Hooked on style

Ewan Turney discovers how St Austell's £443k investment transformed the Sharksfin in Mevagissey, Cornwall, from a derelict hotel into a premium bar with breathtaking views

Background

Sharksfin: The original Sharksfin was a hotel, complete with tea-room, on Mevagissey's quayside and took its name from the village's history of shark-fishing. It had been closed for eight months when St Austell purchased the site in February. "The building was incredibly dilapidated," says retail manager Jim Sloan. "Work was delayed by about three weeks after asbestos was discovered and had to be cleared."

Shelley Tookey: Retail area manager Tookey was instrumental in redesigning the Sharksfin and has overseen the re-opening process. She says: "It used to be so dark in here. We were keen to create a premium-bar feel where customers would feel comfortable having a drink, tapas or a formal meal. We wanted to give Mevagissey something different."

Paul and Clare McKay: The managers were hand-picked from St Austell's impressive talent bank. "It's all about having the right people in the right pub," says Tookey. "Paul and Clare fitted the profile perfectly."

Cost: Nine weeks and £443,000 after work began, the Sharksfin opened as a stunning quayside bar on 22 May.

Design

Brief: To create a contemporary, premium venue - the opposite of the nearby traditional pubs. "We wanted it to have different areas to suit different moods - whether relaxing with a drink, enjoying some tapas or having a formal meal," says Tookey.

Designers: Jonathan Morgan, design director of Heron Design, took charge of the project. "We have worked with St Austell on a number of projects, so they know what we like," says Tookey. "The best thing is that they are not precious about projects - they will listen to your brief and your ideas."

Inspiration: The Sharksfin was strongly influenced by St Austell's Five Degrees

West in Falmouth, Cornwall - crowned Morning Advertiser Premium Bar of the Year in 2007 - both in terms of image and substance.

Wear and tear: "It will look better in a year than it does now," says Sloan. "We want the Sharksfin to evolve and mature. I'm not suggesting that customers should kick the bar or use high heels on the wooden floors but it will definitely look better after a few people have done that. We don't want a place where our customers are afraid to spill something."

Designers: Heron Design

Chill-out area

The old tea-room has been transformed into a chic

chill-out area, complete with sofas and low coffee tables. The original fireplace has been retained, but unfortunately an old stove was beyond repair. "It was all dark wood and there wasn't much light at all in here," says Tookey. "The floors and stone walls are all original."

Results

St Austell has created a venue oozing

style in every direction, from its furniture and fittings to drinks and food offerings.

The spectacular harbour view alone is worth a visit, and the Sharksfin's food and drink are fast establishing a reputation for quality. In little over a month, sales have reached £20,000 a week from a standing start.

Bar trade will be crucial to business development - if the Sharksfin continues to attract a wide cross-section of the community, reaching older drinkers, youngsters, casual diners, females and families, it will undoubtedly prove a big hit with locals and tourists alike.

The Cornish brewer and operator is not one to stand still: it has already begun talks to erect a jetty into the harbour to increase capacity by a further 30%.

Balance sheet

Exterior repairs

and decoration?2,700

Bar £?159,600

Restaurant£?108,000

Kitchen ?90,500

Toilets ?82,900

Total ?443,700

Harbour view

The wow factor at the Sharksfin is created by the double doors that fold back to reveal a stunning view of Mevagissey harbour. The brewery was "over the moon" about receiving planning permission for that part of the premises.

"We wanted to make a feature of our great location on the harbour," says Sloan. "As the Sharksfin doesn't have an outside space, the aim was to bring the outside in."

Bar

At the bar, premium spirits and wine take pride of place. The bar is made from reclaimed oak and has been built in the area where a live-music stage once stood.

Bar trade is crucial to the type of venue that St Austell is trying to establish. "Ideally we want a 50/50 bar/restaurant split," says Sloan. "We need to be quite careful in the first few weeks that customers don't start to classify us as a restaurant. If people come to the Sharksfin and don't feel relaxed or comfortable, we have missed the point. We have to make sure that they have a fantastic time and want to keep coming back.

"That's why we don't lay up tables or take bookings - we don't want to put people off."

Bar: £159,600

Kitchen

The food offer is at the heart of the Sharksfin. The menu was

co-ordinated by St Austell's catering development manager Paul Drye, who was crowned Catering Development Professional of the Year at this year's PubChef awards. Again, Five Degrees West was the template and the focus is on tapas-style dishes.

The kitchen is open from the side so customers can peer in to view the hive of activity. Tookey had a big hand in the kitchen layout and nicked an idea from celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. "When we went to Fifteen, we saw that they have a hot plate under the counter-shelf to make sure customers looking round won't ask whether the food that is waiting to be served is theirs."

The menu includes wine and beer recommendations to match each dish. There are also plans to include on the specials board the name of the boat that caught the fish. "That means customers can look out into the harbour and see the actual boat their fish was caught on," says Sloan.

Kitchen: £90,500

Restaurant

The restaurant area is set up for those who prefer a more formal sit-down meal, but Tookey also sees the area as a potential function room. "That's something we are considering to help trade along, especially in winter," she says. "This would be ideal for getting people together and having a party."

Pictures adorning the walls all feature the local area. "The pictures help create the impression that the bar has been here for ages," says Tookey.

Restaurant: £108,000

Toilets

The toilet design will no doubt help the Sharksfin attract customers in one of its key markets - ladies who lunch. Its smart new toilets have four large basins and a huge mirror, as well as occupancy lights that switch on when someone enters and switch off a few minutes later.

Toilets: £82,900