King's coronation: How are pubs celebrating?
With a £120m boost for pubs predicted, and 62m pints (17m more than usual) expected to be poured across the weekend, the pub is sure to be the place to celebrate the occasion.
From parties, to Royal menus and fancy dress events, we’ve taken a look at how 10 pubs across the country are pulling out the stops.
1. Dylans Kings Arms, St Albans, Hertfordshire
At Dylans Kings Arms, a street party will run from 11am to 5pm with an outside bar serving Champagne and martinis with beer on tap. The pub’s snacking menu will be available to take out onto tables in the street and will feature a special coronation chicken scotch egg.
George Street will also be open to residents and visitors, and the coronation will be broadcast inside the bar.
2. Cross at Kenilworth, Warwickshire
The Cross at Kenilworth will run an exclusive tasting menu from Friday 5 to Sunday 7 May to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III and the Queen Consort.
The head chef has curated a six-course menu that showcases the best of British produce, with nods to Royal connections, historical dishes and some of King Charles’ favourite ingredients.
You can start your meal with a Raspberry Royal cocktail, and on the Sunday afternoon, diners can enjoy live music from a local jazz band.
The menu features dishes such as a soft-boiled duchy hen’s egg, lobster with Isle of White tomatoes, Cornish lamb, and Wye valley asparagus salad. For dessert, there’s also Cranachan shortbread.
3. The Flowing Spring, Reading, Berkshire
The Flowing Spring will celebrate the coronation with a garden party, live music and a hat competition on Sunday 7 May. Hot and cold food will be on offer, including vegan options, with drinks available from an outside bar.
Visitors to the free event can enjoy live music in the pub garden from lunchtime through to the evening. For the hat contest, customers are asked to bring their own coronation-themed head wear, which will be paraded on the hat-walk with the creator of the best hat winning a prize.
Local bands Undercurrent, Third Quarter, Boxset and The Rocket Kings will be playing at the event.
4. The Beehive, White Waltham, Berkshire
The Beehive will be throwing a street party to mark the occasion on Sunday 7 May. Kids and adults are welcome, and all are encouraged to don their royal finery for the occasion.
BBQ food and drink can be purchased from the pub’s Crown Menu on the day or you can bring your own picnic. The menu will feature slow cooked lamb over a firepit, aubergine with pitta and sausage & salad in a bun.
On top of this, the pub will run a cake and pudding competition, as well as a crown competition, balloon-making, face-painting, royal tattoos, ‘name the coronation Teddy Bear’, arts & crafts and a sports obstacle race. There really is something for all the family.
5. The Coronation, Derby, Derbyshire
“With a pub like this, how could we not be [celebrating]?” said this pub’s operator Ryan Jones. An 80s themed fancy dress and disco, a bouncy castle, and face painting would all be on offer for the big day.
Guests will also be able to enjoy a BBQ and afternoon tea during the live event, with a life-size King Charles to take selfies with. “We want to make this as fun as possible and to appeal to old and new customers,” added Jones.
6. The Durham Ox. Warwick, Warwickshire
This village pub will be throwing a street food festival to mark the event. The festival, which will be free to enter, will be taking place on bank holiday Monday (May 8) in the pub’s garden, with DJs and kid’s entertainment from 12pm to 9pm.
Food vendors attending include Le Petit Bois Seafood Shack, Chatty Patty, Big Dogz Tacos, Smokehouse UK, Cofton Pizza and Dollies Cookies.
The pub’s bar will be open, and a children’s disco, which can be pre-booked, will run in the day.
We are excited to be bringing you a CORONATION SPECIAL of Shrewley Food Fest in only three weeks' time...
— The Durham Ox (@DurhamOxWarwick) April 21, 2023
We've got some of the finest street food vendors from the Midlands and beyond, including Chatty Patty, Dollies Cookies and more!https://t.co/E5SWqZbT3vpic.twitter.com/YzFlJ7Sduu
7. The Lupset, Wakefield, West Yorkshire
This Wakefield pub is taking Coronation fever to a new extreme with a non-stop coronation party providing a weekend full of events and activities for the family from 5 May to 8 May.
The pub on Horbury Road will kick off festivities on the Friday with a retro hits theme night. On the coronation day, the pub will host a garden party for kids, which will include games, inflatables and a water fight.
The Sunday will see a garden party take place at the pub. Guests are encouraged to bring their own picnic blanket, but food stalls will be available, and an Oasis tribute band will play in the garden that night.
Finally, the pub will host a kids’ charity football game on 8 May, which will raise money for the local community football team Walton Utd Under 11s.
8. The Bread and Cheese, Benfleet, Essex
This pub is changing its name in honour of King Charles and Camilla in time for the Coronation.
The Bread and Cheese pub is renaming itself the Charles and Camilla for the day of the event. A big screen in the pub will mean guests can watch the ceremony.
9. The Queens Head, Kettlesing, North Yorkshire
A number of popular tribute bands will be playing at this pub across the weekend. For just £25 a ticket, customers can enjoy afternoon tea and a Sunday lunch carvery or a hog roast depending on the day.
Bands include rock musicians Bilko and MFOR on the Saturday, jazz and blues on the Sunday and Abba, Motown and the Beatles tribute bands on the Monday.
10. The Lockoford Inn, Tapton, Derbyshire
Tapton’s coronation celebration will be held at the Lockoford Inn on 6 May. The event will consist of stall – including an ice cream van, cakes and scones. Hot sandwiches and a variety of drinks will be on offer at the inn.
What’s more, there will be a variety of activities available for children, and there will be the chance to have your photo taken with a life-sized cut out of the King. Raffles are also planned to raise funds for future community activities.
