Getting into fighting shape

Chris Maskery, lessee of the Fighting Cocks, Horton Kirby, Kent, talks to Sonya Hook about investing £300,000 in his pub, building a new kitchen and conservatory, and installing a marquee in the garden

How I got here​

I was in the music industry for 25 years, pretty much since I left school. I loved it, but the industry was suffering and the revenue wasn't there

any more.

I lived in the next village along to the pub and we came here every couple of weeks, primarily because it had a massive garden.

I knew it was up for sale and I just started thinking about it really. People said that I must be barking mad to go into the pub industry at this time, but, actually, if I couldn't have had this pub then I would have done something else entirely.

I knew the area and I knew the clientele, but also I could really see a lot of potential here that wasn't being fulfilled. It really needed some investment and the previous licensees just didn't have the money to spend on the place.

I left the music industry in May 2008 and took over the pub in July that year. When I was given the go-ahead the previous licensees left at lunchtime and we re-opened the pub at 5pm on the same day.

We set up a three-way partnership initially between me, my wife, Vanessa, and Steve Prebble, who I had worked with before.

He is more of a silent partner as he has invested in the business, but he is not involved in the day-to-day running of the pub.

Early days​

Initially it was a real baptism of fire. The pub is at its busiest on a hot summer's day and, of course, it was the hottest weekend of the year around the time we took over.

I was used to having 60 staff and managing different kinds of people, so when I took on the pub and the staff, it wasn't a problem for me to manage them. As time went on I changed the staff that weren't up to my standards.

Although I was comfortable with this area, we had no history at all with pubs or the hospitality industry and it was all totally alien to me.

But I didn't want to shut the pub immediately to make the changes that needed to be made. I wanted to try to understand the business and get feedback from the locals first and, of course, they were really keen to give me their thoughts!

People don't always like change, but I think they understood I wanted to change things for the better.

The clientele here includes lots of seniors in the week, especially at lunchtime, and lots of groups of women, plus families. So I knew installing Sky Sports wouldn't work, for example.

The changes​

In February 2009 we shut the pub for two weeks and we used that time to put in new carpets, curtains, leather sofas, toilets, and generally give the place a real facelift. We also did some work on the outside.

After this point we saw an immediate upturn in the business. Basically, we had tried to create a pub that we would want to go into ourselves, and it was as simple as that.

In April 2009 we started some major projects such as building a brand new kitchen.

As it's the garden that really makes this place we also added a huge conservatory to turn it into a year-round business. These two big projects ran simultaneously while we were still running the existing business, so it was hard work. We probably invested around £250,000 getting these things sorted out.

We have also recently improved the play area and because we aren't far from the local school, this has been really popular with mums bringing their kids here after school during the week. We got rid of an old pétanque area that wasn't being used and we extended the car park and added a few more tables in the garden. This outside work probably cost an additional £15,000.

Since August that year the business has never looked back. We had a lot of Christmas bookings and then it was busy all through 2010.

Generally, it's all been word of mouth as we haven't advertised much at all. We do have a feedback card and you can win a meal for two via a card.

Our food​

At the end of August 2009 we opened a new kitchen and conservatory, which would fit 70 people. You enter it via a family room, which fits additional diners.

The garden has 160 covers — it's a real destination pub and people do travel here to eat.

We didn't want to become a gastropub, so it's described as a pub that serves good food.

We sell out every Sunday, and both sit-ins in the conservatory — with the tables in the bar area too - mean that we do around 140 covers.

We do quite a few food-led events, including a seven-course meal for £29.95, which we are holding soon. We already have 65 booked in for it.

We hold gourmet nights and cabaret nights with a set meal. Also, every Tuesday is curry night, called Ruby Tuesday, where you can get a home-made curry for £6.

It's really popular — last week we had 98 bookings and this week we have 75.

Over the Easter weekend we had a hog roast and we like having Sunday barbecues in the summer as it takes the pressure off the kitchen.

The future​

It was always a three-year business plan from the start and we have nearly come to the end of that three years now, but everything on the plan has been achieved.

I think for us, one of the big pluses is that although there is lots of doom and gloom around the industry, I didn't know any better. I have only ever known the times when we have had to work to attract people into the pub, rather than the old days when people used to walk in without you doing much.

It's been hard work and I haven't had much time off. I definitely under-estimated how hard it is to be a publican. I think I could work anywhere after working here!

For us a 35-hour week is achieved in just two days and that is tough. Over the next two to three years we will work on getting the balance right.

Best idea​

One of our better moves came last summer when we added a marquee with an eight-foot screen for the World Cup. It was a big success and we will probably do it again for the football next year. It appealed to a lot of families with about 150 to 200 people turning up.

Events with a difference​

We like to try out different things. We've done 'human' table football competitions, duck races, darts, crib, poker and pub quizzes here.

We also do things that appeal to our female clientele, such as a psychic night, which included food. I think we had 80 women at that, and one bloke.

We hold WI meetings here and book-club events. We are also the polling station for the village, and so for the last general election we sold bacon rolls to people coming in to vote from 7am.

We've already got weddings booked in here through to 2013 and that's without advertising.

In September we will hold a wedding fair as well to boost that side of the business even more.

Facts 'n' stats​

Pub: The Fighting Cocks, Horton Kirby, Kent

Licensee: Chris Maskery

Tenure: Free-of-tie lease

Wet:dry ratio: 50:50

Staff: 15

Wet GP: 63%

Dry GP: 63%

Invested: approximately £300,000 to date