Stockport-based family brewery, Robinsons is proud to have awarded 88 pubs the ‘Best in Glass - Gold Standard Certificate of Excellence’, demonstrating 90% or above in their 2022 beer quality audits.
The vast majority of these winners are from the Robinsons’ tenanted pub estate.
The outstanding quality translates to more sales as on average, the 2022 winners sold 7,000 more pints of beer than the average sales across the rest of the estate, worth over £30,000 per pub at retail value.
These gold winners outperformed other pubs by 6% in beer sales versus 2019 draught volumes sales, which in a declining beer market, is worth both celebrating and noting the importance of quality to the consumer.
Of the 7,000 extra pints there was a growth of approximately 2,000 pints of cask beer sold per pub in 2022, showing sales that better beer quality delivers profitable and tangible sales growth.
This leading standard quality assurance scheme – ‘Best in Glass’ – was launched back in 2018, in a quest to improve beer quality across their pub estate.
The initiative seamlessly knits together their annual beer quality audit, training records and data to create a 360° suite of insights that allow Robinsons, and their licensees, to collect, analyse, and take action on data that will help improve and optimise beer quality, reduce waste, maximise yields and sales, raise pub cellar standards, and recognise and reward the beer quality heroes.
Oliver Robinson, Joint Managing Director at Robinsons, commented, “We have long been determined to keep our licensees’ focal areas such as beer quality at the forefront of our values, providing services and upskilling to positively impact their beer quality.
'I am both delighted with the record results from our fantastic beer quality team and the efforts of our licensees, proving that better beer quality delivers more sales of beer - cask beer in particular.
'?In addition to these unannounced audits, we also invest in dispense monitoring systems meaning we have real-time data on line-cleaning and beer dispense temperature, meaning on an ongoing basis we are well-placed to spot issues and opportunities outside the audit process.”
Robinsons provide monthly cellar training courses for their licensees and their teams, in-depth beer quality training during inductions with follow-up meetings with licensees to help them attain these excellent standards across their estate. The family brewer also provides their licensees with an in-house technical services team, meaning that the beer lines, taps and pumps are run and maintained to their optimum performance.
In relation to this, Dan Taylor, the licensee of the Black Horse, Preston (CAMRA 2022 Central Lancashire Pub of the Year) added, “It is one of the things about Robinsons which sets them apart from other pub companies.?They have kept beer quality close to their hearts and the Trade Quality Brewer Allen Bellamy and his team are always available to help with any issues and advice.?
'During COVID they even visited us all and destroyed or removed all the beer to ensure we could get money back quickly.?We even get cellar paint free of charge from the brewery to ensure things are always spick and span. I’m delighted to have won this award – it means a lot to the staff too and reassures the customers that we keep a great pint.”
Best in Glass awarded licensees receive a framed and dated ‘certificate of excellence’ which are displayed within their pubs.