Peach buys 14th pub and eyes expansion
Peach Pub Company has bought its 14th site, a pub previously been run by high-profile chef Jean-Christophe Novelli and later Urban Country Leisure (UCL), as it eyes expansion.
Peach has taken a free-of-tie lease with Enterprise Inns for the White Horse in Harpenden, Hertfordshire.
The pub will be refurbished inside and out "in keeping with the building's age and character", before the re-opening in May.
"This is a fantastic pub in a fantastic place," said Peach co-founder Lee Cash. "Harpenden is a great town, exactly the kind of place Peach does well in and we can't wait to get started.
"We're aware the pub's had mixed fortunes of late but we think the location and the building — it's a particularly beautiful pub in a cracking setting with a big garden and car park — make it perfectly suited to Peach.
"We're sure it's going to work - it just needs the right offer and the right people on board."
"Also, the pub is just the sort of building we love - it's got a charm to it and I'm really excited about making it 'Peachy'."
Peach said it would like to have "a few more pubs" in the Home Counties, "paving the way for continued growth in just the kind of location Peach pubs thrive".
Right ingredients
Peach has recruited a management and chef team to run the 60-cover restaurant and bar, 100-cover garden and outside deck and the private dining room for 12. A number of Peach staff will move to Harpenden to launch the pub and others will join from outside the business.
"This pub seems to have all the right ingredients including a great location and a brilliant building and we're fortunate it's come our way," said Lee. "Now, with the support of Enterprise, our partners for the first time, we're really looking forward to making it the success it can be."
The site was closed by UCL in February, with the pub operator citing insufficient returns. The closure coincided with UCL's announcement that it would be reversing plans to invest £15m expanding its country pub operation, and concentrate on the £20m roll-out of its Lazy Cow boutique hotel brand.
