The Churchmouse at Barbon’s three secrets of success
How do you transform a failing village store into a thriving, national award-winning family business?
Jules and John Natlacen, who run the Churchmouse at Barbon, say it’s a case of exploiting every potential revenue stream, listening and responding to what customers want and working as a team with clearly defined roles.
After running Churchmouse Cheeses in Kirkby Lonsdale for 11 years, they bought the village store at nearby Barbon in 2013, determined to exploit its untapped potential.
“Within two months we had introduced new lines into the store, opened a café and a delicatessen and were holding bistro nights every Friday,” said Jules.
Winning formula
It proved a winning formula and within a year they were so confident in the future of the business that they built a south-facing terrace with a green roof capable of seating 30 people. Dog walkers and cyclists in particular appreciate it and heaters and blankets encourage people to eat and drink there even during the colder weather.
“Asking customers what they want to eat, drink or buy rather than us trying to sell them what we think they might want is another key to our success,” said Jules.
That success is reflected in turnover going up to 30 per cent and in the Churchmouse at Barbon being named as Family Business of the Year 2017 in the hotel and leisure section of a national competition. This was followed a year later by the business being highly commended in the Countryside Alliance’s Rural Oscars.
Plugging in to the electric vehicle market
They have already increased their part-time staff from two to eight and have plans to continue to expand the business. They hope to attract funding to part finance an electric charging point in the car park and to provide electric bikes for hire, so opening up a new market.
Meanwhile they continue to make the most of their expertise in the cheese business. They sell over 70 cheeses including one, Bright Blessed Crest, made exclusively for them. They sold 150 wedding cheese cakes in 2017 at anything between £195 and £375 and expect to sell 250 in 2018 through word of mouth recommendations and targeted marketing campaigns, especially using social media.
Jules is the marketing and social media expert while John is the front man, giving talks about cheeses and attending wedding fairs. “We each stick to our own defined roles and it works very well,” added Jules.
For more information, call the Churchmouse at Barbon on 015242 76224 or visit www.churchmousecheeses.com
