Clovenfords Hotel, Clovenfords

Clovenfords is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, four miles west of the town Galashiels. The village sits on undulating grasslands and surrounding rolling hills and the 2011 census gave it a population count of 562 people.

Clovenfords village was established around the mid-18th century as a point along the stagecoach route between Carlisle and Edinburgh. Opening in c.1750 as the Whytbank Inn, Walter Scott stayed frequently at the hotel after he was appointed a sheriff in 1799, and the poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy stayed there in 1803.

Roy and Theresa McIntosh took over this Punch Taverns tenancy over two and a half years ago and the pub/hotel was failing and reliant on local function business and passing trade. As a building with considerable history it was in need of renovation to the trading areas.

When the village shop, opposite the pub/hotel closed early in January 2017, Roy and Theresa decided to reinstate the shop within their own premises to maintain the essential lifeline for people in the area and made contact with Pub is The Hub for their support and advice.

As part of their programme of support from Scottish Government and the Scottish Borders Council, Pub is The Hub was able to award a grant to the Clovenfords project which went towards the conversion costs.

Project Summary:

The Clovenfords Hotel Village Shop and Cafe shop stocks essential convenience items as well as newspapers, locally supplied bread, dairy foods, fruit, vegetables, deli items and local arts and crafts. The café provides a day-time meeting place and hub for local residents and visitors and both shop and café are open from 7.30am to 6pm from Monday to Friday, and from 8am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.

The indoor market place for local products and produce was sited in the underused function suite but mobile units to allow suite to be reused.

There are some plans to have an outdoor Farmers Market on the site and local social groups and clubs are being encouraged to meet in the cafe.

Outcomes so far:

• The shop and market place facilities are now in place.
• Community groups using venue as daytime meeting point.
• The opening of the shop and cafe generated local and trade media coverage for the pub/hotel helping to raise its awareness in the area.
• As a mark of their commitment and achievement, Roy and Theresa have just been awarded the Community Pub of the Year Award at the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards 2017 for their community links and charitable fund-raising.

Lessons to Learn:

It has been a lot to take on board for the licencees, but has been successfully carried out.