THE CAMPAIGN WILL REMIND PUB GOERS OF THE GREAT THINGS THEY’VE MISSED AND GIVE THEM CONFIDENCE THAT PUBS ARE SAFE TO ENJOY AGAIN
Following confirmation that all pubs in England can reopen from 4 July and in Scotland from 15 July (with beer gardens being allowed to open on 6 July) the Long Live The Local campaign, backed by Britain`s Beer Alliance, relaunches today to encourage people to visit their local pub to help it get back on its feet, following months of closure. It will remind pub goers of the great beer, food, atmosphere and community spirit they have missed during lockdown and highlight what pubs are doing to ensure the safety of their customers.
Long Live The Local launched in 2018 to celebrate the vital role that pubs play in local communities, culture & the economy and to highlight the jeopardy they face from a range of tax pressures, specifically calling for a cut in beer duty. Whilst pubs still face these tax pressures, right now the biggest challenge they face is reopening & starting their recovery following the nationwide shutdown ordered by Government to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The new campaign will therefore talk directly to pub goers via social media and national press, encouraging people to show their much-needed support for pubs by visiting their local pub when it reopens. For those who seek more information, they will be directed to the campaign website longlivethelocal.pub which has more Information about what pubs are doing to ensure customer safety.
The campaign’s wide range of supporters and backers ranging from brewers, pub groups and small independent pubs, will help drive the messaging out to their customers through their social channels and websites.
The campaign will also highlight other great initiatives that pubs and breweries are driving to help the safe reopening and recovery of a sector that has been severely impacted by months of closure. These include Innis & Gunn’s `remember pints` advert, Greene King`s `Pub Safe` pledge, Joseph Holt’s `Safely Socialising` pub scheme, Carlsberg`s `Love My Local` online platform and many more.
David Cunningham, Campaign Director, commented, “Now that pubs have been given the go ahead to reopen after months forced closure and financial hardship. I am pleased to be relaunching the campaign with our new focus on encouraging pub goers to support their local pub by paying it a visit. We know that some people won’t need much encouragement, but others may feel nervous about returning. We will reassure them by highlighting what pubs are doing to ensure their safety is paramount. We will let them know that although a few things may be a little different, many of the things that they’ve missed so much about their local-the delicious food, a pint of fresh draught beer and the atmosphere will be exactly the same”
Ashley McCarthy Owner of Ye Olde Sun Inn, Colton, Yorkshire says “We’re desperate to open again. We will be opening our garden as soon as we can and we’re making changes inside to make sure it’s perfectly safe. Pubs need to open. The lucky ones have survived the lockdown but now they need their customers back quickly. It’s great that Long Live The Local will be helping us with this”
Kevin Georgel, Chief Executive, St Austell Brewery says: “Having had our doors closed for over three months, it’s a huge relief to have been given the green light from Government, to safely reopen our pubs across the West Country.
“We’re confident that by introducing extra measures in our pubs – led by the Government guidelines – we can ensure the safety of our teams and guests, while delivering the same great experience. Even in these unusual times, we can guarantee our usual warm welcome – delicious food, fresh draught beer and comfortable rooms in landmark locations”
“We know for so many, pubs play a key role in bringing communities together. We’re looking forward to doing just that as we take the steps to welcome our customers back responsibly. Long Live The Local is a great rallying call right now so I welcome the campaign`s new focus on encouraging people to visit the pub”
Nick Mackenzie, Greene King Chief Executive Officer, said:
“We can’t wait to welcome our customers back to our pubs and we know people are eager to return to their local. The safety of our customers and team members is always our number one priority and against the backdrop of a slow recovery from COVID-19, we are investing to put in place all the necessary arrangements. Of course, customers will notice some differences when they return but it’s important that alongside implementing the changes, we maintain the very essence of the great British pub. It’s great to have a campaign like Long Live The Local reminding people what they have missed about the pub and to encourage them back”
For more information on the campaign, please visit: longlivethelocal.pub.
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To speak to David Cunningham or for more information on Long Live The Local, please contact Nick Lawrie at British Beer and Pub Association at nlawrie@beerandpub.com or One Green Bean – BBA@onegreenbean.com / 0203 196 8306.
Notes to editors
Long Live The Local is a campaign, backed by Britain’s Beer Alliance. It launched in 2018 to celebrate the vital social, cultural & economic role pubs have in Britain. It also highlighted the jeopardy that pubs face from a range of tax pressures, including Beer Duty, business rates and VAT.
In March 2020, the Chancellor froze Beer Duty, in response to more than 256,000 people who signed the petition to cut Beer Duty. More than 130,000 of these wrote directly to their MPs asking them to support a cut.
Over 256,000 people signed the petition this year and more than 130,000 people wrote to their MP
Britain’s Beer Alliance was formed in 2014 to promote beer and pubs and encourage collaboration across the industry.
The Alliance consists of over 120 members including independent pubs, pub companies regional, independent and international breweries. In addition, 25,000 pubs have actively supported the campaign.