Client: The Fox Inn

Location: Garboldisham, Norfolk

Sector: Community Pub

Solution: Avani ProClean and Beerista Beer Quality Training

The Challenge

This successful community pub team found they were wasting time cleaning their own lines – and needed to train everyone as nobody involved had previously run a pub.

It was quite onerous trying to do it every week and it was wasting volunteer’s time by keeping them away from the face-to-face pub work.

“There was no one really with experience of line cleaning,” says Chris. The team cleaned the lines to the best of their ability but lacked confidence and worried about taints and spoiled beer.

“It was quite onerous trying to do it every week and it was wasting volunteer’s time by keeping them away from the face-to-face pub work.”

“They did quite a bit of face-to-face training at that time and Avani took a lot of volunteers through how to pour a pint and how to look after the cellar as well….”

The Solution

The Fox signed up to extended beer line cleaning from Avani Solutions and a Beer Quality Technician visits the venue every 28 days. They carry out a full diagnostic process on the dispense system to identify any issues and clean the beer lines, including cellar equipment, backboard, and the taps at the bar.

It takes less than two hours, once every four weeks. If we were still trying to do it ourselves weekly, it would take us three hours minimum to do it and probably more.

“When I heard that they only had to come in every four weeks, I couldn’t believe it really. Not to start with, but it obviously works,” says Chris.

“It’s simply a very efficient service. I know when the technician is coming, so I try and sort of wind down a few things so he can get at more things, but he lets himself in, does the job, locks up after himself and if there’s anything that needs attention, they’ll report it.

“It takes less than two hours, once every four weeks.

If we were still trying to do it ourselves weekly, it would take us three hours minimum to do it and probably more.”

The Results

The time ProClean saves the team at The Fox Inn on a weekly basis is equivalent to one shift worked by a volunteer.

Thanks to Avani’s Innsights Dashboard they can also quickly and easily keep an eye on beer quality and know when a clean has taken place.

The Beer Quality Technician also notes any equipment that needs attention on the visit report. Repairs and maintenance needs can be addressed early to prevent bigger problems later.

This means the pub team is free to serve customers and get on with other critical aspects of running the venue, while still being able to provide perfect pints.

“In my time involved with the pub, I really haven’t had any complaints about beer quality,” says Chris.

“You get the odd real ale that somebody doesn’t like, and you get the odd one that doesn’t clear, or maybe it’s supposed to be cloudy, but overall, we’ve had no quality complaints at all.”

The pub team is free to serve customers and get on with other critical aspects of running the venue, while still being able to provide perfect pints.

He gives an example of how a problem, that could have led to a quality issue, was spotted during an Avani visit:

“They found one of the attachments to one of the real ales casks had cracked. I guess I would’ve found that myself, but I’d probably have found it on Friday evening just before service!

He adds why he’s such a fan of Avani ProClean.

“Knowing they come in once every four weeks and do a thorough clean, you can forget about it. You know it’s done, and you don’t even have to think about it. It gives you complete and absolute confidence.”