Prior Hungry Horse pub opens after six-figure refurb
Surrey-based pub, Cornerstone, Kingston-Upon-Thames, has reopened for the first time since 2020 after a six-figure investment.
The makeover saw the bar, kitchen and new sports area undergo a complete refurbishment at the venue, which is no longer a Hungry Horse, and is located on Clarence Street near Kingston Tube Station.
The sports area features American shuffleboards, smart darts and pool and a range of entertainment will be hosted throughout the week including live music, sports and regular quiz nights.
Guests can buy dishes from the updated menu including pub classics, steak nights and traditional Sunday roasts. What’s more, cask ales, cocktails on draught and gins are available at the bar, and drinks can be enjoyed on the recently added exterior seating.
Cornerstone general manager Steve Murphy believed the pub to be the “perfect home away from home” in the centre of Kingston. He said: “Whether you’re looking to enjoy the hustle and bustle of Kingston High Street, or just want to relax near the river in the sun, you’ll always have good food and refreshing drink to look forward to at Cornerstone."
He continued: “The renovation has brought a vibrant new energy to the pub, and with our improved facilities and exciting new sports area we’re really pleased to be able to offer our Kingston guests an even better drinking, dining and social experience.
“We can’t wait to welcome new friends and old to visit Cornerstone over the next few weeks and witness the transformation for themselves – it’s been totally revamped since it was a Hungry Horse!”
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Brewers Fayre to open first site in 5 years
Whitbread’s family pub brand, Brewers Fayre, has announced its first opening in five years with the launch of a new site, the Willen Dragon, in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.
The pub will open its doors on Monday 4 July 2022, and will be located by Willen Lake, joining the portfolio of 152 UK Brewers Fayre pubs.
The family-friendly venue will feature a refreshed contemporary design, with a total of 357 covers including 164 outside. The pub will also feature an eclectic mix of furnishings with banquette seating and feature group dining tables, with an open kitchen, carvery area and long, statement bar.
Rebecca Donaldson, commercial marketing director at Whitbread, which also owns Premier Inn and Beefeater, said the team was “excited” to open its first Brewers Fayre site since 2017 as it looked to grow and develop the brand.
“As our new flagship pub, the opening marks a fresh and contemporary redesign of Brewers Fayre, updating the much-loved brand for our diners, while still delivering on the great value and quality food and service we are known for,” she added.
Outside will be home to an expansive garden with an outdoor bar, covered areas, beach-style huts, an outdoor children’s play area and water station for dogs.
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Chance to acquire village pub comes up through Christie & Co
Specialist property advisor, Christie & Co, has brought to market village pub the Pug & Greyhound in the heart of Great Glen, Leicestershire.
The Grade II listed Pug & Greyhound overlooks the village green from a corner plot between Orchard Lane and London Road. The building dates back 400 years and was originally named the Old Greyhound before changing its name when acquired by Pug Pubs in 2014.
The property compromises of two main buildings, with one housing the free house and two-bedroom owners’ accommodation, and the other featuring seven letting bedrooms refurbished in 2017.
Christie & Co hospitality business agent James Buist-Brealey, who is handling the sale, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for either an existing operator looking to add to their portfolio or a first-time buyer, to pick up a much-loved village pub in an affluent pocket of Leicestershire.
“The pub has become a hugely successful business since it was acquired by Pug Pubs in 2014, offering an exciting platform for the new operator to build on.”
Nautical pub reopens with couple at helm
Shepherd Neame pub the Spanish Galleon, Greenwich, southeast London, has reopened following a three month project, with new licensees Darren and Janet Wellman at the helm.
The 19th century venue, which is located next to historic ship the Cutty Sark and Greenwich Market, has undergone a full refurb since the pair took it on in February.
The makeover saw touches added to the pub including new curtains, a dark cherry ceiling in the bar and window boxes at the front. The upstairs function room has also been redecorated and renamed the Crow’s Nest in keeping with the nautical theme of the area.
Janet said: “We have done a complete refurbishment which was a lot of hard work, but it is wonderful to see it now that it is finished. The pub is in such a prominent position and we thought that it had a lot of potential when we saw it, so we felt very lucky when Shepherd Neame gave us the opportunity to take it on.”
Suffolk townhouse to open in August
The Suffolk in Aldeburgh, Suffolk will be opened in August by the team behind pop-up restaurant L’Escargot Sur-Mer following a major revamp.
The venue will include a 60-cover restaurant named Sur-Mer, rooftop terrace complete with sea views, a bar and private dining rooms as well as six bedrooms which will open in September.
Front of house will be headed by owner George Pell, who said he was “incredibly excited” to bring life and purpose back to the great building and, once again, to make it the heartbeat of Aldeburgh.
He continued: “For me, this is the realisation of a childhood dream to have a restaurant beside the sea and the fact we’re opening in Aldeburgh is such a treat, there is truly nowhere else like it on the planet.
“The Suffolk will be a place for the locals to enjoy - to treat as their own; to read the paper and have a glass of wine in but it should also be special enough to make people want to travel to enjoy a long leisurely lunch with a lobster and chips. The team and I can’t wait to welcome our first guests in August.”
The Bat & Ball relocates to new home
East London’s table tennis venue the Bat & Ball has moved into its new home just three doors down from its prior spot at Westfield Stratford City.
The 12,700 sq. ft space features five ping pong tables, as well as a new kitchen, bar and interactive darts experience. Guests can also try their hand at beer and prosecco pong or take part in the UV Karaoke room stocked with more than 20,000 songs and space for up to 16 people.
The venue also boasts a refreshed food and drink offering including classic pizzas, burgers and sides as well as salads, wraps and sundaes.
Urban Pubs & Bars founder and director Nick Pring commented: “We’re incredibly excited to have opened the new and improved Bat & Ball site at Westfield Stratford City and it’s brilliant to see the venue have a permanent home. The Bat & Ball has become an institution within the area so we’re excited to show off its new look and the additional experiences on offer.”
The venue, which is also available for private hire, can cater for up to 60 guests, and the site’s resident DJs will take to the booth every Friday and Saturday.
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield CSR UK general manager Alyson Hodkinson added: “The Bat & Ball’s new venue located in the centre’s buzzing Chestnut Plaza will be even more compelling.
“Opening just in time for an exciting summer of sports and events in the area, the Bat & Ball’s winning blend of leisure, active entertainment, music and dining means it has something for everyone and adds to the growing number of attractions at Westfield Stratford City.”
- To find out about pubs for sale, lease and tenancy go to our property site.
- If you have any information regarding new openings or property details you think could be used in this weekly round-up section, along with hi-res landscape images, please emailamelie.maurice-jones@wrbm.com before midday on Tuesdays.
