Project update 6: Driving forward

A pie and a pint may sound humble but it could provide a boost to the Hack & Spade as Sell More, Save More's rural pub continues to push forwards after its successful re-launch.

That's the verdict of business development specialist Carl May, who this month has been working harder than ever with licensees Anne and Alastair Dowson-Park to introduce innovative offers and maintain a proactive approach to marketing.

His advice and practical assistance, and that of the other category champions, helped the Hack & Spade to raise sales five-fold after its relaunch in May. Now he sees two food offers - a pie and a pint deal, and a main course and pudding deal - as the means to drive trade on otherwise relatively quiet mid-week evenings.

The pie and a pint nights, which would make use of popular local ales, could be priced at £6.50, Carl suggests, and pull in customers on a Tuesday night. Then grouping a main course that would change weekly with a pudding and charging £6.95 for the offer would pull them in on a Thursday.

This, like all the initiatives suggested since February by the category champions, needs to be acted upon by Anne and Alastair. They are currently involved in an application for later licensing hours that has met with protests from local residents.

They must pull out all the stops to market themselves if the Hack & Spade is to maintain its positive image while this is going on, Carl suggests.

Keeping the locals happy​

As Sell More, Save More continues, some of the key champions point the way ahead for Hack & Spade licensees Anne and Alastair:

Ron Colley, Brulines

"Using Brulines' Brand Quality Monitoring system, the Hack & Spade is able to access valuable information about each beer brand as it is being poured. The real-time, web-based reports cover key areas such as beer temperatures, line-cleaning efficiency, flow rates, dispense volumes vs tilled sales, as well as cellar and equipment temperatures.

"Brulines' information also allows licensees Anne and Alastair to measure deliveries with dispense and till sales variance, identifying any shrinkage and checking their yields. All these factors provide greater insight into their business and help to ensure that the customers benefit from the best-quality beer, all of the time."

Carl May, Catered4

"The success of any business comes from having the time and resources to think through a strategy of attack. Once the business plan has been put into place you cannot leave it ticking along expecting business to come flooding in.

"The next stage in the campaign is crucial for the Hack & Spade and will prove pivotal in its development.

"Time management was a buzzword of the 1970s, but Anne and Alastair must start the day with a plan in the same way. We are all well aware that the hats we wear go from chef to manager, cleaner to entrepreneur, philosopher to cellar man, but the real secret to success is trying not to wear them all at the same time.

"I recommend that they start the day by making a list of the issues they have and putting them in some order of priority. They shouldn't try to solve them all in the first half an hour and should think how they can share some of the tasks. Make some notes on how they are going to solve these problems and at the end of the day cross off the jobs completed. Those that still remain can go to the top of tomorrow's list.

"Marketing is also a critical facet of the campaign now and it needs to be constantly visited to keep the new client base aware of all that is great about the pub. Like anything else, if they leave their marketing ideas on the shelf, their competitors will be the only benefactors.

"I propose to do four things for the Hack & Spade over the coming months:

- To be a mentor for them to help keep them focused

- To create customer awareness through good marketing

- To encourage them to consult me before jumping into decisions

- To plan a campaign of activities alongside Mediatheme."

Liz Griffin, Mediatheme

"After such a fantastic relaunch night, the foundations were set for a successful growth period for the Hack & Spade.

"The key areas for this rural pub to concentrate on are food, entertainment and quality drink experience. With a niche local following, quality and service has to be the key to Anne and Alastair's success - being able to welcome locals and visitors alike for a traditional night of fun and enjoyment.

"With a strong traditional pub menu successfully implemented, it is now time to extend that experience with the addition of entertainment. The introduction of a pub quiz on a Wednesday night has gained a positive response and has been moved to a Friday due to popular demand.

"This now needs to be publicised in the local press. The two other obvious areas for development are traditional pub games such as dominoes, darts and cards, along with local music nights and a theme night once a month. They can also target a younger crowd on a Saturday night with karaoke.

"The schedule could look something like:Tuesday - music night Thursday - traditional gamesFriday - quiz Saturday - karaoke Sunday - Sunday lunch

"By getting the locals involved in the entertainment, you are immediately making it their pub. It's important to do your homework, find out what talent you have locally - whether it's musicians, storytellers or singers.

"Then get them together, suggest a buskers night, like an informal jamming session. Once it becomes a regular weekly meeting then word will get around, giving an easy reason for people to choose the Hack & Spade over anywhere else."