As the leaves rapidly turn brown and create new work for me, by blowing around the pub and car park, I can’t help but welcome the darker nights and the homely atmosphere that the pub wears like a warm winter coat. This is our first autumn in the pub, and we are especially looking forward to welcoming the new influx of students. In fact we are banking on them using the place as a meeting point. As well as somewhere to socialise and study over coffee and cake during the day.

I love winter in a good real ale pub, and York drinkers are really spoilt for choice. The one thing I will miss since taking on my own pub is those evenings sat by the fire in the Blue Bell with a nice pint of Bradfield’s Farmer’s Stout. However, I will make sure we do get out when we can and continue to pop into other favourite haunts such as The Maltings, The Swan, The Slip and the Rook and Gaskill. I haven’t had the chance to pop over to the dark side of town yet to check out the revamped Volunteer Arms but it sounds great and, with the forthcoming opening of the York Station Tap it seems that drinkers are going to be in for a real treat in our city.

Let’s hope that the next time we read about a pub that is struggling and facing closure that it is one that doesn’t make an effort to provide a high quality experience. I know that not everyone likes the same thing, but my customers tell me they don’t want mass produced keg beers and alcopops in a loud pub where conversation is impossible.  In my short time running a pub I’ve learned one thing. There is no such thing as a bad pub. Any pub can be turned into a nice place to visit. It just requires the landlord or landlady to give it some TLC and treat the customers with the respect they deserve.