Peach takes on former Novelli pub in Harpenden
The Enterprise Inns-owned pub with a 60-cover restaurant and bar, 100-cover garden and 12-cover private dining room, has been taken on by Peach free of tie and will be sympathetically refurbished to restore its original features before reopening in early May.
The addition to Peach’s stable marks a move for the group toward opening further pubs in the Home Counties.
Lee Cash, co-founder of Peach, which is working with Enterprise Inns for the first time, said the rural location of The White Horse is exactly the place Peach thrives in.
“We’re aware the pub’s had mixed fortunes of late but we think the location and the building - it’s a particularly beautiful pub in a cracking setting with a big garden and car park – make it perfectly suited to Peach,” he said. “We’re sure it’s going to work – it just needs the right offer and the right people on board.”
Peach has already recruited a management and chef team, using a mixture of existing and new staff members, although further job opportunities are still available.
Previous owner
Urban & Country took over the lease of The White Horse from celebrity chef Novelli in 2009, but following a strategic review of the business, withdrew its association in January this year to concentrate on a £20m rollout of its Lazy Cow boutique hotel brand.
The group also announced it would bin plans to invest £15m in expanding its country pub estate due to an expected downturn in the country pub sector.
