North: Black Bull

Wylam, Northumbria

Licensee Paul Bowes is a firm believer in the personal touch and his hands-on approach to business at the Black Bull is the one of the big reasons behind the pub's runaway success story. If the pub is open then you are almost guaranteed to see Paul behind the bar greeting and talking to customers in true old-fashioned landlord style.

Four years ago, the former miners' pub was trading at a low ebb and in dire need of investment and a new lease of life. The transformation under Paul's guidance has been dramatic and the wide cross section of customers, which range from the rich and famous to everyday working class people, bears testimony to the all-round appeal that the pub now enjoys.

Paul borrowed the £175,000 from his mother and father, who had retired from running the village store, to buy the pub. A further £250,000 was then required to finance a major refurbishment, which included a new bar, kitchen and dining room and opening eight en-suite letting bedrooms on the first floor.

Business took off almost from day one and has grown at a meteoric rate since, meaning that all debts have already been paid off.

From the days when the former business was lucky to gross £1,500 per week, takings have now shot through the £7,000 mark with Paul confidently predicting that the £400,000 per annum barrier will be broken this year.

All this is even more amazing when you consider the pub does not open at lunchtimes and accrues no direct income from its food business, which is franchised off to an independent caterer.

The pub opens its doors at 4pm each day, apart from Sundays when trade begins at noon, and the beer flows prodigiously from then onwards.

Paul explains: "We studied the market and deduced very quickly that daytime opening was not for us and we have been proved right. As for the food, we figured franchising the business off and charging a rent for the kitchens and dining room would produce guaranteed income with none of the hassle and overheads that catering normally brings."

There is massive economic sense in this logic because the food business provides £1,500 per week in extra wet sales in the bar. Accommodation is also buoyant with a room occupancy rate of 80%, mainly from travelling workers during the week and tourists over the weekends.

"Basically, we listen to our customers and provide what they want in a friendly environment," adds Paul.