what no fosters

[hondo]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2005579/Locals-foam-Marco-Pierre-White-turns-Fosters-revolution-village-pub-drive-regulars.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

[Alesonly]

I think I would agree with him on most points as long as he don't make the place too foodie or as expensive as my local Pub which at £4.35 for a Pint of Old Thumper was the most expensive so far this year.

[NickDavies]

He's getting it in the neck because he's famous but it happens all over. Pub gets turned into restaurant, locals get pissed off and don't understand that their £70 spent on low margin Fosters on a Friday night is nothing compared to the £150 a table of four will spend on high margin food and wine. But the incoming restaurateurs don't understand that pissing off the locals isn't the best way to succeed in business and can lead to bad vibes in the town, a slagging of in the local rag and if you're well known the Daily Mail.

So why on earth is it so difficult to incorporate a wet led public bar in the premises and then everyone will be happy? or is such a concept beyond everyone's comprehension these days?

[RogerB]

I've been to the Angel a couple of times and always felt it was trading on past glories. It came across as more of a foody place anyway and if he wants to bring in more ales in place of mass market lagers then I for one applaud him although I suppose you ignore your regulars at your peril, the old Greene King/Harveys ding dong in Lewes being a prime example.

[Quinno]

if he wants to bring in more ales in place of mass market lagers then I for one applaud him

Depends if he then starts charging £5 a pint for them!

[Farway]

Nor, he states, will he tolerate swearing in front of ladies or ‘laddish’ behaviour.


Sounding more & more like a place I would like visit

[Brewguru]

As has been said, happens all over but I applaud some aspects of what he is doing, pubs need to adapt to survive and become more pleasant environments. A number of pubs around Yeovil have closed and reopened more as Restaurants. Most are successful in what they do but I always hear of locals moaning that the soul of the pub has gone. What I would like to see is the multi roomed concept that has been mentioned - a small bar area to cater for locals separate to the restaurant area. If a pub can make margin from a fine dine experience (and I'm not sure they are that good - you need to fill a lot of seats with bums) and still cater for the local trade surely that would be a win win situation?

Things may come full circle and hopefully we can avoid souless single roomed gastro dining halls in the future.

Also, dare I mention, as a non-smoker, separate smoking rooms?? I know of smokers who no longer go to pubs and just drink at home.

[Farway]

What I would like to see is the multi roomed concept that has been mentioned - a small bar area to cater for locals separate to the restaurant area. If a pub can make margin from a fine dine experience (and I'm not sure they are that good - you need to fill a lot of seats with bums) and still cater for the local trade surely that would be a win win situation?

There is a multi roomed pub in Southsea, as suggested, unfortunately the swearing from the "public" bar was so loud it traveled. Pub closed


Also, dare I mention, as a non-smoker, separate smoking rooms?? I know of smokers who no longer go to pubs and just drink at home.

As another non smoker, I know of non smokers who now use pubs, me and family for instance

[gillhalfpint]

We used to go to a pub called the Peacock near Wythall outside Birmingham. It had a bar where you could get a good range - around 8 if I remember rightly - of reasonably priced ales. The bar was a friendly locals place with dogs and good conversation. The rest of the pub was more up market restaurant where diners had plenty of food choices. Chef and Brewer renovated it, and we waited for reopening, but what a shame, gone were the number of real ales, only a few at higher prices, gone was the bar atmosphere and friendly locals and dogs as the whole pub seemed to have gone over to the food side of things.

Haven't been there for years now, and it was a weekly visit at one time.

[hondo]

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Going-head-head-Governor/story-12817554-detail/story.html

[hondo]

"This moreish ale is brewed with all British ingredients, including Goldings hops from Hereford and the finest water from the Lake District. With a rich, amber colour it has a malty taste and fragrant hoppy finish."

http://www.click-manchester.com/business/corporate-news/1213850-city-brewery-links-up-with-marco-pierre-white-for-real-ale-deal.html

[hondo]

“British food was never meant to be eaten with wine – it was always accompanied by beer,”

http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2011/08/16/marco-pierre-white-says-his-customers-should-drink-beer-not-wine-115875-23347799/