Young's transform old bank into new town pub

Young's to open new site in Surrey 

Previously an old bank situated in Farnham, Surrey the Teller’s Arms has undergone  extensive transformation. The site is now an 168-capacity pub complete with rooms. Showcasing nine boutique bedrooms, with an all-day dining space, bar and an expansive roof terrace alongside meeting and events spaces.

The site is set to offer an all-day dining menu curated by Head Chef Ryan Patterson, the menu is set to focus on seasonal British produce, paired with a varied selection of local craft and draught beers.  

The design, led by Harrison agency, will encapsulate the sites original features  including fireplaces as well as the original Teller’s clock. Other features showcased will be wooden herringbone flooring, Victorian tiling and chandeliers fused with bright interiors. By spring 2025, a retractable roof will be added to the rooftop terrace.

Offering an alfresco dining option. The pub will showcase nine individually designed bedrooms, each room acknowledging the pub’s surroundings, including Farnham’s Bishop Meadow.   

Young's CEO Simon Dodd said: “We are delighted to be opening Teller’s Arms in the heart of Farnham, bringing a new pub offering to the high street.

"In-keeping with our ongoing strategy to celebrate venues with heritage, the new pub will offer a premium experience which blends the history of the site with the charm of a country pub and we look forward to welcoming guests from near and far.”  

The site is situated close to Farnham Station and is an hour outside of London by train. Spanning across London and the South of England, Young’s Pubs now operate 42 premium pubs with rooms that are under its Young’s Room arm, which runs alongside the wider pub portfolio.

Punch acquires Milton 1 & 2 portfolio​

Punch pubs have added a further 14 pubs to its c.1,300- strong estate. The newly acquired pubs, are operated by Blackrose Pubs.

This deal is separate to the Milton 3 acquisition (24 pubs), which was completed earlier this year. Group Property Director at Punch, Stephen Allen said: “We are delighted to welcome these 14 fantastic pubs into the Punch family. This acquisition reflects our continued dedication to expanding and enhancing our portfolio.”

He continued: “We look forward to investing in these pubs and supporting them with our industry-leading resources, ensuring their long-term success.” 

Aprirose, together with its investment partners, acquired the pubs originally five years ago. The deal takes Punch’s total acquisitions in the last 12 months up to more than 50 pubs.

“This sale aligns with our strategic goal of exiting our operational pub platform and reallocating capital towards new opportunities we are actively pursuing across several sectors with a range of investor partnerships. We appreciate the hard work of Blackrose Pubs in managing these assets, and we are confident that the pubs will continue to thrive under Punch’s ownership", Aprirose CEO Manish Gudka added.

The pubs include The Anchor, Bexley; Shield & Dagger, Bristol; The Auction House, Coventry; The Lochside, and more.

Blackrose Pubs CEO Darren Knipe said: “We have been honoured to work with some incredible people over the years as we have developed these pubs into what they are today. We wish the managers and their teams the very best for the future, and we’re confident that Punch will continue to foster their growth.”

Manhatta set to open first site in Edinburgh

A New York inspired cocktail bar is set to open this October on Rose Street in Edinburgh. Opening on Saturday 26 October, the site will be Manahatta's Scottish debut and offer guests a taste of New York in the heart of Edinburgh.

The new location will showcase New York centred design elements spanning across two floors both ground level and basement, boasting a combined area of 360sqm. Both floors offer art deco arched back bars with a mirrored disco ball with an elevated DJ booth overlooking the dancefloor.

The Edinburgh venue will launch with the brand’s well known 'LIVE & LOUD Piano Night’ which will then take place every Thursday. Guests will also have the opportunity to enjoy live music performances and share their own musical requests. 

As part of Arc Inspirations, Manhatta Edinburgh will join an expanding portfolio, with 17 established bars across nine locations throughout the UK, including Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Sheffield, York and Harrogate. 

The new site will offer unique pricing for cocktails as well as a special £7 offer, which will be available Monday through to Thursday. Key mentions will include the Diamonds are Forever sharer,​ made of Bacardi Carta Blanca, watermelon, kiwi, cranberry, apple, lime and soda poured straight from a giant diamond, alongside signature cocktails from the Six in The City​ menu.

Manhatta Edinburgh will also offer menus boasting fan favourites such as the NY Club Bagel, Karaage Chicken Bowl and Bao Buns and famous Steak Frites. Lunch time deals and small plates will be available alongside the brand's 'Boozy Brunch',  which will run till 8pm daily and will include a package of six drinks. The venue will also cater to private events with flexible options including entire venue or full floor hire.

Arc Inspirations CEO Martin Wolstencroft said:​ “Edinburgh is the perfect city for our debut in Scotland, and we’re excited to introduce our new interior design concept to this vibrant location. With a significant £2.45m investment in the site, we’re eager to offer an elevated and unique experience that captures the essence of New York in Scotland’s capital, complete with top-notch entertainment and a dynamic atmosphere.”

DGB Hospitality Group to open tenth venue​

DGB Hospitality Group is set to open its tenth site, Gloria's, with more than £1m invested into the project.

Located in Liverpool, the venue is set to launch on Friday 27 September. The establishment will see more than 20 new jobs created with potential for more recruitment toward Christmas.

Following it’s grand opening, the venue will be open weekly every Wednesday until Sunday till late and on weekends until 5am. 

The venue includes design features from R2A Studio with key highlights including an immersive light up bar. Evenings will start as a sophisticated cocktail lounge and transform into a dance club offering pink flooring and booth seating. The site will feature live disco bands and local and international DJs, the site will also be free entry. 

Gloria’s Liverpool joins DGB Hospitality Group’s existing portfolio of venues including Petit Café, Pogue Mahone, Motel and Teddy’s.

DGB Hospitality Group's Sean Singleton said: “We’re immensely proud to be bringing Gloria’s to Liverpool and it feels really special being the tenth part of the DGB Hospitality family.” He continued “It’s a huge project with our biggest investment to date, with over £1m going into making this Liverpool’s hottest new destination. We put huge effort and investment into planning each of our DGB Hospitality locations. We can’t wait to introduce Gloria’s to Liverpool.”

The Bridge End in Llangollen re-opens with new look​

The Bridge End, located in Llangollen, north-east Wales, has reopened it’s doors after an expansive new refurbishment.

The pub and hotel, which is owned by Robinson’s Brewery and operated  by Country Village Inns, and marks Country Village Inns fifth pub partnership with Robinsons.

After closing April ahead of the refurbishment, the site has undergone significant changes including a new internal layout as well as an improved function room and eight new dog friendly bedrooms.   

The new look has been centred around being a family friendly site, welcoming for both tourists and the local community.

Country Village Inns managing director Mat Cooper said: “When the opportunity at the Bridge End opened up, I jumped at the chance, particularly knowing it was due a refurbishment. It’s such a beautiful building and in a prime part of town. We love taking on pubs ready for a new lease of life and putting them back in the heart of their communities. It’s what we’re good at.”

“We love how Robinsons operate and look after their properties. Whilst they’re a well-established company, Robinsons continue developing and investing.

Having fully reopened on Thursday 5 September, the food menu offers pub classics and an excellent range of beers and dog friendly options.

Other sites in the Country Village Inns estate include the Pooley Bridge, Red Dragon, Queens head and the newly acquired Royal Oak.

The Clock House Tavern opens in Peckham Rye​

The Clock House Tavern has opened, located in Peckham Rye on the park.

Formerly known as the Clock House, the venue spans across two floors and has been revived by independent pub group Parched, which also operates The Montpelier, The White Horse, and The Earl of Derby.

Parched co-founder Neil Watson said: ‘We are beyond excited to be opening the Clock House Tavern right in our community. The pub is in such a fantastic location, right on Peckham Rye park. It has great history and so much charm.

“Restoring London pubs to their former glory is the Parched speciality. With two decades of success, the team has brought many pubs back from the brink. Legends on the local pub scene, they show no signs of stopping.” 

The Clock House Tavern champions traditional pub charm, with key features including restored oak panelling, antique mirrors, and leather banquette seating, also complete with a dart board and beer garden.

Alongside the main bar, the site also offers an events room, snug area with a fireplace and a back area for food and parties, while the upstairs bar offers views of Peckham Rye Park.

The sites' drinks offering places a focus on English cask ales, whiskeys, quality wines and hand-crafted cocktails alongside ales and beers from nearby breweries, as well as London beers such as Gipsy Hill and Pillars Brewery on tap. Other options include Harvey’s Brewery, Timothy Taylor’s and Brockley Brewery. 

Gengelly's, made up of chef duo George Genn and Laurence Pengelly, are at work in the kitchen, with their Clock House Tavern menu focused on bold, unfussy food offerings. Options include grilled fish and steaks, seasonal flatbreads and fresh pasta, alongside a classic Sunday Roast. 

The star on Bethnal Green opens four new karaoke rooms​

Electric Star Pubs have announced the opening of 4 new karaoke rooms, located at The Star Of Bethnal Green pub in London. 

The new additions will bring the karaoke offering up to 5 rooms in total, with the largest catering for up to 16 people. Prices for karaoke range from £49 to £139 per hour. Bookings for rooms will be open from 4 October. £1 karaoke will also be offered by the site  from 7– 14 October to celebrate the launch. 

The venue has also kickstarted 'Karaoke Heaven', a booking platform with information on special events across the firm's seven sites, such as a karaoke brunch.

Owner of Electric Star Pubs Rob Star said: “We are super excited to open another 4 state of the art karaoke rooms in our pub in Bethnal Green, meaning we now have 17 rooms across all of our Electric Star pubs. Star of Bethnal Green was the first pub I opened, so it has a special place in my heart."

The Star Of Bethnal Green opened in April 2008, with live music mentions at the venue including Metronomy, Bombay Bicycle Club and Cage the Elephant. The first karaoke room was built in 2010 and the pub also has a Funktion one sound system and holds regular DJ nights on Fridays and Saturdays alongside a weekly Tuesday night quiz and secret midweek pop-up pub raves, with food provided by street food traders.

Ashendon residents raise funds to buy their village pub

Residents of Ashendon in Buckinghamshire and its local villages have successfully raised funds to buy their village pub and have begun their hunt for a tenant. 

The Ashendon Community Pub Society successfully raised a lump sum of £549,494 to save its village pub as a community asset. The total signifies £300,000 in community ownership Government funding plus an extra £249,494 added through a community share offer and donations. 72% of the total community share value came from Ashendon residents, with volume of share applications at 54% contributing from outside of Ashendon, including from the USA, Europe and Japan

A sale price for the pub has also been agreed at £420,000, essential refurbishments to the site are also needed and the society continues to fundraise through donations and sponsorships to reach its optimum target of a further £50,000. The village is also now on the hunt for tenants.

Society chair Luke Jamieson said: “This achievement is a testament to the collective spirit and determination of our local population to preserve its local community, maintain inter-village connectivity, and support UK village pubs. Singer, Tony Hadley, a local supporter of the ‘Save the Ashendon Pub’ campaign, has also promised to come and sing at the pub’s opening night to celebrate.” 

The site, formerly known as The Hundred of Ashendon closed in November 2021 and has been part of the Buckinghamshire village for more than 300 years. The primary objectives for the community pub include preserving the heart of the community, providing a local food and drink solution and a daytime social interaction as well as regenerating small amounts of local employment, fostering community involvement and supporting local businesses and sustainability. Attracting wider community is also important for the pub.

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