Licensee Ian Mills tells Tony Halsted how he turned around the fortunes of the Cross Keys Hotel in Milnthorpe, Cumbria
How I got here
I started life as a chef with the Royal Navy mainly working in submarines which meant catering in a confined galley submerged hundreds of feet below the surface - it was almost an art form!
We sometimes spent 90 days or more at sea, so food stocking and menu planning was always critical. Once we put to sea without any sugar - the crew were not amused. It's only then that you discover how reliant you are on basic commodities, so life in the navy taught me a lot.
Later I ran a Scottish & Newcastle tenancy in Wigan before heading north to take on the Cross Keys.
How I turned the pub round
The place was trading at a very low level. The pub did not offer food nor did it use its letting bedrooms. It did not even open during the day and relied totally on evening wet sales. But it had recently been refurbished so it was in good condition.
It was perfectly placed on the busy A6 and, sitting midway between Kendal and Lancaster, we knew it had massive potential. It was a pub which seemed to have everything going for it and we were quite excited about future prospects when we took over.
How I increased trade
Apart from the bar, lounge and dining room, the pub boasts eight letting bedrooms, a second bar and function room on the first floor and a separate two-bedroom self-catering cottage. We were confident that, as long as we marketed the facilities properly, we could get the business going again and utilise everything the Cross Keys had to offer.
We began a food service immediately and let people in the locality know the business was in new hands. Milnthorpe has a population of about 3,000 and the first job was to let local people know what was going on.
That was the first essential task and after that we began to market further afield. We got on board with the Cumbrian Tourist Board and the English Tourist Board because we felt they were key channels that would give the business maximum exposure. The next job was to market the function room to local organisations, which we encouraged to hold meetings and social events at the pub. The wheels began turning again within weeks of us arriving.
We have now been awarded four Tourist Board stars which has been excellent recognition for us. A lot of customers come to enjoy our cask beers. We have Cask Marque accreditation and have just been named runners-up in the Cumbria region of Robinson's annual cellar service awards.
My food offer
We concentrate on good wholesome English food using local suppliers where possible, but we do not attempt to get too clever, although we take great pride in our meat, which is sourced from local butchers in the area.
We decided from day one that we were not going to go down the gastropub route so our menu is fairly conservative, with steaks, roasts, curries and other pub favourites. We also offer a range of daily specials which gives the kitchen staff an opportunity to do something different.
It's a menu that does the job for us very
well and we attract a wide range of different dining customers. A lot of our food trade comes from locals who are not necessarily looking for a special night out, but decide to eat here because they cannot be bothered to cook at home!
My staff
Almost all our staff are local, with most living in Milnthorpe itself. We have a variety of different training programmes. Kitchen staff are trained in health and safety by a local company, while the brewery looks after cellar training.
Our bar and kitchen staff train for various NVQ levels, while we have our own in-house training on an ongoing basis. You can only take training so far, though. Front-of-house staff need to have a pleasant personality to create the right impression with customers and that is something you cannot develop through any training manual.
I tell all of the staff to listen to customers, but not to comment too much about what they say - after all, we are part of a village community and gossip tends to spread!
My marketing strategy
We tend not to place formal advertisements in newspapers, mainly because we are not sure how much response comes as a result and also it's very expensive. Our main thrust is with the tourist boards and we also feature in a number of free circulation local leisure magazines.
The pub is situated prominently in the centre of the village right on the A6 which was the main western trunk road from the south up to Edinburgh before the M6 motorway was built. To my mind you have to make the pub look as attractive as possible to motorists passing through. We take great pride in our floral display and we have won the Milnthorpe In Bloom award for the past two years.
We are firm believers in the notion that if the pub looks attractive outside it gets people through the doors. But once they are inside we make great efforts to ensure everything is fine-tuned here also.
The pub is on the official John O'Groats to Lands End cycle route and over the years it has become a popular venue for cyclists.
We have also teamed up with a local taxi firm to provide staying guests with official tours around the Lake District.
My functions
This is a growing part of the business and we are building up the number of dinners and parties organised by local groups and organisations. We make full use of the function room on a weekly basis with regular activities run by the local keep-fit club, folk-club nights, weekly bingo and the Weight Watchers association.
Downstairs, there are weekly men's and women's darts league matches.
My smoking solution
We were ahead of the game and imposed a smoking ban last February, six months before the ban actually came into force.
We converted our back yard into a smoking area with roof, tables and chairs, patio heaters and foliage decoration. We also provide a TV when there is a big sports event going on. We have Sky and it's a much-appreciated facility enjoyed by the smokers.
My website
This is working well for us at the moment and we are getting really useful business from people looking for accommodation in the Lake District. We have a company that runs the site for us and it is regularly updated to keep it looking alive and fresh.
My tips for newcomers
My golden rule is to always make sure the pub looks open. It may be an obvious thing to say but it's surprising how many places look half closed when you drive past.
I insist the doors are fully open and the lights on and that everything is working properly and functioning efficiently. People do notice when lights are out or something else is not working.
After that it's about retail standards and also customer service which has to be spot on.
My Pub
Owner: Frederic Robinson, Stockport
Tenants: Ian and Sandra Mills
Barrelage: 500 a year
Dry:wet split: 55:45
Number of meals per week: 300
Best-selling dish: Lamb Henry - £8.95
Letting Rooms: Eight (double £50 to £60
per night)
Wine volumes: 10% of wet sales
Staff: 14 full and part-time
Proportion of staff wages to turnover: 16%
Beer: three Robinsons cask ales; Carling,
Stella and Carlsberg Extra lager; Guinness
Cold and Extra Cold (also Strongbow cider)