Holly Bush Inn: no beating around the Bush

Geoff Holland, licensee of the Holly Bush Inn, Salt, Staffordshire, shares his trade secrets with Sheila McWattie.

How I got here​

I've been in the pub trade virtually all my life, as my parents were tenants of a Courage pub for 22 years. We moved in when I was 11 and I started working with them when I was 16, collecting glasses and helping with their numerous outside bars. I have been leaseholder since 1984 and moved here in 1992. The Holly Bush is an Admiral leasehold in a small village of just 65 houses approximately four miles from Stafford. The pub belonged to Burtonwood when we moved here. On our first night we took £5.23 and now turnover is £25,000-plus per week. I still have the original five-pound note from that night.

How I achieved growth​

I concentrated on a traditional English food offering that suits the pub. We've used local produce and suppliers from the start, and have named suppliers on our menu since 1992. Focusing on quality produce at a competitive price — and never setting out to become a gastropub — has kept customers coming back.

I have kept the Holly Bush in the public eye by entering competitions, and through extensive use of press releases about our achievements, including awards. This has resulted in two appearances on national television, a review in The Guardian​ and numerous interviews — all of which have been fantastic for generating business.

Business philosophy​

Keep it simple and stick to what you do best. It's great to innovate, but make sure there is a market for what you are about to do. Just because there is not an outlet of a particular type in the area does not mean it's a business opportunity.

Best business advice​

If an idea is going to fail, it's best if it fails quickly. That way you can change your offering and move on quickly to one that will succeed and not lose you too much money.

How we stand out​

As a quintessentially English pub, we have a fantastic summer flower display and a well-kept beer garden. We strive to achieve, and most importantly, to maintain high standards of service and food to encourage repeat trade.

Best food promotion​

During British Food Fortnight, the whole of our specials menu revolves around the best British and local ingredients and dishes, which helps give our trade a welcome boost in what can be a quiet month.

We start advertising with table-talkers, flyers, emails and a mail-shot two weeks in advance of the event, stock a large range of British wines, and describe all the dishes and their origins on a specially produced menu. This all helps to generate interest and normally results in media coverage.

Bar talk​

Forty-nine per cent of our wet sales are from beers, but real ale outsells all of the lagers and ciders put together. Our next main seller is wine, which accounts for 22% of sales, and minerals, which make up 11%. The best-selling beer is Adnams Bitter, closely followed by Pedigree and then guest ales.

We don't really run wet-led promotions apart from a beer festival later this year, but when the hot weather hits us then we do offer summer drinks, such as jugs of Pimms, and Grolsch in frosted glasses.

In the know​

• Service secrets — Ten-minute forums at the start of a shift or at the end of a particularly busy night help to highlight areas where we can improve and maintain standards. All new staff are individually trained by an experienced member.

• Biggest mistake — Taking on another pub and using the same menu. Different venues require different assessments.

• Waste savings — Buying a cardboard baler and sending all our cardboard for recycling saves waste-collection charges of £1,500 per year, plus we're paid a small amount for the cardboard.

• Successful marketing — We have been running a very successful loyalty card scheme for several years. Sending every customer a birthday card offering a free bottle of wine with a meal for two has resulted in high take-up. If we haven't seen someone for a while we send them a "We've really missed you — what did we do wrong?" email. Again, this almost always generates a visit.

• Staff motivation — I let staff know that the pub's success is down to their hard work and dedication — they are the essential ingredients.

Recommended suppliers​

• M&J Seafood, Smethwick, www.mjseafood.com ​

• Fowlers of Earlswood (cheese), Solihull, www.traditionalcheeses.co.uk​

• Adlington (meat), Balsall Common, www.adlingtonltd.com​

Menu philosophy​

We change the menu when items become tired or sales start to drop, but our core items and the ones we're noted for stay on all year. Specials boards change daily depending on what's in season and what's come from the British Skipper Scheme. We specialise in traditional English food, and also give a new twist to some very old recipes.

The recipe for our venison casserole is 300 years old, and none of our venison is farmed. The chefs and I research old cookery books and go online for new ideas, resulting in some great finds, including old herbs and spices not normally associated with meat and fish. For instance, our braised lamb and apples is flavoured with nutmeg and allspice, and we make use of herbs like borage and lovage.

Food GP​

We are not driven by percentages, but aim to achieve approximately 62% across the board.

Best-selling dishes​

• Starters: forest blue cheese-stuffed pears (£3.95); Staffordshire oatcake stuffed with spiced black pudding and herby tomato sauce (£3.95); prawn cocktail (£4.45).

• Mains: steak & kidney pudding (£10.95); slow-cooked Cannock Chase venison casserole (£10.95); steak and ale pie (£9.95).

• Desserts: traditional bread & butter pudding (£3.95)

• Most profitable dishes: Steak and ale pie, and steak and kidney pudding.

• Best new dish: Slow-roast shank of lamb studded with anchovies.

Five best ideas​

• Changing my accountant for a licensed trade expert. I now get weekly profit-and-loss accounts and an idea of potential savings.

• Buying all fruit and veg wholesale from farmers or Birmingham's wholesale market. This means arriving at the market at 5.30am one day each week, but the cost savings are incredible. I've achieved saving of about 30% on a bill that was running at about £1,200 per week.

• Using targeted email marketing, and a loyalty card system that captures information on customers' buying habits. For example, for customers who continually order from the fish specials board, we can send details of what's available that day or the next. This achieves a remarkably high response rate among our 2,500 loyalty card-holders.

• Subscribing to the British Skipper Scheme. We receive an email virtually every day on what's been caught, before it has landed at Brixham. This enables us to add descriptions to fish specials and even name the boat.

• Taking regular time off. After years of insisting that all full-time staff have two days off together and weekends off on a rotational basis, I've now started doing so myself. I come back to work refreshed, and my staff say I'm better for it.

Pub facts​

Address: Holly Bush Inn, Salt, near Stafford

Tel: 01889 508234

Licensee: Geoff Holland

Freehold: Admiral

Website: www.hollybushinn.co.uk​

Turnover: £1.2m last year

Wet:dry split: 34:66

Wages as percentage of turnover: 20%

GP food: 62 %

GP drink: 51%

Total covers: 64

Average covers per week: 1,700 to 1,800 including lunchtime light bites and sandwiches

Average spend per head: £17