BACKGROUND
The Boars public house is situated in the village of Spooner Row, near Wymondham and was taken over by Russell and Clare Evans in April 2016. Having lived only a stone’s throw away from The Boars for 19 years, when the owners of the pub decided to retire Clare and Russell had no hesitation in acquiring the pub having been regular customers. When they took over, the kitchen had been closed for 6 months and their first priority was to get this up and running and to make the menu more attractive for the local villagers with affordable meals and changing the menu every twelve weeks. The Boars soon gained a reputation for excellent food and by using local brewers the pints started to flow and the locals returned. However, they wanted to make the pub more community focused and asked their customers what facilities they felt were essential.
PROJECT SUMMARY
From this survey, top of the list was a café and outside family area. Russell then contacted Pub is The Hub for their guidance and, with the help of the organisation’s kick-start funding, the projects were underway. The old snug and store room were converted into a café and an outside laundry room was demolished and transformed into a superb outside family area.
OUTCOMES
The Boars now boasts a coffee shop accessible through a separate entrance that opens from 8am so that residents, commuters and parents taking children to and from school can call in to enjoy homemade cakes, teas, coffee and a menu of locally sourced food with a full takeaway service. When the sun shines there is an outside area for the children to play and parents to socialise. The café is proving a great facility for all age groups, especially the more elderly residents, encouraging them to get out and is now a meeting place helping to combat loneliness and isolation.
The outside area is attracting young mums and dads with their offspring making The Boars a true village hub; and they now have their own unique biscuits and sausage rolls made in-house portraying an imprinted pig shape, plus a quarterly newspaper aptly named #OinK!
LESSONS TO LEARN
- Licensees who forged links with the community to provide new facilities. opportunity to purchase newly baked produce and locally sourced fresh food.
- Addressing a long standing need for more amenities and helping to reduce social exclusion. Increasing employment opportunities for local people.
- Generating a positive perception of the pub helped through Pub is The Hub and supported by The Prince’s Countryside Fund.
- Using local suppliers thereby helping local businesses and boosting the local economy.
PROJECT CAPITAL
Total Capital Costs: £13,205
Applicant Contribution: £10,205
Pub is The Hub Community Services Fund £3,000
For more information telephone 01423 546165 or email enquiries@pubisthehub.org.uk