Session 2014-15
Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill
Written evidence submitted by Carol Ross (SB 53)
Dear Sirs
My name is Carol Ross, I am the licensee of Roscoe Head, 24 Roscoe Street, Liverpool L1 2SX. I have a 15 year lease with Punch Taverns (Fully repair and insuring Lease ("FRI Lease")). I have been at this pub for over 30 years, living with my parents, who had the lease before me which was a 10 year Vanguard Lease with free of tie on Guest Beer. I bought the tenancy from my parents in 1997, with very much the same terms as my parents. Roscoe Head Pub is one of the Magnificent 6 pubs. (Only 6 pubs in the England to have featured in every edition of the Good Beer Guide) Roscoe Head was famous for its beer, also the choice of beers.
In 2006, Punch Taverns changed my lease to a FRI Lease and took away my guest beer option. They also changed the terms of the lease so it was a FRI lease. This was detrimental to my business as I could not have guest beers of choice, and also could not afford any dilapidations. My business was successful before with the guest beer option. My pub is very old, I could not afford the dilapidations inside and out as this is a very old pub. Before I was only responsible for inside.
All I ask for is a chance to be on the same level playing field. There is a lot of competition around my pub, all free houses who purchase different ales from around the country, these pubs are all thriving, customers come into my pub look at the guest beers on the board and go back out. If there is nothing different on the board they will not come in. Punch Taverns directors have been invited to my pub on many occasions to have a look, firstly at the size and secondly to understand my need for ever changing guest beers to grow my own business. Also to show them my customer comments from the box, virtually all the customers ask for choice. i.e. "Lovely pub but choice of ales not great, would like some micro brewers beers and stouts". Beer choice is always a common concern. I know I can grow my business with a free choice of beers, I should be allowed to source my own beers. It is the beers that keep the Roscoe Head so successful. Unfortunately Punch Taverns make all the money from the Roscoe Head with their old session beers which they get good discounts on and then charge us nearly double. I earn less than the minimum wage.
Attached to this e-mail is a List of Beers which were out of stock at the time of ordering, this is not good, this would not happen if I was to source my own beers. This is my business, I should be able to run my pub according to my customer needs. Punch Taverns cannot provide me with the beers I need to grow my trade. Only MRO would balance this out. We need this balance to survive.
If we were given a fair market rent only, I know my business would grow, and I would employ extra staff. The Great British Pub is about the pubs being part of our community which is what they are famous for, i.e. the banter, the jokes the pie and the pint, the outings. it is about making the pub your own and your customers have a nest to come back to and feel you belong to, which is where the community pub stems from.
MRO is the only possible way of government ensuring a fair relationship between Pubcos and their Tied tenants.
The survival of the Great British pub is in your hands. Please I urge you to help the tied tenants.
October 2014
Annex
PUNCH TAVERNS
Out of Stock Beers 2012/14
|
10th July 2011 |
No FC |
|
18th July 2011 |
No FC |
|
16th October 2011 |
No Finest Cask Available |
|
24th January 2012 |
One Finest Cask (FC) out of Stock |
|
7th February 2012 |
Finest Cask missing from order |
|
13th February 2012 |
No FC Hooky Dark, No Jennings, re-ordered for Thursday |
|
16th February 2012 |
No Jennings – Re order for Friday |
|
20th February 2012 |
No Jennings in stock |
|
6 March 2012 |
No FC Spring Zing |
|
12th March 2012 |
No St. Parick’s Day Beers |
|
26th March 2012 |
FC Celtic Glory out of stock |
|
23rd April 2012 |
No Tetleys Bitter |
|
15th May 2012 |
3 FC missing – out of stock Gunpowder,Golden Glow, Hill Climb |
|
25 June 2012 |
2 FC missing – Lemon Dream, Citra |
|
3rd July 2012 |
Paid for 4 Finest Cask – not delivered – O of S |
|
24th July 2012 |
No FC Torchlight – Tetleys broken cask, Leaking, Case Peroni missing |
|
13th August 2012 |
1 FC missing – out of stock |
|
4th November 2012 |
Phoned Alan Wills to arrange delivery out of Tetleys asked for Monday delivery instead of Tuesday – did not arrive – No Tetleys, No Jennings, |
|
27th November |
No FC – Exmoor Dark |
|
7th December 2012 |
Tried to get Tetleys would not deliver any unless I paid for off day delivery |
|
18th December 12 |
Tuesday No dray, no phone call, said they would delivery Wednesday 3.00pm no delivery. Dray arrived 8.05pm in the evening. Normal delivery day Tuesday. |
|
5th February 2013 |
No FC Farriers Best, no Magners |
|
19th February 2013 |
No FC Airedale out of stock |
|
2nd April 2013 |
No FC Yorkshire Pride out of stock – No Manns Brown |
|
9th April 2013 |
England’s Glory out of stock FC |
|
1st May 2013 |
MILD MONTH – NO MILD |
|
2nd June 2013 |
No FC – An Howl, Penpont Brewing |
|
4th June 2013 |
FC Tripple FFF, Altons Pride Out of Stock |
|
17th June 2013 |
No Timothy Taylor Landlord (request AW to look into it) |
|
18th June 2013 |
No Timothy Taylor Landlord |
|
24th June 2013 |
No FC Backyard – The Hoard – Backyard |
|
24th June 2013 |
No FC Old Moor Porter – Acorn Brewery |
|
25th June 2013 |
No FC on wagon Audit Pale – Westerham Brewery |
|
9th July 2013 |
No FC Golden Best – Green Jack Brewing |
|
3rd August 2013 |
No Timothy Taylor – asked AW to look into again |
|
5th August 2013 |
Spoke to Gail re Timothy Taylor Landlord looking into it |
|
6th August 2013 |
FC – Highland Pale out of stock |
|
12th August 2013 |
FC – Stunner – Cotswold - O of St - not getting any more in |
|
26th August 2013 |
FC - Foxy Blonde – Scottish Borders – out of stock |
|
1st September 2013 |
FC - Box Steam - Tunnel Vision – Item currently out of stock |
|
1st September 2013 |
FC - Red Head – Pin Up Beers – Item currently out of stock |
|
1st October 2013 |
FC – Castle Rock – 2 x Black Gold - Out of Stock Telephoned Help Desk, told them I needed beer urgently. I do not want any other beer as I have paid for it. Asked if I could get it direct from Castle Rock, told to get permission from AW. Emailed AW no reply, telephoned Alan Wills , answer phone. No replies up until 5.30. Told them it was urgent. |
|
17th December 13 |
A Good Stuffing – out of stock |
|
24th December 13 |
A Good Stuffing – Discontinued. |
|
29th December 13 |
Manchester Pale Ale out of stock |
|
28th January 2014 |
FC Goosbery Blond out of stock |
|
28th January 2014 |
FC Adnams Gunhill out of stock |
|
28th January 2014 |
FC Just Jane - Ambridge – not delivered |
|
22nd February 2014 |
FC Bengal Lancer – Fullers Out of Stock |
|
22nd February 2014 |
FC Spire – Stonehenge Out of Stock |
|
22nd February 2014 |
FC Umbel Magna – Growler Out of Stock |
|
22nd February 2014 |
FC Flintlock – Coachhouse – Out of Stock |
|
22nd February 2014 |
FC Gooseberry Blonde – Wharfbank Out of Stock |
|
22nd February 2014 |
FC Winters’ Tale – Warwickshire Brewery Out of Stock |
|
22nd February 2014 |
FC Thunderbird – Kite Brewery Out of Stock |
|
22nd February 2014 |
FC Otter Bright – Otter Brewery Out of Stock del. Day after |
|
Raised my concerns with Punch about absence of beers in this rotation, they said it was because of end of rotation. I have asked Alan Wills what happens next week when the FC is not available because we have a further week to go before next rotation. Awaiting a reply. |
|
|
3rd March 2014 |
No Finest Cask available at all. |
|
11th March 2014 |
First weeks on new Rotation - Two Finest Cask not on wagon. Sarum IPA and Hoptimum Prime. Have text Punch (BDM) on Tues 11/3/14. No reply, text again on Thur. 12/3/14 to inform him again no beer arrived. Not replied by Friday 14th March 2013. AW sent me a text on Saturday 15th March to get some beer in. Cannot get any cask ales on Saturday (as he knows). |
|
18th March 2014 |
2 Finest Cask missing (no phone call) Cornish Mutiny |
|
18th March 2014 |
Hoptimum Prime (no phone call) |
|
24th March 2014 |
FC - Cornish Mutiny (see List 24.03.14) |
|
24th March 2014 |
FC - Sarum IPA (see list 24.03.14) |
|
31st March 2014 |
FC - Cornish Mutiny (see List 31.03.14) – Out of Stock |
|
31st March 2014 |
FC –Coiled Spring – Thwaites – Out of stock (see list 31.3.14) |
|
31st March 2014 |
FC - Sarum IPA (see list 31.03.14) |
|
1st April 2014 |
FC - Camerons – Tontine out of stock – not on wagon |
|
4th April 2014 |
FC- Camerons – Tontine out of stock – won’t be coming |
|
15th April 2014 |
FC – Wight Gold – Island Brewery O of S deliver tomorrow |
|
16th April 2014 |
FC – Wight Gold not delivered as promised. |
|
16th April 2004 |
FC – Wight Gold still not delivered |
|
22nd April 2014 |
Rosies Pig Cider – not delivered on order |
|
5th May 2014 |
FC – Exhibitionist Out of Stock |
|
5th May 2014 |
FC - Hill Climb – Out of Stock |
|
5th May 2014 |
FC – Inferno – out of stock – will arrange for Wednesday del. |
|
12th May 2014 |
FC Punter – Out of Stock – don’t know when it will be in. |
|
20th May 2014 |
FC Rio Gold – Out of Stock – re-arranged for Wednesday |
|
21st May 2014 |
FC Rio Gold – not arrived. Called to say it will be next week |
|
26th May 2014 |
FC Rio Gold Out of stock (see sheet attached) |
|
9th June 2014 |
FC - Oakham – Inferno out of stock. |
|
10th June 2014 |
FC Piddle in the Goal – Wyre Piddle Brewery |
|
22nd July 2014 |
FC Northumbrian Blonde – Mordue – Out of Stock |
|
22nd July 2014 |
BIB Cider Rosie’s Pig Out of Stock |
|
29th July 2014 |
FC Schiehallion Craft Lager – Harviestoun Re-ordered for tomorrow |
|
30th July 2014 |
FC Schiehallion Craft Lager – Harviestoun Out of stock. |
|
3rd August 2014 |
FC Schiehallion – Harviestoun – Out of stock |
|
10th August 2014 |
FC Okells - Aile – Out of Stock |
|
10th August 2014 |
FC Red Squirrel – Hopfest Out of Stock |
|
19th August 2014 |
FC – Mordue - Northumbrian Blonde – Out of Stock – Ordered Weetwood – Cheshire Cat |
|
19th August 2014 |
FC Hopfest – Red Squirrel Out of Stock – not on dray wagon |
|
19th August 2014 |
FC Okells – Aile – Out of stock |
|
26th August 2014 |
FC – OSM – Cotswold – Out of Stock |
|
26th August 2014 |
FC – Red Dawn – Red Squirrel Brewery – Not in stock |
|
26th August 2014 |
FC - Shere Drop – Surrey Hills |
|
26th August 2014 |
FC – Gunners Gold – Loose Cannon |
|
29th August 2014 |
FC Red Dawn – Red Squirrel Brewery – out of stock. |
|
9th September 2014 |
Jennings Bitter – Out of Stock |
|
21st October 2014 |
Jennings Bitter – Out of Stock |