When people ask me what I do I usually say “I’m a publican and a farmer - more publican than farmer”. Either that or “I’m retired”. Both have some element of truth, technically I am retired and so is my wife Beth, neither of us have paid employment, but we have kept ourselves busy in our dotage by getting back into owning and running pubs. Or at least I have.
The result is this pleasing little pub company with individually nurtured and loved pubs. We’re small, with just four pubs, and we’re privately owned with the only shareholders being Beth and I. Our aim is to run pubs that we like personally and to tease them into making enough to provide all the people in the company with a living. All the people means about 140 souls beavering away to keep the whole shooting match rolling.
So, what sort of pubs do we like personally? Plain, simple and high quality is the short answer. The long answer is a very long answer but revolves around good food with as few ultra processed things as possible (in other words, we mostly make things ourselves), good beer and decent wine, comfortable and unpretentious surroundings, timeless style, civilized, friendly, personal yet efficient.
We all have to try and do our bit to drive forward the mess of humanity in our own particular way. I’ve been charged with providing my community with pleasing places for people to meet, eat and drink, an insignificant role perhaps, but useful on more occasions than you might imagine.
Cheers,
Jerry Brunning
