Lou Treseder, Driftwood Spars
The hard work of a dynamic Cornwall Enterprising Women entrepreneur has paid off as her business wins a national award.
Louise Treseder, landlady of the Driftwood Spars, St Agnes, who has completed partner organisation Truro and Penwith College's Empowering Smart Women Level 5 management course, which she said has helped her streamline her business practices, has gained a number of accolades including industry magazine The Publican’s coveted Britain’s Freehouse of the Year 2011 title after only four years trading.
Taking on the much-loved village pub, which has always had a loyal local clientele, Louise wanted to put her own stamp on it, and now it is much more than a great local with bed and breakfast accommodation as it also boasts a well-reviewed restaurant, its own micro brewery concocting its own label beers, a retail shop, and a recently acquired wedding licence.
Louise acknowledges that the road to success has not always been easy with long hours required and she recognises the support of her team and the influence of the ESW course.
She said: “I applied to go on the course to learn new skills and meet other businesswomen, which was one of the most valuable aspects of the programme. I didn’t noticed how isolated I was in business until I was on the course and I became aware of how much is out there.”
Growing the freehouse was one of the main drivers for Louise, particularly looking at how to be more efficient and she said the knowledge she picked up on the programme has led to a complete review in this area.
“To ensure our own ales are a top quality product meant there was often a lot of wastage but now this is much more streamlined, with constant reviews in place across the board to keep on top of our efficiency,” she added.
Along with improving the business Louise is also keen to develop her staff, which has included commissioning a fellow ESW colleague as the pub’s PR firm.
This in turn has meant she does not need to be quite as frontline as before, which has proven hard on occasion as she has found it difficult to let go, but when she has she has grasped the opportunity to think about the business strategy.
The Drifty, as it is affectionately known to locals, is a Mecca for great music and events, such as the annual Snowball organised by local bands and villagers, and events such as a four-day fundraiser for Shelterbox, and its location, sitting just above the harbour and Trevaunance Cove beach, makes it a top destination for holidaymakers too.
Louise said: “There are so many different aspects to the business and so many possibilities, including the continued development of the brewery, new ideas for the shop, further development of the wedding aspect, and out-of-season trading.
“I’m glad I took part in the management course as it has helped me to grow in confidence, and inspired me to get on and implement my ideas, and its great to know I can continue to access support from Cornwall Enterprising Women if I need to.”
Visit www.driftwoodspars.co.uk for more details.
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