Matt Clapison: ‘Our Strength is Our Staff’

King’s Head manager hopes customers will notice the substance as much as the style when the Market Square pub re-opens after its £450,000 refurbishment.

It is only five years since the King’s Head shook off its dusty old image and brought proper, and much-needed, cafe culture to Beverley when owners Marstons spent almost £1m on a total overhaul.

Now the browns and creams are going, booths are being added and moved and darker areas of the pub are being lightened. The rear patio area is undergoing major work as Matt and his staff continue to make the King’s Head one of the flagships of the Marston’s business.

While Matt hopes a lighter and brighter look – although, he insists, still maintaining it’s current cafe ambiance – will prove to be a head turner, it’s enhancing and improving the customer experience that he is most looking forward to.

Speaking to .net, Matt said: “Since we did the refurbishment five years ago, we have achieved far more than the original budget really planned for.

“As a consequence, there have been some customer service issues, and now we are being given the chance to make things run more smoothly.

“We are installing a new set of four pumps, for example, so we will be able to get more staff behind the bar at busy times and ensure customers are served with their order quickly and smoothly.

“I would say one of our main strengths is the staff we have built here. They are really good, loyal staff, a lot of whom have been with me for the past five years.”

“We have won awards and my assistant manageress, Kate Mawer, is the focus of a company-wide initiative focusing on customer service.

“That’s what I like to think we do well. At the end of the day, the bricks and the mortar may look lovely, but people won’t go to a place that doesn’t meet their requirements for service.”

As well as more pumps, there’ll be a new, dedicated coffee bar. There will also be a jump from two real ales to four.

A large proportion of the £450,000 will be spent on completely re-vamping the patio to the rear of the pub. A new pagoda will cover one half of the patio, with permanent seating. Matt says he plans to put out cushions in summer and offer blankets if the weather sharpens up, although outdoor heaters are still under discussion.

As part of this work, the current ‘bottle-only’ outside bar will be converted to serve draft drinks too.

Perhaps the biggest change will involve the Dyer Lane entrance to the King’s Head. While writing, planning permission was still being sought, but the plan is to install French doors on to Dyer Lane and use land owned by the pub to place chairs and tables outside.

Work is also being done to upgrade the 12 guest rooms, while the kitchen is also getting an overhaul. There’ll also be a major spruce up to the toilets, with Matt assuring HU17.net that some of the issues of drainage and smell have been dealt with.

A new head chef is also being brought in from the Green Dragon, in Welton, and Matt says “30 per cent” of the menu will become the King’s Head own specials, with the other 70 per cent made up of the current Marston’s offerings.

Unforeseen hitches aside, the King’s Head will re-open for a special VIP night on Friday, February 24. It will be open to the public the following day.

Matt admits he’s excited about the work, and believes it will help maintain the King’s Head unique place in Beverley’s social life.

“We aim for a more sophisticated, grown-up feel to the place,” continued Matt. “We don’t play chart , we don’t have a dance floor, although we do have a DJ. We don’t cater for that market.

“We have areas where people can go to eat at any time, and the music is more subdued. The main area is lighter with louder music, while behind the DJ, we have candles and lower lighting. This area is currently a little dark, so I am particularly excited about what happens here.

“This is one of only three in the Marston’s estate that caters for everyone – from mums with prams to a couple coming out at night – and that is something we are maintaining.

“It’s all about service and quality of environment here. We are not the cheapest place in town – and certainly not the dearest – but we do the little things right and believe that is what makes us stand out.

“All these changes we are doing should make things even better.”



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This article has 1 Comment

  1. Good Luck.
    The King’s Head does not cater for my type of custom: “old guy who drinks pints of beer” It had: no bar stools, either very high stools by a ledge or low settees that are hard to stand up from and, when I last went in, they said that they did not serve people wearing a hat! Quite some time ago but you would not expect someone with the sobriquet of ‘Pat the Hat’ to revisit.

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