Comments on: Pub Nightmares

By: Knut Albert

Knut Albert — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:49:17 +0000

We are establishing good relations with pubs and breweries here in Norway – even with the dreaded governmental Wine Monopoly. We are not paid serious money, but we are taken seriously. We are asked which beers to order from small scale producsers. We are invited to sample test brews and comment on new ideas. And it seems other consumers are catching on, there is a market for good beer bars in all the major towns of the land.
The contrast is big when you look at Carlsberg and the other makros, who are weeping as the markets for their dreary lager are disappearing…

By: Bailey

Bailey — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 13:44:19 +0000

Yeah, that wasn’t so good. He does a lot more pretend vomiting on the American version — sound effects and everything. A bit pathetic.

By: Ten Inch Wheels

Ten Inch Wheels — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 08:43:55 +0000

Ever since Gordon Ramsay spat out a mouthful of Taylor’s Landlord in disgust on one of his programmes, he’s been dead to me.

By: Bailey

Bailey — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 08:36:06 +0000

Beer Nut — sad isn’t it? Instead of seeing you as the most discerning, intelligent section of their target audience, which they should be benchmarking against, they see you as a statistical anomaly. Are you asking for something really unreasonable, or just, in the words of Tandleman, “for the specials to be special”?

Paul — I wouldn’t mind doing it for a couple of pubs we know and like, and it would be great to tell people what you do (“I’m a pub inspector”) but, yes, it would take the fun out of going to the pub after a while.

Joos said: “This means an ability to look critically at one’s self, not to employ sycophants and ‘yes-men’, and always to evaluate the evidence offered by the customer’s practices and attitudes.”

Spot on, and that’s the bit I think is missing. People employ consultants when they know something is wrong but can’t put their finger on it. In other words, they are open to the idea that there’s room for improvement. Sadly, too many struggling business people — not just landlords or brewers — seem to work on the assumption that they’ve got everything right and that, if people aren’t coming through the door, it’s because they’re too stupid to appreciate what’s on offer.

Alan — don’t get me started on press releases. If they were personalised, or offered something genuinely interesting (like the chance to talk to the brewers by email, or information about which pubs are stocking their seasonal specials) then these PRs would be on to something. As it is, it’s usually the same media pack they’ve sent the newspapers (we’re not a newspaper) with big glossy lifestyle photos (we don’t really rely on photo content) touting a boring new beer (we’re not very interested in boring beers).

By: The Beer Nut

The Beer Nut — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 22:42:58 +0000

Well Alan, I’ve been told by a senior bod at a middling-sized craft brewery that I and my ølhund ilk represent 0.001% of the beer drinking public. It seems I have very little to tell them about what beer drinkers want since it seems I barely count as one.

By: Paul Garrard

Paul Garrard — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 21:02:26 +0000

Nice piece.

I suppose any business worth it’s salt carries out market research on a continuing basis and I suppose that there are enterprise agencies and trade bodies that offer help and advise, but perhaps there is a need for an organisation that could carry out ‘pub audits’.

Don’t think I’d want to volunteer for such a job either. It would spoil pub visiting enjoyment for me.

By: Alan

Alan — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:51:01 +0000

“…we’re not volunteering for the job…”

Why not? It amazes me that what with the collective smarts of the better and more venerable beer bloggers that we are not looked to as a cheap and cheery resource for any number of things in the trade. Sadly, the only thing appears to be an email address for soon to be deleted and never reposted press releases.

By: Joos de Littlemore

Joos de Littlemore — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 09:05:37 +0000

A great bit of writing and thinking, B & B! Having had some years experience of marketing and consulting, I would suggest that the ‘advice’ game is both simple and complicated. The best businesses are run by people with open minds – and ears and eyes. This means an ability to look critically at one’s self, not to employ sycophants and ‘yes-men’, and always to evaluate the evidence offered by the customer’s practices and attitudes. If you can’t do that for yourself, then all the advice in the world won’t change things around. Ramsay’s skill lies in simply distilling and interpreting what the customer wants – but when he fails to do that, and starts to believe his own story, he too will fail…..and indeed may be doing just that right now!