Simon Bailey, co-licensee of Hall & Woodhouse leasehold the Kings Arms, at Hampton Court, London, tells Sheila McWattie about staff prizes, Red Letter Days and sharing boards.
How we got here
My partner, Sarah, and I had no experience in the pub industry, but we did have a clear vision of what makes a good pub work, combined with passion for good quality food, drink and service. Sarah previously helped adults with disabilities into paid employment and I worked for a national house-building firm, purchasing development sites. After looking at hundreds of pubs we came across Hall & Woodhouse's website, loved the look of all its pubs and finally took on the Kings Arms in August 2008. With the support of our area manager we were able to settle into pub life relatively smoothly. They were on hand constantly throughout the first year to offer support, advice or simply run new ideas by.
Achieving business growth
Working with Hall & Woodhouse has proved extremely rewarding.
We focus on being professional; the Kings Arms is our business, not our lifestyle. This is an affluent area and Hampton Court Palace attracts visitors all year round, bringing in steady trade for our nine en-suite letting bedrooms.
In our first week we took a little less than £2,000 on food and tripled this within a year by setting and maintaining high standards; building relations with local people and businesses; offering good quality food and drink in a warm, friendly environment; supporting a local charity and hosting fundraising events, and winning two awards — the 2009 Morning Advertiser Best Newcomer (South East) and Hall & Woodhouse's Best Newcomer category at the Tenanted Awards 2009. Customer feedback is crucial — for example, in response we now serve breakfast until 10am and have installed hairdryers and bigger televisions in our rooms.
Business philosophy
At the Kings Arms, we aim to be the hub of the community, providing a safe, clean environment, with friendly staff and great food and drink, and supporting local businesses and charities.
Best piece of business advice
Don't get bogged down in daily tasks — focus on customer service, marketing and moving your offer forward.
Standing out from the competition
Ours is a great pub in a fantastic location with very friendly, professional staff, offering a non-fussy, good-quality menu and well-kept ales.
Best promotion
Our year-round employee discount for local businesses and a discount for regulars significantly boosts the pub's winter trade.
In summer, when many visitors want a traditional English lunch, we offer large sharing boards such as the ploughman's platter with home-made Scotch egg and pork pie.
Recommended business websites
BBC and Channel 4 cookery websites are great for dishes and inspiration:
• bbc.co.uk/food and www.channel4.com/food.
• booker.co.uk saves us weekly trips to the cash and carry.
Pub facts
Licensees: Sarah Murdock & Simon Bailey
Tenure: Hall & Woodhouse lease
Website: www.hamptoncourthotel.com
Turnover: £620,000 (net) August '08-August '09
Wages as percentage of turnover: 25%
Wet:dry split: 60:40
GP: food 65%, drink 59%
Total covers: 85
Average covers per week: 400
Average spend per head: £15-£20
Five best ideas
• Introducing a discount food scheme for local businesses, employees and regulars
• Using a corporate identity for flyers, uniforms and menus
• Using customer comment cards and feedback forms
• Entering and winning Morning Advertiser 2009 Best Newcomer — South East award
• Hosting a themed charity day to celebrate the pub's 300-year anniversary and raising £1,000.
Marketing ideas
• Free-drink flyers in return for email addresses.
• Emailing customers and local businesses about events.
• Becoming a partner of Red Letter Days' gift website and offering a dinner and bed & breakfast package as part of its Boutique Hotel Experience: www.redletterdays.co.uk.
• Organising themed fundraising events with appropriate menus — the
most popular was the pub's 300-year anniversary. Developing a menu based on 1750s dishes and donating money from each dish to our local charity brought great newspaper coverage.
• Taking part in Walkers Crisps' Great Escapes, when we offered BOGOF meals to Hampton Court Palace visitors.
In the know
Service secrets — Our recruitment policy means we only hire staff who share our high standards. Our induction pack and training — including cellar management courses, weekly briefings and customer feedback — are vital in building team morale and good communication. On peak shifts we offer prizes for selling the most puddings or a particular special.
Biggest mistake — Shortly after taking over, hosting a charity race night was a bit of a disaster as most customers moved to other areas of the pub to escape the noise — they had come for our food and weren't interested in that kind of entertainment. Those involved enjoyed themselves, but it just wasn't right for our pub.
Credit check — We review suppliers' costs regularly to ensure we get the best value, and make staff aware of wastage implications — our laundry bills halved when we introduced linen-change forms for letting-room cleaners. We work closely with our accountants Saville & Co and our monthly stock-taker to reduce waste and loss. Without this professional advice it would be difficult to monitor and improve on a monthly basis.
Staff motivation — We encourage all staff to suggest and implement ideas for dishes or events. In return for their hard work we offer discounted food when they're not working and often have social gatherings outside work. Last week we closed the pub for the evening and treated everyone to a three-course meal. After looking after so many Christmas parties, it was our turn to have some fun. Winning the in-house Hall & Woodhouse 2009 award, with prizes of a specially painted plate and a trip to Paris, has boosted our morale.
Couldn't live without… Our £4,000 espresso machine, which enables us to compete with local coffee shops and offer a great selection. We also invested heavily in IT; all our letting rooms and the pub have free Wi-Fi.
On the menu
Menu philosophy —Our food isn't pretentious — it's all home-made and includes well-loved classics, with ingredients sourced from local businesses and suppliers wherever possible.
The menu includes favourites such as beer-battered haddock & home-cut chips and home-made royal burgers. Most other dishes change every couple of days and we feature a home-made pie, sausage and pasta of the day.
Best new dish — One of our chefs is from India and has brought his very own chicken Madras recipe, which we serve with basmati rice, home-made onion bhaji, naan, poppadom and chutneys for only £9.50.
Best-selling dishes
• Starters: Home-made nachos with chilli con carne (£9.95); pan-fried scallops with crispy pancetta, rocket & a mustard sauce (£7.50); hot breaded Brie with apple & plum chutney and ciabatta (£4.95).
• Mains: Home-made pie of the day, such as braised beef with Badger ale or venison & guinea fowl, with creamy mash, purple sprouting broccoli & caramelised red onion gravy (£9.95); roasted pork tenderloin with potato rosti, savoy cabbage & crispy bacon with Stowford press cider sauce (£10.50); and roast beef & Yorkshire pudding with roast potatoes & seasonal vegetables (£10.95).
• Desserts: