Ahead of The Pub Show, we’re speaking to the finalists of the BII Licensee of the Year Award to celebrate the operators, teams and venues shaping the future of the UK pub sector.

Among this year’s finalists are Charlotte and James of The White Horse, a Leicestershire pub that has become a true hub for its local community over the past 18 years. From fundraising around £100,000 for local causes through its annual Charity Duck Race to supporting suppliers and residents during lockdown, The White Horse has built its reputation on warm hospitality, local connection and a strong sense of purpose.

We spoke to Charlotte and James Foy about being named finalists, the role pubs play in bringing communities together, and what it takes to build a sustainable, independent pub business with personality, heart and longevity.

Congratulations on being named a BII Licensee of the Year finalist! What was your reaction when you found out, and what does this recognition mean to you and the team?

It's an obvious answer but we felt really proud and very surprised, perhaps we take for granted what we do so we didn't expect to get so far in this competition. James and Charlotte are doing this very much as the representatives of the business as a whole, we have an amazing team which are all part of this success, plus the support from our customers and community.

What role do you believe pubs play in bringing local communities together today? 

We believe the local pub should be the beating heart of the community and over the 18 years we have been custodians of the White Horse we have made strong roots with shops, schools, charities and voluntary groups. Charlotte was joint founder of the shop local group, has been a school governor and our charity duck race has raised around £100,000 for numerous local causes. 

You have built a reputation for supporting local causes and events. Which community initiative are you most proud of, and why? 

First comes to mind, our amazing lockdown market where we invited in a fruit and veg seller hosted in our car park, we supported all our suppliers by selling their products from artisan breads from our family baker Milners, Pies and meat products from our butcher, Lewins, coffee from St Martins, sweet treats and quiches from our dessert supplier North's. We also supported fledgling businesses such, reg bakes cookies and a new refills / no plastic initiative, the local fishmonger, local gin producer and many more pop ups. This gave our community something to look forward to and kept the pub in mind for them when we came out of lockdown.

Second is the fact we are the biggest local employer, which means we have given a great deal of young people their first taste of work. As we have a very low turnover of staff, we get to see these young people develop and mature and ultimately fly the nest but so many return for a catch up or for an odd shift, such as our staff party so the current team members could be served and let their hair down.   

Thirdly, I would say our annual Charity Duck Race as through the years we have worked with and fund raised with so many members of our community which has enriched and evolved the event

As independent operators, how do you maintain the personality and authenticity of The White Horse while continuing to evolve the business? 

We have a huge amount of enthusiasm for the offering we have at the White Horse, we love new products, food and drinks and get particularly excited if we find these at a local supplier. We enjoy fresh challenges and always try to improve and expand.  The most recent example of this is the development of Courtyard 1248 which we were given as an empty shell, we have created a 'wow!' environment which has a super continental feel, with quirky furniture, a purpose built kitchen and differentiated food and drink offering to boot.

What do you think sets The White Horse apart from other pubs, and why do you think guests keep coming back? 

Our location is pretty special, with the River Soar, Grand Union Canal and Watermead park on our doorstep and particularly our award winning pub garden. But this would be nothing without the friendly warm welcome from our team. We pride ourselves on great customer service and making our guests feel that their custom is valued, we also put an attractive plate together which is great quality for a fair price and the environment inside the pub is meaningful too with pews from the local church, nostalgic pictures of the pub and current artwork by local artist and photographers. It's a given to say we have a great selection of drinks too but our backbar really does have something for everyone.

How do you create a culture where your staff feel valued, motivated and able to develop their careers? 

Basic rewards such as a thank you for doing a great job goes a very long way but we also have trips to Alton Towers and at least two staff parties per year which are our way of saying thank you and recognising all the hard work our team puts in. From the moment staff start with us they begin their training with an induction booklet, we also have coffee, wine, dessert, allergen training as well as First Aid. 

We also climb mountains and jump out of planes! These charity  activities are great for team building as well as a valuable lesson in helping others and facing challenges. There is career progression and we have appraisals to see how we can stimulate our full timers. We love to utilise the skills of staff members and engage them in graphic design, photography, social media content, communications and even gardening.

Looking back over your journey as licensees, what has been the biggest challenge you've faced, and what did it teach you about running a successful pub?

The biggest challenge is perhaps what you don't know when you start out. Such as responding to the seasonality of a business to protect cash flow, we have learnt to make hay while the sun shines and to store it for a rainy day, quite literally. This practice means that we constantly check our financials, monitor the weather and react with staff and stock levels accordingly.  

The hospitality industry continues to evolve rapidly. What trends or changes are you most excited about, and how are you adapting your business to meet them? 

There is certainly a move to more casual dinning which suits our business, we won the Leicester Tourism award for casual dining recently. This trend fits perfectly into the 'food for sharing' ethos we have for Courtyard 1248. It's all about gathering together in person which can't be replicated. We are making sure our business is as inclusive as possible by having more no alcohol drinks and food to suit intolerances and well as those with a vegan or veggie diet

What advice would you give to someone taking on their first pub today and hoping to build a long-term, sustainable business? 

It takes time to build a good reputation and not everything has to make money immediately.  If a customer just needing the toilet came in and receive a friendly welcome they will come back for food next time, if treated with hostility they will not! Also, get the right team in place, it is virtually impossible to do everything yourself, and it's not much fun that way.  Take time for yourself to avoid burn out and go out to see what other business's are doing.

If a fellow publican from elsewhere in the UK visited The White Horse for the first time, what would you most want them to take away from the experience? 

Hospitality! We would like them to feel they have been welcomed warmly, received great service, a super choice of drink options and enjoyed something delicious from the menu. I would like them to feel the pride we have in the business, leave with a warm glow and a full tum!