Pub ownership and management on tap
It’s highly likely that a decent percentage of you reading this will have visited a pub over the last week or so. For some of you it might be a sharpener after work or perhaps you’re going there on an evening with friends and family to watch the match on TV or grab some traditional pub food.
No matter what your reason, you are likely to see some familiar faces and enjoy some hospitality.
Pubs are…and always will be…a central part of a community.
Sadly, a staggering number of pubs have closed over the last few years…but perhaps that shouldn’t have been the case.
“Without doubt the pub industry…much like the rest of the hospitality business…is going through a tricky time,” said Daren Knipe, Managing Director of Blackrose Pubs. “But a lot of those pubs shouldn’t have closed…they didn’t need to. It means that the community loses a vital facility. It’s the usual story, if you take something for granted you don’t appreciate how important it was until it’s gone.
We believe we could have saved a lot of those pubs by looking at their business model and seeing where changes could…and should…have been made before it was too late. The biggest problem is that a lot of pubs are stuck in a rut and don’t move with the times. They need to anticipate how market trends vary and ensure that they take note of what customers are looking for. There is no reason why a lot of those pubs could have thrived.”
Daren is an ideal person to know what works for pubs… and what doesn’t. He comes from a family of landlords and landladies…he started work collecting glasses in a working men’s club before joining Whitbread at the age of 18. Within a year he’d become a manager and by 2000 had joined Scottish and Newcastle as an Area Manager. In other words, he’s seen the pub business from several angles…from landlords, to supplier, to regional manager and has extensive knowledge of how a pub can move with the times.
And now he’s in a position to put his experience to use.
“Towards the end of last year, I purchased the Blackrose Pubs business brand. The portfolio is a mixture of pubs we own outright and pubs we operate on behalf of clients. In some cases the client will just be an owner/manager who needs help to run their own single pub; in other cases we run pubs on behalf of other companies.
We can also tailor what sort of assistance we provide. We can run their entire operation or we can help them with certain aspects of the business like accounts, payroll, dealing with suppliers and ensuring the best deals; recruitment, stock management, marketing, HR, auditing etc.
Nothing is ‘off the shelf.’ If a client wants us to run their operation, we research their business and what the local community is looking for. We can also look at their costs. In other words, if a pub or an operating company needs help… we’re there to provide it.”
Blackrose Pubs is a company worth watching. Within the next year or so, Daren is intending to add up to 100 pubs to firm’s portfolio. It’ll be a mixture of pubs owned by a chain and pubs which are owned by a single person. He’s also looking to assist individuals and businesses which are looking to invest in pubs.
“When it’s run properly, a pub is an excellent business and is worthy of investment. We can help investors with every aspect of the pub business and run pubs on their behalf. We can boost their investment and help them expand. We operate as their partner.”
So, if you are looking to invest in the pub business or perhaps you need some help and advice about your current business, the best idea is to speak to Daren and his team at Blackrose Pubs.
All of this has given us a thirst.
Mine’s a pint of light ale please.
Northern Insight Magazine - Issue 99
March 2024