As the high street struggles to cope with the deafening noise of falling retail giants, could there be some cheer on the horizon with a boom in micropubs?
The low-key drinking holes are springing up all around Britain, but it is in Kent, a county synonymous with hops, in which they are thriving.
Setting up in former shop premises, the micropub is a back-to-basics drinking experience, which capitalises on the change to licensing laws eight years ago.
Not tied to any big breweries, they source local real ales, shun lagers and spirits, ban video and gambling machines while the thought of big screen TVs sends a shiver down their spine. Instead, they rely on developing an atmosphere based on good company and good ale.
Real Ale
There are currently 16 in the UK – and seven of those are in the county. What’s more, they’re set to double in the county within the next few months.
One of the founders of the micropub boom is Martyn Hillier, landlord of The Butcher’s Arms at Herne, near Canterbury, the country’s first micropub. Since opening in 2005, it has bagged several awards from the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra).
Mr Hillier said: “I thought of the concept; real ale, no music, no mobile phones, no TV, no lager or spirits.
“The micropub model is a growing revolution in the pub world as overheads are low and it is possible to make a profit and hence a reasonable living.
The Butcher’s Arms
“My concept – to convert empty shops into small pubs – is possible because of the change in the licensing laws in 2005, which saw a shake-up in the rules over the sale of alcohol.
“Pubs are closing these days because of high rents and long hours. The premises are often too large and worth more as a house than a pub.”
Mr Hillier, who is also leader of the Micropubs Association which supports those opening up such establishments, firmly believes the model he started will continue to grow in the future.
He said: “In 2009, I was asked to do a presentation at Camra’s AGM on micropubs. From that presentation others have been inspired to open similar pubs in the UK.
Butcher’s Arms Ale
“Currently there are 16, of which seven are in Kent, and there are seven more to follow in the county by Easter.”
Food is generally shunned, but some do serve local cheeses or pork pies as an aperitif to their ales.
He added: “The art of conversation has returned to my pub. Complete strangers actually talk to each other while enjoying a pint of real ale in top condition.”
Landlords starting up can select premises not previously used as a pub, they can select their own cask ales and, in some cases, even impose some unusual rules. As we reported last week, the Firkin Alehouse in Folkestone bans the use of mobile phones and charges its guests £1 if they have to use them, with the cash going to charity.
Parallels are being drawn with the retail sector as the economic climate continues to kill off chain stores but is allowing more niche boutique shops, which add a little character too, to flourish.
With many experts suggesting our town centres need to embrace a more continental café culture to inject life back into them, the micropub may yet prove a vital component to its revival. What’s more, they are providing a shot in the arm for microbreweries – of which there are around 25 in the county.
At the Conqueror Alehouse in Ramsgate the micropub landlord offers Gadds’ Ramsgate RPA from the brewery just down the road. It’s easy to source and the lack of road miles helps keep the price of the ale low.
Thanet is flush with these new-style inns and already houses the Four Candles Alehouse in Broadstairs, the Bake and Ale House in Westgate-on-Sea and the part bookshop/part drinking hole now known as The Chapel in Broadstairs.
Julian Dungey, chairman of the Thanet branch of Camra, has his own theories on why micropubs are thriving in the county.
He said: “It’s the fairly low start-up and running costs: overheads are kept to a minimum, they employ very few staff, there are reduced opening hours, no expensive entertainment or gambling licences, and low rents as they are found mainly in former shops.
“Micropubs have cornered a market in providing a service people actually want rather than the big pubs telling customers what they think they want.”
And there is likely to be one near you soon. Over the coming months there will be new micropubs in Whitstable, Tankerton, Birchington, Ramsgate, Margate, Welling and Wye.
Mr Dungey added: “Micropubs are the future and we appear to have come full circle. In the past landlords would open up their front parlour for the consumption of beers they had brewed themselves for the locals. People seem to have tired of the brash noisy pub and prefer the safe quiet atmosphere the micropub provides.”
Visit www.micropubassociation.co.uk for more information.
