Crooked Billet

Stoke Row, Oxfordshire Paul Clerehugh has a notion that pubco Brakspear only gave him the tenancy of the Crooked Billet in order to prove that the picturesque, but remote, pub was a financial liability and that the best thing would be to convert it for residential use. Paul recalls: "The pub was knackered and on its last legs and they probably thought that if they put this 23-year-old kid in, he would run it into the ground." That was in 1989. The intervening years have seen Paul convert what was a £500-per -week struggling pub into a £1m-turnover business. Along the way, the pub has won many accolades for its food, including being listed in nine good food guides as well as being on celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson's list of favourite eateries and hosting Kate Winslet's wedding reception. Although the Crooked Billet still retains all the charm of a classic English pub and always has two real ales on tap, the food offering has given Paul the opportunity to grow his wine sales. A choice of at least 60 wines is always available with more than 10 offered by the glass. And to reinforce the message that wine is taken seriously, bottles are on display all around the pub together with large wicker baskets full of spent corks. Selecting which wines to stock is taken very seriously and all staff members are encouraged to suggest wines that they have tried elsewhere. Also, every month, wine-tasting sessions are held where employees get to not only try the latest offerings, but are also taught about the best way to serve wine, the different varieties available and how to match wine with food. Employees are encouraged to make their own tasting notes sothat they can offer customers their own personal recommendations. Paul enthuses: "They do my job for me, if they are enthusiastic, it will rub off on the rest of us, including our customers." Paul also has a policy of looking for the more unusual or lesser-known wines. "If they are cheap, you'll see them on everyone else's wine list. We avoid those and look for the more obscure wines. For example, there are some cracking Tuscan and Spanish wines available, if you take the time to look." Another policy that seems unusual, but definitely pays off is that of offering wine by the glass that is cheaper than buying the equivalent in a bottle. For instance, a 250ml glass of Chilean Shiraz will cost £4 whereas the bottle is priced at £13.50. Paul says that the pricing policy encourages two people to have two glasses each whereas, if they ordered abottle it would only amount to one-and-a-half glasses each. The Crooked Billet gets no passing trade because it is far off the beaten track "on a road to nowhere". Nevertheless, its reputation draws people from many miles around and Paul notes with satisfaction: "We sell more wine than Brakspear's own off-licence.