Date: 16 March 2026
Author: Jess Clark
"Don’t tell your family and friends until it’s done"
Sue Perkins is a well-known Hull-based entrepreneur, property developer, and respected pub licensee. Her journey, shaped by family roots, adversity, and determination, offers valuable insights and inspiration for fellow entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners.
Along with her family, Sue runs the Railway Inn at New Ellerby, and the Rose and Crown in Beverley, which is now turning over £1.3m. Each establishment has a loyal customer following, a sense of community created by Sue’s dedicated teams.
“My dad, John, started out as a cook on the trawlers at Grimsby. My mum, Edith, was brought up in Liverpool, won a scholarship to a private school, and together they set up in the pub trade, but they didn't have any money.” Despite these modest beginnings, it was her mother’s practical skills as a trained accountant combined with her father’s grit shaped Sue’s attitude toward work and family. A move from Liverpool to Grimsby - fuelled by parental loss and emotional upheaval - set the tone for a life defined by adaptation and persistence.
Sue’s mother suddenly found herself in a vulnerable position when her husband was diagnosed with cancer and died at the tender age of 28. Sue was just three years old. “At the time there was an expectation that my mum would leave the pub, but she wouldn’t and told the brewery, ‘I haven’t got a house, I haven’t got a job, and I’ve got two children.’” She became one of the first landladies in their area, taking on full management of the Punch Bowl pub, bucking social expectations in the 1960s. “I am proud to have served families across generations - my mum catered for their weddings, and many years later, I had the honour of hosting their Golden Wedding anniversaries, sometimes on multiple occasions.”
“Growing up, I was affected by dyspraxia and ADHD. My Mum always boosted me up ‘you’ve got the highest IQ and you’ve got more initiative.’ I wasn’t downtrodden at all.”
Sue’s early experience with learning differences, topped with changing schools, meant formal education was a challenge, but she excelled in maths and practical skills, developing resilience for entrepreneurship, following in her mother’s footsteps.
"Working alongside my mum, my sister Hazel, and my eldest niece - three generations all under one roof - was something special," Sue recalls. Her family moved frequently, running pubs across the region, but their longest stay was in Cottingham and later at the Blue Bell in Sproatley. "I wanted my children to have the stability I didn’t have. I never wanted to move them from school to school like I did.” Creating community became Sue’s cornerstone, both for her children and her regulars. “I built a customer base over 18 years at the Blue Bell. Even now, after moving on to The Railway, I still see customers I’ve been serving for 48 years. That continuity means everything to me.”
Adapting to Change and Seeking Opportunity Sue’s career demonstrates adaptability and determination: “I don’t take no for an answer. When the planners said, ‘No, you can’t build that house,’ I make a good case and found out who made the decisions so that I could lobby councillors for approval.” Her efforts resulted in building ‘Happy House’ on the land next to the Railway Inn, where she lived herself and later changed into holiday lets, a true testament to her entrepreneurial mindset: “Sometimes they say no and you’ve got to fight to get it.”
This personal resilience extended into Sue’s business dealings, where she learned to navigate complex relationships and support her ambitions. Conflict over inheriting the business when her mother retired taught her to manage expectations and emotional setbacks. “I still find it difficult to let an opportunity pass me by, so I don’t tell my friends or family until I’ve gone through with a deal - because they want to protect you from failure and they’ll put their own doubt in your mind.” This is advice many entrepreneurs will relate to.
Sue has diversified her portfolio by buying freehold buildings and adapting them into boutique hotels and flexible apartments. “When The Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC) changed the rules on free hold pubs, I bought the Whittington & Cat and White Hart pubs in Hull; I was able to change them into four-star B&Bs and apartments.” She identified untapped demand when there were no hotels nearby, providing well-appointed rooms for contractors and management professionals who worked Monday to Friday in the area. Her attention to customer needs led to high occupancy and strong revenue despite industry changes.
In 1969 there were 75,000 pubs in the UK. In 2010 there were 48,000 and today on average 8 pubs close each week. With these figures in mind, when flooding struck Hull in 2013, forcing the closure of the Whittington & Cat over Christmas, Sue’s practical resilience shone through: “I kept the business alive by using my savings plus the revenue from my other pub, The Railway.” She shares vital advice for other owners: “Always check your insurance for consequential loss.” This is a type of business interruption insurance that covers the indirect financial losses a business suffers when it cannot operate as usual due to damage or disruption. For example, if your business must close because of flooding and customers go to other venues, consequential loss insurance can help you claim compensation for the income you lost during that period. Understanding and utilising this insurance was part of Sue’s practical approach to safeguarding her business against future risks.
Now employing more than 50 people, across three companies, Sue’s hands-on approach - working long shifts, multitasking in kitchen and bar - earned her deep respect. “If you haven’t got a customer, you haven’t got a business, you’ve got to treat them like gold.” Her team includes family and trusted colleagues: “My daughters work with me. We can all do everything.” Strong teams have allowed Sue to take needed time off: “For the first time ever, last year, our team at both pubs was so good that the family could all be off together.”
Advice from Sue is clear: “Try to avoid borrowing money and if you want something but can’t afford it, don’t buy it.” When interest rates shot up to 12%, paying off high-interest loans and saving for investments kept her financially secure. “Always remember, that money in the till isn’t yours, the money in the bank account isn’t yours, you haven’t got a business unless you’ve got money in the bank.” Diversifying into accommodation, food, and larger holiday lets allowed her to weather downturns such as 2008. “Never keep all of your eggs in one basket or just one customer. You’ve got to even it out.”
Sue also gained wider recognition through her appearance on Channel 4’s Four in a Bed, where she opened the doors of her B&B that doubles as a pub, showcasing her direct approach and hospitality expertise in a competitive and entertaining format. “This was brilliant for business, everyone knew who we were and it gave us a continuous flow of customers.”
Looking ahead, Sue is exploring investments in large holiday properties to cater to multi-family celebrations. “Guests want to hire space for 20+ people for long-weekend celebrations, and we can cater for this.” Building on her successful conversions and customer-first focus, she reflects: “As an entrepreneur, you’ve got to keep finding new opportunities, building your team, and looking after your tribe.”
Sue Perkins’ business journey offers valuable lessons for anyone navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurship: fight for what matters, keep learning, build community - and above all, treat customers and colleagues with respect and understanding.
Email:
info@forentrepreneursonly.co.uk
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For Entrepreneurs Only Quarry House, Hesslewood Office Park, Hessle, East Yorkshire, HU130LH
