The Duke

[smokiewoodlands]

Hey Guys, I might be getting involved with The Duke very soon, I have read with interest that there are quite a few fans out there but I'm asking anyone if you have an idea that we supported at The Duke, if we were to implement it soon would you come?

I'm thinking Curry Night and Cocktails all the time, opening for breakfast etc

yours sincerely smokie woodlands

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Cocktails for breakfast - yum.

[smokiewoodlands]

mmmm....not sure about that, but there's a late license at the weekend 1.30am I believe but nothing has been done with it so far

[????]

Noel Coward in his prime

Journalist: "Mr Coward is it true that you have a half bottle of champagne with your breakfast every day?"

Noel Coward "Doesn't everybody dear boy?"

[smokiewoodlands]

Ok I'll look into buying some demis for our more discerning guests!

[SeanMacGabhann]

Hi Smokie - good to hear about the pub taking the initiative with "things to do"

How about "cinema" evenings along the lines of Dulwich Paradiso where films are shown on a large projector?

[SteveT]

The comedy club which happened at the old Magdala used to get full to bursting it was so successful, perhaps that would suit The Duke.

[tommy]

You could host a great quiz night in the dining room

[smokiewoodlands]

these are all good ideas thanks everyone!

[Michael Palaeologus]

Not sure about the curry thing -we have alot of curry restaurants in the area as it is. Perhaps Thai food or something else with a particular theme? Lots of pubs in the area to generic pub gastropub food and do it well (to various degrees). So the food thing might need to have a particular spin to help it stand out and draw people in from a wider area. I know thatpubs serving Thai food has been done before elsewhere ao the idea is just a starting point. Tex-mex is lacking in the area at the moment.

[AllforNun]

I was reading a thread about the Bread and Roses in Clapham ? socialist experiment that it is !1 they have a war games society, a lesbian artist speed dating event and a whole host of other things. You seem to have hosted the EDF very well maybe you should think about getting some interesting clubs in. Surely there must be an ED allotment society or something ? hit the huts by the Dulwich Golf Club and offer them their christmas party. Where home grown produce starts others are sure to follow.

[AllforNun]

Oh and talking of home grown produce, Nunhead Green is hosting an Urban Farmers Market next weekend 27th Sep.

[smokiewoodlands]

Is Nunhead Mum on this forum please?

[smokiewoodlands]

I'm thinking about opening on Mondays for the 1st time with the "Monday Madras Madness", all the curry U can eat & all the cobra U can drink for a score! What do you think about this idea?>:D

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Don't do anything until you've addressed the problem of BEER. See my post in another thread.

[annaj]

smokie, I'm going to try and put this as nicely as possible, because you're obviously trying really hard to make a sucess of The Duke, but I think "Madras Madness" sounds like a terrible idea.

As Michael said, Lordship Lane has a curry house practically every second shop and many of them high quality and reasonably priced. I can't think of any reason people would go to a pub, particularly one that tucked away a bit, for cheap curry when there's so much other choice available.

What I loved about The Duke when we went there for forum drinks was the simplicity of the place. It was comfortable and cosy and serving great food and drinks. Simple as that. No gimmicks, no cocktails (why does every new pub that opens seem to think cocktails are the answer to all their problems?) and no special theme nights.

Look back through this thread, and of course the EDF is just one section of the local population and doesn't represent everyone, but does anyone actually sound keen on the curry thing?

Look at the things people are suggesting, quizes, comedy, cinema. Couldn't you conisder any of thoses things?

I do understand that pubs have to make money and this is a competitive and difficult market, but you have a lovely little pub there, please don't lose what you already have in your enthusiasm to improve.

[macroban]

Who owns The Duke? Is it Punch Taverns?

[bignumber5]

Honestly , smokie, "madras madness" sounds like it would totally bugger up everything that I liked about your place. Simple, understated and classy without being pretentious was how I would describe the evening that I spent in your establishment, you seemed to have hit the middle ground of proper ol' pub and gastropub absolutely spot on under the old management. I get that you need to fill the coffers and that it is, after all, a business, but it's a shame that you don't sound keen to preserve any of that.

As has already been noted above, lordship lane has 4 thousand curry houses and more than 1 bar doing happy-hour cocktails. Should I fancy curry and a cocktail, then I will go to said places. I was planning on the duke as my sunday lunch spot. I've got to say that I'm far from enthusiastic about these ideas.

I guess that means that i'm just not your target customer, but I was this time last month.

[Bellenden Belle]

I am bewildered. I have heard such good reports about The Duke - rave reviews - and this idea doesn't fit with any of my expectations. It is as if the pub is having an identity crisis .... but after such a short period of time? I can only imagine how hard it is to be a landlord slightly off the beaten track starting out - but I don't think this is the way forward.

Do you really want customers who believe endurance tests with food stuffs constitutes as entertainment. Does this not do your kitchen a disservice? It doesn't say good quality food lovingly prepared, does it? Which is the reputation you currently are cultivating.

Just think about the consequences...all you can eat and drink in a pub with prizes...that's not going to be pretty, is it? And you can't go back the next day to being a civilised local - pubs don't work like that. Get idiots visiting on Monday and chances are they'll be back on Tuesday.

Is that really your intention?

[smokiewoodlands]

I hear what you are saying but at the moment Sunday Lunchtime is the only time we are busy & this will not keep us open for long, my job is to try and see what works & even though you don't fancy coming here on a Monday for a curry & beer night, I'm hoping that there is more than one type of customer that will go for what we're doing

Lordship Lane is Lordship Lane & I don't think that anything I do will make a blind bit of difference to what goes on down there, I have looked at The Duke as a business & want to attract as many people to the venue as possible.

MMM was meant to be a one off to herald The Duke being opened on Mondays.

If my guests are coming once a week to the venue on a Sunday for lunch then that's great but if they are coming to the venue 3 or 4 times a week and eating or drinking or preferably both then that's fantastic coz The Duke will prevail & not be something else next year like another Fun Pub or worse still, a Car Park.

it seems that this idea isn't "currying" favour from our regulars so for the moment The Duke will remain closed on a Monday until I can think of something better!

Weds was the busiest night this week, thursday was not so good but the weekend when we should be busy, was a disaster even though everyone that comes on this forum loves the food, nobody is coming here to eat it & unless I'm wrong, the biggest fans of this place choose to go elsewhere at the weekend!

My strengths actually are running top end cocktail bars, where it's table service with cashews or nibbles & not some cheap TGI Fridays, high volume venue that I know nothing about. I want The Duke to be edgy, different & interesting but I do need the support of the locals to help "make it happen"

The owner of Locale was in last night commenting that his Restaurant was rammed but their cocktail bar is quiet. Perhaps the solution going forward is for The Duke to be a Restaurant all the way through the premises? But I would rather it could be versatile, great food, great drinks & great music!

[David Mc]

Sad to say, I've not been there yet even though it's about a 15 minute walk away.

However, here are some recommendations based on my perceived sociodynamic profile of the local area. I think marketing types call this "demographics". I'm hoping to build a reputation (like Will Self did out of his pretentious and rather dull "Psychogeography") on the term "sociodynamics".

Weekly, you have 14 (21 if you include breakfast) opportunities to cater for any of all of the following. Further suggestions welcome.....

- Book Club Night (charge double for drinks if you get the author to attend)

- Au-pair free-for-all afternoons. All childish behaviour acceptable. Damages payable by real owners of the children. All ages from 3-73 welcome.

- Knitting Club Cocktails (free ball of wool matching the colour of drink you order)

- Hypnosis Evening. With "DIY" or "get the barperson look into your eyes and forget to charge for the round" options in play

- Scrabble/Chess/Bridge/Tantrix/Ker-Plunk/Drunken Operation/Hungry-Hippo Tournaments

- Baby/Toddler Afternoon Tea

- Live Music/Comedy/Karaoke Open-Mike Nights (prizes for the best and worst efforts with sweepstake voting)

- Repaint The Mural Midnight Feasts (add copious quatities of absinthe to all drinks and food served before midnight)

- Ready-Steady-Cook Farmers' Market Lunches

- Gay Nights (take the bulbs out of the loos in the gents but invest in big signs disclaiming that the night will be sh!t

in any way)

- Women's Institute Evenings (preferably not on the same night as above unless vying for bi business)

- Group "Letter to the Council" Drafting nights

- Stone-baked Pizza cook-offs

- My "cocktail has more alcohol than yours" taste-testing competitions

- Plane-spotting afternoons (decibel meters optional)

- ditto in the evenings for helicopters

- 2-4-1 Drinks for all local estate agents. (1-4-2 drinks when Foxton's lights & screens are left on after closing)

- Yard of Chardonnay (dilute with water on weekends)

- Persuade the bouncer to let you in for a Penge stag/hen do on a Saturday night

- Seance Nights

- Random "Smoking-Permitted-Indoors-For-The-Next-20-Minutes" Sessions

- "Chav or Celebrity Spotting" Sunday Roast (Jenny Eclair is still local and John Hannah wouldn't be doing Riflemind then, but if he's in rehearsals for any re-writes then that sofa-ad woman is probably available)

- House Auction Night (could be incorporated into a clever rip-off of the ex-Mag's Hi-Lo card game)

- Find the Giant Rabbit/Louisa/Turd-On-Doorstep-Man Treasure Hunt

- The Wire on Wide-Screen HDTV Wednesdays

- Order Your Drink in an Eastern-European Language Happy Hour (drinks free if you pull it off)

- Calculate-The-Price-Of-Your-Round-And-Work-Out-Your Change-Before-The-Barperson-Does-It-On-The-Till Tuesdays

- The "Who-Can-Get-The-Cheapest-Gym-Membership" challenge

- Pin the name badge on the Forumite Forum Drinks

- "Will Rent a Room for Post Code Lottery-Problem" Raffles.

- etc.

The Forum is a rich seam. Mine it.

© 2008 David Mc.

[annaj]

Great response Smokie.

Despite my less than luke warm response to the curry night idea, I do really feel for you trying to balance your vision with good business and I admire what you're trying to do with The Duke.

I was in for a drink yesterday and pleased to see it busy, but as you said Sundays are your best day.

Having seen your lovely menu yesterday I'll be PMing you in the next few days about a group booking...

[smokiewoodlands]

Excellent, I look forward to hearing from you!

[Fuschia]

Where is the Duke?

What time do you do food, Friday eves and weekends? Do you have a veggy roast option? healthy kids food? Parking?

[smokiewoodlands]

The Duke is at 57, Nunhead Lane, Nunhead SE15 3TR & we do food at night from 5pm-10pm Sat & Sun lunch is served from noon til 5pm, so all day Sat & Sunday (noon-8pm) We only do a Roast (Beef, Pork & Veggie) on Sundays at the moment but will be doing a brunch on Saturdays, ?9.95 for 2 courses including a bloody mary (or a bloody shame) starting that on Saturday 11th October 2008.

Hopefully we will see you soon?