The Woodman, Highgate

Hi Jackbar

Thanks for your comments about The Woodman - That was twice this year.
Your comments were about the prices, toilets, staff, food and location.

I can't move the pub - it is where I bought it, but we have improved the exterior of the pub with additional seating, hanging baskets, a couple of outdoor tvs, fairy lights on the trees and replanting the garden.

The toilets - fair play - we have been waiting to do a refurbishment but issues with Scottish & Newcastle who own the building mean this is continually getting delayed. The latest date was 23rd January 2012 - but S&N put another �80K (40% extra) on the bill after we had already agreed everything 7 months earlier - so we are still negotiating. As I am paying the bill price is key

The staff - we are one of the few pubs that offer table service - and we never put a service charge on the bill - we hope our customers will recognise good service and tip if they injoyed the experience.
I started beind the bar when I was 13, so nearly 30 years and I think I've got most of the staff trained well most of the time - but I am not sure what you expect? We may not get it right everytime but I do believe from comments emiled to me we get it more right than most. As our staff on average serve 4,000 customers and 7,000 drinks a week - getting 10/10 is hard.

Regarding price? �3.60 for a pint of larger is pretty standard for the area. The only place cheaper overall is Weatherspoon's in the village. We have 5 real ales and our wine list is populated by 13 award winning wines, helping people to make an easier informed selection. I think that is a good choice.

Food wise - as an example - have pigeon on the menu at the moment. It was shot in Kings Langley at a farm next door to my parents - plucked, gutted and roasted by my team and put on the specials for �8.95! This is incredibly good value and the chef comes from a 2* AA Rosetted restaurant so the skills are there whether game is to your taste or not.

The pub may not be to your taste or suitable for your budget (Weatherspoons for you, I believe) but what I can say is that we transformed a pub that was a dead duck and full of the wrong sorts in 2007 to a good place to go with our sales more than trebling in the process.

Please - if you don't like what I have done to the place - stop drinking there. I am a small business owner that is working hard in an industry that is in decline and in a recession to boot and managing to buck the trend. Where I am happy to take criticism on the chin when deserved - when you are repeating yourself twice in a year there is a touch of the malicious in it. Please save your comments for one of the many faceless chain pubs - a few of which you will find in Highgate Village.

Best wishes

Tom
Owner
The Woodman

29 Dec 2011 22:28

The Woodman, Highgate

Well my experience was totally different from the last two reviews. I watched all the England games there - so the pub was packed each time. I was sitting in the beer garden with around 150 others watching on the outdoor screens and we had waiter service the whole time and didn't have to go to the bar onceand we had 6 rounds of drinks!
Had a great night there Thurday where they had a paino player in doing "posh" karaoke. Fantastic night. You don't get many nights in London like it - and it was FREE!

3 Jul 2010 15:51

The Woodman, Highgate

I have just bought the pub (25th June).
In January 2008 it will be completely refurbished, which will include a 300 seated and heated beer garden.
Until then, what you will find is :- friendly table service - so you don't have to go to the bar; quality home cooked food with a daily changing menu; an extensive wine list; 3 quality real ales (will be 5 later) and a beer garden that currently sits 140+
Over the previous 6 months I ran the pub on a mangement contract where we have been focusing on good service and managing out the less desirables. If you haven't been for a while I think the pub is worth a 2nd Look.

Many thanks for showing an interest
Best wishes

Tom

28 Jun 2007 14:53