Jeff Gitter was asked by the BBC to appear in their Inside Out programme with a view to providing an independent, expert accountant’s view of the business of a London pub, for a feature to be broadcast on 7 December 2009.
The piece reported on the issue of tenant publicans having to buy their beer from the pub companies, in the so-called ‘beer tie’. The report examined claims by some publicans that they are being driven out of business by the large pub companies that own them because of the high beer prices and rents that they are forced to pay.
The BBC approached Lubbock Fine as experts in the restaurant and catering industries, to provide a professional review of the accounts of The Eagle Ale House in Wandsworth, South London which was one of the pubs they were using for their case history.
The tenant publican claimed that he would make far greater profit were he able to buy his beer ‘off-tie’ rather than at the prices imposed by the pub company. Lubbock Fine was asked to comment on and verify these claims by examining various documents including up to date lists of wholesale and “beer tie” prices and annual financial statements, in order to assess how much additional profit the publican could make if he was able to buy his beer ‘off-tie’.
The partners of Lubbock Fine were pleased to be associated with this production.
For further information on our work in the restaurant and catering industries please contact Jeff Gitter at
jeffgitter@lubbockfine.co.uk
