# General Business Category > Accounting Forum > [Question] Pub - Stock Take

## Rika

Hi,

Is there anybody that know's how to do a stock take on a pub/bar? We recently i.e. 14 Jan-13 took over. I have not done any stock take as I'm uncertain how to?  :Frown: 

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Rika  :Confused:

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## AndyD

Wow, the fact you've taken over the running of a pub and aren't sure how to stock take is kinda scary. These types of businesses are notoriously difficult to control losses so you're really going to have to go through a very fast learning curve or it will cost you a lot of money.

A basic stock take just involves counting and recording all stock on the premises.

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Rika (07-Feb-13)

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## IanF

I remember my dad showing us how to measure specific gravity for hard tack when he ran a hotel. But that was years ago so can't really help.

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Rika (07-Feb-13)

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## Dave A

I was a barman many, many years ago - and from memory the only exciting part about a bar stock take that's a little different from a "normal" stock take is open bottles of liquor that's being sold by the tot. The rest is a straight "count 'em and cost 'em" excercise.

When it comes to those open bottles, if you want a precise measurement you need an empty bottle of the same dimensions and you add tot after tot of water until you get to the same level as in the part emptied bottle of liquor. After a bit of experience you just start to estimate it.

The other thing to keep in mind is when using metric tots (25ml), you budget on 28 tots from a 750 ml bottle - 2 tots are allowed for spillage. So that 2 tot spillage allowance needs to be factored in on a partially full bottle too.

However this spillage allowance shouldn't be an issue where dispensing is done via an optic.

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## IMHO

> When it comes to those open bottles, if you want a precise measurement you need an empty bottle of the same dimensions and you add tot after tot of water


Just to add to what Dave said. We used to have an empty bottle of everything we stock. Add the water as Dave said and draw a line on the bottle after every tot. Stocktaking time, you just hold the bottle next to the empty one with the lines and count the tots.

We had a simple operation, did not do that many stock takes, but in a bar with different bar tenders, a stock take is done at every shift or bartender change over.

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## IMHO

There is so many ways that you will be defrauded. One way I know is, they pour the the contents into the basin. Someone stands outside and catch it with another bottle.

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## geraldenek

There might be newer ways to do it, but you can buy a carton piece of paper pre-printed with the tots for each bottle size and then just hold it against the bottle.  But as Dave mentioned, 2 tots spillage per bottle.

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## adrianh

Why don't you just weigh the bottles?

...and it goes without saying that you would know the weight of a full bottlle, empty bottle, number of tots per bottle and mass per tot.

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## AndyD

> There is so many ways that you will be defrauded. One way I know is, they pour the the contents into the basin. Someone stands outside and catch it with another bottle.


They'll also nail you in the opposite direction where the barmen smuggle in their own bottle of liquor then they don't ring up the appropriate amount of tots during their shift and pocket the appropriate amount from the till at the end of the night.

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CLIVE-TRIANGLE (07-Feb-13)

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## AmithS

What else are you selling besides the alcohol? Food, Snacks, Smokes?

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## Rika

Thanks a mil Dave. This will come in very handy. The biggest concern for me was those open bottles. :Clap:

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## Rika

We also sell snacks & food. There is a smokes vending machine - so I'm really not too worried about it.

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## Cpt Chaos

Rika, 

A friend of mine has recently started using these measures at their pub for open bottles and from the feedback they fairly happy with it.

http://www.ezstock.co.za/

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CLIVE-TRIANGLE (09-Feb-13), Rika (08-Feb-13)

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## Mitos

Worked in my young days in pub; same basically as everyones says - my method; take empty bottle & fill tot by tot with water, after each pouring,  mark outside of bottle with either white tippex or black marker pen (for different color bottles).  You do 3 & you'll be able to judge from there on.

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