Seaside pub’s food offer for those who battle Storm Ciara

The Inn on the Beach in Hayling Island has been battered by Storm Ciara over the past few days (Sunday 9 and Monday 10 February), with waves hitting its frontage.

Bring your wellies 25% off if you can get to us pic.twitter.com/Z7tcm2uMu4

— Inn On The Beach (@IOTBHayling) February 10, 2020

Mark Thornhill runs the pub with his wife Penny and has built a temporary bridge, out of wood in a bid to get people in the front door.

Battered again today @IOTBHayling#StormCiaraUkpic.twitter.com/wfnsx1JxUF

— Mark Thornhi11 (@MarkThornhi11) February 10, 2020

Driving offer

Thornhill told The Morning Advertiser​: “We had so many cancellations (9 February) on our roast menu, most people were coming in just to see the sea.

“Sales of coffee were very much improved though. Once the roasts started coming out of the kitchen, we were able to recover through walk-ins.

“[On Monday 10 February] we had a lot more damage than Sunday. Our entire frontage was flooded and we couldn’t get any customers in so we sent out an immediate newsletter that said if they mentioned the word ‘storm’, they would get a 25% discount on Monday (10 February) and Tuesday (11 February).

“Monday was significantly worse for trade and the weather than Sunday, hence the discount, to try and drive trade. We had about four or five tables that used the offer.”

Flooding issues

Storm Ciara also hit the north with the chef-patron of an Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropub being forced to close due to the weather.

Stosie Madi of the Parkers Arms in Newton-in-Bowland, near Clitheroe, Lancashire, told The Morning Advertiser​ the flooding was the worst she had seen since 2013.​

She said: “When they predict a tiny bit of dodgy weather, people start pouring in with cancellations but we didn’t have one call to cancel. 

“I kept thinking the river might just go down and we might be able to salvage the later bookings. In 13 years that was the worst flooding. We had 70 people booked in for lunch.

“The residents (who were staying in the pub) couldn’t leave because all the roads are all linked to little villages by the rivers.”

However, Madi was positive about the future and praised the customers who were forced to cancel their meal plans.