Carving a successful food business
I would like to praise the Great British Carvery. It is truly an excellent dining experience of traditional British food and should be sought after and enjoyed by the public more often.
I have been a carvery chef for 19 years and enjoy what I do. The carvery makes full use of our English farm produce, grown and reared with passion by our farmers.
My pub is a well established, reputable inn with a strong customer base, which was a free house until about three years ago.
The carvery offers a non-pretentious, non-gastro, non-restrictive meal that is good value for money, and can provide a quicker meal than the à la carte alternative. And the kids enjoy the novelty of self-service.
It will please Gordon Ramsay to know that our fresh veg comes direct from the farm to the kitchen door, which helps keep costs down.
The local or West Country meat is top quality: 14kg turkeys, 6-8kg ribs of beef, 6-8kg legs of pork and lamb —all sizes rarely seen in the home.
If cooked properly, the beef needn't be dry or overdone, but pinkish and succulent. The proper gravy is made with stock, potatoes roasted in the fat from the meat trays, and served with a good choice of fresh seasonal veg.
The range of veg I prepare includes mildly-curried cabbage, roasted carrots, and breaded and fried cauliflower. The steamed veg produce a better result. A good carvery meal can cater for all your "five-a-day" needs.
We operate the carvery four nights a week, plus the big one —Sunday lunch. We attract many regulars, and I'm certain of 99% customer satisfaction.
This traditional British meal concept should be promoted more widely — it offers a really enjoyable time out, with a great range of wholesome local food.
As tenants of this St Austell Brewery pub, Dave and Sue Mone are first-class hosts, and strong advocates of the carvery.
We can't see Gordon f-lipping Ramsay closing this one down.
Peter Thomson, chef
Churchhouse Inn
Churchstow, South Devon
Sky should support its loyal customers
I read with interest your recent story about pubs dropping Sky.
I subscribed to Sky for five years at my last pub and, since December 2006, at two pubs in Shrewsbury. I have paid almost £50k to Sky since taking those two Shrewsbury pubs.
Recently I informed Sky of a pub, not in Shrewsbury, but near where I live, that was using a domestic package to show Sky.
More than two months ago I gave Sky the address, postcode and name of the person responsible. I was told that it had been reported and was under investigation.
Just before the last Premiership games, I called Sky again to say that if the United v Wigan game was shown in this pub, I'd cancel my subscription. I was told to give a month's notice; if I cancelled now, I'd have to pay for the last few months — about £8k for two pubs.
Is honesty really the best policy? This person has got away with all of last season — I wonder how much above £8k a fine would have been.
I'll definitely wash my hands of Sky next year, but it looks as if I will have to pay the £8k for the last few "no-football" months.
As a gesture to the kind of customer it needs to keep, Sky should waive these costs. But unfortunately, it is this kind of customer who ends up paying the price— and, in this case, is let down.
Mr T Ford
FordPubCo@aol.com