Luxury B&B Magazine - November 2018 issue

Page 1

LOCALLY SOURCING FOOD

A QUEST FOR HIGH QUALITY FOOD CAN OFTEN BE FULFILLED ON YOUR DOORSTEP

CREATING A WEBSITE THAT WORKS Tips on the best and quickest ways to get your website working for you

PLUS! COCKTAIL TWISTS

FOCUSING ON THE PREMIUM END OF PRESENTATION, SPIRITS AND MIXERS

UK’S FIRST

LUXURY

B&B MAGAZINE WWW.LUXURYBBMAG.CO.UK • ISSUE 32 • NOVEMBER 2018

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this month...

Welcome With every issue of the magazine that I edit, it seems the luxury bed & breakfast market becomes more sophisticated, geared towards its guests’ greatest needs, and ever-better at delivering a premium experience. This continuous improvement in the market is occurring despite the obstacles that are thrown in its path, notably those that emerge from the digital world: online booking agencies, and biased competition from properties operating within the gig economy. In this issue we take a look at some of the fundamentals you should heed with regard to setting up your website and maintaining it (page 36). Crucially this PHDQV XSGDWLQJ LW ZLWK WKH Č´QHVW SLFWXUHV \RX FDQ WDNH WKDW VKRZ RÎ? \RXU EHORYHG SURSHUW\ We outline some easy-to-follow top tips, and after writing the feature I would make a suggestion: however you created or create your website, make sure you yourself have, or at least share, the ability to log in and update the site, whether it be through adding new photos, facilities, prices or local events. Combine this with an adherence to the top tips UHJDUGLQJ VHDUFK HQJLQH RSWLPLVDWLRQ DQG \RX ZLOO Č´QG yourself well on the way to rising to the challenge of these threats to your traditional business. In the meantime, relax a little in the knowledge that the Autumn Budget has brought some relief in the form of reduced business rates (page 8). As UKHospitality’s chief executive Kate Nicholls puts it, this was a positive Budget for hospitality.

NEWS

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10 12

Industry news from around the UK

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26

32

36

COMMENT B&B Association chairman David Weston

NUMBER ONE The owners of Blackpool luxury B&B Number One set out from day one of becoming UK’s best B&B. Co-owner Jane Smith describes how they achieved it

COCKTAILS As demand for cocktails grows we look at spirits, mixtures, techniques and presentation

LOCALLY SOURCED FOOD Demand for locally sourced food is on the rise. We look at the growing appeal of high-quality, natural food

HOW TO B&B THE BEST Out of Eden’s Holly Alderson provides six top tips for those owners starting out in the B&B sector

MAXIMISING YOUR WEBSITE With so much to go wrong – and right – we ask experts for their guide to best practice in creating and maintaining your website

36

BUSINESS INTERRUPTION

:LWK % %V ORVLQJ PRQH\ KDQG RYHU Č´VW WKURXJK EXVLQHVV interruption, an insight into some of the causes and solutions

26

Bill Lumley

Editor

12

- News -

EDITOR

Bill Lumley bill.lumley@jld-media.co.uk 07710 271 099 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Caroline Sargent 07076 362082 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Matthew Attwood 07710 271 099 NORTHERN IRELAND EDITOR

Francis Higney 07710 271 099

Luxury Bed & Breakfast invites entries for 2019 Awards Programme

Excellence in Luxury Service Award categories include: • Best Overall Luxury experience • Best Luxury Seaside B&B • Best Luxury Rural B&B • Best Luxury Urban B&B • Best Luxury Romantic Getaway • Most Inspired Luxury B&B Design • Best Culinary Experience • Best Luxury Renovation • Best Use of Locally Sourced Produce • Best Events Facility • Greatest Wow-Factor

SALES MANAGER

Frankie Butler frankie.butler@jld-media.co.uk 07590 297 877 DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Stuart West stuart.west@jld-media.co.uk PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

Helen Richmond helen.richmond@jld-media.co.uk 07765 008 507 No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher. We regret we cannot be liable for the safe custody or return of any solicited or unsolicited material. Contributors are advised to keep copies of all materials submitted. The opinions and views expressed in Luxury Bed & Breakfast are not necessarily those of JLD Media. Being subject to the Advertising Standards Authority guidelines in place at the time of going to press, all data submitted by advertisers and contained in their advertising copy is accepted by JLD Media in good faith. Luxury Bed & Breakfast is available on subscription. UK & Ireland ÂŁ65; Overseas ÂŁ98. Luxury Bed & Breakfast is published monthly. Printed by Stephens & George Ltd

Luxury Bed & Breakfast JLD Media, 25 Clarendon Road, Redhill, Surrey RH1 1QZ www.luxurybbmag.co.uk All rights reserved Š JLD Media 2018

Luxury Bed & Breakfast magazine is proud to announce the new Excellence in Luxury Service Awards. The B&B industry is a fast-growing industry valued at over ÂŁ2 billion, and we have created these awards to celebrate the success and innovations in this high-end sector of residential hospitality. Submissions will be open soon. Keep an eye on Luxury Bed & Breakfast magazine and www.luxurybbmag.co.uk Alternatively please contact Frankie Butler at frankie.butler@jld-media.co.uk

Interest grows in Luxury Bed & Breakfast membership scheme Cross-sector interest is growing in the new Luxury Bed & Breakfast membership scheme that was unveiled last month to help encourage direct bookings, share market information and boost the SURČ´OH RI WKLV OX[XU\ PDUNHW WR ZLGHU SXEOLF DSSHDO Eligibility for membership of the scheme will be judged by our team and awarded to successful applicants according to selected criteria demonstrating that they provide a high-quality experience in accommodation, breakfast and individual service.

DEFINING LUXURY There are many B&Bs that provide a luxury experience to their guests without feeling the need to resort to mainstream but worthy assessment programmes, such as the AA’s inspection and quality assurance star rating system. We will therefore not be excluding properties WKDW KDYH QRW TXDOLČ´HG IRU VXFK VWDU UDWLQJV EXW instead will judge each B&B according to the level of accommodation, facilities and service provided on an individual basis. Upon signing up to be assessed as to your eligibility for membership, a member or associate member of the Luxury Bed & Breakfast team will visit your property to form a judgement according to the guest H[SHULHQFH RQ RÎ?HU

APPROVAL PROCESS We will inspect your B&B and If you pass our approval process, you will be part of the Luxury Bed & Breakfast approved membership programme. We will provide you with marketing material to highlight that you are part of the membership programme and will help with the sales and marketing of your business as part of our approved scheme. For an additional charge luxury B&Bs can participate in our Mystery Sleeper programme, whereby ZH ZLOO FRPH DQG VWD\ DW \RXU % % ZLWKRXW DQ\ VWDÎ? knowing and report on our experience. This will include website experience, phone expeULHQFH KRZ HDV\ LW ZDV IRU JXHVWV WR Č´QG LQ UHODWLRQ to the given address and any associated instructions, customer service, bedroom, bathroom and breakfast. We will analyse everything and anything on which you want us to focus. We will then provide you with a full and detailed report that will not be for publication (unless you want LW WR EH SXEOLVKHG QRU DÎ?HFW \RXU $SSURYHG 0HPEHUship, but which will give you a real insight into your B&B and perspective on just how it is being run. For further information or to apply for membership of the Luxury Bed & Breakfast scheme please contact frankie.butler@jld-media.co.uk.

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 4 - November 2018

- News -

Harrogate property wins Picture Perfect B&B award A converted chapel in Harrogate is the winner of this year’s Picture Perfect B&B Award. The Chapel was one of three Č´QDOLVWV ZKLFK LQFOXGHG 0LOO +RXVH % % LQ UXUDO /DQFDVKLUH DQG *UH\Č´HOG ΖQQ LQ &XPEHUODQG ΖVODQG RÎ? WKH FRDVW RI WKH 86 state of Georgia. The awards feature the most stylish B&Bs, hotels, restaurant, bars and spas. For the Č´UVW WLPH WKLV \HDU HQWUDQWV IRU WKH DQQXDO Vision Style Awards, run by Vision Support Services, came from all over the world, as compared with Europe as per last year, and the UK alone in previous events. The Chapel is a grade II listed conversion SURSHUW\ V\PSDWKHWLFDOO\ UHVWRUHG Č´YH \HDUV ago to provide a distinctive historic and contemporary boutique B&B in the heart of +DUURJDWH 2ZQHU 0DUN +LQFKOLÎ?H D OLIHORQJ collector of artefacts from around the world, bought the Grade II listed church in 2013 and converted it to a residential guest house. Reacting to the award, Mark said: “It’s fantastic – it’s a great honour to get an accolade of that scale from an industry full of people that travel, host and design. On a positive side I think it is also a reward for the blood, sweat and tears that you’ve gone through from saving a grade II listed building and giving it a new congregation to ignite this bed & breakfast and the events and the weddings that we hold here. “I’m a collector – I’ve been collecting all my life – so for me it was about unveiling that collection to a lot of people that didn’t know I’d collected weird and wonderful things over the years. But it was also about

sharing that experience.â€? Giving insight into the property he said: “Through the bed & breakfast process you are inviting people into your home and you’re sharing these amazing architectural features that this shinning Italianate building has. The Italians are very philanthropic with that sharing experience, and I think we could be more like that in this country: it’s not just about something you might hear about or that you can’t see. If you come here and stay here you experience it,â€? he said. All the bedrooms in The Chapel are of GLÎ?HUHQW VW\OHV ČŠ7KH\ ZHUHQȇW SODQQHG as themed rooms but as my eclectic taste in collecting Chinese, Japanese, Indian, French and Italian – it was all about Victorian England and discovering the world,â€? he explained. The property will feature as one of the new set of contenders in the current series of Four in a Bed on Channel Four, running IRU Č´YH HSLVRGHV IURP 0RQGD\ 1RYHPEHU The Chapel is featured in the edition on 7KXUVGD\ 1RYHPEHU 0DUN WROG Luxury Bed & Breakfast: “The way it all unfolds is truly like a Shakespearean play.â€? One of the other two shortlisted properties was Mill House, “a dreamy residence nestled on the banks of the river Wyre in rural Lancashire, sitting next to a rushing weir it’s an ideal place to relax and enjoy the spectacular wildlife.â€? 7KH RQO\ QRQ 8. % % Č´QDOLVW ZDV *UH\Č´HOG Inn, USA, a historic mansion located on Cumberland Island, the remote southernmost coastal island of Georgia’s Golden Isles.

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 5 - November 2018

Luxury B&Bs come top in the 2018 eviivo Awards Winners of the 2018 eviivo Awards were presented last month at a Venetian Carnival themed event in London’s St James. The Eviivo Star Amongst Stars Award was this year won by The Hill Club, a B&B in East %ULGJIRUG 1RWWLQJKDPVKLUH DQG WKH DZDUG IRU Outstanding Host was presented to Bowens Bed & Breakfast, Fownhope, Herefordshire. For the second year in a row, awards were open to both eviivo and non-eviivo customers, establishing the eviivo Awards as an industry-wide event. The judging panel included industry experts, journalists including Luxury Bed & Breakfast editor Bill Lumley and celebrity chef, Phil Vickery, all of whom were hugely impressed by the quality of the entries. Marketing director Ed Goldswain said: “The night was a roaring success and we were thrilled that so many hosts and industry names made it to the fabulous event.� The awards saw the Quirkiest Place to Stay crowned and the most inventive budget accommodation awarded Budget with a Twist.

- News -

UK hospitality sector gives budget a cautious welcome % %V DFURVV WKH 8. VWDQG WR JDLQ IURP a number of measures announced by Chancellor Phillip Hammond in his Autumn Budget. The B&B Association has welcomed the Chancellor’s announcement in the budget of a reduction in business rates. For the next two years, businesses with a rateable value RI XS WR e N ZLOO KDYH WKHLU UDWHV UHGXFHG by a third. According to Government, this will mean an annual saving of "up to ÂŁ8,000 for up to 90% of all independent shops, pubs, restaurants and cafes". Association chairman David Weston told Luxury Bed & Breakfast magazine: “This does seem to be good news for many guest houses, small hotels and B&Bs who have seen disproportionate business rate increases.â€? A number of other measures will have an impact of varying degress on the B&B sector. One of the key tourism announcements was the Government’s response to the call for evidence on the impact of VAT and air passenger GXW\ $3' RQ WRXULVP LQ 1RUWKHUQ ΖUHODQG Beer, spirits and cider duty was frozen, but wine has yet again been hit by the usual RPI increases. Commenting on alcohol duty measures Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association said: “We welcome the Government’s decision to freeze duty on spirits, which will support this great British sector to invest, grow and create jobs - as well DV VXSSRUWLQJ WKH SXEOLF Č´QDQFHV WKURXJK increased revenues. “However, the decision by the Chancellor WR LQFUHDVH ZLQH UDWHV VLJQLČ´FDQWO\ LV D KDPmer blow to this great British industry. It actively undermines a sector that has been hardest hit since the Brexit Referendum and will be thoroughly unwelcome for the 33 million consumers of the nation’s most popular alcoholic drink. “This inflationary rise is grossly unfair, unjustified and counter-productive. The UK is the world’s biggest wine trading nation and, as such, deserves government’s support, not punishment. The wine industry is, unfortunately, no stranger to harsh treatment from Chancellors. Since 2012 wine overtook beer as the largest

contributor to the public purse through duty payments, and no alcoholic drink has paid more to the Treasury since then. "Today’s announcement means that only twice since 2003 that Chancellors from either party have showed their support to an industry employing some 190,000 people across the country,� said Beale. UKHospitality has reacted to the Chancellor’s Budget Statement by welcoming support for hospitality businesses, but called on the Government to follow-up with continued dialogue and backing for hardworking businesses. &KLHI H[HFXWLYH .DWH 1LFKROOV VDLG 7KLV ZDV a positive Budget for hospitality, recognising and acknowledging our core campaigns around employment costs, business rates and digital paying its fair share – together with a positive outcome on excise duty, latte levy and non-residential capex and investment allowances. We estimate the measures announced in the Budget as a result of our FDPSDLJQV DUH OLNHO\ WR VDYH WKH WUDGH e P “Hospitality businesses have been devastated by spiralling business rates costs, so steps to address this are welcome. UKHospitality has exhaustively campaigned for support for the sector on business rates, so it is positive to see the Government listening. “Cutting bills for smaller businesses by a third will provide some much-needed support and is a positive move by the Government. This, along with the introduction of a new tax on digital businesses, to ensure they pay their fair share, needs to be a springLuxury Bed & Breakfast - 6 - November 2018

board for further businesses rates reform. “The funds raised by this new tax should be used to ease the unfair tax burdens being shouldered by hospitality businesses to help stop the continued devastation of high streets. If the Government is serious about updating the rates system then we still need to see a thorough, root and branch reform of WKH ZKROH V\VWHP WR HQVXUH LW LV IDLU DQG Č´W for purpose in the 21st Century. “Reducing the cost of apprenticeships for SMEs is a pragmatic and positive step towards tackling recruitment and retention problems being faced by businesses. “The hospitality sector has already taken, DQG FRQWLQXHV WR WDNH HÎ?RUW WR WDFNOH SODVWLF waste, and UKHospitality has been working with its members and the wider sector to help drive this. As the Chancellor rightly said, a latte levy would not necessarily help tackle waste but would increase costs for businesses and, ultimately, consumers. Avoiding this unnecessary additional tax is very welcome. “A freeze in the rate of beer, cider and spirits duty, something we have continually called for, will also help avoid an additional squeeze on the hospitality sector. “The Chancellor has taken some positive steps to reassure and support hospitality businesses during uncertain political and economic times. We are now calling on the Government to follow this positive Budget with continued support for businesses, as we close in on our withdrawal from the EU,â€? she concluded.

- News -

Changes affecting tourism announced in the Budget NORTHERN IRELAND VAT AND APD REVIEW – GOVT RESPONSE • There will be no changes to the VAT or air passenger duty (APD) regimes LQ 1RUWKHUQ ΖUHODQG DW WKLV WLPH 7KH government will continue to explore ways to support a successful and growing tourism industry. In particular, establishing a technical working group to consider the practical and legal challenges to changing shortKDXO $3' LQ 1RUWKHUQ ΖUHODQG

AIR PASSENGER DUTY • 1 R FKDQJH LQ $3' UDWH IRU VKRUW KDXO ȾLJKWV DQG LQ IXWXUH $3' ZLOO EH LQȾDWLRQ LQGH[HG WR LQȾDWLRQ IURP • Long-haul rates for APD will rise by £2 (£4 for non economy classes) in 2019

CONDITIONALITY • The government will consider legislating at Finance Bill 2019-20 to introduce a tax registration check linked to licence renewal processes for some public sector licences. Applicants would need to provide proof they are correctly registered for tax in order to be granted licences

DIGITAL • e P DOORFDWHG IURP WKH 13Ζ) WR SLORW innovative approaches to deploying IXOO ȴEUH LQWHUQHW LQ UXUDO ORFDWLRQV starting with primary schools, and with a voucher scheme for homes DQG EXVLQHVVHV QHDUE\ 7KH ȴUVW ZDYH of this will include the Borderlands, Cornwall, and the Welsh Valleys.

DIGITAL TAX APPRENTICESHIPS • From April 2019, large businesses ZLOO EH DEOH WR LQYHVW XS WR RI their apprenticeship levy to support apprentices in their supply chain. • Some SMEs, which includes B&Bs, will pay half of what they currently pay for apprenticeship WUDLQLQJ IURP WR

BORDER CONTROLS • E-passport gates to be opened up to citizens from the USA, Canada, $XVWUDOLD 1HZ =HDODQG DQG -DSDQ This means that the KPI for waiting WLPHV ZLOO EH UHGXFHG IURP PLQV WR PLQV IRU WKHVH YLVLWRUV

BUSINESS RATE RELIEF – SELF CATERING • To ensure that second properties are subject to the appropriate tax, the government will consult on the criteria under which self-catering and holiday lets become chargeable to business rates rather than council tax.

CITY OF CULTURE • 7KH JRYHUQPHQW ZLOO LQYHVW e million in Coventry’s plans to showcase the city when it hosts the UK City of Culture in 2021

• Introducing a UK Digital Services Tax that will be targeted at tech giants, JHQHUDWLQJ DW OHDVW e P LQ JOREDO VDOHV DQG ZLOO FRPH LQWR HÎ?HFW LQ DQG LV expected to raise ÂŁ400m per annum • The tax will be a 2% of the revenues of search engines, social media platforms and online marketplaces.

ENTERPRISE TAX • Annual Investment Allowance to increase from £200,000 to £1 million for all qualifying investment in plant and machinery made on or after 1 January 2019 until 31 December 2020 • 1HZ QRQ UHVLGHQWLDO VWUXFWXUHV DQG buildings will be eligible for a 2% capital allowance where all the contracts for the physical construction works are entered into on or after 29 October 2018 • From April 2019, the capital allowances special rate for qualifying plant and machinery assets will be reduced from 8% to 6% • From 6 April 2019 the minimum period throughout which the qualifying conditions for relief must be met will be extended from 12 months to 24 months.

FUEL DUTY • Frozen yet again for the ninth year • 1DWLRQDO /LYLQJ :DJH • 7KH 1DWLRQDO /LYLQJ :DJH ZLOO LQFUHDVH from £7.83 an hour to £8.21in April 2019

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 7 - November 2018

PLASTIC TAX • 1HZ WD[ RQ SODVWLF WKDW KDV OHVV WKDQ 30% recycled material. The government will consult on the detail and implementation timetable. • 1R QHZ WD[ RQ SODVWLF FXSV DW WKH moment but the situation will be kept under review.

SHARING ECONOMY - TEST FOR RENT-A-ROOM RELIEF • Following consultation, the government will not include legislation for the ‘shared occupancy test’ in the Finance Bill 2018-19. The government will retain the existing qualifying test of letting in a main or only residence, and will work with stakeholders to ensure that the rules around the relief are clearly understood.

SHORT TERM BUSINESS VISITS • The government will widen eligibility for the STBV Pay As You Earn (PAYE) special arrangement and extend its deadlines for reporting and paying tax.

TRANSPORT • ÂŁ420m is being made available for pothole repairs • A new railcard for all young people aged 26 to 30 by the end of the year, which ZLOO JLYH XS WR D WKLUG RÎ? PRVW UDLO WUDYHO • (VWDEOLVKLQJ D e ELOOLRQ 1DWLRQDO Roads Fund, paid for by road tax • The Transforming Cities Fund will be extended to 2022-23 with an extra ÂŁ240m being made available.

VAT • VAT threshold to be left at the current OHYHO RI e N IRU WKH QH[W WZR \HDUV DQG work to be undertaken on how to rePRYH WKH FOLÎ? HGJH RI 9$7 UHJLVWUDWLRQ

WEDDINGS • The government has asked the Law Commission to propose options for a simpler and fairer system to give modern couples more choice.

- News -

Falling room rates top industry concerns $ VXUYH\ E\ 0LWUH /LQHQ RI DOPRVW LQGHSHQGHQW 8. KRWHOLHUV KDV UHYHDOHG WKDW review sites such as TripAdvisor, falling room rates and the impact of Brexit are among the key business challenges facing hotels and guest houses today. Mitre Connects asked the survey’s respondents to comment last month on the challenges and the factors they felt were impacting their businesses the most. Falling room rates were cited by 31% of respondents as their chief concern, with business rates at 19%, increasing food prices at 7.0% and Brexit at 6.0% also being issues. The Budget announcement that smaller businesses will have their business rates reduced by one third will go some way to addressing the concerns of respondents. Overall, independent hoteliers are faced ZLWK Č´QDQFLDO LQČľXHQFHV WKDW DUH ODUJHO\ out of their control as they also deal with increasing competitiveness, skill shortages, guest feedback sites and the impact of VRFLDO PHGLD RQ WKH VHFWRU 1HDUO\ WKUHH quarters of respondents – 72% – recruit VWDÎ? YLD ZRUG RI PRXWK -XVW XQGHU WZR WKLUGV RI VXUYH\ respondents were members of an online travel agency (OTA), with Booking.com being the most popular, followed by Airbnb. Feedback and/or review sites such as TripAdvisor were cited as important or very important by 81% of those surveyed. All respondents said that ensuring that their guests were getting a good night’s sleep was paramount, with 87% citing it as very important and 13% saying it was important. 2WKHU Č´QGLQJV RI WKH VXUYH\ UHODWHG WR the frequency with which a guest house will

change guests’ bedding if they are staying for a week. Just over a third of respondents (34%) said they change the linen every third day, 29% said that they wouldn’t change it at all over the seven days, and 17% were happy to refresh the sheets either every day or every other day. When the same hoteliers were asked about EDWKURRP WRZHOV VRPH VDLG WKH\ ZRXOG change the towels every day or do so every other day, nearly a quarter - 23% - would OHDYH LW WR WKH WKLUG RU IRXUWK GD\ DQG MXVW said they would not change the towels at all. Unsurprisingly, many hotels (28%) left the decision as to when the towels were changed

to the guests, highlighting the increase in environmentally friendly messages. Mitre Linen managing director Simon O’Mahony said the survey was designed to provide Mitre’s customers with business-critical information from their peers. “Mitre Linen is well known for high quality hotel supplies, excellent industry knowledge and award-winning service; we always aim to go further for our customers. The Mitre Connects survey enables us to facilitate knowledge sharing among our clientele in increasingly challenging times. Also, as a supplier, it provides us with the insight to better meet the needs of our customers,� he said.

INDEPENDENT HOTELIERS’ CHIEF CONCERNS

37% 31%

19%

7%

Falling room rates

Business rates

Increasing food prices

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 8 - November 2018

6%

Brexit

Other Source: Mitre Linen

- News -

#MyMicrogap campaign launches urging young Brits to take more short breaks in the UK VisitEngland has launched a campaign to inspire more young Brits to discover the 8. E\ WDNLQJ PLQL JDS \HDU VW\OH EUHDNV 7KH e PLOOLRQ Ȇ-RLQ WKH :RUOG Č‚ 0\0Lcrogap’ campaign targets young people with experiences and activities typically taken during a gap-year that can be condensed into a micro-holiday of one to three nights in WKH 8. 7KH FDPSDLJQ NLFNHG RÎ? DW WKH HQG RI 2FWREHU ZLWK WKH WKH Č´UVW LQ D VHULHV RI VKRUW Č´OPV WKDW DUH EHLQJ UROOHG RXW DFURVV digital display and social media channels during the coming months. The campaign, run in partnership with the WRXULVP RUJDQLVDWLRQV RI 1RUWKHUQ ΖUHODQG Scotland and Wales, is part of a drive to get more young people to holiday at home. According to the tourist authority, statistics show that in 2016, 16-to-34 year olds took almost 1.4 million fewer holidays in Britain than a decade earlier. The microgap campaign follows research by VisitEngland into the travel habits of young Brits, which showed that less than a quarter (24%) of 18-to-34 year olds were likely to take a

career break to travel in the next three years. The idea of microgapping, however, appealed to almost two-thirds (64%) with more WKDQ KDOI OLNHO\ WR WDNH D PLFURJDS GXUing the next three years. Research showed that young people keen on taking a microgap wanted the same self-development opportunities typical of a gap-year. Top activities and experiences sought were wellbeing and relaxation, visiting iconic landmarks, trying local food and drink and seeing nature and wildlife. VisitBritain/VisitEngland director of marketing Clare Mullin said that whether learning a new skill, volunteering or ticking RÎ? D EXFNHW OLVW H[SHULHQFH WKH 8. ZDV packed full of life-enriching experiences right here on our doorstep. She said: “From mastering the pottery ZKHHO DW D FHUDPLFV FRXUVH LQ 1RUWK :DOHV to walking alpacas in the Lake District, from FDQRHLQJ RQ 6WUDQJIRUG /RXJK LQ 1RUWKHUQ Ireland to soaking up the live music scene in Glasgow, Scotland, we want young people to take a new look at the adventures, experi-

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 9 - November 2018

HQFHV DQG GHVWLQDWLRQV RQ RÎ?HU “Working with destinations and tourism businesses, we want to ignite the passion for domestic travel in young people, inspiring them to take a holiday at home in the UK right now and throughout their lifetimes, boosting the economy now and driving growth from tourism in the future.â€? &RQWHQW IRU WKH Ȇ-RLQ WKH :RUOG Č‚ 0\0Lcrogap’, campaign, which runs until the end of March 2019, is being developed in partnership with VICE, based on the motivations for microgaps. As well as running across 9Ζ&(ȇV VRFLDO PHGLD FKDQQHOV 0\0LFURJDS ZRXOG DOVR GULYH RQOLQH WUDÉ?F WR ZZZ visitbritain.com/jointheworld with microgap itineraries and experiences to explore. -RLQ WKH :RUOG Č‚ 0\0LFURJDS SDUW RI WKH 8. *RYHUQPHQWȇV *5($7 %ULWDLQ 1RUWKHUQ Ireland campaign, is expected to generate an additional ÂŁ62 million in domestic tourism spend for the economy. It builds on an earlier campaign in 2017, which targeted the ‘lost generation’ of young Brits encouraging them to take a holiday at home.

- Comment / Bed & Breakfast Association -

Music licensing for your business Penalties loom over an uneven playing field of music licensing fees. David Weston Chairman of the Bed & Breakfast Association reports.

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 10 - November 2018

- Comment / Bed & Breakfast Association -

omeone calculated that if you R΍HU DFFRPPRGDWLRQ DQG IRRG WR paying guests, you have to comply ZLWK GL΍HUHQW UXOHV UHJXODWLRQV DQG UHTXLUHPHQWV Ζ KDYHQȇW FRXQWHG WKHP XS EXW FDQ TXLWH EHOLHYH LW $QG RQH DUHD RI UHG WDSH WKDW LV RIWHQ UDLVHG E\ RXU PHPEHUV LV PXVLF OLFHQVLQJ 0RVW QHZ % % RZQHUV DUH VXUSULVHG WR ȴ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Ȃ DQG ZRQGHU LI WKH\ DUH OHJLWLPDWH 7KH VKRUW DQVZHU LV \HV 356 33/ KDYH WKH OHJDO ULJKW WR FKDUJH OLFHQFH IHHV RI DOO EXVLQHVVHV DQG ZRUNSODFHV DQG KDYH GRQH IRU PDQ\ \HDUV DV WZR VHSDUDWH RUJDQLVDWLRQV 356 UHSUHVHQWV FRPSRVHUV DQG 33/ UHSUHVHQWV SHUIRUPHUV DQG UHFRUG ODEHOV 2QH LVVXH WR EH DZDUH RI LV WKH VWDWXV RI VR FDOOHG SXEOLF DUHDV Ȃ H J \RXU ORXQJH RU EUHDNIDVW URRP 33/ 356 FKDUJH D KLJKHU DGGLWLRQDO UDWH IRU PXVLF LQ VXFK DUHDV LQFOXGLQJ 79V RU UDGLRV EDVHG RQ WKH FRQFHSW WKDW WKHVH DUH OLNH KRWHO SXEOLF DUHDV :KHUHDV IRU % %V RI FRXUVH WKHUH DUH RQO\ WKH VDPH JXHVWV SUHVHQW QRW RXWVLGH PHPEHUV RI WKH SXEOLF DV LQ D KRWHO OREE\ RU EDU 6R ZH KDYH DOZD\V DUJXHG WKDW WKLV LV LQ H΍HFW GRXEOH FKDUJLQJ 33/ FKDUJHV e 9$7 IRU XS WR EHGURRPV DQG DQ DGGLWLRQDO e IRU EDFNJURXQG PXVLF LI DSSOLFDEOH 356 FKDUJHV e IRU XS WR EHGURRPV LQFOXGLQJ PXVLF LQ FRUULGRUV DQG IR\HUV EXW WKH\ DOVR KDYH D VHSDUDWH FKDUJH IRU EDFNJURXQG PXVLF LQ ȊORXQJHV EDUVȐ GLQLQJ URRPV DQG RWKHU URRPV IRU WKH JHQHUDO XVH RI JXHVWVȋ VHDWLQJ XS WR RI e SOXV 9$7 IRU 79 DQG WKH VDPH DJDLQ IRU UDGLR <RX PD\ IHHO LW EHVW QRW WR KDYH D 79 RU UDGLR LQ \RXU ORXQJH RU EUHDNIDVW URRP XQOHVV \RX DUH KDSS\ SD\LQJ WKHVH DGGLWLRQDO OLFHQVH IHHV IRU VR FDOOHG EDFNJURXQG PXVLF %H ZDUQHG 356 DQG 33/ WDUL΍V ERWK KDYH

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SHQDOW\ VXUFKDUJHV LI \RX KDG QRW DSSOLHG IRU WKH OLFHQFHV \RXUVHOI LQ JRRG WLPH ΖQ RWKHU ZRUGV LI they found you, they will FKDUJH \RX PRUH 2I FRXUVH WKLV \HW DJDLQ KLJKOLJKWV WKH XQIDLU FRPSHWLWLRQ IURP SHHU WR SHHU SODWIRUPV VXFK DV $LUEQE ZKRVH KRVWV ZRQȇW JHQHUDOO\ be paying these licence fees, even though WKH\ GR DSSO\ HTXDOO\ WR WKHP DV WKH\ WDNH SD\LQJ JXHVWV 7KLV XQIDLUQHVV LV VLPSO\ EHFDXVH 33/ 356 FDQ RQO\ ȊȴQGȋ WKH RU VR % %V WR FKDVH WKHP IRU SD\PHQW ZKHUHDV WKH SOXV $LUEQE KRVWV DUH LQYLVLEOH WR UHJXODWRUV ZKRVH QDPHV DQG IXOO DGGUHVVHV DUH QRW RQ WKH $LUEQE ZHEVLWH 6R DV LQ RWKHU DUHDV ȆERQD ȴGHȇ % %V DUH SD\LQJ DOO WKH FRVWV 7KLV SOD\LQJ ȴHOG XUJHQWO\ QHHGV OHYHOOLQJ The Bed & Breakfast Association is the UK trade association for B&B, guest house and independent hotel owners, and exists to inform, support & represent owners. Membership costs £60 a year. The Association is a non-profit organization with no shareholders, dedicated solely to the interests of its members. www.bandbassociation.org

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 11 - November 2018

- 3URÈ´OH Number One -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 12 - November 2018

Being Number One When the owners of Blackpool's five-star B&B, Number One St Luke's changed career and moved into hospitality, they set themselves a goal: to become number one. Bill Lumley catches up with Claire Smith to find out the secret to their success

- 3URČ´OH Number One -

laire Smith and husband Mark have been in the business of running luxury B&Bs for 26 years. During this time their goal has been to stand out as the best in the UK. Mark’s parents and grandparents were hoteliers, but neither he nor Claire had experience working in residential hospitality: before the FRXSOH RSHQHG WKHLU Č´UVW % % KH UDQ D Č´VK chip shop and she worked in a bank. They mutually decided to jack in their careers when their son was approaching school age and needed at least one of them around to collect him from school. Claire explains: “In those days there was no SUH VFKRRO VR LW ZDV DOO Č´QH XQWLO KH UHDFKHG VFKRRO DJH DQG VFKRRO Č´QLVKHV DW SP Ζ didn’t want to give up the job I loved and my husband didn’t want to sell his own business, so we agreed that we both would give up our jobs. We bought a B&B, The Old Coach House in Blackpool, purely because we wanted to work around school hours. At the time that was our only option,â€? she explains. This turned out to be a winning move for Claire. “I have had a wonderful career so far. I still love every minute of running the B&B. Ζ ZDV DOVR HÎ?HFWLYHO\ D VWD\ DW KRPH PXP It also meant I never missed anything he did at school because the business was a partnership between me and my husband: he covered for me, or vice versa. I have therefore got to have my cake and eat it, and I think few women have the opportunity to be hard-working mother and strike the right balance with a career.

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BLACKPOOL One of the wonderful things about running a B&B in Blackpool from a business sense is that at a time when all the other seaside resorts are closing down at the beginning of September when the children go back to school, Blackpool is in fact winding up with an extra nine weeks, its busiest period of the year. "When everyone else is winding down we have to go up three gears. The October half-term fortnight is the busiest weeks of our year, giving us an extra nine-week bite of the apple," says Claire. There is a vast amount of competition: 7KHUH DUH %ODFNSRRO % %V JXHVW KRXVHV DQG KRWHOV 7R FRPSHWH \RX KDYH WR ȴQG your niche. You have to identify your own target market and ensure it’s a market you know about and understand," she says. When Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 14 - November 2018

- 3URČ´OH Number One -

ZH ERXJKW RXU Č´UVW % % LW KDG EHHQ UDWHG three diamonds by the tourist board and we studied the B&B market in Blackpool to see ZKDW ZH FRXOG GR WR EH GLÎ?HUHQW DQG VDZ DW that time there.

TARGET MARKET When you run a B&B you have to look at what people in your target market want and need, she says. Number One’s target guest LV DQ\RQH ZKR DSSUHFLDWHV Č´YH VWDU DFFRPmodation, whether romantic couples, people away on business, or tourists with a taste for WKH Č´QHU WKLQJV LQ OLIH She tells Luxury Bed & Breakfast: “We saw the gap between what we had bought and Č´YH GLDPRQG UDWHG SURSHUWLHV 7KHQ ZH ORRNHG DW ZKDW JXHVWV YLVLWLQJ Č´YH GLDPRQG properties need, to make sure we had all those requirements set in place.â€? The major requirement they found was car parking, so they had to ensure they had such at the property. “There was also a certain need for a garden, but that was not as high a priority as parking. You have to do your research: you

can’t go into this with your eyes shut.â€? Although moving into the business was made easier owing to Mark’s family backJURXQG LQ WKH KRWHO EXVLQHVV DFKLHYLQJ Č´YH GLDPRQGV ZDV D GLÎ?HUHQW PDWWHU 6R VKH says she approached the forerunner to Visit England, the English Tourist Board, and asked if they could send an inspector down to help DGYLVH WKHP KRZ WR JHW XS WR Č´YH GLDPRQGV

INSPECTOR ADVICE Claire says: “They sent a wonderful man named Julian who became our mentor for the QH[W WR \HDUV ΖQVSHFWRUV OLNH KLP VHH LW all: what works, what doesn’t work; they see GLÎ?HUHQW DUHDV RI WKH FRXQWU\ WKH\ NQRZ WKH changing moods in the marketplace. One of my key pieces of advice for B&B owners is to make use of these people. You are after all paying for your accreditation.â€? Julian came down, looked at their property and told them just what they had to do, she says. “He also told us in no uncertain terms that LI ZH ZDQWHG WR DFKLHYH Č´YH GLDPRQG VWDWXV then we would have no choice but to stay in a

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 15 - November 2018

Č´YH GLDPRQG % % RU JXHVWKRXVH RXUVHOYHV +H assured us that we would then know what that extra factor is that he said he could not explain it to us that would make us stand out.â€? -XOLDQ VHQW WKH FRXSOH RÎ? WR WKH /DNH 'LVWULFW ZKHUH WKH\ VWD\HG LQ WZR Č´YH GLDPRQG B&Bs, with instructions to stay overnight. Claire says: “You can’t just go and look around, because it’s about the experience, a feel for the place that you can’t explain to anyone, but that you know immediately: that wow factor, going above and beyond in terms of service, what is in your rooms, the quality of the furnishings. It’s the whole package. “It immediately became clear what he meant when he said he couldn’t tell us about it but that we had to go and experience it,â€? she says. She realised then that staying whenever you can at properties like your own was a way of staying on top of things to make sure you are at your best. “We do it whenever we have spare time to spend, seeing what everybody else is doing. I then sit on the end of the bed after breakfast and take down notes. Some things they do better, some things they do in

- 3URČ´OH Number One -

a way that I don’t particularly like, but I like WKH LGHD LWVHOI VR Ζ LQWHUSUHW LW LQ D GLÎ?HUHQW way,â€? she explains. “It is important to make the time to do this because it is such a vibrant, fast-changing and demanding industry and you have to be on the ball all the time and have to change with every new requirement, so get out there and see what everybody else is doing. “But what a lovely chore to have! It’s hardly demanding work, and helps fulfil the need for you to keep adapting to stay on top of it all,â€? she adds. Claire and Mark returned to Blackpool convinced that they could get their property up to scratch, but Claire was not sure after meeting the owners of the B&B properties LQ WKH /DNH 'LVWULFW ZKHWKHU VKH DQG KHU KXVEDQG WKHPVHOYHV ZHUH Č´YH VWDU -XOLDQȇV response was: “Don’t worry about it, it’s Blackpool – you’ll get away with it.â€? “And I basically feel we have been getting away with it for 26 years!â€? says Claire.

SPOTLIGHT ON PRACTICALITIES 7KH FRXSOH ERXJKW WKHLU Č´UVW Č´YH EHGURRP B&B, and when they left 12 years later it had 11 bedrooms and a restaurant. Claire says: “When we built the new wing over the old coach house we put in four more letting URRPV DQG ZH KDG FHQWUH OLJKWLQJ Č´WWHG WR match the rest of the property. This was just at the time when ceiling spotlights were becoming fashionable. Part of the new wing took our private living accommodation, so ZH PRYHG XS D ČľRRU LQWR WKH DWWLF DQG Ζ ZDV delighted with the conversion. “But then Julian came and looked around the new letting rooms, and he pointed out that in DOO WKH WRS ČľRRU URRPV RXU URRPV ZH KDG VSRWlights, while in the new guest bedrooms downstairs we had centre lights. He simply asked ZK\ ZH KDG Č´WWHG VSRWOLJKWV LQ RXU OLYLQJ URRP I said this was so that when we were watching television we could dim them, but at the far end of the room is my desk and when I was working I could turn the lights up. So he asked us to consider whom we were attracting to the B&B, and the answer was both the romantics who want to turn the lights down, and the business people who want to turn them up. “Over the next three years, as and when we were decorating rooms, we took the centre lights out, had the ceilings replastered and dimmable spotlights put in. “We could have saved ourselves so much time, money and HÎ?RUW LI RQO\ ZHȇG thought Č´UVW DERXW ZKDW ZH Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 16 - November 2018

- 3URČ´OH Number One -

were doing, but sometimes you just need the obvious pointing out,� she says.

She has a tiler in redoing one of the en suite bedrooms as we speak, Claire says: “I don’t alORZ KLP WR DUULYH XQWLO DIWHU DP DQG E\ WKH time people start coming back to the B&B at 4pm I want him gone. That was the provision when he took the job on – that I would be very picky about his hours and about when he can make noise and when he can’t. When everybody’s in, he can grout but he cannot cut tiles. You have got to protect your guests.â€? Another thing in this regard is that Number One does not allow anyone to check in after SP ȊΖI D JXHVW KDV WR JHW XS HDUO\ LQ WKH morning after a full day out in Blackpool they might have an early night and be in bed by SP <RX GRQȇW WKHQ ZDQW VRPHRQH KXPSing up and down the stairs with suitcases and talking in a loud voice. You have to protect the guests and ensure they have the best possible time that you can manage,â€? she says.

INTERIOR DESIGN On another occasion the couple rang their mentor, Julian, to ask his advice concerning one of the older, smaller bedrooms that only had a small en suite. If they were to put a bath in it’d be too tight. “He said forget the bath, put a big shower in,� says Claire. “If you’ve got a small bedroom, go over the top with the furnishing and the curtains. This means that instead of somebody walking in and commenting on the small size of the room, they exclaim what an amazing shower, beautiful wallpaper, fabulous curtains or gorgeous bedspread it has. “The lesson was to focus on the good things, for you can’t always change the structure of a room. That’s the value of having an accreditation or inspection. I’d urge luxury B&B owners to make use of the accreditation agency. It’s simple to do so: if you ring up and ask for help, you will get it. These people have seen it all, that’s what they do. It’s their job.�

AVOID WHAT ISN’T YOU If, like Claire and Mark, you are aiming for the top, and there is something you aren’t good at - or that you don’t like doing – simply don’t do it, because you won’t do it well, she stresses. For example, Number One is not particularly family-orientated. Claire says: “We’re beyond children now, so pre-children and post-children guests are our target market.â€? She is essentially looking after and respecting her guests, she explains. “I spend my whole life trying to protect my guests. I protect them from noise, I will show them the right or the easiest way to do WKLQJV Č´QG RXW ZKDW WKH\ DUH LQWHUHVWHG LQ Č‹ Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 17 - November 2018

BOUTIQUE OFFERINGS IN BLACKPOOL There is a growing demand for high-end accommodation in Blackpool. “The seaside resort has fabulous attractions,â€? she says. “We do entertainment better than anywhere else in the country. For example, we have so many shows at the Winter Gardens.â€? A new conference centre is being built in the town that will soon attract more business people. “That’s the wonderful thing about Blackpool: we have accommodation from one WR Č´YH VWDUV IRU HYHU\ SRFNHW EXW HYHU\ FKRLFH and taste as well. A one-star property is as LPSRUWDQW WR %ODFNSRRO DV D Č´YH VWDU :HȇYH got to get a balance as we don’t have enough IRXU RU Č´YH VWDUV Č‹ VKH DGGV WHOOLQJO\

WHAT MAKES NO.1 FIVE STAR? 1XPEHU 2QH DOVR TXDOLČ´HV IRU LWV DFFUHGLWHG status by its location in a quiet area of Blackpool, with a bus stop at the end of the garden, and it is a three minute walk to the promenade to catch a tram. It also has a garden with a hot tub. “You’ve got to think of what most people don’t have at home,â€? says Claire. “All our beds are king-size, and all our TVs are at least 47-inch. All rooms have a CD and DVD player and a small library of DVDs, CDs and ERRNV DV ZHOO DV WHD DQG FRÎ?HH EDWKUREH slippers, hair dryer. All our baths are whirlpool baths, with splash TVs in the bathrooms. All our showers are power showers and separate to the bath. “People like strong powerful showers with plenty of hot water and many leisure guests like

- 3URČ´OH Number One -

a bath as they don’t have time at home. Our biggest expense is hot water. We have a pressurised water system so we never run out.â€? :LWK Č´YH VWDUV \RX KDYH WR EH FRPSOHWHO\ prepared to change beds every day, she says, owing to the trend in shorter stays. “Over the decades trends have moved in one direction. Mark’s grandparents would have visitors for a fortnight, his parents were taking bookings for a week, and now if I get a three-night booking I think ‘wow!’ unless the guests conFHUQHG DUH FRPLQJ IRU VRPHWKLQJ VSHFLČ´F OLNH a week-long golf championship. One night in the week and two at the weekend is the norm – and that makes it more expensive to run because you are changing beds so frequently.â€? The couple now have two properties, the WKUHH EHGURRP 1XPEHU 2QH 6W /XNHV &ODLUH runs, which won B&B of the year, and Number One South Beach, which is just around the corner and owned by her husband Mark and his EXVLQHVV SDUWQHU D Č´YH VWDU JROG JXHVWKRXVH with 14 rooms, a bar and a restaurant.

POOR GUEST ENCOUNTERS “We have had our share of bad guests though not as many as you’d think, but those are the ones you remember. And they hurt,â€? she says. She remembers one particularly horrible incident. “It was a younger couple with a nine\HDU ROG JLUO Č‚ Ζ GRQȇW WDNH FKLOGUHQ XQGHU Č´YH and I only have one room which has basically a sofa bed. They were staying because the man had received an inheritance cheque and they were what I can only describe as rough.

My attitude when they arrived was you take it all - and online bookings mean you have no clue who is coming, which can be scary when you live in the same place. “The upshot was that they went out and got drunk. Then they came back, and he beat up his partner. The child was screaming, and I could hear furniture being thrown. “The saddest part was this: I ran upstairs, ran into the room and grabbed the little girl and brought her down and put her in our lounge, sat her down and said, ‘You sit there. It’ll all be Č´QH ȇ $QG VKH UHSOLHG Ȇ2K MXVW ULQJ WKH SROLFH and they will come and take Daddy away.’ “And that’s what I did, and what they did. And I wondered how many times this had happened. It quite frightened me and the HÎ?HFW ODVWHG IRU PRQWKV :KHQ WKH MREV ZHUH

DOO Č´QLVKHG LQ WKH HYHQLQJV ΖȇG VLW RQ WKH HGJH of the settee listening for every movement upstairs and and I had to learn to trust again. “But that is the only horrible experience in 26 years,â€? she says.

TRIPADVISOR REVIEWS No matter how hard you try there will always be someone who puts an unreasonable, poor review online. “I don’t know that you ever develop a thick enough skin to do this job,� says Claire. “With the likes of TripAdvisor, on the occasions when somebody says something awful, you feel sick, literally like being kicked in the stomach. “People don’t realise how much they hurt you if they don’t do this kind of job where there is this facility for anonymous reviews. Sometimes it’s true and things happened that you weren't able to put right but that’s not usually the case. It’s more often that they have not alerted you to what it is their complaint concerns, and therefore you have not been given the opportunity to put things right, and sometimes it’s downright lies.�

COMMUNITY RESPONSE The industry was very good at cracking down on certain forms of deliberately disruptive behaviour, she says. “With the advent of Trip Advisor a number of years ago, in the early days we were getting callers asking whether we would give them a discount if they gave a good review on TripAdvisor. That’s before they have even stayed. I said, ‘I’m really sorry, it doesn’t work like that,’ and they would go and book their room with someone else. “I’d imagine other towns are like this but Blackpool guest houses, B&Bs and hotels are Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 18 - November 2018

- 3URČ´OH Number One -

fabulous: we talk. If anything good or bad is happening such as any scams, we tell each other about it. You have to pull together in that situation.â€? Claire is president of StayBlackpool Hotel and Guest House Association, which has meetings to discuss issues of this nature. By uniting members against such practices it soon became clear that nobody in Blackpool would fall for the discount-for-a good-review scam. â€?I cannot remember the last time I had a phone call like that,â€? Claire says. “But they ZHUH UHDOO\ SUROLČ´F LQ WKH HDUO\ GD\V Č‹

DIRECT BOOKING Number One does receive a lot of repeat visits, and it is repeat visitors who are the ones most likely to book direct. Claire says: “The amount of commission we have to pay the OTAs is something else we have to really work at. I don’t think guests have any understanding. For examSOH LI WKH UDWH LV e D QLJKW RI WKDW LV LPPHGLDWHO\ JRQH RQ 9$7 Č‚ WKDWȇV e 7KHQ \RX KDYH WR SD\ WR FRPPLVVLRQ Everyone now pays by card so by the time you’ve paid for your machine rental, compliance fees and card fees that's another JRQH EHIRUH DQ\RQH KDV DFWXDOO\ ZDONHG WKURXJK WKH GRRU WKDW V WR KDV JRQH straight out of the window, and that’s beIRUH HYHQ VWDUWLQJ RQ VWDÎ? KHDW OLJKWV IRRG and laundry.â€? That OTAs’ commission structure means B&Bs have to play smart and run their busiQHVV HÉ?FLHQWO\ RU HOVH WKH\ DUHQȇW JRLQJ WR make any money, she says. “The trouble with just covering costs is you have nothing left to pay for refurbishment, which is absolutely vital because if you are not able to keep on top of the costs of decorating, carpets, beddings, towels – if you don’t have that pot of money, then your property soon looks shabby, you end up reducing your rates to compensate then you get a lower quality guest and it’s just a downward spiral.â€? Pressure on the business also comes in the form of the vast level of competition that exists today in the types of holidays people FDQ WDNH DPRQJ WKHP ORZ FRVW ČľLJKWV ČŠ:KHQ we started out people didn’t go to cities for weekend breaks: they left the cities for the weekend. So suddenly we weren’t just competing with the other properties in Blackpool but with far more destinations,â€? she says. “Places are now so much more accessible, the

world has opened up and that is why it is so LPSRUWDQW WKDW \RX Č´QG \RXU PDUNHW DQG WKDW whatever that market is you do it well.

DO IT WELL OR NOT AT ALL $W WKHLU Č´UVW SURSHUW\ ZKLFK KDG D UHVWDXUDQW the couple were wondering whether they should introduce room service. “Julian advised us to think seriously about that,â€? says Claire. “For example, if you are doing a sandwich, he VDLG \RX KDYH WR RÎ?HU IRXU GLÎ?HUHQW W\SHV RI EUHDG GLÎ?HUHQW W\SHV RI Č´OOLQJ VDODG garnish and a few crisps. If you don’t have the WXUQRYHU WR RÎ?HU DOO WKDW WKHQ GRQȇW RÎ?HU LW You are better not doing it than doing it badly. If you can’t do it well, don’t do it. Don’t put on your website the claim that you are a great JROI SURSHUW\ LI \RX GRQȇW NQRZ WKH Č´UVW WKLQJ about golf because you won’t know what golfers need. You don’t know that they need drying rooms, they need to charge their trolley batteries. You have to do what you know about or you can’t do it well.â€? $OVR EHZDUH RI JRLQJ RÎ? SLVWH EHFDXVH ZKHQ \RXȇUH DVNHG WR GR VRPHWKLQJ D GLÎ?HUHQW way to your norm you can get it wrong, even ZLWK WKH VLPSOHVW RI WKLQJV VKH VD\V ČŠ/DVW \HDU we had a houseful of 16 guests all of whom had come to participate in an exhibition at the Winter Gardens. They all had to be there early the next day to set up their stands. ČŠ2UGLQDULO\ ZH VHUYH EUHDNIDVW IURP DP but they all wanted breakfast at 6am. As it was the whole house we found ourselves unable to say no. We’d just have to have a nap in the afternoon, we decided. After all, this job is seven days a week and sometimes you need chance to catch up. “In the event breakfast was a doddle, but we had forgotten that we had to move forward the time of the heating that morning. So they all had hot showers, but freezing cold bedrooms. We really thought we had GRQH HYHU\WKLQJ JRW WKH VWDÎ? RUJDQLVHG got everything else all organised - but no, we blew it. The fact that they had hot water, that the breakfast was great, that we had got up HDUO\ DOO WKH VWDÎ? KDG JRQH WR JUHDW OHQJWKV to get there early – all that was completely irrelevant because every bedroom was cold. One mistake just wipes out all the good VWXÎ? Č‹ VKH VD\V

SET GOALS Claire says: “I’m a Blackpool landlady. It’s what I do. I spend my whole life cleaning. I serve Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 19 - November 2018

breakfast, I wash up after breakfast, as my main job I am one of Blackpool’s best scrubbers. But you’ve got to give yourself goals, and ours was always from day one to be the best UK B&B.â€? The two of them were at the Old Coach +RXVH IRU \HDUV DQG Č´QDOO\ ZRQ WKH FRYHWHG award the second year of running Number One. “That was 14 years of bloody hard work to achieve,â€? she says. “To get to the Best UK B&B award we had to win all sorts of other awards, LQFOXGLQJ WKH %HVW %ODFNSRRO % % 9LVLW/DQFDshire Best B&B, as well as being absolutely on top of our game. It was such hard work!

BUCKINGHAM PALACE “But we got there, and it was a wonderful thing, and a result of it was we went to the Palace, where we met and spoke with the Queen, Prince Philip and Prince Edward. That was just an amazing experience, and one that arose from running a Blackpool B&B!â€? she says. “My husband and I shared that experience – the hard work, the tears – and we’ll talk about it till the day we die. “So do set goals, and try to achieve them. /LIH FKDQJHG IRU XV WKH GD\ ZH ZRQ WKDW 9LVLW %ULWDLQ %HVW 8. % % DZDUG Č‹ She stresses that putting yourself forward for an award focuses you on really running your business well. “There is usually a very GLÉ?FXOW HQWU\ IRUP WR Č´OO RXW ZLWK YHU\ LQYDsive questions that really make you focus on the business side, what you do, why you do LW DUH \RX GRLQJ LW HÉ?FLHQWO\ DQG FRVW HÎ?HFtively. At the same time you have to ensure your property is looking its best in readiness for mystery judges so it really motivates you to ensure everything is the best it can possibly be,â€? she says.“ As a busy business owner you wouldn’t ordinarily have the time to really study your business so it also helps to ensure you’re working smart. We can all be busy fools!“ Then, if and when you are shortlisted, your property is up on a big screen in front of hundreds of people. So even if you don’t win, that’s amazing free publicity to people who would otherwise never have heard of you, and all it has cost you is time.â€? As Luxury Bed & Breakfast prepares for its Č´UVW \HDU RI LQGXVWU\ DZDUGV P\ SDUWLQJ TXHVtion to Claire is what, apart from the prestige, is the biggest reward from coming out on top? “The year we won Best B&B our turnover at WKH WKUHH EHGURRP SURSHUW\ JUHZ E\ e Č‹ Fine proof that hard work pays.

- In Depth / Cocktails -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 20 - November 2018

- In Depth / Cocktails -

Cashing in on cocktails The rise in the popularity of cocktails seems never-ending. Bill Lumley looks at some of the trends both in the blend of drink and in the manner of its serving.

here are certain types of drink that appear to be on a relentless growth path. Every quarter for the past couple of years, for example, gin sales volumes have been growing inexorably. $ VLPLODU ULVH LQ SRSXODULW\ FDQ EH LGHQWLȴHG LQ cocktails, with that growth not limited to any SDUWLFXODU GULQNHU SURȴOH ΖW LV QRZ EHFRPLQJ increasingly expected of hospitality establishments such as B&Bs that they should be able to provide cocktails.

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BOTTLED COCKTAILS The idea of pre-mixed bottled cocktails may seem to take some of the theatre out of the cocktail experience, but they save valuable time, and by serving them pre-mixed means that a bar does not need to employ anyone ZLWK WKH H[SHUWLVH WR PL[ FRFNWDLOV ΖW LV KDUG HQRXJK IRU D % % RZQHU WR FRPPLW WR RÎ?HULQJ DQ DWWHQGHG EDU OHW DORQH RQH VWDÎ?HG by a trained mixologist. Enter Cambridge based supplier Bottle Proof, which produc-

es hand-crafted bottled cocktails for the hospitality trade. Co-owner Charlie Anderson tells Luxury Bed & Breakfast: “The bottled cocktails can be served in less time than it takes to pour a pint, saving vast amount of time. Meanwhile trainLQJ LV D ELJ LVVXH ΖW LV KDUG IRU PDQ\ LQQV DQG JXHVW KRXVHV ERWK WR DÎ?RUG DQG WR NHHS KROG RI VXFK VWDÎ? LQ D YHU\ WUDQVLHQW LQGXVWU\ Č‹ Another advantage of the bottled cocktails is consistency. “When you go to a bar and ask for a cocktail, as with a signature dish at a high-end restaurant you want it to be the same each time you go back. With cocktails LI \RX KDYH GLÎ?HUHQW EDUWHQGHUV PL[LQJ WKH VDPH GULQN VOLJKWO\ GLÎ?HUHQWO\ WKHQ LW PDNHV D ELJ GLÎ?HUHQFH &RQVLVWHQF\ LV NH\ Č‹ KH VD\V A further advantage of pre-bottled cocktails for operators comes in terms of stock control and wastage. He says: “One of the biggest problems cocktail bars have is trying to carry out stock checks and to keep account of what has been sold when you are using so many GLÎ?HUHQW EDFNEDU VSLULWV 2IWHQ IUHH SRXULQJ PDNHV LW YHU\ GLÉ?FXOW SDUWLFXODUO\ ZKHQ \RX JR RÎ? SLVWH ZLWK FRFNWDLO EDU WHQGHUV ZKR have a tendency to get a little bit creative, for example doing their own take on a classic. ČŠ:LWK WKH ERWWOHG FRFNWDLOV Č‚ Ζ SUHIHU WR FDOO them bottled rather than pre-made cocktails because they still have to be made, shaken or stirred – the advantage is that it is very easy WR GR D VWRFN WDNH DQG WKHUH LV QR ZDVWDJH ΖWȇV OLNH VWRFN WDNLQJ ERWWOHG EHHU Č‹

HONESTY BAR $W WKH ΖQGHSHQGHQW +RWHO 6KRZ KH VD\V KH had quite a few visitors from high-end B&Bs with an honesty bar enquiring whether the product would work in such a setting. “The answer is of course yes, absolutely it would work, because for a start it takes what you Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 21 - November 2018

- In Depth / Cocktails -

FDQ RÎ?HU \RX JXHVWV WR GULQN WR D KLJKHU OHYHO secondly, they are very easy to make, with simple instructions on the bottles, and mostly they only require ice and garnish. About 20% of them that require more simply need VRPHWKLQJ FDUERQDWHG DGGLQJ D /RQJ ΖVODQG ΖFHG 7HD IRU H[DPSOH UHTXLULQJ &RNH DQG ZLWK a mojito you have to add soda. For the most part quite simply you have just to provide a cocktail shaker and some ice."

COCKTAIL DRINKER PROFILE ΖW LV KDUG LI QRW LPSRVVLEOH WR SURČ´OH WKH typical cocktail drinker, he says. “Everybody HQMR\V D FRFNWDLO QRZ 7KHUH LVQȇW D VWHUHR W\SLFDO FRFNWDLO W\SH ΖWȇV D OLWWOH OLNH WKH FUDIW EHHU explosion and similarly with the gin explosion it is popular with everyone – there really is a FRFNWDLO WR VXLW HYHU\ERG\ȇV WDVWH Č‹ The bottled cocktails pretty much follow the national trend, he says. “Pornstar martinis are very big this year – over the past 18 months they have become very popular; a vanilla vodka, orange passionfruit very fruity cocktail WKDW \RXȇG QRUPDOO\ VHUYH ZLWK HLWKHU D VKRW RI champagne or prosecco. “The espresso martini is always very popular, the mojito, timeless, and we have a couple of our own that have worked really well. One of these is a Botanical blast, a gin-based cocktail featuring one of our own syrups that gives the balance and longevity and enables them to be either shaken or stirred, largely down to us getting the consistency of the syrup that holds everything together right. The Botanical is a pink gin-based cocktail

with grapefruit and various herbs including URVHPDU\ DQG WK\PH Č‹ He stresses that the drinks still need to be VKDNHQ RU VWLUUHG GHSHQGLQJ RQ WKH JXHVWȇV preference. “You still have to do the theatre of WKH FRFNWDLO EHIRUH VHUYLQJ Č‹ KH VWUHVVHV

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 22 - November 2018

PREMIUM MIXERS ΖI \RXU EDU VWRFNV SUHPLXP RU VXSHU SUHPLXP spirits then the experience of enjoying can be enhanced by providing your guests with premium mixers, rather than ubiquitous brands. )UDQNOLQ 6RQV SURGXFHV D UDQJH RI SUHPLum soft drinks and tonics. Head of marketing Jen Draper says: “They would lend themselves more to luxury B&Bs than to pubs, but they are sold across a wide range of establishments depending on the outlet itself and ZKDW WKH\ SDLU LW ZLWK ZKHWKHU LWȇV SUHPLXP gin or cocktails or mocktails. But it pairs extremely with the premium high-end spirits DGGLQJ WR WKH ČľDYRXU \RX H[SHULHQFH ZLWK WKH VSLULWV WKHPVHOYHV Č‹ )UDQNOLQ 6RQV KDV UHFHQWO\ ODXQFKHG GXDO ČľDYRXU WRQLFV ČŠ7KHVH DUH LGHDOO\ VXLWHG WR cocktails in any form of bar, restaurant, guestKRXVH RU KRWHO Č‹ 6KH VD\V JXHVWV PD\ EH LQFUHDVLQJO\ OLNHO\ to try out the soft drinks and mixers whose brand they are unfamiliar with in an honesty bar scenario. “People are more adventurous WKHVH GD\V LQ WHUPV RI WU\LQJ QHZ ČľDYRXUV RU QHZ ČľDYRXU SDLULQJ DQG QHZ H[SHULHQFHV

GORDON CASTLE AMENITIES RANGE Discover our beautiful bath and body products, unique to the exclusive Gordon Castle Scotland brand, built upon provenance centuries old. Containing pure, natural essential oils from herbs grown in our Walled Garden, our collection is as pure and as unadulterated as the garden itself. Never tested on animals > ` > ` >`i Ì i À Ì Ã Ã iÃ] ÕÀ >ÌÕÀ> «À `ÕVÌÃ V Ì> >ÀÌ wV > vÀ>}À> ViÃ] colours, parabens, glycols, sulphates or petrochemicals. Amenities range available, please contact products@gordoncastlescotland.com for details.

w w w. g o rd o n c a s t l e s c o t l a n d . c o m | 0 1 3 4 3 6 1 2 3 2 2

- In Depth / Cocktails -

towards premiumisation is not just about price but has put an increased emphasis on natural ingredients and their provenance. (DFK )UDQNOLQ 6RQV VRIW GULQN FRQWDLQV D tertiary food-led ingredient. Draper says: "We are the only soft drink on the market we know WR RÎ?HU WKLV DQG WKHVH GHOLFLRXV LQJUHGLHQWV PDNH )UDQNOLQ 6RQV WKH SHUIHFW IRRG SDUWner, whether at home, in eateries or in bars." Both the heritage and provenance of brands are the key things consumers look for, she says. “When choosing drinks – particularly soft drinks that demand a premium - brands must be able to state the provenance as well as style and type of the ingredients in order to add another dimension and give consumers exactly what they want from their premium drinks. “We understand that consumers will be RQ WKH ORRNRXW IRU LQWHUHVWLQJ ČľDYRXUV DQG DYRLGLQJ GULQNV FRQWDLQLQJ DUWLČ´FLDO ČľDYRXULQJV DQG VZHHWHQHUV $W )UDQNOLQ 6RQV ZH have focused on the quality of the liquid and WKH Č´QDO WDVWH ZKLOVW HQVXULQJ RQO\ QDWXUDO ingredients have been used. “Naturalness will be key to the category growth as consumers start to understand the XVH RI DUWLČ´FLDO VZHHWHQHUV PRUH DQG UHDOLVH WKH\ GRQȇW ZDQW WR FRPSURPLVH RQ ČľDYRXU There has become a growing desire for natural VRIW GULQNV ZLWK ȆUHDOȇ LQJUHGLHQWV 7KH )UDQNOLQ 6RQV UDQJH LV PDGH XS RI VHOHFWHG LQJUHGLHQWV sourced from all corners of the world to ensure WKH EHVW SRVVLEOH TXDOLW\ VXFK DV 6LFLOLDQ OHPRQV DQG 6FRWWLVK UDVSEHUULHV Č‹ VKH DGGV

PREMIUM GIN

ΖI WKH\ GLG VHH VRPHWKLQJ WKDW SHUKDSV WKH\ KDGQȇW VHHQ EHIRUH WKHQ Ζ WKLQN WKH\ ZRXOG EH more inclined to try it rather than a drink they KDYH DOZD\V KDG LQ WKH SDVW ΖI VRPHWKLQJ RQ the honesty bar catches their eye and looks DQG IHHOV SUHPLXP OLNH )UDQNOLQV WKHQ Ζ WKLQN they would be more inclined to try them. Ȋ:H VHH WKH RFFDVLRQV ZKHQ SHRSOH GRQȇW

want to drink anything with alcohol or want something with a very low ABV as a time to SDLU WKH GXDO ČľDYRXUHG WRQLFV ZLWK D YHUmouth, port or a sherry for example that tend WR KDYH D ORZHU $%9 Č‹ VKH DGGV Premiumisation has had a huge impact on the category and there is now more focus on quality over quantity by consumers. This move Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 24 - November 2018

*RUGRQ &DVWOH 6FRWODQG LV D SUHPLXP EUDQG that produces an unusual combination of botanical, hand-crafted gin, and bath and body products. An awareness of the mixability of the gin is growing, according to events manager Pery Zakeri, who says the brand will be looking increasingly at working with mixologists in 2019. “Gin liqueurs went down a real storm at WKH ΖQGHSHQGHQW +RWHO 6KRZ ODVW PRQWK The plum gin liqueur and the raspberry gin liqueur were both really popular. They go well on their own, but they go well with prosecco RU FKDPSDJQH Č‹ Zakeri says: “We currently do a refreshing gin mojito, but mixology is probably the next step in the story of our gin, which we are currently serving as a classic gin and tonic EHFDXVH WKH ČľDYRXUV LQ WKH JLQ DUH VR VXEWOH :KHQ LW ZDV Č´UVW FRQFHLYHG WKH\ ZRUNHG UHDOO\ hard on the recipe because they wanted to

- In Depth / Cocktails -

make an elegantly balanced gin. The two main ȵDYRXUV LQ LW DUH ODYHQGHU DQG JDUGHQ PLQW But mixologists is something we will be looking at more and more next year, when we will be producting cocktail recipes," she says.

HONESTY BAR Jonathan Green is head of design for The Gin Trolley, a drinks trolley created for Quench, which specialises in crafting contemporary home bars. He says the Gin Trolley would ZRUN ZHOO LQ D KLJK HQG % %ȇV KRQHVW\ EDU Until recently the Gin Trolley (pictured page 22) had been targeted at private wealthy individuals, but lately it has taken orders from D QXPEHU RI È´YH VWDU KRWHOV LQFOXGLQJ WKH 5LW] Carlton in Germany, prompting its owners to VHW XS DW WKH ΖQGHSHQGHQW +RWHO 6KRZ “The idea of using the unit as an honesty bar came up at the show in quite a few conversations. We brought our experience in designing cocktail bars into the trolley, creating a more SUDFWLFDO DQG IXQFWLRQDO GULQNV WUROOH\ È‹ KH VD\V “The drinks trolley has been used historically as more of an aesthetical piece of storage. The new design allows a guest to make a drink at source with a mini fridge and a drawer with storage for glassware and garnish, DQG È´QDOO\ KDYLQJ DOO WKH VSLULWV ERWWOHV QLFHO\ on display in section storage throughout the trolley, so it looks nice rather than being clutWHUHG RQ WRS ΖW ZRXOG ZRUN H[FHSWLRQDOO\ ZHOO DW WKH OX[XU\ HQG RI % %V È‹ $W DURXQG e LWȇV QRW FKHDS KH agrees, but he stresses: “For a top-end % % LWȇG PDNH D JUHDW VWRU\ RQ WKH ERRNLQJ ZHEVLWH ZKHUH LW ZRXOG ȵDJ XS LQWHUHVW QRW least because gin is so incredibly popular, and the idea of a gin trolley elevates the theatre somewhat more than just putting a FRXSOH RI ERWWOHV RQ D VLGHERDUG È‹ A drawback to the Gin Trolley is that it does not accommodate ice. He says: “This was the one element that we were toying ZLWK ΖW ZDV D ELW RI D GHVLJQ FKDOOHQJH There is a science to having any kind of cooling technology in a cabinet. The unit itself would have to be so much bigger to house any kind of ice-making facility so ultimately it was something we simply FRXOGQȇW IDFWRU LQWR WKH GHVLJQ 7KH KRWHOLHUV that have bought the Gin Trolley a couple of times during an evening simply top up a small crystal glass ice bucket that they put on the top of the trolley with a couple of bags of supermarket ice always on hand in WKH PDLQ IUHH]HU È‹ KH VD\V

FESTIVE CHRISTMAS SPRITZ Al k fgl bmkl \jafck ZjYf\k l`Yl [ge] mh oal` f]o [g[clYad j][ah]k& Lg []d]ZjYl] l`] klYjl g^ l`] ^]klan] k]Ykgf$ _dYkkoYj] \akljaZmlgj 9jlak l`ak q]Yj Ykc]\ alk j]ka\]fl eapgdg_akl lg [ge] mh oal` Y kmalYZdq egj]%ak` k]YkgfYd lahhd]$ l`] ;`jakleYk Khjalr& CHRISTMAS SPRITZ RECIPE The Drink: ;`jakleYk Khjalr The Glass: Eapgdg_q Khjalr -/[d *(gr Zq Dma_a :gjeagda Ingredients: +(ed [jYfZ]jjq bma[] .(ed Kgd]jfg % Zdgg\ gjYf_] daim]mj )*(ed Hjgk][[g GjYf_]$ [jYfZ]jjq$ jgk]eYjq _Yjfak` Method: :mad\ af l`] _dYkk gn]j a[] Yf\ lgh oal` hjgk][[g Yf\ _Yjfak`& L`] ^]Ylmj]\ _dYkk$ Eapgdg_q Khjalr$ ak hYjl g^ l`] Dma_a :gjeagda eapgdg_q kl]eoYj] [gdd][lagf&

CHRISTMAS IN MANHATTAN E]Yfo`ad] af []d]ZjYlagf g^ l`] dYmf[` Yf\ lg [gaf[a\] oal` l`] ^]klan] k]Ykgf$ <jmjq `Yk [j]Yl]\ Y f]o ;`jakleYk n]jkagf g^ l`] a[gfa[ EYf`YllYf [g[clYad mkaf_ alk ;`jakleYk hqjYea\ l]YZY_k2 Ingredients: ,-ed :gmjZgf af^mk]\ oal` <jmjq ;`jakleYk L]Y ,-ed Ko]]l N]jegml` \Yk` gjYf_] Zall]jk Method Lg eYc] ;`jakleYk l]Y af^mk]\ ZgmjZgf2 Af^mk] log hqjYea\ l]Y ZY_k af *-(ed ZgmjZgf ^gj .( eafml]k& Kim]]r] l]Y ZY_ o]dd Yf\ \ak[Yj\& ;geZaf] Ydd af_j]\a]flk af Y [g[clYad k`Yc]j oal` a[] Yf\ k`Yc] na_gjgmkdq& K]jn] af Y [g[clYad _dYkk oal` Y [g[clYad [`]jjq& Drury Director Marco Olmi says: Gmj k]YkgfYd g^% ^]jaf_ \]dan]jk l`] h]j^][l lYkl] g^ ;`jakleYk Yf\ l`] j]lYad hY[ck eYc] h]j^][l klg[caf_ Údd]jk& L`] f]o hqjYea\ hY[cY_af_ ak hYjla[mdYjdq kmal% YZd] ^gj l`] Zd]f\& Al Yddgok l`] l]Yk Yf\ kha[]k lg [aj[mdYl] Yf\ Zj]o hjgh]jdq o`adkl Yl l`] kYe] lae] Ynga\af_ Yfq e]kkq j]ka\m] af l`] [mh&

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 25 - November 2018

- In Depth / Locally Sourced Foods -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 26 - November 2018

- In Depth / Locally Sourced Foods -

Sourcing fine cuisine A strong and growing demand for natural and locally sourced food is helping strengthen bonds between the hospitality sector and local farmers and food suppliers. Bill Lumley reports erving locally produced food is a winning strategy for luxury B&Bs across the UK. According to a recent Nielsen report, locally sourced food is fresher, environmentally friendly, healthier, helpful to the local economy, and helpful in making connections with local farmers. It adds interest to your menu and it can help you earn more money. And it is highly fashionable among the type of guests most high-end B&Bs welcome to their property. The demand for locally sourced food is so of-the-moment that the term locavore has been newly coined to indicate someone who is interested in eating food that has been locally produced and not moved long distances WR PDUNHW 2QH FRPPRQ GHČ´QLWLRQ LV IRRG that has been grown within 100 miles of the point of purchase or consumption. All this means that the origin of some if not all the food served at luxury B&Bs should be LGHQWLČ´DEOH DV ORFDO ZKHWKHU DW EUHDNIDVW LQ D lunch hamper, or when hosting an event such as a wedding reception.

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The regional Be My Guest events this year have featured exhibition stands presented by local food producers who have been able to display their goods to potential buyers the owners of B&Bs, guest houses, inns and hotels from the same region. One such supplier is Devon-based WestDZD\ȇV ZKLFK VKRZHG RÎ? LWV KLJKO\ ČľDYRXUsome and locally produced sausages at the South West edition of the event in Torquay last month. Westaway’s has been a premium UK sausage producer for over 100 years. The Baughan family that owns the brand is proud of its strong agricultural heritage, and its award-winning range of recipes is supplied into retail, foodservice and wholesale markets both nationally and internationally. Westaway’s is a pork-only site that boasts British Retail Consortium (BRC) AA Grade accreditation. The bespoke factory produces artisan Butcher’s-style sausages made with fresh British Pork sourced from Red Tractor accredited pig farms in the South of England. Only using what it describes as the best

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 27 - November 2018

British Pork ensures that the sausages are of the highest standard, and that they deliver on more than just taste. The UK Government has recognised them as one of just 50 Food Stars, an award that recognises the rising stars of Britain’s food and drink industry. The sausages are 100% British Pork, made with fresh meat and individually quick-frozen – meaning the meat retains texture and its fresh pink colour. IQF meanwhile means the customer can take out the amount of sausages required to cook, minimising wastage. Westaway Sausages managing director Charlie Baughan says: “Our sausages are perfect for B&Bs as you cook them straight from frozen. You can even deep fat fry them for convenience cooking.“ Being frozen of course results in an Increased shelf life, he adds. He says: “We strongly believe in local food to local people and feel that everyone within a 20-mile radius of our factory in Kingsteignton should be eating Westaways! This is also UHČľHFWHG LQ WKH QXPEHU RI ORFDO FXVWRPHUV we have who run B&Bs, hotels, cafes etc. We also supply the local schools, rugby club and many of the South West tourist attractions with our products. “Although the occasional customer collects direct from our factory, our IQF Honey roast sausages are available through almost all the major food service providers in the South West, and regionally in Booker and Makro Stores.â€? People today are asking more questions about their food and where it comes from, he says. “We only use fresh meat from British Farms, and it is traceable back to its farm of origin. “More recently we have embarked on the journey of reducing the amount of plastics that we are using in our production process. Our retail packs are now packaged in biodegradable cardboard trays, which over the course of the year will prevent 1822 wheelie ELQV RI EODFN SODVWLF IURP JRLQJ LQWR ODQGČ´OO

- In Depth / Locally Sourced Foods -

We are hoping to transition all of our products over to fully biodegradable packaging in the near future. “Being based in an area surrounded by beautiful countryside, we know that it is going to grow in importance to our local customers to be buying products that impact upon the landscape as little as possible,” he says. +H DGGV Ȋ%\ R΍HULQJ FXVWRPHUV ELRGHJUDGable packaging, we are ensuring that wherever our packaging may end up, it should cause no long-term impact to the environment, and ultimately works towards protecting the provenance in which we have built our brand.”

JAM TODAY It is not just locally sourced high-quality meat that is sought after by both B&B owners and their discerning guests, with producers of high-quality jam able to equip luxury B&Bs with outstanding-tasting preserves to accompany the most important meal of the day. Family-owned Boddingtons business owner Phil Boddington tells Luxury bed & Breakfast

magazine: “On the ingredients front we are 80g of fruit content in 100g, compared with a lot of standard strawberry preserves, which are RIWHQ KDOI WKDW 7KH ELJJHVW GL΍HUHQFH DULVHV IURP WKH IDFW WKDW ZH GRQȇW XVH DQ\ DUWLȴFLDO gelling agents, unlike most national jams. "Pectin can help the ingredients go further, and it is a cheaper method of making jam.” The cooking process is quicker, he says, and there is a taste of apple from the pectin in all such preserves. “Our jams are just made with fruit and sugar, cooked to a natural selling point. We cook the water out of the fruit in the same method followed before the war. The result is a taste of fruit and sugar rather than fruit, acidity regulator and pectin.” Another key aspect of Boddingtons is that the company is a dedicated strawberry grower. “We’re not in Unit 12B – it’s all made on the farm where everything is cooked, labelled and delivered,” he says. Boddingtons is based in Cornwall, which is noted for its high-quality foods as well as Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 28 - November 2018

being a tourist attraction. It uses national distributors and restaurant distributors as well as exporting some of its products abroad. In addition, all its products are available direct through the company website. There is a growing demand for locally sourced food, Phil says, as well as a demand for naturally produced foods. “The process we use to make our jam makes it slower to produce, and the higher fruit content makes it more expensive, but for the decent proporWLRQ RI % %V WKDW DUH ORRNLQJ WR R΍HU D JRRG quality experience, competing on quality, then using our product against a national or international supplier is bound to result in a better experience for the guest. ȊΖI \RX DUH R΍HULQJ D FUHDP WHD RU EUHDNfast then cost your product, put your price up accordingly and shout about the fact that \RX DUH R΍HULQJ KLJK TXDOLW\ ORFDO SURGXFH That way you are bound to get return customers,” he says. The company does not just sell its products for breakfasts and cream teas, also selling a

- In Depth / Locally Sourced Foods -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 29 - November 2018

- In Depth / Locally Sourced Foods -

lot of welcome packs, and B&B owners have the opportunity to sell the jam as a retail takehome product for their guests, he adds.

SMOKED FISH Patrick Salmon is the owner of Grimsby smokehouse Alfred Enderby. He took over the business two years ago. The smokehouse was this year awarded two *UHDW 7DVWH $ZDUGV IRU LWV VPRNHG Č´VK SURGucts. The highly acclaimed awards, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, are the acknowlHGJHG EHQFKPDUN IRU Č´QH IRRG DQG GULQN “Often described as the ‘Oscars’ of the food world, the Great Taste logo is widely recognised as a sign you can trust when buying locally produced food and drink,â€? says Patrick. Alfred Enderby submitted both its smoked salmon and smoked haddock, which were awarded the highest three-star and two-star awards respectively. The Three-star ‘exquisite’

award is awarded to those foods classed as ‘extraordinarily tasty’ and is only awarded to 3% of all entries received, putting the company’s salmon in a class above the norm. The two-star rating received for the haddock is awarded to just 15% of entries received each year. Feedback on the Alfred Enderby Three-Star Smoked Salmon included the following comments; • “A truly beautiful, near perfect looking side of salmon, glossy, burnished, yet Č´UP ČľHVKHG Č‹ • ČŠ7KH WH[WXUH LV IDQWDVWLF Č‚ UHVLOLHQW Č´UP \HW PHOWLQJ LQ WKH PRXWK 7KH Č´QLVK LV lingering yet remarkably clean.â€? • ČŠ:KDW D PDJQLČ´FHQW EHDVW :H DUH salivating just looking at it. It is majestic, ZLWK JORVV\ GHHS RUDQJH\ SLQN ČľHVK 7KH VPRN\ ČľDYRXU JHQWO\ VXSSRUWV WKH ČľDYRXU RI WKH Č´VK LWVHOI ΖW LV VLON\ DQG smooth, sweet and succulent and cuts

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 30 - November 2018

like butter It is just divine – a stunning product – congratulations!â€? • Its Two Star Smoked Haddock was also well-acclaimed: • ČŠ$Q DWWUDFWLYH VXFFXOHQW SLHFH RI Č´VK ZLWK JUHDW VPRNH\ DURPD ZKLFK ČľDNHV ZHOO giving excellent meaty texture, the smoke is natural and subtle bringing out the great tasting haddock.â€? • ČŠ$ IUHVK WDVWLQJ Č´VK ZLWK OLJKW PDULQH QRWHV ZLWK D Č´UP EXW PHOWLQJO\ VRIW WH[ture. Carefully judged smoking that builds in the mouth and lingers delightfully.â€? Patrick explains: “We have never entered the Great Tastes Awards, but our customers tell us we produce the best product that is available, and that’s why I bought the business two years ago from the retiring son of Alfred Enderby, Richard. “My goal was to maintain the very high standard we had established over previous

- In Depth / Locally Sourced Foods -

GHFDGHV UHČ´QH DQG LPSURYH ZKHUH SRVVLEOH and get it out to the public. People need to know this is available, and the great taste awards are a brilliant opportunity to sign post fabulous products like ours. ČŠ:H KDYH ORQJ VHUYLQJ OR\DO VWDÎ? ZKR GLOLgently go about their craft proud of the Alfred Enderby reputation but blissfully unaware of MXVW KRZ JRRG WKH VPRNHG Č´VK WKH\ SURGXFH really is. I feel it is my job to seek the recognition and show the lads in the smoke house WKDW WKHLU HÎ?RUWV DUH WUXO\ UHFRJQLVHG “We pride ourselves on the high quality of skill and craftsmanship that goes into our product. And as such to gain a three- and

two-star status from the Great Taste awards FHPHQWV RXU FRQČ´GHQFH LQ RXU ZRQGHUIXO VPRNHG Č´VK Č‚ ZH DUH WUXO\ FKXÎ?HG "The awards is an indication that we have something very unique,â€? he adds. “There is a lot of salmon out there, a large proportion of it very mediocre that I wouldn’t consider HDWLQJ 7R JHW WKUHH VWDUV LQ RXU Č´UVW DWWHPSW to apply for this vindicates our claim that we have something very unusual.â€? He worries sometimes that people GRQȇW Č´QG WKHP KH VD\V ČŠ7KHUH DUH signposts around and we have protected geographic indication as well, the only such business in Lincolnshire. Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 31 - November 2018

“Ours is a unique process and we care very passionately about delivering the best product we can using a very old-fashioned approach.� He says he does not eat out very much because it is mostly disappointing, but he says: “If you do eat out you like to know where the food you are eating is from and I always ask where everything is from, regardless. “I can’t imagine why a restaurant or a B&B wouldn’t say, ‘We source it from XYZ, these are the credentials – please enjoy it!’. It beggars belief that people have smoked salmon or smoked haddock on their menu without indicating where it is from,� he concludes.

- In Depth / Equipping the new owner -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 32 - November 2018

- In Depth / Equipping the new owner -

Six top tips for new starters on how to B&B the best Autumn and winter months can be a popular time for placing B&B properties on the market, but for new starters working in the hospitality industry for the very first time, knowing where to start can be somewhat daunting‌ Holly Alderson, Content Marketing Assistant at Out Of Eden. ith many B&B owners selling their property after working through one last busy summer season to end their time in the industry on a high, changing hands during the quieter season can also be of great EHQHȴW WR LWV VXFFHVVRU )RU WKRVH ZDQWLQJ a fresh start and a total revamp of their newly acquired bed and breakfast, making these changes when your bookings are less frequent can be a great time to try and test a new structure, a new interior or a new B&B HQWLUHO\ 2QFH \RXȇUH UHDG\ WR VWDUW PDUNHWLQJ \RXU SURSHUW\ LWȇV LPSRUWDQW WR WLFN DOO WKH ULJKW ER[HV WR HQVXUH \RXȇUH PD[LPLVLQJ \RXU ERRNLQJ SRWHQWLDO ΖQ WKLV PRQWKȇV LVVXH WKHUHIRUH ZHȇUH VKDULQJ VL[ WRS WLSV RQ KRZ WR EH WKH YHU\ EHVW

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KNOW YOUR COMPETITION )LUVW RQ \RXU OLVW VKRXOG EH JHWWLQJ WR NQRZ the surrounding B&Bs and independent KRWHOV DQG PRUH VSHFLȴFDOO\ WKHLU VWUHQJWKV DQG ZHDNQHVVHV 7DNH D ORRN DW SULFLQJ WKHLU ZHEVLWH LPDJHV DQG VRFLDO PHGLD SUHVHQFH Establish how they market themselves during quieter periods, and what target market WKH\ȇUH DSSHDOLQJ WR 2QFH \RXȇYH LGHQWLȴHG WKLV \RX FDQ FRPSDUH LW WR \RXU RZQ property and where it ranks amongst your FRPSHWLWLRQ 0DNLQJ \RXU PDUN LQ D SRWHQtially well-established, popular destination for B&Bs can seem intimidating, but it can also work in your favour, as you can bring something new to the table, or rather, neighERXUKRRG WKDW ZLOO KHOS \RX VWDQG RXW

think about the kind of guests you wish to attract to your property and how you can DFFRPPRGDWH WKHP ΖI WKH\ȇUH UDPEOHUV RU hikers, place boot trays in the hallways, recommend great walking routes in your area, DQG HYHQ RÎ?HU D SDFNHG OXQFK LI UHTXLUHG ΖI \RXȇUH WDUJHWLQJ FRXSOHV RQ KROLGD\ DV D PLQL getaway, pop some chocolates or wine in WKHLU URRPV DV D WKRXJKWIXO JHVWXUH ΖWȇV LPSRUWDQW WR UHPHPEHU WKRXJK WKDW despite having an ideal target market in your head, the guests that stay with you might QRW H[DFWO\ Č´W WKDW FODVVLČ´FDWLRQ LQ WKH YHU\ EHJLQQLQJ ΖI SHUKDSV \RXU VSHFLDOW\ LV JURXS ERRNLQJV EXW \RXȇUH RQO\ Č´OOLQJ WKH FDOHQGDU ZLWK LQGLYLGXDO ERRNLQJV GRQȇW ZRUU\ ΖQ WKH early stages, keeping bookings within a small QLFKH LV LQFUHGLEO\ GLÉ?FXOW +RZHYHU DV WLPH JRHV RQ DQG \RXU FXVWRPHU EDVH JURZV \RXȇOO have the capability of honing your chosen WDUJHW PDUNHW (DFK DQG HYHU\ JXHVW WKDW comes through the door will always expect

KEEP YOUR NICHE IN MIND BUT APPEAL TO EVERYONE 2QFH \RXȇYH RXWOLQHG \RXU FRPSHWLWLRQȇV strengths and weaknesses, and how you fair against them, take a step back and assess what it is you do well and what you do difIHUHQWO\ 7R LGHQWLI\ \RXU QLFKH ȴUVW VLPSO\ Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 33 - November 2018

VRPHWKLQJ GLÎ?HUHQW WR WKH JXHVWV EHIRUH them, so versatility is key in the early days as \RX HVWDEOLVK \RXU GUHDP FOLHQWÂŞOH

TAKE SOME QUALITY PICTURES & PLENTY OF THEM 2QH WKLQJ ZH DV KXPDQV DUH DOO WRR JXLOW\ RI LV D JRRG QRV\ *XHVWV ORYH KDYLQJ WKH RSWLRQ RI ČľLFNLQJ WKURXJK SLFWXUHV RI ZKHUH WKH\ȇUH VWD\LQJ DQG XOWLPDWHO\ EHJLQ SODQQLQJ WKHLU KROLGD\ -XVW OLNH WDNLQJ D SHHN DW the online menu of a restaurant before you visit, high quality pictures of your bedrooms, bathrooms and living areas will inevitably give your guests a greater insight to your SURSHUW\ WKDQ D IHZ JUDLQ\ LPDJHV ΖWȇV PRUH than likely that, as a new B&B owner, you will refurbish and update the existing B&B, so ZK\ QRW VKRZ WKLV RÎ? ZLWK VRPH KLJK TXDOLW\ LPDJHV" 1RW RQO\ ZLOO WKLV UHČľHFW \RXU % %ȇV VW\OH DQG SURIHVVLRQDOLVP EXW WKH\ȇOO EH HTXDOO\ LGHDO IRU XVH RQ VRFLDO PHGLD WRR

- In Depth / Equipping the new owner -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 34 - November 2018

- In Depth / Equipping the new owner -

MAXIMISE YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY )RU DQ\ QHZ EHG EUHDNIDVW RZQHUV JDWKering a customer base of loyal, repeat guests FDQ EH H[WUHPHO\ GLÉ?FXOW WR DFFXPXODWH Rather than sending monthly newsletter or emails to your existing (and potentially very small) list of previous guests, or paying for advertisements featured in local newspaSHUV XWLOLVH VRFLDO PHGLD WR LWV IXOO SRWHQWLDO Not only is social media a great (and free) platform that you can use to inform previous JXHVWV RI SURJUHVV XSGDWHV RU RÎ?HUV \RX may have, it also gives prospective guests DQ RSSRUWXQLW\ WR OHDUQ DERXW \RX % %V DUH renowned for their personable hosts, and social media really allows for your personality WR VKLQH WKURXJK *XHVWV FDQ HDVLO\ WDJ \RX in their pictures, share recommendations with their friends, and remain invested on your progress as a business, so embrace this GLJLWDO ZRUG RI PRXWK

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HUW\ DQG LGHQWLȴHG \RXU QLFKH PDNH VXUH \RX KDYH D JUHDW IRXQGDWLRQ WR EXLOG XSRQ A reputable B&B should have nothing less than a comfy, cosy bed, high quality bedding and a delicious breakfast for your guests to ORRN IRUZDUG WR (QVXUH \RXȇUH LQYHVWLQJ LQ durable but quality bed linen that will withstand the demands of commercial use, and UHPHPEHU WR EH ȾH[LEOH DQG DFFRPPRGDWH JXHVWVȇ YDU\LQJ GLHWDU\ UHTXLUHPHQWV 2QFH \RXȇYH FRYHUHG WKH EDVLFV WR D KLJK VWDQGDUG you have the opportunity to develop your SURSHUW\ IXUWKHU

GO THE EXTRA MILE 7R UHDOO\ LPSUHVV QHZ JXHVWV DQG HQFRXUDJH repeat bookings, invest in the age-old methRG RI VXUSULVH DQG GHOLJKW :KLOH WKH SULFLQJ covers the basics of a good quality bed, a tasty breakfast and the promise of a warm welcome, you can also include extras in this pricing to impress your guests and make them feel more at home to work in your IDYRXU ΖQ WKH EDWKURRP OHDYH RXW OX[XU\ EUDQGHG PLQL WRLOHWULHV DQG D ČľXÎ?\ EDWKUREH DQG VOLSSHUV ΖQ WKH EHGURRP FRPSOLPHQWDU\

chocolates work a treat, while fresh water in reusable glass bottles serves as a great UHIUHVKPHQW $V PHQWLRQHG E\ 'DYLG :HVWRQ LQ ODVW PRQWKȇV LVVXH RQ ZKDW FRQVWLWXWHV DV ȆOX[XU\ȇ LQ D % % Ȃ GHȴQHG UDWKHU DV DQ H[SHULHQFH WKDQ DQ LQWHULRU ZLWK JUDQGHXU Ȃ so delight your guests with little extras and DPHQLWLHV WKDW DUH VXUH WR SOHDVH 7KHUH LV QR ULJKW RU ZURQJ ZD\ WR HQVXUH you have a successful B&B, but following just some of these tips will surely maximise your SRWHQWLDO $ERYH DOO HOVH PDNH VXUH \RXȇYH tried and tested your B&B yourself, or ask your family and friends, as a crucial method of HQVXULQJ \RXȇUH WLFNLQJ DOO WKH ULJKW ER[HV DQG \RXU JXHVWV KDYH HYHU\WKLQJ WKH\ PLJKW QHHG www.outofeden.co.uk T: 01768 372 939 E: sales@outofeden.co.uk OR FIND US AT: Facebook: @outofedencumbria Twitter: @outofedenuk Instagram: @outofedenuk

sales@outofeden.co.uk www.outofeden.co.uk

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 35 - November 2018

- In Depth / Maximising Your Website -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 36 - November 2018

- In Depth / Maximising Your Website -

Maximising your website Your website is the gateway to the world. It follows that you should pay it the attention your property deserves

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- In Depth / Maximising Your Website -

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- In Depth / Maximising Your Website -

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- In Depth / Finance -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 40 - November 2018

- In Depth / Finance -

Business disruption plagues B&B sector

ew research from UK insurer Direct Line for Business reveals nearly two thirds (63%) of UK B&B) and guest houses have experienced business disruption. The average cost to the business was ÂŁ3,985, of which ÂŁ3,276 was VSHQW Č´[LQJ WKH SUREOHPV ZLWK D IXUWKHU e ZULWWHQ RÎ? WKURXJK ORVV RI UHYHQXH The most common type of disruption faced by UK B&Bs and guest houses is from visitors damaging a room, an issue that has DÎ?HFWHG DOPRVW KDOI RI HVWDEOLVKPHQWV surveyed. This is followed by water damage from burst pipes and broken or damaged ERLOHUV ERWK RI ZKLFK KDYH DÎ?HFWHG D TXDUWHU RI % % RZQHUV Business disruption costs B&B businesses VLJQLČ´FDQW UHYHQXH DORQJ ZLWK WKH FRVW RI repairs there is the loss of earnings as rooms can be out of action for some time. The most expensive issue to deal with is water damage IURP ČľRRGLQJ ZKLFK FRVWV DSSUR[LPDWHO\ e WR Č´[ DFFRUGLQJ WR 'LUHFW /LQH IRU Business. This includes the cost of resolving WKH SUREOHP e DQG ORVW UHYHQXHV (ÂŁ5,339) while the premises is out of action. 7KH GLVUXSWLRQ FDXVHG E\ ČľRRGLQJ FDQ ODVW DQ DYHUDJH RI GD\V EHIRUH LW LV UHVROYHG 7KH VHFRQG PRVW H[SHQVLYH LVVXH WR Č´[ LV D OHDNLQJ URRI FRVWLQJ % % RZQHUV RYHU e and causing on average 66 days of disruption. Water damage from burst pipes also causes VHYHUH SUREOHPV FRVWLQJ RQ DYHUDJH e with around 17 days of disruption. $OPRVW KDOI RI % % EXVLQHVVHV DIfected by these issues had to shut their doors completely until the repairs were completHG $V D UHVXOW QHDUO\ WZR Č´IWKV ORVW ERRNLQJV ZKLOH D Č´IWK VXVSHFWHG WKDW WKH\ ORVW UHWXUQ EXVLQHVV 2QH LQ VHYHQ received complaints from existing customers, while the same number received negative reviews online. These issues have hit B&Bs hard; more than WZR Č´IWKV KDG WR XVH XS FDVK UHVHUYHV WR

N

10 MOST EXPENSIVE TYPES OF BUSINESS DISRUPTION FOR B&BS Issue

Total cost WR Č´[

Days of disruption

% of B&Bs DÎ?HFWHG

1

:DWHU GDPDJH IURP ČľRRGLQJ

e

8%

2

Leaking roof

ÂŁ9,192

66

18%

3

Water damage from burst pipes

e

17

4

2WKHU URRČ´QJ LVVXHV

e

1

8%

5

Broken or damaged boiler

e

3

6

Blocked drains

e

3

22%

7

Guest damaging room (uninhabitable)

e

3

8

Guest damaging room (still habitable)

ÂŁ379

2

9

ΖQVHFW RU DQLPDO LQIHVWDWLRQ

ÂŁ377

2

10

Access to the property blocked meaning guests couldn’t get to the property

e

1

1%

Rank

Source: Direct Line for Business 2018

Č´[ WKH SUREOHPV ZKLOH KDG WR SXW SHUVRQal money into the business. As a result, a third VDZ D IDOO LQ SURČ´W ZKLOH D TXDUWHU VDZ D UHGXFWLRQ LQ UHYHQXH 2QH LQ Č´YH % % RZQHUV EHOLHYHV WKDW FXVWRPHUV DÎ?HFWHG by the issues did not rebook. David Weston, Chairman of the Bed & %UHDNIDVW $VVRFLDWLRQ VDLG ČŠ% % RZQHUV ZRUN tirelessly to provide an outstanding service to their guests, but unfortunately all it takes LV ČľRRG GDPDJH RU D OHDNLQJ URRI IRU WKHP WR KDYH WR FORVH WKHLU GRRUV WR JXHVWV VLJQLČ´FDQWO\ DÎ?HFWLQJ WKHP Č´QDQFLDOO\ ΖW LV LPSRUtant owners look at insurance cover to guard their business in the event of disruption and, ideally, they should choose a provider that ZLOO KHOS WKHP JHW EDFN RQ WUDFN TXLFNO\ WR minimise disruption for guests.â€? For B&B businesses that experience continued disruption where they are unable to house guests, Direct Line for Business estimates that the average establishment would RQO\ EH DEOH WR ODVW DERXW Č´YH PRQWKV EHIRUH VKXWWLQJ GRZQ FRPSOHWHO\ 2QH LQ VHYHQ are on such tight budgets they would need to shut within a week, while one in 12 (eight%) Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 41 - November 2018

would need to shut down immediately. According to the insurer, given this risk to their operation, B&Bs would be willing to pay an average of 17% over the market price to have repairs carried out immediateO\ ZLWK ZLOOLQJ WR SD\ PRUH WKDQ GRXEOH the market rate to get their business back up and running. Carly Menken, head of trading at Direct /LQH IRU %XVLQHVV VD\V Ȋ5XQQLQJ D % % FDQ EH a dream for some people; however, if things JR ZURQJ LW FDQ TXLFNO\ WXUQ LQWR D QLJKWPDUH 5RRȴQJ LVVXHV DQG EORFNHG GUDLQV FDQ EH avoided if the property is maintained well, but some issues such as water damage or guests damaging rooms can be more of a challenge. Ȋ7R KHOS PDQDJH WKLV GLVUXSWLRQ DQG JHW % %V EDFN LQWR EXVLQHVV DV TXLFNO\ DV SRVVLble, we allow Direct Line for Business customers to proceed with vital repairs that cost up WR e ZLWKRXW SULRU DSSURYDO LI WKH FODLP is covered under their policy. They do need to tell us about the repairs afterwards and wear and tear is excluded, but it does help owners to make the necessary repairs and keep their rooms open for guests,� she concludes.

ON THE MARKET Welcome to "ON THE MARKET", the new section of Luxury Bed & Breakfast PDJD]LQH VSHFLȴFDOO\ GHVLJQHG WR VKRZFDVH WKH EHVW % %V IRU VDOH DFURVV WKH FRXQWU\ (DFK LVVXH ZH DLP WR KLJKOLJKW VRPH RI WKH ODWHVW DQG JUHDWHVW % %V FXUUHQWO\ DYDLODEOH ΖQ DGGLWLRQ WR WKLV RXU QHZ % % IRU VDOH VHFWLRQ LV DOVR XS DQG UXQQLQJ DW www.luxurybbmag.co.uk, which ZLOO KDYH IXUWKHU UHJXODUO\ XSGDWHG SURSHUWLHV IRU \RX WR YLHZ ΖI \RX ZRXOG OLNH WR UHFHLYH WKH ODWHVW SURSHUWLHV IRU VDOH VWUDLJKW WR \RXU LQER[ VLPSO\ KHDG RYHU WR www.luxurybbmag.co.uk DQG VLJQ XS WR RXU QHZ ZHHNO\ H QHZVOHWWHU IRU WKH ODWHVW QHZV IHDWXUHV DQG SURSHUWLHV IRU VDOH $OWHUQDWLYHO\ FRQWDFW RQH RI RXU VXEVFULSWLRQV WHDP RQ 01737 852 342 W ΖI \RX DUH ORRNLQJ IRU D % % IRU VDOH LQ \RXU ORFDO DUHD EXW FDQ W ȴQG ZKDW \RX UH ORRNLQJ IRU KHUH RU RQ RXU ZHEVLWH GURS WKH Luxury Bed & Breakfast WHDP DQ HPDLO ZLWK \RXU UHTXLUHPHQWV R DQG ZH FDQ JHW LQ FRQWDFW ZLWK RXU QHWZRUN RI HVWDWH DJHQWV WR VHH LI ZH FDQ ȴQG \RX \RXU QH[W GUHDP % %

LOOKING TO SE LL YOUR CURREN T B&B? WHY NOT CONTACT US ON 01737 852 342. WE WILL BE MORE THAN HAP PY TO DISCUSS AVAILABLE OPTIO NS WITH YOU.

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Km[[]kk^md :=< :J=9C>9KL ^Yeadq `ge] af C]fl ooo&k`]h`]j\`gmk]%^Yn]jk`Ye&[ge Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 42 - November 2018

# #@( % @ @ % !#@ %! @ @ ! @ # @ @% ' # @ !! ! @

@ :12,14/8@ @ 549-498@ @ :814-88@ 49-77:69154@ 5;-7@ @ :*21+@ @ 3625>-78@ 1)*1219>@ @ :814-88@ -/)2@ =6-48-8@ 5;-7@ ? 5<@ =+-88@ 57@ 2)138 ? & @$0-.9@ @ ++1,-49)2 )3)/-@ >@ :-898 ? @"-+:719>@ 54,191548 Running a B&B or guest house is hard work and ringing around for days on end getting insurance quotes can be hassle and stress you don’t really need. Hodgson Insurance Services are an independent family run insurance broker based in Bude, Cornwall. We have been insuring guest houses all over the UK for over 40 years and understand the needs and insurance requirements of the modern-day B&B owner. You won’t ever be dealing with a call centre, you will always be speaking ZLWK WKH VDPH RU WUDLQHG VWDÎ? PHPEHUV (YHU\ EXVLQHVV LV GLÎ?HUHQW VRPH RÎ?HU D IXOO EUHDNIDVW RWKHUV allow guests access to cooking facilities. Some provide an element RI KROLGD\ OHWWLQJ PD\EH XVH RI D KRW WXE VRPH HPSOR\ VWDÎ? :H take time to understand how you run your business, as independent brokers we don’t just use one insurer, we have access to a number of specialist guest house insurance schemes and will search the market

WR Č´QG WKH EHVW PDWFK for your business, so you don’t have to. We don’t just sell on price, we make sure the covers are adequate for your needs. All guest house schemes have GLÎ?HUHQW WHUPV VRPH require security on doors & windows, some don’t, some include full Theft By Guests and some RQO\ RÎ?HU WKHIW FRYHU by forcible or violent entry. What excess do you have to pay in the event of a claim? All policies vary!! A burst pipe causes water damages to rooms which you can’t now rent for 6 months, will the policy compensate you for lost business?? An insurance broker should always fully explain the main conditions of a policy to ensure it meets your requirements. As general insurance brokers we don’t just do guest house insurance, although hospitality is a large part of our operation and we can look at quotes for holiday homes, restaurants, public houses etc, we also insure many landlords, shopkeepers and private motor vehicles. For more information or advice on your insurance needs please contact our brokerage.

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