Greene King Pub Partners has announced that it is paying for all its tied partners to become members of the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII).
At a time when help and support is needed for everyone in the pub sector, it is hoped this latest step by the pub company’s leased and tenanted division will provide an additional boost to tied partners, opening up access to the BII’s full range of support services, including their expert helplines covering the following areas: legal and licensing queries, HR & employment law, landlord & pub company queries, business rates, and tax queries.
Greene King Pub Partners managing director, Wayne Shurvinton (pictured), said, “Paying for our partners to have membership of the BII was a decision we’ve been considering for a while and now more than ever our tenants need access to as much professional support and advice as possible.
“Since this crisis began we were able to immediately defer all collection of rent payments while pubs are closed, agree to replace our customers’ out-of-date and unopened kegs and casks for free, and provide direct financial support in the form of appropriate rent concessions to pubs that aren’t able to access government grants. We are also now looking at what further financial support we can provide when pubs reopen.'
Shurvinton finished, “The pub industry is battling for survival and while cashflow is tight we want to make this commitment now for our partners as an investment in all our futures.”
The BII is currently processing the list of Greene King Pub Partners pubs and will be contacting individual licensees to introduce the membership package.
BII chief executive, Steven Alton said, “The BII offers trusted, independent support for our members and has always been a platform for sharing best practice in our vibrant industry.
“We have been working incredibly hard over the last few months, ensuring we are providing help and advice where it is needed most. We look forward to supporting all of our members as they face these uncertain and incredibly challenging times.”
The support package applies to all Greene King’s tied pubs that are not on a short-term agreement, meaning approximately 800 pubs will now be signed up for full membership. The initial support is in place for two years and will be reviewed annually afterwards by Pub Partners.