Steve Wragg tells Ewan Turney that cask ale has transformed trade at the Green Dragon in Market Lavington, Wiltshire
How I got here
We have been here for four years, but I've been a licensee for 27. We moved from another Wadworth's pub, the Cavalier in Devizes, where we spent 10 years.
The Green Dragon had lost some of its friendly atmosphere over the years, so for us, it was a case of getting people back in and keeping them here. It's about offering a warm welcome, and good beer and food at a reasonable price. It's all about how you treat customers - you've got to have a bit of fun with them. We haven't changed the pub in any concrete sense, but we have increased the customer base phenomenally.
My cask ale
Cask ale is very important to the business and we have seen sales go up. The quality is vital because, regardless of what else we offer in terms of food or letting rooms, we are a pub and people come for the beer.
We have just won the Perfect Pint award for the Wadworth estate and had to pass several inspections of cellar, glasses, presentation temperature, taste, etc. All these visits were unannounced and carried out over several months. We came joint second last year and carried out improvements such as better lighting in the cellar (which we paid for), staff training, plus new glassware and a new glass washer, to give customers the perfect pint.
My tips for a quality pint
1. Cleanliness: The pipes are cleaned every time a cask is changed and we also scrub the cellar every day. The tilt system and taps are also cleaned every time a cask is changed.
2. Tasting notes: We make tasting notes for staff, using the new Cyclops system (which uses simple language and imagery to explain what ales should look and taste like). One of the criteria for winning the award was that staff could be questioned on what type of hops are used in the beers, among other subjects.
We have tasting-note posters and informative Post-it notes in staff areas and encourage staff to have a try, but most are female and aged 18-19, so they aren't too keen on the beer. But if they do give it a try, we're keen to hear their opinions.
3. Good Beer Guide: We have been in the guide for the last three years and it does help to get people in. Many pubgoers see it as the bible. It also has a knock-on effect on other parts of the business like the food and letting rooms.
4. Tasters: We have tried to convert lager drinkers by offering tasters, but it hasn't been hugely successful. We have five handpumps and if we get a new guest ale, I do offer tasters to drinkers. They may switch from their regular drink for a session.
My staff
The staff are crucial to the business. When we arrived, all we had was a cleaner, but as we were still running the Cavalier for eight weeks, we brought some of the staff over with us.
We have some really good people here and it's great when customers comment to that effect. We go for a bright and cheery disposition over experience. A lack of experience is not a problem, as we would rather put our own stamp on someone via training.
My training programme
A lot of licensees are worried about training staff who then leave to go elsewhere. But imagine the chaos if you don't train them.
Every new member of staff has an induction that lasts a couple of hours. We run through all the mandatory stuff like fire escapes and disabled access, then we move behind the bar to the engine room. We go through how to pour the drinks and what glasses to use. We progress the training as we go, so after they've spent some time behind the bar, we may move on to line cleaning and taking bookings for the B&B. We do the training in small chunks rather than all at once.
My B&B
We have three letting rooms. When we arrived, we applied to be listed and got a mystery visit from British Tourist Board inspectors. In the morning they revealed themselves and gave a list of dos and don'ts. We set about instigating improvements and now have a three-star rating. It is hard work having the rooms, but it's an extra revenue source and I have a very hard-working wife!
We don't have a website - although we are working on one - and that can be a disadvantage, but you can be listed on so many sites. We are on, among others, the British Tourist Board site, and cycling and walking sites.
My food
We concentrate on good, home-cooked, traditional English food with a hint of Mediterranean influence. Dishes like liver and bacon with mash are very popular. Our Mother's Day trade was exceptional. We got the boards out early and were fully booked about two weeks before. People were still phoning up on the day wanting to book a table.
My community
We have a small function room that we allow the community to use. We don't charge for it, but we do get the spin-offs. The British Legion uses it every other Monday and that brings older people, who may return for our seniors' lunches or to hold other events. The local primary school holds its PTA meetings there and we also host a football team.
I'm also part of the village response unit, which has a difibulater and oxygen. If someone has chest pains, the ambulance calls us in case we can get there faster and help out until they arrive.
My best business idea
Getting listed in the guides, and entering competitions. We were a regional winner with the Morning Advertiser in 2005, but even if you don't win, it helps you think about your business. Filling in the forms makes you assess what you are doing and what improvements could be made. It's not necessarily winning that counts, but the steps taken to get there.
The three-star rating on our letting rooms gives us a points score of between 50 and 70. I would rather be at 68 points chasing the fourth star than content to have 50 at the same rating.
My plan for the ban
We are in discussions with Waddie's about getting a couple of jumbrellas for outside, and we've started extending the no-smoking area in the pub. We will redecorate and clean the carpets thoroughly when the ban takes effect.
I am not too over-concerned, as people are used to smoking outside at work, but I don't want them congregating outside the front and back doors. There is also the issue of public nuisance outside to worry about.
My Pub
Tenure: Wadworth, 3-year rolling tenancy
Turnover 2003: wet: £3,500, dry: £1,500 per week
Turnover 2005: wet: £5,000, dry: £2,500, B&B: £500 per week
Barrelage 2003: 200
Barrelage 2006: 270
Wet:Dry split: 65%35%
Covers: 86
Average spend: £7 lunch, £10 evening
GP beer: 49%
GP food: 63%
Staff: 16, all part-time
Price of pint: Wadworth IPA £2.20 a pint, rest £2.70
Awards: Wadworth Perfect Pint winner 2006