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3 May 2005 12:27:29
A busy Cambridgeshire publican is planning a cool summer this year, by taking on a project to completely refit one of her beer cellars with a range of cold ales, thanks to a New Skills course at the University of Luton.
Pearl Robinson, who is licensee of five pubs in Peterborough, along with bar manager Emma Kelly, hope to hold the Cambridge Open Darts Competition once the cellar project is complete.
Pearl, who runs the Dragon Fly pub and the Stafford Hall Community Centre, said: “We have undertaken a number of courses with the University and we have learned so much. Last July one of my pubs was extremely hot because of the generator equipment used to keep the beer kegs cool.
“It was vital to cool down the pub so we could introduce a range of real ales, as they must be stored below a particular temperature. Unfortunately, a previous project to refurbish the cellar had gone over time and budget because we didn’t have the skills to manage it.”
In order to get to grips with planning the project and looking at potential risks, Pearl and Emma attended Managing Projects For All, one of the free courses offered by the University of Luton.
The course has given Pearl and Emma the confidence to undertake the £9,000 project to refit a beer cellar into one of their pubs.
Pearl explained: “I wouldn’t have been able to come up with a new approach to the beer cellar project without the training we received at the University of Luton. The course highlighted a number of issues that I wouldn’t have previously thought of.”
Paul Corazzo, Project & Recruitment Manager for the University, said: “It’s very rewarding to see people benefiting from our training programmes.
“Emma and Pearl have also undertaken Microsoft Access training. This means they can keep a database of regular customers and send them details of forthcoming live events and special offers. They can also keep track of stock levels. Investing the time in this training has freed them up to concentrate on making the customers’ time in the pub more enjoyable.”
Emma, who has just completed the University’s two-day Conflict Resolution course, believes the training really helped her to deal with difficult customers. “I can focus on providing good beer and food and keeping the atmosphere friendly. It means Pearl is happy to leave me in charge whilst she is off indulging in her passion – playing darts,” said Emma.
The training is open to SMEs in Cambridgeshire. To find out if your company is eligible for free training courses in Managing Projects, Team Building and Creating and Communicating Solutions, call the New Skills team at the University of Luton on 01582 743045 or e-mail newskills@luton.ac.uk.
Photo: Emma Kelly and Pearl Robinson, from Peterborough, discuss their New Skills training with Paul Corazzo, Project and Recruitment Manager at the University of Luton.
Latest news» 2005» May» University Training is Just the Tonic for Cambridgeshire Publican
