When a couple decided to take on a pub on the brink of closure, they never imagined they’d still be there 20 years later.
And while many pubs in the county have been swallowed by the pressures of the cost-of-living crisis, multiple recessions and a global pandemic, the landlord and landlady of The Duke of Wellington in Ryarsh have survived against the odds.
Jon and Helen Sutton thought they’d only stay for two or three years to get the pub back on its feet, but two decades later “we’re still here,” they laugh.
The husband-and-wife team, who met in 1987, are no strangers to the hospitality industry, having previously managed The Kings Arms in Boxley for 10 years and then acting as leaseholders for two.
But after 12 years in Boxley, Jon and Helen made the decision to look for a new challenge, just before their daughter started primary school.
Jon, 62, said: “A company called Enterprise approached us and said ‘there’s this pub coming up, would you take it?’”
After viewing it one Monday, only a week later – on October 17, 2004 – they had the keys, marking the start of their 20 years at the helm.
Jon said: “It was very dirty and completely run down to the point of closing down but we had a lot of help from our previous customers who helped us clean and get ready.”
Despite the initial challenge, the entire floor of the pub was stripped and every piece of kitchen equipment was replaced, and on the following Friday – five days after getting the keys – it reopened.
Jon, who had previously worked as a quantity surveyor, said: “The locals welcomed us with open arms and had got their pub back.”
From there on started the “incredible” unwavering support of the community, which has seen the pub through the toughest of challenges.
Helen, 59, said: “I didn’t even think we’d be in the pub trade for that long but the community in this village is unique; it’s an amazing village and it’s the village that’s kept us here for so long.
“We kept saying we would move at every milestone for our daughter – ‘we’ll move when she goes to university’ but we’re still here and now she’s 23 – but she loves the pub.”
Over the years, the Duke of Wellington has played a central part in the lives of its villagers with three couples who met at the pub now married.
Jon said: “Twenty years is actually a generation of people so we’ve watched people grow up.”
When asked what it takes to run a pub successfully, Helen said: “It has to be a way of life, it’s not just a job. We live upstairs and the time is very flexible, but you have to realise you’re always here on call.
“It is hard work, long hours, and although we have days off there are things to do every day.”
Unlike other pubs which have faced perpetual staffing issues, Jon and Helen have found the secret to a continuous flow of staff – employing local youngsters.
At the age of 15, teenagers can start washing up, before progressing into bar and kitchen roles as they get older.
Jon added: “Then you’ll find at 18 a lot of them go off to university but want holiday jobs, so they come back in their breaks.”
“And then their brothers and sister want a job,” Helen laughs.
Several staff have stayed with them for many years with a few going on to manage their own successful pubs.
The pair believe the staff retention has made a “huge difference” with the locals who enjoy familiarity and the same “friendly smiles” behind the bar.
In addition, both share some important non-negotiables for running a successful business.
The landlord said: “We make sure the place is clean, the drinks are good, we’re well presented, and the food is reasonably priced and good quality – it’s not rocket science.
“One person came in soon after we opened when there was nobody else in here and said ‘do you know what, this pub’s got atmosphere even with nobody in in’ – and that’s exactly what we want.”
And although the Covid-19 pandemic posed it challenges, it only strengthened the bond between the pub and its villagers.
Helen, who is originally from Penenden Heath, said: “The community was unbelievable and the support we got was overwhelming.
“We did takeaways and people in the village who would never usually have one religiously got one to keep us going.”
In fact, Jon says one positive thing to come from the pandemic was he was able to close the pub on Christmas Day.
Now, it’s a tradition they have continued – making it the only day of the year the pub is closed.
Over the years, the publicans have noticed an increase in competition, with many people having higher expectations for pub food, a good coffee machine, and making sure food is locally sourced.
And although they say they have “upped their level” in this respect, it has been important for them to keep some things unchanged.
Helen says a lot of customers enjoy coming to a traditional pub so keeping the bar area for drinkers instead of turning it into a restaurant, has been important.
Despite their success, Jon and Helen say there have been times when they’ve questioned if they can carry on.
The landlady said: “It isn’t as easy anymore; we have to be busy every day because of the overheads.
“When the government put VAT up to 20% it didn’t help small businesses – that’s probably the biggest hit for us.”
In addition, Jon says at points the business has gone through “tough” times when the banks cancelled overdrafts overnight without warning.
He said: “It forces you to take out loans and we had to do that to survive – but we got through it.
“Some of our stock has doubled or trebled in price, but you can’t double or treble the sale price – so you have to take the hit.”
Having overcome many hurdles, the landlord and landlady say they’ve still got more years left in them.
To celebrate their achievement, the pub had a village celebration which was attended by more than 250 people.
Thanking the villagers, Helen said: “We wouldn’t have been here for 20 years if it wasn’t for our customers and our staff, who are amazing, and we love them all to bits.”
