Fishers land fine trophies

How I got here

I was in a dead-end engineering job and when I got married I was determined to do something different. I took on a Mitchells & Butlers tenancy in Birmingham for seven years. When the family came along it was no real place to bring them up so I jumped at the chance of taking on the Crown Inn when it became available. This is our 21st year here - it's taken that long to get the pub to where it is today. Over the years we've added more space as we've needed it. We've always been conscious of the need to put a bit back in.

Why my pub is a success

1. Quality - We keep the beer right and the place tidy. It isn't rocket science. People want a nice environment and a well-served drink. I'm big on standards - the whole place has to sparkle. It's attention to the little things that count and taking pride in what you do is so important.

2. Families - We attract families rather than lager louts. We encourage the right clientele so we have no problems whatsoever. I'd describe us as a warm, welcoming, friendly, polite country pub. We don't have pool, we don't have a juke box, we don't have big-screen TV. Our customers don't want it any more than we do - I suppose we're ambassadors for the art of conversation.

3. Location - We consider ourselves so lucky to run a place like the Crown. The building is 200 years old and we enjoy a fantastic canalside location in a lovely little country village. Things go mad here in summer - our busiest room is ­outside. This place can be absolutely jumping with families who come off the barges.

4. Teamwork - I suppose our secret is that Tricia and I run this pub as a team. We get on well and we've been happily married for 30 years, which certainly helps.

How I ensure good service

I really like the new Microsoft TV ads which say "the most important part of your business walks through your door every day" - that couldn't be more true for the pub industry. Customers come through every day and you have to make sure that you treat them right.

People never like to wait to be served. It is ­unacceptable to make someone wait for five ­minutes to get a drink. You have to have the proper level of staff to cover your trade.

As barges don't run in the winter, trade drops off and it becomes even more important to look after your regulars. We have a very loyal customer base all year round and I take pride in knowing everyone's name and having a little chat with each of them. People really do appreciate it if you ask about them in a very genuine way. Don't just say. "How are you?" You have to ask how their ­geraniums and runner beans are growing or how their Gran's knees are holding up.

My best day's trade

My biggest day is New Year's Day. The whole world seems to turn up which is not always great for me as I normally have to manage a tremendous ­hangover from the night before! People come to see our Morris dancers. By performing for a couple of drinks, they always help me to get my best day's takings of the year. We also have Morris dancing women who perform in the car park ­during the summer although that will clash a bit with the World Cup this year.

How I get good-quality beer

We're only a small pub - we do traditional grub like big butties with chips and steak and ale pie, but it's the beer that goes down really well here. To give you an idea, we do about 600 barrels a year. I pride myself on our beer quality. My view is that if you look after your beer, it will look after you. Most people pop in for a quick half and end up staying for a couple of pints. I can't understand why some pubs can't get their beer right - it all arrives from the brewery in the same condition. It's quite simple - cleaning your pipes at least once a week is essential and good presentation of the drink is another important thing to remember.

My marketing strategy

I am in the local canal guides, boaters' guides and local newspapers but word-of-mouth is by far the best form of recommendation. If your friend says they had a good time at a certain pub, that means a lot. I don't get passing trade as we are off the beaten track so we have to live by our quality and our reputation. Finding this pub is really an art in itself, so we have to give people reasons to come back: we have a great product, we look after our beer, and we enjoy it - those are the most ­important things.

Where I get my ideas from

I have a good look at other pubs to see what they're doing. Whenever I'm out I am always looking and ­thinking about how what they do may or may not work here. Then I pinch their ideas if I reckon they're any good - no shame in that! I also get leaflets and flyers from Punch and there are often good suggestions in there too. I also draw heavily on my years of experience - there's no real ­substitute for that.

My staff

We don't do all the work on our own - we have 19 great staff and we work as one big team. Sometimes it's quite hard for us to estimate how many staff we need so I tend to reckon on the positive side. If it rains we won't be busy and if it is sunny we could be rammed. It's swings and roundabouts.

Most of my staff are students so they have to be properly trained in the basics - how to pull a pint, treat the customers and work the till. Most of the youngsters these days can't do the figures in their heads so your till must be idiot-proof. Make sure that they know how to serve drinks correctly and remember to add ice and lemon if it's required.

My plans for the smoking ban

I'm half-way there really. I have a big patio at the back of the pub and will put some umbrellas ­outside. However, I do fear the worst. I think it will cost us 15% of our trade and I'm not very sure what we can do. If it's raining or snowing, I don't think people will bother to come out. They won't fancy having to go outside to smoke. But you never know, eventually they may start to miss their mates and come back out to the pub.

My plans for the future

I'm not going to move anywhere else now. I'm coming to the end of my 30 years in the trade, so I may assign the lease in a year or so.

My Pub

Lease: Punch 20 years

Barrelage: 600 per year

Wet:Dry split: 80:20

Staff: 19, five of whom are full-time

Beers: Six bitters including M&B's Brew XI. Carling is the best seller

Best-selling dishes: Scampi, cod and steak and ale pie

Awards: Punch Shine regional champions, highly commended overall