In fact it has had a second major change of direction in a little over a decade.
Originally an 18th-century inn, the Pattiswick-based pub well and truly entered the 21st century in 2005 by emerging as a high-end gastropub, resulting in it winning three awards at the GBPA in 2008 - Family Pub of the Year, East Anglia Pub of the Year and overall Great British Pub of the Year - as well as gaining a host of other awards, including Best Restaurant in Essex, Best Pub in Essex and The Great British Family Pub of the Year.
In 2010 it established its own events team to arrange weddings and private parties. Then two years ago it went the whole hog and closed its doors as a walk-in pub, reopening as an exclusive-use-only venue focusing on providing outstanding events for customers.
Present plans
Today it organises weddings, private parties, exclusive events, product launches, promotions and presentations for companies.
Romance is often in the air. Despite the big change of direction, it still markets itself as ‘a beautiful country pub in the heart of the north Essex countryside specialising in bespoke weddings and weddings with a difference.’
The Compasses promise that couples booking a wedding will find the historic building really is their's for the day! With its own in-house florist and prop hire facility it can cater for any style of event, from intimate gathering right up to lavish affairs for 150 guests.
It has been a long road of change for the Compasses but it has clearly found its own niche in what is a highly competitive market.
The deadline for entry for this year's John Smith's Great British Pub Awards is 18 May, and you can enter online here: www.greatbritishpubawards.co.uk.