Weekly Update #1 - The First One - 22nd November 2019

Starting a micropub has taken a lot longer than I originally anticipated. In a way, it’s pretty obvious that would have been the case. Certain things I assumed would take a couple of days have actually taken months and new things to deal with are always popping up. This is not to complain though and as things get closer to reality the excitement only builds.

Which leads me to doing this first Weekly Update. The feedback from the local community in person and on Social Media has been amazing yet it’s been hard to provide interesting updates, and when something moves forward it’s never really worthy of a Facebook or Instagram post. So I’ve decided a weekly update would be a good way of compiling all the various bits of news and my thoughts as we get closer to opening, and provide those interested with a bit more depth and detail as to what’s going on.

Probably best way to start such a Weekly Update series would be to get up to speed with where we currently are with things. After a year or so after first thinking about how cool it would be to have a Micropub in Highams Park I started to take it a bit more seriously in early 2018. I put together a business plan, read a few small business startup books, sought advice from other micropubs and created some financial model spreadsheets. In October that year I received my Personal Licence to progress things even further. However, the first big step though from a dream to reality would be finding and agreeing a premises. This would mean things got real; I’d have to put in the money and really commit to it rather than just dreaming.

I’ll save the details on that for another time, but luckily enough, around May this year (2019) I lucked out and found a premises that ticked all the boxes: Near the station, on a high street and the perfect size (not too big, not too small). The decision was made and the plunge was taken.

Part of the agreement with taking on the premises was dependent on getting an Alcohol Licence and Change of Use approved (From A1 shop to A4 bar). After a lot of form filling (and I really mean A LOT) the applications were submitted and a few months later approved. This was followed by another month of legal paperwork signing and agreements being made but thankfully, on Saturday 9th November I got the keys.

It’s a pretty great feeling to have reached this point. Looking over the last couple of years everything is a bit blurred from when it moved on from just a cool idea to actually having the keys, and yet it quite doesn’t feel real yet. Perhaps when it looks less like an empty shop and more like an actual Micropub that will change…

This pretty much brings us up to now. We’ve got plenty of building work to do; the first part of which is sound proofing. One of the conditions made by the local council is to provide them with a sound scheme document explaining how we’ll meet soundproof guidelines. This is in final stages of being completed by a professional and once done, will be sent off to the Planning Office for their approval. Once approved (fingers crossed) we’ll get the sound insulation installed and the rest of the building work can begin.

I’ll leave it there for the time being. Maybe not the most riveting of posts but at least the ball is rolling with this.

Cheers,

Rob