Kevin hunt says the bar food menu proved to be too complicated to serve outside, so we serve pizzas. ‘They are easy to prepare and the margins are great too!’
HOW DID YOU GET HERE?
‘My dad was a pub pianist and I grew up in and around pubs – it’s in my blood.’
WHAT MAKES A GREAT PUB?
‘The best pubs are those that take the time to understand their customers and provide what they need, recognizing that these needs change at different times of the day and different times of the week.’
‘I’m a firm believer in looking after my staff, our trade is quite seasonal and if I laid off everybody at the end of summer and started again with new people every time, we would never go forward. That way we create a business that’s better than everybody else.’
HOW HAVE PUBS CHANGED?
‘I remember when women and children weren’t really welcomed in most pubs… we’ve come a long way.’ ‘The pub is the centre of the community for everyone, so we have to get things right on every level. One day I may be providing something to keep the kids entertained, the next I am chatting to a lonely guy in the corner and making him feel at ease. We’ve become a much more inclusive industry and I firmly believe that we play a role in society.’
WHAT MAKES YOUR PUB DIFFERENT?
‘If you visit our pub in mid-summer, you could find 10 people at the bar with 150 customers outside,’ says Kevin Hunt, Publican at The Maltsters, ‘We have had to learn how to manage this business and make the most of the limited time we have to serve people.’
‘Ranworth is not a large village and although we have some regular customers, our main attraction is that we are at the end of Malthouse Broad. We’re also next to a famous church – it’s one of the only landmarks with an accessible tower, which provides panoramic views of the flat landscape for miles. The pub is perfectly placed as the trip along the broad takes about two hours and boats arrive around lunchtime. There’s a small window of opportunity as they don’t stay too long – there’s the afternoon cruise back to manage before they check their boat in at 5pm.’
‘Having a business like this has taught us to focus on using our outside space well. Not just providing a welcoming place to relax, but also making sure we can accommodate the needs of our customers.’
‘Queuing at the bar could take time and we would miss the opportunity to sell, so we introduced an outside bar, making it easier and faster for customers. The bar manager can keep an eye on tables and let the waiting staff know if customers need refills, sending them out to take orders when necessary.’
‘The bar food menu proved to be too complicated to serve outside. When we were on holiday we saw a wood-fired pizza shed and realised it would be a perfect solution. Pizzas are easy to prepare and the margins are great too – although we soon abandoned the ‘wood-fired’ part because of ash falling into the food! We can turn them around really quickly and need less-skilled people to cook them too, so our cost is cheaper.’
‘It’s attention to detail that makes all the difference. For example, we noticed that many of our holiday makers were arriving with dogs. I am a dog lover myself so I realised we could cater for them – if the dog is happy the ‘parents’ will be happy too. There’s a dog station offering water, dog wash and blankets for them and we also sell premium dog treats alongside the regular snacks behind the bar.’
