I’ve been spending a lot of time in the pub lately.
I should perhaps clarify that this has all been strictly work-related activity! It is part of my efforts to get the fullest understanding of this vital industry so that I can do all I can to support it in Westminster.
The response to my survey of almost 200 pubs in the constituency was very encouraging with more than 120 feeding back their concerns on a range of issues from alcohol taxation, licensing, the beer tie, business rates and recruitment.
I’ve followed up on the survey by visiting many of the pubs who contributed, gathering further information for when I meet the Pubs Minister to discuss the survey findings.
What struck me from the survey responses was that while some pubs struggle a good number are doing very well.
Like the Bruce Arms at West Tanfield which was recently judged to be one of the top three tourism pubs in the country by Visit England. At the pub’s celebrations of the award I referred to in last week’s column, Gil Richardson and her team were launching their afternoon tea menu.
It is this sort of innovation which can make all the difference to a pub’s fortunes and is a noticeable element of the community pubs phenomenon which my survey indicated is one of the ways forward for the industry.
Many community pubs offer a range of village services – like post office or shop, book clubs, meeting rooms etc – and the evidence is that pubs where local people have a stake in their local tend to thrive.
There are more than 60 around the country and in this constituency, we are ahead of the game. We have two well-established community pubs, at Carlton in Coverdale – The Foresters Arms – and at Hudswell, near Richmond – the George and Dragon - which was the CAMRA UK Pub of the Year in 2016.
There are also plans for community pubs at Exelby, near Bedale, - the Green Dragon – and at Skeeby, also near Richmond – in the old Travellers Rest.
I am supporting these initiatives and am pleased to see they are both being assisted by a charity called the Pub is the Hub, an organisation inspired by the Prince of Wales who coined this phrase to splendidly sum-up the value of pubs to rural communities.
Pub is the Hub is backed by the Government and there is further support for community pub initiatives from a £3.85m programme called More than a Pub which my department – the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government – co-funds.
Both Pub is the Hub and More than a Pub offer a lot of business advice to community groups interested in taking on their local to run it on a not-for-profit basis.
From the More than a Pub programme up to £100,000 is available through a combination of loans and grants. The amount available is discretionary and is assessed against the group’s ability to service a loan and to clearly demonstrate the wider social and economic impact of the pub concerned.
I recognise that not all communities have the opportunity or the capacity to take on their local but we have some tremendous examples in the constituency where it has worked very well. More information from pubisthehub.org.uk and plunkett.co.uk/more-than-a-pub