Public house insurance is essential if you are the landlord of a pub.

What is included in public house insurance?

There is no set formula, but pub cover might contain a number of the following components:

• Employer’s liability insurance is typically required by law, and covers claims relating to the health and safety of your employees while they are at work.
• Buildings insurance should cover claims for damage to the structure of the building from accident, fire or malicious actions of others. Many pubs are in listed or historic buildings, so it may be wise to insure specific features themselves to make sure that they are covered to an appropriate replacement or rebuilding value.
• It’s prudent for anyone carrying on a business to have public liability insurance. This is a “sweep up” category relating to potential claims made for damage you may cause to the person or property of members of the public who come into contact with your business. So, for example, claims brought by a customer who slips on a beer spillage and breaks his leg, or the dry cleaning bill of the lady who has soup spilled on her dress by your waitress would be covered by public liability insurance.
• Contents insurance, in the context of public house insurance, would relate to stock (both perishable and nonperishable) and loss of cash from break-ins.
• Pubs are likely to employ casual staff, so you may wish to add fidelity insurance, which covers losses due to employees’ dishonesty.
• Business interruption insurance relates to the loss of trade you might suffer if the premises were damaged by fire, for example.

Who can help me?

It is important to go to a specialist insurance provider who understands the hospitality industry. A provider who is experienced with pub cover can suggest issues you may not have considered, and will be familiar with any claims that do arise, making the process smoother.

How do I choose a policy?

• Check the detail carefully. For example, if you offer guests bed and breakfast, check how many guest bedrooms the policy will allow before you are catapulted into the more expensive “hotel” category. If your pub offers entertainment, make sure that it is not classed as a nightclub.
• Assess the service levels. How quickly did the provider return your calls or supply information? These issues would be even more important if you ever have to make a claim.
• Calculate the value of excesses. Most policies will have an excess, which is a certain amount. If claims are under that amount, you will not be entitled to cover for them. The higher the excess, the cheaper the policy because there is a lower chance that you will actually be able to claim on it. However, you should weigh up the benefit of a cheap policy compared to the inconvenience of not being able to claim for a percentage of claims against you.

Tags | pub cover, Public house insurance