Latest news with #JodieKidd
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Jodie Kidd: ‘The secret to a good pub? Don't ignore the locals'
'It was a moment of madness when I decided to get a pub,' laughs Jodie Kidd. The locals in Kirdford, West Sussex, must certainly have thought so too when Kidd, a former model and socialite, swept in eight years ago. With no experience in the industry, never having worked in hospitality before, and the pub already facing closure, few could have anticipated the turnaround she made within the Half Moon. 'It was going to become houses,' she fumes. 'This beautiful 16th-century coaching inn could have been lost forever, and that would have stripped the heart out of this village. 'I have lived rurally for most of my life, and in these little villages the pub is the epicentre of village life,' says Kidd. 'They are community centres. Pubs are places where friendships are formed, relationships happen, families meet – they are such important places for the community.' Having become a champion for the pub industry during the turbulent days of Covid and the ensuing cost of living crisis, Kidd recently hit the road to meet other landlords for a new podcast, Three Landlords Walk into a Bar. Created with Heineken SmartDispense, she and Merlin Griffiths (the bartender from Channel 4's First Dates) interview the landlords of some of Britain's most popular boozers to find out what sets a great pub apart. 'I've learnt so much because out of everyone who appeared on the podcast, I was one of the newest publicans, with only a mere eight years in the industry,' she explains. 'And it's interesting because there's no sense of competitiveness, publicans are like one big family and we all have things to learn from each other about what works and what doesn't work.' The reason pub landlords are relying on each other for advice and support, Kidd thinks, is that the pub trade is, if not quite on its last legs, not far off. 'We got to a point where we were losing three pubs a day, which is terrifying,' she says. 'I hate the idea that in my son's lifetime the Great British pub will come to an end. It would be an absolute travesty.' But it's not all doom and gloom, Kidd adds. 'Doing the podcast has been lovely because landlords are succeeding in creating brilliant pubs, despite the conditions,' she beams. So what is the secret to creating a great pub and, crucially, keeping the doors open? 'One thing common to all great pubs is that they're a place of safety,' says Kidd. 'A pub should be a place where you feel relaxed, somewhere which is a safe place where people will listen, a place where you feel happy to go up and talk to other people. Essentially a great pub is a home away from home. That's an important thing to create.' The key to that is the personal approach, and Kidd is clear on one thing: locals must come first. 'You're very much part of their lives and it's a really, genuinely important thing,' she says. 'Mental health, especially after Covid when we were all locked away, is in the gutter. People really value conversation now. Knowing that you've got someone there who will take the time to talk to you, who will support you, that makes all the difference in the world. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Half Moon, Kirdford (@halfmoonkirdford) 'We have a lovely chap who is around 80 who lost his wife during Covid and hasn't got any family. Every day he comes in and he has his own seat in his own little corner, we all go and chat with him – that might be the only face-to-face communication that he gets in a day, so it's so important to prioritise connections like that.' The most important way to generate this atmosphere is to instil it in the pub staff, thinks Kidd. 'You need to have that energy and approachability, and we try to instil that into our team members, especially front of house,' she says. 'It's hard graft – it's long days on your feet, and you might be tired, you might have blisters, but you always have to go to work with a big smile on your face. You still have to take time to talk to people and make people feel important. It's a really good life lesson, especially because we try to train a lot of local young people from the village. Leading by example matters.' The simplest thing to do is to be attentive, says Kidd. 'I don't think this is a complicated thing,' she shrugs. 'You just have to make it seamless. When people come in, they need to be noticed, taken to a table, have their order taken in good time, glasses cleared and refilled when they need them to be. Some pubs say they can't afford enough staff to do that – I would say you can't afford to leave people waiting.' In an era where the price of a pint has swelled to a national average of £5.17 as of June 2025 (according to the The MA Pint Price Survey), landlords also need to be conscious that a trip to the pub is more of a treat than the everyday occurrence it might once have been. 'When someone comes in and they're spending upwards of £5 on a pint, they need to have a blinking good one,' Kidd argues. 'We have really invested in technology to make sure every pint we pour is perfect, and we do really see our customers appreciate that. Whatever you're serving, it's got to be perfect. Everything has got to be, because we totally realise that going out and spending money is tough. 'What's happening with the cost of living is not easy for anyone, but people need to be able to go out and spoil themselves as well. If people have worked hard, they need to have the places to go where they can have a nice meal and a nice pint and we need to make sure that when they do, we are able to offer them the very best quality to make sure what we're offering is worthy of our customers. That has absolutely put a lot of pressure on us to make sure that we constantly deliver a level of quality.' For village pubs like Kidd's Half Moon, where local footfall is rarely enough to sustain a pub, becoming a 'destination' with the help of a good menu is vital. 'One part of my ethos is supporting our local fisherman, farmers and producers,' Kidd explains. 'Pretty much everything we get is from a 25-mile radius, which supports much smaller producers. We're lucky because we have the coast – which means we can have some beautiful Selsey crab – and we have the South Downs, so we have beautiful heritage tomatoes and asparagus growers. It's really important for us to make sure we're not only supporting the customer but also the supply chain. 'If I go to a pub and see the menu is like ours: super seasonal, constantly changing based on what ingredients are available, I know I'm in for a good time.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Half Moon, Kirdford (@halfmoonkirdford) Ultimately, Kidd thinks, what makes a pub great and well-run is fairly obvious to landlords and customers alike; what has made things more difficult in recent years are the regulations. 'The beer tax is one of the highest in Europe,' she says. 'Sainsbury's can offset the price of beer to tomatoes or whatever they're going to do – we don't have that option. That puts pressure on the whole industry. We are constantly having to battle with business rates, alcohol duty, and attracting customers, and the Government can't even be bothered to have a hospitality minister to represent a sector which contributes billions to the economy? I don't understand it.' Though the challenges remain great – the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) reported 289 closures, with 4,500 job losses in the sector in 2024 – Kidd remains committed to the fight. 'Pubs are such an important place for the community, for mental health, for life satisfaction,' she says. 'A pub is so much more than a place you go to eat and drink, it's part of the fabric of our country, it's our heritage, it's our future, so we have to keep fighting for it.'
Daily Mail
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Squatters take over iconic Mayfair club were A-listers Lindsay Lohan, Pippa Middleton and Jodie Kidd once partied
Squatters have taken over a former Michelin-starred restaurant and club, frequented by A-listers such as Pippa Middleton and Lindsay Lohan. Originally built as the private home of the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the 1820s, Morton's was a private member's club which hosted VIP events attended by celebrities and socialites. Pippa Middleton was a regular visitor to the club and model Jodie Kidd was pictured at the club in the past. During the pandemic, the club went into administration and the Grade II listed building has remained vacant ever since. However, the historic building at 28 Berkeley Square now has new occupants - squatters. It has been described as a magnet for cannabis-smoking yobs who are using the basement as a refuge to hide various items. A security guard for a neighbouring business told Metro: 'It's been a nightmare. There were squatters actually in the building but now they were forced to leave. But what they are doing now is using the basement area as their refuge. There are piles of stuff down there it's becoming like a slum. It's a magnet for anti-social behaviour. 'There are people smoking weed and the place is an eyesore. The police came recently but said there was nothing they could do. When the club was there it was very high end but now it's just bringing down the square.' Next door is the world-renowned auction house Phillips, which is currently putting the works of Damien Hirst under the hammer. One inhabitant of the property said they had 'nowhere else' to go and asked, 'what can I do?' Police have been called to the property in the past month, but were unable to act as the squatters were not inside the building when they arrived. Removing squatters from non-residential buildings is more challenging for officials as it often requires a civil court order. It is not the only well-known London building which has been targeted by unwanted inhabitants. Last year, a group of squatters recently moved in to Gordon Ramsay's York and Albany pub near Regent's Park in 2024 before they were forced to leave by a court order. A raid was also conducted on Marco Pierre White's former steak and pizza restaurant to remove a group last year. Courts also ordered uninvited occupants who were living inside Princess Diana's former favourite restaurant, San Lorenzo, to vacate the premises. RSM UK, administrators for Morton's, said they sold the lease in August 2021. CF Commercial is currently marketing it as a business premises. A statement from Westminster Council said: 'Our city inspectors visited the site last night. They found no evidence of people sleeping rough in the basement but there are a number of items belonging to rough sleepers being stored there. 'This is ultimately a matter for the landlord to secure the property and the council will notify them urgently about the issue.'
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Jodie Kidd packs on the PDA with fiancé Joseph Bates as they are joined by her sister Jemma and Lisa Snowdon at his 40th birthday party
Jodie Kidd and her fiancé Joseph Bates looked more loved-up than ever on Saturday night, as they celebrated his 40th birthday with a star-studded bash in London's Park Lane. The supermodel, 46, shared a passionate kiss with the former Royal Marine as she pulled out all the stops to ring in his milestone birthday. She cut a typically dazzling figure for the night in a silver sequinned top with an intricately beaded and fringed cape over the top. Jodie teamed it with a pair of patterned blue jeans and ensured she towered even higher than the rest of the guests with a pair of bold multicoloured heels. While the birthday boy looked effortlessly dapper in a black T-shirt and jeans under a a smart blazer and a baseball cap. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Joseph couldn't seem to keep his hands off his stunning fiancée, and looked on cloud nine as she presented him with a huge cake, decorated with raspberries. Joining the couple for the celebration were Jodie's lookalike sister and fellow model Jemma, 50, who put on a busty display in a plunging black top and jeans. Jodie was also seen warmly embracing Lisa Snowdon, who looked sophisticated in a black satin blazer and matching jumper, and was accompanied by her fiancé George Smart. Actor Dougray Scott and Alice Temperley were also spotted having fun while mingling with the guests at the glitzy bash. And TV presenter Zoe Hardman turned heads, looking radiant in a strapless metallic gold top and figure-hugging jeans. Jodie and Joseph have been together for eight years, first being seen together in Barbados in October 2017, after she accompanied him on a disaster relief mission to Dominica after Hurricane Irma. The former marine and special forces soldier then popped the question four years later during a romantic trip to Paris. Confirming the happy news in December 2021, Jodie shared a photo flashing her sparkling ring while kissing Joseph in front of the Arc de Triomphe, with the caption: 'I said Yes'. It marks Jodie's third engagement, after splitting from her first husband, internet entrepreneur Aidan Butler, after 18 months in 2007 and second husband David Blakeley in 2015 after just four months. She is also mum to 13-year-old son, Indio, by her ex-partner, former Argentinian polo player Andrea Vianini, while Joseph also has a son from a previous relationship. However, the pair are yet to tie the knot four years on, previously admitting 'it's been a bit of a whirlwind the last couple of years'. Speaking to OK! in October, Jodie confessed the pair have still not set a date to become husband and wife as they are too busy. She said: 'Oh my God, it is going very slowly. Very slowly! Nothing is happening in the immediate future and not because I don't want it to, but I am just so busy. 'I think it would be too much trying to arrange a wedding right now. Hopefully, next year.' Revealing the secret to their long-standing romance, she explained: 'We've got just such a wonderful, balanced, supportive relationship. Those are the best ones. We always make time for date nights. We have a little date routine where we go to the cinema together. 'We have to run as a team, and we do that beautifully. We always make time for each other. We always try to do things together as much as we can. 'So, you know, if we're going on the school run, we'll do it together. Dinner time is really important. The whole family comes around the table and helps to cook, and we talk about our day, and have a laugh.' While Jodie added that their children have made them even closer, gushing: 'We've both got a son, so we just have to work as a team but they are intertwined literally. They're so beautiful as well.'
The Sun
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
First Dates' Merlin Griffiths teams up with supermodel for an unexpected new project after cancer battle
FIRST Dates star Merlin Griffiths has teamed up with a top supermodel for a new podcast after his cancer treatment. The barman from the Channel 4 reality show will be working alongside Jodie Kidd for the brand new project. 4 4 4 Titled Three Landlords Walk into a Bar, they will do a deep dive on British pubs from ghost stories to industry analysis and will be chatting with some of the UK's most successful publicans and industry leaders. "Expect everything from ghost stories in Britain's most haunted pub to tales of the Beatles, building inclusive spaces, and the importance of the perfect pint (of course)," read the announcement on Instagram. In the accompanying video to the social media post, fans are given a preview of some of the guests and conversations that can look forward to hearing in the coming season. Jodie shared it to her Instagram stories saying: "I loved doing this podcast." The supermodel is landlady at 16th century boozer, Half Moon in Kirdford, West Sussex, who has often spoken out about the importance of pubs to local communities. 'People are always surprised when they find out I run a pub. It's one of the toughest yet most rewarding jobs," she said in a statement about the podcast. "There's a whole world behind the bar that most punters never get to see – the highs, the graft, the sheer heart landlords pour in." Merlin who is the landlord of the Dog & Gun in Leicestershire also wants to raise awareness about the pressures facing pubs in the U.K. "Being a landlord isn't just about pulling pints and hosting quizzes – it's late nights, leaky pipes, and learning to adapt fast," he said. "Amidst turbulent times for the industry, we wanted to sit down and explore how Britain's pubs are evolving to stay at the heart of their communities – whether that's finding new ways to get people in the door or embracing game-changing tech to serve up top-quality pints more efficiently and sustainably.' Merlin's new project comes as the bartender recovers from cancer treatment. He was diagnosed with bowel cancer and had chemotherapy and two operations to remove a tumour in 2021. Despite getting the all-clear from doctors that he was cancer-free, Merlin admitted to struggling after his treatment and that he still needed to be closely monitored. 4
Daily Mirror
07-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Most pubgoers say landlord is a 'real pal' - and some spill secrets they wouldn't share with family
A survey from Heineken and a new podcast called Three Landlords Walk into a Bar, hosted by celebrity landlords Jodie Kidd and Merlin Griffiths, found that 75 per cent of Brits believe their landlord is a genuine pal They pour perfect pints, lend a sympathetic ear and occasionally act as secret matchmakers. So it's no surprise that 75% of Brits consider their local landlord to be a genuine mate, with a quarter sharing secrets they wouldn't tell their own family. And at a time when so much social interaction takes place online, the pub is still a national treasure with 98% viewing it as the cornerstone of their community, according to new research. The survey, by HEINEKEN SmartDispense, reveals 26% of people met their partner in a pub, 35% have gone to one on a first date and 48% have used their favourite for a celebration - from birthdays to new jobs. But while Brits clearly love their locals, 59% admit they've no clue what it actually takes to run one. To lift the lid on life behind the bar, celebrity landlords Jodie Kidd and Merlin Griffiths have teamed up with HEINEKEN SmartDispense for a new podcast Three Landlords Walk into a Bar. Joined by some of the UK's top publicans, the duo will dig into the graft, grit, and untold stories that make Britain's boozers tick. Jodie, who runs The Half Moon in Kirdford, Sussex says, 'People are always surprised when they find out I run a pub. It's one of the toughest yet most rewarding jobs. 'There's a whole world behind the bar that most punters never get to see – the highs, the graft, the sheer heart landlords pour in. 'That's exactly what we wanted to showcase with Three Landlords Walk into a Bar - real people, real stories, and why these places matter so much to our communities.' Merlin, the landlord of the Dog & Gun in Leicestershire adds, ''Being a landlord isn't just about pulling pints and hosting quizzes - it's late nights, leaky pipes, and learning to adapt fast.' Their first guest is Beccy Webster, landlord of The Gedling Inn, whose promise to give away free drinks every time Nottingham Forest scored turned into a 300-pint giveaway after a 7–0 win. Other guests include the landlord behind The White Lion in Stockport, one of the UK's oldest and most haunted pubs, and the man who gives Liverpool's legendary Cavern Club its sound. Jodie and Merlin will also chat to the entrepreneur who runs The Prince of Peckham, one of London's most inclusive, community-first pubs. The series will also spotlight the innovative ways landlords are fighting back, turning pubs into social hubs to make friends, celebrate milestones, and even find love for years to come.
