Nick Bish Chief Executive, Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers

These are challenging times for operators of pubs, bars and restaurants and the ALMR is focused on getting the best deal for them – enhancing profits and building business, while promoting the value and contribution of our sector to government, the media and the public at large. These translate into three priorities for policy action.
 
We need to fight together and fight hard to protect on-trade interests as a whole whilst at the same time refocusing government attention on unregulated consumption through the off trade channel. There is now a culture of unregulated drinking at home – fuelled by deep discounting. It is time that was reversed – reintroduction of separate alcohol areas in supermarkets,  a ban on below-cost selling and perhaps even a higher legal purchasing age for the off-trade – could all help.
 
The second is that we will champion the whole of the on-trade sector and challenge government inconsistency. Warm words from Ministers about the community pub are all well and good, but not if they are undermined by continued attacks on pubs and bars as a whole. The government’s planned end to 24 hour licensing may well not affect the majority of pubs, but that misses the point. We simply cannot afford to allow legislative creep at the extremes of the industry to claw back hard won concessions.
 
Finally, we know that increasing costs will remain a huge challenge for all operators. Many of these will come from the Government through tax and compliance with the new red tape of social legislation. That is why our Benchmarking work remains so important; it gives us the facts and crucially the evidence to challenge the government on the ever increasing regulatory burden.
 
Coupled with a General Election and the challenge of a new reforming administration, 2010 looks once again to be a critical one for the industry. The ALMR stands ready to deliver what operators need to weather the storm.

www.almr.org.uk 020 8579 2080

We need to fight together and fight hard to protect on-trade interests as a whole...