The family fun day Esk Vibe I have helped arranged, working with the local community center. Was set up as we are keen to get a town gala going again. But without funding for now, we thought we would get the local businesses together and put together a fun day. We have raised some money and went round the community gaining a few sponsors. This way we are able to put on a free afternoon tea in the social club, and free children’s activities in the community center.
I have organized our local ( 14 miles away )small independent brewery to put on our first Beerfest, this gives people a chance to try what they have to offer. They are helping us and we are helping them.
I have also set up the networking breakfast, to bring together other local businesses, which is very important for the growth of the town, but its also a way to share ideas and concerns with each other. As a business we try and support local as much as possible, we use local shops and suppliers in our restaurant, we have locally brewed ales on our bar, our laundry and cooking oil is company’s only 30 minutes away and other produce comes from Carlisle which is 9 miles away.
We close our lunchtime restaurant in the winter months, this way the other two local cafes can benefit when the quieter months are here and tourism in the town is quiet. When we get a day off we usually visit a local to us business for food or drinks as we are surrounded by great places.
We also sponsor the local football team and we host for free their after match get togethers, we provide a buffet and the use of the function room, where they get to talk, relax and watch a bit of sport on tv or play a game of pool. We even have the stage area dedicated to past local teams and players, with pictures and trophies on display. We help other hospitality businesses close to us, as they do with us , with advice, a helping hand if needed, a loan of stock or help with cover when needed.
A lot of our suppliers are within a couple of miles from the Inn and they are brilliant. Any problems and they can get produce out to us that day. As a business I think it is hugely important that we work with other small, independent family run businesses. We all look out for each other and recommend each other. We know these people by name, we chat to them every week.
I would love to say if we closed we wouldn’t make too much of an impact for these suppliers, but if more and more independent businesses closed, then yes there would be a detrimental impact to all these small, family run businesses in the hospitality service industry. We rely on each other, we support each other and we help each other when we can. That’s the great thing about being in a small community.
