We won the Best Family Friendly Dining Experience category sponsored by Frobishers ( a rather nice drink that we stock at the Vic and as I wasn't drinking that evening I managed some of their very nice Cherry juice!!). We were ( well I clearly was!!) as you see quite shocked by winning as the incredibly embarrassing picture of me with my mouth open catching flies illustrates quite neatly!! SOH has his customary laid back look but even he confessed to me after that he was as surprised as I was.
Now whatever award we enter for, or get nominated for and in this case it was customers voting for us that got us into the top three - we are always thrilled just to be nominated................. I have learnt not to expect to win anything since I was about 10 and always failed miserably at everything I attempted. I was the girl who was always the last one chosen to make the netball team or the one who didn't quite get the marks hoped for............. anyway! Moving on!
We were runners up last year in this category so I saw no reason to think we'd be any luckier this year, and regardless of what I SAY there's always a bit of me that's bitterly disappointed if we don't actually win - so I've perfected the art of that fixed smile and 'well done' to the winners whilst inside being gutted!!!! Shallow aren't I - but honest!!
I had hoped to put the logo on here but haven't been able to today, but I'll play around and see what I can do. Needless to say, everyone of our team was delighted, especially Jacqui who was one of the team on the night we were mystery shopped and when asked what a Gurnard (fish) looked like pulled a gurning type face!!!! That apparently was well received by the judge and showed our humour and friendly style.!!
Congratulations also the Church Inn at Churchstow (another St Austell pub) for winning Best Sunday Roast - so pleased for them and their team. It just shows that there are still some great pubs around with excellent offerings if you look a bit further than the obvious mass produced chains.
Pleased to say that we are still really quite busy - quite a few people coming down to take their boats out of the water, close up caravans and a few houses, but still lots and lots of day visitors and the hotels remain full so that's all very good for business! We were apparently very busy last night with quite a few big tables but I was nursing (and still am) a delightful dose of a tummy bug!).
Remembrance Sunday so SOH tells me saw an unusually large crowd at Cliff House with rowers in the water who raised their oars at the given moment. SOH placed a wreath on behalf of the First Responders and he said how lovely it was to see so many young people being involved. I watched the TV snuggled up in the warm watching a ceremony on the BBC I've seen for more years than I care to remember, yet it moves me every single year.
There isn't much else to say right now other than just a reminder that we are shut for three days: 16th, 17th and 18th of November re-opening Wednesday 19th November with a cracking new winter menu.
We have to have a bit of maintenance work done and this was deemed to be the best dates available to us - so I'm really sorry to disappoint any of you thinking of visiting us then. I will try to blog again next week, so here's to a germ free week for us all,
Liz x
