Landlady transforms pub into 'smoking research centre' in legal loophole so customers can smoke indoors

By Chris Brooke
Last updated at 8:01 AM on 13th May 2009


Business boost: Landlady Kerry Fenton doubled her customer numbers after bringing back smoking in her Barnsley pub under a 'legal loophole'

With her pub struggling to survive, landlady Kerry Fenton needed a way to bring in business - fast.
So when one of her regulars claimed he had found a 'legal loophole' to get round the smoking ban, she decided to act on his advice.
Just five days later, customer numbers have quadrupled as word has spread about the 'smoking research centre' in the Cutting Edge pub in Barnsley.
James Martin, 40, studied the fine print of The Smoke-Free (Exemptions and Vehicles) Regulations 2007 to come up with a solution to his local pub's problems in the non-smoking era.
He worked out that a 'smoking research centre' could be introduced if the building has a separate room and no through bar. Customers would be allowed to smoke in the room after filling in a research questionnaire about their smoking habits.

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When i heard they would ban smoking in pubs a few years ago, my first thought was, that they would simply be converted to smoking lounges instead. Im surprised it took that long, before somebody actually did it.

Hi,

well I hope they close that loop hole. My fear is here that a lot of bars and restaurants are also going to look at ways in which they can still allow smoking. Which is not in the spirit of the democratic decision.

We will see

Have fun

Martin