Profile: Floating asset
A BRISTOL pub with a difference has said 'ahoy there!' to a refurb designed to boost its food appeal.
The Grain Barge, a floating pub docked in the South Western city's historic harbour, had an extensive refit after being acquired by local brewer Bristol Beer Factory. It was originally a transport vessel used to carry barley and wheat across the Severn Estuary. Before being acquired by the Ashton-based brewer, its most recent incarnation was as a restaurant called Shoots.
The redesign aims to highlight the barge's links to the area's maritime and brewing history. It sought, in manager Adam White's well-chosen words, to reposition it as "a good pub, not some swanky wine bar".
The exterior has been spruced up and the owners have capitalised on the ready-made smoking area that is the top deck. Customers enter onto the middle deck, which has been refurbished and given a layout that allows for 270-degree views of the harbour. The level below deck has been converted into a Bavarian-style bierkeller with wooden benches and trestle tables.
This has created three distinct areas with three distinct roles. The top deck is an area for al fresco eating and drinking, as well as smoking. The mid-deck is primarily a dining area, while the lower deck is used as a music venue.
The food is classic pub grub, including pies from Bristol-based Pieminister, and locally sourced bangers and mash. The bar stocks Bristol Beer Factory's cask and bottled beers and stout, along with Thatchers cider from another local supplier.
A lot of thought went into the design, explains Adam. "We completely gutted it, repositioned some of the bars, made it open-plan on the mid-deck, and increased the capacity of the bar downstairs to around 100," he says.
"When you first come on board, it's light and airy and you have these fantastic views. Downstairs is completely different - more cosy and intimate. And upstairs, all in all, the barge is made for the smoking ban. It's probably the best smoking area there is in Bristol."
Reclaimed and recycled materials were used wherever possible, including reclaimed wood from the brewery which was used to build one of the bars.More than enough, you would think, to keep this pub business afloat for a long time to come.
