Smoking for profit

Angus McCaig, chef/proprietor of the Holt in Honiton, talks smoked foods, uncomplicated pub dishes and the advantages of doing everything in house. Sheila McWattie reports

How I got here​

Now a Devon pub, restaurant and smokehouse, the Holt was a discount-led wine bar before my brother, Joe, and I took it on in 2005.

I started in the catering trade at the Drewe Arms in nearby Broadhembury and went on to gain a diploma at Leith's School of Food & Wine. A visit to Italy introduced me to beautiful, simple foods such as fresh pasta, truffles and vegetables, and my first qualified job was at the Cheddington Court Hotel in Dorset.

With my wife, Kate, I managed a chalet in the French Alps, where my love of French regional cheeses and cured meats began, and I learned about the benefits of curing and smoking without electricity in lean seasons.

Returning to the UK in 2001, I worked at Terence Conran's Butlers Wharf Chop House, then moved into outside catering in south London.

My parents set up the Otter Brewery in 1990 and Joe and I ran its outside catering arm for three years before buying the Holt. It has been recommended by The Good Food Guide, Michelin Guide, Alastair Sawday and the AA, and was named Best Gastropub in Devon last year by Taste of the West.

How we achieved growth​

Sourcing the best the local land-scape has to offer, we advocate a nose-to-tail approach to using good local meat and strive to offer excellent value. We have incorporated Smoking Jacket Foods, our business arm through which we produce, sell and market our smoked and cured foods. Initially we invested £80,000 into renovating the property and in four years have taken the business from a turnover of £250,000 to £425,000.

Business philosophy​

The Holt was always intended to be different as an outlet. We tailor our food to suit the locality, serving uncomplicated dishes that we know will appeal to local people, backed up with a strong drinks offering.

Best business advice we have ever been given​

Focus on what you're good at. Don't take shortcuts. Believe in what you're doing and do it to the best of your ability.

How we stand out from the competition​

Our unique character is key. We don't sell steaks like everyone else; we smoke our own food, do our own charcuterie, make our own bar snacks such as coriander-roasted almonds, flavour our own vodka and keep a good back shelf.

Successful marketing & PR ideas​

•Keeping our pub website as up to date as possible

•Cooking at the Exeter Food & Drink Festival

•Entering the Great Taste awards and regional Taste of the West awards

•Stocking goods from local pro-ducers to promote the area

•Being part of the local community and helping to strip away elitism surrounding eating out

Staff motivation​

Always lead by example and know every job inside out. Allow staff to be creative and encourage their input. We don't want robots — we want soul and energy from our staff. We often take them out for meals so they can see how other operations are run.

Couldn't live without…​

Our induction hob, which cost £4,000, delivers immense energy savings. Our iPod ensures the music we play remains fresh and we can create playlists to suit certain occasions.

Pub facts​

Licensees: J&A McCaig

Website: www.theholt-honiton.com

Tenure: Freehold

Turnover: approx £425,000

Wet:dry split: 40:60

Wages as percentage of turnover: 30%

GP food/GP drink: 68%/65%

Total covers: 60

Average covers per week: 350-400 (open five days a week)

Average spend per head: Lunch: £10-£15 per head

Dinner: £15-£25 per head

In the know​

Service secrets​

Transfer knowledge to empower and enthuse your staff so that they are as passionate as you. With every menu change we run a staff training and tasting session. It's vital to understand the ethos of what you're doing and that your staff are not just delivery people.

One idea that didn't work​

On our third New Year's Eve, we tried to repeat the exact formula from the previous two. In a small town, special events like this need to be kept fresh and exciting.

Credit check​

We are the first hospitality business to trial a new online accountancy package from Liberty. It gives us real-time access to every financial aspect of the business. Our induction unit only has a five-year pay-back period, making it an invaluable asset. We recycle our cooking oil and sell it to locals for fuel and have received a gold award from East Devon District Council for recycling and exemplary hygiene. We train staff to be efficient and conserve energy. In the kitchen we advocate nose-to-tail eating, make all our own stocks and doing all our own butchery in-house.

Bar talk​

Wet sales: percentage of sales from beer: 40% (keg & cask); wine: 30%; soft drinks: 20%; spirits: 10%. To make Bernard & Kitty's vodka, we flavour a UK-produced grain spirit vodka without losing the character of the spirit. It comes in caramel, cherry and apple or as a "traffic-light" cocktail, using the three flavours. Best-selling beers are Otter Bitter & Otter Ale. Best-selling white wine is Montelciego 2008 Rioja Blanco, from Spain (£17.50). Best-selling red wine is Eagles Point Cabernet Merlot 2006, from Australia (£12.50).

Recommended business-related websites​

•amazon.co.uk — this website keeps us up to date with the most recent cookery books

•libertyaccounts.com — this is our new online accountancy package. It enables us to keep track of every single aspect of the business

Five best ideas​

•Quarterly recipe card containing an update on our smoked foods

•Quarterly seasonal taster menus

•Organising a music festival four times a year

•Running courses on smoking and curing

•Selling our smoked foods at local markets

Menu Philosophy​

We retain full control of ingredients, doing everything from scratch. Sous vide, involving cooking vacuum-packed ingredients at a lower temperature which produces less contraction and change in their appearance, helps enormously. We also smoke local duck, pigeon, chicken and cheeses, salmon, bacon, olive oils, Cornish sea salt, ice cream and even butter to add a unique twist to menus.

The menu changes every six to eight weeks with daily specials.

Best dish recently introduced​

Baked smoked haddock with omelette Arnold Bennett, crispy mussels, steamed leeks & mussel reduction (£14.50)

Food GP aimed for: 68%

Best-selling dishes​

Starters:​ Ham hock salad with pickled beetroot, cherry tomatoes & wholegrain mustard dressing (£5)

Game terrine, spiced lentils, fine beans, pickled cauliflower, soused blackberries (£8.50)

Fresh oysters, pickled cucumber, beetroot jelly & crisps (£6)

Mains:​ Monkfish with steamed leeks, crushed pink fir apple potatoes, mussels & a mussel coconut curry (£14)

Pan-seared duck liver, candied walnuts, fried polenta, roasted figs, oxtail sauce (£15.50)

Wild mushroom & Cornish Blue cheese pastry, honey-glazed shallots, salad leaves (£7.50)

Desserts: ​Chocolate & beet cake, raspberry sauce, vanilla sour cream (£5.50)

Vanilla rice pudding, spiced plums, oat crumble (£5.50)

Sticky toffee & date pudding with sticky toffee sauce & Devon cream (£5)

Two most profitable dishes​

Game terrine, spiced lentils, fine beans, pickled cauliflower, soused blackberries (£8.50)

Braised lamb shoulder, parsnip purée, potato fondant, marjoram peas, spiced jus (£14.50)

Best food promotion or event​

Comfort Food Wednesdays when we serve dishes such as fish pie or home-made sausages & mash with onion rings and a sherry vinegar sauce. By using more affordable ingredients we can maintain high quality and a margin while keeping the cost at less than £10, and it