Family businesses are common in the Lake District.

For some, it works extremely well and for others, less so.

I have been working with my wife, Annette, for more than twenty years. We met at the Queen’s Head in Troutbeck and have built up a number of steady businesses over that period of time.

The one aspect of our adolescence that we both regret is the lack of opportunity with regards to our own education.

That’s why we were determined to give our two sons, Jack, 25 and Harry, 19, the best possible start in life.

That they have received an excellent education and yet, still choose to remain working with us at the family business, is very flattering.

Operating a business with family members is often tougher than dealing with ordinary employees.

It can be challenging to maintain a professional relationship in working hours and a personal one after hours, but with years of practice, we have found a healthy balance.

Thankfully, disagreements are few and far between.

Our personalities work well together, but it’s also important for us to give our own opinions. We bounce ideas off one another. That’s often how the best concepts emerge.

Having clearly defined roles is key to how we function.

Jack operates the front of house position at the Village Inn at Bowness and is also the creator of our recently-launched range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails.

Harry is in charge of the kitchen and is an excellent chef.

Annette creates our handmade desserts in addition to organising us all. She is the ultimate multi-tasker. I oversee the rest!

We all bring our individual passions to the tasks that we undertake. Both boys have been involved and worked in our family businesses for many years and have been employed in every available position, from kitchen porter, through to operations. They understand fully what it takes to make a business successful.

One of the most positive aspects of working in a family business is how much time we get to spend together and we feel extremely lucky to work collectively in the day, yet still wish to spend time with one another out of hours.

There is also a high degree of trust when you employ family members. They often care about the business just as much as you and it’s good to know they are continually giving 100 per cent in driving the business forward.

On dark days, you can support each other.

The loss of the Queen’s Head at Troutbeck through fire in June this year was a devastating time for us all. Annette and I worked there together more than twenty years ago. It was a true family business.

While we await the re-opening, we have put all of our energies into the continued success of the Village Inn and the Miller Howe Café in Grasmere, both of which are undergoing extensive refurbishment and development.

I believe it’s essential to keep reinventing ourselves and providing an even better service for our customers.

Running any type of business can be tiring. When it’s your own business, however, it’s also extremely difficult to switch off.

But the rewards are immense, particularly when you are passing on knowledge and skills to the next generation.

While working with family isn’t a perfect life, for me, it’s probably as good as it gets and if our sons choose to move on and seek employment elsewhere, I know that they have learned thoroughly from the bottom up.