Shepherd Neame pub reopens after £250k refurb
The Windsor Castle in Carshalton recently welcomed customers back, having previously closed for several weeks as the business transitioned from a tenanted site to a Shepherd Neame managed house.
While closed, the pub, which dates back to 1860, also benefitted from refurbishment and redecoration throughout, including to its spacious bar and restaurant area.
Further renovations to the pub’s exterior, including the courtyard area and garden, are planned for the near future.
New menu
In addition, the pubco, which operates more than 300 pubs and hotels throughout London and the South-East, has also introduced a new menu, using locally sourced produce, to pair with its selection of ales and beers. An extensive range of drinks is also on offer, from Shepherd Neame’s award-winning range of ales and lagers to premium wines and spirits.
At the helm of the Windsor Castle, which also boasts a function space that can accommodate up to 60 guests with its own separate bar and facilities, is general manager Isabelle Hendley.
Hendley got her first job as a waitress in 2019 at the Faversham-based operators Woolpack pub in Banstead, just four miles away from the Windsor Castle, before working her way up to a managerial role at Shepherd Neame’s Boathouse pub in Yalding, near Maidstone.
Additionally, Hendley’s fiancé, Artus Peksejevs, whom she met while working at the Woolpack, has been appointed as head chef at the Windsor Castle.
Traditional pub
Hendley said: “I loved it at the Boathouse and didn’t intend to leave for years.
“It is beautiful there in the summer. But then the Windsor Castle became available and for me, it meant going back to my roots. All my family are around here, I’m so excited to be back.”
The general manager added live music was something she “definitely” wanted to continue doing at the pub.
She continued: “We really want to make it a community pub again. It is a traditional pub with a loyal customer base and we want to build on that. I’m so pleased to be here.”
