Karen Thomson, the Weston
Punch licensees in Bath — what they told Punch executives and the Morning Advertiser.
Karen Thomson, the Weston
Background: Took over the Weston 18 months ago. It had been closed for six months and was formerly run as a sports bar. Punch undertook a refurbishment before Thomson signed the lease. Although never a licensee, she has worked and lived at pubs her whole life and runs the pub with her dad, who has spent 30 years as a licensee, and her partner, who has 25 years' experience as a chef. The pub's main offer is a carvery.
View of Punch: "It has been very amenable, very approachable. It has been supportive when we needed it to be, but that's not to say that in the future we won't have a gripe. We know we haven't had a rent review yet. Who is to say that won't go terribly?"
Are you making a decent living?: "No. Not at this point.
But we are looking at the bigger picture. I think we did expect to make a living straight away. This was before the credit crunch really hit. As a licensee you have to acknowledge that it is not the pubco that's at fault."
BRMs: "Little things make a difference. It makes you feel heard. I would say the BRM has been here once a month at the moment. We had a meeting recently, looking to seasonalise our rent."
Entry experience: "We had an information pack. It was very good. Nothing bad to say about it. We were guessing a bit on trading figures as the pub had been closed and is no longer a sports bar."
