West: Alice Lisle

Rockford Green, Hampshire "It's a cracking pub. If you look after it, it will look after you." So says John Farley, manager of the Alice Lisle ­ an imposing pub on the edge of the New Forest near Ringwood. John has been at the George Gale-owned outlet for nearly four-and-a-half years. He says it was a struggle for the first three to four months as he strove to make the pub achieve its true potential, enthuse the staff, and replace some of the "obnoxiously aloof" customers. "We must have changed the menu four or five times in that time and worked hard to get the format that we wanted for the Alice Lisle ­ consistency of menu and consistency of service," he recalls. Since then, John has seen takings progressively increase and he is now on target to hit the £1m mark for the year. He says it is not unusual for families holidaying in the area to visit the pub two or three times a week. "We hope the reason why they keep returning is the consistency of service." The food offering caters for all, and includes healthy options, fast food, traditional English pub grub and fine dining. The children's menu offers 12 main-course choices, 20 soft drinks, plus an assortment of ice creams and snacks. The pub's location means its busiest trading period coincides with the summer holidays. For diners, there is room for 120 inside, and seating capacity for a further 400 outside in the extensive garden. There's also plenty to keep younger visitors happy when the weather is good. There are slides, climbing frames, a rope bridge and other items of play equipment for active youngsters. For the less energetic, there's a duck pond, aviary and "Percy", the pub's own peacock, to admire. A further attraction is the green outside the Alice Lisle, which is frequented by cattle, donkeys, horses and ponies. A magician and a face painter are employed at the weekends. John says he enjoys a very good relationship with the people who run the local camping sites and who are prepared to recommend the Alice Lisle to visitors. He remarks: "That's better than any advertising." Last year, £10,000 was spent on replacing some of the play equipment, the aviary, landscaping the gardens and extra kitchen equipment to meet the growing demand. John adds: "You have got to keep on investing ­ that's what keeps them coming here.