Kerridge raises the bar to help our boozers
When Saving Britain’s Pubs with Tom Kerridge (BBC Two) was commissioned, no one knew that lockdown was around the corner. That knowledge hangs over the show: even if Kerridge turns around the fortunes of every pub he visits, will it all be for nothing after they’re forced to close their doors?
But that is a problem that looms in next week’s episode. In the opener, Kerridge set out his stall. The Great British pub is “our neighbourhood living room”, he said, “where victories are toasted, friendships flourish and the world is put to rights over a pint of the usual”. It is also a place where, even before Covid struck, punters could be thin on the ground. The UK has lost more than a quarter of its pubs – nearly 14,000 – since the year 2000.
The decline is surely driven by the availability of cheap beer in shops, but there are other factors at play which Kerridge cogently explained. The three establishments featured here had different issues. The White Hart in Cornwall had a loyal village clientele but they didn’t generate sufficient takings to keep the owners afloat. Kerridge recommended capitalising on the views and becoming a “destination pub”.
The Golden Anchor in London had a rich history but hadn’t moved with the times, and the bar was empty except for domino players who nursed one pint all night. And The Prince Albert in Gloucestershire ran packed music nights but the tenant landlords were contracted to buy beers from their pub company at a set price.
The contributors’ honesty about their financial situation made this feel more real than many shows of a similar ilk. Amy, who ran The White Hart, took home just £75 a week after costs. And despite an annual turnover of £350,000, the tied landlords of The Prince Albert made a profit of £3,000.
Kerridge understood all this because he owns three pubs himself (one has two Michelin stars and charges £56 for roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, mind you). He was knowledgeable, sympathetic and full of constructive ideas, with none of the haranguing that can accompany shows of this type (Gordon Ramsay and Mary Portas, I’m looking at you). Fingers crossed that these hard-working landlords come through the Covid crisis.
Saving Britain’s Pubs with Tom Kerridge ★★★★