Stuart Broad’s embrace of England’s ‘Bazball’ principles extends far beyond the cricket field. The 164-cap seamer has been given a new lease of life by the Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum axis over the past 12 months but that period has also brought plenty of challenges to the pub company he co-owns with former teammate Harry Gurney.
The pair’s award-winning ‘Tap & Run’ pub in Leicestershire re-opened on June 26, just over a year after being burnt out in a fire caused by laundry igniting in a tumble dryer. It has picked up where it left off, with Broad himself unable to secure a table the night after the second Test due to local demand, and the 37-year-old will be channelling the attitude of the England dressing room as he looks to drive the venue to greater heights.
“There are lots of parallels between business and sport,” Broad said. “The biggest one is that culture is key.
“Our staff have bought into the culture we’ve tried to build within the pub group amazingly. That’s probably the thing which has really dragged us through these times of adversity. They can almost run it themselves, just as great sports teams have leaders within their playing group who help run the team and the management’s ideas.
“You are also generally a much better sportsperson by the time you’re 30 and you have experience behind you, and we’re like that with business. We have a lot more clarity of how we’re going about it. I feel we are at the peak of our powers now within the pub business and ready to strike.”
The virtues espoused by England’s head coach since he took on the role in May 2022 have been particularly pivotal for Broad as he embarks on his business journey. “At one of our board meetings, I ran Harry [Gurney] through everything Brendon McCullum brought into our group,” he said.
“Part of that is positivity. We are in a culture where bringing up negative points doesn’t really work. Brendon is very good at realising people’s strengths and confirming them all the time.
“One of his famous phrases is ‘run towards the danger’ and that’s something you have to do in the pub industry.
“Harry and I always say we are ‘cautiously optimistic’ – even when we have a great week, we’ll keep our feet on the ground because we know what this industry is like.” Broad was speaking to launch the Sage Small Business XI competition, which will see one lucky small business owner receive free advertising and business advice worth £60,000 and an opportunity to be part of The Hundred in 2024.
And he is acutely aware of how crucial the advice, as much as the financial investment, will be to the eventual winner. “The prize being £50,000 worth of promotion, prizes and business advice, as well as a £10,000 cash injection, is amazing, of course, but one of the main advantages of this competition is the hospitality element of growing your community by coming to the cricket and picking brains,” he said.
“Learning different information on different industries is really important. My sister runs a small upholstery business and she is always connecting with different communities in Nottingham to learn and pick up different bits of advice.
“The Sage opportunity, being around different people and learning different bits for your business, can only help you grow.”
The Sage Small Business XI competition will see a small business owner be part of The Hundred as well as winning a boost to their business worth £60k. Enter now at www.sage.co.uk/TheHundred
