Alpha ale house

Roger Cudlip tells Ewan Turney how a passion for real ale and a warm welcome helped the Tom Cobley Tavern in Spreyton, Devon, be crowned Campaign for Real Ale Pub of the Year

How I got here

I was a butcher for 39 years at the same shop in North Pawton, Devon. I worked at the shop from the age of 10 under five different bosses and tried to buy it five times without success.

There always seemed to be some obstacle in the way - I was too young, just getting married or something else. Eventually it was closed for three months and bought by someone else and that really closed the chapter. I have always lived in the area and played rugby and bowls for North Pawton, as well as serving on the parish council. I used to play darts at the Tom Cobley and my wife was the cook here.

A retired Colonel and his wife used to run it as a hobby rather than a business. After 15 years they were tired and so we bought it from them four years ago. I used to weigh 23½ stone and drink 15 pints a night. The day after we got the pub I received a letter telling me I couldn't drink any more for health reasons. I thought it was one of my mates winding me up, but I haven't drunk since and am a whipper snapper now.

Why my pub is a success

1. Personality: When we won the award we were praised for our personality and character but it wasn't just me and my wife, Carol, but the staff as well. You get a good welcome here, whether it is your first visit or you are a regular. You get some pubs in the country where everyone stares at you when you walk in. Here they will say hello, ask you where you are from and if you are here to go fishing or shooting.

2. Atmosphere: I can't put my finger on quite what it is, but if I could bottle the atmosphere in here, I would be a millionaire. We don't have fruit machines or TVs, yet we still attract

young and old customers. I treat the youngsters just the same as I would someone driving a Rolls Royce. There is nothing to really attract the young, but we still get 21-year-old girls wanting to hold their birthdays here. That is a measure of the warm atmosphere. I believe if you treat your customers as friends you will see them again, and their friends and family.

3. Standards: We keep the pub spotlessly clean and put fresh flowers on the tables. We do good-quality home-made food and a good range of beers and wines. People miss what they can get here, which is food and beer with real flavour.

My real ale

We have 17 real ales, including between six and eight guest ales. We started with just three. I had a look around and realised that no-one was really doing the real-ale thing in pubs round here. I sought advice from the brewers and experienced licensees and decided to go for it. I go for local breweries because I have a passion for the area and want to put it on the map. All ales are £2.20 a pint.

1. Knowledge: From a sales point of view,

most of my customers say I could sell snow to the Eskimos. As I don't drink, it's important that I read up on which is malty, hoppy or dark. If you don't know your product you won't be able to sell it.

2. Tasters: I give stuff away and offer people tasters before they buy a pint. You would be surprised by how popular the ales are. The majority of our customers are from the farming and forestry industry, but they are also popular with young men and women.

3. Cellar: I am in the cellar every day checking dates and rotating stock. You must go in and scrub the bungs and we vigorously clean the pipes every Thursday. We mop and tidy the cellar every day. If people want to and have a passion for ale we take them in to see the cellar. After all it's their pub, and they love doing things like that.

My food

We do a lot of food - at Christmas we were serving up around 700 meals a week. During the day we do a snack menu, with pies and pasties, and then in the evening serve more substantial meals like steaks, gammon and pork. We also make sure we do a good variety of vegetarian dishes - we have 12 on at the moment. We are good value - a steak is £9.50 and a bottle of house wine £8.50. It means that four people can have a meal and it will cost £50, which is exactly what people are looking for from a pub.

My meat

Obviously, coming from my background, I have a good knowledge when it comes to the meat. I still use the butchers I used to work for. They only use local meat and they hang it until its black for me. I do all my own cuts of meat, like the steaks, and make my own sausages and burgers on site. We do a home-made half-pound Cobley burger, which is popular. I know the butchers don't rip me off and it's a great advert for them as people always ask where I get my meat from.

My staff

My staff are great and a big part of the pub's success. They are not our employees, but our family. I know some people say you should not get too close to your staff, but I think that is rubbish. We all sit down in the morning before it's busy and have bacon sandwiches. I have been on the other side of the relationship and know what staff really appreciate from their boss. I am doing a staff weekend next month. We are going to shut the pub and take all our staff away in a caravan, from the oldest, around 70, to the youngest around 18.

My plan for the ban

I am not going to do anything. I have told my smokers that I don't want them at the front of the pub as it looks terrible. I also have a thatched roof and am worried that one loose dog end could cause a fire. I thought about putting patio heaters in the beer garden but that would mean 20 people outside smoking and no atmosphere in the pub. I think people will manage the change, if they want to go outside for a smoke then they can. Hopefully, whereas in the past women didn't come down the pub with the kids, they will now, as there will be no smoke.

My plan to grow the business

I am here to stay. A lot of people have said to me that now the Tom Cobley has been named pub of the year I should cut and run because I would get a good price for the pub and it's not going to get any better. But why should I? I love it here. I have two daughters, one 16 and one 23, and my plan is to ask them to run the pub. I have also put in planning permission for three en-suite letting rooms. We have four at the moment but suffer as they are not en-suite. I also want to add a private dining room. That would be used for pre or post-dinner drinks, as well as providing a private dining room if the shooting parties wanted it.

My Pub

Tenure: Freehold

Turnover 2002: £1,200 a week

Turnover now: an average of £6,000 a week

Wet:Dry split: 50%:50%

Covers: 60

Average spend per head: £11

GP beer: 40%

GP food: 40%

Ales: 17 on tap

Price of pint: £2.20

Best sellers: Tribute, Proper Job, Tawny

Cost of room: £24.50 a night

Awards: Camra Pub of the Year 2006