A menu for all seasons
Val Kersey, owner of Warwickshire's award-winning Granville @ Barford, tells Sheila McWattie about the radical transformation of her pub food
Why our food business is a success
Owning a village pub had always been my dream. In May 2007, I purchased the Granville, located in the small south Warwickshire village where I lived. I could see its potential and invested a considerable amount in transforming it into a friendly, comfortable, stylish,
genuine gastropub.
Through months of hard work, effort and determination, we've succeeded in turning the Granville into a thriving business. One of our top priorities was hiring a new team of chefs to create a seasonal British menu emphasising fresh, home-cooked dishes.
Both the exterior and interior were stylishly refurbished, and our new logo and corporate image designed, including external signage and website creation. The bar area was extended and leather sofas installed in front of the fire to provide a comfortable area for locals to relax over a few drinks. Intimate lighting, and flowers and candles placed on tables create a warm ambience inside, while two remote-controlled, electrically heated canopies keep customers comfortable outside.
Last November the Granville won two prestigious titles at the Coventry & Warwickshire Food & Drink Awards: Best Restaurant and Champion of Local Produce. Winning within our first six months of trading is testament to what we have achieved so far. Sous chef Andrew Wilde created the popular Coventry & Warwickshire Food & Drink Festival menu, which ran for six weeks, featuring local seasonal produce.
Our best promotions
Our loyalty-card scheme enables Granville customers to enjoy a free sandwich lunch and soft drink (or discounted equivalent) on their fifth visit. They simply bring their card when they have a midweek lunch and we stamp it.
In January we featured a highly-successful low-calorie menu, priced at £11.50, including a free glass of Waterfall - a refreshing, detoxing juice of carrots, apples, celery and parsley.
Our feedback questionnaires are entered in a free monthly prize draw that offers the chance to win £30 off a meal. Instead of closing at 4.30pm on Sundays the pub now stays open for regular music nights - the locals love rock 'n' roll as much as I do!
Our best-selling dishes
Starters: fresh mussels in white wine sauce, topped with crisp pancetta and lemon zest; (£6.50) home-made ravioli stuffed with spinach and goats' cheese, tarragon cream sauce (£5.50)
Main courses: braised shank of lamb served with mixed herb mashed potato and redcurrant jus (£12.95); pan-fried duck breast with carrot and potato rösti, braised red cabbage and red wine jus (£12.50)
Desserts: lemon posset; sticky toffee pudding in butterscotch sauce; melting chocolate pudding (all £4.95)
Our menu
Our main menu changes with each season. We also offer a range of special dishes and a set-course Sunday lunch at £14.50 for two courses or £18 for three courses. Our sandwiches are served with hand-cut chips and garlic mayo - ideal for a quick lunchtime snack. Vegetarians, vegans, those with allergies and children are well catered for, and our chef endeavours to accommodate customers' requests for items not featured on the menu.
We are strongly committed to supporting local companies supplying fresh seasonal produce and have daily deliveries of meat, cheese, eggs, fruit, vegetables and salad. Most of our 11 suppliers are located within 30 miles of the county boundary. Our exclusive wines are supplied by Warwick-based Dorjé's Wine Company, and our real ales include Hooky Bitter, Purity Gold, and UBU.
Our best investment in the past 12 months
I've spent a lot of money over the last eight months on signage, internal and external redecoration, lighting and extending the bar area. However, our best investment is just around the corner. We are awaiting planning permission to extend the kitchen, which is our "engine room". Front-of-house investment is already paying off; the kitchen extension will ensure that we continue to provide the best quality dishes efficiently and help us serve more customers.
How we recruit and motivate staff
We use newspapers and word of mouth. As the pub changes, staff see what we are trying to achieve and feel part of the process.
Training at all levels is essential - we are introducing a programme to help staff develop and promote even greater business success.
A short questionnaire is left with the bill for customers to rate service, food and atmosphere. We take results seriously and I personally follow up the odd negative comment. Nearly all the feedback reflects the excellent experience Granville customers receive.
Marketing and PR
Recommendations and word of mouth are our most effective marketing tools, and we use a local PR company to handle our PR and publicity. Since winning the Coventry & Warwickshire Food & Drink awards, our press coverage has more than doubled.
Journalists from all over the country contact us to write food reviews, which give us excellent publicity. Our seasonal flyer, listing all our events, is distributed throughout local villages and towns, and our website features all our events and menus.
Our top tips
Simple dishes, good quality, well-cooked ingredients, attractive presentation - and hot plates! Motivated staff who give great service are the most important ingredients. Once you have these in place, people will come back time and time again.
Facts 'n' stats
Owner: Val Kersey
Number of staff: four full-time, seven
part-time
GP food: 66%
GP drink: 61%
Covers a week: 450
Food sales: approx 70% of turnover
