All things to all people
Having transformed from a cinema to a bingo hall to a pub, the Cutting Room in Melton Mowbray has undergone more facelifts than even the most seasoned Hollywood star.
"Two little ducks" and "legs 11" had been called for the last time when the pub opened in 2004, but there still appears to be a 'full house' for lunch.
Manager Maxine Blake believes this is a pub to be proud of, and when you enter the vibrant modern establishment, it's difficult to argue.
The 32-year-old has been in charge here for two-and-a-half years, and has attracted a wide range of customers aged anywhere between eight and 80. She was crowned Licensee Trainer of the Year at the BII Nita awards in 2006, and has attracted a lively team behind the bar too.
"We have a bit of a chameleon effect with customers," says Maxine.
"We open at 9am, and have a child-friendly area, so get a lot of mums and tots in for morning coffee. We get a lot of business people in at lunchtime, and in the evening we get the 35 to 40-year-olds. On Saturday we have more 18 to 25-year-olds."
Located snugly within the narrow streets of the Leicestershire market town, the bright blue chairs and tables outside the entrance create a welcoming feel, which is reaffirmed inside courtesy of a bustling lunch crowd.
A loud chorus of Happy Birthday rings out from the purpose-built mezzanine upstairs, as an excitable group of college students celebrate their friend's coming of age.
As the group overlooks the spacious ground-floor area below, an old gent happily sips his pint close to the downstairs bar, clearly appreciating the impromptu singing.
Maxine has worked hard on attracting a mix of customers, from sports fans glued to the big game to ale drinkers looking for a traditional pint, and likes to involve them in decision-making.
"We've spent a lot of time on cask ales. We let customers rate which ones they like on a scale of one to three, and then choose the most popular to have on at the bar," she says.
"The cask ale boys are very passionate about it, and it gives me a good buzz because they take an active interest, rather than me saying 'this is what we're having'."
Maxine talks of 'the cask ale boys' as if they're a gang of cartoon characters. I momentarily drift off, imagining the cask ale boys lining up against Dick Dastardly and Mutley in Wacky Races, which proves to be a surprisingly fitting analogy.
"At weekends, the boys pop next door to see live music, but between bands, they race back into here to come and grab a quick cask ale before going back!" she laughs.
Proud of her staff
It is the interaction between these customers and her team that Maxine pinpoints as the proudest aspect of running the pub.
"I spent a lot of time recruiting the right team and I¹m proud of them," she says. "I've got six full-time staff. Four have completed all of their Level 2 NVQs and are already on to their level three."
Maxine, who is originally from Blackpool, says her staff have become like a surrogate family, and, like any good family, they supported her through a painful time recently after she trapped a nerve in her neck.
"It affected all of my right arm and left me unable to tend the bar," she says.
"All the team have been rallying round like crazy, and they're constantly kicking me off the bar."
The team attend the bar with infectious enthusiasm, and Maxine is happy to let her staff exert their own personalities in order to maximise the opportunities for expanding the business. "Even as manager, there's so much I don't know," she admits.
"For Comic Relief, one of my team members, Jessica, is organising a people auction, which is very much her baby. I'm 32, but my staff are all 18 to 25, so we're having a lot more students in as a result.
"There's a drama college nearby, so we get a lot drama queens in here.
James, Rachel and Kayleigh are organising a school disco theme night which we're hoping to do once a month. I'm giving them ownership of it."
Despite its theatrical community, Melton is undoubtedly most famous for its pork pies, and although the Cutting Room offers a diverse menu, Maxine recognises the gains that can be made from embracing local heritage.
"During summer, we always end up doing a special Melton Ploughman's, with stilton and pork pies," she explains.
As a member of Barracuda Group's food team, Maxine is able to take tips from meetings and adjust her menu accordingly, keeping her profits healthy in the process. Her advice? Keep it simple.
"As much as we can offer all different kinds of cuisine, ham, egg and chips has been flying recently," she says.
"I think people try to overcomplicate it. A lot of the time, pub-goers just want pub food, as long as it's of a high quality."
The pub currently has a 60/40 split between wet and dry sales, but is preparing to shift closer to 50/50 after the smoking ban.
Much of the pub is already no-smoking, and with a smart-looking outdoor area in place, Maxine believes the pub is very well prepared for the ban.
Taking her role seriously
Having recently stepped down from her role as chair of the local Pubwatch, Maxine takes her role in the community seriously. The pub was recently granted an extended licence, which she says was "the quickest one ever passed in Melton, purely because of our reputation".
Despite the Nita award, Maxine isn't content to trade on past glories, and is intent on pushing the business forward.
"The pub currently takes £15,000 to £17,000 a week, and takings have increased by 10 to 15 per cent year on year. Most of that is down to our team as much as me," she says.
"My team are passionate about the pub and the job they're doing. They appreciate the fact that we're giving customer service, but we also get a lot of respect back from customers, which is lovely." Its days as a cinema might be consigned to the past, but the Cutting Room is still drawing the crowds, and is most certainly a pub to be proud of.
