“We put passion into everything we do”

Ever since Charlotte’s in the Pantiles opened its gilded doors three years ago it has become one of the town’s most popular places to drink and dine. Here its managing partners, the husband and wife team Adam and Vanessa Peters-Ennis, reveal the secret ingredients to the establishment’s success…

Congratulations on your recent third anniversary. What would you say Charlotte’s in the Pantiles’ success is down to?

It’s a combination of things, including the unwavering and continuous support we have from the owners. The original concept was pitched well and we are lucky to have opened something that was missing in Tunbridge Wells.The passion and care that we put into everything we do for Charlotte’s also plays such a big part, as do our team who have also been instrumental in our success. Then of course there are our wonderful guests who come back time and time again to support us.

I think every hospitality establishment strives for a community feel and we can safely say we have achieved that. The Pantiles is its own community, and we are blessed to call the residents friends.

We knew what we wanted to be and we haven’t tried to re-invent things – or overcomplicate it – we hopefully do what we do well.

Have you any plans to switch up things or are you sticking with your successful formula?

What we do works well: the sharing plates perfectly complement the drinks that we offer, so we won’t stray too far from our original vision. However we do try to keep things fresh, by changing the drinks menus and adding seasonal specials to the food menu.

Our Aperitivo Hour menu launched in February and that’s going really well. The thinking behind it is getting guests out early in the evening – perhaps on their way home from work – for Spanish-inspired pintxos and lower ABV drinks.

And we have just launched our new drinks series, called Postcards From… This will run each month, showcasing a new country and its spirit. There will be a special cocktail list for every Postcards event. It’s a fun way to keep introducing our guests to new drinks in the Charlotte’s way.

What else do you think makes Charlotte’s stand out?

We deliver great service and high standards but we are accessible, fun and relaxed too.

There is always going to be competition – so we try to stay true to our roots and guests seem to like what we do! They know what they are going to get when they come here and that’s consistently good service, great product and a fabulous atmosphere.

Do you and Adam still have a hunger for what you do?

Absolutely, if not more so! We always try to do what we do to the best of our ability and hope that our guests enjoy their visit and therefore can’t wait to return. We are a social space and luckily we are both sociable people – we still get that buzz when we come in each day. Working a Saturday night is like our night out too, it’s hard work but good fun. We always try to work a Friday or Saturday night shift together – couple goals! We have found our niche and that’s such a good position to be in.

What have been the key challenges over the past three years?

Most people would say staff are a challenge, but we are blessed with a loyal and hard-working team. Challenges would be the obvious ones such as the constantly rising costs of goods, business rates etc but we do our best to navigate them. The winter months are hard but we are always supported by our loyal guests.

And what about the triumphs? Can you tell us about some of those?

Luckily, we have hit the ground running and three years on that doesn’t seem to be slowing down. We have gone from strength to strength year on year, which in itself is a triumph.

www.charlottesinthepantiles.co.uk

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