The Scottish Beer and Pub Association (SBPA) has unveiled a new voluntary code of practice for pub companies in Scotland.
The new code has been backed by six pub companies with interests in Scotland: Admiral Taverns, Belhaven/Greene King, Hawthorn Leisure, Punch Taverns, Star Pubs & Bars and Trust Inns, and will come into effect at the same time as the statutory code for England and Wales.
The SBPA said the Scottish code will cover 700 of the 900 tied pubs in Scotland.
Chief executive Brigid Simmonds said the voluntary code “is a landmark for Scottish tied pubs, setting out protections for tenants, and is the first designed specifically for Scotland”.
“The pub sector in Scotland is hugely different to the rest of the UK,” said Simmonds.
“This code takes into account the unique nature of the Scottish tied pub trade, providing the best balance of what works for pubs in Scotland, whilst also protecting much needed investment in both the pub sector and local economies across the country.”
Pubco reform campaigners in Scotland have urged the Scottish Government to draft a statutory pubs code, similar to that for England and Wales, for tenants north of the border.
