My Star News May 2026

TEACHERS’ PARTY IS A BIG HIT
An end-of-summer-term party for teachers from local schools attracts at least 100 people to The Steadings in Kirkcaldy and increases takings by 60%. Held on the last Thursday of term, it starts at 2.30pm and keeps the pub buzzing till closing. The event kicks off with a singer or band, followed by a DJ at 7.30pm. The pub sells bar snacks like fries and nachos for the first hour and serves a complimentary hot buffet at 5pm to keep attendees fuelled. There are two dishes – curry and pasta, one meat-based and the other vegetarian. Drinks-wise, prosecco and wine do particularly well, along with the standard cocktail menu, which is themed around schools. Licensee Lauren Hutchison emails schools in late May to notify them of the party and promotes it on social media. Teachers confirm their attendance, and tables are set up for each school.

Explains Lauren: “We don’t take bookings from other customers after 2pm. It’s a great way to thank teachers for all they do. They love the event and have a great time. We get further party bookings from teachers as a result, and they come back with their families, too.”

HOLIDAYING AT THE PUB
Licensee Katrina Robinson has put The Nest at Cannock on the map as ‘the place to go’ for families over the summer holidays. Kids’ meal prices go down from £5.25 to £3.50 for a main course like sausages, chicken nuggets or fish fingers, and ice creams are sold from a vintage bike in the garden. A free-to-enter colouring competition, which runs for six weeks with a bumper set of prizes such as Go Ape vouchers or cinema tickets, generates excitement and multiple entries. On sunny days, there is professional face painting for £2 a go and a free bouncy castle.

The Nest also holds junior darts and pool competitions – including free coaching from a regular – at 2pm on summer holiday Saturdays. The tournaments are £2 to enter and attract 12 to 20 kids with their parents. The whole family often eats at The Nest afterwards and then stays on for the evening.

Says Katrina: “It’s so expensive to go away now that more families are staycationing and seeking out local fun. We joke that they come on holiday to The Nest. We’re busy for the duration – whenever it’s nice weather, there are always 30-plus kids in the garden. The bouncy castle is so popular we’re investing in our own rather than renting.”

RACE NIGHT IS A WINNER
A Thursday Race Night at The Drill in Romford trebled normal takings and raised £2,000 for charity. The pub laid on a free cold buffet, and an external company ran the event. For £150, it screened old races over the pub’s AV system, compered the night, including race commentary, and handled all the bets on a card reader. Bets were £2.50, with proceeds split between prize money and the charity. Publican Kim FitzGibbon signed up local companies in advance to sponsor races and name racehorses, raising more money. A total of 150 people attended. Many were new faces who supported the charity.

Says Kim: “It was an effective way of boosting trade on a mid-week summer night after the football season had ended. Everyone got into the spirit, cheering on their horses and creating a great atmosphere. We’ve run two now and they’ve been a great success. They require minimal work and are a bit different. We didn’t need a licence because the monetary value of the bets was low. It’s important to ensure beforehand that the company’s electronic equipment works with your AV system. There were issues on our first night which delayed proceedings.”

GOING COUNTRY PAYS OFF
A free Friday night Country Party that cost £500 to put on more than doubled sales at The Eight Belles in Bletchley and won the pub a reputation for staging great events. Customers had requested a Country & Western night, and publican Elaine Burgess went all out to deliver an authentic one, hiring the Cockney Cowboy to sing. Outside, there were ‘Welcome to the Wild West’ banners and hay bales – donated to a pig sanctuary afterwards – as a selfie spot. Curtains patterned with a barn and horses from Temu transformed the inside of the pub. Little details added to the atmosphere, including straws decorated with glittery cowboy hats and complimentary whiskey shots on arrival served in cowboy boot glasses that customers could keep. All the staff and 180 attendees dressed up.

Comments Elaine: “Country music is popular with older people and is really taking off with youngsters, helped by a whole new generation of singers. I don’t do things by halves. Going big paid off and didn’t involve much work on the day, though there was a lot of planning beforehand. Other than the whiskey, we didn’t do any special food or drinks, and they weren’t needed. Everyone loved it and we’re making it an annual event.”

SCORING WITH FOOTBALL
A closed Birmingham pub that is off the beaten track, with only six houses nearby, has been transformed into a hugely profitable sports-led venue in just 12 months. The Diggers is a 20-minute walk from the Aston Villa ground. It now generates 70% of its trade from football and attracts some 400 people on match days. New licensee Emma Wall installed eight 65-inch screens and surround sound inside so that customers never miss a second of play. Two screens are even planned for the urinals. Outside, a heated marquee and two further screens provide extra space on weekends.

Entertainment extends dwell time. The atmosphere is so good that Villa Park ticket holders often opt to watch from the pub. On weekdays, there’s a DJ for two hours before and after matches. On weekends, the inside of the pub is quieter, catering for those wanting to focus on the football and chat. Outside, there’s a party atmosphere with a DJ, live music and roving entertainers like a magician and stilt walkers. The space is popular with families and younger people, who typically arrive two hours before the match and stay for hours afterwards.

Emma experimented with food stalls but finds Pukka pies go down best and deliver a healthy margin. They’re also quick to eat after work for ticket holders heading to the ground. For those who don’t want to walk, Emma has negotiated a £5 journey fee with a taxi company.

DESTINATION GARDEN IS A DRAW
A £15,000 revamp of the garden at The Handbridge in Chester in late 2023 has already paid for itself and boosted trade by 50% last summer. The outdoor makeover installed 20 new tables, a lounge area with softer seating, a bar – serving everything from draught beer to cocktails – and a small kitchen. This produces an extensive choice of authentically prepared tacos and, along with a barbecue on sunny days, reduces pressure on the main kitchen. To avoid mud and allow all-year use, part of the lawn was replaced with a pebbled section for the seating. Festoon lighting looks lovely at night. Dog treats and water bowls add to the garden’s appeal for the area’s many dog walkers.

Says licensee Nei Borgert: “We now have one of the nicest pub gardens in Chester. It helped put The Handbridge on the map and has brought in a whole different clientele from all over the city. We open at 10.30am and people come all day in the summer. Projects like this are expensive; it’s important to do your research and make sure you’ll recoup the cost before proceeding. We have fewer staff on the indoor bar when the outdoor bar is open, so we don’t need to increase the team.”

TAPPING INTO MUSIC FESTIVAL MANIA
Holding an early-August two-day music festival in aid of charity at The Lord Reresby, Thrybergh, quadruples sales and attracts 650 people. Numbers are growing every year, and people are organising holidays around the date. Ticket sales cover the £2,000 running costs, with the surplus donated to charity. Adult entry is £10 for one day or £15 for two. Children’s tickets are £5 for one or two days. Operator Tom Parol suspends the pub’s normal food offering and brings in a hog roast company, which donates £250 to charity for the opportunity.

Says Tom: “It took eight months to plan the first festival; now it’s easy and much quicker. It’s held on the car park, which adjoins a main road, so health and safety is key. We hire in fencing, four portaloos, two outside bars and security staff with medical training. A professional DJ friend entertains for free between sets, and a family member donates their flatbed truck as a stage. We have around eight bands plus a sweet stall, face painter and Bluey & Stitch mascots for the kids. Big music festivals are all the rage, but very expensive to attend. Ours is affordable. People appreciate that. The equipment costs the same for two days as for one, so doing a full weekend makes financial sense. I’d recommend the festivals to any pub, but start with one day.”

DOG CELEBRATION DAY IS A BIG SUCCESS
A Dog Celebration Day at The Lord Reresby in Thrybergh brought in 42 dogs and at least 100 accompanying customers, increasing sales by 75% on a November Saturday. The day was hosted to celebrate the return of the pub’s sausage dog, Henry, after he went missing. Henry was dressed up for the occasion and helped promote it on social media. It was so successful that it is becoming an annual event. All attending dogs had their names and photos taken for a Dog Hall of Fame gallery in the pub and received a free goody bag containing treats such as beef jerky and sprats. There was also a raffle for a huge dog hamper, with contents – mostly donated by regulars – ranging from a dog advent calendar to disinfectant. A total of 500 £1 tickets were sold, with the proceeds going to a local animal charity.

Says The Lord Reresby’s operator, Tom Parol: “It was one of our best ever events. It highlighted our dog-friendly credentials and introduced new people to the pub. To prevent mayhem, dogs had to be kept on leads and were invited to come throughout the day, rather than all together at a specified time.”