Purchases celebrate 10 years of trade

This November, Tim and Sue Vaughan will mark ten years at the helm of the historic Purchases Restaurant and Bar.

Few hospitality businesses can trace their roots back more than 170 years, but over the past decade the couple have put their own twist on the premises. Inspired by their global travels, and with friendliness and good food at the heart of what they do, the Vaughans say the secret to their success is keeping standards high.

As they launch a week of celebrations with free champagne for customers and a menu which reflects the most popular dishes of the past ten years, they are also reflecting on a period that has included a global pandemic, soaring energy prices and a cost-of-living crisis.

The couple, who previously ran Crumbs and Cream café in South Street, took on Purchases in 2016 with local businessman and friend Nick Sutherland. Between them, they refurbished and redecorated the premises, returning to its wine merchant roots and decking it out like a smart gentleman’s club.

“Our first hit came with COVID-19”, said Tim, “which was frightening. We had just invested in our guest rooms, and we didn’t know if we were coming or going.

“Luckily, we fell into the category of being helped by the government and Sue and I came in with one or two members of staff and worked our socks off getting deliveries out to the elderly.

“By the time the pandemic was over, we had our terrace and dividing screens up, and everyone wanted to get out into the garden.”

After surviving lockdown, the couple were then worried when The Ivy announced it was coming to the city. “We thought it was a 50/50 chance it would be the end of us,” said Tim.

“However, our takings went up,” said Sue. “All their great packaging brought people here from Brighton and Southampton, and they come to us for a cocktail before or after their meal. The Ivy offers a great experience, but for people who want a family-run business - we are here too.”

Despite the uptick from The Ivy, the past few years have not all been plain sailing. The wars in Ukraine and Iran have pushed up energy and food prices, whilst new legislation around the minimum wage has placed extra strain on the business.

“Everything’s gone up, and we are trying our hardest”, said Tim. “We are trying our hardest not to put up prices and frighten the customers away. All the staff are really conscientious about pricing, but it’s a very fine line; it's much finer than when we started.

“We won’t make as much money this year as we did last year, but we will stay here until we don’t make a profit. Hopefully it will pick up.”

The couple say about 80% of their customers are local, although big events at Goodwood and the Festival Theatre bring in a national and international crowd. They believe their continuing popularity is down to their friendly staff, comfortable surroundings and good food.

“We have fantastic support from our customers; I can’t thank them enough,” said Tim.

“We want to carry on and be here for another ten years. We are planning lots of different events for next year, keeping it fun and keeping up with the changing times.”