Last week we held our Rewarding Success lunch, in the Visitors Centre, for all our Business Owners (tenants) at which Stuart Bateman gave an emotional speech.
The last time we were all together was March 2020 and what a journey for all of us since then it has been. Little did we know on 20th March 2020 it would be nearly 18 months until we were allowed to open our pub doors again with no restrictions.
In fact it was 2 years ago last week that we were told we could open again but only outside. That was a step in the right direction, but then it decided to rain hail and snow for weeks. On May 17th the Rule of 6 was introduced with social distancing. The industry was subsequently helped by ‘Eat Out to Help Out’. Pubs were not back to normal until August 2021.
Stuart thanked the Business Owners who are still with us since those dark days of 2020, of which there are 32, and a big welcome to those Business Owners who have joined us since 2021. He also thanked three of our major suppliers Coke, Coors, and Heineken (alphabetical order), who have supported Rewarding Success.
Our Brewery is nothing without the great relationship we have with you our Pub Business Owners, but also with our main suppliers.
Although the trade is still finding its own new level, customers are changing their drinking and eating habits and expenses need to be brought under control, we have come through together.
Breweries and pubs are closing daily, but the good will survive and prosper. Pubs have shown just how much they support their communities when people were isolated and customers began to realise how much they missed what they had always taken for granted. Even the Government is starting to realise that pubs are part of the solution and not part of the problem.
Things might be tight at the moment, but it is the less good pubs in the country which will close and those owned by companies driven by the desire for short-term profits to fulfil the dividend requirements of shareholders. We as a business did not get any grants and just had to dig in. At first, we all thought it would be a month or so, then 3 months, then 6 months, no-one envisaged it would be 18 months and then a recovery period after that of which the Brewery has gone through three modes 1) Survival 2) Revival 3) Development. We are delighted to say that we are now in development stage. When we entered COVID we had 49 pubs, we came out of COVID with 49 pubs, and we presently have 51 pubs, with only two pubs seeking new Business Owners.
The importance and benefit of working with an independent family company whose shareholders are all family, is that there is a much longer term vision. We’re not about short term, which is why we will be able to celebrate our 150-anniversary next year and why the next generation of the Batemans family are training at other breweries ready to take roles within Batemans.
In the last few months we have just completed on the acquisition of two new pubs, and three major refurbishments, have a new Head Brewer and Director of Sales, have an exciting new ‘Reduced Risk, Business Purchase Agreement’ which allows Business Owners the opportunity to sell on the business at a profit, along with many other benefits.
Stuart ended his speech by asking everyone to raise a glass to all those in the Profit Partnership Team, Jaclyn , his sister, and to those who worked so hard at the Brewery to help see us through the dark times, and a special thanks to those who gave him so much support, particularly Sue, Helen, Neil and Jaclyn during the bleak times.
It’s been a strange time and there is even a book being written about our 150 years, rather than it being called Blood, Sweat and Tears, it is called Pubs, Debt and Beers.
We will prosper in the future, although, without doubt, there will also be hard times, but we promise to all involved now in the future that the company will never seek short term profits and inflated shareholder dividends at the expense of good people.
AWARD WINNERS
Pub of the Year
THE PLOUGH NETTLEHAM
Joanne & Christos
https://www.facebook.com/ploughnettleham.uk
Cellar of the Year
THE KINGS HEAD NORWICH
Karen & Steve
https://www.kingsarmsnorwich.co.uk
Digital Marketing of the Year
THE CARPENTERS ARMS BOSTON
Paul & Jan
https://www.carpentersarmsboston.com/
Rural Floral Display of the Year
THE RED COW FISHTOFT
Tracey & Andy
https://www.facebook.com/Redcowfishtoft
Suburban Floral Display of the Year
THE KINGS HEAD NORWICH
Karen & Steve
https://www.kingsarmsnorwich.co.uk
Charity Pub of the Year
THE BALL HOUSE
Andy & Marie
https://www.theballhouseboston.co.uk
(Correct at time of writing 24th April 2023)
