From our base in Newcastle Upon Tyne, overlooking the old Tyne Brewery site, useyourlocal.com is on a mission to get more people into pubs and bars more often.
We know that consumers want one single trusted source of information on the UK’s 50,000+ pubs and bars, and we’re here to help these pubs and bars connect with UK consumers in a digital world.
What we know:
(Source: Useyourlocal.com Pub & Bar Survey 2017, 874 respondents)
By encouraging Britain’s pub loving public to join us and “Follow” their favourite pubs & bars, we make sure that they’re always the first to know what’s happening, where and when. No one need miss a Quiz Night or Live Band ever again.
Live life to the local.
Useyourlocal Limited was formed in March 2008 in partnership with Scottish & Newcastle Plc, then the UK’s biggest brewer. In April 2008, we became part of Heineken, Europe’s largest brewer, following their acquisition of S&N.
On 3rd August 2009, Useyourlocal.com launched amidst a blaze of publicity, offering the unique service that allowed people to have parcels delivered to their local pub.
Fast forward to today and things are looking a little different over here at Useyourlocal HQ. Having expanded our capabilities and our team, we are now operating as the UK’s number 1 digital platform for pubs and bars attracting over 300,000 visitors every month and counting some of the world’s biggest brands and pub groups amongst our customers.
The parcels may have gone, but the innovation certainly hasn’t.
My early career was spent in the cut a thrust world of media sales in my home county of North Yorkshire. From selling 3 by 1 boxes in the “Accommodation to Let” section of the Harrogate Herald, I moved onwards into the glamourous role of Display Sales on Personal Computer World, what was, back then, one of the UK’s biggest IT magazines, right in the heart of the Soho. The IT world was moving at breakneck speed and I took an opportunity to become part of the team that founded what grew into the UK’s biggest computer monitor supplier in the late 90’s. Having relocated to the North East to build a 120,000sq ft manufacturing site in Newcastle Upon Tyne, I looked for a complete change into an industry for which I had a real passion. Newcastle Breweries, the Northern trading arm of Scottish & Newcastle plc, became my new home in 2001. After several roles across sales, marketing & finance I secured their support to launch Useyourlocal in 2009. Our mission of getting more people into pubs, more often remains as true today as it was on the day we started. The rest, as they say, is history.
You simply can’t beat your own local. For the last 20 years that’s been the Black Bull in Matfen. However, The Wellington in Darley and the Bird in Hand, W14 London, will always hold an extra special place in my heart.
The first. Often a Kronenbourg 1664, sometimes a local cask ale like Tyneside Blonde. I’ve even been spotted with a Gin & Tonic once or twice!
Playing dominoes, with my mate JG, in The Shakespeare, Durham.
I started my career at Waverley Vinters Ltd in a Youth Training Scheme 6-month contract assisting with general office duties and administrative work. I then took a side step to Eagle Star Insurance/Zurich where I spent 14 years working in Telesales. In 2004, having missed the pub connection so much, I returned to Waverley Wine and Spirits, again working in Telesales. I remained there until 2012 when I was made redundant, after which I decided to go back into insurance for another 4 years. Then, in October 2016, I gladly assumed my role as Digital Marketing Executive at Useyourlocal, feeling at home speaking to my publicans once again.
Has to be The Lord Nelson Pub in Jarrow, with live bands on nearly every weekend. I am spoilt for choice to stay in or go to the pub!
Has to be a nice cold Peroni, or I have now discovered Rhubarb Gin & Lemonade.
Keith Lemon – Don’t show your teeth game.
My passion for web design and development began way back in 1998, starting as a hobby and quickly becoming much more as I began receiving requests to create websites and print media for local companies. I started out being self employed and also held a Directorship in a couple of companies, one focusing on providing a full set of internet services to SME and the other running a variety of high traffic media and e-commerce websites. I have been lucky enough to work with some great companies over the years which has given me the opportunity to work closely with brands like Virgin Atlantic, Take2 and my personal favourite Rockstar Games. Previous roles to this one have been as the Lead Developer for a leading SaaS provider in the fenestration industry and Head of Development at a social enterprise car sharing club. I joined Useyourlocal in 2020 and now get to combine two of my favourite things – exciting, fast paced web development and pubs.
Botanist Newcastle. Great venue, good atmosphere with live music and most importantly my wife loves the cocktails.
Quite partial to Blue Moon and can regularly be found trying out different gins.