New operator's hopes on 'exceeding guest experiences' at village pub

Situated in near Lechlade, the Oxfordshire village pub and restaurant has undergone recent refurbishment of nine rooms and public spaces, showcasing a Cotswold stone bar and offering a varied wine selection with locally produced craft ales and beers.

Downing has 20 years experience within the hospitality sector and previously ran the Crazy Bear Hotels and Restaurant for 12 years.

“Being behind Five Alls from day one differs from The Crazy Bear experience. All the time, attention and effort I have put into Five Alls has all come from me. And I recognise I am definitely going through it in difficult times," he said.

Acknowledging the difficult climate many operators are facing, Downing described his plan to tackle uncertainty at this time.

 “It is definitely not as easy as it was five years ago… we are trying to take each day as it comes during these times and I recognise that it is difficult now. But we really wanted to make sure everything was perfect before we opened.”  Downing stated one of the main methods of faring during these times came down to “listening to customer feedback,” he added.

“The opening took some time, and we wanted to make sure we were listening to everybody that came into the venue.”

He continued: “The fact Jeremy Clarkson has opened a pub up the road was definitely daunting… but in light of this we recognise we have to fight in making sure Five Alls is the best it can be.”

Spot-on service

Downing emphasised the importance of his product being “at the top of it’s game” in the current environment. He stated: “Service needs to be spot on and most importantly so does our attention to detail.”

Reflecting on his time at The Crazy Bear, Downing said he felt “very lucky” to have worked alongside previous owner Jason Hunt a figure he learnt a lot from in the industry.

He stated: “The attention to detail I learnt from Jason, is really what set us apart at The Crazy Bear, and it is something I hope to carry through to Five Alls.”

Downing termed the process of refurbishing as “a team effort” emphasising a shared recognition the team had that “Five Alls deserved to be more than it was at the time”

Describing Five Alls as “beautiful”, Downing attributes this to the hard work of the team alongside general manager of the establishment, Robert Wilkins.

“The sense of community spirit during the refurbishment was fantastic and the team put in a lot of time and effort for us.”

Highlighting the importance of recognising public demand he said: “Making the place relevant and topical in lines with the demands of public is really important to us.” A notable way in which the pub is doing so is through new and improved menu options.

Downing expressed his excitement at the launch of a new summer menu and noted the importance of utilising local produce, specifically ‘Bibury trout farm’.  With newly appointed chef Lucian Juganaru, offering à la carte and set menus that “celebrate the very best seasonal ingredients found locally and around the UK.”

Local focus

He added: “As part of the summer season we are now looking at working with as much local produce as possible. That is really important to us. Working with the suppliers that we started off with to set us up, and since we have listened again to customer feedback.”

Five Alls currently offers vegetarian and vegan options as well as all day bar snacks including Mac and Cheese bites, popcorn chicken and homemade focaccia. A children’s menu is also available.

The pub will also offer a range of events including fish and chips and burger nights,  new monthly quiz night, harvest fair and live music by local villagers and will be hosting a barbecue on the 29 July.

Looking forward to the winter months, Downing shared his thoughts on the importance of the Christmas period, labelling it a “key time” for the Five Alls brand. Highlighting his “main focus” going forward is the build up to the winter months throughout November and December.

He also referred to the importance of social media and recognising the impact it can have on new businesses. “Sophie who used to work with me at The Crazy Bear is brilliant at utilising our social media.” He continued: “Instagram is where we are really hitting but we also recognise the importance of other social media sites like Facebook.”

Downing said: “All the decisions are yours when you start something independently and it is definitely an enjoyable process.”

Working within a great team is so important to us. When a guest shakes your hand and says they had a great time when they leave… that’s what I’m working towards."