My workplace switched suppliers...

[Wezzle]

Im really unsure where to put this post but as it's "equipment" this was my best guess:

Question is:
Who does commercial bar gear belong to?

Basically the venue I work at has changed suppliers who came in, took out all the old taps and under counter coolers - telling us "the industry doesn't use them anymore"
Advising that we should repeatedly call the old supplier to collect the old equipment else they'll leave it here.
I know the bar manager has called a few times to remind them their stuff is here but still no-shows. Even had the scrap man eyeing it up but he got told to wait.
Who would these belong to? The venue? Or supplier?
The manager believed all the equipment would have been taken over by the new suppliers but they don't want it. And the old suppliers seem reluctant to reclaim them.
- I also know from experience of a past venue I worked at which went into liquidation, who also shared same old supplier, they did come in and take most of their equipment but still abandoned a maxi cooler and a T-bar. I ended up taking them home as it was the very last day the building could be entered ;P

Would be a shame to see this all scrapped. Unless they legally have to come get it.

 

[MyQul]

You should have added, 'asking for a friend' at the end of that post

 

[Clint]

I would put it somewhere safe incase it gets nicked.
They might show up for it. If it's obsolete they might not as shifting it will cost. Someone might pinch it...
If it goes in the skip that's then the property of the skip company unless they say you can take it..
I'm all for recycling it...

 

[Northern_Brewer]

It gets complicated, a lot depends on the exact history. If it's heavily tied then a supplier will often rip out all the previous dispense equipment to install their own (as is happening now). But over the years you may get a venue installing bits of their own kit. But broadly, if the previous mob have been told more than once then after a month or so it's not unreasonable for it to be "disposed of", and to be honest if it's been in situ for a good few years then they won't want to reuse it so will probably let the venue pay the costs of disposal.

 

[Wezzle]

It's all locked in a cupboard out of eyesight, at least until over the new year, just Mr Nosey Scrapman saw the contractors with all the gear outside so he pulled in to ask. ITS ALL MINE I TELL YE!

What was odd was a random lone gas ball-lock connection that got ripped out with the rest of the old pythons and piping, I never saw that in the cellar, any thoughts?

 

[The Baron]

Its worth more than scrap if you finally get the go ahead to dispose of I am sure plenty of members on this forum alone would show interest in buying it

 

[terrym]

If the old equipment was leased from the original equipment suppliers, it is still owned by them, but in that case someone would still be paying on the lease. If that is the case then 'someone' should be contacting the original supplier and terminating the lease (however the lease allows) and asking the supplier to come and collect their equipment or specify how it should be disposed of. More likely I suppose they weren't leased but would have been bought outright by someone and the original supplier would have no interest in them. So the owner of the 'fixtures and fittings' that come with the licensed premises should be contacted and the same question should be asked. Disposing of the items in question should not go ahead until ownership is established, and reasonable care should be taken storing the items however inconvenient.

 

[Clint]

If the old owner is found they may not want the stuff if it is "old,dirty and broken. "

 

[Northern_Brewer]

If the old equipment was leased from the original equipment suppliers, it is still owned by them, but in that case someone would still be paying on the lease. If that is the case then 'someone' should be contacting the original supplier and terminating the lease (however the lease allows)

Often it's not leased though, it'll be borrowed dependent on a buying agreement. Brewery might depreciate the say £100 cost of a fount over 2-3 years of a deal, and after that may or may not be interested in having the hardware back if they feel they've got their money's worth out of a deal. I have known breweries threaten to take founts back if they feel they're not getting enough purchases, but in the real world they don't have much use for stuff once it's been on a bar for a few years, and the smaller ones at least tend not to be very good at asset tracking...

If it's a branded fount then it's unlikely to have been bought by the licensee, they tend to be linked to a tied deal. Unbranded stuff is different.

 

[Smileyr8]

Put it somewhere safe (I suggest somewhere away from the property it was installed i.e. a shed or garage at your house) forget about if for 12 months, in 12 month time when you trip over it, its yours, if in the meantime the previous owner of the equipment turns up tell them you have put it in a safe place while you was waiting for them to collect it.

 

[dwhite60]

If it isn't too far you can always drive it over and dump in in their car park. Take a picture of it before you leave.

All the Best,
D. White

 

[The Baron]

If you do find the owners send them a letter stating storage fees I am sure you will soon get a reply and usually it will be dispose of them the hard bit as been pointed out is finding out who that is whether it be a brewery/lease company or the previous owner who may have bought it outright

 

[MickDundee]

If it isn't too far you can always drive it over and dump in in their car park. Take a picture of it before you leave.

All the Best,
D. White

I suspect the OP doesn’t want them to take it back.

 

[The Baron]

I suspect the OP doesn’t want them to take it back.

I think that is the gist of the OP. Good luck mate rather somebody get some use than just going to landfill

 

[parpot]

In my experience as an Ex Landlord, they are not interested in that type of kit anymore if it was a single central cooler with python piping to each head they may and only may want it back! Its old Tech!

 

[terrym]

Anyone disposing of this kit without first having taken reasonable steps to establish ownership is on potentially dodgy ground, since if the original owners do emerge and want it back for whatever reason, what then? On a personal level I would not get involved at all however tempting, it's really none of your business, leave it to the manager to sort out, that's what he's paid to do and should have the backing of his company behind him who have the financial ability to settle any compensation, however small, should the kit have been prematurely disposed of.

 

[Wezzle]

Thanks for the feedback guys, I do maintenance on the premises, it's all been put in my stock room at the moment - so kinda in my way when I'm doing my job. From what I've been told is they had a contract about 15 years ago with Carlsberg Tetley, which ended, had a new contract elsewhere which expired early this year and now just started a new one.

Some stuff I've been left with have installation stickers from 2004-2007.

Because of this hobby I already have my own cooler, taps & equipment. None of this is useful to me at home and only in my way at work.
I'll push manager if he can call for us to "dispose of them" should the previous brewery be unwilling to collect. - in which case I'll have a go at tidying them up.

 

[terrym]

I'll push manager if he can call for us to "dispose of them" should the previous brewery be unwilling to collect. - in which case I'll have a go at tidying them up.

That's by far the best outcome in my view. Outline your concerns to the manager, tell him its affecting you doing your job properly, and then leave the decisions down to him. In short 'manage upwards'.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

So that sounds like it was originally installed by Carlsberg Tetley and probably either belongs to them or was gifted to the pub tenant (or other owner of F*F) as an up-front sweetener to the deal.

If it was installed in 2004-07 then it's at the stage where it's probably still usable but Carlsberg wouldn't reuse it so to them it's pretty much scrap. If it looks like it will be binned, then have a word with your local CAMRA branch or other organiser of beer festivals (rugby club, British Legion etc), they can usually use stuff like that if it's not completely knackered.

 

[Wezzle]

In an effort to tie up this story, we finally managed to get the old company to come out and collect the gear. Two guys came in with an empty sprinter, and proceeded to tip all the water into the drains and lobbed them into the back of the van. Was happy to see them go at first but watching the lid fly off I've as it went into the back was heart wrenching. Must have been going to scrap with how they handled them.
Then cue COVID and the price of them coolers sky rocketed, and then I got made redundant!

Should have just taken them home and kept them