From pub manager to business owner
When the pub Jonathon worked at for the last 10 years and managed for the last two became available he jumped at the opportunity to take it on as his own independent business.
Gary and Simon’s love of pubs has always gone hand in hand with the story of their lives.
From early bar jobs to getting married, settling down, and even sharing their pubs with their dogs, their journey at The Sun Inn is as much about life as it is about their love of great beer and food.
According to real ale aficionado Gary O’Connor, the moment he pulled his first pint he knew that he’d found his calling. Standing behind the bar, perfectly poured beer in hand, he felt that running a pub was what he was meant to do.
Changing careers from bus driver to barman, he went on to work in the pub industry for more than 20 years, before taking the plunge in 2019 together with his now-husband Simon – an experienced chef. “It was a case of ‘we’re fed up of working for other people, let’s try and do it for ourselves!’” recalls Gary.
“With the help of some family, we got the money together and decided on The Free Trade Inn at Sileby. I think getting a pub is like buying a house – you know straight away when you’ve found the right one. You get that vibe, and that’s what we got at The Free Trade.”
In October 2020, the duo also took on the historic Anne of Cleves at Melton Mowbray, which had impressed them with its charm and the fact that its kitchen would enable Simon to fulfil his desire to offer food – something which had not been possible at The Free Trade Inn.
“When we took The Cleves on, Simon was going to go there for six months to get everything up and running, but that six months turned into three and a half years. In that time, we decided to get married, so it was a case of ‘what are we going to do? Where are we going to live?’” says Gary.
“Simon and I have dogs and my dog couldn’t live at The Cleves because he’s a long-legged greyhound and the stairs are too steep for him. We couldn’t both live at The Trade because it wouldn’t have been financially prudent, so we decided the only thing to do was go and get another pub!”
Nottinghamshire-raised Gary noticed that The Sun Inn was available, and having fond memories of visiting with friends in the past, he was keen to check it out.
“Simon keeps his cards very close to his chest, and often when we looked at a place, I’d ask what he thought and he’d say ‘it’s alright’, but after we’d been here, I asked him and he said ‘that place has got so much potential. Out of all the places we’ve seen, that’s given me a real buzz.’ I was like ‘OK, that’s that sorted then!’”
Gary and Simon took on The Sun Inn in June 2024, with plans to have the 14 hand pulls full in three years and to introduce a strong food offering. “It’s where I want it to be after a year. I’ve taken it from one cask ale that was on all the time to five cask ales. We do food Thursday to Sunday and the plan, now that we’ve had a bit of a refurb, is to try and extend our kitchen hours,” says Gary.
Having kitted the pub out with a new kitchen as soon as they moved in, Gary and Simon have begun an internal refurbishment this year. One half of the pub has been completed, with new flooring and furniture and fresh paintwork making it an appealing place for customers to enjoy their visit – whether it’s for a post-work pint or a Sunday roast with the family.
The outside of the pub has also just been given a make-over, following an investment from Everards. “I think it looks a lot better and we’ve had some great comments from the locals,” says Gary, who adds that he has plans to improve the beer garden to make it more welcoming for customers.
Gary and Simon have been working with Everards for six years now, and according to Gary, it is a great partnership. “I can’t fault Everards’ commitment to their business owners. We’ve had three BDMs at three different pubs, and they’ve all been brilliant.”
Gary says that having a reliable team, and well as the help of Simon’s mum, who is a fellow director, is key to making the business work. They will be leaving The Free Trade Inn in January, to focus on just two pubs, which Gary hopes will be more manageable.
Talking about running his own pubs, Gary says: “I always felt from that first pull of a pint ‘I really want to do this.’ Over the years, I’ve worked for some decent people and I’ve learned things off them, and I think that I’m good at what I do and Simon’s good at what he does.
“Being your own boss gives you a lot more freedom. Everards are there to support you, but they let you get on with things, and I really like that.”
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