Business Focus: Shaws Booksellers, London

Shaws Booksellers is a converted paper merchant’s warehouse tucked away on a narrow street close to St Paul’s Cathedral. I spent eight years managing branded operations such as All Bar One and Ha! Ha! Bar & Canteen and really needed a new challenge.

Running this Fuller’s managed pub gives us the freedom to bring personality and passion to everything we do. Our customer base is broad — we cater for tourists, lawyers and media types as well as the more predictable city workers.

In the past five years, turnover has risen by 45% and bottom-line profit by more than 550%.

Achieving business growth​

Slowly evolving the offer attracts new business without alienating your existing regulars. Head chef Tim May’s food has become renowned in the local area for its consistency, quality and originality.

He also speaks to our customers on a daily basis to get their feedback. Building trust is key: people know that if something on the menu is priced at £20-plus, there is a reason for that.

We recruit, train and keep really good people — the average length of service in our team of 11 is three-and-a-half years.

Best piece of business advice given​

Think of the pub as your front room. Customers are your guests who just happen to pay for your company.

Business philosophy​

To create a local pub, offering exceptional food, in the City.

Standing out from the competition​

A sense of fun sets us apart: from the ’80s annuals on our back bar to the Star Wars figures on our wine blackboard and our reserve signs featuring Scrabble letters, we aim to surprise and delight people, and above all, put a smile on their faces.

Best food event​

Inviting our best lunchtime customers to our first Gourmet Evening Dinner was a great way to make regulars feel that bit special. They each paid £95 for a seven-course tasting menu with matched wines, £20 of which was donated to charity.

This was a real change from the usual business lunches they were used to, with a rewarding result. The guests loved it and were asking when the next one would be before the evening was even over.

On a day where sales normally reach no more than £2,000, this event alone totalled £1,465; we were also able to raise £670 for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

PUB FACTS​
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Licensee:​ Adam Sykes

Tenure:​ Fuller’s lease

Turnover:​ £15k a week net average (Monday to Friday)

Wet:dry split:​ 80:20

Wages as % of turnover:​ 25.5%

GP food/GP drink:​ 68.5%/72%

Total covers:​ 54

Average covers per week:​ 250

Average spend per head:​ £25 (food and drink combined)

ON THE MENU​

Menu philosophy​

Tim has a real focus on seasonality and fresh produce. His classic Italian training is still very evident on his British menu. He also likes to experiment with different crusts and breadcrumbs, which add a new texture as well as a burst of flavour.

We keep the menu relatively short (four starters, nine mains, four desserts) but customers are always spoilt for choice. The menu changes daily, with only the burger making a regular appearance. And even that changes sometimes. We aim for a GP of 68.5%.

Having built a fantastic rapport with our customers we are able to sell new dishes and ideas, and are really trusted when we recommend something to them. Recently our special of seared ox heart, mustard mash, sprouting broccoli & balsamic (£14.50) sold out in the first hour.
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Best-selling dishes​

Starters: Pig cheek terrine, celeriac remoulade & walnut toast (£7); baked ricotta bruschetta, rocket, oregano & chilli oil (£6); seared scallops, beetroot purée & salsa verde (£7.50).

Mains: Sautéed wild mushrooms, brioche, Marsala, cream & truffle oil (£13.50); chargrilled calves’ liver, potato rosti, cavalo nero, onion rings & a fried egg (£16); braised ox cheeks, polenta, kale & Parmesan (£15).

Desserts: Bramley & blackberry crumble, vanilla custard (£6); sticky toffee pudding & salted caramel ice cream (£6); poached pear, vanilla ice cream, pecan brittle (£7).

Most profitable dishes ​

Chargrilled halloumi, cabbage, apple & fennel slaw, toasted almonds, rocket, honey & mustard dressing (£13, GP
75%); Beef, chilli & herb burger, baby gem, gherkin & fat chips (£13, GP 74%).

IN THE KNOW​

Biggest mistake​

Breakfast: we sold two coffees during a six-week trial. With a proliferation of cafés and take-aways nearby, people weren’t interested in, or didn’t have the time for, breakfast in the pub. Net result: wasted stock, wasted time, unhappy chefs.

Service secrets​

I like staff to bring individuality and personality to what they do. Despite my best efforts, I can’t know all of our customers well and the staff instinctively fill those gaps. If they are enjoying themselves, it shows.

If we’ve got a new ingredient on the menu or product on the bar, we get to taste it there and then. I find brief, on-the-job training works better for us than formal sessions and team meetings.

Successful PR​

The best PR for our business is our customers. People love the local feel of the pub despite its location, and we try to ensure there is something for everyone here, whether it’s the eclectic music choice or the range of more than 60 spirits on the back bar.

Our Toptable customers are helping to spread the word about our food and the crowds spilling out on to the street on a Thursday and Friday night tell passers-by we are worth checking out — if they can get to the bar!

Staff motivation​

The best motivation for staff is making Shaws an enjoyable place to work. We sit down together for lunch in the afternoon — it’s a
really important time for catching up on what’s going on in the business and beyond.

Customers describe us as being more like a family than a business, which is quite touching. The result of our efforts is a team who genuinely care about what happens here.

Bar talk​

Draught beer makes up 45% of our total sales, with Peroni and London Pride way out in front. Wine accounts for 22% of total sales; while most popular grapes are available, we also offer some more unusual wines at attractive prices to encourage experimentation.

Like everything else here, we drive sales through recommendation and enthusiasm: Sipsmith is now our house-pour gin and Tuaca overtook sambuca and tequila as the shot of choice some time ago!

FIVE BEST IDEAS​

Toptable ​

The site has brought us new business, a greater web presence and the chance for people to tell others what they think. We are currently ranked among Toptable’s top three gastropubs in the UK. People are asked to rate their experience for food, value, service and ambience, giving marks out of 10 for each.

Extended wine list ​

We now offer 18 wines by the glass and have extended our selection of top-end and dessert wines. Regular staff tastings mean that everyone is confident and comfortable in making recommendations.

Charity gourmet events ​

A chance for head chef Tim to showcase his skills as well as raise some money for charity.

Evening tapas ​

With evening food sales previously almost non-existent here, this has given drinkers something to help soak up the beer while giving them a taste of the food quality on offer.

Movember ​

Raising money for the charity by promoting fundraising moustache-growing events has added to the fun of busy nights, with the girls painting on taches in support of the boys’ (questionable) efforts.