The Lock In Pub Podcast

Do pubs really add value to society? In the season finale of the Lock In podcast, the team take a deep dive to assess the real social value of pubs

With changing consumer habits, has the tradition of buying drinks in a round gone the way of the dodo? The Lock In team head to the bar to find out.

The Lock In team takes a look at the pub regular, from old Dave propping up the bar, to the crowd that tell you how to run the pub - how important are regulars, and how do you control them?

Giving people a reason to get out to the pub has never been more important, so the Lock In team take a look at some of the wild, wacky and traditional ideas for pulling in the punters.

With modern society going through seismic changes (is it jam first, or cream first) the Lock In team decided to take a look at the unwritten rules of the pub - do people actually know what they are?!

Are influencers really delivering for pubs? The Lock In team hears what works, what doesn’t and how pubs can use influencers, reviewers and social media more effectively to help drive footfall.

As BrewDog founder James Watt continues to gnash his teeth and blame everyone but himself, the Lock In team take a look back at the business and ask, what went wrong with BrewDog.

With hygiene inspections in the headlines, the Lock In team take a look at the role of the EHO and ask, are they friends or foe?

With Valentines Day in the rear view, the Lock In team tackle the topic of love, and ask whether pubs still play a role in the world of romance or not?

With the news that younger consumers are turning back to traditional cask beer, the Lock In team grab their pint mugs and get real with ale.

With some serious challenges facing the pub sector in 2026, the Lock In team tackle some of the issues and consider what campaigning is going to work in the year ahead.

The Lock In team takes a look at the year ahead for pubs, and asks, can it be any worse than 2025?!

With younger consumers embracing the old man boozer, has the wet-led pub, once considered going the way of the Dodo, made an audacious comeback - The Lock In team investigates. Sort of.

The Lock In team, well some of them, take a crack at this week’s budget with a special one off episode.

The humble burger has been a pub menu staple for decades, but are pubs being left behind on the burger front?

People are key to hospitality, but employment has never been more expensive or challenging. The Lock In podcast team takes a deep dive into some of the issues the sector is facing.

The Lock In gets locked in as we go behind bars to investigate the opportunties the hospitality sector offers to rehabilitate offenders.

The Lock In podcast explores the cost of a pint along with beer writing legend Pete Brown - has the price risen out of reach of the consumer?

With the opening of a new alcohol-free venue in Scotland, the Lock In team take a look at the history and opportunities for a new breed of non-boozer.

The Lock In podcast is back! Yes, fans of the podcast (all seven of you) will be delighted and this time we’ve got a great new guest host for our opening episode, Butcombe’s Jayson Perfect.

Is the pub crawl a thing of the past, or alive and well? In the season five finale, The Lock In team get their drinking boots on to investigate.

It’s not all about football when it comes to pubs and sport, so the Lock In team scrum down for a discussion about how pubs can embrace the opportunities that rugby offers.

As punters continuously trip over the herds of constantly filming influencers on their way to the bar, the Lock In team ask, is social media just a massive pain in the proverbial?

Food trends, the importance of sustainability and consumer expectations were just three of the areas the Lock In team tackled in the latest podcast episode.

The Lock In team take a look at the relationship between pubs and music, from karaoke to live performance, and ask the question - what happened to all the jukeboxes?

In this episode of the Lock In, the team speaks to various operators in the wider hospitality sector about how the Budget impacts them.

The Lock In team tackled the stories and scandals behind pub names.

It’s no surprise that spirits are low in the pub industry - and that’s just the category! In the spirit of adventure (sorry) The Lock In podcast team take a deep dive to see why consumers are switching off the G&T.

With many operators reporting customers eating and drinking out earlier and leaving earlier, the Lock In team look into why this may be and how businesses are adapting to it.

The Lock In team look at how best to handle a crisis and how to avoid turning one into a drama.

The Lock In team take a look at whether the pub remains relevant in the modern age. Do pubs still appeal to consumers?

The pub sector is continually evolving, and this episode of the podcast looks at operators that are doing things a little differently, from embracing the opportunities of being a film venue, like Main Arthur of the White Cross in Groeswen to opening a school at The Swan in Clewer. We spoke to The Swan's GM, Micky Foden-Andrews about the advantages of having cheap labour students working in a pub. We also hear from Pub is the Hub CEO John Longden about how they're helping the sector to thrive, without installing hot-tubs, and we hear from Anthony Christopher who's turned his love of cooking and animals (not cooking the animals) into a pub with a zoo at The Penycae Inn near Swansea.

With the year ahead looming, the Lock In team spoke to a range of experts on what to expect from 2025.

The Lock In team take a look at how pub operators can boost trade in the misery months of January, with some extra special help from a rugby legend!

The Lock In team take a deep dive inside the mind of Gen Z to find out exactly what young people think of the pub.

With the craft beer breweries struggling and the market declining, the Lock In team asks the question, is this the end for the craft beer movement?

The Lock In team take a look at the wide ranging cultural influences that are shaping the traditional pub environment from Irish bars to pubs with a Norwegian twist - what makes pubs such appealing melting pots?

With news focusing on the numbers of pub closures, the Lock In podcast takes a look at those opening sites and coming into the trade.

The Lock In Podcast is back for an unprecedented fifth season, and we're taking a look back at the summer trade!

Customer service is key to making your business a success, in the season finale, the Lock In takes a closer look at a key aspect that can make or break a pub.

In an audio only version of the Review of the Week, the MA's Ed Bedington caught up with Brewhouse & Kitchen CEO Kris Gumbrell to get his take on the week's news.

Pubs and ghosts go together like, well beer and pubs! Most pubs will lay claim to a ghost or two, so the podcast team take to the airwaves to talk all things spooky!

Celebrities love owning pubs, so the Lock In team spoke to a few, including James May and Candice Brown, to find out why they couldn't find an easier way to lose money!

As the dust settles on the recent Publican Awards, the Lock In team caught up with some of the winners to find out what makes them tick.

To pie, or not to pie, that is the question asked in this episode of the Lock In podcast, as the team lift the (pastry) lid on what makes the perfect pub pie!

The podcast team tackles the topic of pub games, from old school to new and ask how pub gaming is evolving and changing in the modern age.

Why is there a North/South divide when it comes to beer head and does Guinness really need to be poured in stages? The Lock In team tackle that and other issues around the concept of the perfect serve.

In a special recording of the Lock In podcast, live at the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs event recently, the team took to the air in an attempt to define what actually makes a gastropub?

Top toilets are vital for any pub operation, but are we always getting it right. The Lock In team go beyond the u-bend to find out how you can up your loo offer!