All new Admiral Taverns tenants are to receive free membership to the BII – for the life of their agreement.

Licensees signing up for a substantive agreement – typically three years or more – will automatically become members of the trade’s professional body and access to a raft of benefits, following a pioneering deal between BII and Admiral.  

“We believe this partnership will bring great rewards for both Admiral and our licensees,” said Admiral’s Suzanne Smith.  

“By utilising the full range of benefits made available by the BII, we can help our licensees to maximise the potential of their businesses.  

“This agreement is another important step in our aim to become increasingly recognised for industry-leading support that allows licensees to build thriving, profitable businesses.”

The move is a first among pub companies and follows a similar deal between regional brewer Fuller’s and the BII.

Benefits of BII membership include a raft of online training programmes, discounts to a range of professional services such as accountancy and stock-taking plus access to a buying group.  

Pubs will be allowed to trade later into the evening during the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations in June, without having to apply for a late licence.  

A proposal to see automatic licence extensions granted until 1am on Friday night 2 June and Saturday night 3 June 2012, has been approved by the Government.

“The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee is a time for national celebration,” said Health minister Lord Howe.  

“This small relaxation in licensing hours will allow celebrations to continue to a reasonable hour and give a more relaxed atmosphere for people to enjoy their drink as they mark the occasion.” 

The move is expected to save pub businesses up to £500,000 in red tape by not having to individually apply for extensions and has been welcomed by the pub trade.

The continuing thirst for local beers and cask ale shows no sign of abating.  

SIBA – the trade group that represents small, independent brewers – has reported a 9.7% surge in volumes of beers made by local brewers in the past year.

In its Local Beer Report 2012, SIBA said the number of people employed full-time at independent beer-making companies had jumped 25% to 4,000 people.