Viewpoint: Don't let one bad pint put off punters

Line cleaning and temperature make all the difference when it comes to serving the perfect beer, says Steven Alton, managing director, Vianet

Hotel and restaurant operators are fast catching up with pubs and bars in recognising the importance of offering a well-considered and interesting beer range to their customers. Consumer curiosity in beer has arguably never been higher and operators must respond to meet those demands or risk losing out.

Beer quality has been a hot topic of debate across the industry and, as long-standing champions of quality in the on trade, we are pleased there is a renewed focus on this important issue. Despite on-trade volumes remaining under pressure, beer remains of huge importance to hospitality outlets as the craft beer revolution continues apace.

This year’s Beer Quality Report, produced by Vianet in partnership with Cask Marque, shows there is significant untapped profit available to operators if they handle their beer properly â€" an average profit opportunity of over £14,600 per pub per annum.

At higher-volume pubs, the opportunity is even greater. For a pub trading 500 barrels a year, the profit potential is £28,000 per annum. Add to this the real risk of reputational damage and losing repeat business by serving a poor-quality pint â€" why then would you not pay your draught beer offer the
attention it deserves?

Any business needs access to data â€" key management information is absolutely critical in knowing what’s going on in your business and the areas that need attention. When it comes to your draught beer performance, intelligence on key quality measurements, such as cellar temperature, line cleaning, throughput and yield can help you maintain consistent quality when it comes to keeping and serving beer.

This kind of real-time information can only have a positive outcome. It gives you visibility on what’s happening in your business, the opportunity to benchmark your progress and a clear line of sight on how good your operation actually is.

Given the current tough trading environment, there can’t be many hospitality operators that can afford to lose customers or turn down thousands of pounds in extra bottom line profit; it’s imperative that the industry seizes the opportunity to drive up quality and retail standards.

Savvy operators are driving their businesses forward by using technology across a variety of functions that provides them with the actionable insight to make informed decisions. By taking this approach with their draught beer performance, good operators can run better businesses and deliver extra profit from their sites.

With summer here and people enjoying the quality experiences the UK’s eating and drinking market has to offer, are you confident that your customers won’t be disappointed when they order their beer?

Videos from The Caterer archives

Are you looking for a new role? See all the current hospitality vacancies available with The Caterer Jobs