Heidi Mountcastle, The Mason Arms at Thrapston
Despite the credit crunch and the tax worries facing the licensed trade, it isn’t all doom and gloom, as licensee Heidi Mountcastle (right of picture) can testify.
Heidi managed The Mason Arms until taking on the licence in her own right last February.
She and her small team have just enjoyed a busy Christmas with a fancy dress night on Christmas Eve one of the highlights.
“You couldn’t fit any more in here on Christmas evening,” said Heidi “because we were the only pub for miles around to open in the evening.”
Entertainment is a key factor in the success story at The Mason Arms. It runs darts leagues twice a week, skittles leagues twice a week and regular poker tournaments.
On Friday nights, music is key. Sessions alternate between a live rock singer and a karaoke disco.
Heidi says she approaches all events in the same “over the top” manner, and it works well with regulars of this town pub.
“At Halloween I went really over the top with the decorations and I did the same for Christmas,” she says. “I use scene-setters, which is like wallpaper you use to decorate the pub from ceiling to floor. It really changes the look of the pub.”
New for 2009, will be early evening music sessions on Sunday, between 5pm and 8pm.
“We want to give local bands a chance,” said Heidi, “so we have signed up Random Pink, a Milton Keynes-based girl band.”
She believes in thinking big for charity, and had almost raised the £2,000 target to help the baby nephew of a member of staff who suffers from a rare condition, when Eagle Star spoke to her.
Heidi and her team of three “work like the clappers” she says, especially since gaining a late licence a few months ago.
She clearly has the community behind her, as her sales figure show. But this was highlighted again when one objecting resident prompted a hearing into her late licence application. Among her supporters was the mayor!
Heidi now trades until midnight, except on Fridays and Saturdays when she closes at 2am.
