The Greed of the Breweries

Ken Moss · 14-06-2010, 06:40

The greed of the breweries is killing off our local pubs. In five years' time all we'll have is a raft of gastropubs and town centre wine bars.

We could do much worse than have Wetherspoons take over the dying local pubs. They're a big chain but they know how to look after ale drinkers better than Enterprise Inns or Scottish and Newcastle.

It's a pity that there aren't more free houses, which is a prime example of how pubs that aren't tied to the crippling prices imposed by breweries are actually thriving.

garinda · 14-06-2010, 08:20

I rarely go to pubs because of the smoking ban.

Ken Moss · 14-06-2010, 08:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

I rarely go to pubs because of the smoking ban.

The poll has been adjusted accordingly by one of our moderators.

Go on Gary, make your views known! Click now!

cashman · 14-06-2010, 08:34

whilst common knowledge the breweries have always been rip off merchants i think the smoking ban was the final nail in the coffin.

Tickler · 14-06-2010, 08:42

the smoking ban hasnt helped but it is not that that has ruined the pub industry it is the Longer opeing hours due to the supermarkets wanted to open 24 hours

when the supermarkets wanted 24 hour opening you cannot allow them to sell beer and not pubs so what needs to happen is that we erevert back to the old opening hours (although it is prob too late now) this would focus drinkers as it did to drinking in the permited hours and not all through the night. if you remember accrington on a sunday was the place to be coaches coming from all over because you drank from 7pm till 10.30 then went home after some food on church street now the fast food places dont need to open till 2 am and stay open till 8 am this again because we change the drinking laws to suit the supermarkets on a saturday you went out at 8 ish drank on the pubs till 11 when last ordwers were cvalled then went to a night club till 2 am the drinkers were focussed on when they had to drink now they can stay in drinking till 11 pm then go out till 6am drinking it has spread all the drinkers out and must be costing the pubs and clubs a fiortune in extra staff and longer hours .

unless we get back to the old ways of drinking laws all thew pubs will be shut in the next 5 years

yes the breweries dont help but at the end of the day the government need to stop the supermarkets dicktating the hours we can sell alchohol

cashman · 14-06-2010, 08:46

know a few couples were one smokes the other don't, they prefer mostly now to stay home n drink, rather n seperate when they go out.

jaysay · 14-06-2010, 08:55

Well I don't go to pubs any more so doesn't really affect me, but I think Ken's right Free Houses are the best, where they aren't tied to a brewery

Tickler · 14-06-2010, 09:23

your exactly right free houses are the way forward but while the breweries are allowed to shut pubs down and sell on with covenants to say they cannot be open as a pub again then this will never happen

some of the pubs shut in hyndburn could be open as free houses but for the breweries not allowing them to be done and sold only for redevleopment

the government should step in and not allow this to happen if the brewerie sell a building then it should be able to be bought and run as a free house as did the peel park a num,ber of years ago and that seems to be doing well now

cashman · 14-06-2010, 09:28

Free houses are fine, like tickler says though its a non starter.

garinda · 14-06-2010, 09:42

Thirty years ago there were three off-licence shops in Oswaldtwistle, if you wanted to drink at home, rather than in a pub.

Now there are countless places you can pick up booze, much cheaper than you can buy it in a pub.

One of those three Offies, Renshaws in Commercial Street, the indomitable Monica, would refuse to sell you anything if she thought you might already have had a drink within the previous twenty four hours.

Tickler · 14-06-2010, 10:39

i think what people dont understand is that if your a landlord you cannot sell beer in bulk to customers because of binge drinking but Supermarkets can sell as much as they like there is no level playing field at all the supermarkets have got our government in their pocket and thats why all the laws have changed

jaysay · 14-06-2010, 10:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

Thirty years ago there were three off-licence shops in Oswaldtwistle, if you wanted to drink at home, rather than in a pub.

Now there are countless places you can pick up booze, much cheaper than you can buy it in a pub.

One of those three Offies, Renshaws in Commercial Street, the indomitable Monica, would refuse to sell you anything if she thought you might already have had a drink within the previous twenty four hours.

24 hours, a slight understatement there G

In fact I was trying to think of the other two

garinda · 14-06-2010, 10:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaysay

24 hours, a slight understatement there G

In fact I was trying to think of the other two

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.

cmonstanley · 14-06-2010, 11:10

there is a various of reasons cheap booze in the supermarkets ,computers,young poeple spend their money on mobile phones,there is no self respect anymore ,a large majority dont know how to smarten themselves up for a night out and would rather stay in and smoke drugs and drink.there are a number of factors plus the monopolies commission killed them off ,when management people from the breweries set up there own companies when they found out what was going to happen and dont care because they are in it for a quick buck.theres a few articles in the link for the private eye below.

Ken Moss · 14-06-2010, 12:48

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.