Pamela McKellar from The Ginger Pig Public House in Hove explains why her shutters from The California Company have revolutionised her business

Two years ago, Pamela McKeller purchased a property in Hove, East Sussex, to turn into a friendly pub with a contemporary twist, serving delicious food. The pub was called The Ginger Pig Public House and was the third addition to the Gingerman Restaurants family.

The building needed a complete refurbishment before the restaurant could open. Whilst Pamela was busy organising decorators to paint the walls and order in new furniture, there was little she could do about the view.

“Unfortunately, the main restaurant windows have a horrible view over an MOT garage, which didn’t go with the look and feel that we’d created inside. We didn’t want our customers coming in for a lovely meal and not enjoying the full experience. And net curtains really wouldn’t have given off the impression that we were working towards.

“We also hated the windows themselves, which were made out of PVC. But we didn’t just want to replace them with sash windows, as this would have been very expensive and the PVC material keeps out the noise very effectively. So shutters were essential for the space that we had. The room is very large and wide with high ceilings.”

So Pamela contacted The California Company for expert design advice and help in ordering her shutters. “The whole design process, followed by placing my order and then taking delivery of the shutters and was very easy and painless. The team at The California Company were extremely friendly; and with their help and expert advice, I now have bespoke shutters that fit perfectly and suit the space, look and feel of the restaurant.”

The team at The California Company recommended that Pamela go for warm brown coloured wooden shutters to off-set the cream walls. To compliment the shutters, Pamela then added in dark coloured booths and furniture and a wooden floor, all lit with up-lighters and lamps.

“The shutters have created a warm and cosy feel in our restaurant, which is in keeping with our philosophy of creating a friendly, relaxed environment that specialises in warm, hearty and tasty meals,” she said.

And it seems that the shutters have proved to be a hit with the customers. “Our customers do admire them, and they’ve been a great talking point. As a rule, we don’t put out any leaflets or brochures, but because we were so happy with our shutters, we put out some literature from The California Company, which all went quickly. My shutters are brilliant and I’m very happy to recommend the service to anyone who asks. “

• The California Company