Blackpool wizard

Adrian Clay tells Tony Halstead how

he increased sales four-fold in four months when he took on the Trust Inns tenancy of the Raikes Hall in Blackpool

How I got here

I've spent the past 17 years managing pubs for JD Wetherspoon, Regent Inns and Laurel - most recently at the Litten Tree in Blackpool - but always planned to run my own business at some stage.

When Raikes Hall was advertised I knew it offered real possibilities and great potential for growth. It used to be one of Blackpool's best pubs, but it had gone downhill a bit in recent years. Its owners, Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) sold the Raikes to Trust Inns last year and the pub was offered as a tenancy this spring. I applied to take it on straight away.

How I boosted trade

The pub was taking just £4,000 per week when I took over, but the building was in a reasonable state of repair and all that was needed was a change of emphasis in certain areas. Sport plays a big part in trade life here, as the pub still has an operational bowling green at the rear that hosts some major competitions.

M&B had removed Sky from the pub when we arrived, but we've restored it with an enhanced service for our customers. We have an HD projector and five plasma screens in the pub, plus an external screen for customers sitting outside on the terrace.

We introduced a new food service and increased the number of cask beers from one to three. We were lucky because there was good weather in April when we arrived and Blackpool gained promotion to the Championship. The soccer ground is less than a mile away so we were supported by lots of football fans. Now we're turning over about £18,000 a week, which is a good start.

My tenancy agreement

Quite simply, the buck stops here as a tenant. I make all the decisions and it's my money at stake. But I am my own boss and I'm free to run the pub as I want to.

I can use local suppliers, unlike a managed set-up where I used to be controlled by budgets through a centrally-driven supply-chain. There are no budget-blocking restrictions on maintenance and staff numbers.

I enjoyed being a manager, but there were always limits on what we could do. I am working longer hours now, but the real pleasure is that I am making my own money.

My business-building ideas

From day one, we set out to make better use of the function-room. We also aim to increase the use of the bowling green by encouraging corporate events and more tournaments to be held here.

We are beginning to attract clubs and organisations and hope to catch the market for weddings, christenings and parties. Weekly Texas hold'em poker nights have proved a big success. We have not advertised, but have relied on word of mouth instead.

We have a tie-up with Walls to sell ice cream and have calculated that this could gross about £15,000 in sales over the year.

My food offer

We decided to go for a basic menu but one that still offers lots of choice. It includes a range of snacks plus fuller meals with the usual pub favourites. Our average main-course price is about £5.95. We serve an all-day breakfast and offer a wide variety of snacks and lighter dishes. We began from a zero base and after four months we are selling £2,000 worth of food per week.

My staff

We brought several reliable staff members with us from my last pub. Basically I look for people who have the right personality when I am recruiting. You can train staff to do most things, but personality is something people are born with.

We carry out our own health and safety risk-assessments and legal work and tap into training sessions with the Royal Bank of Scotland, which uses our function room. The bank offers a mentor service to its business customers, which really gives me a human-resources package in one hit.

I get advice on employment law, health & safety, risk assessments and fire risk and staff employment contract advice. I pay a small fee, but it's definitely good value for money, and it takes a lot of the pressure off me.

My customer service

An efficient staff rota is the key to good service. Customers don't like waiting for drinks or food so it's important to have sufficient staff on duty at all times. I like to get involved directly in all aspects of the business - at the moment I'm doing all the cellar work until we can train up one of the staff.

My events

The Talbot Cup Bowls tournament is one of the biggest in the north west. It is held on our green and brings in plenty of spectators and customers.

In May we organised a family fun day, which was very well attended. It cost me about £150 to put on, but we took £3,500 on the day. Days like this normally include a barbecue, disc jockey, face painter, karate displays, majorette dancers and "Beat The Goalie" competitions. We also invite cartoon characters from the Sandcastle Water Park in Blackpool, who are always very popular with the youngsters. They are pleased to come along because it gives the water park valuable publicity.

We have not done much in the way of marketing, but we try to ensure the local paper covers as many of our events as possible. Getting Raikes Hall firmly in the public eye is a key part of profiling the business.

My business principles

I tend to use all the ideas and innovations I have experienced over the past 17 years to guide me. The pub trade's guiding principles are still quality and service, despite all the new-fangled ideas that keep popping up.

It's a case of keeping your eye firmly on what's going on around you and keeping abreast of changing trends. Listening to your customers can also pay dividends. I'm not sure whether many licensees really take on board what their customers say to them.

My plan to grow the business

To prepare for the smoking ban, we have invested £10,000 in new awnings on the rear patio that overlooks the bowling green. There will be a 50-inch plasma screen with table and chairs and heaters, which should satisfy most of our smokers.

We are talking to our landlord, Trust Inns, about a website, but we need to do quite a lot of research before we make a final decision. It has to be cost-effective and deliver our

offer properly.

My Pub

Tenure: Three year tenancy

Rent: £1,000 per week

Turnover: £18,000 a week

Wet:dry split: 85:15

Average food spend per head: £3.86

GP on food: 64%

GP on beer: 48%

Number of staff: 11

Wages as % of turnover: 15%

Number of ales: Three cask, three keg