We're Winners!

In a business as tough as ours is - come on, lets stop pretending - It Is TOUGH, it's nice to have the odd evening out and enjoy yourself! We did just that last week when Tim & I went to the St Austell Annual Dinner and Tribute Estate awards in Newquay, where we were pleasantly surprised to see the Victoria Inn, Salcombe nominated for six awards........ we actually received the award for Marketing & Innovation Business of the Year! As well as a fabulous wall plaque we also received £500 in holiday vouchers!

What a fantastic achievement for our first year of working with St Austell. I have to say that the evening was very typical of St Austell - they put on a fantastic do, everyone from the Chairman, MD etc was there and everyone was made to feel very special. It was also great to meet up with other successful publicans and individuals from within our industry as well as the brewery itself. So all in all a really great night!

After such an excellent night, it was back to the Victoria Inn the next morning (early!) and down to earth with a bump..... we walked into a pub that although the building works were finished and the painting almost finished, absolutely everything and I mean everything was covered in dust! There was not a centimetre of wall, floor, ceiling, fixture or fitting that didn't need cleaning, washing and cleaning again!!

Ourselves and staff worked a good full day, then Tim and I worked on till past midnight only to be up and downstairs again for 7.30 the following day - Saturday. Despite ours and our staff's best efforts we weren't able to open until 5.00p.m, missing a good Saturday trade in Salcombe, which was a great shame, but we more than made up for it in the hours we were open - thankfully.

Not being open for a week, therefore no income and the quietest time trade wise but still bills to pay, it's been frightening watching the money hemorrhage from the bank account but nothing going in!! So being open again and seeing customers has been a re-assuring sight....

This part of the re-furb has been very well received, the Brazilian slate used in the dining area looks beautiful, the pub has a great feel to it and I feel at last that the Victoria Inn really has our stamp on it and more fully represents Tim and I now.

So the next bit of the refurbishment moves on; a garden that now represents a building site as flower beds are dug up for foundations and new paving laid in place for an awning and an 'Outside Dining Experience' as the salesman so elouqeuntly put it, scaffolding round the cellar where 2 en-suite letting rooms - 'The Hobbitt House' ( you'lll see in future blogs why its called that!) will be developed, even more work in the garden and the complete re-furbishment of our 50 seater restaurant upstairs!! Oh yes, and did I tell you we have our wedding in less than 7 weeks............ Stress levels - what stress levels?????