The Beer Column by Brewery Bird
Wetherspoons, whilst often hastily labelled as purveyors of cheap drinks, cheap food and a variety of dubious alcoholic offerings, are often over-looked for their contribution to the local community in terms of their seeming dedication in turning long derelict buildings into profitable and thriving businesses.
It is the latter concept which has over the last few years perhaps given rise to another nationwide movement, and rapidly so. Abandoned sweet shops, butchers premises, pet shops and hairdressing salons to name but a few are finding a new lease of life as micro-pubs; typically one-room premises newly licensed as free-houses serving mainly cask ales and real ciders. Shunning most forms of electronic entertainment (wifi and a little background music aside), the micro-pub offers patrons a place to enjoy a tipple in an environment where conversation is king, and traditional pub snacks often locally produced, are the ideal drinking companion.
How it All Started
The first micro-pub was launched by Martyn Hillier back in 2005 in Herne Bay, Kent. Advised by a local licensing officer in 2003 that he could turn his ailing florists business into a pub, his immediate thought was “no thanks”, too much like hard work”! But after a few thought-provoking pints, he decided that it wasn’t such a bad idea and the Butchers Arms was born. A teeny 12 x 14 feet square, the ex-butchers shop cost Martyn (whose motto of “you can’t please everyone, so why bother trying” is refreshingly simple), around £2000 to set up and serves an impressive six ales. It wasn’t until 2009 when Martyn was invited to speak at CAMRA’s national AGM that the micro-pub movement really began to spring to life, his passion and knowledge sparking other wannabe licensees into action.
Is It Really That Simple?
Thanks in part to the Licensing Act of 2003, which came into force in 2005, it is much easier to open a pub than ever before. A single Premises License has replaced the multitude of complex processes that licensees used to have to go through to obtain permission to sell alcohol or provide late night refreshment. The Act also permits change of use of a shop to a micro-pub and will not allow your friendly national pubco to challenge this.
It can cost anywhere from £10,000 to £30,000 to convert a shop into a micro-pub and approx. £20,000 yearly in running costs. And if you keep turnover below £75,000 a year, there’s a 20% reduction on VAT. Opening hours tend to be lot shorter than traditional pubs, and with over 800 breweries now trading in the UK, you won’t ever be short of beer.
Coming To A Town Near You…
Ten years on and there are now around 100 registered micro-pubs throughout the UK with many more predicted to open, which is refreshing news. Have you tried:
Cow & Cask, Newbury – opened in 2014, stillage space for 6 casks
The Vaults, Devizes – Wiltshire’s first micro-pub opened in 2013 serving 5 ales
The Shed, Alehouse, Pewsey – Opening this month.
Could you be a micro-pub owner in the making? The Micropub Association offers advice and the opportunity to talk to other licensees. www.micropubassociation.co.uk