If, when collecting your takeaway, Google Maps directs you into the grounds of the largest Elizabethan home in the North of England, you could be forgiven for assuming you’ve taken a wrong turn.

And yet, there at Levens Hall, you will find the Goat Shed, serving, as its initials hint, the Greatest Of All Takeaways. A bean and pea salad that features shoots picked daily from the 11-acre gardens, pastrami sandwiches, and a goat’s cheese sourdough pizza, are just a few of the options available to go.

Having opened its Levens Kitchen restaurant almost three years ago, owner Richard Bagot and his team had already begun to develop the culinary offering of the historic house and gardens, which is situated five miles south of Kendal.

But it was the pandemic that saw them branch out into takeaways and more, as they sought to keep customers flowing in, even when the restaurant doors had to close.

It’s an example of creativity in the age of coronavirus: where leaders have identified the most successful elements of their businesses and found a way to not only satisfy but grow customer demand despite the restrictions.

And yet, for Richard, success didn’t feel at all like a certainty back in Spring 2020.

He explains: “When the full implications of the first lockdown became clear, it felt like a doomsday scenario. We were envisaging selling things and laying people off.

“The furlough scheme and grants from the government and Historic England helped cover some of the larger costs, but, as a business dependent on visitors, we had to find a way to generate an income to survive in the medium and long term.

“I was grasping for something to help me find a way through when my friend suggested I join a programme offered by Lancaster University Management School (LUMS).”

Fully-funded support for Cumbrian SMEs

It was the Cumbria Forum Covid Response business support programme, which included sessions with world-class academics and peer-to-peer learning groups, designed to help the leaders of Cumbria-based SMEs build an organisation for the future.

Richard continues: “I joined the Cumbria Forum with a fully open mind, not really sure what direction I wanted the business in. What I did know is that I wanted to take a step back from the business and think creatively but realistically about what we could do.

“We were not in a position to take on vast capital projects: our pandemic solution had to be streamlined and cost-effective whilst allowing us to make bigger margins. Instead, the Forum prompted me to think about the resources we had already, and how we could maximise their potential.

“By keeping a sign out on the road letting passing traffic know that we remained open we were able to stay in the public consciousness. It was a very simple step but more than our competitors were doing. It encouraged many of our customers to get into the habit of dropping by once or twice a week.”

The power of peer learning

Because of the pandemic, Richard and his fellow delegates joined the Forum fully online. He continues: “One of the huge benefits of taking part in the Forum is the peer learning style. The value I took from sharing experiences with other business owners, and bouncing ideas off them, was huge.

“I found that getting an outsiders’ perspective on the challenges within the business really helped my thinking and decision making. In fact, although we all came from different organisations, we often shared similar hurdles and headaches.”

Now, Richard and his thirty-strong team are continuing to build on their success: “Alongside the takeaways, we started up supper clubs and offered picnics and luxury hampers. In short, we moved from deciding to close the restaurant completely to opening it up, via the Goat Shed collection point, at every possible opportunity.

“What started out feeling like the biggest disaster known to man became an opportunity for us.

“We’re now looking forward to next year and an increase in group travel. It will offer another chance for us to build on the innovation and creative thinking that has served us so well this year, and hopefully expand the business even further.”

Places are still available on the next Cumbria Forum: Business Model Innovation programme, which starts on 16 November 2021. The programme consists of 3 half-day online sessions.

The programme is fully-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for Cumbrian SMEs with fewer than 250 full-time equivalent employees and an annual turnover of less than €50m.

To enrol, or to find out more, contact Ewan Pullan at cumbriaforum@lancaster.ac.uk.