Peach Summary for 2009
The only way to start Peaches “summary” of 2009 is “Wow, what a year!”
2008 was big – several National Awards including National Customer Service Award – Best Retailer in the UK – 3 pubs bought and lots of fun but the recession struck so what would 2009 bring ……
We launched into January 2009 with everything we had. News of recessions, pubs closing every day, villages losing their “local’s” was an every day news story. Peach, however, choose to expand and in the middle of 2009, went all out to locate the next Peach pubs to add to the, “already doing great” list.
We have a great partner team already.
Our Central partners, Lee on creating the Product and finding the places, Hamish on Planning the Strategy and the Process bit, Jo making the look feel and taste all work together. Then the Operators who actually put it all together every day – Andrew, Jeremy, John, Frazer and Alan But we all felt something was missing……..
So Paul Cutsforth joined Peach in January 2009 in a newly created role of Operations Director, a daunting position for anyone else, but Paul has slotted in beautifully into Peach life and is a huge addition to the success of Peach in 2009, and its future.
Paul says “I feel very privileged to be working with a bunch of entrepreneurial guys from the top to the bottom of Peach. I love being challenged and am looking forward to being involved with the future success of the business”.
March took Peach to the PubChef Food Excellence Awards in London where Charlie Barr, Head Chef, The Old Mill was Highly Commended in the Seafood Category and. Leanne Langman, GM of The Swan, was Highly Commended in the Food Pub Manager Category. These are fantastic accolades for anyone in the Industry, but for Peach to get two Highly Commended nominations was amazing. Well done you guys.
Continuing in March, the Observer Food Monthly voted The Fishes as one of the two best places in the South of England for Sunday lunch in their 2009 Observer Annual Food Awards and The Old Mill was voted as having one of the best bars in the country in the 2009 Observer Annual Food Awards. Well done to the Management and the T-team, you were nominated and won because you do it right.
March ended, with Peach at The Publican Awards 2009 where we, yet again, won Multiple Operator of the Year (2-19) Outlets. This is the second year on the run and shows that Peach is doing something right!! Peach wouldn’t be peach without Peachy people – it’s you guys that make all the difference when we win.
We entered June, still on a high after the nominations and awards won in March, to be told that Charlie Barr, Head Chef of The Old Mill had won an Acorn award, officially recognising her as one of the future stars of the Industry. The Acorn takes pride of place in The Old Mill and Charlie still smiles every time she walks past it! Deservedly so……….
Summer came, apart from we got more rain than sunshine for the first part, but you guys were all determined to continue your Summer Pub Events. BBQing in the rain became a new event for us but regulars still supported the pubs! LUCKILY the Peach Summer Party had a great day/evening and next morning of Sunshine and was another huge success. Once a year we do a Woodstock style day and night of revelry music and wild fun – bands, fire eaters London buses , tents and The Peach Team all converged on a field and the Peach Olympics began ……… we survived to tell the tale…..just. John Taylor is organising this next year, look out John you will have to come up with an amazing idea for this one!! No pressure!
Holidays came and went in August and in September 2009 Peach were voted Caterer and Hotelkeeper’s Best Places to Work in Hospitality 2009. An award we have won 2 years running. We sort of know we are good, but there is nothing like the best in the industry telling you, you are the best, we need to make sure we continue to try and beat the rest. It shows that Peach are doing something right. We know we love make great hospitality every day, now lots of others do too. We just need more great people to join us to keep the Peach dream alive.
Summerhouse, was its usual messy self, party, party, party, work, party, work! It keeps the Peach love alive and kicking and of course, it’s the only time most of you get to dress up and be yourself!! I’m surprised that Lee hasn’t introduced a “cross dress day” in the pubs yet……………. Guess there is always 2010………………
The Almanack Leicester was born in the Highcross Shopping Centre, and has opened its doors to the Leicester people. Another amazing “Peach Project” has been born from Lee and Jo under the scrutiny of Drew Keen, our friendly project manager, making it happen. It’s gonna be a busy place.
More award nominations and wins take us into October. Peach won Morning Advertiser’s Top 100 best Food Offer 2009 and The Almanack Kenilworth won a Godiva Award for Best Customer Service. Outstanding achievement all round.
Early one October morning, Frazer rang Hamish saying there are rumours on the street that the Abingdon Arms in Thame was up for grabs. What about doing the Brit Pub Concept in Thame?. After calls and rushed surveys an offer was put forward and within 10 days The Abingdon Arms belonged to the Peach Pub Group. It has gone through a Peach sparkle under the beady eye of Jo and Lee and a name change to The James Figg and is about to open it’s pub doors on 3rd December to the drinkers of Thame. The Stableblock out the back of the pub is a fantastic space for events, parties, conferences and it will be a very exciting time for Frazer and Tony. Frazer Sutherland is now a JV partner with Peach and he will continue to run The Thatch and oversee The James Figg.
The big November news is that Peach have found a pub for John and Liz Taylor. The Richard Onslow in Cranleigh, Surrey was bought and refurbished earlier this year and the owners were looking initially for an operator. Hamish, Lee, John and Jo went to meet them, charmed them, so now Richard Onslow is part of the Peach Group. John and Lee are opening the doors for it’s first pre Christmas lunch trade on 9th December. Great news for John and Liz, who have been very patient in the quest to find their dream. Good luck to both of you.
So much more has happened, the industry is says being ahead of last year is good….. Peach is 10% ahead, no-one else is. So all those moments add up,. Our Peach Summer House next year is going to be special …………as I write this, Hamish is humming “We’re all going to Sunnny Spain. Y viva Espana”, Lee is putting on a matador costume. It’s a Peachy World……………..
Have a fantastic Peachy Christmas guys, send that Peach love to your guests and we will see you all over the Christmas period at some point in your pubs.
