Reds’ fine away AUSTRALIAN OPEN SUPER BOWL LV form; and Wolves welcome Spurs to Molineux in a game 18-31 January – ESPN 7 February – Sky Sports Novak Djokovic is the Australian Open Super Bowl LV, the 55th Super Bowl and the that could most certainly go either way. king, having won the tournament a record 51st modern-era National Football League eight times. The tennis fans of the UK will championship game, will decide the league be geared up for this. champion for the 2020 NFL season.

ONE TO WATCH

FA CUP THIRD ROUND 9-10 January – BT Sport and BBC

While loyal, lower league fans will tell you that the FA Cup started at the end of summer 2020, for millions of football fans the new year is when the world’s oldest football competition really begins. The third round sees the arrival of the teams from the Premier League and the Championship, as top tier managers navigate yet another competition that holds the potential of silverware. For operators focused on showing football, it also means that those weekends when there are no Premier League fixtures still hold the opportunity to show Premier League teams. Make sure you also prepare for the fourth round, which takes place later in the month from 23 January.

pubandbar.com / DECEMBER 2020 / Pub & Bar / 17 THE INTERVIEW

William Lees-Jones, managing director of JW Lees, talks to Pub & Bar about the government, recklessness and keeping things boring Words: Tristan O’Hana

y call with William Lees-Jones, managing minister, had kept his word, and Lees-Jones SMALL TEAM, BIG VOICE M director of JW Lees, takes place on a was now visibly excited to get back on the road Much like Pub & Bar’s last lead interviewee, grey November morning, immediately after and start visiting some of the group’s operators Peter Borg-Neal of Oakman Inns, Lees-Jones the man himself has performed a grotty, again. Does he think the Welsh journey will has spent a considerable amount of time in the but nonetheless fundamental, task at head help JW Lees prepare for opening the doors in media throughout the pandemic – from being office in Middleton, Manchester. His team are England this month? grilled by the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg (“she took on furlough, with Lees-Jones having to take “I don’t know,” he says. “We keep saying to it easy on me – I guess she saw me as less of a up various additional roles to help steer the government: ‘Give us some time, give us notice’. challenge than her usual interviewees”) to giving north west operator’s ship through a second For the first lockdown, our food write-off was an interview entirely in French for Le Monde. lockdown and into a trepidation-filled festive nearly £200,000. This time it was almost nothing Indeed, it was Lees-Jones’ prominence over the season that’s sat alluringly on the horizon. because we were prepared – we need notice for last nine months that led to me dropping him “I’ve just been out the window to unblock when we’re able to open. I feel sorry for the very a message to see if he fancied a chat. I ask him the drainpipe,” he declares triumphantly, as he small cask ale breweries, because people have the same thing I asked Borg-Neal – why does sits himself down in front of the Zoom call. “My de-risked their ranges to avoid product loss. he think he became such a marked operator office is above our boardroom and I noticed The big picture is that people have cut those throughout this time? that the drain was full of leaves. What can I say? types of products back.” I’m multiskilled.” If the modest notice period before the Not that JW Lees had a pre-pandemic November lockdown allowed for even just a ‘drainpipe technician’ for this sort of duty, but small amount of contingency planning, why the anecdote, coupled with Lees-Jones sat on is the government, so renowned for strategic There is not a lot of his own within such a vast HQ, was a sombre ‘leaks’, not giving the on-trade even the business experience reminder of the times we were talking in. There slightest of glimpses into what December was no one else in that day, but there was some trading may look like? around the cabinet hope to hold onto – the day after the interview “There is not a lot of business experience table. I just wish we takes place, Lees-Jones is heading into Wales around the cabinet table,” Lees-Jones says. to reopen the 16 pubs and hotels that JW Lees “I just wish we were trusted more to help were trusted more operates in the country. The two-week circuit come up with guidelines that work. The to help come up with breaker was coming to an end and pubs around majority of operators just want to run their Wales were reopening their doors. He had business and don’t want to lose their home guidelines that work thought that the Welsh lockdown period would – many forget that a lot of people are living be extended, but Mark Drakeford, Wales’ first above their pubs.”

18 / Pub & Bar / DECEMBER 2020 / pubandbar.com The Urmston, Manchester

William Lees-Jones

“I’m on the board of the British Beer & so I phoned her and asked her to get me on. But At the time this interview was carried out, Pub Association (BBPA),” he says. “It has been because I didn’t do anything silly, I remained a Oldham, situated in JW Lees’ heartland, had one amazing in terms of going from daily Zoom calls person the media could talk to – we all remember of the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the to formalised meetings, but one thing that struck the chef from Newcastle who decided to put a country – Lees-Jones has often tweeted caution me was that most of the people on the board derogatory picture of the prime minister in the of overwhelming hospital beds in areas such are running PLCs, so they’re not allowed to do background of his interview; he didn’t get invited as Oldham, so is more than mindful of which anything or say anything that might disclose back. I used to do this stuff professionally when I government-led restrictions he publicly opposes. information or impact their share price. I was ran my own communications group, so I trusted What about the 10pm curfew then? Does he think actually accused of being reckless in August, as myself to be able to be an industry cheerleader, this has helped reduce the spread across the I shared how successful Eat Out to Help Out had but also a realistic voice for pubs and brewers.” country? I imagine you can guess his answer. been for us – we claimed £700,000. Lees-Jones has leant his voice to everything “The 10pm idea was as stupid as reopening “One of the joys of running JW Lees is that from rents, rates and VAT to tiers, ‘substantial the industry on 4 July,” he says. “What halfwit we only have seven shareholders, so I felt I had meals’ and the ever-controversial 10pm is going to launch a pub on a Saturday night? a responsibility to speak freely on behalf of the curfew. Although this government has made You do the soft opening on a Monday for industry. Going back to the beginning, I was in a its fair share of U-turns, the JW Lees MD is friends and family, mop up Tuesday, training meeting with the BBPA board and I said I thought quick to point out that no government enjoys Tuesday and Wednesday, and open to public I could get onto BBC Breakfast. This was because doing so and will look to avoid embarrassing on Thursday lunchtime. These are simple I was at university with Louise Minchin’s husband, acknowledgments of misjudgement at all costs. things that the government don’t see.”

pubandbar.com / DECEMBER 2020 / Pub & Bar / 19 THE INTERVIEW

Duttons in Manchester

If the government can’t see the wood for Lees-Jones talks fondly about how they “No,” he says bluntly. “If anything, lockdown the trees when it comes to hospitality, perhaps returned to trading back in the summer and taught us that we want a balanced business. Our input and ideas from operators could help how the business turned the table service-only tenanted estate is about half of our income, free provide some clarity… or maybe a group trip to rule into a challenge across the company’s trade is about 20%, managed 30%. We had been Barnard Castle is in order. teams – who can do the most steps in a day? growing our hotels and inns business, but when “One member of the team did 27,000 steps,” we went into the first lockdown we said that we ADAPTING OPERATIONS he says. “But it was brilliant – table service would de-risk the business in every possible Unlike thousands of businesses across the meant the quality of service went up and staff way – so dropped a couple of acquisitions and UK on-trade, JW Lees decided not to offer a were running around giving amazing hospitality, mothballed some building projects. takeaway service in its managed division during rather than looking at their phones and texting “Cash is king and, in my mind, people last month’s lockdown. While a number of its pub their mates. And then they were getting great are going to run out of cash. The £1,000 per partners opted to prop up their sites through tips as a result. Everybody wins.” person furlough bonus being taken away food and drink to go, Lees-Jones didn’t see the I suppose one of the advantages of having by the chancellor is causing huge issues sense in converting an entire managed operation a managed division of pubs within a group is with people and their banks. The tenanted for the sake of 28 days’ worth of trading. that head office can implement strategy and business is much more robust, as there aren’t “I don’t want to seem like we’re being structure across the estate, guiding managers all the wages to pay.” weedy, but there’s no point in turning the through the most turbulent of times with a business into takeaway for one month when regional ‘one size fits all’ approach. As Lees- we can use that time to get ready for Christmas Jones mentioned earlier in the piece, menus and hit the ground running,” he says. “Plus, are being reduced across the industry, with Deliveroo is very expensive. It’s a bit like when operators falling back on best sellers and The 10pm idea was as we first opened hotels – the internet liberated risk-averse products with a long shelf life. stupid as reopening our ability to sell hotel bedrooms and now In the managed sites, this can be rolled out Deliveroo is to takeaway what booking.com is with ease to great benefit – with front- and the industry on 4 July. to hotels. One of our pub partners, The Bridge back-of-house having fewer items to consider, What halfwit is going in Sale, was doing lots of delivery in the first the quality of food and service both go up. lockdown. They were so successful that they JW Lees has seen these results first hand, to launch a pub on a were better off employing their own drivers so with this (and the Pubs Code) in mind, is Saturday night? rather than relying on Deliveroo.” Lees-Jones not tempted to transfer more of But that’s not to say the business stayed its 100-plus tenanted and leased sites into static while under this year’s new restrictions. managed outfits?

20 / Pub & Bar / DECEMBER 2020 / pubandbar.com The Groes Inn, Conwy

Inside Duttons in Manchester

DEDICATED IGNORER OF FASHION good local example is in Alderley Edge – there was As you can imagine, my time chatting with no decent pub there until the New World Trading Lees-Jones was largely filled with the talk of Company opened The Botanist. From the moment politics – operators are hurting and, while the it opened, it was rammed. It’s a proper pub with world awaits the imminent delivery of a Covid music, drinks and good food. They reminded vaccine, many in the industry are crying out with everybody who lived there what a great pub looks suggestions on how the sector can be patched like. That’s the benchmark for me. up for the time being. By the time this issue “We have great people working here and we lands, who knows, maybe Boris and Rishi will always look at the long term in terms of what’s have listened to some of those cries. But as our the right thing to do. People are aware of those conversation draws to an end, I steer us into companies that aren’t flip flopping – one thing calmer, more positive waters, highlighting the one day, another the next – those who are unquestionable success and industry respect running really great pubs that people love. When that JW Lees continues to receive year-on-year. we look across the UK, one of the great things Can Lees-Jones sum up why his business is so that pubs will always have over restaurants, accomplished? Of course he can, and begins particularly casual dining restaurants, is that his answer with a gracious nod to another of his they don’t need to be fashionable. They need to award-winning peers. be in a great place, run by great people, serving “If you get back to basics, people will always great food and drink. We just keep everything want to go to really good pubs,” he concludes. “A pretty boring.”

pubandbar.com / DECEMBER 2020 / Pub & Bar / 21 THE PRINTED ISSUE CONTAINED AN ADVERT FOR TOBACCO PRODUCTS, THIS CANNOT BE SHOWN IN THE DIGITAL EDITION THE PRINTED ISSUE CONTAINED AN ADVERT FOR TOBACCO PRODUCTS, THIS CANNOT BE SHOWN IN THE DIGITAL EDITION BAR SNACKS AND QUICK PUB FOOD

24 / Pub & Bar / DECEMBER 2020 / pubandbar.com Snack happy We speak to Cheshire Cat Pubs & Bars to find out why a bar snack menu is essential to business

t’s a scenario we’ve all experienced: I you pop into a pub for a drink or two, and suddenly find yourself feeling rather peckish. It’s the kind of hunger that a bag of crisps wouldn’t satisfy, while a main meal would present too big a culinary challenge. This is when a bar menu provides the perfect solution – and we don’t just mean for customers. From an operator perspective, having this kind of menu available can generate additional sales and also provide the perfect space for trialling a new dish before adding it to the main menu. What’s more, hungry customers who have enjoyed a light bite are left feeling more content, and therefore more likely to stay out for longer. It is not the case in every establishment, but many pubs do provide a separate bar menu with small dishes that are quick to prepare. Venues in the Cheshire Cat Pubs & Bars portfolio, for example, have boards displaying various bar snacks, including toasties, light lunches, sandwiches and other similar dishes. You would think they’d be available at the weekend, but interestingly they are only served on weekdays between 12 midday and approximately 5pm. Tim Bird, co-owner

pubandbar.com / DECEMBER 2020 / Pub & Bar / 25 pubandbar.com / DECEMBER 2020 / Pub & Bar / 25 BAR SNACKS AND QUICK PUB FOOD

and operator of Cheshire Cat Pubs & Bars, is on hand to explain. “These board menus solve the smaller appetite needs at lunchtime and are more aimed at those guests that just need a snack as opposed to a meal,” he says. “We do not do these at weekends, as it drops the average spend and we believe everyone should be out for the ‘main events’.”

ON THE MENU Crispy whitebait from Cheshire Cat Pubs & Bars Gone are the days when all guests would happily settle for a bag of crisps or a packet of peanuts to accompany their pint or glass of wine. Now, the demand is there for premium THE BRIOCHE OPPORTUNITY dishes that are small in size but big in flavour. This trend was noted in the Global Food In a society driven by social media, where consumers increasingly & Beverage Trend Report 2020 by The eat with their eyes, brioche has become a well-recognised bread type University Caterers Organisation, which for premium sandwich carriers. St. Pierre’s brioche range for the pub said that ‘more discerning palates have led sector includes burger buns, seeded burger buns and baguettes – each consumers to expect quality ingredients with a rich, buttery flavour and golden finish.

Brioche offers that perfect balance between a premium option, known for its quality and taste, but not so niche that consumers are put off by trying something new. Many of our customers will market the fact that The quality and consistency burgers, sandwiches or breakfast buns are served on brioche because of our food offering is the key it adds value to the menu. to our success For further information on St. Pierre Groupe brands, visit stpierregroupe.com

FROZEN OVER

There is little doubt that most operators would prefer to use fresh ingredients for all dishes if possible. However, with customer numbers no longer guaranteed, buying fresh is not necessarily cost-effective. Gordon Lauder, managing director of Central Foods, says there are many benefits to using frozen products in the current circumstances instead. “Pre-prepared frozen food is supplied in a consistent shape, size or portion which helps with presentation and cost controls – and this may be particularly important during these uncertain times as pubs and bars operate in a new landscape,” he comments. “Fewer people are needed to prep and serve pre-prepared frozen food and they don’t require such a high level of skill, meaning that other kitchen staff can be freed up to concentrate on what they are best at – preparing and PROMOTED CONTENT serving the freshly cooked items.”

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Half pint of prawns from Cheshire Cat

and complex flavours even down to the many quick meals, and it is these that are most snacks at the pub’. popular among customers, with the exception As a result, we are seeing ‘upmarket’ of Sunday roasts. Customers are snacks including truffled popcorn, enhanced “Fish and chips, a pie, steak and chips, looking for big olives and fancy sausage rolls on menus. fish pie, roasts on Sunday and a burger are Having recognised this trend for excellent the top ticket items and the better you are at and bold flavours food, Bird and his team worked hard to them the more your turnover will benefit,” he ensure their offering is a match for customer says. “Then add to the menu your seasonal expectations. dishes and, hey presto, you have a food act. “Food makes up 60% of our sales, so is Our menus are now a little shorter by two or essential to our survival in what are rural three main courses and no one has noticed. village destination pubs,” he says. “The It keeps life simpler in the kitchen and prep quality and consistency of our food offering times are shortened.” is the key to our success. We have on average While traditional dishes are obvious five to six chefs working at each pub, as we favourites, it remains a good idea to have one create everything from scratch. The snack/ or two adventurous options available too. bar menu is an essential to those guests who Thanks to international travel and the need a quick graze at lunchtime.” boom in street food here in the UK, consumer Bird reveals that the group’s most recent tastes have broadened in recent years and menus are designed around the Pareto many people enjoy tucking into foreign- Principle, which asserts that 80% of outcomes inspired fare. What’s more, with travel now derive from just 20% of the causes. In his case, restricted, consumers are turning to food in Bird has found that 80% of sales come from just order to fill the cultural void in their lives. HAND IN HAND 20% of the menu, and that this hasn’t changed “When it comes to global flavours, the in all the years he has operated pub companies UK has never been as brave or adventurous It is a good idea to create pairing (among other roles, he was managing director when eating out of home,” says Kim Hartley, suggestions around bar snacks and drinks. Not only will this inspire customers, but it of The Restaurant Group’s Brunning & Price business development chef for Mission Foods. will ultimately lead to increased food sales. before launching Cheshire Cat). As well as “Customers are looking for big and bold seasonal dishes, Bird’s main menu features flavours and street food-inspired dishes

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Cheshire Cat’s famous handcrafted pie

A MENU MUST-HAVE

If there is one item that must feature The UK has never been as brave or on a pub menu, it’s the humble burger. adventurous when eating out of home New research by Lantmännen Unibake’s Americana brand found that as many as one third of consumers were most looking forward to having a burger when eating out following the first lockdown. What’s more, are at the very centre of this brave new need to have access to a versatile range of the survey found that despite finances world. Pub operators and chefs therefore products and ingredients to provide consumers being tighter, the demand for premium need to offer varied and exciting options for with a selection of options to choose from.” quality is still very much alive - 70% of customers to choose from.” No matter what bar snacks and quick consumers said they would choose a more Of course, it is also important to have at dishes you offer, one thing is clear: quality is premium option and almost 60% would least one vegan option available. Back in everything. And even though life is extremely be willing to upgrade their burger if it was January, a record 400,000 people signed up unsettled at present, customer expectations possible. Consumers also agreed that a brioche bun is their ideal choice of carrier. to the annual Veganuary movement, and it remain high. Therefore, it’s extremely “There are a number of elements to seems that Covid-19 is further fuelling the important, despite the challenges you may consider when creating a gourmet burger shift towards veganism. Indeed, research be facing, that the same level of care and or hot dog, from the meat and fillings, from Mintel reveals that veganism is now attention goes into your food offering as it to sauces and cheese. But if there is one more appealing to over one in 10 (12%) did before the arrival of Covid-19. area that’s more important than most, of all Brits, rising to 25% of young British it’s the bread carrier,” says Scott Oakes, millennials (aged 21-30). CONTACTS commercial manager for St. Pierre. “According to recent figures, the meat- Central Foods: “This is more than just a functional free market is set to have an estimated value centralfoods.co.uk item to hold the product. A good burger of £1.1bn by 2024 and with high interest in Lantmännen Unibake: bun or hot dog baguette is part of becoming vegan and the demand for plant- lantmannen-unibake.co.uk the appeal, a way to add value and –

crucially – to add to the visual appeal. based meals on the rise overall, operators need Mission Foods: It’s what makes the product more to tap into this trend in order to keep up with missionfoodservice.co.uk ‘instagrammable’.” consumer needs,” says Hartley. “To provide St. Pierre: fresh and exciting plant-based meals, operators stpierrebakery.co.uk

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FOR VICTORY The power of plants is deeply rooted. Pub & Bar unearths the reasons why vegan dishes should be blossoming on your menus in time for Veganuary

32 / Pub & Bar / DECEMBER 2020 / pubandbar.com The number of vegans quadrupled from 2014 to 2019 VEGAN

GOT BEEF?

Let’s dig into the semantics behind vegan food. How Dishing up vegan food with Quorn brands market and describe their plant-based products often comes under fire. You may have spotted the recent European Parliament hether they’re looking to save the planet one meal at a ruling that meat-free and plant-based foods can still be W time or have simply become obsessed with the versatility labelled ‘sausages’ and ‘burgers’, despite lobbying from of jackfruit, most people are cutting down on their meat intake Europe’s largest farmers’ association. The ruling means and have found themselves experimenting with plant-based that pubs, restaurants and shops across the EU can still substitutes. And that’s just at home. Consumers have long been market veggie sausages, vegan burgers and soya-based using meals out as an excuse to indulge in tasty vegan dishes they steak imitations as usual. Greenpeace was among the don’t feel they could easily replicate in their own kitchen. organisations urging politicians to reject the labelling ban, Campaigns like Veganuary are an excellent opportunity to saying that customers are in no way misled about such showcase just how fantastic plant-based alternatives can be, food choices. The general sentiment is one that people are especially if your regular menus usually only have a couple of vegan more likely to shift towards a plant-based diet if the food options for guests. If you think working on a special vegan menu in is using familiar terms – if it’s advertised in a transparent time for January (when the campaign hits the UK) is a waste of time manner. That’s not always the case. and energy, or would fall on deaf ears – particularly when there’s Burger King, for example, has been banned from been so much else to think about in the lead-up to Christmas marketing its Rebel Whopper as ‘plant-based’ by the alongside Covid – you’d be very much mistaken. Advertising Standards Agency – because the vegan patty “This year saw the most successful Veganuary to date, with is cooked on the same griddle as the meat burgers, plus more than 400,000 taking the pledge,” says Phil Thornborrow, head an egg-based mayonnaise is included in its final serve. of foodservice at Quorn. “The actual number of people who took Menus need to be extremely clear if an entire dish is part is much higher, with 1.3m people giving up animal products in vegan, or if it’s just certain elements which have been January 2019.” swapped in for plant-based alternatives – an increasing With each year that passes, consumers get that little bit trend, as seen on these pages at The Harwood Arms. more cautious about their meat intake – with many opting to eat less meat and, when they do choose to, making sure it is of a better quality. hashtags,” he adds. “#Veganuary has had more than 1m posts “The number of vegans quadrupled from 2014 to 2019, and on Instagram alone, and the charity that runs the annual event vegans and vegetarians are set to make up 25% of the population in January to inspire people to try vegan options for a month by 2025 – and flexitarians just under 50% – according to the Vegan has more than a quarter of a million followers on Instagram and Society,” explains Gordon Lauder, managing director of Central nearly 60,000 on Twitter.” Foods. “Recent events may well have accelerated the trend. According to Mintel, a quarter of young British millennials say that SWAP IN, SWAP OUT the coronavirus pandemic has made a vegan diet more appealing, Not all customer bases are interested in exploring plant-based while the June survey also revealed that a vegan diet was proving menus, and while there may be one or two items that are more attractive to around 12% of Brits, rising to more than 20% of completely vegan, perhaps Veganuary might look a little different Londoners, since the start of the pandemic.” in your venue. Giving people the option to swap the meat for plant- Lauder notes that younger generations are driving the trend, based alternatives within an already popular dish could be a good and that they are key pub goers of not just today, but the future too, way to introduce this focus. so demand for vegan dishes certainly looks here to stay. Such an approach has worked at The Harwood Arms in “Social media is the perfect way to share images and info Fulham – currently the only Michelin-starred pub in London. The about your plant-based menu items, using all the relevant team modified one of its best-selling menu items, providing an

34 / Pub & Bar / DECEMBER 2020 / pubandbar.com pubandbar.com / DECEMBER 2020 / Pub & Bar / 35 VEGAN at any time of year – will likely only put people off if they’re not a receptive consumer in the first place. Offering guests the option to swap ingredients with plant-based imitations (perhaps even at a lower price point) could be a great place to start. “The sophistication and speed at which the plant-based industry is moving means we’ll continue to see a greater variety of and more efficient products,” notes Jade Dodds, foodservice and QSR director at Meatless Farm. “Bolstering your vegan menu doesn’t mean you have to re-invent the wheel though, it could be as simple as offering plant-based versions of your traditional menu dishes – from bangers and mash to spaghetti Bolognese. There’s a level of familiarity with consumers which can be effective in driving footfall and sales. “In fact, our recent research shows that consumers would like the option to ‘go meatless’ on all dishes, rather than have a separate meat-free or vegetarian menu.” Operators working with a limited team due to the pandemic might prefer this more secure option – especially if you’re wary of the cost-effectiveness of bringing new ingredients on board. But, if you’ve noticed customers more regularly ordering dishes from your vegan selection, perhaps it’s time to ramp things up. “With more consumers seeking out vegan and vegetarian options on the menu, this is becoming less about adding a couple of token non-meat alternatives, and much more about giving consumers a direct alternative to the meat-based options on the menu,” says Nigel Parkes, commercial operations director at Creative Foods. “This includes firm favourites such as burgers and pulled pork. And it goes without saying that vegan and vegetarian condiments should also be a must. Mayonnaise is incredibly versatile. We see vegan mayo being used to create toppers, for The veggies Scotch egg at The Harwood Arms Shot by Lateef Photography mixing to add flavour, spreading, dipping for indulgence, or drizzling for a bit of theatre.”

alternative which although is vegetarian and not vegan, highlights A VEGAN TAIL how plant-based meat substitutes can be successfully integrated Some operators are already hitting the high notes in the plant- into dishes. based chorus, like BrewDog. The team is proud that 50% of its “The Harwood Arms is famous for its venison Scotch egg – menu is plant-based – though it doesn’t preach a vegan message. it’s been on the menu ever since the pub opened 11 years ago From cauliflower wings to sourdough pizzas (with the odd burger in and has become a firm guest favourite,” explains head chef between), there’s plenty for people to choose from, and customers Sally Abé. “My mum and sister are both vegetarian, which meant can benefit from two-for-one vegan and veggie mains on Mondays they could never try our signature snack, so I thought it would in BrewDog’s UK bars. be great to come up with a version they could eat too, and the The group hasn’t shied away from sharing a platform with ‘Glamorgan Scotch Egg’ was born.” experts that have created vegan businesses, either. Successful Abé wants other Michelin-quality operators to know that it is plant-based YouTubers, TV presenters and authors Bosh! have been possible to create something delicious using a meat alternative. busy creating some vegan specials for the menu, and London’s first “You need to be sure there’s a demand for it among your vegan chicken shop Temple of Seitan now provides its infamous audience,” she advises. “There’s no point making three quarters of seitan wings to BrewDog’s bars (as well as the seitan for the seitan your menu vegetarian if only 5% of your customers are veggie. That burgers and veggie haystack). BrewDog’s Dalston bar has gone one applies especially to somewhere like The Harwood Arms, where step further and has a completely vegan kitchen, with Biff’s Jack we’re renowned for our meat and game dishes – there’s no point Shack taking up residence and serving an eclectic mix of vegan junk trying to push it too far because that’s not what our guests want and food and all 24 taps of craft beer are 100% vegan, too. it’s not what they come to us for. It’s great to have it as an addition.” Plant-based options can be easily slipped into your culture Abé recommends that operators starting out with meat without becoming overbearing, or to the detriment of your alternatives for the first time should perhaps not use it as the main meatier dishes. The way you communicate your offering is key – component of a dish. especially if it’s only one part of a meal you’re making plant-based. “I wouldn’t serve it as a steak alternative, for example,” she adds, Why not use this very strange year to ‘unsettle’ your own menu, “I would incorporate it into a dish to lift it, rather than using it as the or challenge your own preconceptions around vegan food? You main focal point. Start small by using it as an addition and use the might just surprise yourself. best quality meat alternative you can find. Try and taste them all – only use it if it tastes delicious.” CONTACTS Central Foods: centralfoods.co.uk IMITATION NATION Creative Foods: creativefoods.co.uk Abé’s advice to know your audience is key. Forcing a Veganuary Meatless Farm: meatlessfarm.com message – or overloading the menu with plant-based options Quorn: quornfoodservice.co.uk

36 / Pub & Bar / DECEMBER 2020 / pubandbar.com pubandbar.com / DECEMBER 2020 / Pub & Bar / 37 PUB REVIEW princeofpeckham.co.uk 161foodanddrink.com greatexhibition.pub

TRISTAN O’HANA TRIES LONDON’S PUB TAKEAWAYS In last month’s lockdown, operators once again turned to takeaway to keep them afloat. So, what was on the menu?

’m moving house this month. After none. November’s lockdown once I11 years of living in south east again pushed hospitality closer to London, I’ve decided the time has the brink, shutting doors, emptying come to clear my lungs of fumes and barrels and keeping millions on their my mind of clutter by heading to the sofa. The silver lining, which Pub & countryside and becoming one of Bar will always look for, was that the those fresh air fanatics. I’ve got to be inspiring operators of London and honest – the decision has been filled beyond reworked their menus and with apprehension, as I contemplate offered locals pub favourites to take how my life will be without some of away and eat at home. In the spirit the best food and drink on the planet of solidarity (and in the desperate being on my doorstep. understanding that Deliveroo doesn’t Jerk chicken and chips from Prince of Peckham Like with any big life switch-up, even acknowledge the address of my I’ve sought regular console on the new home) I set about trying a trio of change of pace, chatting with friends takeaways around the SE region. and colleagues about why and when, Without wanting to show a bias and, with lockdown inspiring many towards pubs, the takeaway journey city dwellers to also dash for the space started at wine bar 161 Kirkdale. Run by of the suburbs, there has been no Alex Thorp, who cut his teeth at Jamie shortage of ‘moving to the country’ Oliver’s Fifteen, it’s an independent opinion pieces printed in our national wine shop and bar in Sydenham press. One article’s closing point was that specialises in organic and low- greatly reassuring – London, with its intervention wine, as well as home- vivacious culture and world-beating cooked food. The second lockdown food and drink, will always be there. saw 161 continue its 161@HOME offer, You are but one train journey away. where kitchen whizz Ben Schultz Just keep telling yourself that, Tristan. readies lunchboxes and two-course John F. Kennedy once said that dinners for collection and delivery on we must never forget that the highest Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. In a appreciation is not to utter words, bid to break up the working-from-home but to live by them. It’s not the best lunch tedium, a lunchbox of tofu laksa advice for a writer, granted, but on was ordered, which was accompanied such a profound note of gratitude, by an ‘oh my god that is absolutely which mind-blowing pubs, bars and banging’ slice of chocolate olive oil restaurants did I visit during my last cake. Seriously, why aren’t more people month in the smoke? That’s right… putting olive oil in their cake? The hot

38 / Pub & Bar / DECEMBER 2020 / pubandbar.com laksa (which can also be ordered with small plastic tub contained a decent lamb shoulder) hit the spot on a cold gravy, while a pint of Brixton Lager November lunchtime, and both dishes came in a plastic pint cup, sealed with came in cardboard packaging too, a lid. There’s an erroneous sense of meaning no plastic heading for landfill. comfort to plating up a pub roast at Win-win all round. home – it was equal parts satisfying Next up was an old favourite and sorrowful. A delicious meal readily of mine – The Great Exhibition in available without hours of prep or East Dulwich, owned by Laine Pub washing up is a wonderful thing, but it Company. I’ve seen this place change didn’t half make me miss a Sunday visit Tofu laksa from 161 Kirkdale managers a few times over the years, to the pub. and it always seems to maintain its Finally, I ventured into Peckham position as one of the leading pubs in to pick up some of the best jerk the area. The Great Ex got in touch with chicken going from the guys at White me on Twitter, after I asked if any local Men Can’t Jerk, who have a kitchen pubs were refining their takeaways residency at the Prince of Peckham ahead of the second lockdown. The pub, owned and run by local lad fact it took the pub a week to ready the Clement Ogbonnaya. It’s easy to see/ offer shows two things: one – the on- taste why the jerk chicken meal is a trade wasn’t given enough notice to best seller – jerk chicken smoked over adapt operations; and two – this pub wood, rice and peas, coleslaw, jerk cares about its proposition and didn’t sauce, and a quite brilliant pineapple want to bash out any old food for the and scotch bonnet jam. If you can sake of offering it. Its buffalo chicken stand the heat, get yourself to that (or chick’n) burgers looked appealing, kitchen – without a doubt one of the but I opted to sample a meal that really best meals I’ve had since Covid-19 wasn’t built for takeaway. I wanted to reared its ugly face. There were plenty see how well a Sunday roast and a pint of delivery drivers waiting for orders ‘travelled’. The answer? Pretty damn when I collected mine, showing the well. Once again, the food – a half roast success of Prince of Peckham/White chicken, seasonal veg, roast potatoes Men Can’t Jerk’s delivery menu. It’s and Yorkshire pudding – was, like 161’s, an established list of choices, which sealed in a cardboard takeaway box. concludes with the enticing addition So too was the cauliflower cheese. A of ice cream sandwiches. So there you have it. Three hugely different dishes served up by peers with the same goal – to get through this battering period via adaptation and dazzling dexterity. If these pubs and bars have been able to adjust to the enforced restrictions thrust upon them, I’m sure I can make do with a longer train ride into London from my new home – I’d happily walk back to Peckham for more of that pineapple and scotch bonnet jam! And perhaps, once I’m there, I’ll soon be able to take a seat in the venue and enjoy a meal served as it’s meant to be, in the pub where it was cooked. Who knows what’s on the horizon. For now, customers (including this one) are grateful that they’re still able to sample food from their favourite pubs, and if gratitude is a fondness only doubled by wonder, then we can all look Takeaway roasts from The Great Exhibition forward to what’s to come.

pubandbar.com / DECEMBER 2020 / Pub & Bar / 39 PRODUCTS IN REVIEW

Pub & Bar takes a customary look back on some of the product launches of 2020, how they have fared in trade and how long they’re here to stay

Some very weird and some very wonderful products arrive in the collective inbox of the Pub & Bar team every single day. Some are gamechangers – launches so felicitous that you can’t help but wonder why no one has thought of them before. Sicilian lemon gin? Yes please. Pulled jackfruit? Why not. The time is now for such plant- based progression. But then there are the others – the ill-thought-out creations, so superfluous that you wonder if they were only created to justify the salaries of the development team behind them (mac and cheese IPA, anyone?). It’s like when the local council digs up your road to ensure its annual budget is spent before next year’s is allocated, or when your smartphone requires yet another system update. What is the point? Some things are best left alone. Within each issue, we try to sift through the piles of press releases to bring you a small selection of decent launches that have been sent to us that month. And now, as we reach the end of a turbulently abnormal year, we reflect on some of the standout themes, developments and products that have made their way into the on-trade and into the lives of your teams and your guests. It is, as they say, drinks, tech and food for thought.

40 / Pub & Bar / DECEMBER 2020 / pubandbar.com pubandbar.com / FEBRUARY 2020 / Pub & Bar / 41 PRODUCTS IN REVIEW THE FOOD OF 2020

This year we’ve seen a long list of launches, from pub- specific chips to numerous vegan products. Here are a few top picks from the months gone by

CHIPS VEGAN One may have thought that the room for As you can read in our feature on vegan food development within the world of chips was (page 32), part of offering this dietary alternative Quorn’s Swedish Style Meatballs as fine as a skinny fry, but 2020 saw some is about pub kitchens being adaptable. This suppliers drive a wedge between their doesn’t mean changing dishes at the last products and various other half-baked efforts. minute, but, instead, offering meals where Lamb Weston called the launch of The Dukes ingredients can be swapped in order to make of Chippingdom – Proper British Chips ‘the the meal vegan-friendly. moment the entire country has been waiting Food suppliers and distributors stepped up for’. The potato supplier had been working on throughout the year to offer pub chefs products this product for some time, carefully creating that ticked the boxes. For example, Central a thick-cut chip that caters to the demands of Foods added to its buffet, starter and tapas the majority of pub chip orders. range for foodservice with the launch of vegan- Indeed, bespoke creations were a thing of friendly, gluten-free Moroccan-style Cauliflower the chip world this year, with potato grower Bites. Creative Foods worked on perfecting and manufacturer Farm Frites also presenting its jackfruit range, most notably through its The Seeded Bun from St. Pierre a launch specifically for chefs. The Chef’s Barbecue Pulled Jackfruit. Essentially an Special Crispy Coated range specialises in alternative to pulled pork, due to its versatility greater crispiness and heat retention, offering (hot and cold) and smokey barbecue flavour, operators that all important element when this launch has turned out to be a best seller for serving food – consistency. the company. Elsewhere, renowned for its meat alternatives, Quorn reintroduced its Swedish Style Meatballs to trade, simply because consumers wanted them back.

Lantmännen’s Bakery Solutions Dough Pucks

BASES The foundation of any dish is often the staple ingredient that holds it all together – the bun to your burger, the base to your Farm Frites’ Crispy Coated range Creative Foods’ BBQ Pulled Jackfruit pizza, the fish to your bouillabaisse… OK, in pubs, perhaps not always the latter. But as burgers and pizzas continued to soar in 2020 (particularly as lockdown takeaways took hold), suppliers maintained the creation of products to assist pubs with the delivery of fan favourites. St. Pierre’s new seeded brioche burger buns were a big hit, giving operators an ambient, pre-sliced product with a 45-day shelf life. As were Lantmännen Unibake UK’s Schulstad Bakery Solutions Dough Pucks, which were launched in response to research that revealed consumers list pizza as their top meal choice when eating out for dinner and within the top three for lunch. For some

The Dukes from Lamb Weston Cauliflower Bites from Central Foods launches, it was just all about getting back to base-ics.

42 / Pub & Bar / DECEMBER 2020 / pubandbar.com pubandbar.com / FEBRUARY 2020 / Pub & Bar / 43 PRODUCTS IN REVIEW THE DRINKS OF 2020

While the performance drinks categories of this year were nothing new, the products developed within them certainly were

RUM FLAVOURED SPIRITS Who’s had enough of gin? Well, not many, but While you have to admire the zealousness of some have! According to research seen by Pub those kooky product development teams & Bar, rum gave gin the heave-ho this year and responsible for the wacky flavours that tend to was crowned the spirit of lockdown. Brands infiltrate quality spirits bottles, sometimes the have been capitalising on its growth and world just doesn’t need any more ‘courageous’ launching premium spiced ranges, much to creations. With added flavours, the winners the delight of millions of consumers. Hawksbill are those that concentrate on additions that Gordon’s Fever-Tree was an admirable launch, as the rum brand complement the base of the cocktail being woN partnered with the Barbados Sea Turtle Project, created or the fruit/garnish that sits within it. No a charity whose work aims to recover marine wonder then that the launch of Gordon’s Sicilian turtle populations – 10% of the profits from Lemon was so well received before the summer. sales will go directly towards turtle conservation It followed in the footsteps of Gordon’s Premium projects in the Caribbean, helping to protect Pink Distilled Gin – which, since its launch in Brewed the environment of the Hawksbill turtle and 2017, has become the most successful new spirit preserve its future. product development in the last decade. With the rum renaissance in full swing, It’s also worth keeping track of the fruits Intercontinental Brands also joined the and flavours in favour with consumers, which is party towards the end of the year, adding what Pernod Ricard was doing when it launched WITH Marlin Spike to its portfolio. The drink is Absolut Passionfruit earlier in the year. The made up of an intriguing blend of rums from interest in passionfruit had increased by 12% Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica and compared to the previous year when the spirit a fourth Latin American country which the launched, meaning the drinks brand developed brand keeps secret, mentally transporting a product with a flavour to savour. consumers to far away beaches while they Dragon Tree Kombucha can’t quite get there themselves. SOLAR SOFTS AND MIXERS Much like the flavours and essences being added to gins, similar approaches and blends have continued to be added to energy tonic over the past 12 months. Again, the success stories are those that conclude with a fruit or ingredient designed to enhance the other elements of the drink. Take Fever-Tree’s Refreshingly Light Sweet Rhubarb & Raspberry Tonic Water as a Intercontinental’s Marlin Spike standout example – the carefully selected rhubarb and raspberries are ready to blend beautifully with a decent London dry gin or a more contemporary pink alternative. Kombucha is another drinks category (EVEN IN WINTER!) that is growing in confidence and is gradually being seen as an evolutionary mixer when not being drank on its own. Lanchester Wines is one company to make the most of the trend, launching Dragon Tree Kombucha this year. While ticking multiple boxes as a soft drink – natural sugar, full of vitamins, vegan, gluten-free – FIND OUT MORE HERE > kombucha can also be offered as a mixer,

Hawksbill rum Absolut’s Passionfruit creating new and exciting flavour combinations behind the bar.

44 / Pub & Bar / DECEMBER 2020 / pubandbar.com Now Brewed WITH SOLAR energy

(EVEN IN WINTER!)

FIND OUT MORE HERE > PRODUCTS IN REVIEW THE TECH OF 2020

Hospitality teams have been an inspirational force for good this year, so what key pieces of kit have been launched to support them?

COPING WITH COVID-19 HYGIENE As venues came out of the first lockdown, Of course, there were multiple launches around suppliers and manufacturers were quick to the hygiene and cleaning category, as pub and launch new products to support hospitality bar teams faced extra scrutiny on not only their operators when they needed it most. What’s front-of-house spaces, but also the glassware more, the releases revolved around adhering and tableware being presented to guests. to the new rules and regulations announced However, not all of these launches were reactive, by the government at the time. Suddenly, as seen with a rather impressive unveiling Filta’s Thermo Hi-Flow temperature checks were being carried out from Hobart at the beginning of the year. The before entering pubs – this is something that warewasher manufacturer launched what it may not be going anywhere for a while, which called ‘a new generation of ground-breaking is why Filta Group announced the launch of hood-type machines’ in January, which benefit its new Thermo Guard temperature screening from a patented touch screen functionality stations, which offer non-contact measurement and, for the first time, a fully connected wash to avoid physical contact, protecting staff experience by way of the WashSmart app. and customers. Its Hi-Flow model offers The app makes it simple to monitor levels of screening of up to 30 people per second. Pretty detergent and water in real time and determine impressive. overall operating costs. It also allows the Other launches took in broader operator to download an instant hygiene report, considerations, such as tableware specialist request a quote, order necessary consumables Steelite International’s Back to Business, Back and receive error reports for any machine to the Table report, which was designed to offer breakdowns. In hindsight, a near clairvoyant practical advice on what measures to take to launch when considering the manic months that remain safe without losing the all-important were on the way. Rational’s iVario cooking system dining experience. As operators come out of their second lockdown and finish reading their latest issue of Pub & Bar, guides such as this can only be of further assistance. OVENS With trading hours cut short and more guests to accommodate in less time, speed of service has been well and truly of the essence throughout the past seven months. This could explain why we’ve seen new ovens introduced to the sector that pride themselves on quick cooking times – chefs need to get that food out of the kitchen fast. UNOX launched its Bakerlux SPEED.Pro to the UK market at the beginning of October, which accelerates cooking times by offering triple cooking: convection, for external golden Hobart’s Hood Type 2020 browning; microwave, for fast internal heating; and conduction, for crusty toasting by contact. Hot on the heels of that was Rational’s new iVario Pro cooking system, which focuses on precision temperature control combined with ultra-fast cooking, brought to market last month. The speed and accuracy is down to iVarioBoost, the energy management system, which is up to four times faster than conventional cooking appliances. It prevents foods such as milk-based puddings and sauces from sticking or boiling over. Once again, it’s intelligence in tech such as Steelite’s Back to Business UNOX’s SPEED.Pro this that allows chefs and operators to deliver the essential part of any operation – consistency.

46 / Pub & Bar / DECEMBER 2020 / pubandbar.com pubandbar.com / FEBRUARY 2020 / Pub & Bar / 47 PUB & BAR’S BUYER’S GUIDE Food, Drinks & Equipment

HEINEKEN UK SOLAR ENERGY SOL

Heineken UK has announced the latest step towards its target of 70% renewable energy in production by 2030 by choosing to brew Sol exclusively with solar energy. The move comes after installing 4,000 solar panels at its brewery in Tadcaster and 9,212 solar panels at its brewery in Zoeterwoude. With 66% of consumers choosing to purchase products based on environmental friendliness, the move to brew Sol with solar energy marks an important step in appealing to the more eco- conscious drinker. heineken.co.uk

LA LORRAINE BAKERY GROUP TABASCO DONUT WORRY BE HAPPY TABASCO SRIRACHA SAUCE

Belgian Bakery manufacturer La Inspired by the classic Thai flavour, a Lorraine Bakery Group has launched a INTERCONTINENTAL BRANDS new doughnut brand, Donut Worry Be HAWKSBILL RUM new Tabasco Sriracha Sauce has been Happy (DWBH), in a bid to cheer up and carefully crafted from red jalapeños bring a smile to the nation. Intercontinental Brands has added a new and hand-picked, barrel-aged peppers The Donut Worry Be Happy range Caribbean spiced rum to its repertoire. to meet consumers’ growing appetite offers consumers light, fluffy doughnuts The brand’s name derives from its for food from around the world. with a choice of premium fillings, mission. The brand has partnered with The new sauce is preservative-free, toppings and flavour combinations the Barbados Sea Turtle Project, a charity vegetarian, vegan, gluten- and fat-free! – all with unique personalities and whose work aims to recover marine turtle It comes in 256ml squeezy bottles and individual names. From Ruffallo populations – 10% of the profits from combines sweet chilli and garlic heat Cream to Belgiyum and its real Belgian Hawksbill sales will go directly towards turtle to create the perfect addition to fries, chocolate filling, there is a wide range conservation projects in the Caribbean, burgers, and Southeast Asian dishes of doughnuts suitable for all tastes. donutworrybehappy.co.uk helping to protect the environment of the containing noodles and rice. PROMOTED CONTENT Hawksbill Turtle and preserve its future. creativefoods.co.uk/tabasco-sauces icbrands.co.uk

COCA-COLA FESTIVE CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES

Coca-Cola has announced the launch of a new campaign and festive TV ad, which brings to life the thought: ‘This Christmas, give something only you can give’, encouraging people to be truly present with one another. Launching this month, the advert, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi, and created by Wieden+Kennedy London, unwraps the magic of Christmas, in a hope-filled tale about a father’s unremitting love for his daughter and his journey to make her Christmas wish come true. cocacolaep.com/gb

48 / Pub & Bar / DECEMBER 2020 / pubandbar.com FILTA GROUP GREASEMASTER CYCLONE Filta Group is raising the bar in the field of grease recovery units (GRU) with the launch of a new solution. The GreaseMaster Cyclone delivers industry-leading levels of fat, oil and grease separation while using less energy than traditional GRUs and, thanks to its design, is near odour-free. It addresses all the concerns of existing technologies after 15 years in development, designed by RATIONAL engineers working directly in the field. The IVARIO PRO COOKING SYSTEM GreaseMaster Cyclone allows operators to meet their obligations with a host of added Rational’s new iVario Pro cooking system focuses on precision temperature control benefits. combined with ultra-fast cooking. filta.co.uk The speed and accuracy is down to iVarioBoost, the intelligent energy management system, which is up to four times faster than conventional cooking appliances. iVario Pro is the latest version of Rational’s multifunctional contact cooking system. Available in a range of models, with a choice of one or two cooking pans, it can be used to boil, pan fry, deep fry, griddle, pressure cook and confit. rational-online.com

PERNOD RICARD ABSOLUT ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGN

Absolut has launched a global consumer engagement campaign that celebrates the importance of meaningful connections, inspiring consumers to look forward to those moments where we’ll all be together again in real-life. ‘It’s In Our Spirit’ is the first national campaign from the brand in over 18 months, and features talent including actor Tessa Thompson and music artist MNEK, breaking out of a virtual world into real-life to enjoy a moment of togetherness. The campaign will reach over 80% of 18- to 34-year-olds in the UK. pernod-ricard.com/en-uk MEIKO M-IQ 10TH ANNIVERSARY

CENTRAL FOODS Meiko is celebrating the 10th anniversary THE WHITE RABBIT PIZZA CO. BASES of the conveyor dishwashing machine, the M-iQ. Central Foods has teamed up with The White The Meiko M-iQ revolutionised the foodservice industry by turning dishwash Rabbit Pizza Co. to provide the industry with design ‘back to front’, reversing the flow of vegan and gluten-free pizza bases. hot water and steam through the machine The deal marks the debut of The White to bring it back to the front, allowing Rabbit Pizza Co. brand into the frozen engineers to maximise potential for energy foodservice sector and arrives in time for and water savings. Veganuary 2021. Central Foods is supplying It uses one third less chemicals, 40% the 10-inch and 12-inch versions of White less water and one third less energy than Rabbit’s vegan and gluten-free raised crust, previous Meiko machines in this class. stone-baked pizza bases – known as ‘nudies’. meiko-uk.co.uk centralfoods.co.uk

pubandbar.com / DECEMBER 2020 / Pub & Bar / 49 PRODUCTS & SERVICES To advertise here please call Sue on 01474 520 243

50 / Pub &Ba r / DECEMBER 2020 / pubandbar.com EVENTS / JANUARY

SAVE THE DATE NATIONAL PUB & BAR AWARDS OPEN FOR ENTRY That’s right, folks! The annual celebration of the finest pubs and bars the UK has to offer is back. We can’t wait to read your entries! Submit your pub or bar online at nationalpubandbarawards.co.uk

01 02 04 09 12 12 13 16 FRIDAY SATURDAY MONDAY SATURDAY TUESDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY SATURDAY NEW YEAR’S DAY FOOTBALL PL NATIONAL PUB & FOOTBALL KISS A FOOTBALL PL FOOTBALL PL WORLD BANK HOLIDAY Chelsea v BAR AWARDS OPEN FA Cup third GINGER DAY Leicester v Liverpool v RELIGION DAY VEGANUARY Man City FOR ENTRY round begins Chelsea Burnley

Spurs v Leeds Utd v Man City v Leeds Southampton Brighton

16 18 21 23 23 25 26 26 SATURDAY MONDAY THURSDAY SATURDAY SATURDAY MONDAY TUESDAY TUESDAY FOOTBALL PL SUGAR NATIONAL NATIONAL FOOTBALL BURNS NIGHT AUSTRALIA DAY FOOTBALL PL Liverpool v AWARENESS HUG DAY READING DAY FA Cup fourth Everton v Man United (TBC) WEEK round begins Leicester (until 24)

BREW MONDAY Fulham v Brighton v Chelsea Fulham

EVENTS FOR FEBRUARY 4 TIME TO TALK DAY 8 NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK (UNTIL 14) 27 30 30 12 CHINESE NEW YEAR 14 VALENTINE’S DAY WEDNESDAY SATURDAY SATURDAY 16 PANCAKE DAY FOOTBALL PL NATIONAL FOOTBALL PL 22 FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT (UNTIL 7 MARCH) Spurs v STORYTELLING Arsenal v Liverpool WEEK Man United

Crystal Palace v Southampton v West Ham Aston Villa

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