PUBS CODE

England and Wales

We work hard to build strong and lasting partnerships with our licensees built on mutual trust and respect.

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The Pubs Code England and Wales etc. Regulations 2016 (the Pubs Code) was introduced on 21st July 2016 to regulate the relationships between large pub owning companies (with over 500 tied pubs) and their tenants and lessees (‘tenants’). The Pubs Code places statutory obligations on Admiral Taverns (‘Admiral’) as a large pub owning business and helps ensure that there is consistency of approach across the large pub owning businesses so that you can have confidence in your dealings with us. The Pubs Code is binding on both Admiral and our tied tenants in England and Wales and is overseen and enforced by an independent adjudicator (the Pubs Code Adjudicator).

The Pubs Code is based on the core principles of fair and lawful dealing between the pub company and tenant and that any tied tenant should be no worse off than a free of tie tenant.

At certain specified ‘trigger events’, the Pubs Code offers an eligible tied tenant the right to request a Market Rent Only (MRO) proposal. This procedure enables these eligible tied tenants at these trigger events to elect for a free of tie MRO offer which they can compare with their tied rent assessment offer and decide which offer is preferable to their business. Please refer to the MRO section below for further details and relevant links.

Important website links and documents:
The Pubs Code can be accessed here

Through our award-winning approach, we pride ourselves on trying to develop strong and lasting partnerships with our tenants built on mutual trust and respect. Even before the introduction of the Pubs Code England and Wales we strived to work to the self-regulatory Industry Framework Code which was underpinned by the values and processes set out in our own Code of Practice.

Our current the Code of Practice, (the Admiral Code of Practice (Version 6) is based upon the principles of the Pubs Code and sets out our own internal processes which we consider to be best practice. It has been issued for the information of existing and prospective tenants and confirms our best practice standards when dealing with our tenants. Our Code of Practice is a key element of the information provision to our tied tenants under the Pubs Code. It gives details of the essential elements of the relationship between Admiral and its tied tenants and it too is underpinned by the overriding principle of ‘fair and lawful dealing’ and that tied tenants should be no worse off than free of tie tenants.

In addition, we have incorporated further provisions within our Code of Practice which are supplementary to the provisions of the Pubs Code. These additional provisions outline further standards of good service and best practice which we aim to achieve in our dealings with all our tied tenants but are not statutory requirements and can be amended from time to time.

Access Admiral Code of Practice (Version 6) here

Benchmarking reports can be found by visiting the following websites:

RICS – The capital and rental valuation of public houses, bars, restaurants and nightclubs in England and Wales 2010 (rics.org)

UKHospitality Benchmarking Report 2022 (please note that there is a charge payable for a copy of this report). A copy of the report is also available for Admiral licensees at My Pub Support

British Beer & Pub Association 2023 Benchmarking Report

Pubs Code England and Wales sets out the circumstances (MRO trigger events) under which a tied tenant is entitled to request a Market Rent Only assessment allowing you to consider whether to elect for an MRO compliant agreement.

Further information on the MRO trigger events are set out in Part 5 of the Pubs Code and the Market Rent Only section of the Admiral Code of Practice.

In addition, there is useful information and clear detail available on the PCA website.

There are links to all of this documentation below.

MRO Frequently Asked Questions
The Pubs Code – PART 5 MRO
Admiral Code of Practice (Version 6 – see page 16)
PCA Website

Following the first statutory review of the Pubs Code, important changes were made to the Pubs Code including the MRO process. The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 and Pubs Code etc. (Amendment) Regulations 2022 came into force on 1st April 2022 and amongst other changes introduced a new three month ‘resolution period’ to the MRO process for MRO events that occur after that date, therefore allowing parties more time to negotiate MRO terms.

For full details of the amendments and how they affect the MRO process, please read the PCA factsheet by clicking here 

A full copy of the amended regulations can also be found by clicking here

Our Compliance Officer oversees our compliance with the Pubs Code and prepares an Annual Compliance Report which provides a detailed and accurate account of Admiral’s compliance with the code. The Compliance Report will highlight any identified breaches that have occurred and where necessary, what we have done to remedy that breach and ensure that it is not repeated. To view Admiral Taverns Compliance Report from 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023 please click here.

Scott Saunders was appointed as the company’s Pubs Code Compliance Officer in January 2024, and ensures our adherence to the Pubs Code.

To contact our Pubs Code compliance officer please email: pubscodecompliance@admiraltaverns.co.uk

The Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) is responsible for enforcing the Pubs Code.

Further information on the role and responsibilities of the Pubs Code Adjudicator can be found on the PCA website

Biography of the current PCA
Complete an online enquiry form
Email: office@pubscodeadjudicator.gov.uk

Send post to:
Office of the Pubs Code Adjudicator
4th Floor
23 Stephenson Street
Birmingham
B2 4BJ
T: 0800 528 8080

Keep up to date with Pubs Code and PCA news

Sign up to website email alerts

Follow the PCA on Twitter Facebook and LinkedIn @pubscodepca

The PCA regularly publishes important updates regarding the Pubs Code including bulletins, guidance, statistics and arbitration awards. To view the latest PCA publications please click the following link:

PCA Publications

You will be aware that yields on real (cask) ales can be affected by sediment created in the conditioning process of the beer as it settles in the cellar of your pub. This sedimentation process is known as the ‘conditioning’ of the cask ale. Allowing each beer the right amount of time to settle before dispense, is a key element of preparing the perfect pint for your customers.

Since not all of the cask contents are available to be served, each brewer individually agrees with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) their own sediment allowance and thus the amount of each cask on which duty should not be paid as it is deemed un-saleable. Yields on cask ales will vary and this will impact upon the number of pints you can serve from each cask.

In order to assist you with your projections on your yields and expected returns, please click the link below where you will be provided with a guide to the sediment allowance for each cask product sold by Admiral Taverns. These are the most recent sediment allowance details which have been provided to us by the respective brewers. We have also provided an estimation of the average saleable volume from each cask. Any changes will be updated as we receive them from each brewer.

Should you require additional information in this area please contact your Business Development Manager who will be pleased to assist.

When purchasing cask beer, please note that all brewers have different sediment allowances (CAS) which have been factored into the Admiral Taverns prices. The table below details the relevant sediment allowances, saleable litres and the equivalent number of saleable pints for all cask products currently available from Admiral Taverns as a guide to assist with selling price and gross profit calculations.

Click here to view our Sediment Allowances

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