The Cock Inn, Polstead
Every week in the UK 39 pubs cease trading. The combination of a recession and the effects of the smoking ban introduced in 2007 have reduced income whilst higher utility, food & drink and staff costs have really squeezed already tight margins. 2 years ago Deborah and her partner Michael bought The Cock Inn in Polstead. They had no experience of running a pub before, and the previous owners somewhat exaggerated the true food and beverage (F&B) takings of the pub, which made their first few months quite difficult. They had believed that food made up 40% of revenues but the reality was closer to just 20%. The clients they inherited were mostly local drinkers who liked to smoke at the bar, so the implementation of the smoking ban really hit takings hard.
Polstead is a lovely village but it's not exactly a well known tourist hot spot, and neither is it on the way to anywhere, so passing trade is very limited. The villages of Polstead and Polstead Heath have a population of about 800 people so relying on local trade was never an option.
Like many publicans at the time of the smking ban, Deborah and Michael decided to focus on a food led offering rather than rely so heavily on 'wet' takings. Fortunately Deborah's background was in catering so she was able to take on the challenge. They threw out the dart board and refurbished the restaurant area, restoring an extension which enables them to cater for small weddings and parties. Today food accounts for ca. 65% of their total revenue, and she aims to get this to 70-75% through building up the a la carte side as well as constantly changing the menus. Deborah has tried emplying chefs but this hasn't worked out, so now she is resigned to keeping control and standards where she wants them by doing the catering herself.
Today The Cock Inn relies on repeat business from satisfied customers who travel from the local catchment area - Ipswich, Hadleigh, Stoke by Nayland, and even Colchester which is 20 minutes away; referrals from local B&B's and the caravan site nearby; cyclists and walkers in Constable Country; and they've begun to cater for weddings and parties. So they are diversifying their income across a range of customers. Deborah is also thinking about putting on some theme evenings, such as Italian nights, and in the summer barbeques outside.
On the marketing side they have learnt by experience what works well for them. They advertise in the really local papers, the Hadleigh and Polstead papers. They don't have a website but Deborah believes that they need one for the restaurant, to promote menus, theme nights and offers. Recently The Times approached them to run a lunchtime offer of a set menu - 2 courses for £10 and 3 for £15, and clients had to collect tokens from the paper. Deborah has been delighted by the response and is going to run a similar campaign shortly with the Daily Express, for which she'll pay them a nominal fee. Her feeling is that The Times has brought them a new client base so although the offer didn't make them a lot of extra revenue as the set price was low, she is confident that a good proportion of those people will come back and spend money in the pub in the future.
Her hardest challenge at the moment is finding and keeping good staff. This seems slightly ironic as the unemployment figure breaches 2 million, but she relies heavily on locals from the area. However Deborah and Michael are looking to expand so maybe we'll see some accommodation at The Cock Inn before too long.
If you're inspired to check out Deborah's magic formula and her cooking for yourself please see The Cock Inn, Polstead
