“We took a risk and it was a defining moment for us”

Tell us about The Bear

Steve (above with wife and business partner Samantha): We’re a 14th-century coaching inn with 40 bedrooms, a traditional bar and fantastic food. My mum bought The Bear 45 years ago, so it’s been in the family for a while! It only had eight bedrooms when we first arrived but we modernised and gradually added to it, while maintaining the traditional look and feel.

What makes The Bear stand out compared to a standard pub or hotel?

Steve: We’re consistent, offer great service and really care about customers. Our rooms are all individually decorated and we are renowned for giving a warm welcome to all.

I had been wanting to refurbish and upgrade our kitchen for a while but found the logistics daunting. However, during Covid, we took full advantage of the forced closure and completely gutted the kitchen and installed a state-of-the-art induction kitchen. It was hard to spend money when you didn’t know what the future held but it turned out to be worth the risk and was a defining moment for us. We were helped by a government grant and we can now cook greener, more efficiently and more economically. Look out for any government grants that you may be eligible to apply for.

Our staff love the new layout and it’s so much quicker to produce the dishes and much easier to clean. Some of our locals actually order course by course to slow service down! But it’s a definite advantage for us with other customers who want a quick meal.

How are you finding recruitment?

Iain (pictured): Since Brexit, we’ve struggled with staffing so we’ve widened our search. We have an eclectic mix of chefs in our kitchen right now – from Romania, Italy, and India – and I love it. The Indian chefs’ use of spices has helped shape new dishes on our menu and it’s been educational for me. We’re getting great feedback from customers on our food. Combined with the amazing larder available in Wales, the global influence of our chefs is making our food stand out.

How do you deal with difficult customers?

Steve: I like to deal with them personally and wherever possible ask the person to come in to discuss their issue. I take all complaints seriously and always investigate and make changes where necessary. This is how we improve on all aspects of the Hotel.

Have you made any changes to your offering because of the cost of living crisis?

Iain: Before, we may have cooked a lamb curry that was mostly meat but now, we’re doing lamb and chickpea curry. Chickpeas are a great way to reduce the cost of a dish and they’re delicious. Our Indian chefs have also made a paneer cheese and pea curry which is low cost with no meat. If you get the flavour right, customers won’t notice the lack of more expensive ingredients.

What Welsh ingredients would you recommend?

Iain: Lamb is obviously a big one. It’s expensive for us to buy in but it’s worth the extra money, it’s a fantastic product. Lamb shank is one of our bestsellers. Our local leeks, mussels and whinberries (like wild blueberries) are also fantastic. Don’t just buy local for the sake of it though. The quality must be there and we’re lucky that we have that here.