Freehouse

Pub of the Year Sponsored by the Beer Seller, this award recognises the freehouse pub that has best developed its business over the past 12 months. It aims to celebrate the dedication of those within the sector and communicate their success to ensure that other freehouses grow and succeed Horse & Plough ­ Bingham, Nottingham Licensees Karl and Sharon Bartsch at the Horse & Plough at Bingham, Nottingham, have created a highly successful business via a combination of five factors: Cask Marque accreditation, a listing in the Campaign for Real Ale's Good Beer Guide, an ever-changing range of cask ales, a "no machine" policy and an à la carte restaurant. The Bartschs transferred the formula that they had usedsuccessfully for five years at their other pub, the Horse & Groom in Basford, Nottingham, to their latest outlet, which they bought two years ago. It was a pub that Bingham-born Karl had targeted for a long time. "I had tried unsuccessfully to buy it before, but I just kept hammering away until I got it," he says. "I know the town and wanted to set the pub apart from the other five pubs in Bingham. "They all have their own markets, but I was convinced that a pub with no machines, a good range of cask ales, combined with a good food offer, would be a winner." When they took over, the Bartschs inherited a dirty, rundown pub. It had a poor reputation and business levels were low. The first task was to give the pub a new name in line with its traditional image. So out went the old name of Cromwell and in came their son's recommendation of the Horse & Plough, providing a common thread with their other pub. A major clean-up and re-decoration followed. Sharon explains: "Basically, we gutted it and painted it. We wanted to put our own mark on the pub by way of new lighting, curtains, furnishings, pictures and flowers. The emphasis from day one was on the quality of customer service and quality of products. We set a very high standard and soon the word spread." The pub used to stock just two cask ales, but that was extended to six. Bombardier bitter is the only permanent fixture with ales feeding the other five pumps changed constantly, so much so that more than 250 different beers a year are now featured. Manager Alan Kearns cares passionately about his beers and deliveries have to be handled with military precision because of the pub's tiny cellar. Customers know that if Alan is not around, he will be beavering away in the cellar, ensuring the quality of his beers is second to none. Naturally, he is delighted with the Cask Marque award ­ an accolade boasted by both the Bartschs' pubs ­ while the Good Beer Guide listing is the first for a Bingham pub for more than 20 years. A new chef was brought in and improvements made to the à la carte restaurant upstairs. The food is still à la carte, but at more realistic prices. Consequently, both food and drink sales have boomed with trade levels almost 10 times what they were previously and still rising. The Bartschs' commitment to high standards extends to their employees, who are encouraged to gain National Vocational Qualifications, and four staff members will sit their National Licensee Certificate soon. Tutored wine tastings are also held so that employees are well versed to help customer choice. And staff have to know about the beer and cellar management, too. Sponsorship of a local football team, providing a meeting place for local societies, and involvement in charity events have all helped put the pub on the map. Karl adds: "We offer value-for-money quality beer and food in a warm, clean and friendly environment. It's a simple philosophy, but it certainly works for us." Stag ­ Bloxwich, West Midlands What a difference 18 months makes. Back then, the Stag at Bloxwich, near Walsall, seemed destined for demolition. But since, it has staged an amazing turnaround. The Stag had looked doomed after its owner John Nuttall was given planning permission to demolish it to make way for a housing development. After a succession of licensees, the Highgate Brewery Company, which leases the pub, persuaded Nuttall to give Mark Satchell, pictured left, and Nigel Barker, right, a chance to prove it could be viable. It was an opportunity to be relished for Nigel, an experienced licensee of 25 years' standing who had successfully transformed rundown pubs in the past, and Mark, who has run pubs for six years. And they've never looked back. The pub is now trading at around five times previous levels. Credit for this stems from the introduction of a range of up to six cask beers, a quality good-value food offer, and a warm welcome to customers of all ages ­ not just the younger element who previously populated the pub and caused their fair share of problems. Nigel recalls: "The first thing that had to go were the regular karaoke nights, which were attracting the wrong type of customer. People told me the pub would not survive without them, but I knew I could prove them wrong. I banned a lot of people who were causing trouble, too, so that gave me a good foundation to build on. "We gave the place a thorough clean, began introducing new furnishings and bric-a-brac, and gradually built up a new customer base. New ales were added and we even have a Belgian beer and a traditional cider on tap, plus a range of 21 different fruit wines. The word gradually spread and people came back who hadn't used the pub for years." Nigel, who previously ran the Dolphin and the Old Silk Mill in Derby, and later the famous Bartons Arms in Aston, Birmingham, admits he is now in his element with a free hand to bring in what drinks he chooses. "In the past, I have always been restricted to a choice of beers or a guest ale. Now, I buy whatever I like from whoever I like," he says. "It sometimes means up to 10 different deliveries a week, but it's worth it to give the customers what they want." What the pair avoided, from the outset, was getting into a price war with other outlets. Mark explains: "We are surrounded by pubs offering cheap beer with regular happy hours and two-for-one food offers. "It would've been easy to try to compete with that, but we didn't want to fall into that trap. So we put the accent on quality and service instead. "Admittedly, we sell Banks's for £1.54 and Adnams at £1.70, but our stronger cask ales sell from £2.05 upwards. In fact, we are the dearest pub for miles for our cask beers, but we have the best choice and the customers are prepared to pay for it. "The accent is on quality food, too, with a lot of home cooking featured, instead of supermarket beef and tinned carrots, which were on the menu when we took over." The food offering has been so successful that Christmas Day lunch was fully booked months in advance. Sunday lunch in the pub's function suite is a virtual sell-out every week. The suite is also in demand for regular community events and family celebrations. The pub is now listed in the Good Beer Guide and has just been voted runner-up in Camra's Walsall branch Pub of the Year contest. Two beer festivals, each featuring around 24 cask beers, have proved a hit and there are plans for a ladies' darts team, in addition to the regular pool team. Bed and breakfast is also being quietly introduced.