Everards

Chris and Yvonne Smith, Licensees at The Artichoke, Moulton

How many people dream of running their local pub? Well for Chris Smith and his wife Yvonne, that ambition has become a reality – with the Everards Bounty Scheme playing a large part in enabling the pair to realise their dream.

As a former Mess Manager in the RAF, and a dedicated regular at Everards pub The Artichoke in Moulton, Northamptonshire, 57 year-old Chris Smith is able to draw upon years of experience from both sides of the bar. After leaving the RAF in 1995, he continued his life among the beer taps and towels by taking up the role of Club Steward at Rushden Golf Club. His wife Yvonne helped to make it a full team effort by taking up the culinary duties as cook at the same establishment.

With a lifetime of bar and catering experience to call upon, the couple were ideal candidates to take up the role of running a pub and what more ideal an opportunity to start than the local pub across the road. With approval from the existing licensees David and Marilyn Mclean, who the Smiths as customers on the other side of the bar they had known for years, the support of other regulars and the opportunity provided by the Everards Bounty scheme, everything was in place to live the dream. The only problem was that The Artichoke was about to lose its best and most loyal customer!

Chris, who has run The Artichoke since May 2010, said: “I have spent most of my working life running or managing bars so when the opportunity came to take over at The Artichoke it seemed a natural progression to take up the tenancy.

The only stumbling block was that by agreeing to take over the bar, the pub was about to lose its best customer! I first started drinking there in the 1970s and the amount I have spent in there, I could have probably have bought the place by now!

Still, at least all the regulars knew who they were getting and it has helped stand us in good stead for knowing how to develop the pub. We have seen what works, what doesn’t work and what people like as regulars and it’s helping take the pub forward.”

Nominating someone for the Bounty Scheme is straightforward and involves simply requesting a nomination form from Everards. The next step sees the nominators and the nominee sign the nomination form, something which has to receive official approval from the nominee.

Everards firmly believes in matching the right person to the right pub. As part of the nomination process they will contact both parties and after an assessment of suitability including the submission of a business plan, the process moves towards the final stages. This involves the new licensee agreeing to and signing a fixed three year standard tenancy, the bounty is then released with the nominators landing a £3,000 bonus while the nominee takes over the pub.

Since taking over at The Artichoke, the Smiths have settled well into their new role in old, familiar surroundings. They have introduced a few changes – their open-mic acoustic nights have apparently struck the right note with regulars and they have a new menu planned – but have kept most things as they were, showing an intuitive feel for knowing what their customers want and enjoy in a pub.

Chris adds: “All the years we have spent in the pub as customers has certainly helped in smoothing over the takeover from the former licensees. People know us and have been very supportive towards us taking on the tenancy and we have also been able to attract a few extra people in.

“That is one of the bonuses of being given the opportunity for former regulars like ourselves to take over the pub. It suits us to run a pub we know so well and suits the pub’s customers as they know us. It’s always been a friendly pub and we look to keep that going for the future.”

Sharon Johnston, Licensee at The Beacon, Loughborough

Following years of working in retail Sharon Johnston drew upon a combination of inspiration from the past and a win-win incentive scheme in the present to fulfill her dream of running her own pub.

For the former retail buyer and merchandiser, the pub industry is very much in her blood. Her parents had run a succession of pubs during their working lives and keen to follow in the family footsteps, Sharon began to look beyond her retail career and into the possibilities available in licensing trade.

She began working part-time at The Beacon pub in Loughborough and soon became a valued, important part of the bar team at this Everards pub. When long standing licensees Andy and Ingrid Cunningham took the decision to hang up their bar towels for good and take up retirement, Sharon was in pole position to take over the tenancy at The Beacon pub in Loughborough.

This process was facilitated by the carrot for both parties of the Everards Bounty scheme. Offering the Cunningham’s the incentive of a £3,000 windfall for nominating Sharon as potential licensee for the pub, the Bounty Scheme provides an excellent opportunity for new nominees to begin their career in the pub trade while providing the nominators with a cash reward.

Sharon Johnston, said: “I had been working part-time at The Beacon and so when Andy and Ingrid were looking to retire, it was an excellent opportunity for me to realise my dreams of running my own pub.

I had worked there for a while, so I knew all the customers really well and they were fully behind me taking over as the new licensee.

They even pledged to kick up a fuss if I didn’t get in but it never came to that, as Everards were as keen for me to take over the Beacon as the regulars were.”

Everards firmly believe in matching the right person to the right pub. Once someone has expressed an interest in running a pub, they or their nominators can phone up and request a Bounty Scheme nomination form.

The next step sees the nominators and the nominee sign the nomination form, something which has to receive official approval from the nominee. Everards then contact both parties and after an assessment of suitability including the submission of a business plan, the process moves towards the final stages.

Once the new licensee agrees to and signs a fixed three year standard tenancy, the bounty is then released with the nominators landing a £3,000 bonus while the nominee takes the reins of a an exciting new pub venture with the support of Everards.

That’s exactly how it worked out for Sharon Johnston and three months in, she is firmly settled behind the bar at The Beacon, running the pub and living the dream. Sharon’s tenure at The Beacon is living proof of how the Bounty Scheme can transform people’s working lives, enabling them to achieve career ambitions and reward those who played a part in making it happen.

Sharon adds: “I really love running the pub and while there are some downsides such as the long hours, I wouldn’t want to go back to my old retail career now.
I definitely made the right move and the positive comments and support I get from the customers gives me a lot of satisfaction. It helps reinforce the view that it was the right choice to do this and it’s a great feeling to now be behind the bar, knowing that I am running my own pub with the great support which Everards offer.”

The new landlady at The Beacon’s advice to others thinking of making a similar move is go for it. But she says; make sure you’re equipped with a sociable personality, lots of stamina and the flexibility to work some long hours but have the satisfaction of being your own boss.

If that sounds like you, then those qualities along with Everards Bounty scheme could soon help turn your dreams into reality – it’s just a call and a nomination form away…

Richard & Susan Woolley, licensees at The Sun Inn, Gotham:

For Richard Woolley, making the switch from a career in electrical contracting proved to be the start of a very bright future as a pub licensee.

Richard, who runs the Sun Inn at Gotham with his wife Susan, are now fully fledged members of their social circle after joining their fellow friends who all run their own pub businesses.

It’s even a scheme with financial fringe benefits for friends, in this case the couple’s good pals Dead Poets Inn licensees, Bill and Sue Holmes.

Proving that you can get by and on with a little help from your friends, the Everards Bounty scheme offered the Holmes the incentive of a £3,000 windfall for nominating the Woolleys as potential licensees for the Sun Inn at Gotham. With Richard and Susan Woolley keen to take over the reins of their first pub and their friends, the Holmes, happy to help them by providing the nomination, it’s a win-win situation all round for those involved.

Richard Woolley, 51, said: “I had worked for over twenty years as an electrical contractor. My work took me all over the country and I often travelled as much to get a good pint. I have always been a fan of proper, good ale and as the years went by I became more restless, along with my wife, in wanting to run our own pub.

“We have spent many a time on the other side of the bar in our friends pubs and seeing them run their businesses has just strengthened the desire to run our own pub. The Everards Bounty Scheme has enabled us to achieve just that.”

With the nomination submitted and a suitable pub opportunity in the Sun Inn identified, the Woolleys took over in July last year. Determined to create a thriving, community focused pub that customers would feel at home in, Everards latest licensees are proud of their achievements as they live the dream in their new business.

Richard, said: “We wanted to create a real community focused, conversational pub where people can come in and enjoy a pint and a welcoming atmosphere. In our time here so far we certainly seemed to have achieved that.

“The locals have been wonderful, They told us that they have always wanted the pub to succeed and on New Years Eve, they all thanked us for giving them their pub back. That was wonderful to hear that.

“Everything has gone from strength to strength. At the moment we are just concentrating on making sure we get the beer right, it’s a real labour of love for me, and ensuring that we put a smile on people’s faces with a good welcoming atmosphere when they come into the pub.”

Recent innovations include regular music nights and Richard indulging his passion for all things spicy in the kitchen with curry nights as part of the food offering. This love for the exotic tastes of the east has even extended to a Spice up your Valentines night event, with customers encouraged to to come along and put some culinary passion into their lives.

Richard and Susan are reveling in their now found roles of fully fledged licensees and extend their thanks to Everards for their role in realising their ambitions. Richard has recently completed the Everards Gold Course brewing training, in which licensees get the opportunity to work with the Everards Head Brewer to develop and brew their own ale, in this case Gallantry, which they can later sell at the pub.

Richard adds: “We have a great deal of admiration for Everards. They have been very transparent and supportive in every step of the process. Coming from a different career background, it’s comforting to know that we can call upon the team at the brewery who have helped get us up and running.

“The recent Everards Gold Course has been the icing on the cake. As a lifelong fan of proper, real ale it’s been fantastic to have the opportunity to attend the course and be involved in producing a beer that I can then sell at the pub.”