The great British pub is nothing without the great British publican.  And Burton-based Punch Taverns has 8,200 running its estate of leased and tenanted pubs.

Publicans today are not just propping up their bars, but they are a new breed of talented entrepreneurs with sophisticated retailing skills, says Punch Taverns’ chief operating officer Adrian Fawcett.

“Our retailers don’t just manage pubs, they run their own businesses and the better these businesses perform the more profit they stand to make.  They need to be switched on to a range of issues beyond what drinks to stock or what food to serve – licensing, health and safety, smoking in public places, sensible drinking and social responsibility are just some of the hot topics facing our industry. 

“They need to manage their finances, train and empower staff, market their pubs effectively and constantly assess and evaluate both their own and competitors’ performance levels. 

“Of course entering into an agreement with an operator like Punch is a partnership and we strive to work with retailers to build better long term businesses. 

“But without the right individual at the helm, that partnership cannot flourish. 

“Thankfully within Punch we have some truly inspirational entrepreneurs who work tirelessly to make a visit to their pub a memorable experience.

“Our retailers come from a range of backgrounds – some have worked in pubs all their lives and took on a leased outlet because they wanted to be their own boss.  Others were seeking a career change and saw the licensed trade as a perfect route for fulfilling their business dreams.  We have former teachers, doctors, accountants, army officers and even stand-up comics running our pubs and making a great success of them too.

“But all of them share one thing in common – the DNA of an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs start with the consumer in mind and finish in the delivery of their offer, with the consumer in mind.  In short, they are people whose very centre of gravity is close to the consumer.”

Adrian points to five characteristics that he feels you can often clearly see entrepreneurs possess:

1) Ability to review and be aware of the wider market place.  They see the trends and movements before they become obvious to others.

2) Sector savvy – entrepreneurs know what is available in their marketplace but have the ability to spot the consumer offer which is as yet unsatisfied.

3) Solutions driven – they move swiftly and in an uncluttered way come up with a solution that meets the gap in the market place.

4) They convey a personal passion and enthusiasm that is not only self motivational but infects others to believe in the common cause.  These people are able to set personal targets and measure themselves physically and emotionally against these.   Usually these targets are broken down into bite size chunks and, even though they may not be aware, fit together to give a total picture.

5) Customer service focused – entrepreneurs are passionate about delivering high customer and consumer standards. 

A Punch retailer who has demonstrated classic entrepreneurial vision and skills is Janet Denning who owns the Spaghetti Factory at the New Hussey Arms, Chester Road, Brownhills near Walsall.  

She gave up her job as  high flying sales and marketing manager for Canadian Airlines two years ago to start her own business, The Spaghetti Factory, and has never looked back.

“I spent many years travelling the world and eating in hundreds of restaurants, some good, some appalling but all the time thinking I could do better.  Running a restaurant didn’t seem to require rocket science but delivering first class customer service, good fresh food and an ability to listen to your customers were the three vital ingredients to success.  I think all entrepreneurs are driven by quality and anything short of perfection is not good enough and I’m no different.

“Having decided that it was now or never to go it alone, I spent five months researching the local marketplace, finding out what people wanted in terms of eating out, how much they were prepared to spend, I even visited the local supermarkets to see what people were buying in terms of food.
 
“I soon discovered that Italian was enjoying the biggest growth in popularity and so the Spaghetti Factory was born.

“In October 2003 I opened at a small restaurant in Hednesford near Cannock and was there for 16 months before it became clear that I needed bigger premises.  Listening to your customers is essential if you are going to be a successful entrepreneur and feedback was showing a desire to eat al fresco during the summer months, somewhere to enjoy a drink and regular entertainment.

“Punch Taverns gave me an opportunity to expand without the outlay of buying my own premises.  The company has a good support structure in place as and when I need it, but essentially I am left to run my business how I wish.

“I have transformed The New Hussey Arms from a traditional English pub into a venue where there is a choice to relax and just have a drink, or dine and enjoy fabulous freshly cooked Italian food at affordable prices.  I also have also introduced live entertainment and karaoke which is also proving popular.

“We seem to have hit the right note and are busy every night of the week.  It has been the most exhausting two years of my life but the most satisfying.  I now employ 30 full time and part time staff and am looking to expand the Spaghetti Factory, initially in the Midlands but my ultimate ambition is to roll out nationally.”

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