London

Rowena Smith

Old China Hand, Clerkenwell, London EC1

Turning an Irish boozer into a stylish bar specialising in Asian food might seem

ambitious, but first-time pub owner Rowena Smith has proved that following your instincts can prove lucrative.

She bought the freehold of Mulligans, an Irish pub on a London backstreet, in March 2005 and began a massive £130,000 revamp to give it an oriental look.

Asian and British influences

Rowena spent much of her life in Hong Kong and wanted to combine Asian and western influences. She chose the name as a nod to Asian and British cultures - in China, Old China Hand is a person who has worked in a certain profession for a long time, while "me old China" is cockney rhyming slang for "mate". Dim sum is a pub speciality, thanks to chef Ngan Tung Cheung, former dim sum chef at the Dorchester.

New customers for old

Early steps were taken to rid the pub of

"unsavoury" customers. Being free of tie allowed her to ditch mainstream beers in favour of brews from smaller producers, which attract more discerning customers, particularly professionals working nearby.

Beer prices were increased from £2.70 to between £3 and £3.30 a pint, and 50 bottled beers were made available. Spirits were also scrapped for eight months. These changes helped deter rogues and won Rowena a

Responsible Drinks Retailing Award. Weekly takings surged from about £4,000 to between £6,000 and £8,000.

Future plans

Looking ahead, Rowena has plenty of ideas for 2007, including business lunches, a PlayStation football league and quiz nights.

In addition, she and son Darren are looking for freehold sites around Clapham to create another dim sum outlet. She wants to ensure any new venue retains the attributes that have proved so successful in Clerkenwell and fears investors in the venture may want to exert their influence.

"I don't want to lose that personal touch - this is like my baby and it means so much to me. Everything has to be perfect," she says.