Living the Public Life – A Career at the Bar

Fast-moving, ever-changing with rapid career progression and a wealth of entrepreneurial opportunities.
Lively and exciting roles for lively, business-minded people.

Tenancies - A New Lease of Life

How To Get on Board

Choose the deal that suits your priorities and find the property and type of pub that fits your aspirations and lifestyle. Dig deep on the research and the minutiae of any agreement before signing. Hiring an accountant may be a good idea when it comes to cash flow and developing your business plan.

Check out the specialist property agents that specialise in pubs and bars. Pub companies and some regional breweries with properties for rent will often advertise their current lists of available pubs, so take a look at their web sites to help with your search.

Some but not all banks and building societies will finance tenancies. Another financing route is through pubcos and breweries – sometimes in exchange for what is called a loan tie, where you agree to sell the company’s products in return for their financial support.

Bear in mind the qualifications you’ll need to attain in order to live your dream as a licensee.

Licensing

Two must- haves:

1. Personal Licence: an accredited qualification like the National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders/Scottish Licensee’s Certificate, offered by the BII. Not all courses are accredited and so do check.
2. Premises Licence: you need to submit a detailed business plan for the pub. Among the things the local council – who now oversees licensing – will want to know is your opening hours and the type of operation you are going to run. Key areas are crime prevention, prevention of public nuisance, safety for the public and protection of children.

The cost of the personal licence is fixed (currently under £50, and needs to be awarded to you only once) while the premises licence varies in cost with the property concerned (the top rate is currently under £700.) There is also an annual charge for the premises licence ranging up to £350.