Wedding Showed How Much Brits Love Their Pubs - Sky News

4:01pm UK, Wednesday May 04, 2011

Simon Emeny, group managing director, Fuller's

Simon Emeny of brewer Fuller's writes for Sky News on how the Royal Wedding presented an opportunity to cheer for British pubs.

Many chose to celebrate the royal wedding at their local pub

Thousands of people lined the streets in London, millions of people around the world watched it on television both at home and in pubs across the UK, and thousands held street parties to celebrate it.

The Royal Wedding has without doubt been the event of 2011.

But it's really just the opening gambit of a series of events that will keep all eyes on London until well into 2012.

The Royal Wedding presented a huge opportunity for pubs in the UK – not necessarily for a bumper day of trading, but as a chance to highlight the continuing importance of the pub in British life.

Images from across the UK showcased pubs as the heart of their local communities, where people gathered to celebrate and rejoice.

But with tax on beer rising 37% in the last three years and over 1300 pubs closing last year alone, how long can the British pub maintain its important role as the hub of local life without support from the government?

Simon Emeny says pubs are important for Brits and need more Government support

While there was no beer to be had at Buckingham Palace, pubs around the country were busy serving pints to revellers eager to raise a glass to the Royal couple.

Publicans have been planning for months to make sure they are at the centre of local celebrations, welcoming people through their doors and into their beer gardens as the focal point of many community festivities.

Certainly within our own estate, reaching from London across the South Coast to Hampshire and as far north as Birmingham, our managers and tenants have run street parties, hog roasts, wedding breakfasts and receptions and all manner of other events to help their customers make the most of the big day with a pint of London Pride in hand.

The biggest effect will certainly have been felt in London.

Fuller's has over 40 pubs in the Central London, including the Red Lion on Parliament Square and the Sanctuary House Hotel in Westminster.

"With tax on beer rising 37% in the last three years and over 1300 pubs closing last year alone, how long can the British pub maintain its important role as the hub of local life?"

Simon Emeny of Fuller's

As many of you will have seen on the extensive television coverage, while the Union flag predominated, there were plenty of American, Canadian, Japanese and an array European flags fluttering in the breeze as tourists were drawn to the capital to see the best of British pageantry.

No doubt this will have a positive impact on the hotel industry, kick starting the tourist season early, but for pub and hotel operators alike it's really just a dress rehearsal for the main event next year: London 2012.

2012 is a big year for London and for Britain as a whole.

Not only do we have the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, but the Olympic and Paralympic Games are coming to town.

Pubs across the country were busy pouring pints to celebrate the royal wedding

While much of the activity is centred on London, the feel good factor will no doubt spread as Brits across the UK take pride in being the host of the Olympics.

As one of London's leading breweries and brewer of London Pride we are certainly looking forward to welcoming people to our home town – whether that's to our hotels, our pubs or encouraging people to have a traditional British pint.

But pubs all over the country will be making the most of the focus on London and the UK next year.

While a great event, the Royal Wedding was simply the opening act of the Greatest Show on Earth – and the UK pub and brewing industry will be at the heart of the most exciting year Britain has ever seen.