Hall & Woodhouse reports surge in number of former management operators applying to become pub tenants

11-Jan-2013 - Last updated on 11-Jan-2013 at 17:09 GMT

Related tags Landlord Corporation Renting

Rosie and Clive Russell, business partners at The Onslow Arms in Loxwood, West Sussex, are among a number of Hall & Woodhouse pub tenants who previously worked in managed houses

Dorset-based brewer and pub operator Hall & Woodhouse has reported a growth in the number of former managed pub operators who have successfully become tenants with the company.

The firm has said a third of all successful applicants to its tenancy programme previously managed pubs - the family brewer is also reporting an increase in the number of online applications from publicans with managed house backgrounds.

"The biggest reason managers are making this move is our Business Partnerships Agreement which guarantees a contract free of rent reviews," said Matt Kearsey, business partnerships director at Hall & Woodhouse.

"It is landlord and tenant protected and we are essentially giving our Business Partners a fairer share of the profit they make, through cheaper beer prices and machine splits," he added.

The news comes at the end of a week when the relationship between the larger pubcos and tenants has been firmly in the spotlight with a Parliamentary debate examining self-regulation and an announcement by Business Secretary Vince Cable that he was planning to create an adjudicator to manage complaints from tenants against pubcos with 500 or more venues.

Support

Rosie and Clive Russell, business partners at The Onslow Arms in Loxwood, West Sussex, are both now tenants of Hall & Woodhouse and said they were pleased they had made the move from just managing pubs.

"We have been at The Onslow Arms for five months now, having previously spent 18 years within managed houses," the pair commented.

"The change from managed to a pub partnership with Hall & Woodhouse has been smooth and comfortable due to the level of support we have received from everyone within the brewery. It has most certainly been worth it; it is great having the autonomy to make all business decisions ourselves."

The couple explained Hall & Woodhouse, which last year won Best Tenanted/Leased Pub Company with less than 200 sites at the Publican Awards, had helped by creating a website for the pub without any charge to the tenants.

"We would definitely recommend making the switch from managed to a pub partnership; just make sure you embark on a partnership with a company who provide support," they added.

Hall & Woodhouse brews a range of beers under the Badger Ales brand and currently has a growing estate of more than 260 tenanted and managed pubs on the South Coast.

The firm last year announced it had acquired four new sites as part of growth plans for the company.