Best Website isScruffy's

I see a pattern happing here! Yes Scruffy's has won another award from the prestigious licensing newspaper the Morning Advertiser and this year its for this, our web site. We have won "Best Innovation" for the central region of there Best Pub awards and you can read the full story below

Below is the article printed in the Morning Advertiser 19th January 2006

Everything is clicking into place at Scruffy Murphy’s in Birmingham – thanks to the inter-net. The city-centre pub, regarded as the heavy rock capital of Brum, is proving a massive hit because of its flourishing website.

The site – www.scruffymurphys.co.uk – regularly attracts more than 40 visitors a day to see the latest news and views from the Punch Taverns-owned pub. The gig listings page is popular, but it’s the extensive picture gallery that has really caught the imagination.

Thumbnail photographs of customers enjoying themselves at the pub’s various events are quickly put on to the site – and it’s not long before the hit count starts to soar. Within the first five months of it being launched, the site was visited 6,000 times. The web site’s success was also gauged after last October’s well-attended Halloween function, when there were an impressive 429 hits the next day with the revealing picture gallery being the section everyone wanted to view.

The site’s popularity is down to Scruffy’s Venue and Operations manager Matt Wellock, who takes the photographs along with Paul Phillips, pictured with leaseholder Lorraine Mills.

Matt remarks: “It has exceeded my expectations dramatically. It’s gone through the roof.” He says that the site has been visited by surfers from America, Australia, Germany and Finland.

Matt believes the success of the site – which also includes “what’s on” and “want a gig” sections, forum, and maps – is due to it being frequently updated, particularly the picture gallery.

Lorraine adds: “It makes a mega difference to our trade. It’s a PR campaign that provides plenty of community involvement.”

At lunchtime and early evenings, Scruffy's attracts office workers, lawyers and other professionals. At night, it begins living up to its reputation as Birmingham’s best rock pub, which is conveniently situated just a few minutes walk from Aston University.

Rock, goth and punk take centre stage, with the function room regularly being used by up-and-coming bands. Customers don’t have an excuse for missing a gig because the web site keeps everyone fully informed of forthcoming appearances. Lorraine says: “The site has to be our best innovation of the year and we’re still expanding it. It’ll keep on growing and changing.” She even logs on to the site when abroad on holiday to see what’s in store.