Pub 2710 p27 Beer Matters 20/10/09 14:59 Page 27
www.thepublican.com thePublican Monday 26/10/09 27
Beer Matters Drinks
Bucking
the
trends
While many pubs are trying to diversify
to ride out the recession, the wet-led
Woodman in Hertfordshire is sticking to
what it’s good at – its ales
THE DRAW of the beer at Hertford- for one thing: beer served to them in
shire pub the Woodman is so strong a homely atmosphere. Food only
that drinkers propping up the bar accounts for five per cent of the
while the Craig family has been in Woodman’s sales. There’s no fruit
charge have included a former machine, music or “thousands of
England footballer, a Lord Mayor of pounds spent on chrome and fancy Tom Craig has been working to attract younger customers to the pub
London and tradesmen of all types. lighting”, as Tom says. Nor is the
“Locals know they will always find Woodman blessed with an accessible trend. We style ourselves on an old- beer festival. Tom says: “Dad built the
someone among the broad cross- location – buses swing past the pub’s fashioned boozer. Someone’s front pub up into the cask house it is
section of customers we have in here front door just twice a week from room is exactly what we want to be. without ever doing any kind of big
to do a job they need doing, whatever towns a couple of miles away. We welcome anyone and there are no promotion, but once I’d been in
that might be,” jokes Tom Craig, who frills here.” charge for a few years, we decided it
took over from his father Graham in There for the beer For all its lack of frills, 25-year-old was time to take the plunge with a
2006. What it does have, however, is a Tom has been charged by his father beer festival.”
The Arsenal and England legend is range of well-kept and well-served with making some tweaks to attract Pubs like the Woodman, suc-
Brian Talbot. The political mover and beers, a sun trap beer garden and a younger customers. ceeding through something as simple
shaker is Sir Clive Martin. He wasn’t small room that the Craigs have “Dad’s fear was that a lot of our as offering beer served well and little
one of Boris Johnson’s predecessors made to feel like someone’s front customers were coming to the top of more, are a dying breed.
as Mayor of London but occupied the rooms. Drinkers will find a couple the escalator,” Tom says. The straightforward cask offer has
lesser role of Lord Mayor of London, of Greene King brands, some beers The Woodman has picked up a lot therefore become a strong selling
with responsibilities in the capital’s from McMullen Brewery and ever- of customers nearer the bottom of the point for Tom, who says: “We are
business district. Nevertheless, they changing guest ales. escalator under his tenure, many becoming more and more unique
are some esteemed customers. “Many publicans at the moment switching from lager to cask beer as without actually doing anything our-
Talbot, Martin, the brickies, believe you have to serve lots of food their regular drink. selves, but are proving that traditional
plumbers and landscapers all come and diversify, but we are bucking that In June, the pub ran its first ever country pubs can really work.” ■
The pub
• The Woodman, Wild Hill,
Hertfordshire
• 95/5 split between drink and food in
the overall sales mix
• Freehold
• Tom Craig took over as licensee in Beer Matters is an initiative from The Publican and Greene King aimed at
June 2006 from his father Graham, promoting best practice around all beer styles from real ale to lager across
who had previously run the the pub trade.
Woodman for 16 years
Look out for articles and updates on beer quality, serve and range, case
studies on successful brewers and pubs and much more. For more details
visit www.thepublican.com/beermatters
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