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For many pub and bar managers, the word "stocktake" inspires a unique kind of dread. It's that end-of-month scramble, often late at night, involving clipboards, calculators, and a lot of caffeine. There's a temptation to think, "How hard can it be? It's just counting."
And in a way, you're right. The concept is simple. But the gap between a simple "count" and a genuinely useful "stocktake" is vast. A simple count tells you what you have. A proper stocktake tells you what you've lost, what you've wasted, and where your profit is hiding.
If you're committed to the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) method, you owe it to your business to do it right. A bad stocktake is worse than no stocktake at all, as it gives you a false sense of security.
As a 20-year veteran of this industry, I'm laying out the ultimate DIY checklist. But more importantly, I'm going to show you the "red flags"—the points where this process breaks down and why, for many busy operators, calling a professional is the smarter move.
o All Delivery Dockets & Invoices: Every single keg, bottle, and food item that has come in the door since your last count.
o Your Till (EPOS) Report: A detailed "product mix" or "sales mix" report showing the exact number of items sold (e.g., 500 pints of Guinness, 120 measures of Jameson).
o Your Stock Sheets: Your count sheets should be formatted identically to your stockroom layout (e.g., "Top Shelf, Left to Right..."). This is called "line-by-line" counting and prevents you from missing items.
2. Tidy Your House: A messy stockroom is where errors are born.
o Organise all stock. "Like with like." All the vodkas together, all the red wines together.
o Ensure all new deliveries are put away behind old stock (First In, First Out - FIFO).
o Clearly separate full cases from "splits" or open cases.
3. Schedule It (and Stick to It): The count must happen at a quiet, consistent time. The best time is "close of business" on a Sunday or "open of business" on a Monday. Doing it mid-week is a recipe for disaster. The count must be a complete snapshot in time.
2. Be Methodical: Start at one point in the pub (e.g., the main bar) and do not move on until it's 100% complete. Count top to bottom, left to right. Then do the store room. Then the cellar. In that exact order, every time.
3. The Hard Part: Open Items: This is where DIY counts fail.
o Spirits: You must count open spirits by tenths. A 700ml bottle is 28 measures (at 25ml). A 1-litre bottle is 40 measures. You need a chart, or you need to be very, very good at fractions. "Half a bottle" is not a number. "0.5" is.
o Wine: Same as spirits. Count by tenths or, at a minimum, quarters (0.25, 0.5, 0.75).
o Kegs: This is the big one. Tapping and "guesstimating" is useless. You must weigh them or use a digital keg meter. A full keg has a known weight (tare weight + liquid weight). A half-empty keg's weight tells you exactly how many litres are left. Anything else is a wild guess.
1. Opening Stock: (What you had last time)
2. + Purchases: (What you bought)
3. = Total Available for Sale
4. - Closing Stock: (What you just counted)
5. = Usage (This is what you poured)
Now, you compare Usage to your EPOS Sales Report.
· If you Used 100 pints and you Sold 98 pints, you have a deficit of 2 pints. This is your "waste" (spillage, line cleaning). This is normal... to a point.
· If you Used 120 pints and you Sold 98 pints, you have a 22-pint deficit. You have a serious problem.
2. You Don't Have the Tools: Do you own a set of calibrated keg scales? Do you have the proprietary software that instantly matches your 200-line count sheet to your 2,000-line sales report? A professional does. That "guesstimate" on your 10 kegs could be hiding a €500 loss.
3. You Lack Impartiality: It's human nature. If you're the one counting, and you find a big deficit, your first instinct is to "find" it or "fix" it, not report it. An external, third-party stocktaker has no "skin in the game" other than finding the truth. They are an impartial auditor.
4. You Get Data, Not Insights: Let's say you do all that work. You find a 3% deficit in your draught lager. So what? You've identified a problem, but you don't know the problem.
o Is the till not programmed correctly?
o Is the glassware wrong?
o Is the team not logging waste?
o Is there a problem with the cooler?
A DIY count gives you a number. A professional report gives you an answer.
When to Call a Pro:
· You're too busy to do it right, every single time.
· Your GP is falling, and you don't know why.
· You suspect staff "generosity" or theft.
· You're opening a new site and need to establish perfect systems from day one.
· You spend more on ordering than you think you should.
A DIY checklist is a great starting point for understanding the process. But a professional stocktake company Dublin like Hospitality Partners provides the result: accurate data, actionable insights, and ultimately, more profit in your bank account.
And in a way, you're right. The concept is simple. But the gap between a simple "count" and a genuinely useful "stocktake" is vast. A simple count tells you what you have. A proper stocktake tells you what you've lost, what you've wasted, and where your profit is hiding.
If you're committed to the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) method, you owe it to your business to do it right. A bad stocktake is worse than no stocktake at all, as it gives you a false sense of security.
As a 20-year veteran of this industry, I'm laying out the ultimate DIY checklist. But more importantly, I'm going to show you the "red flags"—the points where this process breaks down and why, for many busy operators, calling a professional is the smarter move.
Part 1: The Ultimate DIY Pub Stocktake Checklist
You can't just "walk in and count." A successful stocktake is 90% preparation.Phase 1: The Preparation
1. Get Your Paperwork Straight: You cannot do this without your "golden documents." You need:o All Delivery Dockets & Invoices: Every single keg, bottle, and food item that has come in the door since your last count.
o Your Till (EPOS) Report: A detailed "product mix" or "sales mix" report showing the exact number of items sold (e.g., 500 pints of Guinness, 120 measures of Jameson).
o Your Stock Sheets: Your count sheets should be formatted identically to your stockroom layout (e.g., "Top Shelf, Left to Right..."). This is called "line-by-line" counting and prevents you from missing items.
2. Tidy Your House: A messy stockroom is where errors are born.
o Organise all stock. "Like with like." All the vodkas together, all the red wines together.
o Ensure all new deliveries are put away behind old stock (First In, First Out - FIFO).
o Clearly separate full cases from "splits" or open cases.
3. Schedule It (and Stick to It): The count must happen at a quiet, consistent time. The best time is "close of business" on a Sunday or "open of business" on a Monday. Doing it mid-week is a recipe for disaster. The count must be a complete snapshot in time.
Phase 2: The Process (The "Count")
1. Work in Twos: Never count alone. Use a "caller" and a "recorder." The caller (e.g., your bar manager) calls out the item and quantity, and the recorder (e.g., you) writes it on the sheet. This is faster and more accurate.2. Be Methodical: Start at one point in the pub (e.g., the main bar) and do not move on until it's 100% complete. Count top to bottom, left to right. Then do the store room. Then the cellar. In that exact order, every time.
3. The Hard Part: Open Items: This is where DIY counts fail.
o Spirits: You must count open spirits by tenths. A 700ml bottle is 28 measures (at 25ml). A 1-litre bottle is 40 measures. You need a chart, or you need to be very, very good at fractions. "Half a bottle" is not a number. "0.5" is.
o Wine: Same as spirits. Count by tenths or, at a minimum, quarters (0.25, 0.5, 0.75).
o Kegs: This is the big one. Tapping and "guesstimating" is useless. You must weigh them or use a digital keg meter. A full keg has a known weight (tare weight + liquid weight). A half-empty keg's weight tells you exactly how many litres are left. Anything else is a wild guess.
Phase 3: The Calculation (The "Reckoning")
This is where your maths class pays off. The formula is simple, but the work is tedious. For each individual product line (e.g., Guinness):1. Opening Stock: (What you had last time)
2. + Purchases: (What you bought)
3. = Total Available for Sale
4. - Closing Stock: (What you just counted)
5. = Usage (This is what you poured)
Now, you compare Usage to your EPOS Sales Report.
· If you Used 100 pints and you Sold 98 pints, you have a deficit of 2 pints. This is your "waste" (spillage, line cleaning). This is normal... to a point.
· If you Used 120 pints and you Sold 98 pints, you have a 22-pint deficit. You have a serious problem.
Part 2: When to Call a Pro (The Reality Check)
Did reading that list make you feel tired? It should. It's a massive, time-consuming, detail-oriented job.Here is exactly where this DIY process falls apart in the real world, and why a professional stocktake company in Dublin becomes an investment, not an expense.The "Gotcha": Where DIY Fails
1. You Don't Have the Time: You're a manager. Your job is to be on the floor, training staff, and talking to customers. Your job is not to be an accountant in a cold room for 6 hours. When you're rushed, you make mistakes, and the whole count is useless.2. You Don't Have the Tools: Do you own a set of calibrated keg scales? Do you have the proprietary software that instantly matches your 200-line count sheet to your 2,000-line sales report? A professional does. That "guesstimate" on your 10 kegs could be hiding a €500 loss.
3. You Lack Impartiality: It's human nature. If you're the one counting, and you find a big deficit, your first instinct is to "find" it or "fix" it, not report it. An external, third-party stocktaker has no "skin in the game" other than finding the truth. They are an impartial auditor.
4. You Get Data, Not Insights: Let's say you do all that work. You find a 3% deficit in your draught lager. So what? You've identified a problem, but you don't know the problem.
o Is the till not programmed correctly?
o Is the glassware wrong?
o Is the team not logging waste?
o Is there a problem with the cooler?
A DIY count gives you a number. A professional report gives you an answer.
When to Call a Pro:
· You're too busy to do it right, every single time.
· Your GP is falling, and you don't know why.
· You suspect staff "generosity" or theft.
· You're opening a new site and need to establish perfect systems from day one.
· You spend more on ordering than you think you should.
A DIY checklist is a great starting point for understanding the process. But a professional stocktake company Dublin like Hospitality Partners provides the result: accurate data, actionable insights, and ultimately, more profit in your bank account.