Star Pubs Marks Major milestone with opening of 250th Just Add Talent pub
Star Pubs marked a major milestone this weekend with the reopening of its 250th Just Add Talent (JAT) managed operator pub, The Pig on the Wall, Droylesden, well ahead of the company’s end of year target.
The Pig on the Wall will be Star Pubs’ 23rd Just Add Talent in the north west of the country.
A £212,000 investment was spent converting The Pig on the Wall into a JAT community pub with a food offer and live sports. Funds were spent on a top-to-toe internal redecoration with new furniture and TVs, the installation of a new commercial kitchen, upgraded accommodation and an external makeover including new signage and a revamped beer garden with Cruzcampo furniture.
Caren Geering Central Operations Director says: “The Pig on the Wall is ideally suited to becoming a JAT pub as it is located in the heart of the community and is the only pub within a 10-minute walk of it. The addition of TVs showing live sports and focus on food now ensure there’s something for everyone. The new look, offer and much respected new operators with their local connections are a winning combination for the pub and residents.
“Our JAT pubs are community focussed, hosting events and raising funds for good causes. The low-cost and low-risk model with high levels of support and earnings potential ensures our JAT pubs are a popular choice for prospective operators. Our close involvement in the running of these pubs provides much valued insight which we share with our wider L&T estate alongside great deals that we’ve negotiated for our JAT pubs.”
The new operator running the pub on behalf of Star Pubs is publican Sylvia Morris, who has over 40 years’ experience in the pub industry, including running pubs in Droylesden for 17 years. She will be running the pub with her son, Matthew. Matthew started work as a bottle washer aged 16 and will be responsible for back-office functions.
Sylvia says: “In the past I have been responsible for everything. The JAT model takes this pressure off, enabling me to put all my energy into building the business, service delivery and making customers happy. The joy of JAT is that there’s a team behind you, there’s always someone to speak to. It’s well-structured and there are clear expectations of what is required of operators. It provides me with security, and the ability to enjoy the front-of-house, what I love doing most.
“After 40 years in the trade I didn’t think I’d learn anything from the training – I was wrong. It was really beneficial as so much thought has gone into every aspect of running a JAT pub. My eyes were opened, in a nice way.
“I don’t intend retiring any time soon, but this will be my last pub, and running a JAT pub in Droylesden will be a nice end to my career. Taking on The Pig on the Wall also brings me back to the town where I first started in the industry and where I have family still.”