Both Sides of the Bar

The 1960s, '70s and '80s saw many changes in the licensed trade.

The days of family run breweries, large and small, were numbered.

Many small breweries merged to try and keep out the predators with varying degrees of success.

The takeover of Watney Mann by Grand Metropolitan Hotels alerted the "Beerage" that even the large conglomerates were targets.

In their haste to boost their balance sheets, many rural pubs were delicensed and sold off, often at ridiculous low prices.

The demise of the rural pub had started, and the rush to cash in on the eating-out revolution attracted a new type of publican, more interested in providing fancy food than upholding the traditions that British pubs were famous for throughout the world.

Tony Hackett, though being a leader at the birth of pub catering, holds strong views on the transformation of pubs to "nosh joints".

This book gives an insight into the changing face of the British Pub.

Their involvement in the trade brought them into contact with many famous personalities from all walks of life, and their experiences give a good insight into the ups and downs of the pub trade during this era.