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The Changing Nature of the British Pub
Abstract
Full-text of this article is not available in this e-prints service. This article was originally published following peer-review in the British Food Journal, published by and copyright Emerald Publishing Group Limited. For much of the twentieth century, British breweries made profits from producing beer and selling it to the public houses, and then, because they owned the public houses as well, made further profits by selling to the consumer. The government investigated this perceived monopoly, and required changes, as a result of which, in the 1990s, the brewers and the pub owners tended to separate, so that many pub owning companies did not brew, but had to rely upon profits derived from sales to the general public. This led to a far greater emphasis on customer satisfaction and so public houses have tried to attract particular sections of the market. At the same time, the public were becoming more specific in their desire for leisure entertainment. As a result, the nature of the public house changed. Some traditional houses may still exist, but in addition there are many others designed for different groups of people. This study tries to identify the main features of some of the pubs that are currently popular.
... The alcohol-focused nighttime economy is seen by many local authorities as a major tool for stimulating the urban regeneration of post-industrial city centres (Hobbs et al., 2005). The transition from a society based on manufacturing and production to one dominated by consumption has been mirrored by shifts in the nature of British pubs away from traditional working-class male drinking dens to modern leisure/entertainment establishments targeted at particular consumer groups, one of which is young people (Pratten, 2003(Pratten, , 2007. Much of the alcohol industry is now focused on creating and stimulating an increasing demand for new commodities, experiences and pleasures amongst young consumers (Hayward and Hobbs, 2007). ...
... In some circumstances a change in the local context of drinking may temporarily aid the regulation of alcohol consumption. A small number of respondents reported that their first experiences of drinking in licensed premises was not in a pub targeted at specific social groups, such as young people or students, but rather in a traditional local pub with a mixed clientele (see Pratten, 2003, for a discussion of the variety of different public houses that populate UK towns and cities). The circumstance of drinking in a location with older adult drinkers was often accompanied by a greater degree of regulation over their consumption than occurred in previous locations (e.g. on the street). ...
... When young people are drinking in a group of similarly aged individuals, be it on the street as young teenagers or in a nightclub as a young adult, their consumption appears to be higher, as is the general tolerance for extreme intoxication amongst drinkers at the venue. However, as Pratten (2003) notes, it is only those establishments that target specific age bands, such as student bars or pubs serving food for adults with children, that are thriving within the current market, while traditional local public houses are in decline. Young drinkers have fewer opportunities to consume alcohol alongside other adult drinkers. ...
This report investigates the onset and development of drinking behaviours within teenage friendship groups. Using social network data from the Belfast Youth Development Study, the study identified and sampled eight relatively stable friendship groups covering a mix of social class, gender and type of education. By interviewing multiple members from each group, the study was able to construct a picture of the groups' drinking culture and how it developed as the friends grew older. The 41 young people who participated were aged 18 or 19 when interviewed, and were asked about their teenage drinking behaviours between the ages of 12 and 18. The report: • discusses the development of drinking etiquette (a set of tacit informal rules and regulations surrounding a group's drinking behaviour); • investigates how teenagers manage their intoxication within the group; • considers the importance of relationships both within the friendship group and outside it (e.g. parents); • presents findings about underage experiences of alcohol-related harm; • makes conclusions and discusses the implications of findings, including restricting access to alcohol, teaching harm reduction skills and the role of parents.
... This trend towards the closure or reinvention of the English village pub has been influenced by various factors. The first, and perhaps most significant, is the wider economic changes in the brewing industry which have had significant repercussions for small brewers and tied houses (Pratten 2003). Before the 1990s, most pubs were tied to a brewery financially and operationally. ...
... These pub companies are also not affected by the guest beer provision ruling; neither does it influence regional brewers who may control local monopolies. Concentrating their energies towards 'pure retail', many pub companies have subsequently transformed their pubs to better cater for families, emphasizing meals as much as drink (Pratten 2003). This capital input simultaneously reinvigorated many pubs, forcing managers to focus on maximum profits while unprofitable pubs in urban, and especially rural locations, were closed (Bowler and Everitt 1999;Brewers and Licensed Retailers Association 2000a). ...
... 8 In contrast, other accounts view the pub as a changing business enterprise. Pratten (2003), for instance, lists nine new British pub types: the theme pub; the pub offering entertainment; the family pub; the sports pub; the beer house; the food pub; the pub seeking to attract specific social groups (e.g. students); the smoke-free pub and the pub analysing the market (i.e. ...
The village pub has traditionally held an important 'place' in British economy and society and as such is an interesting site for social and cultural analysis. At one level, it is a site with pronounced mythic qualities. Yet on another level, the place of the village pub is highly unstable and contested, with many reportedly facing closure. Adopting an avowedly 'production-centred' approach, this paper presents exploratory survey findings from two case study villages in south Northamptonshire. This includes an examination of each pub's input supply network, including links with brewers and other suppliers. The paper attempts to move beyond viewing the village pub simply as a declining rural service and focuses in particular on the ways in which pubs commodify 'local culture' as an economic resource. It concludes by introducing the concept of,cultural terrain' and its application to the study of village pubs and rural services more generally.
... Pubs represent an important part of English and British culture, economy and society. The relevance of these places within the UK has been addressed and analysed in a number of studies (Hunt and Satterlee, 1986;Bowler and Everitt, 1999;Pratten and Lovett, 2002;Pratten, 2003Pratten, , 2004Cabras and Reggiani, 2010;Cabras, 2011;Mount and Cabras, 2015). Despite this importance, the number of pubs in the UK registered a steady decline since the 1980s. ...
... The changes in both market and ownership structure had a tremendous impact on pubs' traditional beer-oriented vocation and determined a shift in the marketing strategies for many of them. As a result, pubs started to develop into gastro-pubs, European style cafes, sports bars (which target customers by showing a wide range of different sporting events) or even "theme-pubs" (which emphasise on more sophisticated premises, 1980s designed style, etc.) to attract customers (Pratten, 2003;Lincoln, 2006). The tough competition faced by off-licenses and supermarkets with regard to alcohol prices has also had an impact on the attractiveness of pub nights. ...
Purpose
The study presented in this paper explores and examines how public houses or pubs function as facilitators and developers of community cohesion and social interactions in rural areas of England.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use data and information about facilities and services available for 284 rural parishes in two different points in time (2000 and 2010) to elaborate an index measurement of community cohesion. The index, created upon a range of discrete variables capturing multiple aspects of community living, is then investigated by using structural equation models to assess the impact of pubs in shaping the levels of community cohesion in the English countryside.
Findings
Findings gathered from the analysis identify a strong positive relationship between the presence of pubs and higher levels of community cohesion index occurring within the examined parishes, indicating that this relationship is maintained in time regardless of size of the parish, although different impacts are found in the two time-points considered.
Research limitations/implications
Since the study is based on a longitudinal examination, it can stimulate research on themes and issues regarding the impact of third places on community cohesion and social capital in rural and remote communities, increasing the amount of information and data available. For instance, due to the nature of information considered, the study could not explore the effects on rural communities’ wellbeing associated with different types of pubs’ ownership and management.
Practical implications
These results provide a valuable and original contribution to the literature related to the measurement of community cohesion and wellbeing with regard to third places such as small businesses and local retailers, whose significant functions of fostering social aggregation and communal initiatives at a local level are frequently neglected.
Social implications
Findings from this study provide a valuable opportunity for policymakers and local administrators to evaluate policies and actions in support of their communities. In particular, findings provide an original piece of information about the social value of community pubs particularly in small and peripheral areas of England
Originality/value
The paper provides new and original information about the importance of pubs and third places in general in fostering and developing community cohesion and wellbeing at a local level. Given the significant paucity of empirical studies in the field, the paper represents a valuable contribution to knowledge with particular regard to the methodology applied as well as the potential implications of its findings.
... Historically, pubs developed in a variety of forms, from businesses serving drinks only to businesses serving food or providing accommodation and other services. The importance of pubs in British culture, economy and society is widely acknowledged and has been analysed in a number of studies (JONES et al., 2000;PRATTEN and LOVATT, 2002;PRATTEN, 2003PRATTEN, , 2004MAYE et al., 2005;JEN-NINGS, 2007). As BOWLER and EVERITT (1999) explain, the pub has been regarded for many years as a bastion of traditional English culture, and supports the formation of wider social networks in the identities they personify. ...
... . The Parliamentary 'Beer Orders' of 1989 that forced the separation of pubs from the breweries that traditionally owned them (PREECE et al., 1999;PRATTEN, 2003). The orders forced breweries owning more than 2000 pubs either to sell their brewery business or to free ties from half of the pubs over 2000 that they owned (PRATTEN, 2007a). . ...
Mount M. and Cabras I. Community cohesion and village pubs in Northern England: an econometric study, Regional Studies. Pubs in England represent an important locus for regional development and rejuvenation, particularly in rural areas where they act as hubs for social aggregation and economic activity. Generally, village pubs are regarded as complementarities to other local services and amenities that exist within the area, such as sporting events, volunteering and charity initiatives, as well as business activities. This paper provides empirical support for this proposition by estimating the impact of pubs on an index measure of community cohesion. Using data from 715 rural parishes located across Northern England, the paper demonstrates the importance of pubs for maintaining rural areas in these regions.
... In consideration of the reliability and validity of including information gathered from such sources, in this paper we have considered sources such as Mintel to be able to provide a relatively balanced and unbiased overview of the market. Structural changes within the industry have been thoroughly examined within the academic literature with agreement on the result of these changes, namely a marketplace saturated with a range of venues, competing strongly for market share ( Knowles and Howley, 2000 ; Knowles and Egan, 2002 ; Pratten and Scoffi eld, 2002 ; Pratten, 2003 ; Pratten and Scoffi eld, 2003 ). It is estimated that in 2004 there were 81 455 on-licensed public houses, bars and nightclubs in England and Wales ( Mintel, 2006a ). ...
... The reasons for this are more than merely of academic interest since the town and city centre late-night economy is a highly competitive saturated market. Many venue types are now competing for market share ( Jones et al , 2003 ; Pratten, 2003 ), following a structural shift in the industry, with the boundaries between these venues blurred. Overall admissions to late-night venues have been falling, and all vie for market share among consumers aged largely 18 – 25. ...
This paper explores whether young men and women, the main target market for mainstream nightclubs and bars, have similar or different preference priorities in respect of a first and subsequent visit to these venues. It suggests that an understanding of the gendered nature of place and the differing preferences of men and women can assist businesses in shaping their products and services around the needs of their customers. It suggests that this can be done through a study of preferences and expectations for price and non-price mechanisms of differentiation. In Phase 1 of the research, purposive sampling examined men and women's attitudes to the servicescape and offerings by mainstream nightclubs and bars. In Phase 2 of the research, the emerging themes were tested using quantitative data gathered by means of a questionnaire. The results highlight differences as well as similarities, in terms of the importance to men and women of various elements of the servicescape and service offering. In a saturated and competitive marketplace, these findings can assist mainstream venues within the late-night economy improve their competitive position. They can do this by isolating the elements that are gendered, thereby providing the venues with the opportunity to deliver service offerings that match these preferences and expectations.
... Maye et al. (2005) see these as part of an idealised rural package that may still be accompanied by a degree of sex segregation (Hunt and Satterlee, 1986). Whatever their imagined or real community function, many are in a state of decline (Jones et al., 2000), encouraging the survivors to diversify into food (Pratten, 2003) and 'guest beers' (Mason and McNally, 1997), which may affect the customer-base. ...
For a woman, eating and drinking alone in public is apparently seen as anomalous behaviour. Depending on location and time, there are attendant risks of being subject to negative moral discourses, surveillance and unwelcome sexual attention. This article uses an auto-ethnographic account to examine an instance of ‘eating out’ alone as constitutive of the gendered nature of sociality in public spaces. It supplements emerging analyses of lone female dining in a context of ‘single’ women being an increasingly significant demographic category by offering further differentiation in terms of age and venue type.
Out now online:https://doi.org/10.1177/1360780418754566
... For the villagers, "the pub may operate as the centre of their social life, especially if there are no other alternative social facilities" (HUNT and SATTERLEE, 1986: 523). Pubs have a significant impact on the population -they are fertile terrain for various social activities, and represent important incubators for the development of human relationships and social networking (see HUNT and SATTERLEE, 1986;BOWLER and EVERITT, 1999;JONES et al., 2000;PRATTEN and LOVATT, 2002;PRATTEN, 2003). ...
In Great Britain the make-up of rural communities is changing. Young individuals are moving to cities and the population of rural communities is ageing. In this context, it is important to sustain and enhance people's well-being and community cohesion. The purpose of this paper is to show that pubs are important facilitators of community cohesion and ultimately well-being of residents. This is done by compiling a database of secondary data at the parish level of rural communities of England. From this data, measures of community cohesion and social interaction are derived and correlated with the number of pubs within the parish. Pubs are found to be statistically significantly positively associated with community cohesion and social interaction. The paper goes on to construct regression and path models to relate the number of pubs and community cohesion and interaction to selfreported health as a proxy for well-being. Significant positive associations are again found. These findings provide a strong case to foster the sustainability of rural pubs.
... However, as Mason and McNally (1997) have shown, the changes to the regulatory environment paradoxically had the opposite effect to that intended, failing to increase market opportunities for microbrewers. Most large brewers consolidated and sold many of their pubs to new 'pub retailing companies' (Pratten 2003), a move which did not favour microbrewers. Most microbrewers therefore continue to rely on selling to the independent pub trade (Knowles and Egan 2002;Maye et al. 2005), and distribution channels remain a significant barrier to growth. ...
This paper examines the nature of supply chain linkages for microbrewing and contributes to existing geographical work on the specialist brewery industry. It argues that a commodity chain and, more specifically, a ‘whole chain’ approach, can be employed to examine such linkages and to contextualise economic relations. After outlining the main features of a whole chain methodology, the paper applies it to a case study of a real ale microbrewery in Northumberland in the North East of England. As well as examining the ‘upstream’ and ‘downstream’ nature of the microbrewer's own business supply chain, material from interviews with wholesalers, bottlers, pubs and other brewers is included to develop a locally sensitive cultural economy perspective. The paper reveals the complex nature of economic relationships and organisation for microbrewing, the different forms of trust that typify such supply chain relationships and tensions between difference and localness in relation to selling real ale.
... The late-night culture of ''clubbing'' is very popular with the key target age group of 18-25 year olds, around 40% of whom are students who ''represent an important part of the customer base of the average club'' (Mintel, 2002). However, changes in the British drinks industry in the 1990s led to an increasing ''attempt to offer customer satisfaction by improving the quality of service (y) and a serious effort to create the sort of establishments which the public want to visit'' (Pratten, 2003a). Those changes attracted significant amounts of research, focusing on aspects like structural changes within the industry ( Knowles and Egan, 2002;Knowles and Howley, 2000;Lashley and Rowson, 2002;Pratten, 2003cPratten, , 2005aLovatt, 2002, 2005a;Scoffield, 2002, 2003), the role of public houses in society (Pratten, 2006a), legal issues with the hospitality industry (Pratten and Lovatt, 2005b), supply chain management ( Towers and Pratten, 2003), reasons for business failures (Pratten, 2004a), issues of gender in pub management (Pratten and Lovatt, 2003), training and recruitment practices in public houses (Mutch, 2001;Pratten, 2003c;Curtis, 2002, 2003), the role of public house manager (Mutch, 2000), marketing practices of public houses (Pratten, 2006b;Schmidt and Sapsford, 1995a, b), the role of bouncers in the late-night economy ( Hobbs et al., 2003), and the recent issues of smoking policies (Pratten, 2003b;McNabb and Hearns, 2005) and alcohol-related problems ( Boella et al., 2006;Pratten, 2006a;Pratten and Bailey, 2005;Pratten and Greig, 2005;Pratten and Lovatt, 2005a). ...
This research aims to compare the needs of nightclub and bar customers from two very different markets—the existing and well-established British late-night economy and emerging and developing Polish market by examining customer preferences towards the servicescape and service offerings provided by such venues in both countries. The findings point to the significant similarities and differences between British and Polish club goers, indicating the importance of various elements of the servicescape in influencing customer decisions to enter a venue. These findings can assist mainstream venues in the UK and Poland improve their competitive position by understanding and then providing both groups of customers with service offerings that match their preferences.
... Although there are other studies into the issues under investigation in this paper, these are both "limited and scattered" (Heide/Gronhaug 2006:271). Previous authors have explored elements such as the structural changes within that industry (Knowles/Egan 2002;Knowles/Howley 2000;Pratten/Scoffield 2002;Pratten 2003a;Pratten/Scoffield 2003), smoking policies (Lambert 2006;Mykletun/Furunes 2005;Pratten 2003b), general issues relating to the servicescape (Heide/Gronhaug 2006;Jones et al. 2003;Clarke et al. 1998), general pub management (Pratten/Lovatt 2003), efforts to promote responsible drinking (Pratten 2007a), the policing of anti-social behaviour (Jones et al. 2003;Barclay/Thayer 2000) and the implications of shifting demographics on the pub atmosphere preferred by men and women (Schmidt/Sapsford 1995a;Schmidt/Sapsford 1995b). The link between atmosphere and service quality in hospitality settings has long been recognised, but due to the limited research in this area, Heide and Gronhaug (2006:284) assert that "there is need for researchers to seize the moment and further explore the role of atmosphere in hospitality settings". ...
This research aims to analyse the needs of nightclub and bar customers from emerging and developing Polish market by examining customer preferences towards the servicescape and service offerings provided by such venues. Purposive sampling was used to establish two focus groups within the industry’s main target market age group. This data was then subjected to a frequency analysis in SPSS in order to identify those elements that were most preferred by the majority of respondents in Poland. Our findings point to the significant preferences of Polish club-goers, indicating importance of various elements of the servicescape (e.g. gender of clientele, security, seating, location of dance floor and service offering) in influencing customer decisions to enter a venue.
The paper focuses on both the economic and noneconomic multilateral relationships inside and outside the TNCs’ own business networks in the processes of the firms’ internalization on the example of foreign direct investment and divestment in breweries in the UK and Poland. The mode of TNCs’ entry in breweries in the mature economy of the UK and transformation economy in Poland is less country specific and more associated with the international environment of network relationships. The paper presents both structures of the international networks connections as well as the ways they have been created. The system analysis is used.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to ask if customer experiences in public houses (pubs) go wrong because of poor initial and subsequent training for front-line staff, while questioning if enough is being made of employee engagement and socialization as a means to improve consistency within the pub service encounter.
Design/methodology/approach
The study applies a critical review of the literature with a focus on the initial and subsequent training of front-line employees in the context of managed and entrepreneur-led pub-retailing operations.
Findings
The delivery and impact of a well-designed initial training programme may not only enhance long-term employee engagement and loyalty, but also provide competitive advantage for pub-retail operations through a more consistent service delivery. The paper questions the suitability of the approach currently being adopted within the sector and suggests that change is needed in order to ensure the longer-term survival of pub-retail businesses.
Practical implications
Can reliable and consistent customer experiences be delivered without a more progressive approach to the initial training and engagement of front-line employees?
Originality/value
While the importance of initial and subsequent training is widely accepted, the potential for its poor delivery has an almost predictable impact on many customer experiences. The paper recommends a review of the methods used by managed house and entrepreneurial (tenanted and leasehold) pub-retailing businesses to enhance employee socialization, engagement and loyalty to fuel the sector’s drive to generate greater competitive advantage.
This editorial introduces the eight articles in the special issue on ‘Beer, brewing and business history’. Following the BEERONOMICS conference held at the University of York, 2013, and the subsequent approval of the editorial board of Business History, we received many submissions discussing beer, brewing, and their importance to business history (broadly defined). In this editorial we provide a brief overview of the historical development of beer and brewing; explain the appeal to business historians of the principal themes which have emerged in the historiography of this industry, and provide a short introduction to the articles accepted for publication in this special issue.
Purpose: The purpose of this article is to summarise the evolution of pub food in the UK. Design/methodology/approach: This research uses secondary data. Findings: The provision of food has increased enormously in recent years and has become a vital element to the economics of many outlets. Research limitations/implications: The article does not have the data to consider how many pubs really benefit from their food provision. Practical implications: The article provides general information about the nature of the food provision and a generalization about the economic benefits. Originality/value: This article offers some knowledge and understanding in relation to the provision of pub food.
Purpose
The aim of this study is to present an overview of the factors contributing to the difficulties faced by the public house (pub) sector when analysing the general decline in the number of pubs in the UK seen over recent years.
Design/methodology/approach
Due to the nature of the study secondary rather than primary research methods were adopted, although further opportunities to undertake primary research are identified towards the end of the article.
Findings
A review of contemporary literature and key industry data has been used to present findings that evaluate the role traditionally played by public houses within society; to examine the changing structure of the pub retailing sector; and to analyse a range of key internal and external factors that have and are contributing to the decline seen in certain elements of the sector, as evidenced in the number of business closures.
Research limitations/implications
Use of both academic and industry‐focussed research articles present a timely and accurate picture of the true situation and general feeling within the sector while suggesting where future research may be undertaken.
Practical implications
The paper offers a number of practical business improvement recommendations that could be taken forward by the sector.
Originality/value
In acknowledging that each pub business is unique due to its form of ownership and the people employed within it, a strategy for survival is outlined for struggling businesses to adopt in order to not only survive in a very difficult trading environment, but also to re‐establish themselves as a central feature of the communities in which they are located.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the changes in wine consumption in UK public houses, and to consider if the sector is maximising its sales opportunities.
Design/methodology/approach
This study has used both secondary and primary sources. Existing surveys have been used to gain details of the growth in wine sales and possible explanations for this. The trade press has suggested how licensees could improve their wine sales. Suppliers have been approached to discover to the level of assistance they offer individual outlets. Finally, surveys of the public houses and their customers were undertaken to discover the proficiency of their wine service.
Findings
The level of wine sales in the UK is growing rapidly. Much of this is consumed at home, but public houses could benefit from the trend. Some have done so, but the surveys suggest that many do not market the product effectively.
Research limitations/implications
The study is a very limited one, and only considers one town, one area of another town and their customers.
Practical implications
The results of the survey suggest that all licensees could consider the possibility of improving sales by offering a higher quality service to their customers.
Originality/value
Any research which may assist the quality of service offered in the licensed trade should be of interest to all stakeholders.
For many years, breweries made profits from producing beer and selling it to public houses which they owned, thus making further profits through retail sales. The government decided that this monopoly should cease, and in the 1990s most brewing and pub-owning companies became separate entities. This, together with increasingly competitive conditions, led to a far greater emphasis on customer satisfaction, and so the training of licensees became an issue. However, the basic role of licensees has always been to ensure that the customer is treated well enough to return to their pub. This raises the question of the skills and attitudes needed by a successful licensee. Can training offer enough, or is there something else which separates the competent from the really good? This study attempts to identify the characteristics needed for success.
Purpose
This paper aims to give a wider understanding of what customers really want from first and subsequent visits to mainstream city centre nightclubs and bars by examining customer attitudes to various aspects of the services arena and service offerings provided by such venues.
Design/methodology/approach
Purposive sampling was used to establish two focus groups within the industry's main target market age group. This qualitative data were analysed from a grounded theory approach in order to identify the emerging themes that were then tested by quantitative data gathered by means of a questionnaire in phase 2 of the research. These data were then subjected to a frequency analysis in SPSS in order to identify those elements that were most preferred by the majority of respondents.
Findings
Findings point to the relative importance of various elements of the servicescape in influencing customer decisions to enter a venue for the first time, and also to the relative importance of factors which prompt subsequent visits to a venue.
Practical implications
In such a saturated and highly competitive marketplace these findings can assist mainstream venues within the late night economy to improve their competitive position by understanding and then providing what customers really want.
Originality/value
Although there is much services marketing literature on the relevance of the servicescape and the importance of service quality, this paper attempts to ascertain which factors are truly key in customer decision‐making, and in which order each element of the service is rated by the industry's key target market.
This paper discusses employee resistance to the emotional labour of face-to-face service work. It identifies a difficulty with the extension of the concept of resistance from the more traditional manufacturing industries to service work, asking how far apparently resistant behaviours can sensibly be conceptualised as a challenge to management control of the labour process. This difficulty is explored through a discussion of data drawn from ethnographic research into a chain of public houses. Various forms of resistant behaviour are identified, although the precise nature of this resistance is often blurred by the complex relations between employee, management and customer.
In the UK, pubs are often the nodes and centres of the local social network. Particularly in villages and rural areas, pubs play an important role in stimulating community cohesion and social capital by enhancing socioeconomic activities, such as communal initiatives and business activities, within communities. Despite this, there has been a constant decline in the number of British pubs during the past decades. The factors influencing this decline are many and diverse: the rise of pub chains and theme pubs which target a more commercial type of custom, the result of progressively tougher drink – driving laws, rising prices and alcohol duties, the increased popularity of home entertainment, and the smoking ban. Since village pubs work as a network tier for the entire area, their disappearance often means the disappearance of major centres of social aggregation. This also has a significant impact on rural economies, given the importance of these businesses for local supply chains. The creation of Industrial and Provident Societies (I&PSs) in villages and small communities may represent a valid way to rescue a number of village pubs from closure. An I&PS is an organisation carrying on an industry, business, or trade, either as a cooperative or for the benefit of the community. This paper discusses the functioning of I&PSs and their potential with regard to pubs in rural areas by presenting original data obtained from primary research, including interviews held with owners, managers, and customers of village pubs. In addition, the paper provides case studies of communities who used an I&PS to save their local pubs and assets, and explores how this solution may help villagers to keep their centres of social aggregation economically viable and sustainable. It is concluded that I&PSs can represent a valuable solution for many rural communities. It is also concluded that the level of community cohesion among villagers, the investment required for setting up the I&PS, and the availability of financial grants and public sector support all have an important impact on their development.
Purpose
This paper considers the changes in the nature of the public house sector in the UK.
Design/methodology/approach
Profiles the changing nature of the public house sector using published reports and current literature. Comments on the emerging trends and the impacts that they are having on the UK public house sector.
Findings
Reveals that many of the old‐style licensees have not been able to adapt to new trading circumstances and are preparing to leave the industry.
Practical implications
Indicates that pub‐owning companies need to recruit a different type of lessee or tenant in the future, characterized by a dynamic sales presence, able to continually generate incremental improvements in pub income.
Originality/value
Reviews the changing characteristics of the UK public house sector.
The management role in UK managed public houses has increased in relative importance over the years since 1970. Using material derived from both secondary sources and fieldwork in a major leisure retail company, the role of house manager is examined through the inter-related notions of landlord, manager and employee. There is a particular focus on shifts towards the employment of younger managers and the relationship between this and branding strategies. The implications of this relationship is examined through the notion of the ‘locus of interpretation’, and stress is placed on the need to view managing as a relationship.
Full-text of this article is not available in this e-prints service. This article was originally published in Town and Country Planning, published by and copyright the Town and Country Planning Association. There are concerns that a growing number of the UK's rural pubs are facing financial difficulties, with some being forced to close. Threats to rural pubs include legislative measures and poor transport provision in rural areas.
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