Football vs party season How pubs are coping at crucial time
THE run-up to Christmas is usually the busiest time of the year for pubs as festive celebrations and workplace parties get into full swing ahead of what is often a quiet January.
This year looks set to be a unique December for the hospitality industry, with the football World Cup clashing with party season and, of course, the cost of living crisis looming large over both landlords and customers.
With pubs contending with rising costs from suppliers and higher energy bills, we asked them how they were preparing and if there was extra pressure riding on the Christmas season this year.
With a huge outdoor area and a prime location by Clifton Down station, Steam has been luckier than most so far, thanks, in part, to a loyal student following, but staff said they had still faced some difficult choices.
Paula told the Post: “We made a big decision not to put our prices up in accordance with our suppliers. At the moment, we haven’t been too affected in terms of trade.
“Of course, we are affected because our costs have gone up – our electricity bill is about £4,000 a month – but it’s still important to represent value for money while still trying
to make a living.”
Paula said Steam had tried to keep its costs down by changing suppliers and employing someone to help it reduce its utility rates, but it had also come up with a special Christmas deal. Instead of a formal party, Steam is offering a Christmas version of its popular bottomless brunch, costing £37.50 for a meal and 90 minutes of unlimited booze.
She thinks people are looking for value for money and said the response, so far, had been favourable.
“In fact,” Paula said, “We’re struggling at the moment to get parties booked on the days the World Cup is on. I think as we get closer to Christmas, we will be turning people away.”
Over at the Shakespeare in Redland, Olivia said that despite feeling permanently
worried at the moment, she, too was optimistic.
“Trade has been good so far. I think there’s this underlying feeling of concern, given last year when people started cancelling because of Covid. It doesn’t feel like we’re going back to that, but because of the last few years, there’s definitely a worry.
“I’m finding it hard to put big orders in, but people seem to be wanting to go out and enjoy themselves. There is low-level anxiety surrounding everything, though, in case people decide to cancel because they haven’t got the money.”
The Shakespeare’s gastro menu makes it a big draw for foodies, while its large courtyard is ideal for football fans to relax with a pint in the summer. But the World Cup’s timing is proving to be a “bit of a pain”, forcing the owners to juggle things around to keep all their customers happy.
“We always want to make sure we’ve got plenty of space for customers to walk in, so we have turned some parties away already. We’re trying to keep it manageable.”
Olivia says the pub has had to raise its prices slightly but has tried to keep them as low as possible.
“We are trying to stay optimistic; we’ve just got to hope our customers are able to ride the storm. It seems like another thing we have to get through, and once we get through it, see what disaster there is next year.”
Jenn, at Greenbank in Easton, said she had noticed a change in business recently, with a downturn in children’s party bookings, but was still cautiously hopeful.
She said: “It’s getting challenging. We want to offer the best value, but our costs are skyrocketing. We’re quite lucky because we’re part of a bigger company, but it’s still hard.”
She says they are offering money off vouchers in the New Year to help mitigate against a dip in trade, as well as putting on more music and events over the Christmas season.
“We’re having to work harder to get people here and keep them here,” she said. “People still want to come out; it just might not be for four or five pints.”