Star announces support package to aid reopening

Available to all of the group's 2,500 pubs, the package includes safety point-of-sale material, with a free pack available to every licensee.

The materials and advice have been developed in Star’s managed operator estate during lockdown, enabling leased and tenanted licensees to benefit from the guidance.

Health & safety is a key component of the package, which comes with in-depth guides for every area of a pub as well as a step-by-step risk assessment template.

In addition, Star has negotiated preferential rates on Covid-19 safety equipment with Nisbets and on risk assessments that result in ‘Safe to Trade’ certification with Shield Safety.

It has also arranged a discount for its pubs on an ‘off-the-shelf’ menu of 22 dishes to be made available through wholesale food supplier Brakes, in a bid to help licensees maximise sales despite social distancing restriction.

Other components of the package include advice on licensing applications for unlicensed garden space, and access to new payment and loyalty app Swifty.

“This is a critical time for licensees." says Star Pubs & Bars managing director Lawson Mountstevens.

"In this period of uncertainty, we want to make it as easy as possible for our licensees to reopen, so we’ve taken a holistic approach that covers the whole of their business.

"Licensees will have one chance to make an impact when they open their doors again. This package will help them get it right and generate customer loyalty that should benefit their pubs for years to come.

“Licensees have risen to the challenge during lockdown. Many have taken the opportunity to review and improve their offers and have supported their communities through this crisis, highlighting the valuable role pubs play in society. These are strong foundations which our support aims to build on."

The package adds to the £21m Star Pubs & Bars has invested in rent concessions for its licensees since the Coronavirus lockdown came into effect back in March.