Stamp of approval

Hilary Scott tells Ewan Turney how adding a post office to the refurbished Black Swan in Wistow, North Yorkshire, helped her win friends and double trade within 18 months

How I got here

I had been working for HSBC since I was 16 - over 30 years. For the final six I was a financial planning manager. I loved it at the bank because it's a people business and you're dealing with customers face to face every day.

My husband, Gerry, was a drayman for al-most 30 years with Scottish Courage before being made redundant. He took another driving job, but didn't enjoy it. We had always

talked about running a pub and our backgrounds seemed ideal with my experience of financial planning, small business loans and handling accounts, and Gerry's knowledge of beers and the cellar environment.

We knew the Black Swan because Gerry drank there occasionally and we live in a nearby village. It was a smoky, male-dominated boozer. I'd say there are 1,300 people in the village and 1,200 didn't visit the pub.

My refurbishment

We took over in August 2005, with Punch agreeing to do a refurbishment. We saw a good food offer as the way forward. People had tried before, but the pub was small and smoky with no separate, comfortable area for eating, so the refurb was key to our business plan.

Punch spent £185,000 over eight weeks and built an extension - which acts as a dining room - fitted a new kitchen and updated the interior decor.

It was hard work, as we stayed open at weekends for six weeks because we are the only pub in the village. We closed fully for two weeks, but were given a rent concession.

Most of the regulars love the new pub, and it's helped attract the rest of the village back to the pub. It's a meeting place for the community.

My post office

We applied to the Post Office shortly after the village branch closed and said that we'd be willing to take it on. The community was missing an important facility and public transport to the locality's towns was fairly limited.

The rural transfer officer came to visit and assessed the pub's suitability. We were given a grant to cover the cost of installing all the necessary equipment, including alarms and a safe, and received one-to-one training for the first week at the pub. They train you at the pub because they realise you have a business to run. It wasn't difficult at all and it didn't cost us anything. Also, there is a helpline for any problems you might encounter.

We open the post office from 10am to 2pm, Tuesday to Thursday. It is probably about six hours' work a day, including an hour to set up and pack away.

My business benefits

1. Footfall: There is no doubt that the post office brings in new people and if they're coming here to do their banking or send a parcel, chances are we can encourage them to buy a drink or snack.

In particular, elderly people who wouldn't normally come to the pub on their own, pop in to use the post office. It gives us a chance to show them what the pub is all about and how it has changed. We can show people the menus when they are here and some also stay for a coffee.

2. Trade: We never opened at lunchtimes during the week before the post office arrived. Now we do teas, coffees, snacks and meals from Tuesday to Friday while the counter is running. We also have a group of ladies who come in regularly on Wednesday mornings for coffee and cakes.

3. Profit: I get paid by the Post Office on a monthly basis and also receive commission from the services I offer. We do parcels, pensions, travellers' cheques, credit cards and premium bonds, plus people can pay their bills. The premium bonds have been popular with grandparents, who buy them at Christmas for their families as an investment. We haven't had to employ any more staff to help out yet either.

4. Community: The main drive behind the post office was to service the community. Now the pub has become a real focal point for the village, and these days it means a lot more to a lot more people.

People use it as a meeting place, while a local fundraising group, the Swan Neckers, often hold events here. Last November we hosted the annual village bonfire and fireworks party, which 1,000 people attended.

My food

From a standing start we are now serving around 250 meals each week, but there is still room for improvement. Our food offer is still growing and word is gradually spreading.

We have an experienced chef who helped us devise the menu and have just introduced a Tuesday steak club, where you get a steak with all the trimmings for £5.50. The dining room was full last week.

One of our friends printed flyers that were sent out before Christmas, but really we want to rely on word of mouth. We want people to come and see what we are offering, like it and recommend us to others.

We've also had a couple of editorials in our local paper, the Selby Times, which we sell at the post office.

My motivation techniques

You can have the best food offering since sliced bread, but if you can't back it up with good service, it's pointless.

Staff are obviously important in achieving that. I keep them motivated by keeping them involved in the business. We hold regular monthly meetings where we do training, but we also have idea-generating sessions. We look at what events are coming up and get their thoughts on them.

As we are relatively new to the trade, we ask staff how certain ideas are working. It's important to get feedback and have the flexibility to change things that aren't working.

My tips for new licensees

1. Take time: Think long and hard before taking on a pub. A lot of people think they can employ lots of staff and sit at the end of the bar, but you just can't do that. The downside of the job is the long hours and there are times when you do feel tired. It's not an easy job.

2. Ideas: Everyone in the pub is an expert on how to run a pub. You have to be firm and tactful enough not too upset them, but you also have to realise what is going to work for you and what isn't. To a certain degree you just have to stick to your guns.

3. Day off: We have just found someone to run the pub for one day a week. Before, if we took a day off, our 19-year-old son would run the pub. It meant we hardly spent any family time together. That day off now provides us with free time. It is a chance to recharge and get away from the pub completely. I would rather work hard six days and pay for someone to run the pub for the seventh. You need that time for you and your family away from the business.

My Pub

Trade: Doubled since August 2005

Tenure: 10-year Punch Taverns lease

Wet:Dry split: 75%:25%

Covers: 36

Average spend per head: £7.50 (main course)

Meals/week: 250/week

GP beer: 50%

Food: 70%

Staff: 10, three full-time