The Black Bull at Rimington Lancashire Dining Pub of the Year!

Summer on a Stick

2011-06-29T11:44:00.003+01:00

As the temperatures heat up, cool down with some of these delicious and quick grown-up raspberry coconut ices from BBC Good Food:-

Ingredients
150g raspberries
4 tbsp icing sugar
450g coconut flavoured Greek-style yogurt

Method
1.Purée raspberries in a food processor along with icing sugar. Sieve to remove the seeds.
2. Spoon half the Greek-style coconut yogurt into a bowl and stir in 2 tbsp of purée so it is stained pink.
3. Spoon into lolly moulds, add the rest of the purée then the rest of the yogurt. Push in lolly sticks and freeze until solid.

2011-06-27T09:03:00.003+01:00

Well, Glastonbury may be over for another year (although I'm pretty sure the clean-up operation will continue for a day or so more!) but here in the Ribble Valley we are getting set to host our very own music festivals over the coming weeks.

With the Beat-Herder festival showcasing top name DJs together with local bands and the more 'indie' and folk Cloudspotting festival the area is fast becoming the centre of East Lancashire's music scene.

The revelers are sure to give local businesses a welcome boost too as visitor numbers to the local area swell.

So, if you're feeling hungry and thirsty - We'd love to see you at The Black Bull!

Broad Bean Bruschetta

2011-06-24T10:10:00.002+01:00

One of my most favourite vegetables at this time of year is the Broad Bean. Despised by children everywhere who have only ever known them as those shriveled grey things looking unappetizing on the plate - they come into their own when 'double-podded' (blanched in boiling water and then with the greyish skin removed) and mixed with a little mint, garlic and Parmesan for this delicious light starter or snack:-

Ingredients

250g cooked and double podded broad beans
handful grated Parmesan plus a few shavings, to finish
a couple of slugs extra-virgin olive oil
a small bunch of mint , leaves only, chopped
1 garlic clove , halved
1 French stick or small ciabatta, cut into 8 thin slices and toasted

Method

Put the double-podded broad beans in a bowl and lightly crush. Season, then mix in the grated Parmesan, mint and a slug of olive oil. Rub the slices of toasted bread with the garlic. Top with the broad bean mix, drizzle over a little more oil and finish with Parmesan shavings.

Visit Britain - Jamie Says So!

2011-06-21T07:45:00.002+01:00

Well done to Jamie Oliver for recording a message addressed to UK visitors to come and discover the culinary delights that our country has to offer.

The video is part of a global TV advertising campaign by Visit Britain.

Jamie joins a list of other well-known Brits such as Dame Judi Dench, Rupert Everett and Twiggy who are also advocates of British Tourism on the website.

To see Jamie and the other celebrities’ take on what makes Britain Great go to the Visit Britain website.....

But, don't just keep it to yourself - shout it out loud!

Stressed? Try a Pomegranate Cocktail....

2011-06-19T13:44:00.003+01:00

According to The Daily Mail a glass of Pomegranate Juice can, by lowering the heart rate, make you feel less stressed out in work.

Personally, I prefer my Pomegranate juice as a Pom Royale Cocktail - the perfect summer drink!

POM ROYALE:

Dash of Lime juice
1 part Pomegranate juice
2 parts Champagne
Wedge of Lime

Pour the Pomegranate and Lime Juices into a champagne flute. Top up with Champagne (or sparkling wine as a substitute). Add a wedge of lime to garnish.

Enjoy!

No Reservations.....

2011-06-16T10:28:00.003+01:00

As an American, I am quite used to the concept of 'Wait Your Turn' dining (i.e. no reservation - just turning up and hoping for the best!) but now it seems this phenomenon has reached UK shores according to The Guardian.

I am quite surprised that this hasn't happened previously however, considering the Brits' reputation for queuing! (Although the article does state that although we love queuing - we also resent it!)

What are your thoughts? I'd be interested to hear what you think about whether your choice of restaurant would be influenced by whether you could make a reservation or not? E-mail me katherine@theblackbullrimington.com

Wine - for less than a fiver?

2011-06-13T15:31:00.002+01:00

I read with interest Fiona Beckett's article in The Guardian 'Can you still get a decent bottle of wine for a fiver'?

As a devotee of the phrase 'you get what you pay for' my answer was a resounding 'doubtful'!

However, on reading, Fiona explains that really it is down to careful shopping and hunting out the best buys. She graciously also gives a few quality examples of what to buy and where to get the good deals.

At the Black Bull we choose our wine list with care to compliment our menu and seasonal offerings - but also to meet all budgets. We also have bottles that stand up well on their own, to share with friends or as a pre-dinner aperitif.

Our wine suppliers share our passion for quality produce and provide us with interesting wines from both the old and new world (well - bearing in mind our connections with 'across the pond' you would expect some Californian influences!)

Who ate all the pies?

2011-06-11T08:50:00.004+01:00

Many congratulations to Morecambe FC for earning the title of 'Best Pie in Britain'.

Fending off some stiff competition (there were over 600 entries!) the club's chicken, ham and leek variety was named supreme champion.

I think this just goes to show that even the most humble staple of the British diet can, with some care and attention, be elevated towards gastronomy.

Pies aren't, generally, a summer food being normally reserved for those cold dark winter nights when something hot and comforting is just the ticket. But this receipt for 'Crispy Greek-style Pie' is not only simple and delicious but can be adapted to suit any filling and can be eaten hot or cold.

Take a slice on a picnic with a cold bottle of cider perhaps...Delish!

Waste Not - Want Not!

2011-06-08T10:14:00.002+01:00

According to The Guardian today, soaring food bills are adding to the financial pressures already faced by British consumers.

Looking back to more frugal times, our mothers, and indeed grandmothers, had the skills to eke out more expensive ingredients such as meat and to avoid food waste by utilising every last morsel of food and leftovers.

But with today's busy lifestyles, households seem to have lost sight of the value of food and so much is thrown away unnecessarily. We seem to have become obsessed with sell-by dates and use-by dates and discard some perfectly good foodstuffs without consideration. Although common sense is needed, particularly with regards to highly perishable items such as meat, fish and dairy I'm sure that much of what each of us puts in the bin could be utilised to some extent.
Even if it is not food that can be re-used to eat, at least we can consider composting as an alternative.

Residents in some parts of Lancashire can now take part in a food recycling scheme set up by Wyre Council MORE HERE...

And, not only can less food waste help with decreasing the holes in our pockets - but with less gasses emitted from landfill waste, can help with the holes in the Ozone layer too!

Watercress

2011-06-06T09:03:00.002+01:00

June is here which brings us the season of a much overlooked ingredient – Watercress.

Watercresses are fast-growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic perennial plants native from Europe to central Asia, and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by man.

When it comes to a salad leaf that is truly good for you, look no further than Watercress. Often left to merely languish on the side of the plate as a garnish, this peppery little leaf is bursting with vitamins and minerals and is one of our natural super-foods containing significant amounts
of iron, calcium and folic acid, in addition to vitamins A and C. It tastes great too!

The mustardy bite of the watercress leaves makes them an ideal accompaniment to strongly flavoured meats such as game although the leaves are most commonly served raw as a garnish or in salads.

Don’t just use it in it’s natural state, however, experiment with it in your cooking too. Start by trying this simple, but delicious, Watercress soup recipe from James Martin for the BBC.

(And apparently - eating a bag of watercress is said to be a good cure for a hang-over! )

Picnics

2011-06-03T08:15:00.002+01:00

Wikipedia defines a Picnic as - 'a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors (al fresco or en plein air), ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance, and usually in summer'.

I feel that a picnic can be any food eaten out of doors, however simple or grand it may be.

From a traditional picnic hamper laden with luxurious smoked salmon, strawberries and champagne to a cheese and pickle sandwich on a park bench - food somehow always tastes better when eaten outside.

Of course, now that summer is here, we will all be eating 'al fresco' (weather permitting of course!) and I love the fact that BBC Food classes the humble picnic as this season's special food 'occasion'!

So, if you're stuck for ideas for your picnic, then take a look at what BBC Food suggest here.....

And if it's raining - you can still eat your picnic in the car!

Hands Off-al!

2011-06-01T14:21:00.002+01:00

It was great to see a local butcher from Preston standing up for his rights this week as the Scots attempt to claim the black pudding for their own. READ MORE HERE...

The producers of Stornoway Black Pudding have applied for 'protected geographical indication' (PGI) status which is the European distinction given to produce such as Melton Mowbray Pies, Cumberland Sausages and Cornish Pasties.

Just recently Welsh Lamb has been awarded the distinction.

However, we feel that Lancashire black pudding is the best! And, according to the butcher in the article, it is a delicacy that is widely sought after as far afield as Spain and Cyprus.

At The Black Bull we love our local ingredients, but, as you know, our food does have a little more than a soupçon of French inspiration. The French too have their own version of the black pudding – ‘Boudin Noir’ - which is claimed to be one of the oldest charcuteries having been part of the sausage making tradition in France that has lasted well over 2000 years.

Of course, no true full English breakfast is complete without a delicious slice of crisp fried black pudding, but it can be used in so many other ways. Take a look at this delicious recipe for 'Barnsley Chop with Black Pudding' from James Martin for a tempting idea.

Olympic Heroes

2011-05-29T16:39:00.003+01:00

Our congratulations to local company Soulmatefood who have won a prestigious contract to supply meals to the 2012 British Olympic teams.

Soulmate use only quality Lancashire ingredients in the preparation of their meals - which are especially designed to help individuals obtain their personal weight and dietary goals.

This story got me to thinking about what kind of food I like to eat when I am feeling virtuous. A fresh, crisp salad always fits the bill of course - but that is more than a little bit predictable!

At this time of year, when peas and beans are coming into their own, a cleansing and refreshing pea and mint soup hits the spot (as well as being extraordinarily simple to make).

And if you are in the mood for a bit of luxury - then just add a swirl of double cream before serving. Enjoy!

Junk Food Makes You Slow (On the Uptake!)

2011-05-24T14:32:00.006+01:00

Not only is junk food bad for the body - piling on the pounds which damages out hearts, joints and arteries, but it also can damage your brain according to this recent article by the Daily Mail. Even affecting our thought processes and judgment in some circumstances.

I was most horrified, however to read in the article that a quarter of adults and one in seven children in England are thought to be obese. The implications of which must be numerous and far-reaching throughout our society.

Here at The Black Bull, we are ever conscious of the quality of ingredients we use - and whilst not everything on our menu could be considered 'healthy' (we do use the odd dollop of butter and splash of cream!) we feel that everything taken in moderation is fine.

For something a bit lighter, we also offer our smaller plates ('Plats Legers') which can be served with a healthy salad on the side for those wishing to to be a little more restrained.

When I read information of this nature, I am often reminded of this quote from Mark Twain - 'Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside'. How true that is!

You say Tomato...

2011-05-23T08:02:00.003+01:00

Bad weather for our friends on the continent has provided a ray of sunshine for British tomato growers this year as heavy rains ruin much of the Spanish crops.

According to the Independent British tomatoes are fresher, healthier and most importantly of all tastier than their continental counterparts.

Of course, with the rise of 'Grow Your Own' stalwarts such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall many of us are also deciding to have a go ourselves with one or two plants in a growing bag or pot somewhere in our gardens (you can even grow some varieties on your windowsill!)

Whilst the humble tomato is a summer salad staple, don't forget that you can cook with them too. In fact, slow roasting them in a low oven only intensifies their sweetness and flavour.

And if you are lucky enough to have a glut of them in your garden - don't wait until they all ripen, pick them early and have a go at making this simple Green Tomato Chutney then you will have something in the store cupboard to see you through the winter.

Beer Is Best!

2011-05-23T07:41:00.005+01:00

It was great to see REAL ale drinkers had barrels of fun at the sixth Clitheroe Beer Festival this weekend.

At The Black Bull we think 'beer is best'! Which is why our bar offers a good range of local cask conditioned beers such as Moorhouses 'Blond Witch' together with our house beer 'Bulle Noir'.

We regularly seek out new cask ales to feature as guest ales in our bar too.

As Ben Franklin said: 'In wine there is wisdom, In beer there is freedom, In water there is bacteria'!

Strawberries...

2011-05-23T07:15:00.004+01:00

The fine weather earlier in the year has produced the biggest, sweetest and best crop of British Strawberries for many years according to this article from the BBC.

What does this mean for the British consumer? A fabulous feast of our best loved soft fruit - that's for sure! But, as supermarkets in particular are stocking more British Strawberries then we can also rest assured that many air miles are being saved too as foreign imports aren't required. (I have yet to see a decrease in supermarket prices however!)

Of course, Strawberries with cream is the staple summer pud - especially with Wimbledon approaching. But if you fancy trying something a little bit different, then do give this delicious Eton Mess Parfait with Berry Sauce a try. Simply Divine!

If you really can't be bothered to make anything, however, then I would suggest just eating them as they are (served at room temperature gives the best flavour) with a chilled glass of champagne. What a treat!

Mealtime with the Family.

2011-05-16T12:14:00.002+01:00

Here at the Black Bull we are passionate about food - not just the ingredients themselves, but the whole dining experience.

So, it lifts our hearts to read this article in The Blackburn Citizen about an East Lancashire cookery teacher who is on a mission to bring more families together at mealtimes.

According to the article, 'Statistics say children who dine with the family are healthier, happier and better students'. In addition to that a meal taken together is such a fantastic time to catch up with each other's news.

When we all have such busy, hectic lives it is important to take time out together as a family (no matter how big or small that may be) and enjoy each other's company. What better time to do that than over a delicious, home cooked meal (and if you don't want to cook yourself - we'd love to see you at The Black Bull!)

Champagne Evening

2011-05-12T15:57:00.000+01:00

Join us for the inaugural Black Bull Champagne Evening on Thursday, June 23rd!

Enjoy a sparkling evening of delicious food matched with that all-time favourite, Champagne! Start the evening with a warm welcome and a perfectly chilled glass of bubbles plus a selection
of nibbles to wet your appetite!

The evening then moves on to three courses matched with three different champagnes. Each
course and champagne will be introduced by Piers Mortimer, our resident wine expert (courtesy of Corney & Barrow).

If you love champagne, if you simply want to explore some different types of bubbly or if you want to see how champagne can be matched with food, book your table now for June 23rd.

Hurry as seating is very limited and just £69 per person!
Don't miss out, call to book your table today - T: 01200 415 960

The Secret's Out!

2011-05-12T09:03:00.000+01:00

When J.R.R Tolkien first set foot in Ribble Valley in the 1940's he lost his heart to a stunning landscape of wide, rippling rivers, deep wooded groves and misty green Lancashire countryside.

In fact, Ribble Valley became his inspiration for 'Middle Earth', for the places he visited and their names often found their way into his famous works.

But now, the secret seems to be about to outed with a new visitor centre planned!

Visitor numbers have rocketed recently due to new mountain biking trails and staff at the current location said they had been ‘overwhelmed’ by the number of riders coming to Gisburn Forest, which is fast becoming one of the country’s top mountain biking centres. MORE HERE.....

The trails, which opened in September 2009, attract around 30,000 visitors every year.

So, great news for the businesses in the area (of which The Black Bull is one!) but maybe not such great news for the land and wildlife perhaps?

Dear reader, I shall leave you to make up your own opinion - but if you do come to the beautiful Ribble Valley for a visit then do make sure you stop by the Black Bull!

Fine Food Awards 2011

2011-05-09T11:04:00.004+01:00

No doubt Lancashire will yet again be firmly represented at this year’s Fine Food Awards.

Food and drink companies from across the county are being encouraged to enter this year’s competition which has had a re-vamp for 2011.

The awards are open to all food and drink manufacturing small and medium business in the region – from chutneys, confectionery and cakes, to sausages, seafood, sauces and sorbet.

Last year’s awards’ saw more than 120 companies from across Lancashire, Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside take part.

This is yet another great opportunity for the North West to show the outstanding calibre of food and drink that is produced in the region.

It’s still not too late to enter – but hurry as the closing date is 13th May.

Asparagus

2011-05-04T17:14:00.002+01:00

May heralds the beginning of the British asparagus season and must surely be one of the highlights of the culinary year. Although the season is very short, British asparagus is well worth the wait for its unbeatable flavour and freshness.

Delicious on it's own simply dressed with melted butter or traditionally served with hollandaise sauce asparagus has numerous uses in the kitchen from soups to sumptuous starters - or try it on the barbecue just brushed with a little olive oil and sprinkled with course sea salt.

Asparagus was even the star of the starter at the evening dinner enjoyed by the Royal wedding guests last week.

At The Black Bull we like our food with a French twist and so we were delighted to find this recipe for British asparagus dipped in oozing Camembert cheese from Tiffany Goodall. Parfait!

Food and Drink Festivals

2011-05-03T12:12:00.001+01:00

The wonderful season of food and drink festivals is upon us and the Guardian have very helpfully provided quite a comprehensive guide to Foodie events coming up across the UK in May and June HERE....

These events are always a great opportunity for the very best producers to showcase their top quality wares and is always a great day out for all the family.

As you probably already know, at The Black Bull we are passionate about local produce and the abundance of delicious ingredients the UK has to offer.

If you're looking for what's on in and around Lancashire in general, however, then the Visit Lancashire website is always a great resource

Of course, please make time to stop in at The Black Bull too - we'd love to see you!

Grow Your Own

2011-05-02T19:17:00.002+01:00

Here at the Black Bull we are passionate about the quality of the food and ingredients we serve to our customers. Wherever possible our food is sourced locally, not only for the reason of ensuring the utmost freshness and superiority of the products, but also to support our local suppliers.

So, it’s great to see a community project in Coppull working with adults and children alike to grow their own fresh produce. More on that story here...

We think our new Spring Menu really shows off some the fantastic ingredients of the season and has been proving extremely popular with our guests.

Easy made Ice Cream - Without a machine!

2011-05-02T19:05:00.003+01:00

The sun keeps popping its glorious head above the horizon and your thoughts turn to lazy afternoons enjoying a cool drink at the Black Bull (remember that beautiful drink in "Ice-Cold in Alex"?)

Unfortunately, most of you will have onerous chores that keep you away from our hallowed portals.

Gardening is the order of the day for many of us - so I have searched the Internet for something that will make these arduous tasks slightly more bearable. Delicious homemade ice cream - though you will have to translate from American to English.

The cooling pictures show it should be worth the effort. Just follow this link and think of us as you gorge on this culinary ice fest.

We look forward to welcoming you back to the Black Bull some time soon for some fabulous food and a refreshing drink.

Lunching with Lancashire Life

2011-04-06T10:33:00.002+01:00

All of the details of the Lancashire Life luncheon are here!

Leadership Lessons from Chefs

2011-04-06T07:34:00.002+01:00

Not only are we (as in the collective 'we') watching Chefs to learn how to cook, we're also learning about leadership:

10 Leadership Lessons from Chefs

Food Inventions

2011-04-05T07:36:00.003+01:00

Besides the food itself, there are lots of inventions that have made our cooking easier. Here's 50 of the Most Important Inventions in Food.

Any others?

Mother's Day

2011-04-02T12:17:00.002+01:00

Things are humming at the Bull this week with preparation for Mother's Day in full swing! We are completely booked for the entire day (front and back) and I've shut down the online reservations system for tomorrow so we don't 'accidentially' take another table. This is the first time when the limitation is not that of our small kitchen, but that of the number of tables.

We're testing out the menu today with a Hodgson gathering for Steve's Mum, Eileen. There is no way we could fit in tomorrow and we have a rule that we don't take tables away from guests. So Mother's Day is today for us!

This moving holidays around to suit our schedule is becoming a habit...

Customer Comments

2011-03-29T07:33:00.006+01:00

One of the great things about the web is that you can find customer comments - good and less-than-good (remember, I am a consultant, the b** word is not in my vocabulary). From a business perspective and unlike the exclusively word of mouth days, the less-than-goods can be found and addressed. You'll notice on places like Trip Advisor, savvy businesses are actively working with customers to improve their experiences.


The Black Bull

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating:: Based on 8 traveller reviews

TripAdvisor Popularity Index:^#6of 24 restaurants in Clitheroe

Most Recent Traveller Reviews:

20 Mar 2011: “If that was my birthday I cant...”
13 Mar 2011: “Delightful”
7 Mar 2011: “Brillant Meal, Left very satisfied!”

It's Spring - Time for a New Menu!

2011-03-28T12:39:00.002+01:00

Spring is officially here and it's time for a fresh new menu. Sitting in the guest's seat, I never realised how much work went into menu creation. Menus just magically appear, don't they? Not quite. Here's what happens behind the scenes when changing a menu.

First off, what are the categories or types of food that will be featured? Have any changed since last time? Do any new ones need to be created? This time we're adding a variety of new categories. While we have the wine list, a la carte, light bites and dessert menus, there are some gaps in our offering - seasonal dishes, children's and drinks primarily.

With the categories define, I put together a template outline for the new menu that we could then fill with the dishes. There has been a lot of guest feedback over the course of the year. It's important to listen to everyone individually, but build menus based upon the desires of the majority of the group. I find it fascinating listening to people's opinions about the menu - one group on a table will say, "You need to change this, this, and this" and the table next to them will say, "This is gorgeous, don't change a thing!" What an interesting balance to try to achieve!

The group feedback helps with the selection of new dishes which are the next step in the menu building process. Chef and I have been working together on this, me providing insights into guest preferences and him designing the dishes. There are some dishes that people want all the time and we wanted to add a seasonal element that we could change regularly to take advantage of things that are freshest so we going with the best of both worlds and having both.

The Children's Menu is something that I've spent a lot of time thinking about. Another balance - that of wanting to provide 'real' food for kids and meeting kids preferences for eating out. I've looked at so many kids menus offering a poor quality selection of poor quality food and giving kids rubbish goes against the grain (whether they prefer it or not). The solution that we're applying to this dilemma is to offer kids a selection of what they like to eat and a selection of 'real' food - all of the highest quality ingredients. The burgers are made from Bowland Beef, the fish is fresh, and the sausages aren't loaded with fillers. Fruit juice is real juice and doesn't have 7 teaspoons of sugar in it. We'll see how it goes over!

Another category that we've been working on is providing a premium experience for the driver. Being a bit out in the country, there is almost always someone who is driving and not drinking. Traditionally selections for non-drinkers are very limited and in year 1 we followed that approach. This year, we're doing something a bit different and adding a selection of really nice things for the folks who aren't drinking alcohol.

Once all the dishes and drinks have been defined, the recipe testing ensues! All recipes have to be designed for high volumes. Everything has to be tested, tasted and costed. Targets have to be met for food cost versus sell price. Much as I treat The Bull as an extension of my own home, it is still a business and must make a profit to stay in business, achieving the right margin is important. Prices then are assigned. The costings are a lot of work, but the tastings are a lot of fun!

It's not over yet! The menu itself has to be made readable and attractive. Fonts and white space have to be just so. Delicious descriptions have to be written and spellings have to be checked.

The new menus are printed (and reprinted and reprinted...) to ensure they look as good on paper as they do on the screen. Just the right paper is found along with the right menu covers to keep them in. Decisions are made on what goes in the covers and what is simply given as a stand-alone page. Finally multiple copies of everything are printed (and you find yet another spelling mistake!).

It's still not over! The till then has to be updated with new products and new pricing for each and every item. We fight a constant battle with our till (some day I'll do a review of the suppliers we've worked with during the build and operation of this restaurant, our till supplier will not make the 'will work with again' list) so we'll have to put in the prices and the products at least three times before they 'stick'.

And then finally we've have to tell everyone that there is a new menu so they'll come try it!

New menu at The Black Bull, from April 5th, 2011

Signage

2011-03-20T08:20:00.001Z

One of the things that I think England does particularly well when compared to the US is controlling signs. The countryside isn't littered with signs.

Which is great until you want to put one there! My dilemma is how to create awareness that there's this little restaurant that you would never drive by, people don't drive through Rimington, they drive to Rimington.

My first route was down the brown sign route, is it possible to have a brown sign on the A-59? A very prompt nope was received. What about a banner? Tried that - stolen in a matter of HOURS! have two very kind guests who have put banners up on their fences, one has been allowed to keep it up and one has been told to remove it (???).

So my question is does anyone know how to get a sign on the A-59 on how to find The Bull?
Katherine Lachance
The Black Bull
Rimington Lane
Rimington
Nr Clitheroe
BB7 4DS
T: 01200 415 960
www.theblackbullrimington.com

Lancashire Dining Pub of the Year

Planning a New Menu

2011-03-18T20:48:00.002Z

One of the things I love about the Ribble Valley is the access to great food, and it changes all year long! We're right in the midst of finalising the Spring Menu and it's a very interesting process to go through.

When we first opened, the menu was very much about the classic French dishes - which is exactly how it should be for a French restaurant. But as time goes on, you get to know local preferences and the chefs become more confident and willing to explore the 'art of the possible' with the food. What we've found is that people really enjoy the classics and they really enjoy a changing menu - that's an interesting balance to achieve!

So we're in the midst of tasting and testing, testing and tasting - love the perks on this job!

Black Bull Locals

2011-03-09T16:39:00.003Z

The Black Bull Locals in for a casual drink on Saturday!

Lancashire Life Dining Pub of the Year - The Video

2011-03-07T17:15:00.002Z

Was writing my Luscious Lancashire blog and having a rummage around the Lancashire Life website and came across the video from the awards night! This was a real treat for me because I was so excited I couldn't remember a thing they said!

Supplier Central

2011-03-01T16:24:00.001Z

Made my second foray to Northern Restaurant & Bar today. It's an annual exhibition for pubs & restaurants suppliers get show their wares at GMEX in Manchester. I've found it's a good way to meet and talk with a variety of suppliers without having to spend oodles of time on it. It's also good to have (at least) an annual supplier review - because it seems prices are negotiated and then mysteriously they creep up when you're not looking!

The whole team also went. A big part of what we're doing this year is expanding knowledge for everyone at the Bull. Rather than the typical focus on learning about food for chefs and service for front of house, the whole team is learning about the whole business. Some may say that's a waste, why does a kitchen assistant need to know about wine or front of house need to meet the mushroom suppliers? I've always felt that the more that people know about the product and how it is created, the more they can add to it - whether by discussing it knowledgeably with customers or by creating a simpler (or more delicious) way to prepare it.

Policy on Dogs

2011-02-25T13:43:00.000Z

When people ask about our policy on dogs, my response has always been, "We accept well-behaved dogs, children or adults." We get many calls asking if someone can bring their dog to sit at their feet in the pub during lunch. It's a very traditional English thing and hasn't really been a problem (actually we have more 'challenges' from drinkers than from dogs).

So when one of our first few guests asked if his dog could stay overnight in his room (on a dog bed) rather than in the freezing cold card, I said okay, with a small surcharge. Nice man, nice dog, should be fine.

And it was, until I went out into the parking lot the next morning and found that the nice man and the nice dog had left a 'deposit'. Eeeeewwwww! Now what am I supposed to do with that? Am I supposed to clean it up? Ask one of my staff to clean it up? Leave it? And why on earth would anyone think that is acceptable?

So there ends the dogs allowed in the room policy, be sure to thank the nice man with the nice dog...

On Advertising

2011-02-20T12:06:00.002Z

Virtually every day, I'll receive one or more calls from someone selling advertising. Usually the discussion goes something like this:

Caller: Hello, I'd like to speak to the owner.

Now this immediately starts things off on the wrong foot. No effort has been made to find out who the owner is (which is ALL over the website) so that's my first indication on how diligent the company is

Caller: I'm calling to tell you about X fabulous advertising opportunity which is a one-time only chance for you to promote your business, all your competitors are doing it and if you don't you'll be left so far behind you'll have to close your doors immediately

K: Well, that sounds interesting, could you send me an example by email?

Caller: Yes, of course

K: And could you provide me with names and contact information of those who have run this type of ad with you before so I could check with them to see if the results are as fabulous as you describe?

Caller: Um, er, ... not really, data protection you know!

K: Well, if you cannot do that, could you provide me with data on the response rates and return on investment from people who have advertised with you? For example, how many enquiries did they receive, how many new customers came through their doors as a result of your ad? How many of your customers ran their ads a second time?

Caller: Oh no, I wouldn't have any of that information

K: Well, then how do you know spending money on this ad will be good for my business?

Caller: Um...because everyone else is doing it!

K: And 30 pubs and restaurants a week are going out of business, I think I'll pass on doing what everyone else is doing...

Happy (Batty) Valentine's Day!

2011-02-12T23:52:00.000Z

Valentine's Day, that most romantic of holidays, and one which of course you want to make special when running a restaurant. The phrase 'best laid plans' comes to mind...

Take an absolutely gorgeous menu, throw in some smiling and enthusiastic staff, an intimate dining room - all perfect for that special evening, right? Wait, there's just one more unexpected (and uninvited) ingredient that showed up unannounced - a wee bat decided he wanted to enjoy a bit of Valentine's at the Bull and flew in with some of our other guests!

Made for some interesting entertainment, to say the least! Steve was the hero of the evening, managing to carefully capture the little guy and return him safely to his outdoor habitat.

(Never a dull moment!)

Councillor Atkinson Comes to Visit

2011-02-10T16:42:00.003Z

Had a very nice visit yesterday from County Councillor Atkinson in relation to the Rosebud funding which helped with putting in the new bedrooms. The folks over at Rosebud have been the first group that we have found to be actually actively and helpfully financing in this area and in this industry. For businesses looking for funding in this marketplace, I'd recommend talking with these folks!

The Incredible Level of Detail

2011-02-08T18:42:00.002Z

My kettles don't fit under the taps (sigh). Way, way back when we first were buying all the stock for the start up, I mentioned the incredible level of detail that you need to pay attention to in this business (it might have been related to the distance between tines on forks at the time), that hasn't gone away. Five new kettles purchased for the rooms, only one can fit in the sink to be filled with water for morning coffee...

Throw them out, probably not. There's probably a story here!

To Cellar and for How Long?

2011-02-07T20:50:00.001Z

French wines and how long to keep them for:

Wines and cellaring

A Trip to Paris

2011-02-07T14:02:00.003Z

Came across this (language) video showing a first trip to Paris. Reminds me of when Steve first took me there...

Paris video

Interesting Reading on a Sunday

2011-01-30T09:14:00.002Z

What do I do on my day off? Nothing food oriented, right? Hardly. This morning it's a lounge on the sofa with an interesting food blog Worth the Whisk - fun title, huh?

Written by a real life home economist (yes, there are some left!) sharing recipes, craft ideas and kitchen techniques, it makes for an interesting read. It's an oldie, but I liked the project for making wine cork trivets which I'm going to do for our kitchen (hot pans on stainless steel - ouch!). Nice touch, nicer than plastic and we reusing something that we accumulate dozens of each week - thrifty and green!

Belated Burns (Night)

2011-01-28T09:36:00.000Z

Unfortunately, both Steve and I had to be in London on Burns Night - oh, no, missing one of Paul's special menus! We were very disappointed - but he's a good man, he saved us some of EVERYTHING and made it for us tonight. It was a bit belated, but we didn't miss out.

This was the menu:

Whiskey Toast
Traditional Haggis, Tatties, & Neeps with a Whiskey Sauce
Sorbet
Venison Assiette
Seasonal Vegetables
Raspberry, Heather Honey Cranachan
Home-Made Chocolate Whiskey Truffles

Interestingly the haggis was a Lancashire haggis and when combined with the Whiskey Sauce was delicious even for folks like me who have yet to meet a haggis they like - although I suspect that Whiskey Sauce poured over cardboard would be delicious! I had all sorts of good intentions of photographing the meal so you could see it here - managed to get the first course, even had the camera on the table and by the time we got to the main was so focused on the food that I forgot to take the rest of the pictures! Am going to have to see if the boys in the kitchen managed to get any of the main and dessert - will post if I can find them.

The feedback on the actual night was excellent, so it's already on the calendar for next year!

French Food - UNESCO

2011-01-27T06:25:00.000Z

French food (and its associated dining experience) have been recognised on UNESCO's World Intangible Heritages List:

"The gastronomic meal of the French is a customary social practice for celebrating important moments in the lives of individuals and groups, such as births, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, achievements and reunions. It is a festive meal bringing people together for an occasion to enjoy the art of good eating and drinking. The gastronomic meal emphasizes togetherness, the pleasure of taste, and the balance between human beings and the products of nature. Important elements include the careful selection of dishes from a constantly growing repertoire of recipes; the purchase of good, preferably local products whose flavours go well together; the pairing of food with wine; the setting of a beautiful table; and specific actions during consumption, such as smelling and tasting items at the table. The gastronomic meal should respect a fixed structure, commencing with an apéritif (drinks before the meal) and ending with liqueurs, containing in between at least four successive courses, namely a starter, fish and/or meat with vegetables, cheese and dessert. Individuals called gastronomes who possess deep knowledge of the tradition and preserve its memory watch over the living practice of the rites, thus contributing to their oral and/or written transmission, in particular to younger generations. The gastronomic meal draws circles of family and friends closer together and, more generally, strengthens social ties. "

Read more.

Those of you who enjoy French food and this type of dining experience already knew this was important. While this particular recognition is culturally specific, I think it is really another example of many of us starting to recognise the importance of the dining experience for us socially, as families and friends. And when I say dining experience, I'm not referring to chowing down in front of the TV, inhaling a burger while in the car or zapping something in the microwave. Another example of this focus is the Slow Food movement which originated in Italy which has thousands of members worldwide.

For us, there's a big sign as you walk in the door at the Bull, "Once upon a time, dining used to be an experience..."

French Cheese University

2011-01-26T12:07:00.002Z

Love French cheeses?! Creamy, sharp, melting, buttery, smooth and sometimes just plain stinky. Part of the fun of French cheeses is there are just so many of them to try!

Found a some very interesting information on French cheeses in this 'Cheese University' series of posts.

(P.S. When Steve and I took a trip through the Dordogne a few years back, a charming waitress introduced us to cheese, biscuits and butter - oh my goodness, decadence on a cracker!)

A Treat for the Weekend

2011-01-25T06:26:00.000Z

A recipe for a succulent pork dish, comfort food for a Sunday afternoon!

Service - UK Rankings

2011-01-24T12:05:00.002Z

Really interesting article on service in the UK and it ranks against other countries. The comments following the article were particularly interesting to read, with the debate about levels of service in various countries. I find that in general I receive good service (my requests are fulfilled), but in the main companies / service staff do little to build an ongoing relationship with the customer. But service is like anything else, you get what you give, if I'm miserable and surly, that's exactly what I get back!

Service is something that I talk a lot about here because it makes such a difference to the dining experience. I'm glad to see the media starting to focus on this - welcoming travelers, tourists and guests isn't just good for the individual business, it's good for the economy.

I'm also enjoying Michel Roux's show on service in the restaurant industry, particularly him highlighting the restaurant industry as an interesting and exciting career path. Although common thinking is that working in a restaurant is about serving (plates, food, drinks, etc.), in reality what one actually does is create great dining experiences and memories - that's a very, very different thing. And there is no industry I've come across where you get such immediate feedback on when you've got it right and spot on!

Whisky - A to Z

2011-01-23T13:49:00.002Z

In honour of Burn's Night - Tuesday, January 25th - thought you might enjoy this site. Everything about whisky - that's whisky with a 'y', not whiskey with an 'ey'. I have been reliably informed that one is Scotch and one is not!

The Whisky Guide was particularly interesting with all sorts of information about how whiskey is made, the different types and how to drink one's whiskey. Like wine, the glass can make a difference and so can the type of water (for the whisky and water crowd!).

Whisky - A to Z

Curing the Common Cold

2011-01-18T20:49:00.002Z

Have you been as wiped out this year as I have? Here's something to make you feel better:

Gran's Penicillin

French Chef Declares London Capital of Cuisine

2011-01-15T18:55:00.000Z

The (French) chef with more Michelin stars than anyone on London cuisine.

(First London, then the Ribble Valley?!)

Sally Naden - BBC Radio Lancashire

2011-01-05T17:42:00.002Z

Sally was kind enough to invite me back for a chat about starting a business in the middle of a recession and the impact pubs can have on a community:

Sally Naden BBC Radio Lancashire - January 5th

Setting the Goals for 2011

2011-01-01T11:51:00.000Z

Steve and I aren't really big on New Year's resolutions. It might be the verbiage, but we find resolutions don't get done. We've used a much more structured approach to setting and delivering personal and professional goals during the time that we've been personally and professionally partnered (since we've known each other!).

For us achieving goals isn't just about saying, 'I want this' or 'I want that'. It's about setting goals in the context of what's really important to you and then coming up with a really structured way of delivering those goals. We've found that the two of us being really clear on what we want to accomplish and working together on the same things results in huge progress - every single year. We use it for business and for the rest of our lives too.

Here's an example, things that are important to us tend to fall into specific categories (and those haven't changed much from year to year) - Relationship, Kids, Family, Travel, Business, Finance and then some more adminny categories around Property and Cars. In each category, we ask the question, 'If this could be great, what would it be like?' Last year, the answer to that question regarding the Bull was to win the Lancashire Life award. When we have agreed what the answers to that question are for each category (and getting to those answers can be a long discussion), we then create a to-do list for what we need to do first to accomplish each item. Those to-dos go onto our regular daily to-do lists (and we've found they must go on the to-do lists that we make for work, the work to-do list always takes priority and if our most important things aren't on the list we focus on the most, they don't get done).

The final part of this is the 'delivery mechanism' which is we get together every month over a latte to go over what we've accomplished and to create the next set of to-dos. So often in life what others want takes precidence over what we want, we've found this method ensures that what we want gets equal priority with what others want (the government, the boss, etc.) and it's the only method I've found for consistently making not just baby steps in accomplishing our goals, but giant steps - every single year.

(For the time management geeks in the audience, this is variation on GTD - focused less on getting everything done and more on getting our things done.)

Is January the New December?

2010-12-20T14:21:00.002Z

December in the restaurant industry is 'the big one', the month which by itself is busier than three months combined earlier in the year - except when it snows (sigh). Yup, we've got it, that lovely white stuff has appeared again this December. And with it, the dreaded cancellations.

But what seems to be happening is the December business is moving to January and with that what looked like a typical quiet January is quite busy! I was on BBC Radio Lancashire last week on a programme called Winter Winners & Losers. Last year, I would definitely say we were winter losers - just opened, too late for Christmas business, over staffed and five weeks of snow.

We learned a lot from that and this year it's different. People here don't want to drive in the snow and cancellations come at the last minute. The rooms are to help deal with the 'driving in snow' challenges and we're more appropriately staffed. Deposits help with the food costs incurred with last minute cancellations. And even though much of it is moving out into January, the Christmas business is much bigger this year than last!

The Rooms have Arrived!

2010-12-15T14:52:00.000Z

It's taken a lot longer than we thought (possibly because we did much of this 'transformation' ourselves), but the long awaited rooms have arrived! There are now 5 'Bedrooms at the Bull'!

It's been a fascinating project restoring the upstairs. The Bull was known for many years as the Black Bull Hotel, although we're having trouble finding anyone who remembers people actually staying here. Having stayed in many hotel rooms in our 'road warrior' days, we wanted to create the type of place that we always looked for and seldom found - a place where you could 'cocoon' at the end of the day, lots of pillow, crisp linens, fluffy duvets and a non-commercial feel. I walk around upstairs now and what I see are bedrooms reminiscent of a country house.

The goal was to create a similar look and feel in the bedrooms to what people enjoy so much downstairs. As we embark on Year 2, it will be very interesting to see what a difference the rooms make!

Our Family Thanksgiving

2010-11-28T20:59:00.000Z

Thanksgiving Day was a bit busy with introducing it as a special meal at the Bull so we didn't really have time to have ours on the 'official day'. But since we regularly move holidays around to suit our schedule, we still managed to squeeze it in.

Part of Thankgiving is being thankful for what you have received. In our family get-together, Steve started the Thanksgiving speech. This year, there was so much to be thankful for that there was his speech on the day and a follow-on here.

From Steve's speech. It's been a year which has both taught us a lot and it's often been humbling. We have learned a great deal about what we set out to do, about our families and about ourselves. We have called this year 'character building' and it has been very much so. We've gained new insights (sometimes surprising ones) into what's needed for this business and into our own characters - oftentimes with many 'who knew' moments!

The 'big thankful' this year is for our family and this is the part of the speech that Steve couldn't finish. We'd like to thank and are very thankful for:

Steve's Mum - Eileen, aka the financial grupenfuhrer. For being the key, the lynchpin and the one that holds us all together.

Steve's brother Andrew - for showing up every weekend during the construction phase and not only coming up with a fantastic design (architecturally), but also for schlepping tons of stuff both out and into the Bull.

Steve's sister Julie - for also showing up every weekend during construction to tear off wallpaper, move stuff out of and in along with being florist extraordinaire.

Susan - Steve's other sister who handles Bull operations and is an incredible bundle of energy along with being that cheery singing voice in the background.

Jess - my daughter, who designed and built our website, who schlepped stuff, and who regularly comes up and cheerily pitches in behind the bar on a busy night

Chris - Steve's son, student and future 'world explorer' who regular comes up and does the toughest job, that of potwash. He is our longest running one and that says something very special about the person that he is

Uncle John (Unk) - Fixer of things broke, calm word in a crisis, voice of experience - that is Uncle John

Mark - Emergency experienced bartender and photographer at awards ceremonies

And finally, Steve - well, perhaps, it's the same thing that happened during your speech on Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving is a Hit in Lancashire!

2010-11-26T20:49:00.001Z

Well, I wasn't sure how it would go, but I did have a bit of data to go on. Thanksgiving with the British contingent in our family has been a must have. I have Thanksgiving every year and when I first met Steve, we introduced Thanksgiving to his family. I knew it was a hit when mid-meal they were asking if we would be having Thanksgiving next year.

The same measurement yardstick applied at the Bull this year when we introduced Thanksgiving there. Thanksgiving is a total foodie holiday, that's all it's about - food and family (my two favourites!). What better event to hold at a very foodie oriented place!

We had a great turnout of people familiar with Thanksgiving along with those who wanted to try Thanksgiving, and by mid-meal people were asking us if we'd be doing Thanksgiving next year! Since I hold Thanksgiving every year, it's not a big deal to 'expand' a bit and include the Bull too!

Thanksgiving Preparations Commence!

2010-11-25T14:59:00.003Z

Making Thanksgiving dinner at home always involves getting up really early to get the turkey in the oven and start making all of the dishes that comprise the 'trimmings' associated with 'turkey and all the trimmings', the same thing is happening here at the Bull today. The kitchen is bustling with activity as all the preparations for tonight's dinner commence.

We're almost completely booked for tonight so Thanksgiving looks to be a pretty popular concept here in the Ribble Valley! The turkeys are in the oven, the stuffing is ready to go, sweet potatoes are well underway and the pies look GORGEOUS! Chef Paul is sticking to the traditional recipes so the smells and tastes are reminding me of home and all those wonderful family get-togethers with great food, great conversation and great company.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Very Funny...

2010-11-24T13:03:00.002Z

I can remember before we opened talking with a wine merchant who looked me in the eye and said flat out that French food will never be successful in Lancashire. He assured me that the approach and the food offering would fail. I didn't dig into it at the time, but I think the point that he was trying to make was that Lancashire tastes weren't any more sophisticated than hotpot or egg & chips so they wouldn't eat French food.

I took issue with what he said (surprise, surprise) and didn't end up doing business with him (surprise again!). And what I've found out over the course of the past year is that people from Lancashire like good food, well prepared. They are very knowledgeable about different types of food and understand how it should be sourced, prepared and presented.

He wasn't the only one who thought French cuisine was a bit radical for the Ribble Valley...

What I'm finding interesting today is how many other restaurants are now doing French dishes or holding French nights! And guess what? American Thanksgiving has also popped up!

Life is pretty simple: You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works. You do more of what works. If it works big, others quickly copy it. Then you do something else. The trick is the doing something else. Leonardo da Vinci

(Although to be fair, an argument could be made that we've copied the French!)

11 Days to Thanksgiving!

2010-11-14T10:54:00.002Z

Thursday, November 25th - Thanksgiving! Yum, yum, yum! This is the holiday designed especially for foodies! The focus (rightfully so) is entirely on the meal.

Thanksgiving is most widely viewed as an American holiday, but it is also celebrated in Canada, Grenada and the Netherlands. There is even a French connection as it was celebrated by the settlers of New France.

Although there is some dispute on this, it's commonly believed to have begun in the U.S. in 1691 with the pilgrims who emigrated on the Mayflower from England after surviving their trip across the ocean and their first winter. Thought you might this video of the trip interesting!

No Rooms for 50 Years?

2010-11-14T10:08:00.002Z

A history question - discussion last night at the bar, when was the last time there were rooms at the Bull? One of our locals who's been coming for the past 50 years or so (!) cannot remember there being rooms during that time period.

Anyone know when rooms were last available at the Bull?

The Knowledgeable Customer

2010-11-12T06:57:00.001Z

It's really interesting to see how interested in cooking shows, chefs and restaurants people are. Daily we will have people come in and discuss a cooking technique they saw on the telly last night, the latest gossip on such and such a chef along with a detailed analysis of what's right and what's wrong with the restaurants in the local area.

Having customers with such knowledgeable tastes is a double-edged sword. Being in the food business, it's fun to talk with others who are passionate about good food, but you certainly cannot rest on your laurels with them! I think this passion and increased knowledge about food in the customer base is part of what's having such an impact on the pub / restaurant industry these days. The market tastes have changed and the dining experience (including good food is key). Sometimes after a meal Steve will comment, "That was absolutely average" and we don't go back to that place again. Average just isn't good enough when a) your customers know it and b) can get better than average just down the street.

Yesterday a woman had crepes for lunch, she'd eaten crepes in Paris the week before (no pressure there!). Her assessment - enjoyed them just as much as the Parisian ones (whew!).

See the Video!

2010-11-04T16:53:00.001Z

Check out the video shown on the awards night here!

A Special Surprise!

2010-11-01T03:57:00.003Z

Saturday night was our first annual Halloween party and those who attended had a special surprise! It was the first opportunity to celebrate after winning the Lancashire Dining Pub of the Year award so the party was on us!

You can imagine the surprised faces when Steve announced that everyone's dinner that night was free!

Just one way to say thank you to the folks who made this happen - and of course, an opportunity for a party!

Lancashire Dining Pub of the Year

2010-11-01T03:53:00.003Z

The Lancashire Life Food and Drink Awards ceremony was a glittering night to remember…

Now you can re-live the awards, sponsored by Robinson’s Brewery,
by viewing the scores of pictures from this fabulous night. Just click on the link above –
and feel free to forward it to friends, family and colleagues.

Don’t forget there will be a full report and a selection of these pictures published in the December issue of Lancashire Life – and every copy comes with an exclusive calendar.
It’s a magazine you shouldn’t miss!

Click here to view the gallery

Lancashire Life Awards Night - And the Black Bull was There!

2010-10-27T17:01:00.003+01:00

Could only do a quick Blackberry post from the awards ceremony last night so here's the full story:

I mentioned a few weeks ago that we'd been nominated for the Lancashire Dining Pub of the Year award given by Lancashire Life. Being open for just ten months, we were absolutely thrilled to be considered one of the top three of so many delicious dining pubs in Lancashire.

With the nomination came the invitation for the awards night, very exciting to be invited, but a little nerve-wracking too. Although Steve's been to many of these things and scooped up his share of awards, this would be my first time. On the lead up to the night, everyone on the team was very excited and there was much discussion about what it would be like, and of course what one should wear.

Although Steve's and my tickets to the dinner came as part of the nomination, it just wouldn't be right to go without the folks who had contributed just as much to getting there. So we ended up with just about everyone coming along - as a matter of fact, I ended up closing the place for the evening because everyone wanted to be at the awards ceremony.

There was a mini-bus so no one had to drive and a bottle of champagne with a toast to get us on our way. Dinner suits and evening gowns for all. The trip to Manchester took forever, I felt like a little kid bouncing on the seat saying 'are we there yet?!). Finally we arrived at the Midlands Hotel in the centre of Manchester.

After checking in there was more champagne and canapes. (It must be a very brave chef who agrees to cook for a room full of other chefs and restaurant people - picky eaters doesn't even begin to cover it!) Lots of mingling, chef spotting and people watching. The Lancashire Life photographer was a familiar face, she's been out to the Bull several times. She took photos of our group and then I was interviewed - of course now I cannot remember a single thing she asked, but the general gist was are you excited and do you think you'll win? Yes and no idea!

The ballroom was beautifully decorated and we had a great table. Lots of lights, video and speakers, all very state of the art. Dinner was very good and the food and relative merits were thoroughly dissected. It was very nice, but long - No awards until you've finished your dinner!

There were 14 awards given out last night and we were second on the list - at least we'd know quickly! Last month a video team had come out to the Bull to film the dining areas, the kitchen and the food. I have to say the videographer did a fantastic job, the place looked great and the food - mouthwatering! Videos of all three nominees were shown and then the big moment came...

Again I don't remember the exact wording, but - This year's Dining Pub of the Year award goes to a place which is warm, welcoming, great food and you won't believe it, but it's FRENCH!!! That's all I heard because the table went wild!!!

The entire team went up on stage for the presentation of the award and the photographs. Tears of happiness amongst all. Then more photographs and another interview (how does it feel?! There are no words!!!).

It was a fantastic night with a great group of people and a great way to top off the past 10 months!

Lancashire Dining Pub of the Year!

2010-10-26T22:47:00.001+01:00

At this time last year the Black Bull was a closed and derelict pub, tonight - Lancashire Dining Pub of the Year!

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device from the awards ceremony at the Midlands Hotel

Let Them Eat Cake!

2010-10-16T10:42:00.002+01:00

Paul's cake for the MacMillan Cancer Coffee Morning! Initial counts - £230 raised!

Christmas Brochure

2010-09-05T16:06:00.001+01:00

All the delicious fun for the holidays!

Black Bull Christmas Holiday Brochure

Shortlisted for Lancashire Life's DINING PUB OF THE YEAR!

2010-09-04T07:57:00.002+01:00

Was flipping through the mail yesterday (bills, adverts, junk, thank you notes, more junk) and came to a big white envelope with no discerning markings on the outside - wonder what that is? Opened it up and inside was the following letter:

Dear Katherine Lachance and Steve Hodgson,

Congratulations!

I am delighted to inform you that

The Black Bull

has been shortlisted in the category of

Lancashire Dining Pub of the Year

Wooooohoooooo! (That was not in the letter, btw!) How exciting is that?!

There are 14 award categories mentioned in the letter, but not listed so I took a look at Yorkshire Life's awards to get an idea. Here are the 2010 awards listed there:

Newcomer of the Year

City Restaurant of the Year

Neighbourhood Restaurant of the Year

International Restaurant of the Year

Restaurant of the Year

Traditional Pub of the Year

Dining Pub of the Year

Small But Special Hotel of the Year

Hotel of the Year

Local Food Producer of the Year

Education Award

Customer Service Award

Chef of the Year

There was much happiness and excitement at the Bull last night and throughout the Bull 'network' as calls and texts went out. With all the fabulous restaurants and pubs in the foodie heaven known as the Ribble Valley - to even be shortlisted is a VERY big deal!

First Annual Black Bull Charity Ball - Part 2, The Event

2010-08-30T12:01:00.002+01:00

The doors are open, guests are arriving - dressed to the nines! Glitter, glamour and gowns for the ladies and the gentlemen were decked out in their finest - plenty of dinner suits and white jackets paired up well with the ladies' evening gowns and cocktail dresses.

The bar was crowded with lots of excited conversation. Many of the guests knew each other or had tables with large groups of their friends so there was a great deal of mixing as people hugged and said hello. There was a lot of curiosity and questions about what the evening would entail as it had been years and years since there had been an event like this at the Bull.

Once the kitchen was ready to go, the guests were escorted to their tables. Buttonholes were quickly pinned on and menus perused. Chef Paul had designed a special menu for the evening:

Tomato Water & Gazpacho Shot

~~~

Platter of Salmon & Avacado

Terrine of Confit Chicken & Wild Mushrooms

~~~

Beef Medallions with Creamed Leeks, Bacon & Red Wine

Chicken Breast filled with Spinach & Goats Cheese Mousse, a Rich Tomato Sauce & Provencal Vegetables

~~~

Crème Brulee, Shortbread & Summer Fruit Compote

Chocolate Tart with Vanilla Sauce Sorbet

And our singer, Gavin, entertained throughout the evening with a selection of songs and witty repartee over dinner, dessert and coffee.

After dinner, everyone moved to the bar for an entertaining charity auction. We were lucky enough to get Simon as our auctioneer and the prizes included:

One Week Stay in Majorca

Chef’s Table for 4 at the Black Bull

Chef for an Evening at Yours

Cosgroves Gift Voucher

Cleaner for a Day

Massage by Stephanie Dewhurst

Sunday Lunch at the Bedford Hotel

Signed Burnley Football Shirt

Moorhouses Beer Gift Box

Black Bull Sweatshirt (with a surprise)

Following the auction, the singing continued along with dancing until 12:30. There were some excellent dancers on the floor all evening (giving the rest of us less talented mortals something to watch and making us jealous!).

The evening ended with many hugs and kisses at the door, and many questions as to when we'd be having the next one!!!

First Annual Black Bull Charity Ball - Part 1, The Preparation

2010-08-30T09:55:00.000+01:00

August 29th marked the night of the first annual Black Bull Charity Ball - and what a night it was!

I'll talk about this event in two parts - the preparation (for those who are interested in the behind the scenes glimpse) and then the ball itself.

Preparing for a major event like this starts 2-3 months (or more) in advance and continues right up until the doors open on the night. From 'outside' it may looks like you simply announce the event, do a bit of decorating and poof!, you have an event - nothing could be further from the truth. Quite frankly, sitting here and looking back over my to-do list(s) and project plan, I am amazed at how much went into this.

The first part of 'building' an event like this is what I would call 'concept definition' - what will the event be, when will we hold it and what will it be like when we do? For this I usually sit down with Paul, our chef patron, to work this out. We discuss a high level menu (buffet, sit down, dishes, how many courses, etc.) We may immediately decide what to serve or there may be some researching / testing of dishes necessary. For this event, we decided on a formal summer ball, to raise money for charity, with a four-course meal and entertainment (to include dancing). We also selected Children's Cancer Research as our charity to raise funds for.

Once the date is set, we need to create awareness of the event. This is the part that involves the most work. It's not a matter of running an ad or a few ads. People don't really read ads any more in these days of information overload so creating awareness and interest in one's event (and business) when there is so much else going on is what I'm finding to be pretty close to a full-time job. A charity event is newsworthy so the Clitheroe Advertiser did a write up, I was on BBC Radio Lancashire twice, we had posters up, invited all our Le Club members, Twittered and posted on Facebook - plus a whole lot more!

Entertainment has to be sourced, selected and hired (Yvonne did a fantastic job of this). Logistics have to be thought through - which room will we use, where will people be seated, how will the food be served, how will we track what's been served. A big deal is how to track purchases when you have a table of 10 with 5 different couples ordering drinks all evening and all wanting separate bills - miss a few expensive bottles of wine and poof! what might have been a profitable or break even evening becomes a loss, which we don't want happening!

Decorations are one of the things I worried about least (because if people aren't aware of the event, then it doesn't matter how beautifully it's decorated, there won't be anyone there to see it!), but still very important. Now we spent a great deal on the initial decoration of the Bull and maintain a high 'decorative standard' on a day-to-day basis (linen tablecloths and napkins, candles, etc.) so what's required for an event is a special touch to bring the place up just a notch more. For this we used our in-house flower expert, Steve's sister Julie. She designed and made up 'buttonholes' or 'buttonnieres' for each guest and made up several summery flower arrangements. Each guest also received souvenir menu cards with the dishes served, the evening's agenda and auction prizes.

Jess came up from Windsor and was the event photographer and videographer (in between bar tending duties!). She'll be putting together a video / photo slide show of the evening.

Once the menu is decided upon, then Paul sources all the food and orders it in several days in advance. The kitchen was a hive of activity for several days beforehand with all the preparation underway, it was even busier on the day as all the 'prep' came together and the dishes filled with food started to appear.

Last step before 'showtime', to put on our best 'bib and tucker' just minutes before the first guests walked through the door!

(Since this was our first of what we want to be an annual series of events, this was a make or break event for us. Get it wrong and it will be all over the valley how we'd messed it up, get it right and we'll have people looking forward to the Black Bull Ball next year. I'll talk more about the ball itself in the next post, but how we did is summed up by what one of our guests said to us as she was leaving, "Can we have one of these every three months?!")

Black Bull Car Service

2010-08-22T15:16:00.005+01:00

One of the things people always tell us is that they'd love to come out for an evening, but they don't want to drive so we're adding a new service this month for those who want to relax and enjoy a good meal, and a good bottle of wine - the Black Bull Chauffeured Car Service. Friday & Saturday nights only for parties of four, enjoy your visit to the Black Bull in a chauffeur driven Mercedes!

Relax and enjoy yourself throughout the whole evening - that's why it's special at the Black Bull!

(Complimentary service with a minimum spend of £120, within 25 miles. Pick up times at 7:00 or 8:00, returns at 10:00 or 11:00. Call 01200 415 960 to book!)

Summer Ball

2010-08-19T15:59:00.000+01:00

An article in the Clitheroe Advertiser about the upcoming Summer Ball on August 29th!

More Women in Business

2010-08-17T08:04:00.000+01:00

So I'm still thinking about this Women in Business interview (BBC Radio Lancashire, 1:00, Monday, August 23rd) and if there have been any differences being a woman running a business. Thinking, thinking...

I tend to be pretty oblivious about women v men experience in business. In the corporate world as an employee where someone else makes decisions about one's 'promotability', I think there can be a difference in experience. In the self-employed world, I think you make your own success. I got off the corporate track in 1993 and although I've had a couple brushes with full-time employment since, I've been primarily self-employed.

I think perhaps the difference may not be in what I experience as a woman in business, but more so how I operate as a woman in business. For example, in this industry, it's very much about awards - the Michelin star, the Rosettes, etc., competitive, awards-driven, win-win-win! I suppose I'll go after that stuff because Paul, our head chef, wants to, but that's not where I naturally put my energies - I focus on building a relationship with my guests, ensuring that they have a fabulous time while here.

Another example and this one's probably purely female - I don't have an F-word kitchen. I won't put up with it and have let talented people go because of it. Not that I have a big issue with swear words (although my sister once said to me, "Ladies never swear" and that's stuck), but more for the results you get from people. People may put up with being sworn at, but you won't consistently get 120% out of them - you'll get a burst after the tirade, but that quickly dies until the next one. And besides, my kitchen door opens right onto the dining room and what's being said in the kitchen is heard on the floor. My guests hear singing and laughing chefs, they hear busy chefs - they're not here to hear swearing chefs.

I'm sure there are others, but those are the ones that immediately spring to mind...

Challenging / Fantastic

2010-08-16T07:24:00.000+01:00

Going to be on BBC Radio Lancashire again on Monday at 1:00. The topic is Women in Business, starting a business in this market, etc., and I've been having a think about what to say. What are the things that have made this journey challenging and what are the thing that have made it fantastic?

Challenging:
- This week some vendors fall under my most challenging (vexing) list, the ones who don't honor the promises made when you purchased their product. (I'll do another post sometime listing the vendors who I would recommend and those I would not.)
- Staying out of the operation and on the marketing and building a relationship with my customers. This was and is a big one, very hard to carve out that time. But I looked at the skillsets of everyone in the business, I have a lot of people who can cook, who can serve food, who can create an excellent experience with the customer. There's nobody else who can go out to market and create awareness of this business.
- Keeping the energy up. When starting a new business, the hours are not eight per day with an hour for lunch and two 15 minute breaks. Days run from 8a.m. to 11:30p.m whether I'm 'on' or not.
- Finding time for family. I've basically put my family on hold this year and as a very family oriented person that's the one thing I've found emotionally most difficult. But Jess and I have found new ways to communicate, Chris (my stepson) has been working here this summer which has been a great chance to spend time with him and, very exciting, my parents are coming over from the US - so I guess upon reflection this one has been challenging, but I'm finding new ways to deal with it
- Becoming a night person - ack! I am a morning person, always have been. Love getting up early in the quiet of the day before anyone is about. Love snuggling into bed with a book at 9:00.

Fantastic:
- The creativity. This business forces you to think in new and different ways. How do I create something so appealing that people will drive all the way out here? It's a fascinating puzzle.
- The people. When I was doing management consulting, I made a couple of friends along the way, but mainly people were clients and business associates. Relationships were few and far between. People are guests / customers here, but they're also friends and I enjoy the personal relationships here far more than the business relationships in the past
- Building something different and special. The menu is different, the atmosphere is different, the relationships are different - it all adds up to something unique

Are these particularly Women in Business topics? Probably not, I'll have to keep thinking!

The Disappearing Pub...

2010-08-12T12:44:00.002+01:00

Some interesting data on the disappearance of the English pub. Nigel Evans, our local MP, was on Sally Naden's BBC Radio Lancashire programme with me last Friday and he said pubs are still closing at the rate of approximately 40 per week.

Had an 'over the bar' discussion about this with some of our locals this past weekend and we agreed that they were lucky to have us and we were lucky to have them!

Food Blogging

2010-08-11T17:00:00.002+01:00

Lancashire Life is introducing its bloggers this month:

lancsbloggers-1

It's a real treat to be writing about the fantastic foods we have here and spreading the word about what great food destination Lancashire is!

Black Bull Newsletter - August

2010-08-01T17:07:00.000+01:00

Lots of interesting and delicious things going on this month!

Newsletter Aug 1

Radio Interview with David Cawley on Food, Travel & Drink

2010-07-27T21:52:00.000+01:00

David Cawley was kind enough in invite me to have a chat with him about food, opening a restaurant during a recession and what it's like being an American in Lancashire. You can find the programme and listen here.

Miracle Mondays

2010-07-27T10:43:00.003+01:00

A business being part of a community is more than simply selling a product and taking people's money. Being part of a community is a two-way relationship, giving and receiving on both sides. For many, a restaurant or a pub is strictly business, get as much as you can reasonably get from the products that you sell, keep it business oriented, keep the personal out - "It's business!"

As you may have noticed by now, Steve and I do things a bit differently. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a business, but it's more than that. We could keep it strictly business, but there's such a huge opportunity to do more. Rebuilding the centre of a community is one aspect of it (which I'll talk about in detail in future post), but there's also the opportunity to do something special with it and that's what Miracle Mondays are about.

Each week on a Monday 10% of the sales will be donated to a charity or group that is working to create a miracle - cure a disease, provide something special for a community, help someone in need. Each week a different charity can sign up to join us at the Bull raising funds for their special cause. We'll work with fund raisers on how publicise their Miracle Monday and at the end of their day, 10% of the total for that day goes to their special cause. The goal - to create miracles!

If you or someone you know would like to schedule a Miracle Monday for a special cause, give me a call on 01200 415 960 or email me at katherine@theblackbullrimington.com.

Before & After - Part 5

2010-07-26T11:05:00.000+01:00

From something that looked like a gymnasium (cold and damp to boot!) to a garden themed bistro!

Before & After - Part 4

2010-07-26T11:02:00.000+01:00

I think the pictures say it all, don't you?

Before & After - Part 3

2010-07-26T08:04:00.000+01:00

The restaurant or dining room was an interesting one. We wanted to create something that was a bit special, but not stuffy, a place to go for that special evening or a nice night out on a Friday. The fashion now is to go with stone floors and wooden tables, but I find that combined with china, cutlery and conversation is too noisy. I've spent too many evenings in a busy restaurant shouting across the table to Steve.

If you spend any time understanding human dynamics in restaurants, you realise that hard surfaces are designed to look nice, but be just that bit uncomfortable. That's so the customer is comfortable long enough to eat, but quickly gets less comfortable and leaves. It's a technique for 'turning tables' and McDonalds originated the concept. Bright and cheery, loud and clattery, hard seats all subtly encourage you to eat and get out. Stone floors, hard surfaces have a similar effect, most human beings will eat, but not linger - thereby freeing the table for the next customers.

Carpets, linen tablecloths, padded seats quiet the atmosphere so that people can relax and linger. It's not unusual for people to spend 3 hours enjoying their meal, their company and their conversation.

Before & After - Part 2

2010-07-26T08:00:00.000+01:00

Part of the challenge was updating, but remaining in keeping with the building - updating without going contemporary.

Before & After Series - Part 1

2010-07-26T07:41:00.000+01:00

Was putting together pictures and some of the exciting things that have happened over the course of the past few months for a rolling slide show that I want to have on a screen on the bar. Part of it will be 'before & after' pictures. I thought you might enjoy a preview!

One of the first things you see as you enter is the bar. Originally very dark brown, we lightened and brightened while keeping the stained glass and nice woodwork (neither of which were really noticeable before).

Five Kiss Night!

2010-07-25T08:41:00.002+01:00

Measuring restaurant guest happiness is done in a variety of ways. Comments cards solicit feedback. Surveys ask questions to gauge satisfaction with various parts of the process. Repeat visit rates are an excellent indicator of whether or not people enjoyed themselves.

An additional measurement that I use is the 'Hug & Kiss Factor' (HKF). The HKF is when guests have had such a good time that I get a hug or kiss in addition to a thank you as they're leaving. The HKF is an immediate indicator of how thrilled people are with their food and their experience with us.

For me, it's a real honor that people are so pleased with their meal and their evening that they shake my hand, give me a hug or a kiss.

Saturday was a five kiss night!

Gotta be an Optimist!

2010-07-24T10:19:00.000+01:00

"No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit."
– Helen Keller

Andi & Eric's Wedding

2010-07-23T21:52:00.001+01:00

It was a beautiful sunny day (look there's actual sunshine!). Don't know how they managed it, but Andi and Eric had the perfect day for their wedding. With style all the way from the car they arrived in (is that cool or what?) to Andi's beautiful dress, it was great day for a wedding.

Andi and Eric just happened upon the Bull one day and liked it so much they booked their wedding lunch here! They were a real treat to work with creating a menu that was exactly to their tastes.

From the champagne toast to the wedding cake, we enjoyed every minute of Andi and Eric's wedding!

What's Being Said about the Black Bull

2010-07-23T11:07:00.000+01:00

I can say that we serve the finest French food in the Ribble Valley (and if I didn't say it there's something wrong, isn't there?!), but here's what some other folks have to say:

"A touch of the real France in rural Lancashire - Tres Bien!"
Cate Short

"I find the staff exceptional."

Mollie Short

"Ambiance, pleasant surroundings, courteous & friendly staff, general cleanliness of buildings & furnishings."

Alan Howell

"Warm reception & lovely bar & dining areas. Worth making a journey to get there!"

Dr. John Hodgson

"Friendly service with a smile, lovely ambiance and always welcoming!"
Rachel Holmes

We also write down comments as people make them to share with each other and with the kitchen (being behind closed doors means they miss out on hearing what our guests say). Here are just a few comments:

"Wonderful, I'll be recommending you!"

"Melt in the mouth liver, absolutely wonderful!"

"Risotto was the best of all year - and she's had four of them!"

"The food and the staff were definitely first class."

"I've never had French Onion Soup as good as that, it was sublime."

"It really couldn't have been better."

"That was one of the nicest omelettes I've ever had!"

"Absolutely lovely!"

Way Beyond Service - Hospitality

2010-07-20T10:38:00.002+01:00

"You get service from a vending machine, but only caring people can deliver hospitality."

Service - the performance of duties by a waiter or servant

Hospitality - the quality of receiving and treating guests in a warm, friendly, generous way

Service is the mechanical aspect of getting customers what they want. It's about following a a series of steps until the end of the transaction. Steps are completed, payment received, end of transaction. Service is important, but service is about process rather than people. It's about getting a set series of steps right.

Process is important, I know. I spent quite a few years as a Six Sigma Master Black Belt which is a high-flaluting term for someone who looks at processes and makes them work better. The goal of improving service in many organisations is to streamline the process and quite frankly, take the people interactions (or opportunities for error) out. Service is improved by rigidly following a process where the opportunities for relationships and human contact are taken out.

Instead of just delivering good service, we've set our standards much higher than that - our goal is to provide hospitality. Hospitality is going beyond completing perfunctory tasks to building a relationship with our guests. Service is easy, step 1, step 2, step 3, open the wallet, we're done.

Hospitality is taking the time to form a relationship with those who come to visit, it involves more work (remembering names, remembering faces). It takes effort to be welcoming to every person who comes through the door, to smile, to remember faces and names. It takes time, to pause and have a meaningful conversation.

Having 'been on the inside' I can now see how much easier it is to just provide good service, to just go through the motions until you encounter the human wallet at the end. I get good service at virtually every restaurant I go to, but that's not enough. If I go to a place 4 or 5 times and encounter the same people, I would like the courtesy of recognition. It would be nice to get a smile.

And why is this important? Because it's missing, everywhere you go, you get service. There's no recognition of you as a good customer. It's impersonal, even when you encounter someone several times.

What's missing is that relationship, that old-style hospitality where you were welcomed when you walked through the door. The kind of hospitality where guests (of a restaurant) are treated just like guests.

So that's why we focus on delivering far more than service, we provide hospitality.

BBC Radio Lancashire with Sally Nayden

2010-07-20T08:01:00.002+01:00

Very excited (and slightly nervous) about being a guest on BBC Radio Lancashire's morning show with Sally Nayden on August 6th!

Now Open on Mondays

2010-07-19T13:07:00.003+01:00

"It's so difficult to find a nice place to dine on Mondays" said one of our Le Club members a few weeks ago. Since we've had an increasing number of these requests over the past few months, it's time to open and give folks a nice place to dine on Mondays!

You asked for it, you got it!

Bastille Day

2010-07-17T14:05:00.004+01:00

Had a fab time last night celebrating Bastille Day! In honor of the day (which actually was the 14th, but I tend to move holidays around as needed), we put on a buffet of foods like those you would find on Bastille Day in France. Totally fun doing the research on the day, the recipes and the customs.

Since the sun chose to hide behind the clouds, we served the meal inside in the room that feels most like a bistro in France, Le Shed. Great turnout from both Le Club members and our special Rimington Residents. Everyone raved about the food and there were many enquiries about when we would be doing another!

Hmmm, have to think about that!

Chefs Dining

2010-07-16T13:50:00.000+01:00

Had a Michelin star chef drop by the other day because he had been told we had 'the best plate of food in the area' and he had come to check it out.

It's very interesting because we have a lot of chefs who come to check us out and what's even more interesting is that many of them come back - again and again. That says something. Chefs work incredibly long hours, have very little time off so expect a lot when they dine out and they are very knowledgeable about the food they eat. If you're not on your game, you'll hear about it!

And I Love Helpful Advice!

2010-07-13T16:11:00.002+01:00

So yesterday's post was a bit of a rant, but one thing I do want to make clear is that I do actually welcome constructive ideas and advice. Some of our most successful marketing, customer service and food ideas have come from someone else's head.

On Monday, I was at a Ribble Valley hospitality business event. Now that I have a few minutes breathing space, I'm using my 'day off' to get out and meet local B&B, caravan park and other small business owners. During the event, I met Simon from Bashall Barn and during a 15 minute conversation he shared three different great ways to get the word out for an 'off the beaten path' business including what to do with a business Facebook page (which I'm still trying to get my head around!).

People have shared their ideas, they've also pointed out when we've made a mistake - it is helpful to know early on that you've marked the pork dish as vegetarian! And rather than being offended by this kind of helpful advice, I'm thrilled by it - it means people care, and that is fantastic!

Don't You Just Love It...

2010-07-12T15:37:00.000+01:00

...when people tell you you're going to fail? How about when they say that to you on your Grand Opening evening?

I was adding some things to our scrapbook and came across the article about our Grand Opening and I remembered one irritating thing that occurred that evening which provoked the following rant...

In the middle of 120 people we invited for our opening in December, a man walked up to me and said, "You're going to fail, you know, you're never going to make it."

Whew.

What is the purpose of someone making that kind of statement?

It takes a lot to start a new business. It takes a lot to support a new business and help it grow. Growing this business hasn't just been us. It's been a joint effort between us, the village and our guests. In addition to the folks within these four walls, a lot of people are working very hard to put the Bull back on the map.

AND how do you respond to something like that on your opening night? "Oh, okay, let's just shut the doors then" or "Wow, thank you for that really helpful and inspiring piece of advice!"

I've had a variety of folks in offering this kind of 'helpful', sometimes 'fatherly' advice about how I "won't make a million at this", that this pub won't be successful because of its location or food or because it was closed, and that I personally have a lot of nerve trying to do something like this.

You know what? I do, I do have a lot of nerve trying to start a business in a declining industry, in a remote village, one that creates jobs for 14 people in an area where there were none, that provides an ongoing income for a whole host of suppliers, and provides a community and a group of very nice customers a place that they enjoy. If that's nerve, then I have it.

Those kinds of statements are designed to poke holes in one's confidence, to hold you back and keep you from trying something new or succeeding. I've encountered these 'harmful masked as helpful' comments before - when I 'dared' to attempt to move into management, when I 'had the nerve' to move countries, when I 'foolishly' took a sabbatical and went sailing for six months. So I guess opening a restaurant is the next on the list of things which turned out to be some of the best decisions and times of my life.

Those statements also insult the efforts and hard work of not just myself and Steve, but the folks here who put in an incredible amount of time and effort working to make a nice dining experience AND they insult the efforts of the people in the community and our guests who are helping to build the Bull and ensure that it stays open by coming here themselves and telling others about the good time they've had.

Is a restaurant a guaranteed success? No business is (how much money has BP lost this year?). But it is a heck of a lot better than sitting at home watching 3 hours of telly every night!

End of rant.

Almost. Nobody ever did anything interesting or exciting or got anywhere by listening to such nonsense. Eight months later, with a lot of hard work both from the folks inside the Bull, the village and from our guests, we're still here (and btw, I've just added another chef to keep up with the business and we're now opening on Mondays due to customer demand)...

So Many People...

2010-07-07T20:09:00.003+01:00

...are connected with the Bull. I've mentioned before that several times a week we'll have someone come in and describe a special time (first date, wedding, anniversary, etc.) they had at the Bull. We also have many people stop by who once worked here and have some very fond memories of this place. Let me introduce you to Mr. Donald Lodge who stopped by recently for Sunday Lunch and who worked here in the 1960s:

"This is a photograph of me, Mr Donald Lodge aged 16. Stood on the back steps of the dining room for the Black Bull. The photograph was taken by Mr Bill Butler in 1962. It is with fond and happy memories of my time working for Mrs Hird, Bill and Marion during the early 1960’s.

The Black Bull, Rimington was one of the most successful hotels in the Ribble Valley at that time. We had functions almost everyday. I have known two weddings on Saturdays, or a wedding and a function. Most of these were for 90 people, which we could at that time accommodate in the dining room.

On Sundays, 80 lunches and 140 high teas were the norm. All booked! If there was four inches of snow they still came!

Sunday lunch was seven and six pence at that time. It took much deliberation by Marion to put it up sixpence to eight shillings, when she did, we lost our sixpence tip for several weeks.

The food served was an excellent, simple menu, but of good quality nearly all local foods!

The cooking was all done by a large Aga with three solid fuel fires. It was my job to fire this up every evening. The only other cooking facility was a domestic cooker, the two rings and a grill type. There was only a domestic refrigerator and a small freezer from Walls Ice Cream! This freezer could only be used for Walls Ice Cream, and so every Friday we would have to remove the frozen peas, which were just becoming popular, before the ice cream delivery!

The cold room was a pantry with stone slabs, which I washed and white stoned every Tuesday.

Every Thursday I would put six bags of potatoes through the rumbler machine. These were all eyed and kept in two dolly tubs filled with water in the back yard.

On Fridays another one of my jobs was to cut into chips and blanch two sackfulls of potatoes. We had at that time two valentine deep fat fryers, all the chips were cut by hand (as they had to look homemade). I bought a cheap chip cutter one day, and after doing several lots with this, it was decided the chips looked little different and so a chip machine arrived the week after! My how it saved some work! The chips were put into a large enamel bath and kept in the pantry ready for weekend.

We had a really good team of people working in the 1960’s, it was a pleasure to work with them all. There is just Mrs Laura Cooper and myself left from this era. My Mother Gladys, and my Grandmother, Annie Duckworth who lived on the back lane also worked there, in fact they were there when the Wierdon family had the Black Bull in the 1930’s. My Father used to mow the bowling green and tennis court which belonged to the Black Bull. My Mother and Father had their wedding reception there in 1942.

Looking back it was astounding how it was all done with the equipment available, and it was a credit to Bill, Marion and their family, for the vast effort I know they put into it.

At that time a pint of beer was one shilling was one shilling, a pint of mild was eleven pence, a gin and tonic, two and three pence – quite astounding!"

Thank you very much, Mr. Lodge for your visit and your memories!

Supporting a Winning Team

2010-07-06T11:08:00.001+01:00

The Rimington Football Club held their annual presentation night here on Saturday night. Lots of award winners and a yummy meal!