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  Lance and Vicki Culver took over the Victory Inn at Norton Fitzwarren in March 2005 and they have set out to make it a premier destination pub, with a great reputation for good value home made food
Lance said ‘The pub was very run down when we took it over and so we have really started from scratch. We want to bring it back up to standard and make it into a place where families and others know they will have a good time. The pub is in a rural situation less than two miles from Taunton so it is very accessible. We are also aiming at the business market, offering corporate functions. It will take another year or so until we are where we want to be and I am expecting our new website to play a big part in our marketing.’ The Victory Inn has received a grant from Connecting Somerset to get a broadband internet connection and to develop a new website. ‘Broadband is terrific!’ says Lance. ‘Because I can now use the Internet at the same time as make calls, I can multi – task! And importantly customers can always get through when they call. It is so fast that it is saving me masses of time. For example, I use broadband for online banking and purchasing and what used to take me at least 15 minutes now takes just 3 or 4. I also use the web to get information about other pubs and this is now fast and hassle-free.’ Lance foresees that customers will increasingly use the Internet rather than telephone to find out information about the pub. ‘So many people nowadays would rather check details online at a time that is convenient for them. I envisage that in future customers will download menus and book restaurant tables online rather than make a telephone call. It will save the business having to pay for postage and it will avoid delay.’ ‘Because the pub was so run down when we took it over, we need to change people’s perceptions and get the message out that the Victory Inn now has lots to offer. Broadband and the Internet is going to play an important part in how we achieve that. Newspaper advertising can be really expensive but the web is a great way to reach our market, so long as we exploit it to the full. With help from Connecting Somerset, that is what we plan to do.’ |
