Dear Passport holder,
Please see below an internal note that was sent to key members of staff today from the owners of The Dial House and Kings Head Holt. Thank you for your custom and loyalty, we continue to love what we do and have some exciting Norfolk Passport announcements lined up through 2018!
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Sale of The Dial House,
Reepham
A short note to inform you of the news that we are selling The Dial House, Reepham. It has been four years since we bought the closed down premises, and just over three years since the restaurant has been open. We love The Dial House but recognised that to take it on to the next chapter, it needs an owner-operator. Through the investment we have made, the building has had a total overhaul, new brand formed, repositioned in the marketplace, established different income streams, and therefore, given it the maximum chance to flourish in the future.
The new owners will be Andrew Jones and Hannah Springham who live in and love Reepham, and own Farmyard Restaurant in St. Benedicts Street, Norwich. Andrew has a great kitchen background, while Hannah has valuable
experience in TV production as well as hospitality. We think they are a perfect fit for The Dial House and we wish them all the best for the future. Hannah and Andrew take over ownership on Monday 30th April.
Click here to read the new owner's official press release
Sale of Kings Head Holt
After over a decade at Kings Head Holt, we are delighted to announce that we will be selling the lease to Orest Musial at the end of this month. Orest has worked with us for over 11 years at Byfords, starting in wash up, then as a waiter, supervisor, restaurant manager and finally a member of the senior leadership team. Owning his own business is the natural step forward and we wish him all the best for the future.
The future and Norfolk Passport
With these two sales, you may be wondering what the future holds. As a business we are incredibly positive, however, changes to the market place (minimum wage increases, Brexit, Government deficit policies, significant inflation and increased levels of competition) has changed the dynamics of food & drink, therefore, businesses like The Dial House and Kings Head are no longer viable unless owner-operated.
We have invested over £5m in the last two years at The Ffolkes, The Pigs and Beachside and now need to work hard at making the experience we provide as great as it can possibly be. We will expand in the future if we have the right people, opportunity to learn and an
experience that adds value to what we currently provide. It’s worth mentioning that we do not solely operate within hospitality, we continue to grow online via Sponge and our development firm is going well (more detail below).
The Norfolk Passport will not be accepted at both the above premises from the 1st May 2018.
Wilson Development
Four years ago we set up a development company, Wilson Development, to develop The Dial (land at the rear of The Dial House); 17 quality houses in a unique location. All houses are now built and sold, and the project has been a great success. In this 4-year period, we also carried out The Ffolkes' complete refurbishment, 3 apartments at Beachside and The Pigs' new spa rooms, treatment suites and spa garden.
The aim is to continue taking on both residential projects (where we look to build and sell houses) and internal projects such as The Ffolkes, Pigs etc. Our next significant project will be The Old Lodge, Drayton, where we
will build 31 high-quality houses, subject to planning permission.
Iain Wilson, the original founder of Byfords is behind the development company and focusing much of his time on developing this business.
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