My Pub: A shining pub star

How we got here​

We took over the Sun in 2004, acquiring the property on an Enterprise Inns lease assignment. We had been interested in another pub several miles away, but the terms were too expensive. It was our first pub and, in terms of character and location, just what we were looking for, although the building was a bit on the small side to develop the sort of business we really wanted.

The pub had a good trading record, but operated more as a restaurant; we wanted to build up a dual food and cask-ale pub venue.

I had been a teacher at a local catering college and Kelly was a housewife. It was a big step taking on a leased pub for a premium of £96,000, but we were prepared to put heart and soul into making a success of it.

Five years later we discovered the pub might be available to buy through Enterprise’s disposal programme, so we quickly put in an offer.

After a lot of hassle and negotiation our £500,000 offer was eventually accepted and we became owners. Finally we were in a position to extend the building in order to expand the business.

Our new extension​

As soon as we became owners of the pub we put our long-term expansion plans into action. The building was simply not big enough to cater for what we wanted to do, so we devised an extension to the main part comprising a new dining area and a new locals drinking b

ar. Moving our deli shop freed up space for us to make our kitchen almost four times bigger, which meant we could service the extra dining covers and also allowed us to cater for functions.

Part of the grand plan was also to hold marquee functions, such as weddings, in the pub garden. The kitchen as it was simply could not have coped with this extra workload, so it was a vital part of the overall scheme. The cost of all the building work was £350,000, which we financed, partly through a bank loan and the remainder self-financed. A second bank let us down, but we managed to beg and borrow elsewhere. The £120,000 worth of new kitchen equipment was raised through a finance scheme.

The end result was that we have now increased dining covers from 60 to 115 and we can cater for a maximum of 200 people in the marquee, which we hire from a local company on an event-by-event basis through the summer. The extension was opened last June and is already proving its worth, especially after we purchased a hog roaster for barbecues and other events.

Our food and drink​

We take great pride in championing local firms and suppliers who deliver fresh produce and other goods to the pub. We believe passionately in local provenance and flag up our suppliers at every opportunity. More or less every raw material we use has been supplied by a local farmer, grower or other company. These include locally farmed venison, veal and lamb from a local farming co-operative and a local seafood supplier.

Most of our beers are local too, with Black Sheep from Masham and the Copton Brewery and Rudgate from York our anchor suppliers. We stock four different cask ales, six at peak periods, which are now served in our new locals bar, reserved exclusively for drinkers. We were always determined that we would keep a local pub environment and today the wet side of the business sits very well alongside the dining part.

Walnut Lodge​

Three years ago the house next door to the pub came on the market and we saw it as the perfect opportunity to expand the business into letting and meetings accommodation. We have three bedrooms here and operate a number of different events, including a racing package for guests attending York Races. The Sun Inn Ladies’ Club also meets here each month for a variety of events including a range of beauty and grooming therapy sessions. In addition, we use the lodge for regular dinner, bed & breakfast packages. It’s proved a very useful add-on to the business.

Our special events​

Over the years we have developed a series of events that now form a regular part of our annual calendar. Our cookery classes and demonstrations are very popular. We invite guests into the kitchen where I will go through a number of dishes and then invite the audience to try them out for themselves. A morning session in the kitchen followed by lunch with wine costs £60 per person.

We also run farmers’ markets and flower workshops, as well as meet-the-brewer events, wine tastings, seafood nights and Champagne evenings.

Best ideas​

The link up with a local tour operator to capitalise on York’s international tourist trade has been a big success for us. A visit to the Sun is one of the final events of a tourist visitor package and involves a be-my-guest night, which sees guests tour the kitchens and try their hand at pulling cask ale in the bar, ending with a meal and wine.

We get all sorts of nationalities turning up, including Chinese, Americans and Canadians. The Great British pub has an enduring appeal for foreigners and we try and give them a real flavour of a traditional rural village inn.

A new takeaway fish and chips service at £6.50 has also proved a winner for us. Our deli shop, established a few years back, sells home-made preserves, relishes, chutneys, bread and confectionery besides basic daily commodities.

The last shop in Colton closed down quite a few years ago so the villagers were pleased to see us open up in the pub.

Marketing & promotions​

Facebook and our own website do a very good job for us. It’s helped us build a very useful customer database and at the moment 1,500 people are registered. We have also launched a Sun Privilege Card, which costs £50 and is limited to 100 customers.

Benefits include a 10% discount on food, a two-for-one on theme night tickets, free Champagne on Valentine’s Day, special new year’s eve dinner treats and a free Christmas party night per member for each booking of six or more people.

We are also planning to give vouchers to customers booking tables throughout December, entitling them to half-price vouchers to be redeemed in January.

Our favourite pub​

We are spoiled for choice in North Yorkshire, which abounds with many fine food pubs, but one of my favourites has to be the Crab & Lobster at Asenby, which ticks all the boxes for good food, drink, atmosphere and service.

FACTS 'N' STATS​

Address: ​Ye Old Sun Inn, Colton, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire

Status:​ Freehouse

Owners:​ Ashley and Kelly McCarthy

Average weekly take:​ £13,000

Wet:dry split:​ 35:65

Food GP:​ 68%

Wet GP:​ 65%

Meals per week:​ 600

Average spend per person:​ £30

Average main course:​ £14

Staff:​ Six full-time and 15 part-time

Wages as a percentage of turnover:​ 19%