Pubs/bars with dirty Lines and bad beer experience

[goldenfleece 11]

On the day after the Dove was vacated by the previous bankrupt Landlord, who ran the Dove since 2001, the cellar and beer lines were in such a terrible state it was stated by Tech Services that they had never seen such a mess ever before....the normally transparent and clean beer lines were BLACK, encrusted with interior grime and the contents were so polluted it was a miracle no one died from drinking beer in the Dove before August 2006. They were so far gone the only thing to do was the rip EVERYTHING out and install brand new systems....even the cellar buoys were gunked up and full of **** an inch or so thick at the bottom.....it was horrendous and we are pretty sure those lines were not cleaned for at least (and I mean at LEAST) 6 months prior to that.........

'As above so below' always applies in pubs, so if your local has a dirty and grubby bar area, mountains of unwashed pots, dusty, grimy bar top, litter, is generally unkempt and tatty, etc, you can bet your bottom dollar the cellar is also not in the best of health.

 

Let me clarify though, having said the above, that since the new lines and systems were installed in the Summer of 2006, our cellar, lines and whole system is flushed every Tuesday morning vigorously using the old manual method.....no auto line cleaning machines here, they not up to the job if you are a perfectionist......Environmental health congratulated us after years of problems with the Dove Landlord before us, and gave us a totally clean bill of health, instead of 'dreading' the annual compulsory inspection.

[goldenfleece 11]

The breweries make it so hard for landlords to make any money these days due to the rents being so high and then to tie the landlord into a contract to buy all the beer/lager/spirits from them too. that way the brewery knows how much the pub is making and can determine the costs involved. another way of controlling how much a landlord makes at the end of the week.

thats why so many pubs buy cheep from elsewhere or go bust

and we all see it too often.

 

100% true in general. The situation is always geared towards Pub Companies, and the smiling faces of the BRM's (Business Relationship Managers) are often wolves in sheeps clothing........

 

But there is still room for negotiation before signing ANY lease or tenancy, if you push them hard enough. Most of them say no room for negotiation, no concessions, take it or leave it, but the reality is if you keep on pushing and convince them the pub is a run down dump that has very little future, etc, sometimes they will bend over to give YOU the best deal!!! You can get guest ale clauses (means u can buy some beer from where you like and not just them), reduced rent frozen for an agreed period, rent free periods, reduced ties, ie freedom to biy spirits from where you like, opt out of other standard provisions like, in our case, we are not tied to renting all games machines from them, ie we provide our own pinball machines, and can even buy our own juke box if we want instead of the standard rent deal, and other favourable lease terms that are not standard....you have to ask...and keep asking....and keep asking

 

try hard.....VERY HARD, coz, in the words of Ringo Starr, It don't come easy!!

and also in the words of Tom Petty you need to say to them

I won't back down

[Tony 10]

I'm not sure that the previous incarnation of the D&R is a typical example, but good on you for sorting it. ;0

[goldenfleece 11]

I'm not sure that the previous incarnation of the D&R is a typical example, but good on you for sorting it. ;0

 

No I think the previous Dove is an exception to the rule......and one that nobody misses at all.....

[SallyLaLaLa 10]

In all the managed chains I have been involved professionally with it is now a disciplinary offence to "filter back" to cask, and it has always been a sackable offence with Bass, Whitbreads, Toby, Brewers Fayres, Marstons, Pathfinder Pubs and Spirit Group (I have worked with them all) to return to Keg.

 

 

Although that's true they do also put on virtually unreachable 'wastage' targets which some chains put an awful lot of pressure on managers to reach with penalties if they're not so often managers do fiddle with putting wastage back into circulation.

 

I worked in a Scottish and Newcastle pub of Piccadilly circus where the managers had us pour the slops from the drip trays back into pint glasses and then top them up with new beer and serve. Needless to say I got out of there as quickly as I could!

[Ghostrider 11]

In all the managed chains I have been involved professionally with it is now a disciplinary offence to "filter back" to cask, and it has always been a sackable offence with Bass, Whitbreads, Toby, Brewers Fayres, Marstons, Pathfinder Pubs and Spirit Group (I have worked with them all) to return to Keg.

 

 

Although that's true they do also put on virtually unreachable 'wastage' targets which some chains put an awful lot of pressure on managers to reach with penalties if they're not so often managers do fiddle with putting wastage back into circulation.

 

I worked in a Scottish and Newcastle pub of Piccadilly circus where the managers had us pour the slops from the drip trays back into pint glasses and then top them up with new beer and serve. Needless to say I got out of there as quickly as I could!

I have seen this many times in the past, and its something I would never do.

 

I have always worked on one principle - If I wouldnt drink it myself, I wont sell it.

[SallyLaLaLa 10]

Unfortunately Ghostrider I had no choice as I would have been sacked if I refused. I was there for a matter of weeks until I found a new job but finances prevented me from leaving sooner.

[eric_the_man 10]

I worked in a Scottish and Newcastle pub of Piccadilly circus where the managers had us pour the slops from the drip trays back into pint glasses and then top them up with new beer and serve. Needless to say I got out of there as quickly as I could!

 

 

 

on a funnier side, you see this most nights on CORONATION STREET.

 

have you ever seen them fill a pint from and empty glass???? i think not

 

and as for betty's hotpot, how old is that cos she is hardly ever there................ LOL

[Cavellsuk 10]

The best one has got to be East enders when they use the bar top corkscrew to pull a pint of real ale!

[dacrlit 18]

"It's usually the shabby traditional pubs that serve bad beer."

 

I find it disgusting, that you have used the above as an example.

 

All the traditional Public Houses that I have been into, in Sheffield are very clean. For example Fagins, The Dog and Partridge, The Wellington, The Hillsborough Hotel, The Fat Cat, The Kelham Island Tavern and others.

[Till Man 10]

Your friend was right. Anything under gas is likely to give you a bloody nose if you try to open it. You won't find a 'watered down' lager.

 

Not strictly true. After more than 20 years in the industry I can say that there is "more than one way to skin a cat", and I have observed and reported on some weird and wonderful occurrences in pub cellars. Whilst not wishing to give an on-line lesson to any dodgy landlord who may happen on this thread, it is possible to access the contents of a keg without removing the spear. The use of some normal and common pieces of cellar equipment, together with a funnel, will enable you to return beer (or whatever) to a pressurised keg.

As I say, I only ever saw this, never did it.

[Yog Sothoth 10]

Thats for CASKS, which have a vent and a tap, yes...

kegs are pressurized and different, but there are various gadgets you can add before the beer reaches the bar via cellarbuoys, etc that mix water in....all highly illegal of course.

 

Don't the local EHOs come round and inspect the delivery set-ups?