There’s always something quite exhilarating about that warm conversational buzz that hits you the moment you enter a Peach pub. It signifies life, enjoyment and a sense of welcome that some pubs fail to offer.

As you can imagine when a popular pub group such as Peach stages a 10th birthday party, having invited everyone who has been connected to the group during the past decade, that buzz becomes awesome and the welcome overwhelming. And why not? While other pubs are struggling to keep their head above water, the Peach group appear to go from strength to strength. Peach pubs turn over anything from £20-£30,000 a week, whilst the national average is just £7,000. They have, therefore, something to celebrate. Directors Lee Cash and Hamish Stoddart, who got the show on the road ten years ago by co-founding their first pub, The Rose and Crown, Warwick, have now opened 14 other great pubs and the amazing thing is, every one of them is different. But that said, a general theme weaves its way through them all. So whilst the décor and menus differ, each pub boasts that certain something which pulls them all together. Lee and Hamish are the first to accept that it’s tough out there in today’s market place. Success calls for relentless hard work. They would like to be known for their “Famous Five”: a warm hosted fun atmosphere, great service, individuality, serving good stuff, making sure that “our house is your place”. Hamish describes himself as the management all-rounder who has done everything from logistics and finance to sales and marketing. He’s the buyer, finance director and strategist whereas Lee, who was just 27 when they first met, loves working with the people. He makes the Peach magic happen. His passion for people, food and fun is undimmed ten years on. Lee’s inability to stand still has helped Peach Puns evolve into a company which now leads the industry in food excellence, interior design, customer survive and people development. Jo Eames has been involved with Peach since the early days. One of her first jobs was to choose the wine for that first Peach menu. Whilst she is still responsible for the wine lists, she is also responsible for the pub interiors and Peach’s building projects. She says her design approach is to let each building speak for itself. This means that pubs such as the James Figg at Thame, remains very much the “local”, where real ale sales dominate and food choice offers honest pub meals such as honey-roasted ham, egg and chips, sausages and mash burgers and pizzas to be enjoyed against a backdrop that celebrates one of Thame’s most famous men. The Fishes at North Hinksey, on the other hand, which is set in its own grounds, reflects true Victorian splendour. It’s the place where meeting friends is a real joy, where picnics can be enjoyed in the garden and where and friendly efficient service is guaranteed. The Fleece, which overlooks Witney’s attractive Church Green, was once the home of Clinch’s brewery and is reputed to have been a favourite watering hole of Dylan Thomas when he lived nearby. It was a very scruffy little local until Peach moved in ten years ago and waved their magic wand, transforming it into a stylish and very comfortable Georgian establishment.

Children also get special treatment. Peach believe children should enjoy what we eat so there’s no children’s menu featuring fish fingers, or turkey twizzlers. Instead the chefs happily prepare youngsters a smaller version of meals listed on the main menu, using similar ingredients to those the adults eat, and for every Caesar salad sold, Peach make a 25p contribution to healthy eating activities in local primary schools. So let’s raise our glass to Peach Pubs and wish them “Happy Birthday”.