A number of bodies exist to represent the interests of pub companies or their licensees, whilst other groups (such as CAMRA) champion pubs on behalf of their customers, and therefore have a strong interest in the way pub companies operate.
Formed in 1904 as the Brewers’ Society but renamed in 2000 to reflect its growing pub company membership. Its members are responsible for 90% of the beer brewed in Britain and own around 20,000 of the country’s pubs; interestingly, the biggest pub company, Stonegate, is not a member. The Chief Executive is Emma McClarkin who succeeded the long-serving Brigid Simmonds in 2019.
The BBPA positions itself as ‘the voice of the beer and pub industry’ and campaigns for lower taxes and less regulation to ‘enable growth and investment’ in the trade. It provides members with guidance, specialist insight, research and statistics, including a ‘licensee forum’ offering free advice on matters such as cellar management, property & planning, licensing & regulation and health & safety.
This is a membership organisation with charitable status whose remit is ‘to raise professional standards across the sector’. Its 9000 members are drawn from all areas of the trade — tenants, managers, free-traders, pub chefs, bar-staff etc. Helplines cover issues like human resources, legal, licensing, tax, environmental health and market knowledge. It also sells services to tenants through their pub companies and in several regards can be seen as a commercial partner of these companies, some of whom offer free BII membership to their tenants/lessees. Several companies are corporate BII members.
Another membership organisation — this one aims to look after the interests of self-employed licensees and was formed in 1992. The advice, help and guidance it offers includes matters like contracts of employment, health & safety, staff induction and working time regulations. It has a direct financial/commercial link with Stonegate who offer free membership to all their tenants/lessees. When the Pubs Code came in, the FLVA notably did not support the Market Rent Only option.
The FBP was founded in June 2020 by redoubtable tenants’ rights campaigner Dave Mountford (the Pub Defender) and Ian Cass, Managing Director of the Forum of Private Business, primarily to protect British pubs and the people who run them. They aim to support all publicans, and tied tenants in particular, as well as being a strong campaigning voice with government and the industry. In their view, there is vast bad business practice and unfair behaviour in the latter and the absence of a fair, level playing field keeps many licensees in a state of perpetual jeopardy. There has also been, they say, until they came along there was no true representation for pub tenants at government level. To help address the imbalance, FBP gives its members access to expert advice and guidance on general and legal issues and, especially, on using (or trying to use) rights under the Pubs Code.
Founded in 1880, this is the leading licensed trade body in Scotland. It is consulted by governments, national boards and the media — with members also being represented at local level through a series of local and regional trade associations. Membership is open to all Scottish licensed trade outlets.
PAS was set up to help tenants obtain high-quality independent advice and support to grow their business. Areas on which it can advise include rent reviews, business rates, unworkable business plans mis-selling of agreements and the Market Rent Only option. It also provides pre-entry advice for people looking to enter the trade. It has represented many tenants in Pubs Code and other arbitrations.
As well as CAMRA, several other groups have emerged to campaign on pubs issues generally. The Campaign for Pubs was launched in June 2020 to campaign for a ‘better, freer and fairer, more sustainable’ pub sector. It aims to unite publicans, campaigners, suppliers and customers ‘in a single mass membership organisation fighting to protect pubs.’ Protect Pubs (founded 2014) is a ‘community led campaign organisation and advice forum for all those who love pubs and want to see them at the heart of British culture’. Its Facebook page has over 2500 members. Fair Deal for Your Local and its predecessor Fair Pint has been campaigning for reform of the beer tie since 2007 and claims to have been the first campaign to get the beer tie and the behaviours of the large pub companies on the political agenda. It was set up and is run by tenants and former tenants.
Paul Ainsworth
Paul Ainsworth
Paul Ainsworth
Paul Ainsworth
Paul Ainsworth
Paul Ainsworth
Paul Ainsworth
Paul Ainsworth
Paul Ainsworth
Become a CAMRA member today for unlimited free access plus many other membership benefits. Find out more
