The pub trade is all about the hard work and talent of individuals. The funeral was held last week of one of our finest operators, Paul Whittome.
He bought the Hoste Arms in Burnham Market, Norfolk, in 1989. Paul was originally a potato merchant who fancied turning his hand to the hospitality business. The Hoste Arms was an unlikely acquisition, situated in a sleepy village several miles away from the coast. I remember visiting Burnham Market in my teenage years in the mid-1980s for one reason and one reason only — there was a very good chip shop.
I watched with amazement and some awe as Paul set about transforming the Hoste Arms. As the years passed, Paul was relentless in making the Hoste Arms better and better. I would call in four or five times a year to check out each new wave of service and amenity improvement.
Just a few years ago, I arrived to discover he'd spent £350,000 digging underground to create a private dining room and the best pub toilets I'd ever come across. His appetite for improving the Hoste Arms never dimmed. Just about every time I arrived at the Hoste Arms, he was on the premises. The Hoste Arms is well-named because Paul was the consummate host — eager to sit down for a catch-up every time I called by. You'd see him doing the same with all his "irregular regulars" as they pitched up.
A few years ago, turnover at the Hoste Arms topped the £80,000-a-week mark after building steadily over the years. The Hoste Arms added boutique bedrooms as more and more people wanted to stay, but essentially the place remained very pubby.
Some very famous people liked to stay at the Hoste, but you'd see the same locals dotted around the bar as you'd seen from the early 1990s. Part of Paul's gift was his loyalty to his staff — he promoted from within and paid handsomely. (I was particularly impressed with the brand-new German car he bought for a couple of members of staff who had worked hard.)
Even more remarkable was the transformational effect of the Hoste Arms on the entire north Norfolk coast. Believe me, this was an unfashionable part of the country just 20 years ago. But the Hoste revitalised Burnham Market — more and more high quality shops opened to serve the hordes of people rolling into the pub.
The entire hospitality trade in the area became locked into a virtuous circle. Pub after pub was transformed by investment, often echoing the fundamentals of the Hoste Arms' trading style. Over the years, I've read countless national newspaper articles extolling the virtues of the Hoste Arms and other local pubs. This has become a golden area for outstanding pubs serving great locally-sourced food, tasty locally-brewed beers and offering a warm welcome — it's Paul's legacy.