When in 2001 Peter Whitehead MBII lost all his American IT clients as they pulled the plug in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, his ability to think quickly, grasp a new opportunity and start again helped stand him and his Chef wife Fran in good stead to plan for a recovery as Covid-19 hit.
“Back in 2001, all my contracts were with American companies, just as the news of 9/11 hit. I got phone calls immediately saying ‘we need to halt everything’. The business plan got thrown out of the window and we needed to find a new avenue for earning money. My wife is a professional Chef, I like beer and a chat, so taking on a freehouse seemed like a logical thing to do.”
When earlier this year the risk of full lockdown was starting to look like a reality, it was Fran’s culinary skills that Peter saw as the foundations for their business survival strategy. “We’re an independent pub, so contingency plans are imperative in my mind! I knew our country would be hit hard by the pandemic, so my first priority was ‘what’s perishable and what can we get rid of?’. We discounted brown beer and didn’t order as much in the weeks leading up to lockdown in March. We identified anything that could be made into non-perishable products too.” This saw the creation of the now famous Fur & Feathers’ preserves: chutneys, jams and chilli dipping sauce, all ready for the moment a customer asks “Oh, where can I buy this sauce?”.
Financially, Peter and Fran have been in a good position, having £30,000-worth of savings, originally set aside for an expensive sewage renovation needed at the pub. But even with this cushion, mitigating loss and preserving cash was their primary goal, explains Peter. So, translating the Fur & Feathers’ luxury dining experience into a viable takeaway service required a lot of research.
“Fran came up with a list of ingredients and dishes she wanted to create, then we would sit down to look at all the components and packaging needed. We wanted to buy multi-purpose packaging that would keep the presentation inspiring.
“It was really important to avoid that ‘homogenous slush’ look, so we ended up sending out our takeaway meals in kit form. You’d have meat and dry veg in one container, juicy vegetables in another and then sauce in the final container.”
The kits were available for customers to take home four times a week and led to a social media sensation that saw diners recreate a Fur & Feathers’ style dining experience at home.
“One chap was an amazing support to us. His family ate with us three times a week, diet permitting. They would get out a table cloth and lay up the table at home beautifully, serve their wine and plate up the food. Their meals looked stunning and it encouraged other people to do something similar. It helped new customers create a proper dining experience at home.”
During lockdown, customers especially appreciated the opportunity to bring a little theatre to an evening meal. Peter says: “A lady came in, bless her cotton socks, saying ‘I’m so excited, this is the first time I’ve come out and I’ve put a dress on, makeup and everything!”
Amidst the stress of redirecting their business efforts, Peter and Fran relearned how to make things fun, silly and exciting again. They took their portable fryer with them when catering for al fresco birthday parties, making fresh doughnuts outside. “It was a showstopper, it was so great to see a group of 30-year-olds turn into little kids,” says Peter.
While the menu has been slimmed down, Peter explains that the pub’s “quirky fresh offering” has shifted towards comfort food. “One of our bigger sellers at the moment is ribs. People are going for the dishes they wouldn’t make at home, with our top seller at the moment being fish and chips. It has a high GP and we’re doing it our way – no scrimping on good quality haddock with lots of seasoning.”
He continued: “We’ve always been slightly protected against recessions, being at the top end of hospitality in pubs. And my past experiences of downturns have taught me that trading styles change, but also people stop gambling with their entertainment pound – they want to go out and get something they know is going to be good.
“We’ve got a regular crowd that like to drink and chat, from people who own large international businesses, through to the one man band and even a publican! There’s a broad spectrum of experiences and views, and we use each other as sounding boards, especially when trying to gauge where the situation is going to go next.”
At a time when being a freehouse could have felt lonely, connecting with other businesses to share information has ultimately provided a feeling of community and friendship for Peter, Fran and their customers.
