- 11 minutes ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00I've run hotels most of my working life so we've got 23 rooms in house light thank you very much
00:08so I know all too well how brutal the hospitality industry can be that's terrifying we've put
00:15everything that we have into this and this year the situation truly is dire you got me worried
00:20about that now I have a lot of pressure to make sure that I deliver with businesses facing spiraling
00:28energy food and wage costs I have a big sense of responsibility and customers who have less money
00:35to spend frankly sweet Fanny Adams from country pubs careful of the dog to seaside hotels this
00:43is gonna be done for Friday I have somebody in here Friday night Shepherd's huts you've got a big one
00:48thank you to family guest houses makes me think of Scarlett O'Hara they're all in desperate need
00:54of my help she's just pulled up and I'm terrified I'll be getting my hands dirty and delivering
01:03some hard truths I think you're bonkers hello to help owners across the country get back in the black
01:11something has got to change we're very silent why you're the experts before everything comes crashing
01:19down we're just hoping we can catch it before it's too late that is my challenge should I choose to
01:26accept it and I do we need a bigger skip this time I hope she doesn't smell the seats I
01:36don't think she
01:37will never know a pair of novice hoteliers why on earth have you given me a family room well we're
01:43gonna join you with questionable taste and interiors we use these chairs in mental health hospitals just
01:48get rid of some of the for God's sake and a business at risk of collapse we will struggle to
01:55make it
01:55through winter check on buddy feeling die yeah yeah in West Sussex 37 year old publican and local lad
02:06Jack one full English for poach one for English for scramble and his best friend 35 year old chef Danny
02:13from Birmingham no one fancy turning on the dishwasher now no not today are the new kings of the 16th
02:20century
02:20Castle Inn there we are look at that hey having been best mates since they met working a ski season
02:27in
02:282010 buying a business together has always been their ultimate ambition oh they're heavy must be well
02:35strong after 15 years of friendship and been speaking about this for the years this is a big time a
02:42big
02:42opportunity despite never having run a hotel before be annoying in the light when they saw the castle in
02:50just an hour away from where Jack lives they saw a chance to turn their dreams into reality you want
02:56to
02:56see we do a quick swap can you the boys scraped together 135,000 pounds to take on the lease
03:07of
03:07the 20-bedroom inn that also boasts a bar and 60-seater restaurant oh wow it's a work of art
03:14we had to
03:15beg borrow and steal to get the deal over the line there's a couple of government-backed loans in there
03:21there's some family and friend loans sold my pride and joy in my car they thought they're on to a
03:27winner as a business achieved 85 percent occupancy last year but the boys big gamble is now looking
03:33like it may not pay off there's been a 40 percent drop in room sales and it is particularly scary
03:39how
03:41we make it work for us is yet to be discovered that is terrifying and it's not only the future
03:50of the
03:50business that's at stake do you think it's better here or in Birmingham Danny has moved his wife Zoe
03:58and four-year-old daughter Sophia 180 miles south to start a new life here the move has been a
04:05massive
04:05sacrifice and we don't know if it's gonna pay off or not all of our savings all gone into this
04:10it's
04:11lovely here isn't it for Jack and fiance Natalie the hotel struggles are impacting more than just the
04:17businesses bottom line it's also putting strain on their special day so today after stressing about
04:24the payroll pretty much didn't have enough money in the accounts so I had to send some wedding funds to
04:30cover it when will that be replaced well I don't know money goes in doesn't come out as quick with
04:38the boys financial futures and personal lives depending on the success of the business they
04:43simply can't afford to fail our houses are on the line because if we can't pay our mortgages there's
04:49a whole other can of worms we're just hoping that we can catch it before it's too late we are
05:03in Sussex
05:04I know this area quite well my little hotel the star is about an hour away from here the South
05:11Downs
05:11National Park is a holiday hotspot known for its rolling hills ancient woodlands and bustling affluent
05:17market towns but despite 39 million annual visitors flocking to this area the Castle Inn isn't much of a
05:26tourist attraction I've been looking online and it seems to have absolutely terrible reviews from I
05:34couldn't wait to get out of this place to not for the faint-hearted it doesn't make great reading I
05:42know
05:42it's been taken over by novice hoteliers some of the reviews they inherited but some are very very recent
05:51hmm this might be it lots of flowers on the outside it looks positively healthy do you want a quick
06:00water do you have this excitement yes stick a couple of gins in there this is lovely I'm feeling a
06:10lot
06:10more positive than I expected to having a little bit of reviews the outsides window boxes are brimming with
06:16fresh seasonal flowers a big tick for curb appeal Danny she's coming morning hi lovely to meet you
06:25Danny Danny very nice Jack thank you for inviting me in I mean it looks amazing from outside I wasn't
06:32quite expecting this when I walked in yeah this is less charming village pub more characterless high
06:39street coffee shop chain with not a fresh cut flower in sight I'm hoping I'm not going to be disappointed
06:47height of the season I'm assuming that you're busy we've got tradesmen Monday to Thursday and then
06:54the weekends are a struggle room occupancy is gone way down since last year two weeks ago our occupancy
07:02was down like 45% scary scary yeah it's scary everywhere yeah but that's why you've got to make the
07:09most now
07:09while the Sun is shining okay the ideal thing would be if I can go to a room please let's
07:15go with 20
07:18rooms priced from 110 pounds a night I'm keen to see if the accommodation is the cause of the bad
07:23reviews
07:24and empty weekends so room number four is just up here right well why on earth have you given me
07:33a
07:33family room well we're gonna join you who's top and who's bottom that's one way to improve occupancy but I
07:47think I'll pass for now this isn't bad you know no no but I don't want to stay in the
07:53family room so do
07:54you want to show me another room of course no problem no problem no problem this is the wedding suite
08:07you mustn't call it that I think we could put some good food on a plate we can serve a
08:12nice pint but
08:14being able to deliver on the rooms from we're not on track right now what I'd love to do is
08:20I'm
08:20gonna seamlessly poke my nose in everywhere okay great thanks towels on a bed
08:35very odd combination of things you've got this kind of old-fashioned cupboard this truly repulsive
08:42gemonte chair with amazing brickwork there's no identity here I mean basically they haven't really
08:51worked out what they're doing yet these rooms are fairly priced so I can see why they work for the
08:57weekday tradesmen but it's no surprise that leisure travelers seeking a beautiful country stay in the
09:03South Downs aren't enamored by them I hope what I find downstairs is a more uplifting experience I hope
09:32the boys have had six months to put their stamp on this place and I've seen no sign of that
09:39so far look at
09:56I suggest they start straight away possibly with this it's bleak because there's no identity I mean it's
10:05not even trying to have an identity they must have seen the awful reviews online so there is no excuse
10:11for not having improved some of these issues I'm starting to understand why the comments range from
10:16really disappointed to a very clear I won't be back with businesses thriving or failing through customer
10:23criticism in the online age I want the boys to hear for themselves where their guests think they're
10:28going wrong I've invited three couples to stay here tonight right who are leisure guests more the kind of
10:36guests that you want to get in I want them to tell me what's working and what's not okay this
10:44is a
10:45bloody competitive market people have no money and when they're coming away for leisure they want to
10:51come somewhere that they have faith in so I want us to get some good reviews saying good these guys
10:57have really turned it round okay my guests should highlight where Jack and Danny could improve when
11:03it comes to appealing to tourists rather than tradesmen oh mate I can't believe it three surprise
11:10guests but with the bedrooms in need of a quick changeover I hope the boys can get them ready in
11:16time and
11:16avoid more bad reviews I do worry that it could also add fuel to the fire glasses are a bit
11:23dirty someone
11:25just polish that mirror change the glasses we haven't got long
11:37we have to sell another 406 rooms to get anywhere near what they did last August in West Sussex six
11:45months after novice hoteliers Jack and Danny sank 135,000 pounds into the Castle Inn occupancy is in freeform
11:53so currently 65% down on August last year after Danny moved his young family across the country
12:02and Jack invested his wedding fund to keep the business afloat both boys have taken huge risks to realize
12:09their ambition of owning a hotel together he's actually guest ready do you think I can't even
12:14set a light on with that one line reputation and tatters they're rushing to get rooms ready for my surprise
12:20guests
12:20in the hope of getting some good reviews stay on there oh well the boys get stuck in sorting out
12:27the bedrooms check all the condiments are on the side hello good afternoon I've headed out to
12:34investigate another area they need to ensure they're making the most of when the nights are dark and come
12:39early it's your locals who are going to be the lifeblood of your business I've come to the nearby tea
12:46room to
12:46get the goss on what this lot think of their village pub ladies ladies tell me what you think of
12:54the
12:54castle in these days I haven't been in there for years I live next door as well the previous owners
13:01weren't very well liked and drove a lot of the locals away yeah and now they've got to rebuild that
13:09yeah everybody wants it to work yeah we've got three in your space sorry we can all go I think
13:17the
13:17decor at the moment it always makes me think of like a peckham nail bar to know that weird sort
13:21of art and
13:21artificial flowers you know you could get rid of that quite easily I mean that restaurant is not a
13:27place of glamour is it I'm gonna work with them for the next couple of weeks and I'm hoping that
13:32once
13:32I've done I can tempt you guys back clearly I'm not the only one that takes issue with the interior
13:37design thank you if I can fix that and encourage the boys to turn on the charm I'm convinced we
13:44can
13:44convert this community into loyal customers lots of villages hate someone you taking over and are very
13:52fond of the old owners and in fact it's far from that here there's an enormous desire for them to
13:58succeed
13:58and they want the opportunity to use it but before turning my attention to winning local hearts and
14:05minds hello I want to understand the numbers that underpin this business beyond the hundred and thirty
14:11five thousand pounds the boys spent to buy the lease what are your overheads here per calendar month
14:17this is so utilities yeah well more and a half okay what is the rent 11k a month year one
14:23what about
14:24stopping 30 35 with more than fifty thousand pounds needed each month just to cover costs the pressure
14:32is certainly on to get the tills ringing tell me how long you can keep going as you all depending
14:39on how
14:39it goes in the summer we will struggle to make it through the winter but we know that with a
14:48few
14:48changes to make things a bit more aesthetically pleasing over time that we can only improve occupancy
14:54if we had the money now just to go bang yes but also just get rid of some of the
14:58for god's sake i
15:00mean honestly is this what you want to be known for what on earth makes you put up with it
15:06as it is
15:07i think that you have to quite quickly make an absolutely positive stamp on the place something
15:14to show that this is under new management i know what it takes to make a business work
15:19and i'm worried that you're not doing it the lack of action here is a real worry if this business
15:26is
15:26going to survive and then thrive we need to start making some changes and find a way to fill those
15:31rooms this is peak peak money-making time they've already missed out on may june and most of july let's
15:39make sure that they don't miss out on any more and that all starts by trying to improve the online
15:45reviews
15:46welcome to bramber can we show you to your rooms follow us i've asked my surprise guests to test
15:52drive three bedrooms to highlight where improvements could be made to appeal to the tourist market and
15:57hopefully boost weekend occupancy if you need anything at all do give us a shout shiva and
16:03simon are giving their ensuite double the once over this is room 12 the room for tonight
16:11liz and steve are sizing up their accommodation it is very tight on space and the one thing that's
16:19missing is something to put your luggage on and adam and sam are questioning the choice of fixtures and
16:26fittings seems a bit excessive having a wardrobe drawers bedside tables how long would you stay here to use all
16:36this furniture
16:40with my first day here drawing to a close right it's clear i need to push jack and danny to
16:47get a grip on
16:47this business and start making some much-needed changes every minute has to count they're not
16:54actually being as proactive as they need to be the obvious painful scenario is the stuff that we was
17:01already well aware of i don't know and we should have just done it
17:17check on chef for one full english with one of your finest poached eggs please callum
17:25it's the morning of my second day in brambor how was your breakfast guys is it all right yeah and
17:31before i check in with my guests to gather their opinions morning i need to decide where i think the
17:38most pressing area for improvement is but not on an empty stomach hi darling hello there you've been
17:44looked after can i have smoked salmon and two poached eggs yeah absolutely thank you
17:49i am struggling with what to do here maybe if we get this front of house area right it will
17:56encourage
17:56locals and visitors like there we are smoked salmon and poached eggs thank you
18:08mmm delicious absolutely no complaints about breakfast
18:16but will my guests be equally enthusiastic about their overnight experience
18:21all right opinions about the rooms please you first
18:25i think what it needs is a little bit of tlc you know bedside lights didn't particularly work nothing
18:32really matched it just needs fine tuning we were saying in our room we take the wardrobe out and then
18:38just a couple of bag stands it's like say if you're staying for one night or two you're not unpacking
18:42your bag and putting all your stuff away just so you can put it back in your bag tomorrow
18:46as i suspected the bedrooms are lacking the refinement required to appeal to a leisure guest
18:51but nothing we can't address what do you think of this space it's very weddingy i think it's really
18:58incongruous to the front of the building it's just too stark you know silk flowers and a few sort of
19:05dusty old ornaments that really could go in the bin yeah they're going today don't worry i know people
19:12have said these are like wedding chairs these really heavy ones we use these in mental health
19:16hospitals because then people can't throw them at you that's a new low that's unexpected
19:23fair to say there's some bigger issues downstairs if i'm going to convince these guests to post some
19:29positive reviews this seems the sensible place to make the biggest impact i'm going to invite you
19:34back and hopefully you'll approve of the changes and certainly you'll see a lot less fake flowers
19:42luckily we've actually got each other through this because otherwise i don't think i could have
19:47talked that complete pounding alone no with guest feedback loud and clear it's time to stop talking
19:53and start taking action let's get rid of the plastic plants let's do it yeah
20:01you got that one god they're so heavy
20:09hey it's like at the wedding i nearly caught them
20:16it's much better isn't it oh mate love it
20:20god darling there's a lot here you could do your own little jungle corner risk assessment hard hat
20:38there's quite a lot of plastic here isn't there just from this room i know amazing but actually
20:43it already looks better stripping out the plastic plants is a great start but it's clear we need to
20:50go further than my budget will stretch if jack and danny are going to move this business forward
20:56i've got a thousand pounds i can give you it's up to you now to decide what on earth we're
21:01going to
21:02do here with families to support mortgages to pay and even an imminent wedding on the line
21:10i'm aware that asking the boys to raise more funds is no small thing what can we do can we
21:16find
21:16any money if we had all the money we needed then of course we could throw people in there to
21:22fix it
21:22but if jack and danny really want their dream project to work they're going to have to give
21:26it everything they've got what i'm absolutely convinced about is they can't keep on just putting
21:32one foot in front the other and hoping that something's going to change can we raise it can
21:36we get to that point it's just how deep is the pit that you want to go into
21:44hello so what have you decided yeah we're in yeah we're ready for it good how much do you think
21:52you can bake war and steal i'm gonna try and get 5k together good i want to use that extra
21:58cash to
21:58inject the restaurant with the personality it's totally lacking we will make it go as far as it
22:04possibly can you're going to have a lovely new dining room to bring the locals back i want jack
22:10and danny to go door to door to invite the villagers in to see the changes we make together i
22:15definitely
22:16think you should have a meet the owners evening i want you front and center of this showing that
22:21there's a kind of first wind yeah flowing through the castle in brambor and you think go direct to them
22:27you know what if you try it you won't know yeah i also want the boys to try making the
22:32seating area
22:33in the bar somewhere locals might actually want to sit in this downstairs area you could make it a
22:39bit more kind of pubby you know one area where there's a kind of little soggy bit lastly i want
22:46to boost bookings in the underperforming bedrooms i think we need to look at dinner bed and breakfast
22:52packages okay it's a brilliant way of making sure that you try and fill some of the rooms that you're
22:57down
22:57this summer yeah that's exciting yeah it's been a pleasure lovely thank you so much pleasure pleasure
23:04feels like there's a bit of a plan in place and that's what we didn't have before
23:08i'm so glad that danny and jack have decided to put some money in so i've got a chance of
23:13really
23:13making that as nice as possible now it's a question of speed and of making decisions really quickly all we
23:21can do is try in west sussex change is finally a foot at the castle in
23:38where i've wasted no time in getting the decorators in to breathe new life into the tired downstairs
23:44interiors is all right mate happy with it yeah yeah i'm loving the purchase i also asked best friends
23:52and first-time hoteliers jack and danny to sort out the pub's ugly seating area and start putting their
23:58own stamp on the place simple this couch i wanted them to create a cozy snug to help entice the
24:05locals in
24:07we haven't quite thought this all the way through so far they've spent 800 pounds on six second-hand
24:12sofas and chairs as i know from my own place the secret to making a space like this work is
24:19all
24:19about creating defined individual areas mixing and matching the furniture and softening it all up
24:25with complementary cushions should we pull some of these out stop and then start again yeah should have
24:33actually done a little plan on paper first
24:39with 135 grand already invested plus danny relocating his family and jack dipping into his wedding fund
24:46the pressure is mounting to make their dream of running a hotel together work jack's given it a lot
24:52of time which is having a toll on our personal life because he's constantly busy and preoccupied and
24:59not very present at the moment it is scary because everything we've got and money and love is going
25:06into this project so yeah hopefully it pays off
25:13getting more heads on beds is what the boys need to help their business survive
25:21rooms is where the real profit is and we are now in the height of summer
25:25and if they can't fill the rooms now they're going to have a very sad and weary winter ahead
25:31so i've asked jack and danny to meet me in nearby eastbourne hello hello and welcome
25:38to show them a hotel i think could offer some inspiration for addressing the feedback my
25:42guests gave about their bedrooms should we go in let's go and have a look
25:49come on in
25:54oh wow it is really simple room there's nothing extraneous there's not a wardrobe anywhere you'll
26:01notice because most people don't even bother to unpack if you do unpack you need a hanger and a hook
26:06yeah i actually like the hanging thing yeah yeah it's cool the main thing in your rooms is that we
26:11need
26:11to get rid of furniture space is what people really want and what people pay for now yeah yeah
26:17do you see why it's good to come here it's simplistic and clean yeah but effective love it
26:23yeah adopting ideas from these practical but stylish spaces could help the boys better appeal
26:30to the weekend crowd without alienating their current tradesman market
26:36right but filling the rooms is about far more than just interiors you said to me that you weren't
26:42busy and that there'd been a serious decline from when you bought the hotel so you've got to capture
26:47people's attention i find dinner bed and breakfast deal really effective because then they're also going
26:52to drink yeah on current pricings with two people spending 45 pounds each night on food over two nights
26:59two nights in the standard double would cost 440 pounds let's suggest that you then apply a 12 discount
27:08it means they'd be getting something for 387 pounds that would have cost them 440 pounds yeah with around
27:1470 percent gross profit on food and 85 on rooms the profit for the business would still be strong
27:22over two nights you'd make 305 quid before they've ever had a drink i do like the dinner bed and
27:27breakfast
27:28everybody loves knowing that end result is capped other than their drinks and that's how we can
27:33massively upsell and make make all the money anyway with plans for package deals done and dusted
27:39let's go now i want to put the ideas for refreshing the bedrooms into action right come on so back
27:48at the
27:48castle it's out with the old and in with the new as jack has already dipped into his wedding fund
27:53i've recruited his fiancee to help direct how that money is spent hi i'm alex hi natalie you've got rid
28:03of all the crap yes that's what i've been up to yay natalie is clearly a woman after my own
28:10heart
28:10and i'm keen to keep that momentum going i've got a mini makeover that i would like to do just
28:16to show
28:16how different a few touches can make inspired by our visit to eastbourne this morning come on and with
28:24a budget of only 300 pounds i want to address the issues my overnight guests raised to improve both
28:30the feel and functionality of this space here i have two new chairs a luggage rack and some lamps and
28:39i
28:39just want to see how much nicer we can make the room by first of all getting rid of this
28:44great enormous
28:45thing can we just put it in the corridor yeah no problem to me i reckon we slide it um
28:51ready three
28:52two one okay we've got chairs to assemble and a luggage rack to take out we got the easy stuff
29:06like the bra they're proper nice heavy lampshades darling yeah the moment you go to a cheap hotel you
29:13know it's a cheap hotel because the lights don't have heavy bases yeah how are you getting on well
29:17to go i'm not very good at this kind of thing so if i do it before you it would
29:22just be pure flu
29:23and i think this is a really useful way of showing them how quickly you can change a room
29:28without much money and just with an eye to detail
29:33it's always nice to have two chairs when two people are sharing a room so that they each have an
29:38area
29:38to put their stuff on and you never have things all in the line
29:46now i think the room looks enormous it feels like you can breathe previously the array of ugly furniture
29:54made this room feel cramped and cheap now there's acres of space a more coherent look and some classier
30:02finishing touches even just moving the wardrobe out the minute you walk in it's more inviting the lights
30:07here now look more premium they were 60 quid each chairs of 50 quid each the luggage rack was 65
30:14pounds and the coat hooks were 22. literally in 10 minutes flat and with 300 quid we've transformed
30:20this room not only is the space nicer to look at it should also offer a more enjoyable guest experience
30:26and critically better reviews well that's one room done 19 to go
30:32with only one day left with the boys i want us to finish with a bang i think we're going
30:37to need a
30:38bigger skip not only are my overnight guests returning to rate the changes i also want jack
30:43and danny to really sell the new vision to the locals we are going to invite them in for a
30:49relaunch party
30:50yeah let's blind them with the breadth of the ambition yeah i think people really like that
30:56but all this change is worth nothing if the boys don't see an improvement in their bottom line
31:01i really want you to try out and sell on some of these packages because 20 bedrooms are going to
31:07be the bit that make you solid money the rooms in this day and age are what drives it
31:12good so we've got to get it sorted right see you in four weeks thank you very much bye
31:28it's a day before the final event and while my team race to get the dining room ready for the
31:34big reveal
31:35right let's do this first batch jack and danny are heading out to try and bring the villagers of
31:42bramber back on side there is not a lot of local support at the moment i'm jack there's a little
31:48invite here we're doing a bit of a relaunch rebrand of the castle in hotel you know that's really hard
31:54to build back up we're fully against that lovely to meet you take care if they can't convince the
32:00locals to give the castle another chance the boys dream of running the pub together could turn into a
32:05nightmare you know if we come out summer into the winter months without the trade we won't make it
32:14here's a hotel treat for two to carlion bay hotel overlooking st austal bay and cornwall you'll
32:20indulge with dinner both nights and afternoon tea and a round of golf to enter for a chance to win
32:26text stay to six double five double five go to win on five dot com or post your name and
32:33phone number
32:33to stay po box seven double five seven derby de1 zero np rules winners privacy policy and customer care
32:41at win on five dot com
32:50i feel like we need to get this looking a bit better in bramber west sussex yep a bit of
32:56cleaning
32:57it's the day of my final visit to the castle inn a bit missed a bit yeah kids coloring it
33:04in
33:05with my overnight guests returning to check out the changes plus a locals relaunch event there's a lot
33:11riding on today being a success
33:18danny's moved his young family halfway across england to come and launch this venture with jack
33:25they've begged borrowed money from everybody that they can possibly think of to make this work
33:30the reality is there's a lot at stake with local trade and occupancy way down
33:38and the bar and restaurant areas a mismatched mess i'm hoping to finally see some positive changes
33:48aha good morning what are these a concoction of different aged chesterfields
34:00not entirely so that i approve it's a bit doctor's waiting room not quite to my taste but it's still
34:07an improvement on the very basic tables and chairs that were here before so i'm going to stay optimistic
34:13how has business been have you tried doing package deals yeah so we put the one you suggested live
34:19yeah we sold a few of those june we were 20 000 pounds down on room sales alone last year
34:25july
34:25popped up by about a thousand pounds more than last year yeah so that's great thank you making the
34:32summer season pay is essential to surviving the winter so i'm delighted my package deals have helped
34:37up room sales and their income so that's all quite positive yes can i please see your lovely
34:43new dining room you can indeed yeah i'm very very excited let's go on my first visit here the
34:51restaurant was stark and uninviting stuffed full of tacky plastic plants and clashing tables and chairs
35:01oh this looks lovely now it's a warm and inviting eating area with fresh greenery and
35:08pops of color that bring the space to life are you pleased is the main thing yeah i didn't know
35:17what
35:17to expect and it's probably better i love the color and the paneling we've got these lovely chairs
35:27rechargeable table lamps we've used your old vases but they no longer have fake flowers in them
35:34this is a really nice room it had no real identity and now you've given it a bit of life
35:42with the downstairs interiors now delivering on the promise of the pub's charming exterior
35:47i'm hoping these changes will help fix more than just the aesthetic appeal the first thing we've got
35:53is my original guests who came today coming and having a look again so i'm hoping that you'll get
35:58some good feedback immediately and some good reviews hopefully last time my guests were here
36:03they pointed out quite a listening of things that they didn't like about the place which we have
36:08tried to tackle having overhauled the restaurant and refreshed a bedroom i'm hoping the changes can
36:16convince them to post complimentary reviews that might tempt customers to book possibly you choose
36:23somewhere with lots of good reviews than somewhere with lots of terrible reviews
36:31it looks really nice much more homely and inviting really i think it looks really clean and bright
36:38and fresh definite improvement on the chairs you wouldn't get these in hospital i don't think
36:45that's an unusual compliment those reactions are music to my ears this way ladies and gentlemen yes
36:55hopefully the boys hear the same positive noises about the updated bedroom follow us
37:04so no huge decorative changes but now we've got a place for luggage there is um some sturdier lamps we've
37:14got rid of the big wardrobe to make it feel a bit more open and then change the chairs small
37:20things but um
37:21hopefully impactful yeah it looks a lot more modern i'm hoping my guests have seen enough to reward our
37:30efforts and share their opinions online so my dear friends do you think that there has been enough of
37:36an improvement here for you guys to write us a nice review yeah yeah good last time on the price
37:46that you
37:46were charging for the rooms it was a bit of a push but this time i really would feel i've
37:50got value for
37:50money yeah excellent great that's nice isn't it that's an incredible result and with my guests
37:58already writing up their reviews i'm hoping the castle's improved online reputation will help boost
38:03business it was nice to have the honest feedback from them last time and the fact they can see the
38:09changes they're going to leave good reviews we can ask for there are some talks of booking on the way
38:14i hope so yeah we're filling up but my returning guests aren't the only people we need to impress
38:22today should be enough yeah 100 people you're all right yeah that'll do in it some light snacks and
38:28crudités if this business is going to thrive through the winter it also needs the backing of the locals
38:34we've got to make sure that they feel loved and wanted and that jack and danny try and encourage this
38:40to become the hub of bramber as it once was with the villagers arriving in their droves for the meet
38:48the owners event how are you doing hello i'm alex it looks like the boys outreach efforts have paid
38:55dividends it is above expectations the turnout after all of the money time and effort that's been put in
39:02it's nice to see the place packed now it's up to me and the boys to turn on the charm
39:07hello thank you
39:09so much for coming out and convince this crowd that the castle is the place to be in bramber if
39:15we have
39:15like a a week or a weekend where we're offering something special then you'll be the first to know
39:20thank you very much paul dave and charles lovely to meet you guys they're young and ambitious
39:29that's what it means we want him to do well i think what jack and danny have done the castle's
39:35been absolutely brilliant and i'm you know we really do want them to succeed we're living in the
39:40village we need somewhere where we can come cheers thank you over the years it was sort of a little
39:48bit
39:48unfriendly and now i feel like we've got something back in the village which is really important to us
39:54and it's not just the locals that are loving the new look castle what do you think to the changes
40:00in
40:01the room i love it it's beautiful sophia what do you think of the changes in the room
40:09having uprooted their family from the midlands it seems like the risk danny and zoe took to make
40:14this business happen has been rewarded today definitely cemented that it was the right
40:20decision for us and yeah we're excited for the future it's so nice to see it so busy i know
40:24it
40:24needs to be like this with a packed house lapping up the boys hospitality just gonna get our speech
40:30all that's left is for them to say a few words to sell their vision for the future
40:38guys welcome uh thank you very much for coming we're excited to take this pub on its next chapter
40:46what's always mattered most to us is simple good food a glass of something special and a proper warm
40:53welcome with the castle we want to bring that spirit back but it's mainly about the people you guys
40:59and us that are actually going to once again make it a hub of the village i encourage every single
41:07one of you to remember they haven't been here very long but they definitely have their feet on the
41:12right path and i would like to raise my glass to you both for what you've achieved so far well
41:23that's about as satisfying a conclusion to my final day here as i could have hoped for
41:29and while the locals eat drink and are merry all that's left for me to do is to say my
41:34farewells
41:35you know what it's been such a pleasure working with you i really enjoyed it thank you very much
41:40you've helped us understand elements of the business that we had no idea about and you've helped us
41:47kind of iron out a bit of a road map really i wish you all the best of luck thank
41:51you thank you very much
41:54thank you so much
42:01when i first arrived here the castle was on the slide
42:05and jack and danny's ambition of running a business together was hanging in the balance
42:10now with a totally transformed downstairs a tranche of positive reviews to attract weekend travelers
42:16and the local community on side again the boys should take this place from strength to strength
42:22we get it firing on all cylinders which it's very capable of now then it's going to be everything
42:28that we wanted i think the dining room looks great i think the locals really warmed jack and danny
42:34and i just hope i've put their feet on the right path you know you often need a scary woman
42:39to
42:40come along and tell you to do it just bloody do it i mean it is still early days
42:46but i think they're going to be okay
42:59hi alex hi alex i hope you're well hope you're well just wanted to say thank you very much for
43:04everything you and your team have done here at the castle in brownback the locals have been raving about
43:10the changes the food offering and the new neckle the vibes around the village are great we've noticed
43:17a strong traction in repeat customers and new ones thank you very much for your support
43:25hopefully see you soon see you soon
43:30it's the unmissable drama everyone's talking about power the downfall of hugh edwards stream now on five
43:38we have a dar o'brien double tomorrow at nine as he looks into the secrets of the sun without
43:43looking
43:44directly at it of course true crime next tonight on five the wire forensics murder stay with us
Comments