Converting football fans to sampling wine

CHELSEA FOOTBALL club hasn't had much to celebrate recently. But when its fans do look to enjoy themselves after a home match, many choose to do so in the Butcher's Hook, a Publican Award-winning pub in the shadows of the club's ground.

The big surprise about Chelsea fans at the pub, however, is they're as likely to be toasting a win with a glass of wine as a pint of beer.

Its licensee, Gus Evans, has transformed an underperforming pub into one that pleases beer, wine and food lovers alike - and has dramatically increased takings in just four years. Sales have increased 10 per cent each year, and last year the Butcher's Hook made a net profit of £135,000, 35 per cent of which was down to wine sales.

The Publican caught up with Evans recently, interviewing him live on stage at trade show Wine+. He told the audience his success in wine was down to several key elements:

Getting the offer right

"We took over an old Greene King managed house that was underperforming. We made some cosmetic changes, smartened it up a bit, but we also changed the whole product offering because the area was lacking a pub that was big on wine and food.

"Tied to all Greene King beer products, we ended up paying a premium - 35 per cent more than a freehouse. Paying premium prices for beer gave us an incentive to sell more wine than beer."

Training

"This is an integral part of what has made us successful. Confident staff gain trust from customers, who nine times out of 10 will be likely to go with recommendations. We have four major wine list changes throughout the year, so my team needs to keep pace with that.

"We do a lot of it in-house. We hold four-hour sessions each time we change the list, involving a supplier coming on board. We go through every single wine by the glass.

"We send all our key management on Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) courses. Often, you can get suppliers to subsidise it.

"Our top members of staff who have been through the training can pass their knowledge on."

Well thought-out, sensible pricing

"We have a 60-strong wine list, 25 by the glass, nothing more expensive by the bottle than £50.

"The margins we look for are around 65 per cent. However, they get lower with the more expensive wines - our margins might only be 50 per cent. But the thing is with higher-end bottles, you can use the product itself as promotional 'window dressing', which encourages orders. If you're turning it over, you're still going to make a good cash margin."

Beating the recession

"People are very price-conscious. While they are still coming out, they may be having one course, rather than two. Keeping your prices in line with your food, matching entry-level wines with courses ensures you have a good turnover.

"Getting bums on seats is crucial in a recession. If you've got a good product and it's good value, people are still going to come to you.

"We have also introduced off-sales and two-tier pricing.

"It works when people have liked a particular wine in the pub and know they can only get it from us because we stock things you would not find in a supermarket.

"It means we can take on the off-trade with quality and value."