Following the wave of patriotic fervour, generated by The Queen’s Jubilee and the amazing Olympics, a new website has been launched which accentuates the British-ness of pubs.
Award-winning author and publisher, Philip Porter, has launched a new website entitled The British Pub Channel to support and promote British pubs and breweries.
‘We have created this to celebrate the successful pubs, nurture those that need support and help those that are endangered,’ says Porter. ‘We are entirely serious and taking a long-term view although we believe we are serious players already.
‘We have been honing the site for about nine months and have a number of young employees working flat out on the content.’
Porter claims the site has a number of features that make it different, with more to come.
‘The site is not just a way of finding pubs,’ he states. ‘There are pub videos, programmes about pubs, beer, wine, breweries – anything that is relevant, informative, interesting and fun. We have an advanced search function, Google maps, Street View, contact details, GPS with distances, distances from stations, blogs, events listings, pub trivia, Facebook and Twitter feeds and more – all designed to engage with pub customers and tourists. And we have a load of new ideas up our sleeves!’
Porter and his team need publicans to ‘claim’ their pubs so they can check their pub’s details are correct, or add their pub if it is not listed. This is not difficult as it is all laid out to be as user-friendly as possible, and there is even a short video tutorial. Porter stresses there is no cost whatsoever, apart from a few minutes’ effort. Claimed pubs are distinguished by a tankard symbol and a higher ranking.
‘We have 46,000 of the 51,000 pubs in this country listed and we currently have a small army working through the database checking details because we know the list is not perfect. Landlords, or their staff, can help themselves and us by claiming their pubs as soon as possible, and definitely before the public launch at the end of September. Between us, we can get this 100% right.’
For just £15 a year (half price introductory offer), pubs can upgrade and have eight photographs, a fuller description, a website link, opening hours list, upload menus and wine lists and add YouTube videos. Nearby pubs are no longer listed on their page. Upgraded pubs have a star symbol and even higher ranking. Porter states that an upgraded page is almost the equivalent of a website but for a fraction of the cost.
The British Pub Channel is also offering professionally-made 60-second videos from just £100 per pub. Philip’s wife, Julie, an actress, oversees the productions and is a voiceover artist.
‘We are passionate about pubs, whether city, town or rural pubs,’ says Philip. ‘We are doing this to support pubs and British breweries. Please do help us to help you. Please claim your pub now at www.pubchannel.co.uk and consider an upgrade or video. We look forward to working together and welcome feedback and ideas to allow us to do the best possible job we can for you, the trade.’
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Attached Images: British Pub Channel logo
BPC 1 – From left: Author Philip Porter, actress Julie Porter and Project Manager David Jones in their local, The Peacock Inn, near Tenbury Wells
BPC 2 – From left: David Jones, Philip Porter and Julie Porter outside The Peacock Inn
Notes to Editors
British Pub Channel
Launched by Porter Press International, award-winning publishers of books by such luminaries as Murray Walker, Sir Stirling Moss, Douglas Wilmer, Barry Cryer and Philip Porter, the British Pub Channel is a new website that is state-of-the-art and packed with features to promote nationally, and internationally, the great British pub. Having 46,000 pubs (growing daily) listed out of the 51,000 in the UK, the site is already one of the most comprehensive pub websites on the internet. Please help us to help pubs. In 1980, there were nearly 70,000 pubs – 18,000 (25%) have closed.
Philip Porter
Apart from loving pubs since his teens, Philip Porter is a multi award-winning author (his last book Ultimate E-type – The Competition Cars was voted Motorsport Book of the Year at the recent British Sports Book Awards), was the first person ever to fly an airship in Africa, is a former Chairman of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London, is MD of three small companies, is married to the actress Julie Porter, owns the oldest E-type Jaguar in existence and the one that appeared in The Italian Job, has produced audio books for Penguin, is a presenter for fGear TV, has written about 30 books, was Per Lindstrand’s company’s airship test pilot, has been a hot air balloon champion pilot and lives in a Tudor farmhouse (with company offices in the thatched barn) in Worcestershire and a flat in Chelsea – so frequents both country and city pubs and has recently joined the British Guild of Beer Writers.
Press Information & Images
For more press information or high res images, please contact David Jones or Hayley Zamur on +44 (0)1584 781 336 or email david@pubchannel.co.uk