The Lock In Pub Podcast

The budget has been revealed, some would say before the budget was revealed, and the podcast team give their reaction to the Chancellor's hand outs and what it means for their businesses and wider hospitality. We also get some more considered analysis from hospitality veteran James Kowszun and the team test out and assess some new product launches.

With the roadmap to reopening the podcast team give their thoughts to the news, (spoiler,the reaction is not that great) and look at how pubs should be approaching the reopening challenge. They also tackle the tricky subject of insurance with special guest Steven Swift of Sector Associates, and share their frustrations on the insurance challenge. Tune in to hear it all.

The ever-changing announcements on holidays is the theme of the latest edition of the podcast, tackling the question of are staycations an option for customers and how this could impact pubs. The team are also joined by Liberation Group managing director Jayson Perfect to hear his views on the possibility of staycations.

Ongoing restrictions, supply shenanigans and whether to invest or not - the team take a topical look at the latest issues for the pub trade in this week's episode of the Lock In podcast and we discuss misguided campaigners and the importance of pubs for tackling loneliness.

It's all about the people in this episode of the podcast as the team talk training, furlough challenges, keeping teams engaged, future recruitment challenges and we speak to special guest Jamie Campbell from CPL Learning to get his advice and tips on staff training and wellbeing. Plus some stuff on crepes and the guys reveal their worst ever jobs...

It's all about the money in this episode of the podcast as the team talk finances, and speak to grants expert Kevin Stewart to get his advice on how operators can prise the cash grants out of local councils. James and Heath also share their thoughts on generating revenue in the lockdown and converting stock into cash.

Legal challenges and opportunities come under the microscope in the latest episode of the Lock In podcast as the team are joined by licensing specialist Andy Grimsey from Poppleston Allen. We also tackle some of latest challenges facing the sector, debate the need for a Hospitality Minister and Heath puts forward the theory that Boris Johnson is enacting a particularly twisted reality television experiment on the sector.

With the pub industry back under full lockdown, the podcast team review the Christmas that wasn't, discuss the current dilemmas facing the trade, and kick around some practical ideas of what pubs can be doing while we await the next government decision on the future. We also carry out the Pepsi challenge on some alcohol free brands to see if we can spot the difference...

With 2020 drawing to a close, and the last episode of the Lock In podcast for the year, the team take a look back at a year which has had few highlights, but plenty of challenges for the sector and more on the way. We take a look forward at what 2021 might hold, are there any opportunities, and the team make a few predictions for the year ahead and learn a shocking Brexit truth about James Cuthbertson...

With food the focus under the new government restrictions for pubs, the Lock In podcast team talk about how you can create a food offer during the crisis, what makes good, and bad, pub food, the practicalities of a food offer and debate what substantial looks like.