Do you prefer pubs which are independent, quirky and sell a wide variety of high-quality cask ales and real cider? If so, seek our your nearest micropub and pull up a chair, you’re in for a treat.
‘A Micropub is a small freehouse which listens to its customers, mainly serves cask ales, promotes conversation, shuns all forms of electronic entertainment and dabbles in traditional pub snacks’ – Micropub Association
Are you interested in opening a micropub? We don’t claim to be experts, but the purpose of this blog is to allow anyone interested in opening their own micropub to follow our progress since opening our own micropub in 2014, as well as learn more about the phenomenon in general. Our Facebook and Twitter pages are up and running if you want to see what we’re sharing with our friends and followers, because to be honest the blog fell by the wayside when the business really took off.
Speaking of which…at some point during our journey we grew out of being a micropub and evolved into a bar, albeit one that has stayed true to many of the guiding principles that make micropubs special.
R&C
PS With the Covid-19 crisis set to dominate world affairs throughout 2020, I have dusted off the blog and will be posting here again while reflecting on the challenging times ahead.
Your Micropub 
Wishing you guys the best of luck! Looking forward to hearing all about it.
Hoping to start one next year will be very interested to follow your progress
Just wanted to take the time to thank you for your fascinating and informative blog. As someone interested in opening a micropub but lacking in any real knowledge of how to do so, following your progress, tips and ideas has been invaluable.
I hope your venture is a success, and by the sounds of it I’m sure it will be. If I’m ever in your neck of the woods I’ll be sure to drop by.
Been dreaming of opening a micro for about 4-5 years now, not quite had the courage to make the leap.
Good luck with yours, hope it’s going well, look forward to more updates!
Will sure to call in when next in the area… All the best for the future of serving good ale.
Would just like to say thank you for the constructive feedback (Micro Pub Insurance / Warwick Davis). You may be pleased to know that we are now working on a bespoke scheme solely for Micro Pubs. So that means cover and premium rates that reflect the low risk they will represent to insurers, compared with a mainstream pub. If I may, I will post a further comment once the scheme goes live. All the best, Neil Kerkhove, Warwick Davis Insurance.
Great blog… And we’ll done on your success… Hope to visit / drink ale sometime
I’m hoping to start my own micropub in the near future, currently just sorting funding and personal license. Many thanks for a really great blog!….read with a pen and paper at my side…made loads of notes….thank you!
Hi guys! I’m really looking into a micro pub I already have a licker license but don’t know where to go/apply for a premises license. Any help would be soooooo helpful
All the best
Paul
Hi Paul, you’ll need to contact the licencing department of the council where you’re wanting to open, they can tell you what documents and fees they need. Good luck!
What a great write-up. In the village where I reside there are 4 pubs, all PubCo owned. One has burnt down & sold for new housing, Two are about to close as the rent has been increased. The last is the busiest pub in the village because of the issues with the others.
I have been offered the lease on the busiest pub, but I don’t fancy the idea of being ripped off by the PubCo & I don’t think it will be long until the last pub closes. I’m wondering if the village has room for a micropub. We have 2 small local breweries-Leigh on Sea Brewery & Georges Brewery that produce some amazing beers. These beers are sold in the pubs previously mentioned & do quite well. Do you think a village could sustain a micropub ?
Regards
Rich
Thanks for stopping by, Rich. I’d say the two golden rules going into the pub trade are 1) it’s hard to succeed in this business working for someone else and 2) it’s all about how many chimney pots you can see from the premises. You may not become a millionaire but the payoff comes from attracting dedicated locals and by being a community asset.