Careful cellar management ensures quality serve at Prestonpans pub
EFFICIENCY, quality of serve and reducing waste are the key benefits of strong cellar management, according to the manager of an East Lothian pub.
Carol Black, who runs The Prestoungrange Gothenburg in Prestonpans said the pub uses the Beer Piper automated beer line cleaner, which allows staff at the pub to clean lines during trading hours – a process she said takes around five minutes.
And Black reckons it’s had a marked improvement on the quality of beer served at ‘The Goth’.
“We run a quick clean whenever we finish a keg and an extended clean once a week,” she told SLTN.
“It’s much quicker and the quality of beer is far superior than doing the clean manually.”
Beyond line cleaning Black said there are a number of other cellar management practices that can have a positive effect on trade.
A policy of regular stock rotation and stock checking can be key to protecting revenue and ensuring efficiency.
Maintaining the correct cellar temperature is also said to be essential to a quality serve.
“Keep checking the temperature outside,” said Black.
“We have an external fan that keeps the cellar cool so we can control the temperature.
“We pride ourselves on the quality of our beer. Customers won’t come back if you serve them a bad pint.”
Ensuring staff are well-trained and have access to proper equipment is another crucial aspect of cellar management, both for efficiency and staff safety, according to Black.
The Goth provides safety goggles and protective gloves for staff when they are in the cellar and there’s a comprehensive system in place when it comes to technical issues.
“Any time we have a problem we call technical services from the brewer,” said Black.
“They’re the experts, they know what they’re doing.
Hygiene in the cellar is another aspect of management that shouldn’t be overlooked. While spillages left uncleaned can be a safety hazard, Black said poor hygiene in the cellar can also impact on the serve.
“You have to manage the cellar efficiently if you want the best possible quality serve,” she added.
Image – Cellar management is a major focus at The Goth in Prestonpans.
