Sutton Staithe Hotel

[JennyMorgan]

https://www.edp24.co.uk/business/sutton-staithe-up-for-sale-for-1-1m-1-6460866

[stumpy]

I see from the Yarmouth Mercury website that the Staithe is on the market - asking £1.1m! Guess that explains the huge re-furb and tree felling last year.

[stumpy]

Lol - snap!

[Chelsea14Ian]

I hope the pub goes to good hands,always moor there in the summer. Often having a pint and  something to eat.

[Regulo]

Think it's a bit strange to blame Tesco's for a fall in revenue! It's more a case of the general decline in eating out, except when on holiday. There are plenty of pub/restaurants making a good living in Broadland - The White Horse, Neatishead and Bridge Inn at Acle spring to mind, neither having what you might call a large local customer catchment, but they've obviously got their business model right, to bring in the revenue.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

I wonder if being the owner and operator for 40 years, his business plan was geared around the way things used to be with limited local food outlets in their hay day, yet lacks experience to compete in the more up to date manner of catering?. With Tesco`s being up the road and selling ready prepared food, and people as a general rule have less disposable income, eating out is becoming an expensive luxury. Also, a great number of pubs don`t actually have chefs or cookers, their food is pre packaged and heated in industrial microwaves.

15 Years ago, a lady who worked with us had a daughter who worked for one of the pub chains who`s advertising slogan was "arguably serving the best pub food in the business". All they had was a food prep area with NO cookers, just a bank of 12 industrial microwave / convection cooking things. 

With that in mind, it may be that the S S Hotel staff are not either geared up or interested in that type of catering?.

[CambridgeCabby]

A turnover of £750k gross with a staff of 15 plus the other overheads doesn’t seem to offer much scope for profit , more likely running at a loss .

That said , with its position and the attractiveness of the building in the right hands I can see great potential, it certainly need a cash injection and definitely needs that bloody awful extension redeveloping .

Run right I can see it becoming a successful destination venue especially if they obtain a wedding licence .

[ChrisB]

The last time I was in the function room it was looking very tired.

They lost a big January customer when Bacton Terminal gave their Village Luncheons Business to The Links at West Runton, about four years ago. As an attendee The Links is light years ahead of them for mass catering.

[Chelsea14Ian]

From a Chefs point of view they do a fair job.Theres room for improvement. The mooring during a large part of the year are full.Also  a permanent  marina and the road near by.Think a few tweaks here and there could be very good.Depends on the menu.Always plan with a good balance ie favourites,seasonal, using good local food.Also look at drinks available .I hope as the owner said it a private buyer gets it and not the big boys.

[Cockatoo]

You can make a small fortune owning pubs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You justr need to start with a large one!

[SwanR]

Be interesting to see what happens. The food was really good last time we went there. 

[vanessan]

Not very impressed with the meals we have had in there of late, not a patch on what they produced 5/6 years ago. It seems to me to have gone downhill over recent years despite the refurbishment. 

[stumpy]

We were last in mid- November for our laying up supper it was "Sorry, no food tonight,kitchens closed". Went back up the road to the Swan.

[Ray]

I like it there, always eat in the bar because we have our dog with us and I find it's always got a nice atmosphere, friendly, helpful staff and enjoy the food.

[Chelsea14Ian]

We were there last September, had a drink but no food.Just to add you can make money,but you need to work at it.As I said it's down to a good menu ,drinks and comfort.Thecpubscthat do well on the broads,have many of those ingredients.

 

 

[DAVIDH]

Had food there three times last year at varying states of the season, and without exception, the staff were always "on it". The food was always good enough to consider returning, without being exceptional. The myriad of little rooms, I think adds to it's charm. I dined once in the restaurant, which as no atmosphere though. It feels what it is, just an extension with a carpet, table and chairs in. 

It has a large expanse of moorings close by, but it was noticeable that this did not reflect the numbers in the pub. Two large Richardson's Commanders arrived one evening in July, right outside the pub, but nobody walked over for drinks or food. Is it just the accepted thing that many people  visit pubs less while on holiday, as used to be the case? 

I hope the place finds a successful strategy and survives. The likes of The Bridge at Acle,, The Recruiting Sergeant in Coltishall and the White Horse at Neatishead, all thrive, having aimed at the top end of the market. The converse can be true too, when you look at how popular Wetherspoons places are, which I guess, are known for quality at a reasonable price. The Yare at Brundall and the Kings Arms close to the Yacht Station in Yarmouth seem to do well, and is probably nearest to this market. 

[boycee]

Totally agree with Ray. Its our "local"as we moor at SSBY snd have done for 25 years. Seen lots of changes here over the years some bad some good but generally the place serves good beer,reasonably consistent food and has always had friendly and pleasant staff. The owner has spent quite a lot on it recently, even reinstating Sky Sports. I hope he does manage to sell it to an owner who will run it in a similar way and as Ian says tweek one

or two things. How many pubs on the Broads do Happy hour 5-7 five days a week except Fri and Sat?

Boycee

[webntweb]

We have eaten there quite a few times over recent years and have only been disappointed once.

On a slight aside (as usual) I can't quite work out the model of boat in the edp pic; my guess being a DC30 with modified cockpit/saloon. It appears to be in an old Woods livery - except appearing dark blue, rather than black.

[CaptainJoshie]

Hi webntweb,

It is indeed a DC30, but in private ownership and is a rare Broom DC30. It is moored at Sutton Staite Boatyard and has been for a long while, there when we moored Dawn Princess and Braveheart there.

John.

[Springsong]

I think Mr. Tunmore bought it from the accountant who , it was he who introduced also owned the boat yard the Hamptons name honeymooner.  Anyway the Tunmore family business was pub type gaming machines hence the Tunmore Automatics. A very successful business. Another snippet of useless information.

[JennyMorgan]

Pub gaming machines are not now the licence to print money that they once were. Was a time when operators made loads of dosh and brought up hotels and pubs for example rather than feed the taxman. As has been said a very successful family business, well thought of too. My guess is that Mr Tunmore is possibly downsizing, rationalising his interests,  with retirement in mind. 

[ranworthbreeze]

4 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Pub gaming machines are not now the licence to print money that they once were. Was a time when operators made loads of dosh and brought up hotels and pubs for example rather than feed the taxman. As has been said a very successful family business, well thought of too. My guess is that Mr Tunmore is possibly downsizing, rationalising his interests,  with retirement in mind. 

I tend to agree with you Peter, fruit machines and pin tables come under part 3 of the Gaming Act and as such could only be supplied on rental. it is estimated that many of the big amusement operators in the mid 80's were earning less than a £1.00 per week per machine as an operating profit. It certainly has not got much better over the years.

Regards

Alan 

[CambridgeCabby]

When I was a publican the profits from my fruit machines paid my rent , which was c £18k in 1984 , the jackpot was a massive £2 , when the £1 coin came out my profits doubled 

[ranworthbreeze]

8 minutes ago, CambridgeCabby said:

When I was a publican the profits from my fruit machines paid my rent , which was c £18k in 1984 , the jackpot was a massive £2 , when the £1 coin came out my profits doubled 

The site owner or the Brewery always made the profit on the machines and fruit machines had to be given priority over the other machines on site.

 

[CambridgeCabby]

The rent used to be £275 a month for a top of the range new machine and it was a 60/40 split in favour of the publican but the publican paid the vat , if I had one machine and there was a shortfall on the rent then brewery would pay it , if I had more than one machine (which included video games juke box or bar billiard table) then I was liable .

thank fully as there was no other pubs or places for youngsters to go my machines never had a shortfall