Whilst their trading continues to be restricted they need support in terms of grants and compensation for their critical December trading.  Without this and the surety of a VAT reduction and business rates holiday throughout 2021 as they rebuild their While searching for their perfect pub, Simon and Samantha Stonehouse came across The Black Boy in Headington, Oxfordshire. But it was meeting the team at the Leicestershire-based brewer and pub owner, Everards that sealed the deal, as they realised the advantages of being part of an established, family-owned business that oozed warmth and support.

Having signed a 10-year contract with Everards, they began making plans to refurbish the pub to create an attractive lunchtime spot, as well as a romantic setting for a date or dinner, for a December 2019 opening. “The pub was slowly building trade and then Covid came along,” says Samantha, adding, with all the enthusiastic energy that comes with a new endeavour: “But we didn’t let that batter our sails, we simply adjusted them!

“Everards has been a great partner as well as activating a rent-free holiday, the team was also on the end of the phone, if we needed any questions answered or just for some moral support during the height of the pandemic.” This financial and empathetic support meant that Simon and Sam had energy reserves to think about how to move forward and diversify. “We turned the front of the pub, our snug, into a community shop and worked hard to spread the word that we were open six-days a week selling fresh produce and kitchen essentials.”

“We wanted the shop to be a deli-style operation, promoting and shouting about all of Oxfordshire’s amazing produce,” Simon continues. Establishing themselves as part of the community was a great way to publicise that this well-established pub, which had benefitted from a brand-new look, was now under the control of new tenants. Home deliveries served the locals during lockdown, accompanied by “Casual Coffee” on Fridays, as the Government restrictions began to ease and allowed people to get out and about again.

Free coffee and cake was also given away to thank the community for its support. The success of the community shop led to a takeaway offer, with the pair signing up to Deliveroo as a way to get food to people efficiently, while creating a new customer base too.

“Having to diversify in the way we did meant that we were able to streamline the business and look at new systems and standards, helping us work hard on new income streams,” says Simon, hailing Deliveroo as a fantastic tool to “switch on when it’s quiet”. Simon says that Deliveroo yielded roughly 33% of weekly sales during lockdown, but with more choice available and higher uptake on the Eat Out to Help Out (EOTHO) scheme, it now only makes 2-5% per week in sales. “I believe it was a great tool to drive off-sales and generate new guest awareness for our pub. You do have to look at the cost versus profit carefully as delivery partners can take a hefty bite out of your profit.”

At one point during lockdown Simon and Samantha were welcoming 100 people for takeaway  collection per night – the overwhelming majority of whom are gradually making their way back  through the door for eat-in meals. Sam has also been utilising her wealth of knowledge in marketing and events well, coming up with new ways to engage with locals and customers from further afield. “Because of social distancing, you can’t have a full pub, but you still need to maintain a strong income. Upselling to guests has been important, as well as using social media well. We have seen great guest loyalty accrue simply through our regular posting and tagging the pub in other people’s posts.”

The couple have accrued solid trade experience over the years, with Simon working in pubs and restaurants since he was 18. With a smile, he asks: “Guess where Sam and I met?” It was in 1996 at The Catherine Wheel in Henley on-Thames.

Growing together and having a shared professional life has led to many creative endeavours. Over the past 30 years, Simon has run large multi-million-pound sites to smaller village pubs, while Sam implements sales and marketing strategy through her umbrella business, Fabulous PR.

A community pub, describing itself as being “here for every occasion”, the pair have worked hard to provide customers with plenty of reasons to visit regularly. From supper clubs, yielding £60 per head, the £25 per head Bottomless Brunch, to ‘Casual Coffee’ on Fridays.

Another element of their business empire is Lamb Catering, a business they purchased in 2017 and which services weddings, events and also dinners at The Black Boy. Born from an unrivalled love of putting on a chef’s jacket and hosting dinner, Simon has a hand in creating new dishes, menu writing and working with new ingredients – which explains the 40/50/10 split on wet, dry and accommodation trading (The Black Boy has five rooms for guests who enjoy the immersive experience).

“The Eat Out to Help Out scheme has been great, but what’s next? It was a short-term fix for a long-term problem. A VAT reduction to 5% on drink sales and a look at beer duty would help a broader spectrum of pub businesses”, says Sam.

Simon continues: “We’re grateful we could implement it in the restaurant, but it did bring its own issues, we had a very busy start to each week, rivalling Friday and Saturday trading, but Thursdays were slow.”  Optimising GP margins, The Black Boy boasts a wide range of low and no options.  “There has been a massive growth in new options becoming available, so we stock everything from non-alcoholic beer to mocktails.”

With customer habits continuing to shift as confidence levels change, the enthusiastic partners – in love and in business – are proving they have the ability, the drive and the determination to grasp every new opportunity to secure a strong future.