Quality service is key to success – bosses (From Worcester News)

Quality service is key to success – bosses

1:00am Thursday 22nd July 2010 in

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THE quality service offered by well-established independent businesses may be the best bulwark against the recession, say business managers from Evesham.

The Evesham Hotel has 40 rooms set in the heart of the town, which immediately gives it an advantage in these bleak economic times.

The three-star privately owned hotel set in a quiet two-and-a-half acre garden is listed in the Daily Telegraph as one of the 10 best hotels in the British Isles and in the Independent and Observer as one of the top 50 in Britain, For those with a love of the quirky, the hotel was judged by the Guardian newspaper to have the best loos in Britain and the widest range of alcoholic drinks in the UK.

The hotel is often referred to as the Teddy Bear Hotel because all the room keys are attached to teddy bear fobs.

John Jenkinson, the manager, has been in the hotel trade for 35 years but, like everyone else, he is fighting the recession.

He said: “You need a good couple of months to know things are on the rise. We haven’t had this. But we are central and easily accessible. We are still in a recession. We have the widest range of drinks in the world. I have never heard of any to match us.”

Based at Blackminster, near Evesham, the mission of Interiors by Ali Foulds is to create and produce inspirational interior designs for domestic and commercial properties.

The business is the main stockist of Farrow & Ball paints and wallpapers with a wide selection of fabrics, trimmings and wallpaper collections from Zoffany, Romo, Harlequin, Sanderson, GP&J Baker, Mulberry Home, Parkertex, Blendworth, Colefax & Fowler and Jane Churchill.

But Ali Foulds, the manager, said the business thrived because of the wide range of specialist services offered, including a professional interior design and expert fitting service, custom-made curtains, blinds, cushions and accessories and reupholstery of existing furniture. Mrs Foulds, who also offers a design consultation service, said 95 per cent of the products are British while the business employs local decorators.

She said: “We try to keep the business local as much as possible. Our sales continue to go up.

“This is our quietest time of year but we’re ready for the rush up to Christmas from September onwards. Because the buck stops with me I see it through from the concept to the end. A lot of people know about us through word of mouth. We have some lovely customers and a lot of them come back.”

Other independent businesses in the town include Evesham Pound Village Stores and Evesham Garden Centre.

Worcestershire is renowned for its excellent local food and drink produce, and Tastes of Worcestershire’s website enables you to take a look at the fantastic produce available, as a tool for buying products direct from the producer and also to locate farm shops where local food and drink produce is readily available to purchase.