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From heritage ales to hospitality with heart, Jon Howard knows what keeps punters coming back. As BII Licensee of the Year finalist Wykeham Arms in Winchester, he shares his take on running a standout pub, cultivating community, and why tradition still pulls the biggest crowd.

Could you start by telling us a bit about The Wykeham Arms and its history?

Well, the Wykeham Arms has a long and varied history. Previously known as the Fleur de Lys in the mid-1900s, it was renamed Wykeham Arms around the 1960s in honour of William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester and founder of Winchester College in the 1300s. His coat of arms adorns the pub’s imposing curved sign above the door, and his motto, “Manners makyth man,” is recognised daily, and gained further recognition in the recent Kingsman movie, featuring Winchester local and frequent visitor Colin Firth! When upon locking in some criminals to a pub and just before beating them up with his umbrella, he utters the motto. 

I joined the business in 2009 and set out to create a methodology for high-quality food and wine, complemented by exceptional service and boutique bedrooms. Today, we’ve expanded our offerings to include small and intimate weddings.

What did it mean for you and your team to be recognised as a finalist in the BII Licensee of the Year Awards?

Over the past 16 years, we’ve worked diligently to refine our concept and find the perfect balance for our customer base. Recognition wasn’t a constant focus during this journey, but it wasn’t until we won the Fullers Pub of the Year award in 2024 that we realised the next step might be to participate in more nationally recognised competitions.

The Licensee of the Year award process was one of the most rewarding and invigorating experiences of my career. It allowed us to reflect on the business’s achievements and the positive impact it’s had over the years. While we didn’t win, being in the final group of six was a significant accomplishment, especially considering the competition is open to any licensee in the UK. We were all incredibly proud of this achievement.

What are the key factors that have driven The Wykeham Arms’ success in recent years?

I believe there are many things that make for a successful hospitality business, but the Wykeham Arms’ X factors are varied. However, at the very top of that list is a professional and engaged team. Having actual sales professionals working in your restaurant is crucial, but what’s also critical is that they fit the environment and love it themselves. Equally, the chefs must be 100% on board with the management’s visions, and the creative people must be aligned. Everyone should be remunerated properly, taking into account the challenges of busy shifts, delivery delays, and fridge breakdowns. As long as everyone is happy with the deal, the overall concept of what they’re doing, and is pushing in the same direction as everyone else, you won’t go far wrong.

The Wykeham is also located in a superb spot in Winchester. It fits the historical surroundings perfectly and has become part of Winchester’s heritage, where anyone visiting will be pointed in the direction of this fantastic establishment. How do you balance the history and heritage of a coaching inn dating back to the 18th century with evolving customer expectations today?

I think the history and heritage are part of the charm, particularly for international guests and those interested in history. Of course, we need to keep our offer fresh, with classic yet modern food, inclusive bedrooms with tech, and a touch of regality. Ultimately, customers crave experience, as well as great food, drink, and bedrooms. Pubs have their roots deeply embedded in our National identity and history, and I think the older the inn, the more charming and curious it becomes.  

Staff recruitment and retention are challenges across the sector. How have you approached this issue at The Wykeham Arms?

As I mentioned in a previous answer, I believe having a team of people who believe in the process, are properly remunerated and looked after, well-trained, well-fed, given professional tools to do their job, and opportunities to develop their skills through training and exposure to other environments on stages and secondments is key to having a stable team.

Community engagement is often highlighted in the LOYAs. How do you connect with your local community in Winchester?

We have various community partners that we raise funds for through activations like our filtered water campaign. Each table ordering for filtered sparkling or still water has the opportunity to donate £1, which goes into a pot that splits between our three charity partners: Winchester Cathedral, the Arts Council in Winchester, and Hampshire Heritage Trust.

Beyond this, we work with local businesses in a vicinity in a group called the Kingsgate Villagers. We partner with our local barbershop, working on various charity campaigns with them, including November and currently raising funds for cancer charities. We also run periodic quizzes, music events, food tastings, and more. Ultimately, we are at the centre of this community, a hub for people to meet over a drink with friends, go for a dog walk, or celebrate special occasions. That’s what every good pub should be for its community.

Energy costs, staffing, and supply chain issues continue to put pressure on operators. How have you managed these challenges?

Just like every business, we must strive to make every pound worth its value. We recently invested in our kitchen to make it completely electric. This offers a significant saving because we don’t have to have gas cookers running all day to stay warm with induction cooking. It’s only on when we need it. We’re fortunate that we’re quite a cosy pub, and there’s no central heating in the central part, so we need to burn logs to keep the pub warm and create that pub fire smell. Ironically, this is a reasonably cheap source of sustainable fuel these days, so it works quite well in terms of cost savings.

How do you approach serving food and building your drinks offer, particularly with your two AA Rosettes and focus on quality?

We make sure that our wine list evolves and we keep an eye on market trends, but the current Clee likes a classic wine list. We managed five real ales and numerous cake products. We have a strong selection of gins, whiskeys, tequilas, and cocktails, and now a reasonably inspiring selection of low and no alcohol products. I think that the two things (high-end food and an evolving drinks list) go hand-in-hand rather than being a hindrance to one another.

What do you love about working in the pub industry, and what opportunities do you see for the future of the sector?

I find working in the pub industry incredibly rewarding because I don’t see it as work; it’s more of a vocation for me. I’m constantly surrounded by friends, whether they’re part of my team or my clientele, and when you get it right, it’s a thoroughly fulfilling profession.

The future of the industry will undoubtedly need a boost and more recognition from the government. They need to understand the challenges of maintaining margins against successive increases in minimum wage, tax, and national insurance. However, as operators, we can focus on delivering exceptional experiences that exceed expectations. People won’t park with cash for anything less than brilliant, and that’s up to us and our teams to achieve.  

Now, let’s talk about what’s next for The Wykeham Arms. We have some exciting projects and plans in the works. In two weeks, we’ll be hosting the final of the Great British Pub Awards in Leeds, which is a huge opportunity for us. We’ve also secured some entry into the national industry training awards from the BII in November, which is another exciting development.

As for next year, I believe it’s going to be our strongest year yet. Stay tuned for more updates, and remember the name Wykeham Arms!

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