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

Prepared 31st October 2014