My Star News January 2026

SINGLES NIGHT IS VALENTINE’S DAY HIT

Concerned that her wet-only pub would be quiet on Valentine’s Day evening as couples would want a romantic meal out, Amanda Bithell held a Singles Night at The Roebuck Inn in Forsbrook. All were welcome and were given stickers to denote their relationship status. There were red stickers for those who were “taken”,  orange for those who could be persuaded to date and green for singletons who were “available”. Silly games and a disco relaxed attendees and sparked introductions. Fresh roses on the bar, hanging paper hearts and heart-shaped glitter on the tables added to the atmosphere. 75 people attended the free event, including new customers who heard about it on social media. Two singletons left hand in hand. Says licensee Amanda Bithell: “People want to escape when they come to the pub and have a laugh. This was lots of fun and without it the pub would have been dead on Valentine’s night rather than nearly full. We’ll repeat it this year.”

PRODUCTIVITY APP PAYS OFF

Productivity is up and the wage bill is down at The Bull Hotel in Stony Stratford, as a result of  a new management app. The app forecasts likely sales and the corresponding staff costs required each week – based on the previous twelve weeks’ trade – and this information is then fed into the venue’s rota planning and scheduling tool. To ensure customer and employee satisfaction are not negatively impacted, the app also analyses feedback. Online reviews are tracked, and there’s a sentiment survey for staff to report how they feel about their shift using one to five smiley faces and written comments. Says Matthew McInerney, BDM for McManus Pubs who run The Bull Hotel: “We’ve reduced staff hours and consequently costs, whilst maintaining our customer review average at 4.8 and keeping staff sentiment at 85%, which is what we like. If these dipped, we’d consider boosting staffing. Previously we did the analysis ourselves. That was very time-consuming; now it’s easy and the data is always at our fingertips. Based on our savings, I’d urge operators to look at productivity. Single site operators can probably do it manually; however, with 18 venues, automation pays off for us, even with the cost of the app. We’re using Tenzo but there are other options.”

SALES SOAR ON BACK OF GARDEN REVAMP

Sales have risen 40% since March last year at The Innes Bar in Inverness thanks to a £3,500 garden makeover. The project added an outside bar, installed more gas and electric heaters and extended the roof covering half the garden over the whole space. Licensee Craig MacLeod built the bar, which has three products on draught as well as a wide selection of other drinks. The low-cost clear corrugated plastic roof retains the heat and is easy to maintain. Real and faux vines plus pretty lighting soften the look and, along with stylish planting, give a big-city feel that customers love. The garden can now be used year-round and seats 75 people – up from 40 – doubling the pub’s internal capacity. Whilst the garden is available all the time, the bar opens based on demand. The area acts as a function room, too. Bookable for £50, its affordability attracts one to two bookings, typically for seventy people, every week. Says Craig: “The changes made a massive difference to trade for a relatively modest outlay. They’ve created lots of new regulars who discovered The Innes Bar through coming to a function. We also purchased an additional Sky box and have outside screens so that we can show different sports tournaments simultaneously.”

WORLD CUP READY WITH INNOVATIVE OUTDOOR BAR

The Crown at Alrewas – a top-quality local serving good food – is already promoting its transformation into a football pub for the duration of the 2026 World Cup and has a simple but effective outdoor bar ready to cater for the crowds. Installed by tech services with Star’s authorisation for the 2024 Euros, this comprises two taps on the exterior wall providing Inches and Cruz Campo from the pub’s second cellar to ease pressure on the main bar. A serving table, plastic glasses and payment terminal are all that’s required on top. Reflecting the tournament’s location, The Crown is replacing its normal menu with American cuisine and Mexican street food, plus a couple of British classics and a barbecue next to the outdoor bar. Licensee Grafton Hand purchased a 100-inch TV early to get a good price and has hired a sideless marquee with a stage for entertainment before key matches. Smaller outside screens and indoor TVs will offer further viewing options. To extend dwell time, seating will be first-come first-served, encouraging early arrival. Says Grafton: “The Crown isn’t a sports pub, but we get behind big tournaments and aim to make them memorable community events that residents can enjoy together. We’re lucky our cellar is in the right position to support an outdoor bar; it’s a great help and customers love it.”

OUTSIDE FOOD MAXIMISES TRADE

Trade increased five-fold during 2025 at The Black Horse in East Hannay due in part to new operators Ian and Jackie Crayford hosting pop-up food trucks once a month on Mondays and installing an outdoor pizza shack serving authentic Neapolitan pizzas every Tuesday. The couple put down hard standing for the food trucks – which range from Thai to Mexican –

and lets them use the space, electricity and bins without charge. The trucks promote The Black Horse on their socials, bringing in their followers. The pub closes its kitchen on food truck Mondays and serves drinks only, generating £400 to £1,500 in sales. A 26-foot shipping container was bought and converted to look like a wooden shack with a kitchen, woodfired pizza oven and serving hatch for £7,000 all-in. It sells homemade pizzas in takeaway boxes. Guests can eat inside or out and order off the main menu. On summer nights, music creates a festival vibe in the garden.

Says Ian: “It’s like two pubs. The cosy olde worlde indoors offers traditional pub classics and appeals predominantly to those aged 40 plus. The garden’s food brings in 25- to 40-year-olds and families who might not come otherwise. On good Tuesdays we’re busy inside and sell around 60 pizzas outside. We’re adding an outside bar, so we can also hold outdoor functions.”

RED LION’S TIPI SPACE IS ROARING SUCCESS

Two heated tipis joined together into a stunning overflow trading and function area are putting The Red Lion at Moore on the map. Decorated Nordic-style with fur rugs and stylish lights the space is accessed by a covered walkway and has a dedicated bar. The whole setup cost £100,000 and will pay for itself within 18 months. The room hosts charity fundraisers, private functions and pub events, such as wellness days and markets. These feature local businesses, who post on their socials attracting their followers and promoting the pub. There’s a minimum £50 spend per head for functions – but no hire fee. Set food packages and bespoke catering are offered. To show off the area licensee Becky Rogers photographed it dressed for different occasions and posted the images on Facebook. A dedicated website will follow. Says Becky: “The tipis are critical to our success. They bring in new people whilst residents view them as a community asset, embedding us in the village. We had 26 private functions in 2025, which doubled trade over the weekends they were held. There are five weddings alone booked for 2026. Semi-permanent structures are a grey area planning-wise; you’ve got to be clued up and also consider issues like noise. Research is essential.”

CAMPING PROVIDES CASH INJECTION

The Chequers at Stanton by Dale had a useful cash injection by offering a field behind the pub as camping space for attendees of the nearby Download festival. Licensee Ian Moon promoted the facility on the festival’s social media. A 10-metre pitch with room for a car and tent was £50 per night. 30 people booked, most staying for two days. Ian marked out the spaces with spray paint. Campers used the pub’s toilets, which can be accessed from the carpark and separated from the trading area with a lockable door overnight. Other than being for adults only and a ban on fires, there were no rules. Says Ian: “Under legislation you can offer camping without any local authority permissions for a number of days every year. You need someone there to welcome people and answer questions on the first day. If repeating it, we’d dedicate one person to be in charge of this and send out a comprehensive information pack in advance. We didn’t get incremental sales at the pub, as people ate and drank at the festival, but it was worth doing for the pitch income alone.”