The Greed of the Breweries

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

Whatever the attractions of cheap booze at the supermarket are, you'll never beat a decent pub for me.

Hard day at the coal face, hand pump of cask ale and a bag of pork scratchings waiting at the end of it......or a can of John Smiths.

Hmm, just let me think that one over.

Supermarket booze prices haven't helped matters but the government really does need to step in where brewery powers are concerned because in ten years when we're lamenting the ultimate demise of the local boozer another great British tradition will have died.

Yes, and it sadly died whilst we were under the care of Nanny Red Stockings.

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by garinda

Yes, and it sadly died whilst we were under the care of Nanny Red Stockings.

We're in a new Golden Age, Gary.

Billy Blue Hat will make the country a happy and prosperous place again, it's just that Nanny left a lot of her clutter behind when she moved out so blame her. That's what I'm told by the news, anyway.

Dave's been on TV this morning about getting Health and Safety nonsense scaled down so perhaps if he makes good on it then there'll be fewer knee-jerk reactions when a minority of people who actually enjoy themselves screw up.

[garinda]

What wasn't suprising is that the hoardes of non-smokers, who said they didn't go out because of the stinking pollution, didn't all rush down to the newly smoke free pubs.

They stayed at home, and thought of something else to grumble about.

[Gayle]

We stopped going to pubs because we had children - couldn't afford it and also couldn't always get babysitters.

I think the smoking ban made a huge difference and it was a bit surprising that the government couldn't see it coming!!!!!

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Gayle

We stopped going to pubs because we had children - couldn't afford it and also couldn't always get babysitters.

I think the smoking ban made a huge difference and it was a bit surprising that the government couldn't see it coming!!!!!

many people have always stopped going to pubs fer that reason,we did, its the sensible n proper thing IMHO. if did go out then was always family babysitters or no-go. the smoking ban i agree made a huge difference, also our government seems to me, to be the "ONLY" one in europe that didn't see it coming,

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by Gayle

We stopped going to pubs because we had children - couldn't afford it and also couldn't always get babysitters.

I think the smoking ban made a huge difference and it was a bit surprising that the government couldn't see it coming!!!!!

In all honesty Gayle I think they did see it coming. It would have been a great way of saying that they'd stopped the binge drinking culture. The problem is that there never was a binge drinking culture, just a few biased reports in the media of the minority who over-indulged tarring the rest of us. What would have been better is dedicated smoking rooms or dedicated smoking pubs.

I don't particularly miss stinking of fags when I get home but I'm sorry to see that the atmosphere has been cleared out along with the smoke.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by garinda

There was one near Derek Wynn's barbers, might actually be where the selling out shop is now, and one down the bottom end of Union Road, but I never went there, so can't give an exact location.

I had to serve Monica Renshaw, with her two ordered 'well done' loaves every Saturday morning, and she could be frightening, until you got to know her, and her you, then you realised she was a sweethart, although still an indomitable one.

She was my next door neighbor for five years

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

In all honesty Gayle I think they did see it coming. It would have been a great way of saying that they'd stopped the binge drinking culture. The problem is that there never was a binge drinking culture, just a few biased reports in the media of the minority who over-indulged tarring the rest of us. What would have been better is dedicated smoking rooms or dedicated smoking pubs.

I don't particularly miss stinking of fags when I get home but I'm sorry to see that the atmosphere has been cleared out along with the smoke.

I'm a none smoker but a total ban was cracking a nut with a sledge hammer, smoking rooms or pubs should have been the answer as you said Ken not a total ban

[garinda]

Originally Posted by jaysay

I'm a none smoker but a total ban was cracking a nut with a sledge hammer, smoking rooms or pubs should have been the answer as you said Ken not a total ban

I didn't smoke until I was 23, so for five years, that I'll admit to, I went out as a non-smoker, and it never bothered me. Though of course for many non-smokers it did bother them, and their health.

What should have happened is that pubs should have been able to apply for a smoking license, thus giving punters the option of where they'd prefer to drink, and in what atmosphere.

My own opinion is that smoking pub/rooms would have been more popular, because smokers know they are idiots, and therefore usually more fun to be with.

[Barrie Yates]

I smoked for over 50 years, for a long period between 40 & 60 a day, but before i stopped I did a contract over in Portsmouth for 3 months, just as r=the smoking ban came into force.
It was summer so pubs that had a garden or outdoor area were lively and he pubs were busy. Places that did not have the space for a smoking area were empty.
Therefore IMHO one of the major factors in the demise of the English pub was the wholesale smoking ban - they didn't ban smoking in the House of Commons Bar, did they???????????
The other factor is undoubtedly consecutive governments - irrespective of colour, having an easy source of revenue - don't blame the breweries entirely, how much tax (VAT, Customs & Excise), on a pint of beer or a bottle of whisky?

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Barrie Yates

I smoked for over 50 years, for a long period between 40 & 60 a day, but before i stopped I did a contract over in Portsmouth for 3 months, just as r=the smoking ban came into force.
It was summer so pubs that had a garden or outdoor area were lively and he pubs were busy. Places that did not have the space for a smoking area were empty.
Therefore IMHO one of the major factors in the demise of the English pub was the wholesale smoking ban - they didn't ban smoking in the House of Commons Bar, did they???????????
The other factor is undoubtedly consecutive governments - irrespective of colour, having an easy source of revenue - don't blame the breweries entirely, how much tax (VAT, Customs & Excise), on a pint of beer or a bottle of whisky?

The smoking ban did affect the Houses of Parliament, but only after the public outcry, when it was discovered they'd exempted themselves, and were forced to apply the ban to themselves too, although they didn't want to.

[Eric]

Originally Posted by garinda

What wasn't suprising is that the hoardes of non-smokers, who said they didn't go out because of the stinking pollution, didn't all rush down to the newly smoke free pubs.

They stayed at home, and thought of something else to grumble about.

Same thing here, too. Smoking nazis staying away from the pubs in droves. Probably trying to figure out how to make pubs and bars booze free zones. Most of them are humourless assholes; and that's a generous assessment.

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by Barrie Yates

The other factor is undoubtedly consecutive governments - irrespective of colour, having an easy source of revenue - don't blame the breweries entirely, how much tax (VAT, Customs & Excise), on a pint of beer or a bottle of whisky?

All governments have always raised tax by a few pence each budget on fags and booze but in the grand scheme of things that isn't what hits the pubs hardest.

A free house might be able to buy a keg of Fosters for £130 whereas a tied house is forced to buy it from the brewery at twice that price and still pay rent on top of that.

I've been a quizmaster for a long time and a very good landlord friend of mine has just this week given up because of the breweries. He has run two pubs, both in excess of five years each, and turned them both round from being dumps into thriving industries. The brewery, thinking that they'd get a slice of the pie, raised his rent sky high on both occasions so it was hardly worth him opening the doors.

Now I'm faced with some 21 year old kid who's been flown in to fill the gap, ostensibly because running a pub looks like fun. It's not all fun and games, it's bloody hard work and the pub will suffer as a result just as I have seen exactly the same scenario elsewhere.

The blame is fairly and squarely at the brewery's door, tax rises are a drop in the ocean really.

[DaveinGermany]

It's a conglomeration of factors, yes the Breweries take a hefty old chunk, but you will find that they charge extra on a Barrel of their Beer as part of the lease costs for the Pub in a tied House. As to soft drinks, spirits & guest Beers the Landlord/lady can shop around.

The Government of the day screws an extra few bob in taxes & charges out of the beleaguered tenants & there is no way they'll repeal these things as they are an out & out cash cow to fill government Coffers.

The Smoking ban certainly hasn't helped, but it isn't a major contributor to the situation, pub attendances were dropping off before it was applied. But any hardship for this can be laid squarely at the door of Brussels as this is most certainly one of their edicts, but UK's implementation is by far one of the most stringent.

MEPs call for 'unrestricted smoking ban' in Europe | EurActiv

Finally the people themselves are responsible for the decline of the street corner Boozer, they haven't as much money to chuck around on "Luxuries" like going out for a few scoops with friends, so they stay at home drinking cheap imported Beer, or cheap British Beer bought in the local supermarket & this is an ongoing trend so the demise of the local will continue.

So like I said, it's not purely the Breweries there are plenty of factors involved in the downturn in the fortunes of the "Local".

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by DaveinGermany

As to soft drinks, spirits & guest Beers the Landlord/lady can shop around.

Even guest beers are now limited by the breweries, unfortunately.