Peter Hayward of The Noisy Lobster: “It’s a very special business and so close to our hearts with the history of our family.” Picture: Dorset Biz News.
Published: November 24, 2022 | Updated: 25th November 2022
“We’ll raise a toast to my late father. He spotted the potential and without him none of this would have happened.”
So says Peter Hayward who, together with his younger brother, Stephen, acquired what’s become one of Dorset’s best-known beachside restaurants, The Noisy Lobster, ten years ago this month.
The contrast between 2012 and now could not be greater.
Back then the Avon Beach Café at Mudeford was self-service, only open during the day and with about 30 staff.
Today The Noisy Lobster can have upwards of 800 people through its doors every day in the summer, employs 160 people in peak season and has a large and loyal clientele from the local area and beyond.
The restaurant, which has around 200 covers, is rated 4.5 out of 5 from 2,923 reviews on Tripadvisor.
“The evolution has been incredible,” said Peter.
It was the late Peter Hayward who heard the then named Avon Beach Café was on the market after several decades under the ownership of the Derham family.
With a background in property development, he immediately spotted the potential.
His son, Peter, said: “They had quite a few tenders for the purchase of the business and, luckily, they chose ours.
“Although I don’t believe we were the highest bid, they were very keen for it to go to a local family.
“The rest is history.
“We knew there was an opportunity to grow the business with more investment in the kitchens and the staff.
“We built it up bit by bit.
“We didn’t have the cashflow to do a massive redevelopment of the restaurant so we had to evolve which also allowed us to gauge what customers wanted as well.
“We continually adapt as we go along.”
In total, more than £3.5 million has been invested in the business over the last decade.
The work has included an extension to the kitchen, previously housed with the prep area in portable buildings.
The first-floor extension and terrace was added during the first lockdown while the new-look Deli, Shop and Bakery opened earlier this year.
Currently, a new structure, pictured right, is being built for the Coffee Cabin.
Peter said: “It’s larger but it should ease the congestion on the promenade in busy times.
“It’s twice as big so it will allow us to do some more takeaway food and also provide a better environment for our people to work in.”
Peter, 38, Stephen, 36, and their mother, Jo, 65, are Directors of Avon Beach Ltd.
Apart from The Noisy Lobster, its takeaway fish and chip restaurant, The Lobster Hatch, as well as Deli, Shop and Bakery and the Coffee Cabin, as tenants of BCP Council, they’re also responsible for:
Now a multi-million-pound business, the focus is on using fresh, local produce.
Peter said: “The fishermen come straight to us and we use fishmongers in Poole and Southsea.
“We also have Fluffetts eggs, local dairy products, Harvest Fine Foods and three or four local food suppliers.
“We’ve got great staff and the retention is fantastic.
“Our Head Chef has been with us since the start, we inherited Laura [Huxtable-White], our shop manageress, and our restaurant managers have been here five, eight and ten years.
“That’s important.
“It makes your life easier with regards to trust.
“They’ll look after the place if you’re away for whatever reason.”
Peter, pictured left, who spent four years working in banking and finance in London before leaving to run a pub in Ringwood, said the last decade had been “something of a blur”.
He said: “My brother and I are very hands-on and we work very hard. Invariably there will be one of us here every day.
“Jo also pops in every day and gives her feedback on what we do.
“The past three years have been a long slog.
“There’s been a lot of stress and it’s aged us all.
“We’ve had great support, though, from family and friends and the locals.
“There have been a lot of long hours but it’s eased off a bit now.”
Peter said the family business would continue to renovate and improve the restaurant.
It was also adapting to the rise in food prices by evolving the winter menu to include more affordable ingredients.
And while cost of living pressures might affect the frequency of casual dining, he believed people still wanted to celebrate special occasions.
As for the last decade, Peter said: “Sometimes you have to stop and think about what we’ve achieved as a group.
“It’s a very special business and so close to our hearts with the history of our family.”
