Cotwolds comfort zone
Licensee Justin Pinchbeck talks to Tony Halstead about running the Noel Arms in Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, one of the Cotswolds best-known coaching inns, and reveals how he keeps ahead of cut-throat competition.
How I got here
I've been in catering pretty much as long as I can remember, because my parents owned a restaurant in Derby-shire, which was part of my life from the year dot. In 2004 my father took on a hotel in Herefordshire, and I worked with him until my late teens when I decided to get as far away from the family business as I could, and did a degree in biological and medicinal chemistry.
Six months after I graduated I got a call from my father asking me to take over as general manager of the hotel. I went in with the idea of giving it a year, and three years later I was still there. When the business was sold I stayed with the new owners for a five-month hand-over period before moving to the Cotswold House Hotel — part of Concorde Hotel Management, the group that also owns the Noel Arms — as deputy manager. That was in September 2007.
I was appointed manager of the Noel Arms, just across the road from Cotswold House, at the end of April this year and I can tell you it's a completely different operation.
The pub
The Noel Arms lies in the heart of the historic and picturesque market town of Chipping Campden, which marks the northern end of the Cotswold Way — a hugely popular route with walkers that gives access to some of the most beautiful countryside you can imagine.
This part of the world is England as I'm sure most foreigners imagine it to be — Cotswold stone cottages, gurgling streams, green hills and undulating, patchwork countryside.
The pub itself is steeped in history. It is an old coaching inn dating back to the 16th century, and is reputed to have had Charles II among its illustrious guests. In fact the bed he slept in, following his defeat at the Battle of Worcester, is still available for the use of guests in room six.
Around £1m was spent on a major refurbishment of the ground floor rooms in 2008, and what used to be a dark and dingy wood-panelled interior has now been stripped down and revarnished, giving it a much lighter look.
The Noel Arms has been the jumping-off spot for thousands of visitors, who have used it both as a base from which to tour historic locations such as Shakespeare's Stratford, Warwick Castle, and Blenheim Palace, and as a destination in its own right.
Our food and drink
There are 40 covers and I like to think our food is of a very high standard — a selection of top-of-the-range traditional pub food, including rare-breed Longhorn steaks, lamb chops, and such like, sourced locally where possible, alongside more adventurous cuisine.
We have launched a new menu, with lots of pub favourites such as burgers, sausage and mash and that sort of thing. We always try to use local produce, such as fresh asparagus and Charles Martell's double Gloucester cheese, which goes into our Welsh rarebit.
Our head chef, Indunil Upatissa, comes from Sri Lanka, and he holds monthly curry nights at which he introduces our customers to some of the flavours of Asia and the Far East. He really knows his onions, in every sense. His curries are marvellous, especially his black lamb curry with pilau rice.
Customers can choose from the brasserie menu, or simply indulge themselves with a coffee and pastry in our coffee shop. Traditional cream teas are in great demand, and are available every afternoon.
On the other hand, if "cosy" is what guests want, then we have the Dover's Bar with open fire and bags of atmosphere in which to enjoy a bar meal and a pint of cask ale. A wider selection of beers is one of a number of things I want to achieve here.
Cask ales are tremendously important to us and we always stock a selection of beers sourced from local brewers. It's a critical part of our wet-trade strategy and something that visitors, especially Japanese and American guests, look for when they visit a traditional English pub.
Guests can enjoy a meal at the pub for as little as £18 for three courses (and just £17 for a three-course Sunday lunch), but the average spend in the restaurant is around £22 per head.
There is surprisingly little conflict between the hotel and the pub. The Cotswold House Hotel appeals to fairly affluent people in the 30s to 50s age bracket, mainly from London, while at the pub we have a completely different price point and are popular with visitors from towns and cities elsewhere in the UK. However, the local trade for us both consists of largely the same people.
Our marketing
Something the Noel Arms hasn't really had for the past two years is a "face" to lead it forward and give direction to the staff. That's my role. I live in a small village only a mile away, and after three years in the area I know just about everyone.
The Cotswold House Hotel was formerly owned by a couple who acquired the Noel Arms in 2004, intending to convert it into a health spa. But when planning permission was turned down, nothing was done with the building and it remained that way until it was acquired by the current owners. I have a game plan to bolster our marketing.
Recently we merged mailing lists with Cotswold House so that all client details are now held centrally, and an events calendar for both establishments is issued twice yearly.
Another selling point is our rooms at the Noel Arms.
We have 28 of them and they are all good quality, including some with four-posters. They have a very good booking rate and help to keep the restaurant busy, especially in the winter when it is quieter than the bustling summer months. The curry nights also sustain winter trade and they have been attended by more than 100 diners on the past two occasions.
Interestingly, most of the guests who attend these events are locals, living within a two-mile radius, which is something I hope to encourage.
The future
One of my tasks as manager of the Noel Arms will be to introduce the same kind of internal structure that works so well at Cotswold House, ensuring that the staff work together and that there is a strong sense of teamwork. The bones of the business are essentially in place. The primary focus must be to take things on from this point and move the business forward.
There are at least 12 other pubs and restaurants in Chipping Campden, so competition is brisk to say the least. Neighbouring villages also boast a wealth of good dining pubs, so we need to keep on our toes.
Facts 'n' stats
Address: the Noel Arms, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire
Ownership: Concorde Hotel Management, which also owns the Cotswold House Hotel in Chipping Campden and the Fifty Four Boutique Hotel, at Queen's Gate, London
Manager: Justin Pinchbeck
Staff: Around 30
Turnover: In excess of £1m
Dining covers: 40 per sitting
Meals per week: Around 800
