By Dave Hunter
Going the extra mile for their customers has been the secret to success for SLTN Award-winning Charwood in Edinburgh.
The venue, in the south of the city, was named the SLTN Family Outlet of the Year, in association with Vimto Out of Home, last November.
Edinburgh operators Gary and Anne Still were already well acquainted with the unit when they took it over in 2014; locals themselves, the couple were regular customers of the bar and restaurant – which at the time was named Tusitala.
Adding it to a portfolio that already included Old Town venues Whiski Bar and Whiski Rooms – and has since grown again to include Copper Still on the Royal Mile – the pair set about refurbishing and transforming Tusitala into Charwood.
Right from the beginning, families were the key target market, and over the past ten years the venue has established a core customer base of regulars as well as visiting tourists and a thriving events business for Charwood’s two function suites.
The success of the unit, Anne told SLTN, is down to the combination of its strong food and drink offer and outstanding team, under general manager Mike Young.
Opening at nine every day, Charwood does a brisk breakfast trade before serving a broad range of customers throughout the rest of the day.
On the food side, suppliers including Gilmour Butchers, Henderson and Neptune’s Larder contribute to a menu that offers pub classics like fish and chips, burgers and steaks as well as fajitas and pizzas.
Vegans and coeliacs are well catered for, as well as kids, who get their own menu – a selection that includes Charwood’s ever-popular soft-serve ice cream – while older customers with more modest appetites can choose from smaller versions of several a la carte dishes.
That flexibility is a core part of the Charwood offer, according to Mike.
Whether it’s hosting a last-minute family event or something more straightforward, like having the confidence there won’t be gluten in a particular dish, Charwood is focused on making sure its customers feel looked after.
“There’s a rigidity some people have,” he said.
“‘No we don’t do that’. But we’re in the game of hospitality. Let’s see what we can do for you.”
That attitude extends to treating the venue’s many regular customers like family.
“The lady at table 30, her mum’s just been put into a home last week,” Mike explained.
“It’s a machine, this place. We’re improving every single day.”
“Her respite is to come here and have either breakfast or lunch. That’s her downtime. So I was asking her how her mum’s doing and straight away she’s asking after my son. These are conversations we always have.
“I always say to the team that I’ll never pull someone away if they’re taking that time to speak to someone. That could be that person’s only interaction that day, especially the older people. So taking that extra couple of minutes to talk to them, find out how they are and how their day’s going, and then trying to remember that.
“It makes you feel special. Because somebody is taking that time for you.
“Sometimes people lose that, because they’re looking too much at facts and figures. We deal in people.”
Staff retention has been important to building these relationships.
The 36-strong team at the venue is a mix of full and part-time staff, with part-timers split between students studying in Edinburgh during term-time and those studying elsewhere and who return to the city – and to Charwood – during holidays.
And in addition to providing the best service they can, the team at the venue never stands still.
The offer is tweaked throughout the year, with additions like a summer spritz menu catering to customers looking for sunshine drinks, while earlier in the year the venue’s extensive outdoor area was expanded to add additional seating.
“It’s a constant machine, this place,” said Mike.
“It’s a rolling ball. We are improving every single day. Simple as that. It could be a small thing, in terms of how we operate – our offerings, how can we do better, how can we change this and where do we go from here – or in terms of things like getting chairs re-covered and things like that.”
Other recent developments include the addition of live music in Charwood’s bar area at the weekends.
Mike said: “We’ve started live music in the bar and last weekend it was wall to wall. But, again, there were families, there were kids in, there was an older generation. It’s great to see that.
“People pigeon-hole families as kids running riot, and the adults just sitting there. It’s not. And a family doesn’t just mean blood, either.
“You choose who you want to be in your family.”
The team’s dedication appears to be paying off, with Anne stating that Charwood is enjoying solid trade year-round.
And family isn’t just an important aspect of Charwood’s customer base – it’s an important consideration for Anne and Gary, as well, as both their children – Jack and Rhianna – are now active in the business, working in Charwood as well as the other venues.
There’s even the chance the business itself could continue to expand in the years ahead.
“Gary and I are wanting to maybe take a step back and let the kids do more,” Anne told SLTN.
“But we’re not going to stop. We’re gearing the kids to take over one day, but we’re still fully involved.
“If a good [unit] came up I would always consider it.”
