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"Biermatt":22n7emm9 wrote: HI Noby
Thanks for the welcome and putting me straight about the music <!-- s:P --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_razz.gif" alt="" title="Razz" /><!-- s:P --> -it was bloddy awful though -pity cos the cask ale they sell is Lovely ,I went out side to the tables and drank away till near closing ,great pub -apart from the you know what ![/quote:22n7emm9]

Ho Biermatt, next time say hello to me whan you visit.
As for the music, there was a long thread about this 2 years ago. I explained as best i could, form a business point of view. Alas things are slightly different, what with the extra pressure to perform during bad times and that.
Here is a response to previous comments about music, please don'tn take anything the wrong way, i appreciate all comments. But i need people to understand where i come from on things.
So i'll do a deal with beer lovers from all over.
I'll keep on supplying the best beer in the country, and serve in the best manner possible, if you can forgive us for the little things, such as poor music, or the selling of macro-beers.<!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt="" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: -->

bigvalen wrote:
So, what do you think the worst thing a pub can do ?

I was in the Bull and Castle for the first time with a few mates on Friday. We had a ball. Loads of wonderful and interesting beers to try, big open benches in the beer hall allow a good chat. They don't serve food upstairs, so the place doesn't smell of food, and there are no babies & buggies.

And then, just as the night gest into full flow, some wanker starts making a racket in the corner with a CD player. Only that I might want to go back some day, I'd have thrown a bottle at him.

Why do pubs do this ? Get their clientele so badly wrong ? It's the main reason I don't go to the Porter House...sometimes you can't get seats far from the guys making a racket up stairs, so you have to head home early. I'm all for music, if it's appropriate. But I go to pubs to drink and talk. Not drink and listen.

John


I was away when this was posted, and only found out when Declan told me, but here is my response.
1, we are not the porterhouse
2, the BEERHALL is not a PUB
3, calling the dj a "w**ke* is not appropriate, except if you go on the piss with him, and then decide you dont like him
4, not serving food upstairs is due to the fact our tiny kitchen cannot handle two levels, but believe me, if it could, i would serve food in the beerhall. Would i then recieve complaints about the smell of food ??

We are trying to create a concept that nobody has tried before, so it stands to reason that we have nobodys mistakes to learn from.

But here is the big problem, MONEY.
When you invest in a business(you would be shocked if you knew how much went into turning upstairs from a shithole into a nice room, and how much went into safety features, one of a kind coolers etc), you need to make a return ASAP.
And if it were your money, you would do whatever it takes. Turnover is paramount.

So if one late night a week with a DJ helps us to survive in a very competitive, expensive world, so be it.

Here in the B&C, we would rather be judged on product, service, cleanliness & staff product knowledge.

Myself & Declan find it hard to get served in the PH, let alone get a seat, or a nice word or smile for staff.

But maybe we see things differently <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt="" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: -->

&amp;quot;silenus&amp;quot;:385ydcjo wrote:

&amp;quot;delzep&amp;quot;:385ydcjo wrote: is it possible to sit outside with yer dog and enjoy a pint(shes only small...)[/quote:385ydcjo]

Of course.
And if the seats are all full, i'll nab one from somewhere for you.[/quote:385ydcjo]

thanks for that <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D -->

Just looking at the Bull and Castle website and the events listing page seems to be empty. Any chance of a list on here of what nights to expect a dj or what nights can be pencilled in for nights good chats can be had? Or is it just kinda pot luck? I've been thinking of heading in with a few friends for a while, but I don't want to head in and then get driven out by music I've no interest in <!-- s:? --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_confused.gif" alt="" title="Confused" /><!-- s:? -->

Well, the usual fridays and saturdays are pretty hectic(between 5pm - 8pm on sat is usually very relaxing).
The dj works saturdays from 11pm.

Beer promo for local offices fridays, which tends to attract the younger of the species(21+), and theres uaually a mess where they go.

Sundays are a very good night as everybody is just chillin'.

Thursdays are hit and miss, sometimes busy, sometimes quiet, depending on which week of the month it is.


If you're heading here early some evening, shout me to hold a table for you.

Hope that helps.

Geoff

&amp;quot;silenus&amp;quot;:2flvyfrg wrote:

&amp;quot;delzep&amp;quot;:2flvyfrg wrote: is it possible to sit outside with yer dog and enjoy a pint(shes only small...)[/quote:2flvyfrg]

Of course.
And if the seats are all full, i'll nab one from somewhere for you.[/quote:2flvyfrg]

You know word will get around and it'll be like Crufts soon. <!-- s:) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) -->

So the B&C doesn't have it completely perfect for some. (Believe me, John, I agree with you about not being entirely pleased with getting blasted out of my seat by canned music.) I live in Chicago, a place with probably about as high a concentration of craft-beer-oriented bars and brewpubs as any, with perhaps the exception of Denver, Colorado, and Portland, Oregon. We've got all these places, all learning from each other, and there ain't a %@\& one that has got it completely perfect yet. I have no doubt that the B&C as it is right now would be a considered a first-class joint in the Chicago market, and you'd be hard-pressed to find one that most folks would consider to be doing a better job of it. For that matter, the Porterhouse would also be quite viable here too, but a Geoff points out, it's a different sort of establishment.

I say if you want the place to be more like what you'd like to see, invite more like-minded people to frequent the B&C. Help make it so that Geoff and Dec don't have to hire a DJ to help pack the place on late nights to cover the bills. I help when I can, but the Aer Lingus flights would bankrupt me long before the cirrhosis killed me long before I alone could drink them into easy street all by my lonesome.