The Queens Head
Nutfield, Surrey
Agent: Guy Simmonds
Nutfield village locals John and Karen Osborne have been at the Queens Head for just a few days and have already greatly increased turnover.
The couple made the move from their last pub, the Dog & Duck, at Outwood in Surrey, after a difficult summer because the site relied heavily on the weather. John had been in the aviation industry for 30 years before getting into the trade as a form of semi-retirement.
John said: "The pub's two miles away from where we live on a busy main road so it's ideal. The trade has really picked up since we've come in - the last owners did not get on with everybody, but since they've left everyone in the village has started coming in."
John and Karen are planning to expand the business but are initially waiting to see how things progress. "We might knock through a wall into the shed on the side of the property, or install a conservatory but the pub's Grade II-listed so we'll have to look into that carefully. We're not going to rush in to spending money till we see it's justified," said John.
The pub already had two very competent chefs and the only thing that has been changed is the menus, which are now printed, rather than just presented on a blackboard. John said: "The smoked haddock Florentine is very popular at the moment and the chicken forestière (chicken in a cream and mushroom sauce) is also selling well."
The Punch leasehold offers London Pride, Harvey's Best, Greene King IPA and Spitfire. Turnover at the pub was £400,000 last year, a figure John is confident about increasing by at least 20% over the next year.