BUSINESS
ECHO
★★★★
‘Britain needs a Wirral wiggle’
Start Survive Thrive
Holding his nerve through recession
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LIVERPOOL Chamber of Commerce has organised a “Cereal Networking” breakfast event tomorrow at the Tithebarn Street Costa Coffee shop. It will feature a complimentary coffee and breakfast item and an address from outdoor fitness specialist Go Commando founder Greg Pye on how to improve your health, and runs from 7.45am to 9am. Book online at www. liverpoolchamber.org.uk
Blessed snack van service
LIVERPOOL’S first churchyard mobile snack van has rolled into Our Lady & St Nicholas parish church. Tim Gray, who also runs Espresso Plus in Mossley Hill, set up Espresso-To-Go at the invitation of Rev Steven Brookes, Rector of Liverpool. He was was inspired by similar snack vans at churches in the City of London, which also have no cafes. The van is open to everyone on week days.
MEDICASH, the ● Liverpool-based health cash plan
provider, has clinched key contracts with Cheshire business telecoms provider Chess Telecom and national radio group GMG Radio.
GOING MOBILE: Rev Steven Brookes and Tim Gray at the snack van
MGL BUYOUT AIMS TO DOUBLE SALES by NEIL HODGSON Industry Reporter
MGL, the Liverpool-based services provider to the education sector, has undergone a management buyout that values the Edge Lane business at £1m. Operations director Carl Gilbertson has led the purchase, which was funded from private sources. It will see chief executive and founder John Mann step down, although he will remain over the next few months to provide continuity.
Expansion on agenda for city education firm
Phillip Ramsey has been appointed as a new director of the firm – which achieved a 5% increase in sales to £5m during its financial year to October 2010.
MGL (Mersey Grid Ltd) was established in 1999 and employs more than 100 staff supporting some 600 schools across the north west with a range of services such as technology, management information systems, curriculum services, consultancy support and professional development for school leaders. Its portfolio also includes the outsourcing of ICT support for schools such as Notre Dame Catholic College for the Arts and Chesterfield High School in Crosby. Mr Gilbertson said: “MGL has an
established reputation in education services and is at an exciting stage of growth and development.
“We are looking forward to growing the business further and strengthening our position as a national provider of education services.
“In the current economic climate we are acutely aware of the need to offer schools added value and service to help them provide their pupils with the very best education.” The company expects to double revenues over the next four years and create a further 50 new jobs.
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SPORTS and leisure wear retailer JD Sports Fashion is opening a new store this Saturday on Speke’s New Mersey Retail Park under its Bank brand which will create 40 new jobs, including Christmas staff. In a trading update yesterday the group reported healthy sales and profit margins in the period to November 13.
LIVERPOOL JMU ● graduate Matthew Moore, a product and
lifestyle fashion designer, is the first “designer in residence” at the Liverpool School of Art and Design. The designer in residence series, launched to coincide with Global Entrepreneurship Week, aims to promote and foster young design talent in Liverpool and offers young hopefuls studio and exhibition space.
2 NEWS
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
★★★★
BUSINESS CONLONS IN BID TO HELP EYE CARE IN AFRICA
FAMILY-run Liverpoolbased Conlons Opticians and its customers are helping provide glasses to some of the poorest people in Ghana. For every pair of spectacles customers buy they receive two free pairs. One is donated to helping improve eye care in Africa and the other is for the customer to keep. They can also fill in a card with their name and a short message which will be put in the box of glasses that is sent to Ghana. Eye Aid Africa is a specialist charity set up by a team of medical and eye care professionals to help some of the poorer areas of Ghana. About 2.6m people in West Africa are blind, but about three quarters could have their sight saved with the right medical help. A group of Conlons’ staff are also travelling to Ghana this month, taking 800 pairs of glasses worth £10,000. They expect to perform about 1,000 eye tests. Simon Moores branch manager of the Liverpool store, said: “The need for eye care spreads across all generations. Children simply cannot learn if they can’t see the blackboard. “In Africa, access to optical services as well as cost prohibits many from being able to see clearly, if at all.” Conlons, founded in 1882 has 17 north west branches.
TASTY MIX AT CHINA PALACE
MEMBERS of the Liverpool Chinese Business Network will raise funds for the Help for Heroes charity in an “east meets west” evening at Berry Street’s China Palace restaurant next Tuesday. China Palace’s Johnny Cheung will create a special Oriental menu which Ian Clarke, from Liverpool-based Cultural Wines, will match with wines. For details, visit www.lcba.net.
SMALL
BUSINESS of the Week
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ETTY Bee and Lilly von Pink believe Britain is in need of a bit of their “Wirral Wiggle” after the success of their 1950s-style pamper days that help their clients relive a golden age of glamour. The two business partners provide 1950s makeovers – including hair and makeup sessions and a photoshoot – which have even captured the imagination of corporate customers. They both have a passion for the 50s look and initially launched a burlesque night last November, The Cherry Lounge, at Hoylake’s Jack Rabbit Slims. Former TV producer Betty, 38, said: “There’s a healthy burlesque scene in Liverpool and Chester, but nothing on the Wirral, which is why we decided to set one up. “Our burlesque nights are like theatre now. We have really good rock and roll bands and great performers. “People are afraid of burlesque and think it’s something tacky, or pole dancing or stripping. But it’s got a real theatricality about it nowadays.” It was at the burlesque nights that the girls got the idea for their Pamper Box business, run from Betty’s West Kirby home. “Girls approached us asking, how can we dress like you or have the confidence to look like you, and that’s how the idea came about.” The first workshop was launched this April and attracted eight people. The next catered for 20 and the business has grown ever since. Betty said: “Now we do public events every three months, but we’re getting lots of private bookings.” She said in these days of austerity the pamper days are a great alternative to Lanzarote hen parties and the “L plates and pink cowboy hats” brigade. She said: “The way the economy is, people are getting quite nostalgic and want to live in a simpler time and the Pamper Box fits into that. “People are looking for old-style glamour. There’s a mood for it, too, with things like the TV show Mad Men.” She added: “It is a really lovely day. It is all about fun with pots of tea served in China cups, and cakes. Girls really love it and people will come to one, then come again and again. “A lot of mums say they feel like they have been in a 1950s bubble and the real world hasn’t crept in. “I think we’re all over the day spa, where you pay £300 to sit round in a robe for someone to pummel you and eat a grape – women are looking for something different to do.” Word has now spread to the
Pampering to growing hankering for glamour of the 1950s
On Women’s Enterprise day Neil Hodgson meets two stylish entrepreneurs corporate world and companies are asking the girls to provide mini-pampers as a treat for staff. One has tasked Betty and Lilly with theming and providing their Christmas party. Betty’s husband Nick is a professional photographer who specialises in the vintage-inspired retro look: “We do hair and make-up workshops, then a photoshoot. “People like the photographs as a gift.”
She said some women have low confidence and low self esteem: “They tell us ‘you can’t take a good photo of me’ and we see it as a challenge.” Their website – www.vintage pamperbox.com – carries a gallery of photographs: “People think they are models, but they are real women we have styled to look like that.” Betty added: “After having children, women feel they have lost the glamour. Our workshop is completely selfindulgent glamour.
“They say they feel gorgeous, and that is the best bit of the job.” Both Betty and Lilly, 26, are mums and say they appreciate that other mothers don’t have the time to sit in front of a mirror to achieve their desired look – so they offer short cuts. “We’re both mums so we cheat, to a certain extent,” said Betty. “You can’t sit in curlers all day. You have to have fast glamour because a lot of women haven’t got a whole afternoon. “We’re not 22-year-olds without children patronising women and telling them what to do.” Lilly, who runs her own online boutique, said the style of the 1950s was always a big draw for her: “It’s just something we love. You always end up in a sub-culture before you find something you want to do. The 1950s made me feel confident and I prefer the music from then, so we just fell into it.”
The pensions ticking time bomb for small firms PLANS to enter all employees automatically into a pension scheme – due to come into force in 2012 – will cost small businesses £2,550, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has warned. But there are fears that the true administrative costs could be “extortionate”. From 2017, all firms and
their staff will have to be fully enrolled into a pension scheme and business owners will have to pay at least three per cent of an employee's salary into a pension. As a result an average small firm, with four employees earning an average salary of £25,000, will pay at least an extra £2,550 per year in
administration and pension costs. The Government said it will cost micro firms with up to four employees £46 per person in administration. The FSB says this is a “gross underestimation” and is urging the Government to publish an impact assessment. The FSB has been calling on
the Government to make micro firms exempt from the automatic enrolment scheme, saying it will cost them in both time and money. It says it is “extremely disappointed” its calls have been ignored. While measures are in place to ease the administrative burden for small businesses, the FSB is concerned they do
not go far enough and that the Pensions Regulator will apply a heavy hand on small firms. The FSB wants the Pensions Regulator to adopt a light-handed approach when the rules are put in place before any financial penalties are enforced, and to communicate this clearly to small businesses.
★★★★
NEWS 3
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
HITEX ROAD PRODUCT HONOURED
AN Ellesmere Port company will be honoured this Friday for developing a new road repair product that it says is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than conventional systems. Hitex Traffic Safety took four years to create Texband to repair cracks, seams and joints in black-top highway surfaces. Hitex says it can be laid at greater speed compared with other alternatives, cutting traffic delays, reduces waste by eight tonnes per kilometre and is a fraction of the cost of established methods. Because it uses fewer natural resources and creates no waste, its carbon footprint is far lower. Hitex was established six years ago and employs 15 staff. It is currently extending its factory to accommodate its expansion plans. On Friday Alan Thomas of the British Board of Agrémont will present Hitex with a BBA/HAPAS (Highway Authorities’ Product Approval Scheme) certificate for Texband. Also attending will be north west MEP Chris Davies and Road Surface Marking Association director George Lee.
TEA TIME: Betty Bee, left, and Lilly von Pink are running pampering sessions for corporate clients
Do you want to be our Business of the Week? Contact Neil Hodgson 0151 472 2451 or email neil.hodgson @liverpool.com
Betty added: “I find it a very flattering look. A lot of modern day fashions are incredibly unforgiving. “Back in the 50s women were celebrated more for their curves. The vintage look is really good for empowering you, even if you aim to lose weight or go back to a pre-baby look. Back then women were celebrated more for looking like women.” She said: “We don’t want to live in a museum. The modern age is great, but it is about the style of the 50s. It was a lovely time design-wise.” Although the business is still in its first year they say turnover is exceeding expectations. Betty said: “We’re running all the things at a profit. We thought the corporate side would complement our business, but now we’re thinking of doing it full time and have started employing people to work with us on the day.” Neither is aware of anyone else providing a similar service: “People do stand-alone make up and hair classes, or one-off burlesque lessons.” And they say their clientele is a diverse mix: “We get 18- to 60-year olds. We’re surprised at some of the people who book. “They’re often very conventional who do really respectable jobs, but who are just after a bit of old fashioned escapism.” And they reveal they are contemplating a male alternative, based on “how to treat a lady”.
1950s MAD: TV drama Mad Men, starring Christina Hendricks, left, is inspiring fashionistas to go retro
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4 NEWS
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
★★★★
BUSINESS
BIG Property man who W has now survived his third recession INTERVIEW Tony McDonough talks to Chris Johnson, senior partner at Wirral property firm Smith & Sons
HILE some may have panicked, Chris Johnson managed to keep his head during the recent recession. This is not a great surprise. As senior partner at Wirral property firm Smith & Sons, he has seen it all before having worked through two previous recessions. The Birkenhead estate agency and auction house has not had to lay off any staff during the downturn – something of which Chris is very proud. “We have not panicked – we have a good management base,” he said. Smith & Sons, which has it headquarters in Hamilton Square, has a long history in Wirral. The firm began in 1840, the year Queen Victoria married Prince Albert, the Penny Black stamp was issued and the Cunard shipping line was established. Thomas Smith, the founder of Smith and Sons, set up business as a land and estate agent at 13, Duncan Street, Birkenhead. He later took his three sons into partnership – one of whom, Frederick Smith, was the father of FE Smith, the first Earl of Birkenhead and Lord Chancellor from 1919-1922. Up until the mid-1980s, the firm operated a chain of residential estate agency offices before deciding to concentrate more on commercial property. Today, its 23 staff and three partners operate across a number of areas including commercial agency work, management of commercial and residential properties, property auctions, valuations, surveys and grant applications. Its lettings business alone manages more than 2,500 properties across the north west. “We have a good pedigree,” said Chris, who joined Smith and Sons in the mid-1970s. He has worked through recessions of the 1970s and the early 1990s, and is able to compare those periods to the current downturn. He added: “People think this one has been the worst, but in the early 1990s the bad times went on for about five years. “These things come in cycles and the market always comes back. You just have to adapt to the circumstances. Although the recovery seems to be moving at a glacial pace, Chris insists the positive signs are there. He added: “It is encouraging talking to clients and other property professionals. “Volumes and orders are up and we definitely seem to be coming out of recession but it may be another 18 months or so before things really get going.”
POSITIVITY: Auctioneer Chris Johnson says the local property market is slowly recovering
Earlier this year, Chris expressed concern that a lack of available bank finance was hampering the recovery. He believes there has now been a slight improvement. “There are some signs of lending again,” he said. “The banks have recapitalised
and there are some signs they are starting to let some of it go again. “We don’t need to return to the days when they were lending silly money. I know lots of people who are keen to start doing deals so all we need is a return to some steady lending.” There is a division of labour
‘It may be 18 months before things really get going’
between the three partners at the firm. Shaun Seery looks after commercial management and agency, Todd Miller oversees residential management and lettings, and Chris is in charge of valuations and the growing auctions division. Merseyside is a UK hot-spot for property auctions, with players in the market including Sutton Kersh, Venmores, Merseyside Property Auctions and Whitegates. “Our auction house is the fifthlargest in the country,” said Chris.
“More and more people are keen to come to the auctions to see what they are about. “Properties that sell well at auction are those in need of refurbishment and homes in probate. “We are seeing first-time buyers coming along, but a lot of the people you see will be dealers, developers and investors.” Chris, a married father-of-two, was born in the Midlands and when he was a teenager the family relocated to Merseyside. He attended Merchant Taylors’
★★★★
NEWS 5
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
IT’S THE
LAW
with
Q
A COUPLE of my staff were mysteriously on the phone a lot on the morning that Take That tickets recently went on sale. It’s not a regular problem, but what can I do to stop staff shopping from their desks?
A
COMING UP: Chris Johnson in action at one of Smith & Sons’ property auctions
School, in Crosby, and left at 18 with a dilemma. “I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to be a solicitor or a surveyor,” he said. I worked for a property firm in Liverpool called Paterson & Thomas. I found I liked surveying – getting out and meeting people – so that was the career I chose. I joined Smith and Sons in the mid-70s and became a partner about 20 years ago. I think the biggest change I have seen over that time is the increase in regulation – there is so much more of it now. I enjoy meeting with other surveyors – I
think there is a real camaraderie in the sector. “We all get on well and are a real tight-knit community.” Chris is very excited about Peel Group’s huge Wirral Waters scheme and believes it could transform the borough. Smith & Sons has worked closely with Peel on the planning. He said: “I think Wirral Waters will happen. If you look at Peel’s track record over the years, you will see it is a company that delivers. “It is the best thing to happen to Wirral for as long as I can remember.”
HIGH RISING: Chris Johnson believes the Wirral Waters scheme will transform the region
SHOPPING from your desk is a relatively new phenomenon but it is one that affects a lot of businesses, especially at this time of year. Whether it is on the phone, such as your staff possibly calling for concert tickets, or online, more and more people now are spending time when they should be working ordering anything from their groceries to their Christmas presents. In fact, it is estimated that in the last few weeks before Christmas, British office workers waste billions of pounds in lost work time by whiling away hours looking for gifts online. For most employers, like you, it’s not a regular or even all that serious problem, but for anyone with a significant number of people spending time shopping when they should be working, the overall effect on their productivity is serious. Fortunately, there are a number of ways employers can deal with situations like this – the main thing they need to do is ensure that they are being consistent, not just with all staff but throughout the year. The most straightforward solution, therefore, would be to ban staff from accessing some of the most popular online retail sites. It’s using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, but it is effective, relatively easy and consistent. Even without banning, technology can help track how much time staff are spending on which sites, which can then be used as evidence in any disciplinary hearings. But while that may sound like an easier option, employers must take care of monitoring
employees’ personal data without a justifiable use, under data protection and EU laws. Similarly, many employers are using increasingly restrictive contracts governing the use of business services – by which we include telephones, mobile phones and the internet – with clear and, on occasion, punitive penalties for doing so. While the threat is usually enough of a deterrent to be effective, employers need to be prepared to follow contracts through, which means policing it. The third way is to agree a compromise with staff and remind them that while they are allowed to use the internet in their lunch hour, or after normal hours, they are expected to be focused on work at all other times of the day. In many cases, this will be enough for most employees to comply, while those who don’t often value the flexibility and will be more prepared to work harder when necessary. As I suspect you have, whether intentionally or not, this is still the approach most bosses favour almost regardless of how much time is being wasted shopping. The danger is if you apply different standards, either to different people or at different times of year, where complaints about tough management could turn into claims for discrimination. Providing you are consistent in your approach, make it clear where you draw the line then stick to it, then neither you nor your staff will have much reason to complain. This column was brought to you by employment law specialist ELAS, Employment Law Advisory Services. For more information, please call the ELAS advice team on 0161 785 2000 or send an email to info@ employment-law.uk. com
6 NEWS
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
★★★★
BUSINESS
DASHFORTHE
Raising capital is a key part of starting a business, reports Tony McDonough
FOCUS . . . on money
G
ETTING access to finance is a key part of setting up a business and getting cash from a bank is not easy. All the major banks will say they are open for business and are eager to lend to small firms. However, the reality is that, since the credit crunch, lending levels are down significantly on pre-2008 levels. One option is the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG). EFG provides lenders with a government guarantee for 75% of their exposure on individual loans. The guarantee is available to businesses throughout the UK through approved lenders. However, Andrew Moss of Liverpool accountancy firm DSG, says there are misconceptions about EFG and adds that people wanting to start their own businesses often need a dose of realism. He said: “I often have discussions with people who want to start their own business. Their ideas may make sense to them but when I start asking more detailed questions about their plans and projections they don’t always stack up. “Under EFG, normal commercial rules still apply, so people still have to go to the bank with a viable proposition. Private equity is another possibility but again there are an awful lot of people already competing and you have to have a strong business case. “If you find you are being turned down by different sources then that should raise a red flag and you have to ask whether your case does actually stack up.” So what are the other alternatives if the banks turns you down? Using your own money or borrowing from family and friends is sometimes an option but this can lead to fall-outs. One option is angel finance. The Northwest Business Angels network provides early-stage investment to entrepreneurs. Co-ordinated by the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA), Northwest Business Angels follow a similar concept to the BBC programme Dragon’s Den, connecting young and growing companies seeking financial assistance with investors actively looking for profitable business opportunities in the North West.
STATING YOUR CASE: Going to business angels for start-up cash is similar to the set-up of the BBC TV series, Dragons’ Den. Maresa Molloy, left, says there is a need for more business support Investment seekers are asked to pitch their products, services or ideas to an audience made up of business angels, with the chance to secure investment of anything from £10,000 to £500,000. Each month Northwest Business Angels Investor Club meetings take place in venues across the region – and these are proving to be as popular as ever, attracting a steady number of finance seekers and business angels (investors). Mark Hughes, acting chief executive at the NWDA, said: “It is important we are able to engage and increase the number of investors or angels looking to invest between £10,000 and £500,000.” For more information log onto www.nwbusinessangels.co.uk or call 01925 400509. Equity finance is another source that start-ups can explore and there are a number of options in the North West. Merseyside Special Investment Fund (MSIF) has launched the Merseyside Loan and Equity Fund, managed by its in house team
Alliance Fund Managers (AFM), making £10m available to small firms. Investments will range from £50,000 to £2m in the form of loan, mezzanine and equity finance. AFM is also managing an extra £3.9m for the NWDA, offering loans of £3,000 to £50,000 for businesses in the retail sector and high-tech firms in the creative, digital, life science, energy and manufacturing sectors. Earlier this year six fund managers were chosen to run the North West’s £185m venture capital loan fund. The North West Fund (NWF) will provide venture capital and loan funding to existing and start-up businesses across the region. More than £70m – around 40% – of the fund will be ringfenced for Merseyside. The six funds are: Development Capital, Business Loan, Venture Capital, Biomedical, Energy & Environmental and Digital & Creative. Maresa Molloy, head of policy and information at Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, says banks have been
building up their balance sheets at the expense of corporate lending. She added: “Ironically, the cost of bailing out the banking system has meant that public sector finance for new businesses and start ups has also been decimated, along with the many publicly-funded business support services. “That is why the new Merseyside Loan and Equity Fund recently announced by MSIF is so significant. Similarly, the Stepclever programme for small firms in North Liverpool and South Sefton will continue until March 2012. “The successful Liverpool City Region LEP highlighted the continuing need for business support services in areas that are overdependent on public sector jobs, perhaps funded by the Regional Growth Fund. “Liverpool Chamber will take the opportunity to promote the importance business support directly to Lord Heseltine when he visits Liverpool to address the Chamber’s Annual Dinner on December 2.”
Getting the right advice PUTTING together a business plan was essential for Rachel Burrows as she sought to raise finance for her fledgling enterprise. Rachel fulfilled a long-time ambition when she set up First Aid Training North West. Being made redundant from her previous job gave Rachel the push that she needed to put her career goal into action. She sought help from ELECT (East Liverpool Economic and Community Trust) which offers free business advice and training. She was shown how to put a business plan together, given marketing advice and
CASH
ADVICE: Andrew Moss of accountants DSG says too many start-ups fail to prepare
NEW START: Rachel Burrows set up First Aid Training North West
was helped along every step of the way. “ELECT have been brilliant,” she said. “They put me in contact with people I would never have thought of and they really helped to get my name
out there to people.” The business did get off to a slow start which left Rachel wondering if she had done the right thing. She added: “In the beginning, I was really worried that it wouldn’t work
and I’d have to go back to a normal job. “Thankfully everything is going really well. “My goal is to continue to work hard and to make my business even bigger and better.”
NEWS 7
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
★★★★
MONEY MATTERS TWICE as many women as men expect to have to continue working past the state pension age, new research has shown. One in five people aged over 50 think they will remain employed once they can claim their state pension, with the average person expecting to continue working for just over six years, according to life insurer Liverpool Victoria. But a quarter of these people think they will work for between five and 10 years beyond the state pension age, while a fifth see themselves working on until well into their 70s or even 80s. The study of 1,551 people also found that women are twice as likely to expect to continue working when they can draw their state pension as men, at 66%, compared with 34% of men. The high level of women who plan to work on is likely to in part reflect the fact that the age at which women can claim their state pension is currently lower than it is for men, although it is gradually being raised from 60 to 65 to make it the same for both sexes.
But high levels of women are also likely to need to stay in work for financial reasons, as women typically have lower pensions than men, due to a combination of their lower pay and the fact that they are more likely to take career breaks to look after children and elderly relatives. Around 60% of both men and women who planned to work beyond the state
by Nicky Burridge, personal finance correspondent
pension age said it was because they could not afford to retire earlier, with a further 10% saying they were delaying giving up work in the hope that the value of their pension would increase. The research also found that a fifth of people aged over 50 who had already retired had since gone back to work, with 4% taking up a full-time post, while 10% had gone back part-time and 6% were doing voluntary work. Among those who had taken the decision to go back to work, a third said it was because they missed working, while 32% were looking for a new challenge, but 26% admitted it was because their pension was not big enough to provide the lifestyle they wanted. Ray Chinn, head of pensions at Liverpool Victoria, said: “Britain’s over-50s have already slashed their retirement savings by nearly £18bn in the last year, and now it looks like many will have to continue working to ensure they have adequate income in retirement.”
8 NEWS
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
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ECHO Business to Business
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Industry Reporter VARIETY, they say, is the spice of life – and Liverpool’s three Okells pubs have raised the bar with a new range of beer cocktails. In what is believed to be a first in the UK drinkers will be offered a heady mix of premium beers served with a range of exotic spirits to test their taste buds to the extreme. From tomorrow Thomas Rigby’s and the Lady of Mann in Dale Street, and Hardman Street’s The Fly in the Loaf, will offer a menu of seven cocktail concoctions. They include drinks like the Strawberry Cheesecake, comprising strawberry beer, hazelnut schnapps and frangelico, or the Just Like Blackjacks, made from Anchor Porter,
Liverpool pubs launch ‘beer cocktails’ menu Anis del Mono and Zoco Pacharan. Rigby’s licensee Fiona Watkin said her husband and Fly manager Dominic had the idea after trying several unusual combinations on his regulars. “He started mixing stouts with a port and it grew from there,” said Fiona. “He tried it out on customers and it really went down well.” Staff from the three pubs decided
on the final menu, after painstaking research. Fiona said: “Some of the results were rotten. Ones we thought would work didn’t, so obviously we ditched them. But we all agreed on the ones that we felt worked. “And we purposely tried to cater for all our customers. For example, the Strawberry Cheesecake, we feel, will go down well with the girls, while Blackjacks is more of a man’s drink. “As far as we are aware this is the first time this has been done in the UK.” And Fiona said the mixes were in line with responsible drinking guidelines. “They are not pints, they’re all small measures, with a spirit,” she said. “Drinking in moderation doesn’t do anyone any harm. “We’re just trying to do something different, because it’s such a competitive market out there.”
Builder’s hat-trick of nominations BUILDER Paul O’Gorman has received three nominations for the Master Builder of the Year awards. Mr O’Gorman, of POG Building Contractors in Upton, Wirral, was nominated by local homeowners as part of the search by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB)
for the UK’s best construction workers. The FMB’s North West regional director Frances Shaw said: “It is far easier to complain than praise, so it’s fantastic that three of Paul’s customers have gone out of their way to nominate him – he and his team obviously did a great job for each one.
“This also reflects the outstanding building work delivered by the vast majority of builders in the region.” The competition aims to test builders’ technical ability and customer service skills. The FMB, the UK’s largest building trade association, is now sifting
through hundreds of entries to select winners from this region. They will then go through to compete in the national Master Builder of the Year Awards. Celebrity property guru and television presenter Phil Spencer will present the awards at a ceremony in London in March.
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