Can pubs put off closing time?

There used to be a time when all a pub landlord had to do to make a living was whip the towels off the beer pumps and unlock the front door. Ten years ago the rural pub was the hub of the community, a place where the beer ran freely and the revenue poured in.

Well, times are changing for the British pub. A recent Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) survey confirms that the habit of going to the pub is dying. Currently, about 27% of UK adults say they never go to a pub, whereas in 1997 the figure was 20%. In addition, Camra estimates that 20 pubs a month are calling last orders for good, as private owners and pub companies pull out, mostly in rural areas. Many of these pubs are being turned back into private housing.

It's a worrying trend, says Tony Jerome, a spokesman for Camra, which launched its first National Pubs Week this year in an attempt to get the UK public back into their locals. Jerome says the reasons that pub numbers are down are numerous and speculative. Pubs in rural areas are suffering as more people move to towns; as more people drink cheaper supermarket alcohol at home; as fewer are prepared to drink and drive; and as consumers are being offered alternative entertainment.

Whatever the reason, Bob Stutkins, Camra's director of pub campaigning, says: "It's clear that many people are not using pubs, and there is a real risk of many rural and community pubs being closed and lost forever."

Yet Colin Wellstead, director of property company Christie & Co, says that, overall, rural pubs have experienced good times in recent years in terms of trade and appreciation of value. Pub values in 2002, for instance, increased by 8.1% as the property market boomed.

He disagrees that the rural pub is an endangered species. "The media talk a lot about the demise of the country pub and have done so for years. But for a long time we have had too many pubs in this country," he says.

"Generally, the pubs that do well have good operators behind them. What happens in rural pubs is that they are as good as the person running them. It's true of all pubs, and a significant number have diversified.

"I could take you to 10 pubs that are thriving today and then 10 years later take you back to the same pubs under a different operator and they might not be doing so well."

John Pascoe is one such good operator. A salesman, he bought his first pub, the Swan, in Little Totham, a small Essex village with about 300 residents, in 1996.

The pub was in bad shape when he took over. The previous owner had run down the trade, opening spasmodically and taking an average of only £200 a week. Pascoe cleaned and refurbished the interior as the first steps to realising his dream of running a successful real-ale pub. He opened every hour he could and franchised the dining area to a chef to cook classic pub food to complement the beers. Perseverance paid off, and the Swan won the title of National Camra Pub of the Year 2002. Takings have increased tenfold as a result.

Pascoe says that following a few golden rules helped him make a success of his business. He says it is crucial to get involved in the community, to offer good food to keep customers on the premises, and to give a friendly welcome at all times.

"You need to put in a lot of effort to make a pub work," he says. "If you go to a town pub, you are a number. In the countryside it's about repeat custom and making people feel like they are on holiday when they walk into the pub."

Others in the area have not been so successful. Over the past four years four pubs within a 10-mile radius have closed down. Pascoe believes many businesses are poorly run by owners who believe running a pub is closer to a hobby than hard work.

Wellstead agrees: "The na‹ve person who sells his house in the South-east to buy a pub in North Yorkshire and relies on his wife to do the cooking is in for a fright."

The message from Camra is that it's up to the operators to be proactive. Jerome says: "National Pub Week is a call to action. Over the years pub landlords haven't been trained in marketing, and a lot of pubs are losing business. People aren't going to pubs so much, but we have found when we encourage landlords to put on special events, even if it's a basic quiz night, then they can bring back the trade

Who goes to the pub once a week or more?

Source: Camra, December 2002

Who "never" goes to the pub?