News |Maidstone pubs


downsmail.co.uk Why pubs are fighting to survive


IT IS a trade that isworth £55mtoMaidstone each year, but the pub industry has had its fair share of knocks in recent years. Drinking habits have changed,


and, with it, the make up of our pubs.Many have been lost along the way,while others are striving to find a niche that makes them stand out fromthe crowd. But there are signs of a resurgence.


Refits costing hundreds of thou- sands are being carried out on some pubs, while the revolution in real and craft ales is also helping. There are many success stories,


but also cautionary tales. James Souttar, the salaried manager of Drakes in Maidstone town centre, admits that the industry isnot some- thing hewould invest in. ButTheRoyalPaperMill, inTovil,


has hadwhat licenseeTrudyCollins describes as a “dire” spell. “We’re staying afloat,” she said.


“The last five months have been dire. Tradesmen haven’t got the work or the money, a long winter means lessmoney coming in.” Nationally, about 18 pubs aweek


are closing.There are various factors at play, but both the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) point their fingers at one key factor. “About a third of the price of a


pint is nowtax, andthe average pub pays about £130,000 tax a year,” Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the BBPAtoldDownsMail. “As a country,wepay around40%


of the amount raised by tax on beer in Europe, yet nationally we only drink about 12%of the product. “Business rates are also costly.


About 2.8% of the business rates in this country are paid by pubs, but there’s around 0.5% of the output.


Lots of other things impact pubs as well, such as occupational pen- sions.” Pubs have always been at the


heart of the community, andthis has been the case in places such as Ul- combe and Stockbury, where vil- lagers clubbedtogether to keeptheir locals open. The Trosley Heritage Groupis hoping to saveThePlough, which is closed, but has beenmade an “asset of community value”. The Swan in Loose is another pub


which prides itself on being at the heart of local people. “This pub has a strong commu-


nity bond,” landlady Wendy Leatt said. “People feel the need to keep the pub alive and so use it. “We put on food, events and ask


customers what they want. A pub should be the living room of the community. It’s theirs not yours,we just run it.” The gloomy headlines are there


for all to see, but Mrs Simmonds sees a brighter future. “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it,”


she added. “I don’t believe it’s pos- sible to keep all of the pubs open, some historical pubs are not viable. “But I am positive about the in-


dustry. Nationwide, a billionmeals a year are sold, andthere are around 50,000 bedrooms in our pubs. “Wewant to encourage people to


drink anything – it doesn’t have to be alcoholic – in a safe environment like apub.Pubs areunique inBritish culture. “We’ve lost about 8,000 in thepast


fewyears and I believe local author- ities have a role to play in keeping themopen.”


Chef Steph Hinton andmanager James Souttar at Drakes Vegan food ‘gives us an edge’


A VEGAN kitchen is helping Drakes inMaidstone town centre stand out fromthe crowd. As one of the oldest pubs in the


town, Drakes is, manager James Souttar says, an alternative venue tomany of those elsewhere. “A lot of our regular customers


treat the pub as a bit of a safe haven,” he said. “There has always been an alternative vibe here and that’s what people like. “We are a hidden gem, but that


benefits us.” James has been manager at the


pub for almost three years, taking over when it re-opened after an 18- month closure due to flooding. The vegan kitchen opened its


doors late last year, giving a newdi- mension to the pub and opening it up to a wider clientele. “The kitchen is a separate entity to the pub,” he added. “There are


seven or eight in the chain and they have various kitchens. “Steph Hinton, the chef at the


Fortify Café was looking for a new premises,wewere put in touchwith her and it’s gone fromthere. “We’ve had people from as far


afield as Scotland and Paris come to try the food.” James has been in the pub trade


for 13 years, andworked in catering prior to that, so has seen the ups and downs. “If I hadmoney to invest, I’mnot


sure it would be in this trade,” he said. “Butwe’re doing ok here,we’re turning a profit. “The financial crash in 2008 has


changed drinking habits enor- mously. “It’s definitely that rather than


the smoking ban – even the smok- ers say they prefer the pubs now that there’s no smoke in them.”


It’s all about the beer at The Jug


DRINKING habits are definitely changing – and the rise in microp- ubs is taking advantage of that. Micropubs come in all shapes


and sizes – converted public toilets, shops andmore are home to them. The first one opened in Herne in


2005, and with almost 50 dotted around the county, Kent is the un- official home of themicropub. The Malling Jug became West


Malling’s first when it opened its doors inApril


2017, and a year on it is still going strong, with a wide range of ales fromall over the country on offer. Duty manager Shirley Everett (pictured) said: “Most pubs don’t


18 Maidstone Weald May 2018


stock the quantity and quality of real ale thatwe do.Over theweek- end, we look to have between 12 and


14 casks on the go – it’s like having a beer festival every day. “It’s going really well here and


we get a lot of real ale fans fromall over the area come to visit us.” But it is not all about the beer – a


good wine selection and local ciders help bring in punters, while bottled lagers are also on offer. The beauty of these pubs,


though, lies in the people behind them. Shirley said: “When David [Catterall] set up the pub, it was more a hobby than a business. He


couldn’t find anywhere that sold the range of beers he liked. “We don’t open as long as tradi-


tional pubs do, and I think our cus- tomers appreciate that. It also meanswe can go outwhenwe shut at 9pm.” Without fruitmachines and juke-


boxes, micropubs are all about the beer. It’s a chance to try local ones and those fromfurther afield. “We have beers from Goacher’s


in Maidstone and Kent Brewery, which is in Birling,” Shirley says. “But we also have a supplier so


we can get beers from across the country, fromallmanner of differ- ent breweries.”


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