Food Pub of the Year 2008: The Whitmore Arms, Orsett, Essex

All visitors, regulars or newcomers alike are guaranteed a warm welcome at the Whitmore Arms.

As locals familiar with the pub's history, the licensees Jim and Margaret Orman and daughter Victoria Steadman, were determined to return the 300-year-old coach house back to former glories when they took over 14 years ago. They have successfully achieved this by concentrating on serving a menu bursting with ideas that ensures there is something for everyone.

The choices begin when you arrive at the doors to the idyllic village pub. If the weather permits you can eat alfresco on the terrace, in the bustling atmosphere of the pub or in the quieter surroundings of the restaurant upstairs.

With the first decision made customers then have the tough task of deciding what tempting offer to go for. The pub changes its menu in winter and spring, has fresh specials every day and also offers a range of snacks - all in generous portions and served at pub prices.

As Victoria explained: "We are not a gastro pub, we are a pub that serves good food and gives the customers what they want. We are not pretentious in any way, the customer knows what they are going to get."

And what the customer gets is a warm welcome, top-class service from the award-winning team and a meal that will leave you wanting to return for more with your friends and family.

One of the key aims of the Whitmore team is making sure customers get value for money. All the food is sourced locally and they keep a close eye on what they are paying suppliers to ensure the meals on the menu remain at reasonable prices.

Close relationships with suppliers to help keep costs down is one of the reasons the pub serves between 900 to 1,000 covers a week.

Customers also help with menu development. Not only are they regularly asked for feedback in the pub but Victoria makes a point of personally telephoning some of those who have booked to see if they enjoyed the "Whitmore experience."

"If they are happy to talk, and they usually are, it's a great way of finding out what they enjoyed and if there are areas we can improve on," she said.

An area where they are hard pushed to improve further, but still constantly strive to, is with its award winning training programmes.

It's a cliché but in this case it rings true, the Whitmore's staff is something of an extended family. Bonding days, training programmes, links with local colleges, official staff appraisals, an intranet, keeping jobs open for temporary staff who go to university, and allowing people to have a say in the menu are just a few of the numerous methods the family uses to ensure working at the Whitmore Arms is not just a job but a career option.

And as Victoria says, a team of happy staff can be felt throughout the business. "We don't have a huge turnover of staff. It's no good having staff that constantly chop and change. You need continuity to keep the business moving forward."

And the Whitmore Arms is clearly going in that right direction.