Tom Kerridge on why food and sport are a match made in heaven

Opened in November 2014​, the venue is all about offering customers a relaxed, welcoming environment where they can find everything they need under one roof.

Back in 2005, Kerridge opened the Hand and Flowers, and in 2012 it became the first pub to be awarded two Michelin stars. The team behind that success has created the Coach, and while the Hand and Flowers has a six-month waiting list and extensive menu, the Coach is a 40-seat venue which takes no bookings, with Sky central to the venue’s identity, as Kerridge explains.

Can you tell us how Sky complements your venue?​

Sky is very much a part of what we are about at the Coach. The idea of the TV screens was one of the most important parts of the design. They aren’t big screens but five smaller ones dotted about the venue, the idea being that they make customers feel comfortable and add to the relaxed feeling of it being a pub environment. Put simply, it’s the kind of place where you don’t have to worry about which knife and fork you might have to use.

Why do you feel so strongly that live sport should be part of the Coach’s offering?​

The idea behind showing live sport is that it’s inclusive. In this country we are phenomenal at embracing sport – just look at how as a country we get behind the Ashes. We’re sport mad. That is why I think it is so crucial thing to offer customers. 

Do you vary the content you show throughout the day?​

Yes – we show different types of content depending on the different times of day, to help draw in more people. For some owners and licensees, they think that when it comes to choosing to show live sport, it’s all about football, but that really isn’t the case. You have a great choice – Sky News works well in the mornings and in the afternoon you can choose from cricket, rugby or snooker. The screens are always on and whatever is on live we show. 

How does the live sport you show enhance a customer’s experience?​

So many people love sport and I don’t think people should be made to choose between somewhere that shows it or doesn’t. I hope the Coach breaks that mentality. It’s a place where you can get a nice meal, talk to your friends and enjoy the action.

Is the Coach an example of how the licensed trade has had to grow and develop in recent times?​

If you look at the way pubs are working in the UK, people are not just going out and drinking these days – we are seeing less of the traditional ‘pub’ meaning it is a great time to rejuvenate the pub as central to a community – it’s like the phoenix from the flames. The Coach is an example of this rejuvenation – we have made it a place where people can congregate, a social hub.

The food is a very simple and all of the dishes are small portions. The idea behind this is if you want to call in for a quick, light lunch in 20 minutes you can do, or in the evening you can have four or five different plates as a group. Wherever you are in the venue you can see the chefs cooking and it brings food into the experience. 

What would you say to licensees who are thinking about taking Sky?​

I would say to anyone out there to think about how Sky can fit in to their environment. If you have space in your pub, or a bar area where people can have a few drinks and enjoy the sport, then there is nothing wrong with putting a screen in a venue. I believe in the power of live sport to break down barriers. It brings conversation into an environment and helps make a pub into a space which is a social meeting point.

Tom Kerridge was talking to Sky Sports Preview magazine, part of Sky’s Go Further range, which provides subscribers with products and services to help them make the most of sport in their venue. To find out what Sky can do for your business, please visit ​​www.sky.com/business​​​ or call 08448 245 670.​​