Pub 2501 p01 news 21/1/10 14:05 Page 1
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Monday 25/01/10
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READY TO WINE NET
CHIP IN... NOT? GAINS
National Chip Week How a wine bar chain Social networking to
celebrates a pub fave upped its beer game pull in the punters
FOCUS P.31-34 DRINKS P.24 THIS WEEK P.16-17
TRADE CLAIMS CODE
‘DEMONISES PUBS’
Industry fury as mandatory code hits pubs hard and turns blind eye to off-trade
By James Wilmore
jamesw@thepublican.com What will the code
INDUSTRY FIGURES have lashed mean?
out at a government crackdown on
alcohol which completely ignores From April 6:
supermarkets and off-licences. “Irresponsible” promotions such as
The Home Office finally released “all you can drink for £10”, “women
full details of its new mandatory drink free” deals, speed-drinking
code of practice last week and, if competitions and dentists’ chairs –
approved by Parliament, from April where people pour directly into the
6 “irresponsible” promotions and mouth of customers – will be
“dentists’ chairs” will be banned. banned. Licensees will have to
Licensees will also be legally ensure free tap water is available
obliged to offer free tap water to for all customers.
customers from this date.
Penalties for breaching the code From October 1:
are a maximum fine of £20,000 or Pubs must offer a 125ml measure
six months in prison. of wine, but this can served in “any
A second section of the code will size glass”. For spirits, licensees
take effect in October and will mean must offer a 25ml or 35ml measure
licensees have to offer a choice of – they cannot “only offer a double”.
smaller wine and spirits measures. Licensees need an “age verifi-
Pubs must also make sure they cation policy” which says that any-
have an “age verification policy” to one who looks under-18 must be
help stop underage sales. Fourteen years after Gazza’s celebration at Euro 96, dentists’ chairs have been banned from checked for ID.
This is on top of a change in the pubs, even though few, if any, actually use them
rules coming in on January 29, which
means anyone caught selling to an Association attacked the code for breaching parts of the code was “com- Asked by The Publican whether
under-18 twice in three months faces “demonising” pubs. pletely out of kilter” and “farcical”. there were any government plans to
being stripped of their licence. Chief executive Brigid Simmonds But the Association of Licensed stop “irresponsible” promotions in the
Home Secretary Alan Johnson said: said: “With nearly 70 per cent of all Multiple Retailers welcomed the ban off-trade, a Home Office spokes-
“Alcohol-related crime costs the UK alcohol now sold through supermar- on promotions, saying the trade woman said: “We haven’t ruled out
billions of pounds every year and kets, the pub-centric measures are would be “well rid” of them. taking action on price and we’re look-
while the vast majority of retailers lop-sided and unbalanced.” It was also confirmed that local ing to develop the evidence base in
are responsible, a minority continue Paul Smith, executive director councillors will have the power to call this area.”
to run irresponsible promotions.” of late-night trade organisation for a licence review without having
But the British Beer & Pub Noctis, said a possible jail term for had a complaint, from Friday. • See Editor’s Comment, page 19
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Issue no.1,175
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