When family circumstances required a change in lifestyle, Neil Taylor FBII and his partner Kerry saw an opportunity to take on The Fox at Shipley, a run-down country pub with heaps of potential. Roll on 17 years and they couldn’t be happier with their decision – especially after a fantastic Christmas, when a special guest created worldwide media interest.
The Fox At Shipley’s social media post went viral over Christmas, receiving an awesome 1.8 million views from around the world and attracting national media and television interest. It all began with Wolverhampton Wanderers FC appointing its new manager, Vitor Pereira.
A long-time friend and supporter of Wolves, Neil Taylor FBII received a phone call from the club on December 23, asking if there was any chance he could fit Vitor and his backroom staff in for Christmas Day dinner. Vitor, as it turned out, had just flown in from Saudi to prepare Wolves for its match against Manchester United on Boxing Day.
“Christmas Day is one of our busiest days of the year. But with the team training for the Boxing Day match, they didn’t want the table until later, so I was able to seat them all at 5pm.”
Neil has always worked closely with the club, hosting Wolves Former Players’ Association’s monthly get togethers, which are attended by some of football’s big names from the past.
“Bully [Steve Bull, who played for Wolves until 1999] is one of my best mates and often comes to the pub with his family,” says Neil.
And as Wolves went on to win the match against Man Utd 2-0, the pub had the perfect opportunity to post hat ‘it was the turkey dinner that helped’.
“Being Portuguese,” adds Neil, “it was quite funny when we brought the plates out, they thought they were sharing platters. You should have seen the startled look on their faces, when they realised they each got a plate!”
Football aside, Neil has made a name for himself by undertaking his own sporting feats for charity.
Within touching distance of having raised £250,000 for the Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Neil has undertaken five marathons, including London, Paris and New York, has climbed to Everest’s base camp, completed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Rainbow Mountain in Peru, Mount Toubkal, the highest mountain in North Africa, and cycled from John O’Groats to Land’s End.
Birmingham Children’s Hospital is a cause close to Neil and his family’s heart. His and Kerry’s daughter, Kiahna, was born with major heart problems, having to undergo six major surgeries by the time she was six and enduring years of ongoing treatment.
“The fundraising began because I wanted to give something back, as a thank you for all that they do,” says Neil, whose good friend Suresh Bawa, a terrific fundraiser for charity in his own right, accompanies him on the trips. “I raise the money through sponsorships, plus I host dinners, where I invite sporting heroes to speak. We’ve had Peter Shilton [former England footballer] and AP McCoy [jockey] in the past and Steve, being a close friend, helps me with these.”
The best news, though, is that Kiahna, who recently turned 18 and is now studying fashion, has been given a clean bill of health. “She doesn’t need any further treatment – and she even works behind the bar. It’s like we’ve come full circle.”
An accountant by trade, Neil had been working for a multinational company when Kiahna was born, so when a friend asked him to take a look at a pub, he saw an opportunity.
“A friend was considering taking on The Fox, as the lease was up for sale. I went along to assess the business for him and saw that it had huge potential, so I asked him to step aside and allow me and Kerry to take it on.
“My perspective on life had changed and I wanted more control,” explains Neil, adding that the pub allowed him the flexibility to be able to take Kiahna to school and pick her up. And although Neil and Kerry had no previous hospitality experience, he knew exactly what it took to run a successful business.
“We had to put in the hard graft. People don’t just walk in the door – it’s about getting the products right, being good value for money, being consistent and advertising. Consistency is key, because it’s no good people having a nice meal one day and not the next.”
The business was trading successfully, then Covid struck. Worse still, Neil caught the virus and became seriously ill, ending up in the hospital’s intensive care unit for two weeks. “I was a fit person. I had climbed Everest five months earlier, but I was struck down by the virus. I couldn’t think about the business or anything, as I could only worry about staying alive.”
Neil has nothing but praise for Marston’s, which provided good support throughout. “It’s a shame
the Government wasn’t as helpful,” he adds. “Our rateable value was £99,000, so we weren’t eligible for the bounce-back loan, instead I was forced to go cap in hand to the bank for a business interruption loan, which we’re still paying back. “All I want is to get back to the financial position that we were in five years ago. It has been tough these last five years, but I can see light at the end
of the tunnel,” says Neil.
Turnover is just returning to levels of 2019, but taking out any price increases, actual volumes are still below pre-Covid times. “We’ve got another 18 months left on the loan, and once we are rid of that, it will be the end of a big burden. On top of that, our electricity bill went up by £2,000 a month, plus there’s the gas – we’re on LPG, being in the country.
“All this has been compounded by the increases in the National Minimum Wage, pensions and now
National Insurance Contributions (NIC). We have to pass all of this onto our customers who, on the whole, are understanding. But it seems to me that people have short memories. Immediately after Covid, everyone supported their pubs, but now they’re beginning to moan when we say we’re putting 10p on a pint.”
Offering good value for money, having great service, consistency and doing lots of advertising is what The Fox keeps on doing, and doing well.
“The Wolves Christmas story got us lots of good coverage and it brought people into the pub. Everyone was talking about it and it certainly gave us all a buzz.
“We do most of our advertising these days through social media. In the old days, we’d advertise in the local newspaper and on local radio, but now we pay to have our posts boosted on Facebook and on Instagram,” explains Neil.
The Fox, which has a 100-cover restaurant and has built up a good reputation for serving quality, traditional wholesome food, has a large garden too, which on sunny days can welcome another 100 people.
“We’re known for our family-friendly atmosphere, with most of our customers being regulars. Saturday and Sunday are our busiest days of the week,” says Neil, explaining that the key members of his 33-strong team, including the chefs, have been with the business for 15 years, helping to maintain the pub’s reputation for great service and its consistent offer. The pub also has three real ales on tap, with Marston’s allowing them to buy from popular local brewers too.
“Being an accountant, when we bought the pub, people would say they were surprised I’d done it. But when you have good business acumen, whatever sector your business is in, the same principles apply. You have to look at your margins, do regular stock checks and watch the P&L and cash flow every week. Look after the pennies and foresee any potential problems. There is no point burying your head in the sand.”
Asked if there were any regrets, Neil replies ‘no’. “I’m banking on the fact that things will improve over the next 18 months to two years – and I’m hoping that the Government will give hospitality some sort of support, because we do need it.”
In the meantime, Neil is looking forward to his next charity fundraiser: a trek along the Amazon next year. Onwards and upwards, as they say: good luck, Neil
