Over the two years Staffordshire-based Pub Company, Punch Taverns, has invested a massive £2.1 million into its pubs across the Stoke area.
As a result of the recent investments, this has led to over 50 new jobs created for people within the local area.
Some of the pubs which have seen a cash injection include, The Red Cow in Werrington, The Horseshoe in Church Lawton, The Black Lake in Meir, the Furlong in Tunstall, the Birches Head Hotel, the Roaring Meg in Biddulph and the Princess Royal in Dresden.
More recently the Rigger in Newcastle, a rock venue which reopened on Friday 4th October after a £200,000 investment, saw hundreds attend its opening launch.
“Everyone loves the new look, the makeover has been well-received with many commenting on the quirky features like the skateboards and alternative wall art. The investment has breathed a new lease of life into the Rigger and we are now able to offer the community something different, serving good value, quality food and drink,” said new licensee Tami Gomez.
“I have some great plans for the Rigger, with regular live music and entertainment – making sure that there is something for everyone – and I look forward to the challenges ahead.”
For Mujdat Karatas, who runs the Horseshoe Inn in Church Lawton, the £350,000 investment has not only created a cosy, destination venue, but has strengthen the pub’s focus on quality food with new gastro-style dishes with a twist so he can offer something different for the local community. “Since, the launch we have been really busy and all of feedback was extremely positive,” Mujdat commented.
Landlord Ian Prescott from The Furlong in Tunstall, which opened a year ago, is also pleased with the pub’s success. “Over the last year we have been really busy and it’s going great. We are always busy and I think that speaks volumes as to how we are doing,” said Ian.
“Whilst the investment has enabled us to establish a family-friendly, welcoming pub with a good food and drink offer, we are always looking to raise the bar and our summer beer festivals and themed food nights – especially the grill night – have proved very popular.
“I’ve been really happy with the support we have received from Punch, especially from our area manager Paul Alldis who offered personal and business support, and we have attended various training courses for staff development. I believe Punch’s investment spend in the area has been fundamental to the pub’s success, moving from simply investing in the building to an investment in the facilities and what the pub can offer overall to the local community.”
Alun Johnson, Regional Operations Director for the Stoke area, explained how this forms part of Punch’s overall business strategy: “Over the last two years, we have invested £48 million across our estate last year and we plan to invest the same this year. We own a range of pubs, varying from community locals to destination food venues, and by investing in our pubs we can create the highest quality pub estate in the UK.
“We believe that pubs are the hub of the community and the cash injections create stronger business links with our licensees, like Tami, Mujdat and Jackie who all run different types of pubs, as well as the local community as pubs ire local staff and source produce locally.
“We are continuing to invest in our estate and are planning to spend £1.1 million over the next year in the Stoke area. One of these sites is the Museum Inn in Newcastle, which is currently closed whilst undergoing a £125,000 refurbishment to restore the community pub to its former glory.
“Seeing the success of our pubs, with many nominated for national awards, we have every confidence that our operators can put these venues on the map as leading pubs not only in Stoke but in the UK.”