Michelle Rogers, Waterloo Arms

Our Hospitality Personality of the Month for August is Michelle from The Waterloo Arms! 

Find out more about Michelle and The Waterloo Arms in the interview below : 

- How long have you been landlady at the Waterloo Arms in Lyndhurst?
I've been the landlady at the Waterloo since September 2007.

- What’s your favourite thing about being landlady at the pub?
I've always loved being in hospitality, there is absolutely nothing better than seeing contented customers leaving after having a lovely meal, a good pint and a great experience at our pub.

- What do you love about owning a pub that is located in the New Forest?
We are ideally situated in the heart of the forest and just off the main road leading in. This means we have a great local clientele from the surrounding areas plus plenty of tourists who love the picturesque thatch building and quaintness of our pub, which is complimented with the ‘ancient’ woodland and heathland in the New Forest, especially surrounding Lyndhurst, where our 17th century pub is located.

- What is your favourite dish on the menu?
We serve mostly homemade good old pub grub, with a few specials that change regularly, including fish dishes, vegetarian and vegan choices plus plenty of gluten free or gluten free option dishes. There is also the option of choosing smaller appetite portions on quite a few of our dishes, which people love, especially at lunchtimes. But personally, my favourite would have to be one of the pies - steak and ale, chicken and mushroom or vegetable... deep filled in shortcrust pastry with plenty of gravy, vegetables and a choice of chips or new potatoes – so good, if I do say so myself!

- What local drinks are on the menu?
We offer a great range of ciders, beers, lagers, wines and spirits, including :
- A very popular local ale - Ringwood Best/Razorback 
- Local gins - Beachcomber from Lymington and three from Winchester Gin Co - Twisted Nose (Watercress), Fine Dry & Gunpowder Navy Strength
- Plus, a Cornish IPA - Sharps Atlantic, too.

- What do you think makes people come to your pub?
We get a lot of return business from locals all year round and tourists visiting year on year and maybe two or 3 times within that year. We love to welcome them back and know that they enjoy the cosy, quaint beams, fireplaces and the character inside the building plus during the summer months our lovely sunny garden with plenty of space for couples and families alike.

I believe many return as having been here for so many years we are known for our food - the head chef, Jamie, has been with us for over 8 years.

- What do you think are the ingredients to make a pub successful?
When we first bought the pub we decided to make it the type of venue where we would like to spend time as a customer - therefore there are no TV sets, no pool tables and no gaming machines …. just a good old fashioned country pub with atmosphere where people converse, laugh, drink and eat with old friends and make new ones.