How should we handle slow or reluctant payment from on-trade venues?

Members emphasize that payment discipline is a principle worth defending, even with smaller accounts. The community's primary recommendation is to **maintain a strict take-and-pay principle** — venues should understand upfront that payment terms are non-negotiable. For venues that do become problematic payers, members suggest **direct communication via DM with other producers** who may have experience with the same account, as this allows sharing of intelligence and coordinated approaches. While the community acknowledged the temptation to publicly name and shame non-payers, the consensus is to handle this judiciously — it's most effective when the venue is of sufficient size that reputational damage would matter to them. For smaller gastro pubs or regional accounts, a more pragmatic approach is to cut them off from future supply rather than investing energy in public disputes. The underlying principle remains: establish clear payment expectations upfront, and enforce them consistently.