The closure of so many pubs obvioulsy is no shock then, that finding a pub that is open near you becomes a chore, unless you live in a big city where the choice of pubs is just the same as not knowing which bar of chocolate to choose from so many.  If  you’re in London then you’ll know exactly what this means.  Too much choice and so many pubs that are all competing to be your local.  Wetherspoons for example are practically on evey main high street in most cities but can you call a wetherspoons your local or just a place that is efficiently runs that serves a cheap pint, after all plastic smiles and formalities are not what we visit a local pub for.

Finding a pub near you that you actually want to go into will always be a chore and once found can you be bothered to walk to your new found local pub?

Shall we carry out a quick survey – it may take at least 12 months to collect enough data but we’ll set one up and see what the results yield.

The rural communities have been effected as much as the deprived areas of towns and cities, there isn’t anywhere that pubs haven’t been effected.  The reasons have mostly been blamed on the smoking ban, cheap supermarket booze.

The pubs that are open and welcome the local community to visit for a pint and pie suffer from inflated ego syndrome.  They forget that they have to provide reasons for people wanting to come in to their pub other than it being merely open.  The personallity of the landlord or management is the fundamental key to success for the pub.

How many times have we been into a pub only to discover the bloke behind the bar is a miserable git.  It wouldn’t be much of a surprise to discover that most of the pubs closing it’s doors were run by such people so the chances of finding a person like this behind the bar to welcome you is getting slimmer!  So it’s not all bad news.

Like most businesses, pubs suffer from the same supply and demand variables in the weeklyrunning operation.

The biggest single factor for the success of a pub is the weekly disposable income of its locals! And if the locals are not impressed with whats on offer they will have to find a local pub that ticks the boxes for justying the weekly spend in the pub.  It’s not all about drinking beer!

Finding a pub in your town.  With so many pub directory websites available to help you find a local pub or a pub near somewhere you are visiting it should be easy for you to find a decent pub.  This is not the case unfornately.

Beer in the Evening will tell you where all the drug dealing pubs are and where people had a bad pint 3 years ago.

Pub Explorer will tell you comprehensively what the pub has to offer and how to find the pub (quite a useful website)

But this is not the case and we are back on the subject of pub closures.  Decent pubs it appears remain open but not always run by good landlords.  Now there is a book title not out there!  There is the good pub guide and the good beer guide but no Good Pub Landlord Guide! Maybe we’ll start writing now.

Because there are so many sources of information on pubs we often jusy pop in to pub on whim and this if fine if the pub delivers what it said on the tin and this is perhaps why the success of pub such as JD Wetherspoon

Some would argue location, location, location.  London after all is a busy place with over 6 million people flowing through it’s network of roads and train lines, and pavements too.

Fuller not only made profits last they also made prime London property acquisitions totally £51M, this was for three pubs in prime London locations.  Does this demonstrate and indicate where future profits will be nurtured?

Of course most of us like a pint or two but who is consuming so much beer that these types of profits are made?  Is it just the beer, how much does the pub grub play in this profit, what about the accommodation?  Fullers were one of the first managed pubs to transform a few pubs into boutique hotels.

Currently Fullers have 11 boutique hotel style accommodation offerings.

Pub and beer festival banners

So who makes these promotional banners and personalised t-shirts and do you want one for you pub or brewery?

It’s claimed that pilots of the world famous plane would take to the skies with 2 barrels of beer from Shepherd Neame drink the entire contents of beer and proceed to fill the barrel with gun power.  The refilled beer barrels would then be dropped on enemy targets.

The pilots would then fly back home to refill with fresh beer.

This of course is a story of legends and with all legends names are born the name of Spitfire Real Ale.

Over the years and after the war things came back down to earth and the real ale drinkers of the future were born from the fighter pilots and moved to the city of London where they became high flying city stock brokers, whose favourite drink after champagne is spitfire beer.

It’s all true, you simply could not make this up.

To enjoy a pint of spitfire real ale make sure your local pub is supplied by Shepherd Neame the oldest brewery in the UK based in Kent.

Walking into The Defectors in London’s Shepherds Bush you will find a pleasant long bar home to several real ales including the famous Tribute by the equally famous St Austell brewery.

It’s not that St Austell is exclusive to Cornwall but to find it in London can be a challenge, why so?

Because London pubs are usually one of the 4 big group tied houses.  The freehouses that can decide which beer flows do also tend to stay close to home for their beer.  Fullers and London Pride being the number one choice for a drop of beer.

Shepherds Bush is a lively place at all hours, home to the Walk About and a few sports bars it’s a place you can spend a very pleasant evening.  Be sure to visit The Defectors bar, it’s not just the bar and real ale on offer, there are plenty of soft chairs to relax and chill with friends.

The Palmerston Arms pub in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK.

Owned by Batemans Brewery, this fine pub stocks at least ten real ales, mainly from micro and family brewers, three traditional ciders and perries and a large collection of single malt whiskies.

Pub after pub in London delivers the same experience, what has happened to my local pub, my local pub used to be full of faces we knew and now it’s just a tourist attraction.

After visiting a few more pubs local to us we discovered that there was a pattern emerging.

What was once a traditional London pub is now a themed tourist attraction in the disguise of a pub.  It’s early days and we’re not giving up any hope of finding a new local pub despite so many closing down.  The ones that open up just seem to be so characterless.

I’m sure this isn’t the same for other parts of the UK

To put this into context the survival of any business means an organised structure to business. A planned timetable of offers and services.  A very good example of success is the Wetherspoon chain.  Consistent products and services at affordable prices.  One thing you would never be able to do and that is call a Wetherspoon a traditional pub, they are run by managers on shifts, there is no local feel about it.

We could blame Wetherspoon for setting a trend in motion but this would be unfair, after all business is about making a profit whilst serving your customers with what the market demands.  In this case it’s cheap beer and cheap food.

If your palette desires fine wine and fine food you simply go somewhere where the food is cooked fresh on the day using fresh local produce by a real chef and the beer is perhaps not a day from it’s sell by date.

By the end of 2010 the British pub landscape will have changed beyond recognition.  Scarred from the fastest change in social behaviour in decades.  Changing labour forces, is there a working class left!  Not that pubs only survived through the working classes.  Popping down to the local was part of what made local communities local, everyone knew each other or knew of each other.  Pub brought people together.  Most pubs are now mostly places where groups of people go out and remain within the group which is why so many pubs have tapped into the party function hire facilities needed by groups of party revellers.

Whitbread Pubs are where you find Premier Inns – the harvester pub theme that sprang into action 20 years ago started the modernisation of british pubs.

Clean and well managed you get exactly what it says on the tin even if it appears to be made of plastic.  Being a smart pub doesn’t always mean being a plastic pub with no character.

Themed Irish pubs were exported to popular UK tourist destination and by conincedence the UK created its own themed pub to the UK market.  The traditional pubs of the UK were struck a blow as early as the mid 8o’s and there was no smoking bans or even supermaket.  JD Wetherspoon have been accused all too often of buying beer in the same way that supermarkets do,the only difference being that supermarket beer is bought well within sell by dates and in bottles or cans as opposed to casks and barrels.  The point that is probably the most interesting is that people still visit the new style cheap beer pubs with themes and this is not going to be any different for Whitbred pubs when they are refurbished during the next 2 years.  Food and accommodation will be the theme and this is consistent pattern of demand by the consumer.  Out are the old smoke rooms and the bars and in are the modern clean pubs of the future.

Nestled amongst the natural landscape and the canals are several very popular pubs.  Most notably the hidden treasure The Salt Wells Inns, it’s sister pub the Black Lion is equally off the beaten track.

Nestled snuggly in the heart of Churnet Valley lies the Black Lion Pub, a fine example of Staffordshire tradition, a real delight to discover.

When sat in the Beer Garden of this wonderful pub you really begin to appreciate how beautiful the Staffordshire countryside is.

Getting to the Black Lion takes you across the canal and over the Churnet Valley Railway line with Consall station approximately 100yds away and in full view from the beer garden.

The canal, snaking underneath the railway line, coupled with the pleasant roar of the river falling over a weir and the wonderful tree clad valley sides it is a heavenly place to sit and relax.

Finding the Black Lion is simple enough.

By road you can take the A52 from Stoke-on-Trent and head out towards Cellar Head/ Kingsley Moor. Once past Cellarhead you take the A522 and head up towards Wetley Rocks.

Either the first or the second right will take you into Consall village and from there follow the signs for the Black Lion.

There is a car park for the pub which is a short walk over the canal and the railway line which could potentially be a problem for the more disabled customer.

The Black Lion is just one of hundreds of pubs dotted across the West Midlands, weaving in and out of Warwickshire and Staffordshire to the North and Staffordshire and Worcestershire to the West.  It’s a truly mysterious place when considering the area is largely unknown by the people who live here!

How are they different is only relative to the time.  Talking of time, the time out guide to London’s top 50 bars is not as reliable as some of the most comments made, an important point refers to this opening statement.  Nothing stays the same in London for too long and this applies more to London pubs and bars than anything else.  London pubs and bars are so dynamic there is no definitive guide that is as accurate as your own research.

The choice of party venues are much more varied now.

All bars in London offer explosive party promises and to be fair most will live up to the price tag.  Finding cheap function rooms and bar hire is something only Tom Crusie could do in a new release of Mission Impossible. My personal view of London and searching for a party venue is that you need to treat the task as a project.

Give it a name ‘project venue finder’

The best party venue will only be found through hard work relentless questioning and searching online until your finger tips ache.  You need to pick up the phone, send emails and get out into the real world.  The last point will be towards the end of your project and you’ll be a step closer to finding the perfect party venue.  I’m not going to have time to drill down into the different types of party as there are so many, so lets just pick a few that would have the same demands – a bar for example.

In theory a bar with seats is all that is needed and the seating being enough for the number attending.

One party I attended many years ago was organised and setup in a very trendy bar in Kensington only for the birthday girl panicking everytime a guest arrived, until all the guest arrived.  The fear of not everyone turning up is always a concern when organising an event so important as a birthday party.

Stag parties and Hen parties generally sort themselves out without too much organisation.  The reason is mostly becuase of the high density of bars to choose from and the ease of which hopping in and out of bars can be, especially in London.

And you can be in practically any part of London for there to be a bar within a few foot steps of each other.  Getting a group of friends and family to gather in one location takes effort, make no mistake about it.  Finding the right pub or bar is the easy part I’m joking, your friends will turn up especially if there is a free drink or two waiting for them on arrival.  So, how do you get a free drink with a venue hire?  It’s simply down to negotiation.  Most pubs and bars will definately be charging for the hire of the bar.  You could for example promise the manager that everyone turning up to the party will drink the bar dry when in reality most are attending AA groups!  If you got the venue hired for free on this basis the manager would be down on the event.

This is why hiring out a bar will be sold as a package depending on the number of people turning up and this is where you can get the drinks thrown in.  So assume there will be a charge assocaited with the bar hire and from this point get drinks and food thrown in.

Step 1 – set your budget
Step 2 – know the exact number of people attending the party
Step 3 identify the most convenient location for all people attending the party
Step 4 start searching for the venues in that area
Step 5 complete the list of venues and ensure yu have all their contact details to the ready the next steps are about to begin!

The next steps in securing your party goes smoothly and within budget are relying on your ability to communicate with sales people – yes sales people are what bar managers are and make no mistake about this or you will end up with a possible party failure.  being sold a party venue that isn’t what it’s made out to be can result in major disappointment.  Many parties have ended in tears after the promises made turn sour.  Choosing the right bar is your priority so stick to the project plan and you’ll succeed.

Step 8 write down exactly what you want from the venue, if your party is drinks focused and you like cocktails make sure you write this down as a question.

Does your pub / bar stock cocktail drinks and mixers can your bar staff mix cocktails.

Do this for all your questions including food requests.

The list you have will now be put to use as you now need to contact each bar in turn.

If you have emails, send out the same email to each pub / bar.  If you only have telephone numbers call each one on the list.  Visit their websites and look for offers that are exclusive or out of date! Out of date offers can be used to barter with.  Did I say barter?  Yes, you have to barter to get the best deal and make no mistake, nothing will be given away for free unless you ask for it.

Assuming you had a list of at least 20 pubs and bars to start with (you do seriously need this number to start with)  narrow it down to 5 or 6 that you can go and visit in person.  This is the final stage and this is where you get a true feel for the atmosphere the bar will have.  It is even recommended that you go to the venues on a nights that are typical party nights, this will give you a true value judgement.

If you are working to the budget and you budget hasn’t changed and all the boxes are being ticked you are close to leaving a deposit and securing your party venue.  Make sure before your deposit is made that you have a written agreement for what is being supplied and that no additional charges will be made.  Searching for your party venue is not an easy task but planned carefully in plenty of time you can have some fun along the way.

London is very popular so it really is best to narrow the search down as quickly as possible to give you plenty of time for the fun things to do.  Leaving the organisation of a party to the last minute will make it a stressful chore.  If you have deep (cash filled) pockets and a desire to impress with no expense spared you could alway hire a party planner but this really is a luxury most of us can’t afford.  Besides, the party planner will be reading this and not the person whose party it is.

Happy bar hunting and party planning.

For a comprehensive list of pubs and bars please view the pub rooms pub and bar section.  There are 1000′s of websites that provide useful information on UK pubs but at a rate of over 50 a week either closing down or changing ownership details are often out of date, especially when there is a plethora of pub websites that were built using out of date data.