Raising the stakes
Joe Lutrario talks to head chef James Batchelor about life at the the Pack o' Cards, in Combe Martin, Devon
Our pub
My parents, Chris and Debbie, acquired the pub in 1997. I think the fact that it's a Grade II-listed building is part of what attracts people. Its location and food are a big draw.
It's called the Pack o' Cards because of the unusual layout of the building: the four floors represent the four card suits; there are 13 rooms, representing the number of cards in a suit; the pub has 52 windows and 52 stairs and was built on a ground-floor area measuring 52 ft by 52 ft.
People can eat their food wherever they want at this pub - we have an outside area to seat up to 20 in the warm weather. I head up the kitchen and, on a busy night, three more chefs and a kitchen porter work on a rota.
On the menu
We offer a large, traditional, good-value pub-food menu. Most mains are priced at £6 to £7. The most expensive item is sirloin steak, at £12. We offer a starters and light snacks menu, including our special prawn cocktail (£3.65) and Texas toothpicks (slices of onions and jalapeño peppers in a crispy batter with sour cream, guacamole and tortilla chips) for two (£5.95). Our selection of jacket potatoes (£4.95) and ploughman's (£5.75) are great value as main courses. We also offer a large vegetarian selection, including our giant veggie burger (£3.95) and wild rice spinach and honey roast (£5.95).
Our best-selling dishes
Sirloin steak is our most popular menu choice, closely followed by the home-made steak and ale pie (£7.25).
As head chef, it is my responsibility to come up with the weekly specials. At the moment we have oven-baked Camembert with honey and figs (£4), spaghetti and meatballs in tomato sauce (£6) and red snapper with vegetable stir-fry and sweet potatoes (£10).
As we're so close to the sea, seafood and fish are real crowd-pleasers at the Pack o' Cards.
Deep-fried large cod fillet (£6.75) and
grilled tuna steak with lemon & tarragon sauce (£8.75) are probably our most popular seafood dishes.
Pub facts
Owners: Chris and Debbie Batchelor
freehold)
GP food: 65%
GP drink: 65%
Covers per week: Approximately 2000
during peak season
Food sales as % of turnover: 50:50 over the summer months and 75:25 in favour of wet sales off-season
Rising star
James, 18, is in his second year at North Devon College where he is studying for his NVQ level 2 in Hospitality and Catering. James and a student team from North Devon College made it to the finals of this year's Nestlé Toque d'Or, a catering-college competition offering students a unique insight into a commercial kitchen, providing experience, business acumen and industry contacts along the way.
Why did you choose to enter the hospitality industry?
My parents have owned the Pack o'Cards since I was seven - I've literally grown up in the pub industry. Spending so much time
living in the pub throughout my childhood,
I was always going to enter the industry as
a profession or get as far away from it as possible. But it's what I know, so I decided to use my knowledge and enrolled at North Devon College to gain skills and techniques I'd need for a future career as a chef.
What experience have you acquired through working at the Pack o' Cards?
Working in the pub has provided a great training ground - having started by washing dishes in the kitchen eight years ago, I've worked my way up through the ranks,
gaining skills and experience all the time. I spend as much time as possible cooking in the kitchen after college and during the
holidays. I'm fortunate, as I can come
home from college and go straight into a professional kitchen to practise skills I learned in the classroom that day - something most catering students don't have an opportunity to do.
How did you find the Nestlé Toque d'Or experience?
Receiving mentoring from those in the industry is a great asset. At the competition final, I looked after the main course of fillet of North Devon ruby-red beef with a rich tomato and shallot sauce for 100 people. The experience has been invaluable, both for the team and myself, in helping us to sharpen our skills, teamwork and confidence.
What's important to you on a pub menu?
Local sourcing of products - there's no need to fly ingredients hundreds of miles. Our steak at the Pack o' Cards is sourced from a local farmer and our fish is caught locally.
What are your future career plans?
I'd love to follow in the footsteps of Gordon Ramsay, Rick Stein and Keith Floyd and
become a well-known chef. After I graduate, I'd like to work in a top London restaurant. With so many people after that kind of
job, I hope the combination of training,
experience and participation in the Toque d'Or will help to give me an edge.
l For more information on the 2008 Toque D'Or, visit www.nestlefoodservices.co.uk or call 0208 667 5530
