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An Edinburgh pub has become one of the first in Scotland to leverage the newly-implemented Scottish Pubs Code which frees them to stock beers of their choice.<\/p>\n
The Green Room in the city\u2019s West End also says the code will enable it to cut prices by up to 25% and could provide a lifeline to many pubs.<\/p>\n
The Scottish Pubs Code, which recently came into force, is intended to create a fairer operating environment between tenants and landlords, reduce costly disputes and help safeguard the future of Scotland\u2019s tied tenanted pubs and bars.<\/p>\n
It was introduced through new legislation that means pubs are not obliged to supply stock from the pub owner.<\/p>\n
The code was part of the Tied Pubs Bill brought forward by Labour MSP Neil Bibby to bring Scotland into line with England and Wales where regulations prevented licensees from buying their beer on the open market.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The issue came to public attention when Heineken\u2019s pub arm, Star Pubs and Bars\u00a0was fined \u00a32 million by England and Wales\u2019 Pubs Code Adjudicator for serious and repeated breaches of the\u00a0Pubs\u00a0Code. But despite being headquartered in Edinburgh, Heineken\u2019s Scottish tenants did not\u00a0enjoy\u00a0similar protections.<\/p>\n
Anna Lagerqvist Christopherson, co-owner of The Green Room, commented: \u201cThe Scottish Pubs Code is a fantastic initiative, but it is currently a hidden gem that many struggling pub and bar owners across Scotland don\u2019t know about. <\/p>\n
\u201cBreaking free from the tie of stock we have to supply has been transformative for us. It also allows us to offer fair, competitive prices to our customers while being able to stock a wider selection of drinks.<\/p>\n
\u201cScotland would have a significantly more vibrant pub and bar culture if knowledge of this law were more widespread. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe are seeing venues close every week. If more owners knew they had the right to break these restrictive ties, we would see more businesses surviving, more employees kept in jobs, and more taxes paid into the local economy. This isn\u2019t just about cheaper beer, it\u2019s about the survival of the pub.\u201d<\/p>\n
To celebrate the milestone, The Green Room is holding a \u2018Freedom Party\u2019 on 11 February to showcase the bar\u2019s expanded range of beers.<\/p>\n
The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has launched a new portal designed to help pub tenants navigate the Guest Beer Agreement facet of the code. Tenants and lessees can find the portal at\u00a0guestbeer.co.uk<\/p>\n
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