Popular family-run restaurant hotels receive CBILS boost
A group of popular Derbyshire restaurant hotels has secured a six-figure Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) loan from Lloyds Bank to help secure its future as it keeps its doors shut during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Boar’s Head in Draycott-in-the-Clay, The Lion Hotel in Belper and The Littleover Lodge Hotel in Littleover are owned and run by John Crooks, his wife Gail and their five children.
John bought The Boar’s Head back in 1984, a historic building originally part of the Vernon estate, which he transformed into a 23-bedroom hotel with an a la carte restaurant to seat 80.
The family business now employs 140 people across its three sites, which also attract thousands of people every year through its wedding and conferencing facilities.
The trio of restaurant hotels would usually be fully booked through the spring. But due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the business has had to temporarily close its doors to customers and furlough its staff.
The family sought the help of Lloyds Bank, its banking partner since 2011, to secure a CBILS loan to support the business’s employees and to help support its cashflow during the lockdown period.
John Crooks, director of the family business, JC Hotels, said: “This is the most challenging time our business has faced but we know we’re not alone. Pubs, restaurants and hotels across the region are feeling the same effects that we are and planning for the future is particularly difficult given the uncertainty surrounding when we’ll be able to open our doors again.
“We must remain optimistic and we’re doing everything we can to ensure that we’re ready to provide our customers with the quality and experience they have come to expect from us, when the time comes. Lloyds Bank has done a great job in helping us make sure we have the financial support we need to be in a position to welcome our customers back.”
Adam Hartshorne, relationship manager at Lloyds Bank, said: “John and his family have built a fantastic business over the last 36 years. The three restaurant hotels are each a part of the back-bone of their respective local scenes, providing wonderful food and accommodation for holidaymakers and businesses alike.
“The hospitality trade has been hit hard by the pandemic and we recognise that businesses like this are in urgent need of financial support. We’re committed to helping firms tackle the impact of COVID-19 and want to support businesses in preparing for what the future holds.”
