JUBILANT times are a key part of the business plan for the tenants of a pub in Pelynt. Charlie and Carole Edgeler, previous managers of St Austell Brewery's Norway Inn, at Perranarworthal, near Truro, which they helped turn into a multi-award winning gastro-pub, are running the Jubilee Inn in the village and aim to fully utilise their trade know-how to take the business forward.

With more than 52 years' combined experience in the banking industry, Charlie and Carole Edgeler said goodbye to the world of finance eight years ago to forge a hugely successful new career together running a village pub.

Carole said: “As tenants we're effectively running our own business and the skills and management principles are no different from running any other business.

“It's all about providing good food, good beer, good customer service and a warm welcome.”

With several regional and national awards already to their name, they took over the tenancy last autumn.

Carol said: “We also work hard to look after our staff and we use in-house training, as well as St Austell Brewery's award-winning training scheme.

“This helps to ensure people have the skills they need for the job and feel they are moving forward with their own careers.”

The couple know that running a pub is no easy task. Charlie said: “People need to go into this career with their eyes open.

“Running a pub offers a great lifestyle and you can earn a comfortable living, but only if you're prepared put in the work to make it a success. Often people will have the necessary management and people skills from a previous career without even realising it, but it's important to get properly trained from the outset.”

The licensed trade is a world away from how they started their careers, though, with Charlie and Carole spending 30 and 22 years respectively working for Barclays Bank.

Their new life may not have happened at all had it not been for a major restructuring at the bank in 2000 which saw hundreds of staff faced with losing their jobs – a worrying time, but one that gave them the impetus to try something new.

Charlie said: “Lots of people were devastated and very low, but after coming to terms with the scale of the restructuring I knew exactly what I wanted to do – run a small pub in a community.

“Carole had always fancied running a small restaurant or café, so the obvious choice was to look into running a pub which served food.”

With careers advice from an Barclays-funded outplacement service, the couple initially took on a pub in Sevenoaks, Kent.

After three years they decided to move to Cornwall, with a view to semi-retirement, but once here the lure of another foray into the pub trade proved too strong.

Charlie said: “We looked at all the options and the pub companies in the area, and the name that kept coming up was St Austell Brewery.”

After being accepted by the brewery, Charlie and Carole were asked to temporarily take on the management of the Norway Inn for four weeks in late 2003 – it was an appointment that turned permanent and their time at the Norway saw the pub establish its reputation as one of the best places to eat and drink in Cornwall.

During that time they forged a close working relationship with chef Alan Poole, who took on the management of the Norway when the Edgelers left for Pelynt.

The couple laughed as Carol said: “Another thing you have to think about, and it's a serious point, is if you're going in as a couple you are going to spend a lot of time with each other so you have to be able to work together.”

Adam Luck, estate director at St Austell Brewery, said the importance of finding the right tenants and matching them to a pub which suits them and the particular pub's customers is crucial to the brewery's success.

He added: “We are very proud of our reputation and Carole and Charlie are living proof that people from all backgrounds can make great landlords.”

● Anyone wanting more information on applying for a tenancy in a St Austell Brewery pub is advised to visit www.staustellbrewery.co.uk or to contact Jim Sloan on 01726 744444.