MAGAZINE

Behind the scenes

For this issue’s lead interview, I found myself on the outskirts of Coventry – a first for me, as whenever I have been in the West Midlands city, it has always been about the centre, looking at any new sites and seeing how hospitality is going around those parts.  

Cards on the table, it’s not a place I’ve been to very often and somewhere I hadn’t imagined exploring much beyond the streets of its central train station. But here I was at The Roseycombe pub, 10 minutes or so out of the city, chatting to operator Ash Gartshore about the fittingness of this remote spot, given his business aims to keep people from travelling into the centre by giving them all they need from a pub that is moments from their suburban doorsteps. 

When chatting to Gartshore, it seemed his thorough prep ahead of his first ever in-depth interview about Roseacre Pub Company had perhaps got in the way of exploring the nuances and unique strategies that have led the business to creating a 10-strong portfolio and £17m turnover. He was ready with points he wanted to get across on the very impressive ethos of the company, as well as broader observations on the industry, but it was only when I delved a little deeper, beyond the modest replies, that various operational nuggets came into the conversation. Things like creating a bespoke scratchcard that employees are given when aligning with Roseacre’s values – Gartshore and his team chose the prizes on each card, with a trip to Europe still to be won by someone! Then there are the values themselves, illustrated through Roseacre’s mascot dog, DOUG. It really is a fascinating business, which you can read more about from page 20.  

On the surface, when stepping into a Roseacre pub, it’s easy to see a managed model with consistent design and service, but it’s only when you poke around behind the scenes that you can appreciate the brilliant things pub and bar operators like Gartshore are doing to keep this industry thriving.     

Tristan O’Hana - Editor