Being “nosey” and outgoing is what it takes to survive in the pub industry, according to a Leeds gaffer who’s resided over his pub for more than 11 years.
Publican David Chapman, 63, runs The Old Star in East Keswick, a quaint village nestled within the rolling hills of Yorkshire’s golden triangle in North Leeds. He’s proud of the pub which he’s called a “community hub,” he hosts all sorts of events and says he’s never once had to bar anyone while he’s been there.
He’s revealed what it takes to create that magical formula known as a 'good atmosphere' which has kept his small unassuming pub booming with punters.
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David hasn’t changed his 200-year-old boozer at all since he took it over as it would risk “spoiling the atmosphere”. The Old Star is a simple traditional wet-pub with a tap room at the front and a seated area in the back with the bar located in-between.
The father-of-two, 35 and 39, says the pub’s good atmosphere comes down to “being nosey”, as in outgoing and inquisitive to all who enter.
David said: “You’ve got to be friendly and outgoing. You’ve got to speak to everyone, you can’t just serve them a drink and walk away from them. If you’re busy, you should let them know that they’re there, if they're waiting.
“I’ve gone into some bars where you could be stood there for ten minutes before anyone will talk to you. You come in here and within a minute, I’m speaking to you.”
Asked what he says to new punters or sightseers, who may have gone on a ramble through the rolling hills and winding country lanes, Dave said: “We talk to them, find out where they’re from and we’re quite nosey in that respect.
“You want to know what they’re doing here, if they like it, if they don’t like it and what they’d do if they lived here. You have to ask people these questions, it’s interesting as much as anything. You’ve got to be like that.”
He’s added that he’s lucky to have regulars who are just as friendly, as they’ll also be quick to start up a conversation with anyone new who wanders in.
The Old Star holds a sentimental value for David, who lives there with his fiancé Sally Duke, 59. David was born and bred in East Keswick and had his first ever pint in the Star, back when his mum Kathleen worked behind the bar and his dad Geoffrey was a gardener.
But there’s much more to being a landlord than being merely friendly, he’s added. David said: “There’s so much work that goes on behind the scenes in a bar, you’ve got to do all the work in the cellar, the paperwork, all the business.
“You’ve got to know the beer, how to look after the beer. It’s not just a question of putting a tap on and pulling it. You’ve got to know what you’re doing and clean your pumps out regularly. My beer is excellent.
“You’ve got to know what you’re doing from that aspect before you deal with any customers - and you can just concentrate on the customers then.”
David was a carpet fitter before he entered the pub trade. He initially took over The Old Star with his cousin Mark Abraham in 2007. He then took over the other pub in the village The Duke of Wellington in 2009.
Finally, he returned to The Old Star in 2011, as the Duke was “not what I wanted” since it also functions as a restaurant. “I wanted a proper a village pub and that wasn’t that,” he said.
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