Tuesday 31 December 2013

Happy New Year

 
 
Just a very short blog from Tim, myself and all of our fantastic team. You've made 2013 another incredible year for us here at the Victoria Inn and as we start to look forward to our amazing re-furb starting on Monday we are filled with excitement, slight nervousness and a sprinkling of trepidation!!
 
But we just know that we are going to be offering you a fantastic new pub in which you are going to love spending even more time with us. It will retain the best of the best features and some amazing new ones including; comfy seating upstairs, window seats for you to watch the Salcombe world go by, easier access to the garden and a new refined menu along with some great little surprises!
 
I'd like to take this opportunity to also say a huge thank you to our brewery St Austell for having the faith in us as a business to afford us the opportunity for this re-furb and in particular to our friend Jim Sloan, Business Manager who supports us at every opportunity and is always there with guidance, ideas and enthusiasm.
 
Our team never fail to delight us with their passion for our business and their commitment to customer happiness is key in everything they do. So to Glo, Rob, Jess, Karen, Craig and Jade - our front of house team - Thank you so much and keep going the extra inch. To James, Tania, Stuart, Adam and our two apprentices Aaron and Blake - without the high standard of your cooking and presentation we would have no customers, so huge thanks to you all!
 
To my lovely Tim who puts up with my passion for our business showing itself in a myriad of ways including temper tantrums, exhaustion and sheer delight when it all goes swimmingly - I love you!!
 
So that's it - the Oscar speech for 2013 is all but done, other than to say we close the doors to the Vic at 10.30p.m on Saturday 4th January - we shall probably be having a food sale with some great prices on that Saturday and maybe some reduced ale prices as well. We then hope to open for business on either the 29th or 30th January.
 
I'll blog, face book; https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Victoria-Inn-Salcombe/136141733123940?ref=hl  Twitter; https://twitter.com/Victoriainnsalc  and you-tube (put in Victoria Inn Salcombe in the search part)  wherever possible to keep you all updated on the works progress.
 
Lastly, and by no means least a huge THANK YOU to YOU, yes YOU our customers for your loyalty, friendship and business.
 
Liz xxx

Tuesday 24 December 2013

Christmas Eve.........


 
Its Christmas Eve 2013 and I was so pleased that Father Christmas kept his word and visited the Victoria Inn last weekend to see 65 girls and boys who came to tell him that they'd been good children and whisper what they hoped would be in their stockings or round the tree on Christmas morning.  Some of us found it quite emotional with the very small children as it ignited many personal memories of Christmases past.
 
The stall holders turned up and had a fairly good trade - some more than others, but generally I think everyone did ok and we raised £186 in total - which is not to bad at all! Those proceeds will be split between the Salcombe First Responders and Egremont Trust Charities.  
 
The weather has been absolutely awful and has had a huge impact on trade throughout the town, so we are desperately watching news bulletins and hoping and praying that our visitors WILL be able to come down.
 
The Carol Service round the tree was transferred to the Church last night because of the weather and we had 2 large parties cancel - however, despite all of that, we had a great night and the pub rocked!!
 
We are pleased to say that we are fully booked for New Years Eve unless anyone wants to eat early, and we have just a few tables for tonight.
 
So, can Tim, Myself and all the team take this opportunity to wish all of our customers, suppliers & colleagues at St Austell Brewery a Very Happy & Peaceful Christmas!  
 
Love to you all,
Liz xxx



 

Monday 16 December 2013

Christmas Fayre

This weekend - Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd at the Victoria Inn - our first ever Christmas Fayre!! From 11.00 till about 5'ish............. Father Christmas has agreed to come and visit for the two days and there will be lots of craft stalls, pictures, photo's, produce, antiques (no - not me, cheeky!!), books, decorations, cakes (Sunday) and lots, lots more!!!
 
 
Entrance is just £1 to see Father Christmas and lots of hard work has gone into this, so I hope you'll come and support the event.  All monies raised will be split between the Egremont Trust and Salcombe First Responders.  

Sunday 8 December 2013

Its the last Christmas........

As were putting the decs up this week ( I say WE in the very loosest terms!) I realised that this was the last Christmas our pub will look like this! As in less than a month now the sledgehammer will go against the wall that's coming down and gorgeousness will begin.

The tree will no longer stand where it is now and only in our individual minds eyes and the eyes of our architect can we dream about how beautiful our Victoria will shortly look!  

As usual the team have made Christmas a reality in our fabulous pub and the minute you walk in, you're treated to festivity, lights, candles and the smell of mulled wine wafting through the air - alongside a range of home made special vodkas and a couple of cocktails - Long Island Mint Tea being thoroughly, wickedly, lovely!

I think we are all of the mind that we are ready for this re-furb to start now - we seem to have spent ages and ages talking about it, but the lighting man came out to discuss with us this week about the lighting we'll be having and I felt the first real frisson of excitement as I actually saw in my head how beautiful this pub of ours will look.

We have the new menu's ready to go, with some prices actually reduced - particularly the childrens meals - the wine list is re-vamped and the new team uniforms are here.  Some new discount cards as well - more of that to come over the next month or so.

The only slight disappointment so far is that in the middle of the newly re-furbished upstairs of our pub it looks unlikely that we'll be able to have a log burning stove so we are desperately seeking eye catching centre piece ideas............... if you have any thoughts (clean ones please - not involving pole dancing or naked chefs) then do let me know! I fancy a large Ships wheel or copper divers suit (properly lit of course) but it seems the world and its mother have differing ideas, so that's a real work in progress!

See you 21st & 22ndDecember at the Vic!
But before the re-furb comes Christmas and New Year with NYE bookings coming in nicely and this year we have also secured a couple of Christmas parties which is always nice to get every one in the swing of the festivities.

A shortened trip to my family next weekend (sadly one night only) and then we have our Christmas Fayre here at the Vic on the Saturday on Saturday 21st and  Sunday 22nd - 11.00 to 5 ish. 

Father Christmas has very kindly agreed to come and say hello to all the children here in Salcombe for those two days before he jets off across the world. Lots of stalls lined up - from decorations to cakes, jewellery to children's books, sweets and jams, so lots of fun for everyone!  

Got to go now - so very, very busy.................

Much love

Liz x