Perfect score for Holyport pub

March 24, 2016

The Belgian Arms in Holyport has achieved 100% in a customer mystery visit.

The pub, located just off the village green, is only the sixth pub ever to achieve a perfect score in the six years since owners Brakspear started the mystery dining scheme.

The mystery customers had nothing but praise for the Belgian Arms when they dined there recently. Comments on the report included: “The pub has a fantastic menu with many tempting choices of delicious, well-presented food,”; “The team seemed genuinely friendly and happy to engage,” and “Team members appeared particularly knowledgeable and I felt that the service was superior to that in most restaurants we have visited recently.

The pub’s manager Laura Parkinson said: “We are really pleased to have achieved 100%. The front and back of house teams work really hard together to deliver ‘home away from home’ style service here, and it’s good to see their commitment reflected in this mystery customer report.”

Belgian Arms manager Laura Parkinson (left) celebrating the pub’s 100% mystery visit score with Brakspear business development manager John Beazley 

Tom Davies, chief executive of brewer and pub operator Brakspear, based in Henley, said: “The fact that only five other pubs have ever managed to score 100% in a mystery visit makes this a significant achievement by Laura and the team.

“We’ve been running this scheme for six years with mystery dining company the Silent Customer, so we can see clear patterns of what’s important to customers.  Whether they’re in a gastropub or a community local, the biggest factor in whether they enjoy their visit is the customer service and as these full marks show, the Belgian Arms team are getting this spot on.”

Manager Laura was part of the team that reopened the Belgian Arms after a major redevelopment in 2012.  With head chef Gra
ham Kirk and the rest of the front and back of house team, she aims to give guests “all the ingredients of a great pub: great food, excellent wine and beer, a relaxed and friendly atmosphere and efficient service.”

Janet Wood, founder of Henley company The Silent Customer, which operates Brakspear’s mystery visits, said, “Scoring 100% in our mystery visits is far from easy, as indicated by the very few who have done so. We make high demands on our licensees when we visit their pub, so to achieve full marks across everything from the staff greeting to the quality of the food and drink and the marketing, is a real achievement.” www.thesilentcustomer.com

The Belgian Arms is holding an Easter beer festival, offering 5 pints for the price of 4. The festival will start on Good Friday and runs through to close on Easter Monday night.

For more information and opening hours, visit: www.thebelgianarms.com