A brewery advocates quality, not quantity, in an uncertain future, while a city landlord remains optimistic for the future

Mar 26 2008 by Alex Turner, Liverpool Daily Post

NEIL YOUNG, the owner of Brimstage Brewery, in Brimstage, Wirral, has had to contend with the rising price of hops and grain this winter, as last year’s poor weather across Europe and North America affected supply.

He wants landlords to be more realistic and compromise on price not quality of the beer.

“I hope the landlords start looking at quality, not quantity, and realise that the small fellas need to compete,” he said.

“Some people are cutting corners with ingredients. I am not, the quality is still there.

“Landlords can still make a profit, but some want to make a mega-profit.”

Mr Young is noticing the effects of reduced consumer spending, in a climate where the average price of a pint has risen from around £2.50 to £2.80 across the region.

“Christmas didn’t happen until the last minute and neither did Easter. People are afraid to spend.

“You have to be careful not to brew too much, but I’m ticking over fairly well and am fairly optimistic about the year ahead.”

Dominic Hornsby has been the landlord of the Fly In The Loaf, on Hardman Street, Liverpool, for the last four years, after previously spending six years as licensee of The Dispensary, on Renshaw Street. He is bullish about the prospects for 2008.

“As an industry, we are one of the few that makes cash, taking real money over the bar,” he said.

“There’s more cash now than there’s ever been in the 10 years I’ve been a city centre licensee.

“There’s a saying in the trade, ‘People will always have money for a pint’. We have had a very successful year and are in a very healthy position.”

Mr Hornsby, whose pub was voted the best in the country by Radio 5 listeners last summer, is also dismissive of some of the concerns emanating from some parts of the industry.

He said: “The smoking ban hasn’t really affected us. It was heavily publicised before it came in.

“My clientele were very heavy smokers but people still want to come out for a beer and wet sales haven’t dropped.

“It’s a cleaner atmosphere now, but the culture of the pub hasn’t changed.

“The key is not to rely on certain events like football tournaments. You account for them to a certain extent but you don’t rely on them. You need to work on your core trade every day.”

But he did express frustration at how pubs are blamed for being responsible for society’s problems.

“A frustration is that pubs are getting the sole blame for the current problems in society, of under-age and binge drinking,” said Mr Hornsby.

“The general problem – people being hammered – a lot of the blame needs to be put towards the off-trade.

“Licensees in the city centre take no chances and are strict on identification.

“I can’t be cheaper than the supermarkets, no supplier can provide it that cheaply. When the Government, the press and the public talk about binge drinking, they think about pubs.

“But people who drink at home then come out might not even have got served anywhere.”