Hemel MP Mike Penning dropped in at The Leather Bottle in Leverstock Green on Friday 13th July as publicans across the country celebrated Proud of Pubs Week.

Hemel MP Mike Penning dropped in at The Leather Bottle in Leverstock Green on Friday 13th July as publicans across the country celebrated Proud of Pubs Week.

Mike is one of more than 100 MPs visiting pubs during the national celebration of pubs, organised by The Publican magazine, which runs from July 8 to 15.

The MP will be seeing for himself the contribution that The Leather Bottle makes in Leverstock Green, as well as discussing issues following the smoking ban.

Other events in Proud of Pubs Week will see licensees raising a glass to their barstaff in a national toast, and pubs putting on their own Proud of Pubs Night, many of them trying out new entertainment for the first time.

Recent research carried out for The Publican underlines how many pubs transformed themselves before England’s smoking ban began:

• More than eight out of 10 (84%) now welcome families
• One in three pubs (31%) is laying on new entertainment following the smoking ban – including everything ranging from karaoke and beer festivals to video snail racing
• 96% serve food after the smoking ban
• Eight out of 10 (82%) have an outside area, with eight out of 10 (78%) of these pubs having a dedicated area for smokers.

Daniel Pearce, deputy editor of The Publican, said: “Pubs do so much their communities and we thought it was about time that more MPs dropped in to their local to see that for themselves! Proud of Pubs Week is the ideal opportunity to pub landlords to shout out about all the great things they do.”

Photo: Mike with publicans Steve Flanagan and Marie-Louise McGrath
at the Leather Bottle in Leverstock Green