Admiral Taverns have awarded Tim Hartas of the Quarry Gap in Braford an Achievement Award for all his hard work at the pub.

Tim, who was previously a builder by trade and has now been at the pub for 18 months, has made considerable investment to improve both the interior and exterior of the pub. 

All soft furnishing have been reupholstered and old furniture replaced, while the beer garden area has been landscaped and an outdoor stage installed for summer music events.

Tim has also had the great idea of installing both a Sky 3D TV inside the pub and an external wide screen to satisfy the pub’s sports fans.

If you fancy crossing sides of the bar yourself, have a look at our pubs to let section. 

With the summer now drawing to a rather damp end, many landlords will be thinking about sprucing up the interior of their pubs in time for the autumn.

The Morning Advertiser recently put together a great article on how to improve your pub without spending a fortune, with some great tips on creating a cosy, unique feel.

To find out more about the major makeovers that we’ve helped our landlords undertake and get some more inspiration, have a look at our pub refurbishments section.

Up for a new challenge? We’re on the look out for new landlords and you might be just what we’re looking for.

We’ve got a series of open days going on over the next few months, where you can find out more about what it takes to become an Admiral Taverns landlord.

We’ll be visiting Bradford, Rugby, Liverpool and Manchester between now and October – for more information, view our full open day schedule and let us know you’re coming along to get your Admiral Taverns goody bag on the day.

Our landlords should prepare for a bit of friendly lobbying from their customers, following the launch of a new campaign by the Lager of the British Isles (LOBI) group.

The group, who aims to promote awareness of lager that is produced within the British Isles by independent breweries, have created template emails designed for pub customers to send to their favourite pubs, asking them to serve British brands.

Pubs that stock British lagers can stand out from the crowd by downloading posters on the LOBI’s website to tell people they stock British brands.

The pub industry is uniting to clampdown against underage drinking, according to a new survey.

Test purchases carried out by Serve Legal in the first six months of 2010 found that 74 per cent of pubs visited asked the mystery customers for ID, which represents a rise of 20 per cent since 2008, and a four per cent increase on last year.

This is a positive indication that pubs are becoming increasingly aware that they need to be strict about implementing underage legislation – something that we, of course, encourage all our landlords to do. 

Hayley-Doune Parker at The Wheatsheaf in Weedon has become the latest landlord to receive an Admiral Taverns Award in recognition of her years of service in the pub industry.

Hayley and her family have been at The Wheatsheaf for nine years, after Hayley followed her grandparents into a career in the trade.With five children of her own, Hayley has worked hard to create a family-friendly atmosphere at the pub.

She is now a well known member of the community and the Wheatsheaf has become increasingly popular with locals over the years.

If you’d like to establish a career in the pub industry, take a look at our pubs to let. 

Licensees can now keep customers up to speed on the sporting events being shown in their pubs by sending text alerts through Sky’s new website PreviewLive.

The Text Manager service helps licensees to build a customer database online and send customers texts inviting them to events in the pub – a great way to ensure a packed pub during the upcoming football season.

The website also includes an up-to-date fixtures and events section and licensees can log in to access marketing support and promotional material. They will also be able to view special videos, including training modules developed in conjunction with the BII, on the Pub Channel section.

Visit the PreviewLive website to find out more.  

A pair of licensees from Accrington who have raised thousands of pounds for charity with their customers' help have been rewarded with our Admiral Taverns Achievement Award.

Stuart Watt, business development manager for Admiral Taverns, was on hand to presented Mick and Lorraine of The Abbey Hotel, Accrington with their certificate at a special gathering at the pub, where the landlords handed over their latest fundraising cheque for £500 to the Broadfield Specialist School in Oswaldtwistle.

Mick and Lorraine will be donating another cheque to Macmillan Cancer Support in September. Keep up the good work, guys! 

Licensees looking for business advice can now use the Pub Assist website for free.

Following a successful first year, the site has scrapped its membership fee and will now provide free advice on everything from health and safety and stock-taking, to calculating gross profits, negotiating supplier deals and employment advice.

Landlords looking for a helping hand can also download free pub quizzes and explore a range of business guides.

Visit the Pub Assist website to find out more, and don’t forget to check out the 'Licensee Support' section on our website for further hints and tips.

A landlord from Stevenage is celebrating after becoming the latest recipient of our Admiral Taverns Achievement Award.

Harry Stokes and his wife Glynis have been at the Saint Nicholas pub in Stevenage for two years after Harry chose to leave behind his job running a chauffeur company to work in the pub trade.

One of the main changes the couple made was to turn the former pool room into a breakfast café, utilising this underused space to create extra income and provide a much needed service to the community.

If you’d like to swap sides of the bar like Harry, you can check out our pubs to let and also apply to become a licensee.