The Green Room West End, one of Edinburgh’s most beloved bars, has become one of the first bars in Scotland to leverage the newly implemented Scottish Pubs Code. The new legislation, which gives pub owners the chance to ask to just pay a rent without being tied to supply stock from the pub-owning business, means The Green Room West End can now stock a wider range of beers. Furthermore, it means the iconic bar is able to slash the price of a pint of lager from £6.90 to just £5.20, a saving of 25% for local patrons.
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’s tied tenanted pubs and bars.
Anna Lagerqvist Christopherson, co-owner of The Green Room, commented: “The Scottish Pubs Code is a fantastic initiative, but it is currently a hidden gem that many struggling pub and bar owners across Scotland don’t know about. Breaking 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.
“Scotland would have a significantly more vibrant pub and bar culture if knowledge of this law were more widespread. We 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’t just about cheaper beer, it’s about the survival of the pub.”
You Might Also Like:
To celebrate the milestone, The Green Room West End will host a ‘Freedom Party’ on Wednesday, 11th February, starting at 4:00 PM. The event is open to the public and will showcase the bar’s expanded range of beers and its new, lower pricing structure with live music from Edinburgh based musician Haftor Medbøe.
The Green Room West End has shown that the new legislation can provide a vital lifeline for tenants who have felt squeezed by the tied model. 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 guestbeer.co.uk
The Green Room West End team is ready to share their tips with other publicans, email info@thegreenroomedinburgh.co.uk or visit https://www.thegreenroomedinburgh.co.uk/about-3. Facts about the Scottish Tied Pub Code can also be found using the following links: MRO Guidance and Know your rights.
