Guest blog: Shaun Treasure, The Thirsty Bear

Frankie Neale • 18 January 2022

Guest Blog: Shaun Treasure, The Thirsty Bear.

The first in our series of guest blogs comes from Shaun Treasure, the General Manager of our very own pub, The Thirsty Bear.

Named as a finalist in the Great British Pub Awards, Best Sports Pub Category, The Thirsty Bear was recognised for the benefits of the tech we have in venue – iPad Menus and self-serve taps on table – and the flexibility we have with the number of screens and ability to show more than one sporting event at a time.

As such (Covid aside), we are always fully booked for all the key sporting events. However, recently we have been trying to broaden our customer base outside of just sports. We don’t want to become so synonymous with sports that we alienate other customers and have empty tables outside of the sporting calendar.

Here are my 5 top tips, if you also looking to branch out and attract a different type of clientele.

1. Look at your menu options

We’re using our product range to give customers a reason outside of sports to head in. We have relaunched our wine list with the help of our supplier to provide a decent selection, both by the glass and bottle. We will also look to refresh this list seasonally, listing more whites and roses in the warmer months.

Within the confines of our tie agreement, we’re seeking out more craft and interesting beers to stock on draught and regularly rotate the guest ale on offer.

Additionally, we have a great & extensive selection of gins available. Each paired with a complementary tonic or mixer and garnish. Coming in big Copa style glasses, they look great too. We offer a happy hour 2 for 1 offer on them after work to pull people in for their first drink.

2. Tap into the local community

We’re on the same street as halls of residence for a local university. Not only have we been lucky enough to find some great bar staff among the students to join our team, we are catering for the student market in venue too. Specifically, the large number of American students that live in the buildings, we hosted a big Thanksgiving event, and we’ve applied for a late licence for the SuperBowl.

We also offer student discounts and activities like beer pong for them on quieter nights.

3. Attract the corporates

With news of the ‘work from home’ advice to come to an end in the coming weeks, we think this is a great opportunity to renew our relationships with nearby offices and companies.

We’re offering lunch promos, either a set menu offer, or an agreed discount for nearby offices. We are also lucky enough to have a space that we can hire out for private use, for office drinks and celebrations.

As a central London venue, there are also a couple of conference centres nearby, and we’re in discussions with them to host post conference socials.

4. Calendar events

Every venue will have key calendar events that appeal to their usual customer base, and of course they should continue to focus on and promote these, but are there other events which could attract a different customer base?

We’re not the type of venue that would be popular for a couples Valentine celebrations, so we’re planning to focus on the Galentines / Palentines audience of friends socialising together.

We also like to support national charity days, running limited edition products and making a donation of profits from them.

5. Review your social content

We are making sure our social content is balanced between the existing audience and the new ones we’re trying to attract. As mentioned, we’re always full for the big sporting events, so we don’t publicise every specific match in an attempt not to put off non-sports fans. We try to shout about all of the things from the four points above we’re doing too!

With not only Covid, but a venue fire having hit us in the last 20 months, like many other hospitality venues it’s been the toughest of times. Prior to the Omicron curveball, October and November were a real glimmer of hope for us in terms of footfall and profits and a reminder just how much the public love the hospitality industry. Because let’s be honest, nothing at home can ever beat the perfectly made and served drink you’ll get in a pub, bar or restaurant!

Cheers,

Shaun.

With the right EPOS you can easily adapt to calendar events & changing customer demands. With our pub EPOS it’s quick and simple to add and update products, check your GP% & monitor what is selling well. You can also take bookings and deposits with our in-built bookings function if you sign up to the EPOS Pro Plan.

If you’re interested in finding out more, get in touch.

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a bartender makes a cocktail while two other barstaff and two guests watch

How to make sure your venue is ready for Christmas

by Matt Hall • 10 September 2025

There’s no such thing as ‘too early to think about Christmas’ when you work in hospitality. And after a bruising year that’s brought major challenges for the industry, December is more important than ever for many businesses. When it comes to crafting the perfect festive atmosphere, you’re the experts there – we’re simply here to show you how getting things like your tech systems, menus, staffing, and gift cards sorted now, means you’ll make the most of Christmas and manage your venue more effectively. Optimise your offerings and boost profit margins No doubt you’ll want to capture the spirit of the season with a festive menu. Roast meats and Christmas puddings are a must, but don’t forget a vegan option too. Whatever you choose, make sure your dishes balance popularity and profitability. Recipe management tools let you input ingredient costs and amounts, so you get precise costs for every item on your menu. It then automatically calculates GP so you can easily set the right prices both for individual items and festive set menus. This works really well for food, but also for cocktails, and festive drinks you might make on-site, such as mulled wine or cider. Using technology to manage bookings When it comes to Christmas bookings, balance is key. You want more bums on seats, but you don’t want to overwhelm your kitchen and Front-of-House staff – especially when bookings around Christmas tend to be larger. A flexible booking system helps you maintain control. Those office Christmas lunches often have ten or twenty guests, so it helps to keep them separate from your usual bookings. Asking for pre-orders and prepayments makes it much easier to manage those big complicated bookings. Email links go out to organisers so everything can be booked and paid for in advance. This guarantees your cash flow ahead of time and means your kitchen can prepare and ensure the right amount of stock. You can also create custom drink packages to upsell during the booking process.