St Austell welcomes non-smoking day

l Smoke-free: Andrew Rickard, assistant manager of the Sharksfin, Mevagissey, Cornwall

July 1, 2007: Cornwall's St Austell Brewery has invested more than £1 million in preparing for its 167 pubs, restaurants and hotels across Cornwall and Devon to go smoke free today.

Attractive outdoor areas, including patios, decking and gazebos, have been developed at many of the brewery's pubs for those customers who still wish to smoke.

A raft of training materials and information packs have been distributed to all licensees to ensure staff are fully up-to-speed on the legislation. In some establishments, a programme of deep cleansing has also been planned to give premises a fresh start to the new smoke-free era.

Adam Luck, St Austell Brewery estate director, said: "Dealing with the introduction of the national smoking ban is perhaps the biggest single challenge for the licensed trade in recent times, but we believe the change will be a very positive one overall.

"We will be embracing the new legislation and making sure that all our pubs will appeal to a wider market without losing their magic, individuality and charm.

"St Austell Brewery has been at the forefront in setting new standards for pub food and through the work of our nationally acclaimed food champion, Paul Drye, and the many excellent chefs in our pubs, we will continue to enhance the food offer and focus on fresh, local ingredients.

"There will also be a focus on improving the family facilities, ensuring quality and cleanliness remains at the top of our agenda and that the customer experience for anyone visiting a St Austell Brewery pub is a very positive one."

As the busy summer season gets under way, St Austell Brewery aims to use the change in legislation to encourage non-smokers back through the doors, and managers are confident the laws will help safeguard the long term health of both employees and customers.

Adam added: "We're on the brink of the busiest time of the year as tourists head to Cornwall and Devon for the summer. A professional approach to dealing with the change in the law will form part of the region's tourist offer, alongside the warm welcome and excellent service which are the hallmarks of all our pubs for both regular customers and visitors."

n At St Austell Brewery's Western Inn, in St Austell, upholstery and carpets have had a deep clean. Award-winning licensees Adam and Carly Sprague have been hard at work creating an outside oasis where they have redeveloped the back yard and driveway. Decking, an electric awning, heaters and lights have been installed and furnished with herbs and lavender plants to add colour. More than £2,500 has been spent on outside furniture and the toilets have been relocated inside now.

Adam said: "There's a real community feel at the pub where everyone knows each other. The new walled garden has proven very popular with all our customers, both smokers and nonsmokers Last week we had a hog roast outside and the outside area has made a real difference."

Landlord Simon Evans and the team at the Fort Inn, Newquay, have been busy overhauling their restaurant and children's area in the lead-up to the smoking ban. Umbrellas, outside heaters, lights and wall-mounted ashtrays have been installed at the pub.

Simon said: "We're not worried about July 1 and we think it's going to be a good thing — better for productivity, the image, environment, children and the threat of passive smoking will be gone".

The Sharksfin at Mevagissey is a brand new venture focusing on food and catering for the whole family. The Sharksfin re-opened with a brand new look on Wednesday, May 23, complete with new menu, open-plan kitchen, leather sofas and up-market lounge area. It went smoke-free from the first day.

Andrew Rickard, assistant manager said: "It's a lot cleaner atmosphere and a better environment to work in now. We've had lots of comments from smokers and nonsmokers saying how nice the change is already. I don't think business will be affected once the actual ban comes into force and it's nice that we went early, so more people got used to it".

In St Ives, five team members at the Lifeboat Inn have formed a club in a bid to kick the habit. Landlady Kellie McKeown has promised unlimited free coffee and chips to John Harris, Kerry Howard, Ashley Bevan, Ahmed Bishara and Leon Pritchard to keep them off the cigarettes and help stave off the cravings. They will help to monitor each other and keep an eye out for anyone tempted to give in and sneak off for a crafty fag break.

Kellie said: "It might affect their waistlines for a while, but it'll be much better for their health in the long run. I'm confident this change will benefit everyone at the Lifeboat — both customers and staff — and will make a real positive difference to business. The ban couldn't be introduced at a better time and I'm convinced that everyone will pull together. No-one will feel isolated because everyone's affected."