Pub & Bar News Sponsored by Ditsch UK
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 allows us to stock a wider selection of drinks and offer fair, competitive value to our customers.
“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 money flowing back into the local economy. This isn’t just about beer — it’s about the survival of the pub.”
To celebrate the milestone, The Green Room West End will host a Freedom Party on Wednesday, 11th February, starting at 4:00pm. The event is open to the public and will showcase the bar’s expanded range of beers, alongside live music from Edinburgh-based musician Haftor Medbøe.
The Green Room West End has demonstrated how the new legislation can provide a vital lifeline for tenants who have long felt squeezed by the tied model. The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has also launched a new portal designed to help pub tenants navigate the Guest Beer Agreement element of the code.
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