In Vino Veritas Read Free

company, though a very junior one in terms of her financial contribution. She was also responsible for the hitherto highly successful operation of the site’s en-suite bedrooms, through her management of the residential section staff.
    â€˜I’m being realistic, Martin. We don’t operate in a vacuum. If people tighten their belts in the world at large, we must expect this sort of stay to be one of their first economies. Very few of our clients use our breaks as their only holiday of the year; we might be their first economy. We shall need to be ingenious to occupy the rooms as fully as we have done in the past. It probably wasn’t the best time to extend our provision to twelve rooms.’
    Beaumont frowned. ‘That was done on the basis of our previous lettings, which had been almost a hundred per cent during the summer months. It made sound sense to extend our plant when we were making handsome profits.’
    Vanda North smiled. She was much more used to sustaining an argument than Jason Knight had been before her. ‘The extension may still make sound sense, if we take the long view. I’m merely flagging up that I anticipate problems in the next two years. We have to be flexible. The signs are certainly that we’ll need to extend our range of bargain breaks. Once we’re outside the peak summer season, we’re facing a vast range of competition. We’ll almost certainly have to accept lower profit margins, to keep the rooms occupied and hang on to the excellent staff we’ve recruited over the last few years.’
    â€˜Well, I’m sure you understand the problems of this area better than anyone else in the room, Vanda,’ said Beaumont shamelessly. This sort of meeting wasn’t the place to make policy decisions. Some time in the next few days, he would have a detailed discussion with Vanda North about strategy and how they were going to fill the new accommodation suites. He was better at enforcing his formidable will in a one-to-one situation than in this sort of formal meeting. ‘You are right to emphasize that we can’t ignore what is going on in the world around us, of course. The worst possible thing any of us could do is to press ahead with our plans in a blinkered way and ignore what is going on in the wider world.’ He paused for a moment, apparently to let them all dwell upon that thought, before looking down at his next agenda item. ‘Report on new initiatives introduced last year.’
    A rather nervous voice said, ‘Yes. That’s me. I have the figures to hand.’ This was Sarah Vaughan, Director of Research and Development, at thirty-three the youngest person in the room. She had long blonde hair and the sort of delicate, pretty, brittle-looking features which often seem to go with fair colouring. Sarah had a Business Studies degree and some years of experience in the retail trade with a big supermarket chain. She helped to run the shop on the site, but also had the brief to initiate new means of developing the full commercial potential of Abbey Vineyards. She was normally self-confident and energetic, but she found herself a little overawed to be included today in this formal meeting of the six people who were the driving force in what was now a large company and a considerable local employer.
    Sarah shuffled the papers which had been ready on the table in front of her since the meeting began. ‘The gift vouchers continue to enjoy a steady sale, but they are hardly a new or original idea. I think we can say that the guided tours we developed into a regular programme last year have been a success. It’s a difficult thing to measure, because we’re talking about the public’s goodwill – there are no directly measurable effects from the tours. But in my opinion the indirect effects have been valuable.’
    â€˜I’ll vouch for that.’ The words came from a stocky figure, with the build of a prop