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00:00I've been a hotelier for over three decades.
00:04Please remember at all times that you're representatives of the hotel.
00:08And I know just how tough this profession can be.
00:11It's 24-7. We're just exhausted.
00:13But not once in all my years...
00:16Oh, mother of God.
00:18...have I seen so many businesses...
00:20Everything I've owned has gone into this place.
00:22...and owners closer to the point of collapse.
00:25We are fired.
00:26It's too much.
00:28Sorry.
00:30So I'm back.
00:31Here to help rescue these flailing businesses.
00:35Can you put your belly away?
00:36It really looks like you just don't care.
00:39From hotel newbies...
00:40It's absolutely terrifying.
00:42...to traditional seaside B&Bs...
00:44On the beach like Pamela Anderson.
00:46...and village pubs.
00:48Dirty fucking bye?
00:50I don't think so.
00:51I wish I had a sense of humour.
00:52It's not my idea of fun.
00:55And I'm up against the clock...
00:57Feeling very anxious.
00:58...because they're all on the edge.
01:00Very critical situation financially.
01:03I don't like failing.
01:05I'll be rolling my sleeves up and getting stuck in...
01:09That's closer to nature than I've been in a while.
01:11...delivering some tough love...
01:13It's a tip, woman.
01:14I don't know which bit I hate most.
01:16I'm sorry to be hurtful.
01:18I mean, hello.
01:19...to help these hospitality businesses get on the right path...
01:23I don't have any way to put a pair of knickers...
01:25...but I've got a recycling thing.
01:26...before it's too late.
01:28Now are bookings empty?
01:35That is unexpected.
01:38This time...
01:38I'm a broad-minded woman...
01:40...but sleeping under a pie may be a step too far for me.
01:44A country pub with an unconventional owner obsessed by pies.
01:48Just cut into it, guys.
01:49See what you think.
01:50I'm the pie man.
01:51Look at that.
01:53I mean, fine, we get it.
01:55He likes pies.
01:55And dodgy deco.
01:57Oh, my God.
01:59Oh, I don't know.
02:01A lot of plastic died to make this.
02:06Martin, are you ready to accept the challenge?
02:09Man versus food.
02:10Let's do it.
02:11At the Farmers Boy Inn in Gloucestershire...
02:15Can we just get a picture of you doing some work?
02:19You're funny, aren't you?
02:20Yeah.
02:2154-year-old owner and married father of three, Phil, is mad about pies.
02:2746 British Pie Awards, and I've been here for 25 years, and I never get fed up eating pies.
02:32Eating them and coming up with new inventions.
02:36Why can't you have a coffee pie?
02:38A latte coffee pie?
02:40If we could get that recipe right, we'd do all the trials.
02:43That's a big seller.
02:44For the last 25 years, he's been running the pie-themed roadside pub he bought for £315,000.
02:52We're very good at what we do, because we like it.
02:55And this is my stage.
02:58All right, guys, you ready to order?
02:59We're going to get the fishing results.
03:01Iconic.
03:02Working alongside Phil is manager Sarah, who's been his second-in-command for the past two years.
03:08Yes, he's bubbling.
03:11I do talk a lot.
03:13Don't I?
03:13Yeah, but I mean, I think, I find it fine.
03:16But I've got an Irish mother.
03:18That is very true.
03:21Across the car park from the pub is a block of eight courtyard bedrooms.
03:26Laura Ashley Paint.
03:28Where do you think you are?
03:29The Hilton?
03:31Huh?
03:31Laura Ashley Paint.
03:33Mother of God.
03:34And this accommodation has a unique selling point.
03:38We have a family room, which is room seven and room eight, and I call that the two-in-one
03:43pie.
03:43Room.
03:44And then there's a steak and ale one, which I named the grandfather one.
03:48Okay?
03:49You get my drift?
03:50The rooms are all named after pies.
03:57But even with four million tourists a year flocking to the Forest of Dean to enjoy the great outdoors,
04:03Phil isn't getting his slice of the pie.
04:06The room bookings have been slow.
04:09In fact, sometimes in January, if you dine at my restaurants, I'll give you the room for free.
04:15Oh, the opposite rate, I would say, would be, I'd say, below 15% now.
04:19And that's what worries me.
04:22Who's in the middle?
04:23Me.
04:23You're in the middle.
04:24Okay.
04:24Okay.
04:25With customers not as keen on the pie theme in the bedrooms as Phil, occupancy is plummeting,
04:30and the only thing propping up the business is the trade in the pub, which accounts for 75% of
04:36the takings.
04:37We had the big, ugly burger tonight as well, but they didn't do it.
04:40How much did they have left?
04:41They left about, I'd say, a quarter of it.
04:44With his eight-year-old triplets and wife Amanda, who works as a childminder to support...
04:49To the triplets.
04:50My family are the centre of my universe.
04:54Calling time on the pub Phil's put 25 years of work and half a million pounds into simply isn't an
05:01option.
05:01I have my wife and my family to look after.
05:04So that's not on the agenda.
05:07That's not on the agenda.
05:09It means everything I'm up.
05:11This puts food on the table.
05:13But with room bookings at an all-time low, if things don't improve soon, Phil is facing a nightmare scenario.
05:20There'd be nothing worse than losing the business.
05:23Mother of God.
05:26Absolutely devastated if I lost her.
05:37So today I'm in the Forest of Dean and it is really pretty here.
05:42Located on the border between England and Wales, this stunning ancient woodland sits on the edge of the dramatic Wye
05:49Valley.
05:49It's somewhere that lots of people come on holiday, but where there's also an enormous amount of competition for accommodation
05:58providers.
05:59So I hope I'll be able to give this business the boost it badly needs.
06:03I can see the farmers and boy in straight ahead.
06:09I'm not entirely sure that I like my first look at it.
06:19You know, I didn't even look outside this morning.
06:22Oh, what sort of manager are you?
06:25Huh?
06:25I know, useless.
06:26You think Basil Faldi will be happy with this?
06:29Despite the underwhelming exterior, there is at least one reason to be cheerful.
06:35Well, it's got award-winning pies apparently, so, you know, that's a good sign.
06:40Talking of signs...
06:43What immediately strikes me is the signage on the road makes no mention of accommodation.
06:49That seems like a missing trick to me.
06:52I hope the disappointing exterior isn't a sign of things to come inside.
07:00Hello, hello.
07:01Hello.
07:02Phil.
07:03Alex.
07:03Nice to see you.
07:04Lovely.
07:05Welcome to the Paris Inn.
07:06Hello, nice to see you.
07:06Yes, how are you?
07:07I'm Alex.
07:08Nice to meet you.
07:09Nice to meet you, Alex.
07:09I'm sensing a little bit of a pie theme here.
07:13It's subtly done.
07:14It's so subtle.
07:15Yeah.
07:16My chef, Richard, he's won 46 British Pie Awards.
07:19My goodness.
07:20He's even cooked for the Queen.
07:21Bless her.
07:22Gosh.
07:22I believe that every business should have a sweet spot.
07:25And we went with it.
07:26But listen, if everything is so rosy in the garden, why am I here?
07:30I've been here for nearly 25 years in September.
07:32Amazing.
07:33And I still think the business is in a good position, but you get caught in the bubble.
07:37Yeah.
07:38I just think the brooms are at a level now where we are pretty quiet.
07:41Okay, well, I shall do my best.
07:43Good.
07:43So what I'm going to do is I'm going to have a little poke about the place.
07:46I'll be right back.
07:47Excellent.
07:48Okay.
07:50First impressions are to be in this business 25 years and still to have a smile on your face
07:56is pretty much against the odds I should know.
07:59I think the truth is, though, you know, you can't just keep on hammering out the same old
08:04thing because it just becomes less and less effective.
08:07So I think that might be one of the chinks in his armour.
08:10Check on those two and see if they have paid.
08:13That would help me.
08:15Am I nervous about her looking around?
08:16No, not at all.
08:17Let her go.
08:17Let her go and do what she wants to do.
08:20With Phil's eight motel-style bedrooms proving a tough sell, I want to see for myself where
08:26the problems might lie.
08:35That is unexpected.
08:38Let me say, I'm a bored-minded woman, but sleeping under a pie may be a step too far for
08:45me.
08:47It's certainly an attention-grabbing choice of artwork, which is more than could be said
08:52for the rest of the interiors.
08:55Fairly basic room, nothing very exceptional.
08:59I really don't like these kind of bedspreads.
09:03Pretty much cheap as chips, isn't it?
09:06Taken no exception to anything, but that pie will have to go.
09:12But with the basic rooms also named in honour of Phil's favourite food, I'm beginning to
09:17get a sense of why his accommodation is underperforming.
09:22Well, I'm certainly glad I'm not staying here.
09:26Dirty fucking pie?
09:27I don't think so.
09:30With plenty of businesses fighting for customers in the Forest of Dean, Phil needs to seriously
09:35improve his rooms and say goodbye to the pies, if he wants to take a slice of the market
09:41for himself.
09:42I mean, fine, we get it.
09:44He likes pies.
09:46It's hardly a destination overnight stay, is it?
09:56Coming up...
09:57Right.
09:58Will Phil come clean about the reality of his room bookings?
10:02I don't believe you.
10:03Okay, fair enough.
10:04And finally face up to the truth.
10:06I told her a couple of fears, I don't think I got away with it.
10:09I felt like he was talking to kind of shut me up.
10:21Are you asking me not to swear or are you...
10:23No, I'm telling you not to swear.
10:24Okay, fair enough.
10:26At the Farmer's Boy Inn near the Forest of Dean...
10:29I get people coming up to me, knowing me from the Farmer's Boy Inn.
10:33We know who you are, you're the pie man.
10:35I'm the pie man.
10:37Phil's passion for pies has also rubbed off on his triplets.
10:41If you want to make your own pie, any idea what you do?
10:44Steak.
10:44Steak.
10:45Steak.
10:45You had steak pie as well?
10:47Steak.
10:47Steak, everyone's having the steak pie, okay.
10:49His love of pies has spilled over, taking centre stage in his underperforming bedrooms.
10:56It feels obviously unoriginal, as we say blightly.
11:02And while the interior of the dining room isn't exactly to my taste...
11:06Oh, my God.
11:09Oh, I don't know.
11:10A lot of plastic died to make this.
11:13With the pub doing good business, I'm not going to interfere.
11:17But I am curious what the outside space has to offer.
11:21What are those things?
11:24Oh, by the way.
11:26They look like little private dining booths.
11:36This garden's actually really pretty.
11:39And I think these are a bit of an eye-saw.
11:41I'm assuming that they date back from the Covid days.
11:45But those days are long gone.
11:48This garden has plenty of potential.
11:50It's a shame such a good-sized space is spoiled by the pied-a-ways and ugly umbrellas.
11:55But while the sun's still shining and I've built up an appetite...
11:59So, that is your main menu.
12:01And then they are the specials for today.
12:03Great, thank you.
12:04You're welcome.
12:05I'm going to make the most of it and cast my eye over the food offering.
12:08And I'm pleased to see it's not just pies.
12:12Well, this is enough to make you feel hungry.
12:15Silky poached eggs, nestled on top of a thick slice of toasted bloomer, paired with crispy smoky bacon.
12:24A perfect balance of creamy and crunchy textures that will leave you wanting more.
12:33That is brilliant.
12:35It's almost pornographic.
12:36While the X-rated eggs and bacon does sound appealing, there's absolutely no way I can avoid trying a pie.
12:43So, my darling, what would you recommend?
12:46My favourite is the chicken, leek and mushroom.
12:48You say chicken, leek and mushroom, I say let's do it.
12:52Perfect.
12:53Who writes the very poetic menu descriptions as well?
12:57Phil's best friend at the moment is AI.
13:00It's a little bit OTT, I think.
13:05It's clear Phil is working in one of the toughest industries around.
13:09Since the start of 2020, more than 2,000 pubs have closed for good.
13:14So, maximising every bit of income is essential.
13:18You know, this could be an absolute goldmine in the summer.
13:21It's all a bit hit and miss.
13:24I think I could do better.
13:27There's obviously room for improvement in the accommodation and this garden area.
13:35Lovely.
13:35You're welcome.
13:37Enjoy.
13:38It's delicious.
13:40And while the pies do appear to be as tasty as advertised,
13:44I still don't feel the need to have a photo of one hung above my bed.
13:53Thank you for my fine lunch.
13:54You're welcome.
13:55I hear that the purple prose on the menu is down to you.
13:59I loved all the, you know, sexy voice.
14:02It's like food porn.
14:04Do you know what's been great?
14:05Invention.
14:05Yeah, what?
14:06AI.
14:06Oh, I don't use any AI.
14:08Oh, well.
14:09I think you might have had touch too much.
14:11No.
14:11Phil is clearly a bit of a character, but I'm wondering if he has any solid business ideas to balance
14:17out his more eccentric ones.
14:19So, what do your rooms cost between and up to?
14:23A double room would cost 125.
14:26Right.
14:27You could have a single room, set it up for 55 quid, and I want to sell the breakfast as
14:31an extra add-on.
14:32Okay.
14:35With prices, including breakfast, reaching as high as £149 per night, I'm worried that Phil is asking too much for
14:42what he has on offer here.
14:45Right.
14:46If I'm going to get this business booming again, he needs to focus on the quality of his product, including
14:51making more of the outdoor space.
14:54So, talk to me about your funny little cabins in the garden.
14:58By the way, if I'm honest, they're gone.
15:01They're finished to me.
15:02And we've been talking about different things, what we would do outside.
15:05What I want to do is get a teepee, put a fire in the middle of it with an oven
15:09that we can put pies, pizzas in there.
15:17Because everyone's doing pizza.
15:18And we have all the toppings for the pies.
15:21Everyone's just sticking on the pizza.
15:22I mean...
15:23Oh, a topping like that.
15:24I think it's a great idea.
15:25Except there is also a different argument, which suggests you focus on one aspect of your business.
15:30And don't diminish your forces by forgetting things here, there and everywhere.
15:37Why is there nothing that says that you've got rooms on the enormous big sign that's facing your enormously busy
15:43road?
15:43We used to advertise the rooms on the blackboard outside.
15:46And then I found that most of my rooms were booked online.
15:49Mm-hmm.
15:51And there is an argument to say, if I put it out there, people that are coming by, they're locals.
15:55The families coming to stay with them would have that.
15:58I'm glad I don't have to make that argument.
16:00I totally agree with you.
16:02Tell me about your occupancy.
16:05It used to be about 75%.
16:07Right?
16:08It's dropped down to 60%.
16:11Over the whole year?
16:12Yeah.
16:13Well, I don't believe you.
16:15OK, fair enough.
16:18Zara!
16:20I want to talk to you about occupancy rates.
16:23Yes, so...
16:25I've got it here.
16:27So, occupancy rate in February was 32%.
16:34January 27.
16:37March is 41.
16:39Yeah.
16:39Yeah, and then 54 in April.
16:42OK, I want to try and work out over the course of the year...
16:45Right.
16:46..what the average occupancy is.
16:49Right, yeah.
16:49I'll do that for you.
16:51And then we'll see, won't we?
16:52Yeah, we will, yeah.
16:53The idea that Phil's rooms are achieving 60% occupancy is clearly pie in the sky.
16:59If he wants his business to prosper, he needs to cut the crack
17:03and start concentrating on attracting far more customers to his accommodation.
17:09Occupancy rates, what they are.
17:11And I told her a couple of fibs, I don't think I got away with it.
17:14I don't think you did.
17:15No.
17:16I have a feeling that he spends a lot more time concentrating on the food
17:19than he does on his rooms.
17:20And that's exactly why I'm here.
17:26With my first day drawing to a close,
17:29I'm wondering how I'm going to get Phil to take his eyes off the pies
17:33and start paying attention to the elements of the farmer's boy that are failing.
17:39He talks a good talk, but I don't think I'd be here unless he thought I could improve his business.
17:45Now I've got to work out how the hell to do that.
17:57It's the morning of my second day in Gloucestershire
18:00and I want to get to the bottom of the truth of Phil's occupancy rates.
18:06Hi, morning.
18:08Hello, Alex.
18:09Um, I think we need to get straight to business.
18:12Oh, yeah, I thought you were saying that.
18:13I took more coffee.
18:15Have you found out your occupancy?
18:17So, um, it's 42%.
18:23And that is scary.
18:25I know.
18:26It shows me that you're not on top of it.
18:28Because you thought that it was 60.
18:31And it's nowhere bloody near.
18:34Frightening.
18:35And this is the perfect time to focus in and make this really work.
18:41Here we go.
18:45Rooms should be the financial foundation of Phil's business.
18:49If his occupancy slips any further, the whole of the farmer's boy could collapse
18:53and all the pies in the world won't save him.
18:56So I want to show him just how valuable his accommodation could be.
19:00Phil?
19:01Yes, on the way.
19:03This here is a visual representation of your fixed costs on your rooms.
19:08So, your costs of cleaning.
19:10Yeah.
19:10About £12 a room.
19:12OK.
19:13Laundry, which you said to me is £17.
19:15£17, yeah.
19:16And then you've got VAT.
19:18Yeah, yeah.
19:1920%.
19:19And the glass represents utilities.
19:22So I think that your rooms probably cost you £50 to put on.
19:26Yeah, yeah.
19:26I think that if you know that you're spending £50 on a room,
19:31you need to charge at least £80 to start making a profit.
19:34Yeah.
19:35You're skimming a tiny amount of cream off the top.
19:37Yeah.
19:38And it gets smaller every year.
19:39It does.
19:39And that is why the rooms have got to work hard for you.
19:43Yes.
19:44Yeah?
19:44Yeah.
19:46To demonstrate just how much more money Phil's rooms could make, I've got something to whet his appetite.
19:54So, what I have prepared for you is a pie chart.
19:58So, this is where you are at the moment.
20:0240% occupancy.
20:04Yeah, thanks very much.
20:06And I have done you an average room rate of £105 a night.
20:10Yeah.
20:11With each room having overheads of £50 per night, Phil's average profit is £55.
20:18At 40% occupancy, that should net him a total of £56,210 a year.
20:25Just by increasing 10%, you miraculously make an extra £14,000 a year.
20:32Yeah.
20:33At 50% occupancy, Phil's annual profit would jump to £70,262.
20:40Where you should be, however, £105,000.
20:44Yeah.
20:44At 75%.
20:46God, look at that.
20:46At 75% occupancy, Phil's profits could be in excess of £105,000, almost double where he currently is.
20:55The rooms is an untapped resource.
20:58And I can't understand why there's nothing in the car park that tells people that you have rooms.
21:03You're missing some really, really basic cross-advertising.
21:09I agree.
21:11Pie-tastic.
21:17But even more important than making it clear he has rooms on offer,
21:21Phil needs to improve the quality of his accommodation to justify his prices
21:25and make more of his location in the Forest of Dean.
21:31So I've brought him to another pub with rooms that is drawing the crowds.
21:36There's a very specific reason I've brought you here,
21:38which is that he's offering rooms that are comparable in price to your rooms.
21:42OK.
21:43I think that if you can stay here for £130 a night with breakfast, where would you stay?
21:48Absolutely.
21:48So that's what I want to point out to you.
21:51OK.
21:52There's a few other things, too.
21:53OK.
21:53Come with me.
21:54Fantastic.
21:58The reason I thought it was really valid to bring you here
22:01is you're both offering food and drink,
22:04and you both have a small number of bedrooms.
22:06But rather than style the rooms around a pastry-based aesthetic,
22:10this owner has opted for stylish decor that ties in gently to the local setting.
22:16This is called Kingfisher, and instead of pies, he has birds above the bed.
22:21Lovely, yeah.
22:22So what's the difference between that and my pies?
22:24I think this is...
22:25More subtle, isn't it?
22:26A little bit more appropriate, possibly, for this beautiful picturesque area.
22:30So I think we're going to find a theme for your rooms
22:34that refers back to your location, area of outstanding natural beauty.
22:38Absolutely.
22:38And we're going to change those aforementioned pictures,
22:43which will now remain nameless forever.
22:45Absolutely.
22:46Ben, chup, girl.
22:49Brollies.
22:49Brollies.
22:50I mean, it looks quite smart, doesn't it?
22:52Yes, it does.
22:53I'm delighted that Phil is coming around to my way of thinking.
22:56And with my first visit almost done,
22:59before I go, I want to set out a plan
23:01for getting the farmer's boy firing on all cylinders.
23:04I want to advertise the rooms on the roadside.
23:07I'd like to modernise the rooms.
23:09Yeah, that would be great.
23:11You have got to think about the new names and the theme for the rooms.
23:15Yeah.
23:15We're just going to freshen it all up.
23:17OK.
23:18I also want to give the garden an uplift
23:20so he can really make the most of its fantastic potential.
23:23But first I need Phil to dispose of his grotty old sheds.
23:27You talked about getting rid of the Piedaways.
23:29I'm on it.
23:31Yeah?
23:31Yeah, I agree.
23:32Great.
23:32I really want to come back
23:34and feel like you've given it back some love and attention.
23:36Yes, OK.
23:37Good.
23:40When I met Phil,
23:42I felt like he was talking to kind of shut me up in a way.
23:46But it's given Phil a real shock
23:49to find out that he's only did 40% occupancy
23:52over the course of last year.
23:53I need him to refocus
23:55because actually he's got a lot to do here.
24:05During his 25 years in business,
24:08Phil has tried it all to make a success of the farmer's boy.
24:12So this room here was a pool room, pool and darks.
24:14And then we turned it into a deli.
24:17and then from there I turned it into a tea room and it wasn't a good idea I'm
24:25hoping that my ideas for change will prove to be more profitable there we go
24:30starting with addressing the lack of advertising for his rooms new signs if
24:37he embraces my plans
24:42I'm convinced I can help Phil bring the farmer's boy back from the brink dirty
24:47fucking pie I really object to taking this one down this is this is this is who
24:52we are
24:59this is room six this comes off at the farmers boy in near the forest of Dean
25:08I've asked owner Phil to ditch his pie themed rooms not my idea Alex and come
25:17up with new names that speak to the scenic setting so what we decided to do we're in
25:22the forest of Dean and each room is going to be named after a tree I'm impressed
25:27Phil's adopted an identity that reflects the pub's location in an area of
25:32outstanding natural beauty and hang of this I wonder how he's getting on with
25:37ridding the pile of ways from the garden as you can see this was one of them and
25:44we've got people coming today to take these away
25:51just two weeks on from my last visit I'm back in the forest of Dean and help
25:56Phil get his act together justify his price and up that shocking 42% occupancy I'm
26:03planning on breathing new life into his tired bedrooms I'm really looking forward
26:07to showing him that on a very very very tiny budget we can make a huge
26:12difference the rooms but first things first how has he got on advertising his
26:17rooms to passers-by there's a new sign but who knows what it says there's so much
26:24right you on it I think it's a little bit too much information to expect the casual driver past to
26:35really be able to take it in I just wanted a sign that said eight en suite bedrooms it's a
26:42disappointing start to my return but there's so much to do today I can't dwell on it for too long
26:50right hello young man hello how are you all right how are you not too bad
26:56nice to see you darling so may I say you slightly overdid it on the sign at the front
27:04too much on it how did you know that I was going to say that eight en suite rooms that's
27:11all I wanted
27:11you to say because everything else is really evident oh so I kind of lost that bit in the middle
27:15you really did I'd have to have a chat with the designer there we've got two days left yes the
27:22first thing I want to do is show you how I think that we could improve your rooms a little
27:27bit yeah
27:29but before I crack on with my makeover Phil's choice of new room names is already creating a
27:35better first impression honestly would you rather stay in dirty fecking pie or in oak the choice I like
27:43dirty fecking pie and I know where you're going with it so I get it what we're trying to do
27:48is move
27:49it on fair enough and we have the next step in my plan is about ridding these rooms of the
27:56pies and
27:57continuing the forest of Dean theme into the interiors I'd like us to first of all take down
28:03that picture yeah second of all take out the cushions and the bedspread yeah yeah okay and then take
28:11these off great right make sure you get this because I'm going to do it once oh lovely okay
28:22oh gosh that already looks nice bye pie I mean honestly the room just looks like a different
28:31thing already without that awful awful pie picture having finally said bye bye to the pie I now want
28:39to add an injection of local style in our attempt to bring the forest of Dean theme into the rooms
28:47yes I'm
28:48bringing the green in here I've got you a very nice bed cover okay like that I like it so
28:58simple
28:58isn't that simple it's just been a refresh so now if you give me 20 minutes of your handyman I
29:05will
29:05finish off and then I'll show you the full effect yeah yeah yeah I knew this moment was coming it's
29:11this
29:11very sad day that my pie pictures my masterpieces are coming out of my rooms however the
29:18woman has spoken I have to obey with a blank canvas to work with on the bedroom wall Martin come
29:26with
29:26me I want handyman Martin to help me add more appropriate artwork to continue the more stylish
29:32forest of Dean theme will you help me pull out the bed yep lovely and then my plan is we've
29:42got these
29:43three little pictures okay so could we frame them could you do a bit of painting behind them
29:51a color and then a border would be lovely basically this is just a homemade and so it's very cheap
30:00and
30:00effective they're about a five pound frame each so the idea was to show Phil that he can really make
30:06a
30:07massive difference in a room spending about 60 quid but before I unveil the refreshed accommodation to
30:15Phil so this is looking amazing I can't believe you got rid of the hideaways you've given me foot in
30:23the arse that you needed I want to add some finishing touches to his outdoor space I'm suggesting that we
30:29could make this chic with a small change I like going to show you the chic word I like that
30:35today on my
30:37first visit this area was a mess cluttered with a bevy of branded parasols simple chic inspired by our
30:46visit to the nearby pub on the river here we go these stylish logo free umbrellas will bring a touch
30:52of
30:52class to the space that was sorely missing before that's nice it's very nice and then as I hate to
31:01waste anything Phil's cherished pie names for his rooms are ideal to repurpose as table numbers you're
31:07getting some brownie points back now yeah no I really like that this space was totally wasted when it was
31:18home to the tatty old Pideways but with just 200 pounds it's now a simple and stylish seating area
31:27complemented with fresh herbs and flowers and more in keeping with the countryside surroundings it looks
31:33a bit more for a sardine darling yeah yeah and also it looks cared for yeah that's massive it is
31:40massive isn't it just looks love and I like that good darling I'm really pleased with the garden given a
31:48new lease of life and Martin prepping the bedrooms I've arranged to meet Mark Terry lush from the Dean
31:55and why tourist board hopefully his insight can help me to fill Phil's rooms tell me why do people come
32:03here the people come here to spend time outdoors they want to go walking in the forest they want to
32:09be
32:09able to go kayaking or paddle boarding on the river a lot of cyclists in the forest of Dean so
32:14that's a
32:15really big thing I'm working with Phil Kiernan at the Farmers Boy Inn and he hasn't really advertised
32:20his rooms I had no clue that he had accommodation really interesting he doesn't advertise it even on
32:25his own site he's missing a huge opportunity is there a demand for rooms at the more value end of
32:31the scale absolutely there's a there's a shortage of rooms and I think a huge amount of demand for it
32:36and I'm surprised that we're not hearing more about it I'm very keen to work out you know how to
32:41help him
32:42fill them well number one they should become a partner of the Tourism Association visit Dean why
32:48because instantly he would get his accommodation and his pub promoted on our websites and our socials
32:53we have about a combined four million reach so for him to be part of that means he could generate
32:58extra
32:58publicity as well as extra views and as well as extra visitors to his own website and therefore more
33:04bookings thank you it feels like there's a lot going on here and it also does that they've got a
33:11very proactive tourist board and you know he's missing a trick focus Phil focus back at the pub I'm hoping
33:24that my mini makeover of Phil's formerly dated rooms which were dark and dominated by pictures of his beloved
33:31pies is going to grab Phil's attention and help him to focus on his rooms again
33:38pies be gone oh bloody hell that looks lovely not only does the new tree theming reflect the pub's
33:47location but the DIY artwork and soft furnishings freshen everything up and all achieved in a couple
33:56of hours on a budget that won't break the bank five pounds each frame a bit of leftover paint a
34:02little
34:03bit of baton painted black you thought that was a picture no I mean honestly darling the bed spread
34:09was 25 the pillows were eight quid each the key fob was another tenner I must have spent 60 quid
34:15I
34:17hope my makeover shows him you don't need to splash the cash to bring these rooms back to life and
34:23helps
34:23justify their price tag you just think okay you've got to paint the rooms well no it's just a little
34:28bit of color and then you go oh wow I like that I'm gonna get another few done before I
34:34go tomorrow
34:34I've got enough to do four excellent that's soup thank you pleasure I'm like a little good it's
34:40Christmas good chic chic is the word I like it chic there we go with rooms and garden both refreshed
34:50now I want to talk to Phil about ideas to help him up his occupancy
34:57so my dear tomorrow is our last day together and as this year is your 25th year in business at
35:05the
35:06farmer's boy I would like to show some people the changes yeah so I am going to open my little
35:11black
35:11book and try and find a few people to come but I would love you also to hop onto social
35:16media yeah and
35:17suggest that we have an open house tomorrow okay because I'd like to leave you thinking I've
35:23introduced you to a few more people in a whole new market yeah that's good so while Phil puts the
35:30word
35:30out on social media hi guys we've made some massive changes to what we're gonna do when I have a
35:35open
35:35day tomorrow I'm making plans for who I need to invite this is a famous tourist area and I just
35:44have to
35:44make sure that some of them come and look at this place and make up their minds to stay here
35:58it's my final day in the stunning forest of Dean and in order to try and pull in some punters
36:05to help
36:06farmers boy in owner Phil boost his 42% occupancy of course I'm doing my best to embrace the great
36:14outdoors seems rather we need to their own I've come to meet Gareth owner of a cycle center that's
36:23just eight miles from the farmers boy that could provide Phil with a steady stream of customers to
36:28fill his rooms what kind of visitor numbers do you get here so you're looking now nearly 350,000 visitors
36:36a year cycling is probably the most popular activity you come to do in the forest of Dean I'm working
36:41with an accommodation provider he's got eight pretty good value rooms yeah and I'm trying to encourage
36:47him to foster links with businesses in the area you know we've got an open day today yeah you'll be
36:52able
36:52to convince you to come and have a look and see what we've got to offer yeah that'd be fantastic
36:55yeah thank you very much thank you with 350,000 visitors a year to just this cycle center this
37:03massive market seems an ideal solution for Phil so I hope he's got the luck of the Irish with him
37:08when
37:09it comes to impressing our open day guests how are you feeling today I'm excited about it out let's see
37:15what people think the product is good so we've done what we can I want to remind people that the
37:20farmers boy in is still firmly in business after 25 years I'll totally agree well let's hope they
37:25approve of the rooms hello who are you all right with Phil's guests beginning to arrive hello guys
37:35big massive beer garden if you want to go out there as well plus my crowd from the cycle center
37:39do feel
37:40free to have a little nibble and mark from why Dean tourism who could promote the farmers boy to an
37:46audience of more than four million potential customers if today goes well the farmers boy could
37:53be on the up again with his influential guests assembled I want to see if they prefer the new
38:04tree themed rooms or the ones with Phil's crusty old pie pictures go and look at his accommodation and
38:11then I'm asking you all to vote by putting a ballot in a box whether you prefer the old rooms
38:18or the new
38:19rooms are you gonna tell which is which I think they'll be able to work it out Philip okay as
38:26the
38:26tour kicks off and the crowd cast their eyes over the rooms do come in this is lovely it's a
38:32nice little
38:33sun trap I'm quietly confident that my new tree theme will impress the guests and prove that I'm not
38:41the only one who would rather not wake up under a pie oh my god that's that's a passion killer
38:49isn't
38:49it it is a bit with prices starting at 80 pounds per night I'm hoping the refreshed rooms will appeal
38:57to
38:57tourists from the outdoor enthusiast market who are looking for a bargain they get a lot of a budget
39:03conscious travelers and yeah will appeal to that kind of market good thank you it's good value it's
39:10in the right area this is definitely a lot more of that sort of a getaway that you might want
39:13good
39:14I'm glad you say all the right things thank you mark that approval is music to my ears and could
39:21mean
39:21money in Phil's pocket if he starts pushing his accommodation harder I think the thing is Phil has
39:28this kind of untapped resource and he's got to use it better well Phil looks to seal a deal with
39:34mark I
39:35think you've got a huge opportunity with you might call it a bit of tweaking and the guests vote on
39:41which
39:41style of room they prefer hello nice to meet you I want to get the verdict from Phil's wife what
39:48do you
39:48think of the rooms really nice good definitely need to that touch because I always said I didn't like
39:55this play pictures good I'm glad you approve few but you know to be 25 years in business and to
40:01still
40:01have a business is really a testament to him and he should be incredibly proud of what he does but
40:07he
40:07needs to remember the basics and keep on really focusing on them just slow down a little bit maybe
40:12none of us are getting any younger exactly with all the ballots cast my time at the farmer's boy is
40:22drawing to a close so first of all shall we see who voted for the pie rooms and who voted
40:31for the not pie
40:41rooms lovely fresh forest look you are more than pies
40:51rooms and atmosphere big improvement that last one that you just read that word atmosphere and what
40:58you've done is that you've helped to bring the atmosphere and the quality up that's what I've been
41:03trying to do but also mark who runs visit Dean why yeah he says that you really have got to
41:09join the
41:10Association because it gives you visibility on their website and it'll drive traffic to yours I had a
41:15great job in today and we've arranged a meeting already good your builds connections with other
41:20businesses like we did with the bike people I went to today yeah who are really interested at being able
41:26to suggest places that are good value for their customers to stay yeah and I think you've just
41:31got to refocus on this again because this is a little gem of a business thank you and it does
41:37you proud thank
41:38you very much when I first arrived here the farmers boys collapsing occupancy meant its future was looking
41:48uncertain now with garden and rooms both given a new lease of life plus the prospect of some valuable new
41:55business relationships Phil's worries should be a thing of the past it's been a good day I'm really
42:03happy with how we've managed to turn things around I hope I'm leaving Phil with the pub to be proud
42:08of
42:08so my darling bye for now like someone said in that comments box yeah much more than pies Phil so
42:17if
42:17there's anything I've learned about it we're much more than pies the garden has been massive as in we've
42:29had a lot of people say here and they're glad the pilot ways are gone so that's an excellent change
42:33people
42:34have said how they love the rooms and we've done the rest of them now we're happy with that we're
42:38using different systems now as well regarding marketing so overall the exercise has been
42:42brilliant and Alex is welcome back anytime she wants and the hotel inspector is back next Thursday at
42:52eight a slip of the tongue sees Rachel Shenton descend into a world of paranoia and fear in brand new
42:58drama the rumor starting Wednesday at nine could you ditch your creature comforts and live off grid
43:04and Ben Fogel's host has made her new life in the wild in Thailand that's new next
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