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Gerry's Blog
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Wednesday, 02 September 2009 12:13 |
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There are no two ways about it, computers are amazing things and help run a small business like ours. From acting as a simple word processor or calculator to the amazing things like websites, electronic mailings and booking systems, computers have become an almost indispensable tool. Then they crash. Have you got a backup? How will you print the menus. Oh s**t, how will you pay the wages. You can’t collect the e-mail bookings or respond to customer queries.
Fortunately we have a few computers which we use to perform different functions, so if one goes down, it is not a complete disaster. It still takes a bit of sorting out and can use up an awful lot of time. Every time disaster strikes I swear I will be better prepared next time, but the only thing I seem to better at is the swearing!
The August Bank Holiday was great fun and very popular. The weather was such that almost everyone ate outside and joined in, either as spectator or participant, the games that we had put out. Croquet, Coits, Dominoes, Boules, Jenga and our very own homemade Cochonnet in the Pupitre, which turned out to be the most difficult and the most popular. The evening turned out to be busy too, which was a bit embarrassing as we were getting a little bit low on food! It is really strange how one week we are massively busy and the next, relatively quiet. We call it the communal physche and trust me, it is very difficult to understand, I should have read Physchology at University instead of Agriculture. However, would I then have known how to keep and breed pigs? Hmm, the great imponderables of life!
We also had an interesting wine tasting at the weekend. Interesting because we had mostly Australian wines with one Portuguese and a couple of Chilean and I would say that the Portuguese – Niepoort Vertente 2005 – came out on top. The Ridgeback Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 came a close second and then t was hard to say which was third. All good wines though and a fun evening.
It feels like it is downhill to Christmas now with only about 100 shopping days to go. Frightening really and I am sure there will be plenty happening before the carols and Turkey appear. As you know, we don’t serve Roast Turkey anyway but have great seasonal dishes as we do all year round, but let’s not think about it yet eh?
The Inn is having a little wash and scrub up courtesy of whistling Mark. Well, I say courtesy, we are paying him to do it otherwise I suspect the job might lose a bit of interest for him! However, that is why the pictures are up and down like, er, well pictures I suppose and there is a distinct smell of Dulux, or is it something a bit smarter than that? Judging from the bills that keep coming in, I think he’s using liquid gold!
Talking of liquid gold, we are undergoing a rent negotiation which we have managed to turn into a question of whether we are able to buy the freehold. The trouble is, the owners think that their property is the most valuable asset on their books and we think that it is, well, just a pub. They appear not to have heard about the economic climate and property values and we, well we have! Suffice to say that fairly soon we will either be in hock to the bank for a small fortune or getting on with a tedious rent review.
Whatever it is, we shall retain our sense of humour and continue serving lunch and dinner, plenty of wine and always with Pride!
Cheers
Gerry, Ann and all the gang at The Inn @ West End
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Friday, 21 August 2009 00:00 |
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Looking like a reasonable weekend, with lots of youngsters celebrating their A level results. Our young staff members have done reasonably well but one has the dilemma of trying for university through sorting or studying accountancy at night school. Difficult to advise on this one as I feel one is as good as the other and it is just possible the college while working route keeps your feet closer to the ground and possibly without the easy debt trap that so many students fall into. We employ one person who has a good degree, a huge debt and who can’t get a job. Fortunately for us and him he has a part time one here, but it isn’t enough to reduce his debt, just survive. Looking on the bright side, exam results are good for trade as everyone comes out to celebrate, good or bad, as at least they are over.
It has been a busy week for us as we have been moving house from Windlesham to Chobham and having redecorations and maintenance at the pub at the same time – how sensible is that? Still, it means that the office upstairs is now all clean and tidy and Lee has an office all of his own. It is surprising how much planning and organisation needed to make a little place like The Inn work as seamlessly as it does.
The house move has limited the space we have to store wine so there will be lots of wine specials to take advantage of over the next couple of months. First off will be some Australian beauties which will appear on Alans new wine board – best you get down and try some. On the subject of wine, don’t miss the Wine Supper on Bank Holiday Sunday will you? Do call and book as it may be a busy one.
Roise had her first day at an Ashes Test match yesterday and we look forward to the feedback. Did John bowl the maiden over or did he knock her into the long grass? We look forward to the match report with eager anticipation!
See you for a beer or glass of wine in the near future,
Best Wishes
Gerry and all the Gang at The Inn
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Monday, 06 July 2009 08:41 |
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Exciting week really, as we have started curing our wood burning oven. Haven’t you heard, Rob Belcher has built us a wood burning oven in the garden so we can roast, bake, smoke and burn all sorts of food. It was finished over a week ago and we have been firing it gently pretty much every day to dry out all the brickwork and get it ready for the BIG fire. Well, Lee had the Big fore today and was very excited when the inside of the oven went white which means that it is hot enough to bake a wet hippo in under a minute, or something. He tried some unleven bread (good) and some lamb kebabs (very good) and some salmon which was, Salmon! All in all great potential - we just need the door and lots more experience and we should have another string to the culinary bow of The Inn @ West End.
The piglets are two weeks old and twelve days old today and looking very fit and well. The two litters are now mixing very well although the saddleback crosses are significantly bigger than the four from the gilt. I know they are younger by two days but I feel that they aren’t gowing as fast for some reason. We should start giving them weaner pellets soon which should take the pressure off mums a bit - boy are they getting through some water. Mind you, so am I in this hot weather.
Coming up this week we have a Summer wine dinner on Thursday night with six wines, three courses and a gentle stroll around what it is to be in England, now that Summer is in full swig. There is still space, so give us a call and book your table - great value at just £39.95 including wine.
Next Sunday night we hope to have School Dinners Night if we can get enough of you to join in. 6.30 for 7.00 so it wont be too late and just £29.95 including some ‘milk’! Do book and lets try and make a fun evening of it.
Got to dash - see you soon,
Gerry and all the gang
PS do you Twitter?
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