Star injects more than £1.5m into Welsh pubs
The Unicorn investment brings Star’s total expenditure in Wales in the last month to £1.75m and more than £4m in the last three years.
Other projects include a £200,000 makeover of the Talbot in Llantrisant, which reopened at the end of September, and the Newborough Arms in Bontnewydd, which is scheduled to open this week following a joint £200,000 investment with Steven Hughes, licensee of the Crown in Caernarfon.
The pubco has also planned to invest a further £730,000 at the Blacksmith Arms in Llantwit Major and the Holybush in Lower Machen, subject to recruiting the right operators.
Heart of the community
Star Pubs & Bars managing director Lawson Mountstevens said the investments “demonstrate commitment” to the Welsh economy.
He continued: “We’re delighted to have brought the Unicorn back to life, it’s now a stunning pub inside and out.
“With so much housing on its doorstep, local offices and a retail park nearby and no other pubs in the vicinity, the area is crying out for a pub like the Unicorn, which offers something for everyone.
“It will become the beating heart of the community, a place where residents can come together. It is also in walking distance for many, which plays into trends for people wanting to socialise locally.”
The Unicorn, which is part of Star’s manged model Just Add Talent (JAT), now has a garden room with sharing tables and a chef’s table with bi-folding doors onto a terrace as well as lounge, dining and bar areas.
Quality and consistency
In addition, outside the revamped venue now offers a choice of seating on the new terrace in addition to picnic tables and benches in the garden.
The pub’s menu consists of pub favourites, including a children’s menu, while the drinks offering will include cocktails, premium wines, spirits and beers as well as cask and craft ales, Heineken 0.0 and barista style coffee.
Moreover, the pub is also due to benefit from the installation of upgraded dispense technology in a bid to improve the quality and consistency of its draft beer and cider.
Operator of the Unicorn, Gemma Morgan, said: “I’ve been helping out in my parents’ pubs since I was 15. Hospitality is in my blood.
“Taking the Unicorn on a managed operator agreement gives people like me who haven’t got a financial background or resources the opportunity to do so.”
