Peach Pubs to open 15th site in Hertfordshire next week
Refurbishment work is currently being completed on the 1930s building, which was run as a restaurant until July of this year when it was placed into administration.
Peach co-founder Hamish Stoddart said the company, which already has two pubs in Hertfordshire, had considered the site a few years ago, but had been unable to acquire it.
“We talked to Enterprise at the time but the pub went in another direction," he said. "Now, three years down the track, we’ve been working with Enterprise at The White Horse in Harpenden, a pub we acquired just six months ago. So when Brookmans came onto the market again, and then subsequently went into administration in July, we were well placed to run it for the administrators and ultimately ensure a smooth handover, which is what we’ve done."
The 170-cover pub will open on Monday 24 October under manager Lloyd Willis who joins the company from Mitchells & Butlers.
Expansion plans
Brookmans is Peach Pubs' third Hertfordshire site and its acquisition takes the group nearer to its target of 22 pubs by 2013 and to its aim of opening its first site in London.
Last week fellow Peach co-founder Lee Cash said the company was still keen to 'break into London'.
"We do still want to open a pub in London, but it the right sites are very hard to come by," he said.
Peach Pubs started out in the Midlands with the Rose & Crown in Warwick. The food-led pub group's philosopy is to source 'good food, care for the environment and support local enterprise'.
