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Thanks for the heads up Arthur I will have a butcher’s next time I go in
FWIW, Tempus column tipping MARS this morning, purely on the expectation of pubs being packed out for a year or two, not a very cerebal piece but worth noting, I guess, in case it has a price effect.
Has anyone tried the Hatherwood craft beer cans from Lidl for 99p. They used to be brewed for Lidl by Shepherds Neame but now brewed for them by Marstons.
Hey Jimster !!
How you getting on ?
You still have any PFD shares left !?
Yes this share is definitely a labour of love ,
Did a lovely new walk yesterday along the Atherstone canal locks then circled back on the disused rail line walk and had a pint in the Kings Head ( on the old watling St )
The midlands must be out in front when it comes to beers ! ?
In my native Yorkshire it’s Mainly Doom bar !
( Cornish ) !? Give me a Pedigree any day
or a 61 Deep is very good pint.
Autonomous AI acting for The Jimster
Start
Purchase Block Order execute at 92.81 Pence as instructed
End
Disclosure: Cybernetic entity acting for the Jimster
Jimster's wife does not permit trading while on holiday
I have been instructed to purchase another block of shares if the price falls below 93 pence
End Disclosure:
Arthur/Shape
Interesting that you are both seeing in Edinburgh & the Midlands what I am seeing in London, no where yet have I seen pubs "heaving", although the weather forecast for this month is good so that can only help sales.
Euro games should also help but against that we have the apparent shortage of staff in hospitality, so reasons to be (partly) cheerful, yes, reasons to be seriously bullish, not apparent yet but hope reins eternal !
Arthur Dent, Edinburgh is an expensive place to live anyway but£5.00 a pint is not good for anyone!! Are there any brewers locally ? or is it transported ? As a Midlands drinker myself I find that there is a reasonable footfall locally but not yet massive demand but as people slowly adjust then July & August should be encouraging. Still looking at £i. 10 ish within 3 months but I agree that this may be the tops for the year - Lot of catching - up to do!!!
I currently live in Edinburgh for work but am from the midlands.
The pubs here are not back to being normally busy, many folk are still not venturing out. Also, as a regular pub goer and real ale fan, the prices now up to 5 quid a pint will not help. My feelings are the pub trade will not recover as quickly as we hoped if at all.
Might go a bit CAMRA here but real ales have a greater depth of flavours because a second smaller fermentation process occurs in the barrel, hence why “cask conditioned” is made a thing to advertise- there is a reason why real ales need a bit more care and preparation. Lagers and the like are filtered before going in the barrel and the flavour is fixed at that point. Of course, trying to replicate this in a bottle is difficult which is why I think the taste is not as good as in a pub that has workers who know how to store real ales.
That’s made me quite thirsty, GLA.
Yeah...just treated meself to a pack of Hobgoblin Ruby...and yes I think you might be onto something shaperite...better at the pub
Kind regards
Jimbo
Decent arcticle in Money Mail today re; Hospitality price rises, all the comments seem scathing at the prices espcially that the Hospitality sector is still only paying 5% V.A.T !!!!!!!!!!!!
777jIMSTER, The comment you are refering to was bottled bilge, perhaps too strong a comment, but to my pallette there is a pronounced difference twixt bottled and cask ales. Perhaps everyone else does not percieve such especially since most casks now are Aluminium ( HaHa ) but the Ale certainly seems to mature in a state of volume rather than in a pressure sealed bottle.
Do you realise that I have to get out of bed to answer this comment - Goodnight
shaperite
Just to be clear...I don't like the current reality...and empathise with your situation
The demise of the Public Houses in the UK is the loss of a national treasure in my opinion
Just a question though
Are you suggesting that the Mars products in the supermarkets are not as good as those sold by Publicans ?
Curious is all
Kind Regards
The Jim
One last gripe from me before I retire for my afternoon nap, I pretend that I am a publican who has had a rough time over the last trading year, I have made losses that have destoyed my bottom line what can I do to redress the balance ? I know I"ll put up my prices to my customers , who by the way, have also had a rough time of it, that should solve the problem what a clever business man I am. Wait a moment why are all my customers going to the opposition, who by the way has also had a rough time of it, but is sensible to know that losses in this case are recouped gently and gradually and footfall is the answer.
The area where I live is covered by many great real ales of renoun such as Bathams, Enville,Pardoes et-al and a reasonable price should be around £ 3.05 - £ 3.10 locally, Mars could possibly touch £3.20 because of distribution costs etc, but they should all bear in mind that Supermarket bottled bilge is anything from £ 1.25 to £2.00. Off to bed now Im feeling feint!!!
Yep...as I have commented before...the pub trade has priced itself out of the market...bit like the trains...only thing is public transport gets assistance from British Public
Do you think there is a case here for public public house support ?
Dunno just an idea
Anyway...the reason I am here at all at all is that I like the brand...and I think the battle will be won in the supermarkets
Kind regards
The Jimbo
Does explain why Wetherspoons is so popular. For real ales it has a good selection at very reasonable prices. The selection is a bit pants now as they have been bitten by too many lockdowns but once that risk recedes it’ll be back to 3-5 real ales at each pub.
I recall Old Peculiar being 99p a pint pre the 2nd lockdown and I wasn’t dreaming! Must have hurt to price it at a quid rather than throw it away.
Was in London yesterday on Goswell Road we paid 4.80 for a sharps! Feeling robbed we went to one near Fleet place which is also a whiskey bar and IPA was 5.40. Happy to be sat in Rural Wiltshire supping a £3.70 61 deep!
FD
I can indeed confirm it is easy to pay £5 in a fairly ordinary pub for a pint of draught, some pubs get away with more but my local, which is £4.80 for a London beer is now reducing it to £3.80 for a week as sales have not been great.
Interesting times we live in...
@Barchid & Fairdealer.
Yes, I see your points. It's a tricky one, isn't it? I can see both sides of the argument. Definately not an easy problem to solve. It's a balancing act between running your business as cost effectively as you can, and your staff getting a wage that makes their efforts worth their time.
Maybe employing a lot of part time workers and a steady stream of overtime to those that want it might work. As I say, it's a tough problem to solve.
Shaperite, you may have had a good deal. Understand a pint in London is a fiver.
Barchid may be able to confirm or otherwise?
Had lunch today at a Mars eatery, food was fine, well presented and the young staff very tolerant of an old fart. I must confess that the final bill was probably a little on the heavy side compared to pre - covid prices which I suppose was to be expected but my concern is that you can easily kill the goose that lays the golden egg , especially when your customers are on a fixed income. In my opinion £ 3.55 for a pint of Banks s Amber Bitter is extortionate, especially when there was no other bitter on offer and Pedigree seems to have gone walkabout.
Barchid,
Understand Oxford are banning smoking per se. How it will be Policed remains to be seen.
Cannot see Mancunians and Geordie's obeying. If only outside Pubs will be surprised if someone claims discrimination.
The way things are going drinking will be curtailed?? Then where will the lost Tax come from??
Central Government must have given powers back to Local Authorities probably under the Localism Act.
Wonder how many of these New Mayors promised this before the May Election?
Fairdealer
Articles in the Grauniad and the Mail today saying 5 councils, including Manchester & Newcastle, are going to ban smoking outside pubs.
2 points here firstly do these councils want to stub pubs out altogether by making things more difficult and secondly can councils really do this, I thought where to smoke or not was a Westminster issue not the town hall, any thoughts ?
Work is good for a fit and healthy body and mind.
Many have found life comfortable to live on 80% of normal pay, which in many cases is better than funding the cost of travel to work etc. Know of many who make no secret of loving Furlough and do not wish to return to work.
You only need to look at these boards and the number of new investors that have arrived in the last year. There are many sole traders who obtained the generous grants and loans who have played the market.
Investors can and do provide the means to generate businesses and employment. The 2 go hand in glove, it only needs a weak link for it all to fail.
The staffing problems facing the Hospitality sector has similar effects on all Pubs and Hotels, Marstons included.