British Institute of Innkeeping
BII is the professional body for the licensed retail sector and we reflect the views of around 13,500 members, including managers, staff, licensees and tenants from both the on and off sectors.
There are several grades of BII membership with eligibility based on qualifications and experience. We organise numerous events and roadshows as forums for sharing ideas and best practice and our range of helplines, giving free advice on legal, energy, health and hygiene and HR matters (amongst others), often provide a lifeline to members. One of the most highly valued support services we offer our members is our magazine BIIBusiness, which is packed full of great ideas, tips and advice from licensees and other industry operators up and down the country.
Highest Possible Standards
BII is fully committed to actively promoting the highest possible standards throughout our industry. All our members sign up to our Code of Conduct, which reinforces the professional message that we deliver. We are also supported by 53 corporate patrons, members and supporters who contribute to furthering our aims.
BII helps to set and maintain standards in the licensed retail sector through our wholly owned awarding body BIIAB, which develops and certificates a wide range of nationally-recognised qualifications specific to the licensed retail sector. These include training courses for bar staff, kitchen staff, premises managers, licensees, door supervisors and many more. One of BIIAB's most widely taken qualifications is the BIIAB Award for Personal Licence Holders which is the market-leading qualification to get a personal licence in England and Wales. All BIIAB courses are delivered through a UK-wide network of over 600 training centres with around 6,000 venues.
BIIAB is accredited by Ofqual and the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and is the UK’s 6th largest vocational qualifications awarding body. Over 1.5 million BIIAB qualifications have been processed to date.
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What are you waiting for?
There has never been a better time for bright, creative, qualified, entrepreneurial people to come into the licensed retail industry.
These days, a career in licensed retailing means so much more than simply running a pub. Significant changes in the law in recent years have brought about a shift in the industry that makes it a challenging, yet extremely exciting place to be – and those with an enthusiasm for good customer service and a determination to succeed are standing out and leaving the competition behind.
What’s more, attitudes towards those who work in pubs and bars are changing and a career in hospitality is becoming much more highly regarded. Of course, with this increased status comes increased salaries and we’re moving away from the days of low pay and little respect from customers. Successful managers often earn around £50,000+ per year. Equally, being self-employed and running your own licensed retail outlet can be extremely financially rewarding.
The bright minds running service-led establishments are receiving recognition from the key players in the sector, such as the pub companies, breweries and industry associations, with national status attached to highly sought-after awards. The BII Licensee of the Year Award is one such example, which is run each year by BII, the licensed retail sector’s professional body, and goes to a truly outstanding operator.
Of course, with all these improved standards and recognition comes the need for qualifications and good business skills. This is where you need the assistance of BII, which represents over 13,500 permanent members associated with the industry – many of them frontline managers and staff. BII and its awarding body BIIAB can provide you with much of the information you need to get started but we’ll look at that in a minute.
Let’s not pretend you won’t have to work hard to have a successful career in the licensed trade. Any career in hospitality will see you working long, unsociable hours and on public holidays, including Christmas – which of course will be one of your busiest times of the year! Remember though; it’s great fun!
So, where do you start? You first need to consider which type of establishment you want to run.
• The Pub or Bar Manager
A pub or bar manager is an employee of the company that operates the pub in which the manager works.
One of the benefits of being employed by a larger company is that “head office” generally provides support for some of the headaches (stock taking, deliveries, auditing, accounts and promotions, to name just a few). In turn, this means that many of the decisions on how the business is run are decided by head office. Managers are paid a salary, which is usually linked to the pub’s turnover.
• The Tenant
Tenants are self-employed people who have signed a short-term lease (normally two or three years) with a brewer, pub management company or some other form of landlord. Essentially, a tenant buys the fixtures and fittings, the stock and any “goodwill” the pub has built up. As part of the agreement, the tenant is responsible for the upkeep of the property. You get to shape the business as you see fit and you are your own boss.
• The Lessee
Leases are very similar to tenancies; therefore most of what has been written above also applies here. The biggest difference is that a lease agreement covers a much longer time period. Leases tend to last from ten to twenty years, with regular rent reviews over the course of that time. Most leases are assignable; that is, if a lessee wants to leave the business before the lease has finished, they can sell the remaining duration to someone else (as long as the lessee can find a buyer).
• The Freeholder
A freehold is a pub that is wholly owned by an individual, who may run it or choose to employ someone to run it for them. There is no tied trade or rent, although you will have a mortgage unless you can afford to buy the premises outright. People who have already had some previous experience as a licensed retailer normally take the freehold option.
OK, so you know a bit more about which path you may take but now what? How can BII and BIIAB help you?
Qualifications
It is a myth that you don’t need qualifications to work in the pub industry. The Award for Personal Licence Holders is a compulsory qualification that all personal licence applicants must pass to obtain their licence. BII highly recommends that anyone working in the licensed trade undertakes as many additional qualifications as possible, particularly if they are new to the trade. It is training and qualifications that make the difference between success and failure – and help prevent you being caught out for breaking laws you didn’t know about!
When you’re just starting out in your pub sector career, perhaps the best way to stand out from the crowd is to put yourself through the BIIAB Level 1 Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR), which is designed for anyone involved in the sale of alcohol. ARAR is delivered in less than a day and includes a short multiple-choice examination. ARAR is low cost so it won’t burn a hole in your pocket but it could well be the best grounding you will get!
If you want to get a broader, more in-depth grounding in the industry then the BIIAB Level 2 Introduction to Licensed Retail Operations (ILRO) is the course for you. This is a generic course covering all aspects of operating a licensed premises, from health & safety and employment law to drinks service and stock control. The three-day training gives a fantastic insight to running a licensed premises and candidates come away with the tools to operate a successful business.
BIIAB has been at the forefront of qualifications for licensed retail since day one. We are constantly updating our existing qualifications and developing new ones to meet the needs of the industry. In recent months, this has meant a logical branching out into catering qualifications and BIIAB now offers the Level 1 Essentials of Catering Award, Level 2 Award in Cooking Theory & Practice and a Level 3 Award in Kitchen Management.
Once you’re in place and enjoying your wonderful career in hospitality, there are many more BIIAB qualifications you and your staff can take to enhance your skill set and help you be the best!
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Get yourself out there
One last point….. Before taking on your own premises, there is no better way to gain experience of the trade than by taking on bar work in a busy pub. This will show you the level of hard work and stamina that is required and also how much fun it can be, without touching too much on the business side.
Oh and why not take advantage of the support available from BII straight away by joining as a foundation member? Contact Sarah Deane at BII on 01276 684449 for more information and eligibility criteria.
Are you ready to be a shining light in the licensed retail industry? Then visit www.biiab.org for more information on the qualifications available to support your career.
Please follow the links below to become a Foundation member
Universities
