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The purpose of this article is to examine the food provision in the public houses of a small town.

This research has been undertaken using a survey of customers and a series of structured interviews with pub licensees and their staff.

The findings suggest that there are several areas essential to effective food provision. These include the location of the pub, its atmosphere, the quality of the service, the menu choice, the price, the ambience of the outlet and its marketing.

The article is limited to one small town. Results may be different elsewhere, particularly in larger towns and cities.

The article provides some evidence of the factors favoured by customers and the failure of some pubs to address these preferences.

This article offers some knowledge and understanding in relation to the provision of pub food.

The service sector has dominated the economy of most advanced capitalist societies for some time but the branding of services has received much less attention than the branding of products in the literature. This case study of J.D. Wetherspoons, the UK’s leading pub brand, offers a simple and exploratory examination of a prominent services brand and as such looks to add to the growing number of studies in this field. The case outlines the development of pub brands within the UK and the origins and growth of J.D. Wetherspoons and its definition of its own brand attributes. The empirical investigation goes on to explore customers’ perceptions of the Wetherspoons brand. The case study suggests that the company has been successful in establishing a distinctive brand identity as a pub that sells a wide range of beers at cheap prices, but that some of the company’s other brand attributes are much less clearly perceived by customers and that staff behaviour is not always very effective in supporting and enhancing the brand.

The pub industry has undergone several changes to its focus and thus transformed itself from a beverage operation to a food and beverage operation. The article seeks to examine these changes in terms of food quality, management skills, service and customers. The article outlines the factors for success and also includes factors of failure or negative aspects of pub catering. It aims to prove that such changes have made pubs an acceptable part of everyday family life, more profitable, and viewed as a place of fun, relaxation, good food and not only as a drinking tradition. It seeks to analyse the new great English Tradition of pub catering.

This research aims to explore the extent to which pub or bar discount cards that are distributed to students function as loyalty cards, or make a contribution to relationship building. The research also aims to make a contribution to the role of “instant discount” loyalty cards.

Data were collected on the design of the discount card schemes, their advantages and disadvantages from the customer and management perspective, the business motivations for introducing the scheme, the student motivations in purchasing the cards, and the impact of membership on profitability, popularity of venues, and repeat visits. Three main methods of data collection were used: questionnaires to collect a profile of customers' views; a focus group to gain a more in‐depth understanding of customer attitudes and behaviour; and, interviews with pub managers to understand the operation of the scheme and their perceptions of the impact of the scheme.

Pub discount cards do not generate either behavioural or attitudinal loyalty directly, but indirectly through the issue of a discount card, whose associated discounts cause a “flocking” behaviour through which the atmosphere in the pub is enhanced and its popularity and patronage are increased. The relationship between the customer and the pub is then mediated by customer‐to‐customer interactions and, thereby, in turn the discount cards “add value” for both customers and businesses.

This research makes a contribution to the use of discount/club cards in the hospitality sector, outside of the major schemes such as airline and hotel reward schemes. In addition, research into the use of these schemes provides a unique opportunity to understand the way in which the student demographic adopts and uses loyalty and discount cards.

In retail environments, the atmosphere communicates to consumers through non‐verbal channels, impacting on their beliefs about a product, a service or the way in which a service is provided. The current paper explores the bar environment, and the use of atmospherics by managers as well as responses to atmosphere by consumers,

The research takes a qualitative approach, utilising focus groups with consumers, and in‐depth interview with bar managers to assess the use and importance of atmospheric elements in the bar environment.

The findings suggest that managers and consumers want the same things from the bar environment. However, parties are divided as to the best way of achieving this.

The research is limited to a sample of bars in one city. However, implications for bar retailing in general can be drawn from the observations by customers and managers.

The study provides confirmation that atmospheres have the ability to creative positive emotions and behaviours. The results also highlight areas where atmospherics can not only be used to attract more patrons, but also to allow managers to reflect on their atmosphere creation practices.

Research into atmospherics in service and retailing is still limited, with specific studies of unique environments' aspects required to further our knowledge of the part that atmospheric elements play in the success of these settings.

The article considers the changes in the structure of the UK pub sector and the falling pattern of trade which occurred at the same time. This meant that the competition within the industry is intense. The major pub‐owning companies enjoy many economies of scale over their independent rivals. These have been considered briefly. Many of the smaller outlets have responded by adapting their pubs to meet the varying requirements of their customers. The demand for pubs with smoke‐free air and the evidence that this will increase trade have been investigated. The threat of legislation has led the industry to establish a voluntary scheme. Reports on its effectiveness have been studied, and a small local study undertaken. It appears that the big companies are swifter than their smaller rivals at taking advantage of this market demand.

The British pub is part of the face of Britain presented to the world and the theme running through this article is to set British pubs within the context of heritage tourism. The thesis contained within this article is to focus on one of the elements of community life, the pub, in order to examine its characteristics and value within the wider spectrum of visitor attractions set within the context of the tourism industry. The article reviews the literature in ascertaining whether the British pub is a tourist attraction for overseas visitors, and why. Whilst the pub has an important role in domestic tourism, the main emphasis of this article is on the national factors that predetermine its survival and the nature of its appeal to visitors from abroad.

This article presents a brief history on the role of the public house in society and its evolution through the years. The ‘traditional’ pub is discussed and questions are raised as to the future of the traditional pub following the Beer Orders. This is supported by an analysis of the leisure trends impacting pubs and analysis of the catering and pub markets. Future implications are considered with suggestions for pub success.

This article aims to address the paucity of research in relation to eating establishments and food marketing by focussing on the public house sector in the UK.

This research uses secondary data and a qualitative case study approach to investigate pub food marketing in independent public houses based in North Wales, UK.

The public house sector is a market in decline. Challenges in the market are identified, however, provision of food as part of the market offering provides vital opportunities for additional profit and sustainability. Successful pub food marketing includes: understanding customers; targeting and controlling future markets; e‐marketing; promoting the pub theme/environment; promotion of food “value”; community involvement; and employee training.

Although this is only one small sample of independent public houses, this research provides indications of the marketing issues related to food and dining out, for managers of pubs and other restaurant establishments generally.

The article provides a comprehensive list of marketing issues and solutions that will be useful to publicans and restaurateurs.

This research furthers knowledge and understanding in relation to the marketing of pub food and the marketing of eating establishments in general. Marketing of food is complex; it requires an understanding of the dynamism between the eating establishment, the tourist destination and community base together with an understanding of the combined food product and service offering, and the overall dining experience.

The literature on the history of the pub presents an invaluable background to any study of the industry, the very special place it fills in our society, and the wider context of its role in British tourism heritage. Most authors acknowledge that the pub is changing with the times, although a mere glance through such comment bears testatment to the way in which the pub's enduring qualities have survived by gradual evolution and adaptation. Of more topical interest, newspaper articles draw the public's attention to the latest developments and trends in the entertainment and leisure spectrum, and comment on their implications for the community and specifically the public house. For the most part, these are of a nationally introspective nature and the pub is not portrayed as a tourist attraction in its own right This article contrasts the views of three stakeholders within the retail pub industry, namely, the tourist, the landlord and the brewer. It charts their views on the evolution of the public house.