Glycol cold beer project

Client:
JD Wetherspoon plc

Location:
Various, throughout Scotland & Northern England

Value:
£300,000

Timescale:
78 units, phased over 35 Weeks

Design Team:
LBF Architects

Challenge

As JD Wetherspoon rolled out a new super-chilled lager and “perfect” wine system across all of their 691 licensed premises, Pacific Building were commissioned to deliver installations within business-critical constraints in all JD Wetherspoon premises in Scotland and several in Northern England.

The project demanded consistent outcomes in varied contexts. Each pub has its own character and circumstances, whether it is urban or remote, modern or ancient.

In each hostelry, all lager lines were replaced with new routes, and the bars were modified accordingly to accommodate the new dispensing systems before all the disturbed areas were reinstated.

As there were no records of the existing lines, Pacific Building carried out assessments in advance of works commencing.

With much of the work involving installations behind walls, in ceilings or under floors, it was expected that there would be a frequent need to react to situations as they presented themselves in the course of the work. Remedial work and reinstatement requirements varied but had to be accommodated in a uniform timeframe.

Approach

The key was to avoid disruption to the vital weekend trade. Pacific Building scheduled a fast-track, multi-disciplinary team to work in shift patterns from Sunday evening through to Thursday.

Detailed forward planning flagged up potentially difficult projects, and empowerment of the teams on the ground at these locations with the ability to react quickly and creatively as issues arose was crucial in delivering results within the tight timescales. Crews – as many as four on-site at any one time – sometimes worked long hours to meet deadlines.

Result

A total of 78 pubs in diverse locations were successfully completed in a 35-week programme, on time and on budget – with cold beers all round to celebrate!

Glycol Cold Beer Project Case Study