Re-inventing your offer to attract new trade

How I got here

 I am a 51-year-old licensee with 30 years' experience in the business and Alan — who has recently been named as Shepherd Neame Chef of the Year 2010 — has been head chef for 12 years, since training at Thanet College. I was previously licensee at the Anchor in Faversham, Kent, and took over at the New Flying Horse in October 2009. The New Flying Horse is a 17th-century pub, originally used as a posting inn, in the attractive Kent village of Wye, which has a population of 3,000. Until it closed in 2008, it was a regular haunt of the 1,500 students attending Wye College. Since taking it over we have re-invented ourselves as a food-led inn with accommodation. Our large garden has a unique feature — a recreation of a Chelsea Flower Show award-winning garden, Julian Dowle's A Soldier's Dream of Blighty.

 How we achieved growth​

 Following a difficult year after the college closure, we have achieved a 25% increase in business, driven by the development of our food offering and complemented by our approach to showcasing our range of Shepherd Neame ales, including sampling and informed advice, backed up by tasting notes. We focus on staff training, motivation, team-building and leadership, both in the kitchen and front-of-house. We have developed our offer though regular menu changes, good use of chalk-board specials and detailed analysis of data from our EPoS software.

 Business philosophy​

 We try to exceed our customers' expectations and are always prepared to go the extra mile. I've a reputation for saying yes.

 Best business advice​

 Concentrate on your field of expertise. Get good people around you, discover their strengths and put the right people in the right positions.

 Standing out from the competition​

 We demand high service and presentation standards. Shepherd Neame helps us test this with mystery shopper visits and in-house standards audits.

 Best food promotion​

 As our special Chelsea Flower Show garden accommodates up to 100 additional covers, Alan makes a point of watching the weekend weather forecast and creates an appropriate menu — salads or dressed crab for warm days, soups and rustic bread for cold and wet days. Sunday lunch is a weekly-changing, bespoke menu, depending on weather and bookings. We remain flexible enough to cope, while providing a fresh, interesting offer for regulars.

 Successful marketing and PR ideas​

 ¦ Birthday club vouchers redeemed for a free meal if purchased with a higher-value meal

 ¦ Two-for-one offers in papers such as The Telegraph and The Times

 ¦ Cream teas in Chelsea Flower Show garden for coach parties who have visited the Shepherd Neame brewery

 ¦ Garden performances of Dad's Army and Fawlty Towers scripts by local theatre group

 Three recommended suppliers​

 Griggs of Hythe: fishmonger's and smokers, based on fishermen's beach here​

 J Rook & Sons: family-run butcher here​

 RJ Kingsland: local fruit and vegetable supplier based in Maidstone here​