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Name: Robin Hunter
Company: The Red Lion Inn
Position: Owner / Chef |
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Case Study Facts:
Derbyshire pub with reputation for fine cuisine
Calor service “second to none” Instant controllability of LPG makes the difference in catering and heating
Calor chosen because of their good reputation
Calor LPG used for all of The Red Lion’s catering, heating and water heating requirements
Planned expansion of restaurant and addition of B&B facilities |
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A Derbyshire pub with a reputation
for fine cuisine, excellent beer and a friendly atmosphere
is reaping the benefits of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
from the UK’s leading supplier, Calor.
Situated in the peaceful village of Hollington, The
Red Lion Inn is owned and managed by Robin Hunter, a
fully qualified chef, who has always had strong ambitions
to own and manage his own pub.
Today, Robin is proud to have established The Red Lion
Inn as a top public house, as recently awarded by The
Publican, and also to have received the Pyramid Food
Pub of the Year award for its culinary delights.
When Robin took over the pub four years ago, a Calor
LPG tank had already been installed in a discreet location
and was providing sufficient fuel for the catering and
heating needs of the venue. Because Robin had worked
with LPG before, he didn’t consider changing.
He says, "The service has been second to none
since I have been managing the pub myself and I have
never had any reason to want to change."
Calor’s Trevor Day believes that it’s the
instant controllability of LPG that really makes the
difference for establishments such as The Red Lion Inn.
"It’s crucial for chefs to be able to turn
the heat up or down instantly, and this is one of the
true benefits of LPG for catering establishments."
Currently, the pub serves 400 meals each week and a staggering 500 meals at weekends. Having such a large demand for food is something that Robin has created through his innovative recipes and inviting atmosphere. He doesn’t believe in bad service and aims to exceed customers’ expectations every time they eat or simply drink at The Red Lion Inn.
"I don’t believe in losing customers, which is why I rate my standards of food so high," he says. I rely on my suppliers heavily and I expect high standards of service from them too - if they let me down - I let my customers down, which I just can’t afford to let happen. Therefore, I always choose to work with companies that I know have a good reputation within their industry".
Like every other fuel, more is always required in the winter and this is no different with Calor LPG. The Red Lion Inn relies on it for cooking and hot water throughout the year and even more so for central heating in the winter.
Calor automatically visits the pub to top the tank up when it’s required. Robin says: "I don’t have to call Calor to request more gas, it just happens, and this is a great advantage for me because it saves me from having to leave the premises to check how much is left.
"It allows me to forget about my LPG facility and just use the gas for my catering and heating needs," says Robin.
Trevor says: We believe that our customers shouldn’t have to take on the extra burden of how much gas they have, that’s our job.
"As a company, we have the UK’s largest LPG delivery fleet and we’re proud to be the number one supplier, therefore we understand the importance of never letting our customers down."
Robin’s plans for expansion however, don’t end here. He wants to continue adding more covers to the pub and would even like to expand it to offer B & B facilities. Whatever Robin’s future catering or heating requirements, Calor will be on hand to help.
For now though, Robin is looking forward to another busy period of satisfying his customers’ love of food, and with a little help from Calor - the UK’s leading supplier of LPG - he looks set to do this with ease.
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