Rescue package for country pubs
A new company is offering to show independent country pubs the way to high cash margins and low overheads.
Country Trust promises to "break the circle of despair" of high overheads and lack of cash for investment with the introduction of "gourmet-style food", in the shape of sous vide, and help with financial planning, branding and professional marketing.
Country Trust, of Little Gaddesden, Hertfordshire, and owned by Country Style Inns, is the brainchild of Jim Campbell, former director of operations for Whitbread's Country Club Hotels, and Ian Glyn, former developmentdirector for Langdale Time Share, which was bought out by Scottish & Newcastle.
It plans to offer a franchise-type membership to no more than 100 pubs over the next five years, each of which will pay £2,500 to join and £2,500 annual membership, plus royalties on their sales.
Only pubs with a record of good hospitality, high standards of hygiene and a superb country location will be considered. Priority will be given to applicants from the South-east and Home Counties.
In return, Country Trust offers a service and marketing package for the small country pub, help with financial planning, refurbishment if necessary, menus and sous vide food.
The latter has already been tried and tested in the eight leasehold and freehold pubs already owned by Country Trust. The company aims to double that this year.
Sous-vide meals, marketed under the Country Trust seal, are selected from an 800-dish menu, delivered weekly from a Belgian supplier and overseen by a Michelin two-star chef.
Mr Campbell, who researched the use of sous vide for Country Club Hotels, was convinced it gave pubs the opportunity to offer gourmet food without the expense of an experienced chef, high equipment and labour costs, and large kitchen spaces.
He argued that it also gave pubs a chance to move away from traditional pub food which, despite low margins, was not generally profitable.
The Bridgewater Arms, in Little Gaddesden, bought by Country Trust from Forte in the midst of the recession, serves sous vide with a £12 a head spend. Claimed January food and drink sales were up 38% on that period last year.
Another pub in Leicester "rescued" from receivers by Country Trust is said to be taking £10,000 a week compared with £1,000 previously.
All member pubs will be branded with a Country Trust badge and entered into various guides. If a pub's turnover fails to meet agreed targets Country Trust will reserve the right to give it notice.
Country Style Inns' annual turnover is £3.5m. It said last year's profit was up 30% on the previous year.