Letter in Daily Telegraph

July 29, 2013

The letter below, in praise of the pub tie, appeared in the Daily Telegraph last week. It was written by a former Brakspear tenant, Anthony Marshall.

Tied pubs model

“I have been running pubs now for some 26 years. My wife and I take on bankrupt pubs, and the tied model has been responsible for these pubs prospering. Without the support of companies I have worked with, such as Hall & Woodhouse and W H Brakspear & Sons, they would have been long gone. My present pub is with the great family brewer Arkell’s. Their support has been exemplary, with rent discounts and total maintenance support made possible by the exlusive sale of their ales in their pub.

“The last people I want involved are the Government. Labour nearly ruined the trade that I love and this Government is unfortunately little better – though at least it has scrapped the beer duty escalator.”

Anthony Marshall

Calne, Wiltshire