Proud of Your Staff: Fisherman's Retreat, Lancashire

The barstaff at the Fisherman's Retreat, in Ramsbottom, Lancashire, are, according to licensee Hervey Magnall, "some of the best in Britain".

The Magnall family built the food-based pub in 1992, after Hervey Senior overheard two cold and hungry fly fishermen debating where to go for a bite to eat and a bit of warmth. 14 years later, on one hot Sunday during the summer, the seasonal Fisherman's Retreat catered for 700 covers.

Although you might think the barstaff, all four of them, including bar manager Paul McClellan, might get lost amid the 40 or so staff the pub employs, Hervey singles them out for particular praise.

Hervey said: "Our staff are excellent. They're a very good team, a great crew. When we're stuck, they always help out."

Hervey says the proof is in the gushing feedback he has received from his customers.

"It shows in the tips," he says. "Our customers say 'you've got some of the best staff around'. They're very polite and courteous."

He adds: "When they've been away at college, it's a breath of fresh air when they start working again."