To ask what does your local pub do to impress you?

Decent coffee and staff that don't get annoyed when you ask for a latte 😅

Good value kids menus. Theme nights. Love live music.

Themed seasonal events. Our local has recently hosted after school Halloween activities for kids, day of the dead party for adults, Christmas market stalls, local brewery and food truck takeovers. They rent out their private event space to local businesses. It's always rammed and very popular, the owners are visibly present often and very friendly/interested in engaging with the local community.

Coffee and cake, safe parking for bikes (woo local cycling clubs - cyclists have hollow legs)

And veg with each meal.

Decent coffee, good nachos or loaded chips. I love a sharing platter. Book swap shelf, OAP lunches.

I don't go our drinking very often these days so it's food that I go to the pub for. Really nice food with a specials menu that changes each week so it's not the same stuff all the time. Not just boring chain pub options either. A good fish option that's not fish and chips.

Half portions for kids rather than just the beige options.

We often meet with inlaws at this pub despite a longer drive https://www.droversrestinn.com/ because it has surprising and interesting vegetarian food such as pickled cheese and deep-fried beer and cheese scones- has a free-range chicken wandering around and if I was closer would love to go to the crime book and the vinyl playing meetings -it is over an hour away from us but worth the travel. Love a pub that has a free book shelf too and board games.

A good roast dinner with crispy potatoes and cauliflower cheese!! They’re hard to fine

On the flip side of this, I do get irritated when the only veggie options are vegan! Some of us want our cheese (and I respect those that don't, to be clear). Vegan AND veggie options are where it's at.

Yes yes to big bowls of good chips!!!

Be visible. Nothing fancy but have an Instagram and Facebook page with up to date photos and an up to date menu.

Our pub has a fantastic GF menu, including GF fish and chips.

The best local pub in my area do a Friday burger night for £12 and they do a competition on Facebook every week for people to suggest different burgers and then they get 1 for free if they win. There's quite a lot of country pubs around here so they've got a lot of competition but do really well from their burger night!

Ours locally is a powerhouse and has gone the overnight accommodation route - means they're open for breakfast which is popular, and coffee. They're also big on food generally, really friendly, and have a loyalty points scheme.

In general though, I agree about an open fire. I sometimes google 'pubs with fire' for a destination walk etc. And attention to the basics, whatever the basics are at your pub. We're lucky to have two pubs near us, but in our nearest more simple one, where the beer is pretty important, my dp had an off pint, plus a corner of the fish I ordered was still frozen. We haven't been back, because why would we risk it?

For me, it's the decor that determines if I go in or not. Anywhere with carpet is a no. Or where the smell of stale beer hits you when you open the door. Or that has a tv on.

We often go to local pubs to have a quick bite of dinner and a glass of wine. I'd agree that good chips are really important.

Separate veggie & vegan options that don’t involve fake meat.

If I want to treat myself on a Sunday or take a friend somewhere for lunch, I’ll go to my local pub because they do a delicious range of veggie options, which I can have with all the trimmings and gravy.

There are 7 good pubs in the market town where we live.

The reason why we mainly go to one of them:

They have a lovely outside space with gorgeous lights, under cover and heaters so those of us trapped in office all week can sit outside.

They do some basic food really really well, they are known for their burgers and do a great Sunday roast.

They source British crisps, British food and do a great pint, English sparkling wines etc

They are very family friendly, often really busy with families on a Saturday lunchtime

Major football and rugby matches are screened.

Summer BBQ

Yes! Hot, savoury things like this for snacking while you chat and drink.

Our local does pensioners lunches once a week. It’s a slightly smaller portions than the average pub meal as most of the local OAPs said pub meals were too big, and it’s really reasonable, I think £10 for 2 courses or £14 for 3 courses. It’s always packed!

My local:
Serves fish and chips into the care home over the road on Friday lunchtimes. It's cheaper than the local chippy and much better. They just walk it across on covered trolleys and serve it up hot!

Has a pizza van (it's brilliant! and owned by a local family) who come once a month on a Sunday when the pub kitchen is closed. We can take the pizzas in the pub and have a few pints. It brings lots of people in who wouldn't otherwise bother. They don't charge the van for the pitch, it's a win win for them both.

There's a book club, a knit and natter group and a crafty group who meet every week at different times. Not run by the pub, but they host it. Darts team.

Gift fayres every so often - no MLM types allowed or you'll be overrun with it. Car boot sale in the summer (the brewery don't see a penny of that or if the tea, coffee and butties they sell at it as it's run separately).

Dog food available to buy at the bar so people like us don't go home because it's their dinner time 😂

They host a breakfast club for the Armed Forces Veterans once a month - https://www.afvbc.com/

Friday afternoon they encourage the local tradies to pop in and allow them to leave their vans in the car park after a few beers.

If you've got good WiFi - offer a work-from-the-pub deal in the mornings when you would normally be very quiet. My local does a deal where you get bottomless tea or filter coffee, a lunch or breakfast and a table to work for a couple of hours. Make it clear the deal is only for your quiet periods though! You can also make it clear that headphones to be used, no noisy work calls etc 🙈

On the food front - keep it simple! So many local pubs seem to want to put fancy stuff on the menu but it's never really great. Unless you're a full on gastro pub, keep to the basics and do them really well.

Offering a warm space for elderly etc at a quiet time. Offer tea and biscuits. Whilst that doesn't make money, people will admire what you are doing and it's great advertising and community feel

Do not underestimate the value of a good bowl of chips. Nice quality, not cheap with all eyes and black bits.

Topping options of cheese / chilli etc

Our local does movie nights for families, chip butties free of charge for the kids! Adults can have a nice meal and I guess they make money off the drinks? Really enjoy it