With the World Cup bringing out the patriot in all of us, it’s good to know that the nation still consider a trip to the pub a quintessentially English past-time.

Spending time in your local was voted the most ‘typical English’ pursuit in a recent survey by Bombardier. Of the 5,000 people quizzed, 73 per cent said that they considered spending time in country pubs, taverns and inns the trait they most identified with the English.

And, with England now through to the next round of the World Cup and due to play on Sunday, pubs can look forward to an especially busy weekend of flying the flag.

Useyourlocal has launched a new feature where customers can rate their local pub.

As we’re a nation of beer lovers, it’s about time someone created a website dedicated to our favourite tipple…

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA)’s Beer Genie site aims to promote a positive image for beer by offering information, advice, hints and tips about all things beer-related.

The site is aimed at beer drinker, but will also be useful for landlords looking for inspiration on events and the best beers to stock in their pubs.

Take a look at the Beer Genie website and check out our Licensee Support section for further advice on making the most of your pub.

The Big Pub Guide, a nationwide iPhone app that enables customers to search the facilities of 55,000 UK pubs, has been launched.

The app allows pub-goers to search for pubs in their area that fit certain criteria such as pubs with beers gardens, pubs showing the World Cup and dog friendly pubs.

With people increasingly relying on their iPhone as a source of information, joining the database could prove a real boost to business.

Landlords can have their pub added to the database for a small fee – visit The Big Pub Guide website for more information.

The Publican is encouraging licensees to host their own ‘pub party’ to mark this year’s Proud of Pubs Week.

The idea of the national week, which will take place from 19 to 25 July, is to remind pubgoers that the prime reason they go to the pub is to enjoy themselves. It’s a great opportunity to attract new customers and provide something a little different for your regulars.

In the run up, The Publican will be providing details of how you can get your hands on its specially brewed Proud of Pubs Summer Ale and a range of merchandise, such as Proud of Pubs T-shirts, badges and beermats.

For more information, take a look at The Publican website – you can also download a poster to display in your pub.

We’re reminding landlords who employ doorstaff at their pub or club that all new doorstaff will now have to go through extra training and practical assessments.

The updated training qualification for those wishing to obtain a Security Industry Authority (SIA) Licence also includes training on awareness of terrorist threats, first aid and how to deal with under-18s.

At the moment, there’s no requirement for current SIA licensed doorstaff to undertake top up training. However, there may be a requirement that they do so by summer 2011, so be sure to keep your eye on the latest updates to ensure all your doorstaff are properly qualified.

We’ve already blogged several times about the growing popularity of real ale (see our blogs on Cask Ale Week and Cask Marque’s real ale Sat Nav service), and recent reports confirm that real ale is now Britain’s fastest-growing drink.

Ale is benefiting from the trend towards traditional, locally sourced products and there has been an explosion in the number of breweries in Britain, with 71 starting up last year alone. There are now more than 700 breweries in Britain; more per head of the population than anywhere else in the world.

Admiral landlords who’ve yet to consider stocking real ale should consider getting a slice of this lucrative market; Admiral Taverns stock a huge range of cask ales and participates in the “Britains got cask” guest ale scheme, which means our pub landlords are spolit for choice.

Britain’s most famous pub landlord is starring in Admiral’s new radio advertising campaign.

The voice of TV comic Al Murray features in our latest recruitmentcampaign, which encourages pub lovers to consider a career on the other side ofthe bar.

The adverts will be broadcast across the UK as part of our media campaign.

We believe the new Al Murray ads will help us to attract more newcomersto the industry and raise awareness of the great opportunities available with Admiral Taverns.

Anyone interested in swapping sides of the bar should take a look at our pubs to let 

We’ve already reported on what a boost the World Cup will be for pub profits, and provided landlords with some advice on preparing their pub for the summer of sport.

And now, with the kick off now tantalisingly close, we want to share some tips on how best to cater for hungry footie fans.

Sharing platters of finger food are a great way to satisfy their appetite without forcing them to take their eyes off the game for too long. Keep things interesting by offering a few different selections – Tex Mex, Chinese, or Hot and Spicy are good starting points for themes - and ensure the platters look appealing by choosing a mixture of food in different colours and shapes.

Make sure that all of the food is easy to prepare and can be cooked as quick as possible to make the most of half time munchies and don’t forget about desserts – pudding platters can work really well too.

For further advice, Admiral Taverns landlords can speak to the Mypubfood team.   

A recent survey has revealed the drinking habits of the nation, and it’s all good news for the pub trade. 

The survey by OnePoll found that the average drinker spends £39,480 buying rounds for friends and family during their lifetime; that equates to an average of £840 a year.

These impressively huge figures are proof that the pub industry is still going strong and that running a pub can be a great business opportunity. If you’d like to find out more, contact our recruitment team or have a look at our pubs to let.