BEER, PUBS, BREWERIES & LANDLORDS

I've been drinking beer since I was knee-high to the proverbial grasshopper and have been in a fair few pubs. Some have been good, some very good and others mediocre or downright awful. Every now and then I feel the need to let off a bit of steam about somewhere I've visited or, perhaps, to lavish praise on a particularly fine pub; so far any such comments have been contained within my general 'Thoughts and Ramblings' but it seems high time that I gave myself the space to put down all such thoughts in one place, hence, this Blog.

 

Recent events in my local area have certainly been a serious incentive to write down a few things about the ways in which breweries and pub management companies operate. Quite simply, and despite all of their protestations to the contrary, they have no interest in their customers or, indeed, their landlords, beyond the money they bring in. They treat both like the muck they might find on their shoes after a walk through a field full of cows - something to have as little contact with as possible. I've written at greater length about one particular issue, 'Marston's Retail Agreement', which readers may find of interest.

 

This might seem a little vitriolic but I'm convinced that it's true. This is not to say, though, that the same applies to pub landlords; undoubtedly, some are of the same ilk as their brewery masters, but many are not. Many landlords try their very best, often against overwhelming odds, to give the very best service that they can and to make customers not only feel welcome but also wanted. Why we should have this dichotomy is anyones' guess, but it does not help the beleagured pub industry.

 

I've written before about a couple of pub and brewery issues; I've written to at least a couple of breweries over the years and can't say that their responses were overly helpful, generous, or even very polite. I'm well aware that CAMRA, the 'Campaign for Real Ale' has worked tirelessly for many years to try to improve our pubs and maybe I can add a tiny amount to their efforts with a few choice postings. I certainly hope so.