Rivington Brewery Co. Tap Room, Lancashire
“I can also use Tabology’s beer sales report to track sales by style and ABV, so I can forecast what we’re going to need for the next few weeks. So, if we’ve sold a lot of 4.5% ABV pale ale, for example, we can change the brewing schedule to ensure we have more on the way.” Phill Clarke, Tap Room Manager
Located between two villages, and in a rural area popular with walkers and anglers, Rivington Brewing Co opened its Tap Room four years ago. Offering a diverse and ever-changing choice of craft beers alongside a broad range of ciders, wines, spirits, cocktails and soft drinks, the Rivington Brewery Tap Room uses Tabology’s Bar EPOS system to manage its drinks range and ensure both regulars and occasional customers enjoy a great experience.
“People travel to the area for walks and days out,” says Tap Room Manager Phill Clarke, “and we’re close to two villages, Adlington and Horwich, which both bring in local customers – and because we’re a brewery, people also visit to try the beers.”
The Brewery opened in 2014, and built on the success of regular one-off events by adding the larger Tap Room with a bar and indoor seating in 2019. There is also plenty of outdoor space which offers additional seating when the weather allows.
Two specialist food traders. Dough n Co and Bun Chicken Bun, also operate on the site, allowing customers to order food to be enjoyed accompanied by drinks from the Tap Room.
The Tabology Bar EPOS system was introduced in 2021, replacing the previous Zettle system. “We had just grown beyond it in terms of what we needed our EPOS to do,” says Phill. “We spoke to a lot of people who recommended Tabology, and I also looked carefully at the stock management side of it to be sure it was what we needed. We were also able to keep our Zettle readers for payments, and it all integrated smoothly.”
The Tabology system’s ability to cope easily with product changes was an important part of the decision to implement it. “We were spending a lot of time updating our beer menus on chalkboards, and Tabology linked everything so we could display our menu on screens,” says Phill.
While most of the beer sold in the Tap Room comes fresh from the adjacent brewery, “we don’t have the capacity to brew the quantity of lager we sell, so we buy from brewers including Thornbridge and Lost & Grounded. We also have an annual beer festival where we bring in around 50 beers, and we regularly brew collaboration beers with other brewers.”
Tabology’s Bar EPOS system pulls in information on each beer, such as style, ABV and tasting notes, from the widely-used Untappd beer app. This information is available to Tap Room staff through the EPOS screen as well as to customers on the on-screen menus.
It also means Phil has real-time information about beer sales. “It’s great for stock management, because every time we sell a pint I know exactly where we are. When a new beer is being brewed, I can load it into the system ready, and when the beer is delivered, I use the bar EPOS to calculate the GP, enter the price and go live. I previously had to change the menu myself whenever we changed beers, which can be two or three times a shift.
“I can also use Tabology’s beer sales report to track sales by style and ABV, so I can forecast what we’re going to need for the next few weeks. So, if we’ve sold a lot of 4.5% ABV pale ale, for example, we can change the brewing schedule to ensure we have more on the way. For external suppliers, I use my Bar EPOS to do my ordering once a week, I can see exactly what stock we’ve got, and order what’s needed from our suppliers. In the same way, I use Tabology for our annual stock take, and see exactly what we should have in stock.”
Front-of-house, customers order at the bar, “and we can set up tabs for our regulars using the Table Plan function.” With a broad choice of drinks on offer, as well as customisable options such as choice of mixer or an upsize option on spirits, it’s important that bar staff can navigate the EPOS quickly.
“It’s easy to divide products into different categories – such as red and white wine, or draught beer, our own cans and guest cans. With gin, there’s the choice of tonic or lemonade, and for whisky we’ve added an option to upgrade the measure for 75p extra. All these product options can be put into the system, so they present themselves on screen to staff, who can make the offer to the customer."
“Staff pick up the EPOS system quickly. Our previous system needed a lot more training, but once they’ve used the Tabology system for a shift, they’ve got it.”
The Tap Room is also adding more functionality, including using the loyalty & promotions features of Tabology’s Bar EPOS system to launch Friends of the Tap loyalty programme. Targeting regular customers, the programme offers a year-round 5% discount on all products for an annual membership, as well as additional benefits such as a free birthday beer and access to brewery tours and other event.
Membership cards and vouchers are emailed to members, with discounts and other offers redeemable using a QR Code on the membership card, which can be stored in their Apple or Google wallets. More than 60 members signed up to be Friends of the Tap in its first month. “It’s been a real success; the members really like it, and we love it.”
The Tap Room has also worked with Tabology to make its beer menu available online. “We wanted an online menu that people can browse to see what beers we’ve got on, but we don’t want them to be able to place orders online, so we needed Tabology’s help to customise the options.”
Overall, Phill is delighted with Tabology’s support. “I know I can pick up the phone when I need support. I just ring someone at Tabology or message them on our support channel. They’re always very quick to respond, and very helpful.”
To find out more about our Bar EPOS, and how it could work in your venue get in touch to arrange a demo.
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