In the latest in our Taproom Talks series, The Pub Show chats to Brett Sanders, General Manager of the The Courtyard in Chelmsford, to learn more the challenge of rising costs and the joy of seeing customers having fun. 

Tell us a bit about your role

I’m the General Manager at The Courtyard in Chelmsford. We are an independent bar in the heart of Chelmsford. I work closely with the owner who allows me to express my creative ideas as much as possible. I have full control over most aspects of the business from products sold, who we order from, where we source items, recruitment, payroll, HR, organising weekly music offerings, DJs, events, private hires, food offers, Christmas offers. I also run our social media with one of our DJs and staff (they do TikTok as it baffles me) plus I create all of our promotional material. 

What do you love about working in the hospitality industry?

The ability to put a smile on people’s faces. It’s easy to forget why people go to our establishments, it’s to enjoy themselves. Seeing people laughing, joking, dancing, singing and having fun means I’m getting it right and I love that. 

What do you think are some of the key challenges to the pub sector in 2025?

Costs are going to be the biggest factor this year. There’s no two ways about it, the price of everything is going to rise sharply, we’ve seen some price rises already, I fear we will see more later in the year. All businesses, regardless of size, are going to struggle to factor all these costs in whilst trying to keep pricing at sensible levels that won’t discourage people to spend. 

What are some of the most exciting opportunities for the sector this year?

I think for pubs and bars we are going to see people looking for more interactive events. Give a people a reason to interact with your offer, just being open won’t do it. 

What are you hoping to learn or source at The Pub Show 2025?  

We always look for new products or ideas that we could use within our site. Last year we managed to source some self balancing tables which have been a game changer for our outside area. Hopefully this year we will find some new products or ideas for the bar.