DerbyWorld caught up with Jon Sellars, Amber Taverns area manager who is overseeing Iron Ram pub launch
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00:00 So I'm speaking with John. John, hello, how you doing?
00:04 Hi, nice to meet you.
00:05 Nice to meet you too. So what's your full name and what do you do?
00:08 I'm John Sellers, I'm the area manager for Amber Taverns. I've been doing that role with this company for just under eight years.
00:15 Okay, and you're here for the Iron Ram launch.
00:18 Yeah, definitely.
00:19 How have you found it?
00:20 Exciting, stressful, exciting, but overall we think we're going to develop and deliver a really good site for the people at Derby. I can't wait.
00:31 So the soft launch is today. That's for friends and family only. And then tomorrow is the Friday big opening. What do you want people to expect from your lovely pub?
00:44 So 10 o'clock tomorrow, yes, as you say, friends and family tonight, a bit of a sort of introduction, help the staff, still a bit of training for tonight, help them settle in.
00:53 Then tomorrow, 10 o'clock, we're aiming to open and offer something that Derby hasn't got.
01:00 Great venue, nice high-end finish with great products and a great offer with a bit of entertainment, a bit of dance, a bit of karaoke, a bit of something for everyone.
01:11 So that's what we're hoping that people will find and enjoy it.
01:14 So opening on the Friday, was that a conscious decision because you're on kick-off tomorrow, don't they?
01:20 Yeah, absolutely. So we've been running around pretty much 24 hours a day on the build-ups, trying to get the pub ready.
01:27 Obviously, the slight small game of England playing on Sunday judged us and pushed us to that.
01:34 So it's been chaos behind the scenes, but we've pulled it off and we're looking forward to opening ready for the weekend.
01:42 Great. So why choose Derby as a site?
01:46 Well, it's always been a target site, a city for us. We've obviously not got anything in the city before, but we've got places on the outskirts, places like Ripley and Heaner and Chesterfield, so other places in Derbyshire.
01:59 And Derby's always been a great site, students, population. And this site became available, obviously people know it as the Thomas Leaper, the former Wetherspoons.
02:09 And it was just perfect location for us with what we wanted to do. So yeah, it's been a long time coming, but I think it'll be worth it.
02:18 Do you have a favourite drink off the menu yet?
02:21 Yeah, bubblegum mojito for a cocktail is great. And then I'm a pint man, so Cruz Campo goes down really well.
02:31 And yeah, we've got such a long range of drinks on draft as well as cocktails. But yeah, the cocktail menu, well worth a try.
02:40 So beer, what beers are on tap?
02:44 So Heineken UK are our main brewer, so we've got a lot of their products. So John Smith's Foster Strongbow are kind of our house go-to beers.
02:53 And then we've got a full range of Cruz Campo, Heineken Zero on draft for anyone that's obviously doesn't want the alcohol, we can offer that on draft.
03:05 Right through to Biamaretti as our premium sort of offering and loads of wine choices, loads of soft drinks, Coca-Cola on draft and lots of bottled offers as well.
03:19 Do you watch football?
03:21 Yes.
03:22 Okay, very important question. Who's going to win the Euros?
03:27 I sincerely hope it's England. I sincerely hope it's an England man. It is England that win. Going to be tough.
03:36 But hopefully the people at Derby will come and watch it with us and come along with the journey across the Euros right through to next month.
03:46 Fingers crossed, eh?
03:47 Fingers crossed.
03:48 Have you seen any Derby county matches?
03:51 Not personally.
03:53 Okay.
03:54 No, because I'm...
03:55 You need to go out to find that joke.
03:56 I'm possibly from the wrong end of the A52. So, not personally, but obviously it's called the Iron Ram, you know, massive tie-in with the football.
04:06 Derby just been promoted. So that can only sort of bode well for the town, for the city, for the town in general in the local area.
04:15 And yeah, can't wait for him to be in the championship.
04:18 Amazing.
04:19 And we'll welcome him with open arms. Yeah.
04:22 Do you have anything else to add to the piece?
04:25 We just want people at Derby to know that there'll be something here for everyone.
04:29 So if quiet pints your thing, great, we can cope for that.
04:33 If a bit of entertainment is your thing, you know, music and dance and karaoke, we've got that as well.
04:39 If you want to come in with your partners or your friends just for some cocktails or drinks, well, we can do that as well.
04:44 And we hope and we offer something for everyone, for the people at Derby. Yeah, can't wait.
04:49 Amazing. Thank you so much for speaking with me, John.
04:53 This is Ria from Derby World, thank you.