Publican

Publicans manage licensed premises like pubs and bars.

In this guide

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a publican, you would:

  • order stock and take deliveries
  • serve customers
  • organise events, functions and activities to maximise sales
  • maintain the premises, bar equipment and cellar
  • handle wages, bookkeeping and accounts
  • recruit, train and supervise bar and kitchen staff
  • build good relationships with breweries, suppliers and customers

Working environment

You could work in a pub or bar or at a restaurant.

Your working environment may be noisy and physically demanding.

Career path and progression

If you're employed by a pub chain or brewery, you could become a regional manager. You might also use your skills to move into catering or restaurant management.

You could go self-employed and expand your business by buying additional pubs or bars.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • customer service skills
  • leadership skills
  • the ability to work well with others
  • business management skills
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • the ability to motivate and manage staff
  • the ability to understand people’s reactions
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

Most relevant

  • Business - Publicans run a business day to day – handling bookkeeping, managing accounts, ordering stock, and controlling costs to keep the pub profitable. They also need to understand marketing and pricing strategies to attract customers and maximise sales.
  • Accounting - Publicans handle wages, bookkeeping, and accounts as a core part of the job. They need to track income and expenses, manage cash flow, and understand profit margins to keep the business financially healthy.
  • Mathematics - Publicans use maths constantly – calculating stock orders, working out profit margins, managing budgets, and handling cash. They also need to analyse sales figures to spot trends and make decisions about pricing and promotions.
  • Food Preparation and Nutrition - Publicans who run pubs serving food need to understand food safety, hygiene standards, and menu planning. They oversee kitchen operations and may need a food safety qualification, so knowledge of how food is prepared and stored safely is essential.

Also relevant

  • English Language - Publicans communicate constantly – with customers, staff, suppliers, and breweries. They need strong verbal and written skills for everything from negotiating deals with suppliers to writing promotional materials and handling complaints.
  • Psychology - Publicans need to understand people's reactions and motivations, whether that's managing a team of staff, resolving customer disputes, or creating an atmosphere that keeps people coming back. Reading social situations well is a big part of running a successful pub.
  • Law - Publicans must hold a personal licence to sell alcohol and comply with licensing laws, health and safety regulations, and employment law. Understanding legal responsibilities – from serving age restrictions to staff contracts – is essential to running a pub without falling foul of the law.
  • Economics - Publicans operate in a competitive market and need to understand how factors like local demand, supplier pricing, and broader economic conditions affect their business. This helps them make smart decisions about what to stock, how to price drinks, and when to invest in the premises.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
  • applying directly
  • a graduate management trainee scheme

You could apply to do a Hospitality Manager Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship.

This might help you find work as a deputy bar manager. You could apply to become a pub landlord once you've built up your experience in the drinks trade.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

More Information

You could start as a bar person and get experience on the job. You might then move on to become a bar manager or landlord through further training and promotion.

There are no set requirements to apply directly for jobs, but you'll find it useful to have experience in hospitality, catering or customer service at a supervisory or management level.

You'll usually need to do the Pre-Entry Awareness Training e-learning course before you apply for jobs.

You'll also need to complete the British Institute of Innkeeping's Level 2 Award for Personal Licence Holders to apply for a licence to sell alcohol.

It's possible for anybody with enough financial backing to buy a pub or bar.

As a manager of a pub or bar that sells food, you may need a food safety qualification accredited by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.

Some larger pub chains run graduate management trainee schemes.

You'll usually need relevant work experience and a degree in an area like:

  • business
  • marketing
  • hotel and catering
  • hospitality management

Career tips

Some jobs will include live-in accommodation as part of the benefits package.

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the British Institute of Innkeeping or British Beer & Pub Association, for professional recognition, training opportunities and to make industry contacts.

Further information

You can find out more about a career in the drinks trade from the British Institute of Innkeeping and the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.

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