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Now imagine your coffee or milkshake is slapped down on the counter in a chipped,
non-branded mug or a polystyrene cup.
You wouldn’t be happy, especially not at the prices you pay for those products.
And the same standards must also apply to pubs. Thanks to the influx of branded outlets and chains, a customer now has certain expectations of service levels.
When it comes to glassware, this means it should be branded if appropriate, spotlessly clean, odour-free and delivered with style. If all of these are met, people are often more than happy to pay that little bit extra for the experience.
Simon Mills is the freeholder at The Harvester (no, not the chain) in Long Itchington, Warwickshire. The pub has been in the Good Beer Guide for a quarter of a century and prides itself on impeccable service standards.
Simon says: “We have some fantastic Belgian beers and they won’t let us buy their beers unless we use the correct glassware.
“We try to use branded glasses where we can, but it gets difficult when you are stocking from small microbreweries. With these we try to ensure we are consistent with the glasses we use.” He says the key is training staff to know which glasses should be used for all drinks, making sure glasses are collected and washed regularly and carefully managing storage areas.
Research indicates that up to 50 per cent of glassware is not as clean as it could be. To improve standards Heineken UK has launched the Glass Act programme. Thousands have taken the course and as a direct result most have experienced a rise in beer sales of between three and 30 per cent.
Heineken UK’s Darryl Hinksman says: “Anyone serving draught beer should have a glass-washer that is regularly serviced, using the right detergents. Domestic dishwashers and cleaning agents are not up to the job; apart from anything else, fragrance is the last thing a consumer wants in their beer.”
One way of checking whether a glass is past its best is to fill it with soda water. If bubbles cling to the side then it is not up to standard.
It is also good advertising to use the right brands with the right drink, so customers can see what is available in the pub.
Back at The Harvester, Simon adds that getting this wrong can have a negative impact. “I never understand why pubs have beermats of beers they do not serve. It is the same with glassware – it can only disappoint the customer if you don’t stock those brands,”he says. “Customers are coming to expect higher standards now. Places such as Starbucks teach their staff to serve with the brand facing the customer. Pubs are the last places to catch up with that.”
Statistics from Carlsberg back this up, and also indicate that people will pay more for quality. A survey by the lager
giant revealed 48 per cent of customers agree that if a drink has quality branded glassware they are more likely to order it.
And it is not just the beer glasses you need to worry about. Most brands will want you to serve their drinks in their glassware. Cider-maker Aspall, for example, produces branded goblets and tall glasses in both pints and half-pints.
Spirit producers, too, are becoming increasingly keen for you to use bespoke glassware, such as the new oversized Tanqueray glasses for an extra-decadent G&T. And the trend reaches into soft drinks as well. Britvic released more than one million J20 glasses in 2010 and the company has just produced an entire new range for Pepsi.
Andrew Boyd, Britvic commercial director, says: “If a drink is not presented in the right way – for example if it does not have the right amount of ice or mixer or even a clean glass – it’s seen as an automatic fail and you will potentially lose any possible repeat purchase.”Now nobody wants that, so get your glass in gear!
Another glass to stock
Pubs across the country were no doubt delighted when the powers-that-be turned their attention to the vital matter of introducing two-third pint measures. These glasses, commonly known as schooners Down Under, are now legal to use. Punch Taverns recently delivered 50 cases to licensees as part of a promotion with Carling brewer Molson Coors. In a survey 28 per cent of licensees said schooners would work well with meals, while 35 per cent said they would be popular with women.
Christiana Baehr,who runs the Magdala pub in Hampstead, North London, says: “The new glass has been really positively received by regulars. People have been enjoying it with food and think it’s a good idea if they want another drink but don’t fancy a full pint.”
Glassware facts
The new Carlsberg Reward glass
boosted sales in the on-trade by 12%
77% of those who get the perfect serve are more likely to buy a second drink (Britvic)
1 in 7 (14%) believe that it is worth paying more for a pint in a branded glass (Carlsberg)
Two-thirds of Guinness drinkers prefer a branded glass (Market Measures, Nov 2011)
