Like many licensees, the move to running his own pub marked a significant career change for Gregor Stevenson.
Having worked as a professional photographer, seven years ago Gregor changed tack, taking on the lease of the Kings Head in Fritwell, Oxfordshire, with Enterprise Inns.
The pub has been trading since 1652, and Gregor describes it as "a true locals' pub at the heart of the community, here for the people of the village to socialise over a drink and a bite to eat".
"We cater for a number of local groups here, including the WI darts team, the football team, the rugby team and we even have our own Aunt Sally team," he says.
Gregor offers a variety of freshly cooked, seasonal food, with steaks sourced from a butcher 500 yards away being the most popular item on the menu. He also grows his own vegetables and herbs and can often be seen nipping out from the kitchen during service to pick them.
To widen the pub's food appeal further, Gregor opted for a trial of the Bar Favourites menu from Moy Park Foodservice.
He explains: "The preparation is simple, it provided me with an opportunity to maintain a more varied food offer for customers on my day off, which could easily be prepared by the staff and was more than just a sandwich or a ploughman's."
It also means the pub has been able to offer food outside normal lunch and dinner service and so increase sales. "Some would-be drinkers ordered from the Bar Favourites menu where they would have normally had crisps or nuts," he adds.
The most popular items proved to be the Chickwich steak burger, served in a bap with fries or salad and onion rings for £5.95, and the chicken fajita wrap, which is served with a side salad, for £5.50.
"Bar Favourites has enabled me to keep my customers happy with a decent food offer when I am not here," says Gregor. "I will definitely be keeping elements of it after the trial is over."
- To find out more about the range of Moy Park Foodservice products and to obtain free Bar Favourites PoS, log onto Moy Park Foodservice or call on 0800 085 2749.