Quality is his byword
HAVING STARTED in the trade at 14 as a glass collector, an insistence on high standards has led to an expanding pub empire for John Carey.
March saw the opening of his fourth outlet, with a previously dingy hangout in Coventry town centre - the Squirrel - being transformed into a plush retreat serving real food for the local business community.
Taking a traditional pub upmarket is only a recipe for success if it's tackled right, and John had done his homework. He knew, for instance, that workers from the nearby busy magistrates court and solicitors' offices felt hemmed in by the hordes of student pubs on their doorstep serving Coventry University.
With the Squirrel being a bit off the beaten track, it also had to entice customers. The upshot is a real pub with class - hearty food prepared with fresh ingredients, washed down by distinctive bottled beers such as Baltika, Cusqueña and Kronenbourg Blanc. Then there are draft lagers including Hoegaarden, cask beers and winning wines all served in a relaxing environment.
"We knew there was a real market for this," said John. "A place for women wanting salads, pastas and wraps for lunch, as well as somewhere for them to feel safe. There are a few plasma screens by the bar for those wanting to watch footy but they are incredibly discreet and don't impose on the rest of the pub."
The empire is very much a family affair - John and wife Corena's son Liam and nephew Daniel both manage the Squirrel, while daughter Shannon has waitressed for her dad.
As a lessee, John already runs the Lounge and the Millpool, both with Everards, and the Wheel with Enterprise. For the Squirrel, owned by Punch Taverns, a £135,000 budget was allocated to the revamp and friends and family came on board to complete the job in four short weeks, gutting toilets, pulling up oppressive black flooring and fitting intimate booths.
Food is served from 11am to 7pm, seven days a week, and the value-for-money menu includes paninis, ciabattas and wraps as light snacks, while sizzling sausage of the week, salmon and dill fishcakes, tequila fajitas and burgers are a few of the bigger bites. There is also a range of salads and pastas available.
Meals are accompanied by Heinz Tomato Ketchup and HP Brown Sauce in their iconic glass bottles. John has now received his complimentary Heinz Foodservice Table Top merchandising kit, comprising chrome table top holders, napkins, placemats and coasters, but has always sworn by the brands.
"I've always stocked Heinz and HP out of principle," he said. "They are the real McCoy. Why would I want to spend all that money on a revamp and then degrade it by stocking cheap own brands?
"I apply the same philosophy to everything in my pubs - gin comes in a proper gin and tonic glass, pints come in the relevant product glass. These things are important to customers and personally, I think there is no point penny pinching."
