Last April, business partners, Alex Greene and Bronagh McCormick re-opened the popular restaurant and bar following a major refurbishment scheme.
The works were financed with a £100,000 loan from the Investment Fund for Northern Ireland. It was the first Northern Ireland deal announcement from the fund which had launched just a few months previously.
Now, 12 months later, there has been no let up from the initial opening surge of diners with business remaining brisk.
One online reviewer described the restaurant as ‘professional and polished’.
The review said: “It feels like a special dining experience with high quality local produce, cooked with care and attention, and served beautifully.”
With such positive reviews flowing in, Bronagh is already planning ahead and looking to expand the facilities on offer.
She said: “The first year has certainly been very encouraging with a lot of repeat customers and some lovely online reviews which have given us a lot of confidence.
“The Bucks Head has also become a bit of a destination restaurant with customers from England, Scotland and as far west as Galway.
“One of our next projects is to extend the kitchen and then refurbish three guest rooms so we can cater more for visitors coming from further away and wanting to stay with us. In the meantime, we have been signposting them to other local hotels to encourage them to stay in the area.”
It’s been a homecoming for Alex who began his career washing dishes and preparing vegetables in The Bucks Head. Alex went on to work in restaurants around the world including Michelin star establishments, most recently at Deanes EIPIC where he was Head Chef.
At Deanes, Alex worked alongside Bronagh, who was General Manager of the Deanes Restaurant Group for 13 years. Bronagh has a hospitality degree and has spent her whole career working within the hospitality sector.
The pair aren’t resting on their laurels, with 12 months’ experience operating the restaurant they see a number of areas for improvement which will add further quality to the customer experience.
Alex said: “We will always want to push forward and continually improve. There is so much potential with the Bucks Head and this first year has given us the belief to continue moving forward.
“With the menu, we work hard to suit the tastes of customers who want something special, as well as those regulars who want to come in and enjoy something comforting like a bowl of soup or a steak.
“We try our best to be guided by our clientele as well as working with our brilliant local producers. We work with producers who we have built up really close connections with and it is great to use their amazing seasonal produce.”
Bronagh paid tribute to the support The Bucks Head has received from the British Business Bank and the Investment Fund for Northern Ireland.
She said: “I don’t think we would be in this position without the support from the fund and what we really appreciate is the ongoing relationship.
“At the beginning it was quite scary to be borrowing such a large amount of money but the people we dealt with at the fund believed in us and made the whole process very straightforward.
“I honestly thought it would have been a case of, ‘right, here’s your money now get on with paying it back’. But there has been ongoing contact and regular emails checking in with us to see if there is anything we need help with. We feel very supported.”
Looking ahead, there are a number of projects Alex and Bronagh want to tackle as the restaurant continues to evolve.
Bronagh said: “It wasn’t until we embarked on the refurbishment work, that we started to see other things we could improve on.
“Our focus was on creating real impact for customers once they walked through the door and I believe we have achieved this.
“Overall, it’s been a really pleasing year which has given us the confidence to continue investing in the future.”
British Business Bank Director, Nations and Regions Investment Funds, Mark Sterritt said: “It is not surprising that the first year has been so successful for Alex and Bronagh at The Bucks Head. Both are hugely talented and have the experience, drive and ambition to make the restaurant a real success.
“The Bucks Head is a brilliant example of how the fund can support smaller businesses, no matter what stage they are at on their growth journey.
“I’ve had the pleasure of dining there recently and the quality is outstanding. It is not hard to see why people are travelling such long distances just to eat there.
“With debt and equity finance options, the fund can help unlock the potential of exciting and innovative businesses across Northern Ireland.”
The £70million Investment Fund for Northern Ireland offers a range of commercial finance options including debt finance and equity investment to support businesses from all sectors in Northern Ireland and at different growth stages.
Whiterock manages the debt fund, offering loans of £25,000 up to £2million while Clarendon Fund Managers provide equity stakes in smaller businesses up to £5million.
To find out more about the Investment Fund for Northern Ireland visit http://www.investmentfundnorthernireland.co.uk