Comfort zone
Five years ago, chef-proprietor Dean Carr left behind work in London's finest restaurants to run the Bath Arms in Crockerton, Wiltshire. Humayun Hussain hears the results
Why my food business succeeds
It's about several things, but our success is mainly a result of using quality seasonal ingredients and being consistent.
At the same time, it's about offering earthy comfort-food combined with something a little bit more special. I learned my trade in the kitchens of well-known London restaurants such as as Daphne's, Langan's, the Ivy and the Avenue. There, you watch chefs at the top of their profession utilising fresh produce, even if they are going to make the simplest of items on the menu.
At the Bath Arms I've tried to do the
same, adding my signature touch by making everything in-house, from breads and pasta through to ice creams.
My best promotions
I tend not to do any promotion, because I'm such a firm believer in the power of word of mouth. I'd rather have just a few customers leaving my pub happy than a crowd leaving unsatisfied. So I'd rather not run promotions of any kind, in case they go pear-shaped.
The formula should involve good standards and first-rate ingredients - if that is done properly, customers will be attracted without extra promotion.
I've enjoyed our success with our own beer, the Crockerton Classic, a 4.1% abv light beer. It's brewed for us by Wessex Brewery, which is located close to the pub.
How I recruit and motivate staff
I rely heavily on word of mouth - this pub has such a good reputation that anyone interested in working here will get in touch.
Occasionally, I place ads in our local newspaper. Having a good relationship with staff is extremely important, because business success can depend on how well they perform with customers.
I try to keep my team abreast of everything by doing food and wine tastings through to keeping them up to date about spirits and liqueurs.
Staff are allowed to keep their tips and I encourage them to push the food as much as possible, so that they can make more.
My best-selling dishes
Starters include roast scallops with carrots and spiced sultanas (£6.50), crab and herb risotto (£6) and rare beef with sweet aubergine and basil (£5.95).
Our top-selling main courses are the house special of sticky beef with braised red cabbage (£11.25), Bath Arms fishcake with Cornish crab and broad beans (£11.25) and rib-eye steak with blue-cheese fritters and rocket pesto (£14.95).
Our top desserts are white chocolate cannelloni with berries, lemon curd cheesecake and chocolate brownie with malt ice cream (all at £4.50).
Our menu
The range of dishes we offer is geared towards modern British food, without being too outlandish or pretentious.
Our menu changes daily, but it's important to retain those dishes that sell well.
The last thing you want to do is alienate customers. At one point, taking the sticky-beef dish off the menu caused an uproar among my customers - it's a very hearty, filling dish that has become a firm favourite.
Our most profitable dishes are the sticky beef and the fishcake, with a GP of about 68%.
Best investment in last year
I converted my function room, which was big enough to accommodate about 30, into two luxury-style bed and breakfast rooms. As a function room it was impractical as staff had to carry food and drink up and down stairs.
I decorated the rooms to a high standard, with en-suite bathrooms, plasma TV screens, crisp linen and leather furniture. Since their launch, the phone hasn't stopped ringing.
Marketing and PR
I'm in the Good Food Guide and the AA Pub Guide as well as the Good Pub Guide. I don't actively market the Bath Arms, because its reputation is very good indeed.
Plans for the future
I'm considering having more B&B rooms and expanding the restaurant space - I have quite a bit of land around the pub.
We receive many enquiries about holding weddings and other functions, such as parties and conferences, so it would be good to have the capacity to cater for those types of events.
My top tips
Communication and good relations with your customers and staff are vital.
Making your customers feel as satisfied as possible isn't rocket science, but it can only come with good service and quality cooking.
Pub facts
Tenure: freehold
Turnover: £450,000
Number of staff: 5 full-time, 12 part-time
GP food: 70%
GP drink: 68%
Covers a week: 580
Food sales as % of turnover: 70%
