We are sat chatting in the welcoming bar at The Thee Horseshoes in Witney, Tommy Higgs and Mike Dove reliving the extraordinary accolade they received earlier this month, still processing the news of being awarded Licensee of the Year in the British Institute of Innkeepers Awards.
Thousands were chosen nationally to recognise outstanding individuals in the licensed trade, and the list was slowly whittled down, The Three Horseshoes making the grade every time. However Mike and Tommy didn’t expect to win for a second, and still can’t believe they came top in the prestigious awards.
‘we wanted to make The Three Horseshoes a home from home’
“We told ourselves that whatever happened we were just going to go and enjoy ourselves, that getting down to the last few in the country was already an enormous achievement. It was a really extensive vetting process with days of interviews, but we stayed true to ourselves and relayed what we set out to do when we took on The Three Horseshoes – to do it differently, without any airs and graces, and stick to our model,” they explained.
“So yes it was a huge deal to win LOYA. As a licensee it’s the biggest award you can win. There were 1000 people at the award ceremony and we still can’t believe it, but we want to use our platform to remind people of the importance of pubs, because it’s a hard time in the industry at the moment. Pubs are struggling and we want to champion the industry.
Either way Tommy and Mike must have really stood out with their clear vision of exactly how The Three Horseshoes was going to be when it opened.
‘we want to use our platform to remind people of the importance of pubs, because it’s a hard time in the industry at the moment. Pubs are struggling and we want to champion the industry’
“It had to be about the community, that was our main focus, to make it a hub for Witney where you could come for a pint and a chat, a gig in the garden, charity event or a three course meal, whatever your age or circumstance. And to bring an energy to that, a vibe, to make The Three Horseshoes a home from home, where everyone is welcome, a safe space. And we think that has really resonated with people – we stuck to our vision from day one.
“Of course we’ve made mistakes and we’ve learned from them. But the main thing is that you are only as good as your team and without your customers we do not have a business. So we look after our people and our staff, who range in age because we believe in equal opportunities. They are all a great bunch.
“But we are a great team, with our wives Hannah and Amanda, we really complement each other and we do it our way.”
‘It had to be about the community, a hub for Witney where you can come for a pint and a chat, a gig in the garden, charity event or a three course meal, whatever your age or circumstance’
The best example is their work with Witney and West Oxfordshire Food Bank “We shut the pub for the day and issued roast vouchers to anyone who needed one there, and our staff and regulars came in and helped run the bar and served, and it was such an amazing day with everyone coming together, getting behind it and enjoying themselves,” Tommy remembers.
The duo also took on a second pub last year The White Swan in Whitchurch, situated between Bicester and Aylesbury. https://oxinabox.co.uk/exclusive-three-horseshoes-in-witney-team-to-open-second-pub-the-white-swan-in-whitchurch-between-bicester-and-aylesbury-on-nov-1/
But enough, we need to talk abut the food – let’s not forget the incredible culinary offering and service emanating from said hostelry on a daily basis, customers flocking as much for Ryan Priddey‘s artistry in the kitchen as the welcoming vibe. “Yes Ryan’s food is phenomenal,” they grin. “He’s taken it to another level. But we will never be a gastropub. We just want to do British classics with a twist and make sure it’s still good value for money, with lots of variety,” Tommy says.
‘Ryan Priddey’s food is phenomenal. He’s taken it to another level’
and then they pause and Mike says: “What is incredible is that 10 years ago Tommy and I sat down in a pub together and pledged to open our own pub together one day, so it’s crazy to be sitting here knowing that we’ve achieved what we set out to do.
“Because when The ‘Shoes came on the market we’d looked at so many. We’d let some slide and missed out on others but we knew this was the one. But what we didn’t have was enough experience (Mike had never worked in a pub and Tommy had never owned one) but they still took a chance on us over some really good people in the industry.
“We were just two best mates with a dream. so they took a massive punt on us.” Thank God they did.
The Three Horseshoes, Corn Street, Witney. https://www.threehorseshoeswitney.co.uk
