logo
  • Join us on

Brunning and Price News Archive

Charity Donations 2023

February 2024

It always takes us a little while to tot up the total, but after doing all the appropriate sums we are thrilled to announce that last year, through the amazing efforts of our crew in the pubs we raised a grand total of £85,192.23p for charity.

Our pubs choose charities that are important to their local communities or the crew within them, so the money raised is for all sorts of different worthy causes. They also choose how they would like to raise the money, so that could be through raft races, duck races, sponsored moustache growing, bake sales, walks, swims, cycles, football or golf days or simply by asking their customers to try and balance a 20 pence piece on a floating lemon. We set aside funds to match their totals where we can and are very proud of all their efforts.


Food Made Good Awards

January 2024

Brunning and Price have just been awarded the highest accolade of 3 stars again in the latest Food Made Good report, published in January 2024.

The Sustainable Restaurant Association measures our approach in 3 main areas; Sourcing, Society and Environment and we are thrilled to have received our highest scores to date for our work, along with our suppliers and crew, making us leaders in sustainability in the hospitality field.


Christmas HQ Bake Off

December 2023

The annual Bake Off competition introduced a new category of 'Best Dog Treat' this year, which was dominated by Nicola's entry of gingerbread sausage dogs, pipping Kieron's liver meat balls to the top spot in a blind tasting by Mavis the golden Labrador. Rob's sausage and stuffing rolls (harshly) won the Savoury Category despite Nicola lovingly baking her World-renowned Sausage and Cranberry Sauce rolls (and Kieron's quite spectacular Haggis Balls) and Jill came in on top of the Sweet Category with her sublime chocolate and orange cake (with Nicola's Gingerbread Reindeers cruelly be described as ''a bit soft'' and ''what even are they?'').

Some amazing bakes from all concerned.

*author, Nicola


Winners! National Innovation in Training Awards 2023

November 2023

We are absolutely thrilled to announce that we won not one but two National Innovation in Training Awards; Best Wellbeing Team and Best Training Programme.

The ‘NITA’s’ showcase individuals and businesses who put their people first, creating innovative training programmes and nurturing long term careers in the licensed trade. They recognise groups that support and champion their people through training programmes that support our thriving industry, so this really is an accolade to be very proud of. Some of the team attended the ceremony in London and looked pleased as punch to have won.

Our crew is at the heart of everything we do, if they are not given the tools and knowledge needed and genuinely cared for, we can’t expect them to give our customers the experience that they ought to receive and care for them in turn – so this is something we are absolutely dedicated to and it’s hugely important to us.

Well done team!


Junior Chefs Winners Dinner

November 2023

Four sets of ‘Junior Chef and Front of House team’ winners from our ‘2023 Food Competition’ back in September, along with our team of Exec Chefs enjoyed their ‘winners lunch’ at Jason Atherton’s City Social in London last week. The beautiful Michelin starred restaurant is located on level 24 of Tower 42 in the heart of London, boasting magnificent views across the city. They all had such a lovely time and were hopefully inspired by the creations they tasted. A well-deserved treat for our talented winners.


Halloween

November 2023

We love an opportunity to get our neighbours together and obviously to dress up. So much fun up and down the country from Ghost Walks through Chester to Howl-er-Wieners dressed up Dog Walks through Alcester and lots of children’s hunts, parties and pumpkin carving competitions in between.

We have also been loving getting creative behind the bar with dubious looking green cocktails and in the kitchen with some delicious squash-based recipes.

Well done team!


Sal’s Patch Footy Tournament

October 2023

Sal asked for volunteers from his patch of pubs to form teams and take part in his annual footy tournament and received a fantastic turnout despite the relentless rain all night. Old scores were settled with the Prae Wood Arms beating the Mute Swan 3-0 in the final, the last final was held (way back before Covid) in 2019 where the Mute Swan beat the Prae in penalties! Well done to the Two Brewers, Old Orchard, Old Windmill, White Horse and Cricketer teams for taking part.

Moment of the tournament – Joe from Old Windmill goal celebration, no pictures unfortunately but picture him running as fast as Hussain Bolt, swinging his top around his head! And Player of the Tournament – Selman from Old Orchard, with a special mention of Oscar from Prae Wood Arms and his left foot!


B&P Annual ‘Do’

October 2023

It’s our most loved day of the year – ‘Company Do’ day! The day we get every Manager, Deputy Manager, Head Chef and HQ all together under the same roof / tent in order to reflect on the previous year, make plans for the new, highlight areas of brilliance and generally say thank you. There’s always drink, of many different varieties and there are always dubious dance moves (which is why we stop filming reasonably early in the evening!).

This year was no exception. We held the talk at Chester Racecourse (and adopted a race theme – we love a theme!) and then walked the short way up to the Architect Chester for food, games, chatting and drinks and then (literally) marched everyone up to Rosies (those from Chester will know, it’s an institution – a right of passage!) where we pole danced to the wee small hours. Such fun.


BII National Innovation in Training Awards

October 2023

We are delighted to have been nominated for the final of the BII National Innovation in Training Awards in four different categories; Best Training Programme: Apprenticeships, Best Recruitment Strategy, Team Wellbeing Award and Best Training Programme: Managed Over 50.

We now have to be grilled in front of a panel of ‘Industry Judges’ ahead of the winners being announced on November 21st. Fingers crossed (although we are super proud of our teams for being recognised and getting this far).


‘Southern’ Summer BBQ

August 2023

The Southern 'Summer' BBQ took place at the Prae Wood Arms this year, following hot on the heels of the ‘Northern’ BBQ at Worsley Old Hall. It’s a chance for our teams to socialize and catch up with one another and our suppliers to show them what’s new. Sadly the ‘Summer’ part felt to be a bit missing due to the never-ending rain, but a fantastic time was had, drinking, chatting and dancing.


Snowdon 6 Challenge

June 2023

Last year 48 crew members from 20 B&P pubs up and down the country, and a good showing from the Central Support Team, attempted to scale Snowdon 3 times in a day. Despite getting to within a couple of hundred meters of the top, the team was beaten back by dreadful weather conditions meaning it wasn't safe to summit. This only made the challenge more tempting for some, so plans were made to try again...

This week was the rematch. This time they set off at 2.30am and spent 18 hours making 3 ascents and 3 descents on 3 different routes (that’s 28 miles and over 9000ft climbed) and they did it! The Snowdon 6 Challenge can now be ticked off the list.

Well done to the 42 B&P crew members from across the country who took part, we are very proud of you. Over £7000 raised for two fantastic charities:

Cardiac Risk in the Young (C-R-Y)
Last year we sadly lost our much-loved Chef and friend Tizz to an undetected heart complaint. C-R-Y is a charity that is trying to prevent young sudden cardiac deaths through awareness, screening and research, supporting affected families along the way.

Each week at least twelve young people in the UK die suddenly as a result of undiagnosed heart conditions. Cardiac Risk In the Young aim to save young lives and to help those affected by sudden cardiac death. They do this by providing support, information and screening those affected.

Mountain Rescue England and Wales
There are 49 volunteer mountain rescue teams across England and Wales, providing emergency care, free of charge to those who need it and support to their local communities in times of crisis, such as flooding. Mountain Rescue are a fantastic charity that allow us all to enjoy the beautiful wild areas of England and Wales and considering our challenge, we feel it’s the very least we can do to choose them as one of our chosen charities.


Introducing the Mytton and Mermaid

June 2023

Built originally as a private house on the banks of the River Severn, which may have dated from as early as 1725. Commissioned by Richard Hill of Tern Hall (which would later become Attingham Hall, a stunning National Trust property open to visitors that sits opposite us) and believed to have once been called ‘the Dower House’. Since then it has had many names, the Talbot Arms, the Berwick Arms before settling on the unusual Mytton and Mermaid in the 1930's after being purchased by the famous architect Sir Clough Williams Ellis, who developed the Italianate village of Portmeirion in North Wales. Sir Clough converted the building to a hotel and chose the name Mytton after a local character ‘Mad Jack Mytton’ a gentleman who squandered his fortune in the most spectacular way, and the Mermaid came from the crest of the Portmeirion hotel.

The building is surrounded by beautiful patios and sits on the banks of the river, so plenty of places to sit and enjoy the sunshine (when we are blessed with it), we have a Private Dining Room that seats up to 18, perfect for family gatherings and small meetings and we have 10 bedrooms for longer stays.

The Mytton and Mermaid is the newest member of the B&P family, a labour of love that has taken us many months to restore, we are pleased to announce it opened on 1st June.


Coronation Day

May 2023

What an absolute joy! Any excuse to add a trifle to our menus – but this exceeded our expectations. Coronation Ales, Afternoon Teas, Crew, customers and dogs (of course) dressing up, visits from Town Criers, Brunch parties, Garden parties and plenty of bunting. A lovely time had by all!


2022 Charity final count

February 2023

After a bit of a tot up we are thrilled to say that we raised £95,572 across all the pubs for their chosen charities last year.

Whether it be by swimming, walking, eating cake, being shaved, running, cat walking, shaking buckets, raft racing, egg hunting, raffle-ing and much more - thank you to you our wonderful customers for supporting us and to our fantastic crew for their dedication.

Let’s see what we can do this year!


National Christmas Jumper Day

December 2022

We generally love getting dressed up and what’s not to love about a cosy jumper at this time of year? So National Christmas Jumper Day is much celebrated across our pubs. We also love raising money for fantastic causes and Save the Children is indeed that. Just a small £2 donation for donning your jumper will go a long way in ensuring that children all over the world get to have a magical Christmas and bring smiles to their faces at this time of year.


Introducing the Nelson Inn, Harrogate

November 2022

We are thrilled to finally open the doors on the Nelson Inn in Harrogate.

The Inn was built in around 1776 and remained as a private house until early in the 19th century. For much of its early years the pub used to be more or less a farm with a sack over the door where locals came in for a drink. We had thought, being so landlocked, that it was a bit odd having such a nautical name, but we are assured that it received its name ‘when Nelson‘s great victory at Trafalgar thrilled the whole country’ – that would have been around 1805, so who are we to mess about with it now!

It has been so lovely to breath life back into the old pub which never reopened after the lockdown restrictions were lifted. It has been missed by the locals and we are thrilled to have restored it to its former glory. We wish Sam and the team their the best of luck in their new home.


Company ‘Do’

October 2022

It’s been a while with ‘one reason or another!’ but we were absolutely delighted to finally get loads of us together for our annual ‘Company Do’ in October.

Managers, Head Chefs and Deputy Managers from across the whole family of pubs met for a day of celebration, recognition, pep talking, drinking, dancing, merry-go-round-ing, more drinking and therefor more dreadful dancing in Chester (not Bavaria as it looks!)

It’s safe to say we had a lovely time!


The Snowdon 6 Challenge

October 2022

42 members of our crew from across the country set off at 2:45am to attempt to climb snowdon 3 times in a day. And what a day it was!

Having got to 920metres of the first ascent… in the dark by head torch… with rain coming sideways… wind gusting at 50+ mph.. and people’s fingers beginning to stop working… the guides had no choice but to take the decision to head down and onto an alternative lower route, with the idea of heading around the mountain to take it on via another path if there was a gap in the weather.

And believe us, that gap did not come! The wind and rain were relentless all day!

The initial disappointment of not being able to reach the summit quickly turned into what turned out to be a fantastic day of 17hours on the mountains, nearly 30miles hiking and over 1500metres of ascent (well on the way to the equivalent of climbing Snowdon twice!).

We’re exceptionally proud of everyone and think they earned every penny of the generous sponsorship for The Burnt Chef Project raising almost £15,000 at the time of writing. The Burnt Chef project help raise awareness and offer help for those in the Hospitality Industry with mental health issues. We have been working alongside them for a while now and we are thrilled that we’ve been able to take on this challenge alongside them.

Thanks for all the support.

What a team B&P crew – we are super proud of you!


The Nelson Inn, Harrogate starts on site

August 2022

...and we are off! Our first site meeting at the Nelson Inn, Harrogate. We are very much at the groups of clever people in high visibility vests standing around and pointing at things stage. But everything tends to come along quite quickly once we get into the swing of things.

If all goes to plan, we will be open by mid November.


Brunning and Price come to Atcham, Shrewsbury

July 2022

We are delighted to have acquired the Mytton and Mermaid in Atcham. The building is located next to the National Trust’s Attingham Park and enjoys stunning views over the River Severn. It has an interesting history. Built in 1735, it was an inn known as the Talbot Arms, a stopping point on the route to Holyhead and Ireland. In the 1830's it came under the same ownership as Attingham Park, and the name was changed to the Berwick Arms. In the 1860's, with the spread of the railways, coaching inns declined and the property was sold as a private house, and re-named Atcham House.

In the 1930's it was purchased by the famous architect Sir Clough Williams Ellis, who developed the Italianate village of Portmeirion in North Wales. Sir Clough converted the building to a hotel, which took the current name. Mytton was the name of a local squire, somewhat of a celebrity with wonderful stories relating to his colourful life, who squandered his fortune, and the Mermaid comes from the crest of the Portmeirion hotel. Most recently it has been run as a wedding venue, so holds a place in the hearts of many who tied the knot there.

At present we are working with the local planners in order to firm up our designs for this beautiful Grade 2 listed building. Until these plans are confirmed and approved, we are unable to advise on an opening date, but we do hope to it will be around February next year.

When we open, first and foremost, we will be a pub that serves delicious food, rather than a wedding venue. However, we will have a separate space that will seat up to 40 guests that can be booked for smaller gatherings. We will also have 10 beautifully decorated bedrooms, all spacious, comfortable, and featuring everything you would expect from a quality pub with rooms.

We can’t wait!


Brunning and Price comes to Bath

July 2022

The Architect Bath opened it’s doors very recently, becoming the newest member of our family of pubs.

The Architect sits within the ground floor of the old Empire Hotel on Orange Grove close, overlooking both Bath Abbey and Pulteney Weir. It has been returned to its former glory. The stunning ceiling and plasterwork has been restored and looks resplendent again. It is joined by new, sympathetic décor adorned with local interest paintings and photography. At the back of the high-ceilinged main dining room you will now find a Private Dining area that seats 14 guests and at the front a terrace overlooking the Abbey.

For days when you’d like the same stunning view but with a little more cover, there is an Orangery to watch the world go by (in the company of your furry companion if you so choose as dogs are also welcomed in this area).

Hannah Liquorish, the Manager has a great passion for all thing’s food and drink, made for the job as she was brought up in her parents pub. She has been delighted to introduce her new pub to the local community and can’t wait to put plans in place to keep the Bathonians entertained.

We wish Hannah, Head Chef Szabi and the team there the very best of luck.


Mental Health Awareness Week

May 2022

During this month’s national Mental Health Awareness week we took the opportunity to spread ideas to our teams to encourage ‘togetherness’ in order to combat loneliness, which we are told affects millions of people in the UK every year and is a key driver of poor mental health.

From Crew breakfasts to 121 walks and group appreciation sessions, our teams have tried all sorts to see what best suits their pubs – understandably, group breakfasts seem to be the one that best hits the mark, so long may they continue!


International Woman’s Day

March 2022

As it’s a day to celebrate women, who better to spread the word about what it’s like being a Manager in B&P than Aimee, our Land Lady at the Highwayman in Kirkby Lonsdale.


Our ongoing efforts into make less of an impact

March 2022

It’s not often that we say we want to make less of an impact in the world, but when it comes to green issues it is definitely the case. We’re committed to doing whatever we can to have a positive impact on our world and the people around us.

In 2021 we recycled 245,000 litres of cooking oil into bio diesel, so that equates to just over 500 tonnes of carbon saved from entering the atmosphere by vehicles using cleaner fuel.

Our efforts are ongoing...


National Apprenticeship Week

February 2022

As it is National Apprenticeship Week this week and we thought we would take the opportunity to celebrate some of our wonderful Apprentices. Here are just a few of their (reluctantly!) smiling faces.

We offer several work-based qualifications both Front and Back of House currently; Level 3 in Hospitality Supervisor, Levels 2 and 3 Commis Chef and Chef de Partie for aspiring chefs.

We’ve been getting some great feedback from them;

“I’m really enjoying being able to learn skills and techniques whist applying and refining them in my day to day work” – Jacob.

"I'm really enjoying and really grateful for the opportunity to further my knowledge and cooking skills at the same time as working in the kitchen. It is giving me more confidence in my ability which is a great feeling, especially working alongside the other chefs' – Adam.

"I feel the apprenticeship has helped me to develop my knife skills, as well as helping to develop leadership skills within a working kitchen. It has also helped me understand health and safety, and the best practices to ensure a safe working environment. " – Pete.

Each course offers an on-the-job step into the company, serving as a building block for individuals to move forward in their chosen career in the hospitality industry. We understand that these are our Managers and Head Chefs of the future and so encourage each of our pubs to offer at least one vacancy for an apprentice at any one time.


The Kickstart Scheme

February 2022

We are delighted to be taking part in the ‘Kickstart Scheme’, part of the government’s plan for jobs to support business growth and create new job opportunities for young people. In order to apply for one of our vacancies, the candidate must be between 16-24 years-of-age and currently claiming Universal Credit.

They will get a taster of kitchen life – a 6-month journey experiencing each area of the kitchen from Kitchen Porter to working alongside the Head Chef. Over the period of their Kickstart placement they will gain qualifications and essential kitchen skills, and hopefully also gain confidence and a range of additional skills that will help them find work in the future.

We can’t wait to meet everyone and get started.


Brunning and Price is coming to Bath

January 2022

We are thrilled to have received the keys for the ground floor of the stunning old Empire Hotel in Bath. At present it is a Garfunkles restaurant but it started out life in 1901 as a grand hotel built from Bath Stone, on the site of the Athenaeum, overlooking both Bath Abbey and Pulteney Bridge. During World War II it was used by the Admiralty as a postal sorting office and remained in their possession until the 1990s. It was then refurbished and became apartments above and a restaurant below – the space that we are now working on. We plan to spend the next few months refurbishing and restoring this impressive space in order to open (with a fair wind) in time for Summer.

This beautiful Grade 2 listed building was designed by the Bath City Architect Major Charles Edward Davis for the hotelier Alfred Holland. It was described by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner as a ‘monstrosity and an unbelievable piece of pompous architecture’ – we rather like it and wanted to celebrate the boldness of its design by naming it in Major Charles Edward Davis’ honour – but that would have been rather a mouthful, so we will all know who we mean with the simple name ‘the Architect’.

If you’d like to follow our progress you can do via the Architects web page www.thearchitectbath.co.uk or on our Social Media accounts facebook.com/architectbath or instagram.com/architectbath.


Happy New Year!

January 2022

Quite frankly we are happy to see the back of 2021, but that being said there was a lot to celebrate in amongst the tricky bits! Throughout it all our Crew were smiling (often behind masks) and our customers continued to support and celebrate with us, so we are truly thankful.

Here’s to a wonderful 2022…


Rake Hall Opens

December 2021

After a bit of a 'stop / start' process over the last 2 years ...we are absolutely thrilled to say that Rake Hall is now open and she has been well worth the wait!

If you are passing Little Stanney (perhaps after a long day of Christmas shopping at Cheshire Oaks which is just round the corner) do pop in and say ''Hello'' to Alan and the team.

www.rakehall.co.uk


It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

December 2021

This really is one of our favourite times of the year and this year it feels even more special as it’s been a long time coming. We can’t wait for the brass bands to play, the choirs to sing, the (mulled wine fuelled) wreath making workshops to commence and the whiff of mince pies baking. Merry Christmas all!


London Footy Vibes Tournament

October 2021

It’s come home!

A team made up from our London Crew took part in the London Footy Vibes charity football tournament, held in South Park, Putney. 15 fierce teams, battling through the group table and 5 hours of football later, they won! Super proud of them all.


The Black Jug take on the Glyderau Mountains

October 2021

Ally, Manager of the Black Jug has always been keen to get his team out in the open and often persuades B&P Crew from far and wide to join him in trying something new, whether it be off road biking, rafting or climbing.

This time some of the Black Jug team used their day off to take on the Glyderau Mountains in Snowdonia, North Wales. It looked like the most perfect day for it.

Well done team!


Company (mini) Do 2021

September 2021

We always like to get all of our Managers, Deputy Mangers and Head Chefs into the same place once a year and have a good old get together – Good food, good drinks, great company and a fairly large dance floor.

This year things had to be a little different in order to keep everyone safe and our customers happy and fed while it was taking place. But, with an Al Fresco approach and not one but a ‘Few Do’s’, where there’s a will there’s a way.

And we have to say, we are so glad that we did, as it’s been a long while coming and as Mumford and Sons so eloquently put it "I will wait for you".


Coco Momo, Kensington re-opens

September 2021

It’s been such a long time coming, but we are very excited to announce the re-opening of Coco Momo after extensive refurbishment.

Coco Momo Kensington is a bright and airy café, bar and British brasserie in one of London’s most sought after areas. It is a long-established social hub on Gloucester Road, open seven days a week serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is famous for our amazing Eggs Benedict and during the evenings is a popular spot for locals enjoying an afterwork cocktail or glass of wine alongside pre-theatre diners and families enjoying a meal out.

It has been such a joy to get the team back together again and welcome new members of the crew and now we can also welcome back our beloved locals.


Gomshall Mill wins Guildford in bloom 2021 Best Pub in Bloom

September 2021

We bloomin did it!

Huge congratulations to our wonderful gardener at Gomshall Mill, Hovis. Who as ever has been working hard come rain, snow, frost, sunshine or more rain!

The Gomshall’s garden looked particularly stunning this year, Hovis had a huge task on her hands coming back after lockdown to find a very weed infested, tired looking jungle, but as always she battled through the ground elder and vine weeds and injected a little colour and life back into the place, restoring it to its former glory. Thank you and congratulations!


Calm Charity Cup

August 2021

Our Op’s Manager Sal pulled together a couple of ‘B&P Footy teams’ from the south to take part in the ‘Calm Charity Cup’ in Shepherds Bush in August.

Introducing B&P FC consisting of Billy (Cricketers), Josh, Rhys, Finn and Stu (Mute Swan) and Morgan (Duke of York). And in B&P United Alex and Ben (The Parrot), Matt, Matt and Fernando (Mute Swan), Tai (Duke of York) and Dan (Prae Wood Arms).

The results...

...We didn’t win! ...and they had such a lovely time that they didn’t know who did win! – but they intend to compete again next year.


High Flying Managers!

June 2021

The Midland Air Festival took place this weekend at Ragley Hall, Alcester, which just happens to sit opposite our much loved Arrow Mill. Our customers were in prime position to watch some spectacular views as the hot air balloons drifted past and the Red Arrows painted hearts across the sky.

David, our Manager of the Red Fox up in the Wirral has been a keen ballooner for years now and treated Peter and Erika from the Arrow Mill to a birds eye view of their pub. Such a lovely sight.


10 (literally!) Green Bottles

May 2021

We are pleased to report that we are making huge strides in reducing our imprint on the planet. There’s still a long way to go, but we are ‘on the journey’.

As you can imagine we go through lots of glass and paper, and there is inevitably food waste as we deal with so much fresh produce. This is all segregated out in our waste and now a whopping 99.73% of all of our rubbish is diverted away from landfills and recycled in one way or another. We now only use recycled paper in the pubs and in our office and have eliminated the single use plastics that we can by removing items likes straws and stirrers in our drinks. We are also working with our suppliers to reduce the single use plastics used in their packaging.

We now create our own antibacterial disinfectant cleaner in house using a clever system that simply adds an electrical current to water and salt. A chemical reaction then takes place and combines the naturally occurring elements of hydrogen, oxygen and chlorine into hypochlorous acid, an effective disinfectant, and sodium hypochlorite, a mild pH level cleaning agent - no manufacturing, no plastic packaging and no delivery which all add to the reduction of carbon emissions, but we still get an effective sanitiser that kills 99.99%+ of germs, including the big ‘C-19’!.

Still lots to do, but it’s very much a topic that we feel passionately about – we will keep you posted!


We are chuffed to bits to welcome everyone inside!

May 2021

We are delighted that we can now open our doors and welcome everyone into the warm! (You just wait, there will be a heat wave now!).

It feels like such a long time, but the waiting is now over.


The Great Garden ‘Get Ready’!

March 2021

It’s looking promising we’ll be able to open our outside areas in England, from April 12th (fingers crossed for our Welsh pubs!). So, our gardeners are back weeding, planting, mowing and generally reviving our gardens in readiness.

In many cases we are also exploring ways to cover sections of our gardens or terraces to prepare ourselves for the inevitable ‘changeable British weather’ – but let’s hope we have some similar weather to last year. (But plan for the worse - wrap up warm, bring a blanket and perhaps even an umbrella, just in case. If the heavens do open, we’re really sorry but we won’t be able to allow you to shelter inside the pub.)

As times are extraordinary (to say the least), we have decided to take bookings for some of our outside tables. Don’t worry, there will be tables available on a first come first served basis if you do want to pop down for a drink or a bite to eat, but should you want to book, head to your favourite pubs website page and click on ‘Book a Table’. There are still restrictions on booking, so please read the information on your chosen pubs website before placing your booking.


Preparing for Mother's Day 2021

February 2021

We can’t believe it was nearly a year ago when we plunged into the first lockdown and had to close our doors just before Mother’s Day. It was heart-breaking not being able to look after so many lovely mums and families on one of the most special days of the year, and with Mother’s Day on the horizon we just couldn’t face being closed for a second year running. So, we’ve decided to fire up our ovens and open for ‘Click and Collect’ over Mother’s Day weekend.

Our menu consists of some of our classics and on Mother’s Day, we’ll have all our roasts to tempt you with too. If that’s not enough to tickle your taste buds, on Saturday 13th March and on Mother’s Day we also have a click and collect “Afternoon tea”; a perfect, well deserved treat or you could even do a ‘doorstep’ delivery for someone special.

Ordering is simple on each pubs website.


Lockdown

January 2021

Sadly none of our pubs are able to open their doors at the moment. It’s a strange old time and one that we hope won’t last too much longer.

Our Managers and Crew members are keeping safe and like everyone else finding things to fill their time. Whether it be exploring new walks around their pubs ready for their next community dog walks or dreaming up plans for when we can hold gin or beer festivals again in happier times to come. Some are also offering Click & Collect menus so they can keep in touch with their customers that way.

As soon as we hear anything about possible reopening dates we will be in touch. Meanwhile if you need to get in touch with us the best way is to email; [email protected]


The Telegraph joins the family

November 2020

Well, it’s been a long road of stopping and starting, but we finally got the Telegraph open ….at least for a week or so before we had to close again!!

The newest member of our family sits close to the hubbub of London life, but in a beautiful patch of calm nestled against Putney Heath. You could be fooled into thinking you were in the middle of the countryside as it’s set in a beautiful area, spoilt for choice for lovely walks through our neighbouring parkland.

The Telegraph was named after Admiralty Telegraph, a shutter station which stood on this site from 1796-1848 to convey messages between London and Portsmouth at the time of the Napoleonic Wars.

Spread over 2 floors there’s plenty of room to find your favourite spot inside or you can watch the world go by from our beautiful lawn which also has its own horse box bar.

We wish Alisha and her team the best of luck and many years of happiness and success – we know they are just counting down the days until the can reopen again.


Click & Collect now available

October 2020

With many people unable or unwilling to dine out at the moment and many more bored of their own cooking we thought this might be the perfect time to launch our Click & Collect menus.

Most of our pubs now offer a ‘take away’ service. Simply choose your favourite pub and visit their website, if you find the ‘Click and Collect’ tab at the top then you are in luck! Simply choose your favourite dishes and the time you wish to pick them up and we will have them all ready cooked and boxed up waiting for your arrival.

So you can now enjoy delicious B&P dishes in front of the telly if you so wish!


THE RETURN OF THE MEAL TICKET!

August 2020

Following a small hiatus on issuing Meal Tickets, we'll be back issuing and redeeming Meal Tickets from Tuesday 1st September.

As a little reminder, you receive a meal ticket for each main course or light bite purchased at full price; collect 6 Meal Tickets to claim £12 of the price of your chosen mail meal and they are available all day Monday to Thursday (excluding bank holidays).

As we have had 5 months off redeeming these tickets, we will be adding on 5 months to the redemption date of any tickets you currently hold. So for example, tickets that are due to expire in November will be honoured until April 2021.


We begin to re-open

July 2020

Well these have been trying times, but we hope we are now emerging out of the other side of all the worry.

Much as we would love to open all 78 pubs at once, we really do need to support the teams locally to make sure we do things safely and carefully for all so will be opening up in weekly waves - going as quickly as we can! The first wave of 20 pubs are now open and it was wonderful to see so many smiling faces over the weekend.

Now onto the next wave - we will be back to full force before you know it!


Apprenticeship in Catering Awards 2020

March 2020

We’re delighted that two of our apprentices gained awards at the Cheshire College South & West Awards event.

Thomas Knowles received his award for performance achieved in his Apprenticeship in Catering and Elodie Stephens for her achievements pursuing her Apprenticeship in Hospitality. The college make these awards to recognise those who have made a real impact within their role with employers and college staff, contributed to college life as well as achieving academically.

A huge well done to Thomas and Elodie, we are very proud of you!


The Bell, Alderminster Opens

February 2020

We are thrilled to reopen the doors of the Bell in Alderminster.

The Bell is a former eighteenth century coaching inn, situated in the heart of the picturesque village of Alderminster, close to the cultural town of Stratford-upon-Avon and the gateway to the Cotswolds. It is part of the historic Alscot Estate, a thriving award-winning country estate dating back to the middle ages.

After a lengthy closure through the Winter months to allow us to refurbish the pub, we are delighted to return it to the local community who have clearly missed their beloved pub. It’s now quite different, with a large bar at the heart of the building and roaring fires throughout to keep everyone cosy through this awful weather.

Upstairs you will find a private dining room with balcony, seating 14 and dotted around the pub 8 beautiful bedrooms for those wishing to stay over.

We wish Rachael and all the team there the best of luck!


Rake Hall to join the Brunning and Price family

January 2020

Rake Hall, Rake Lane, Ellesmere Port, CH2 4HS

We are thrilled that Rake Hall in Little Stanney will become part of the Brunning and Price family. It’s a magnificent Grade II listed building which originated as a country house, the home of the Bunbury family, built in the 17th century. It’s been a while since it has been enjoyed as a private residence though and of late was a Hungry Horse pub. It sits on Rake Lane just a stones throw away from the busy Cheshire Oaks shopping 'village'.

We fell in love with the original architecture, which has been added to over the years, but the original floor to ceiling windows still remain, flooding the rooms with a beautiful light from the extensive gardens.

We aim to be reopen in September 2020 and when we do, we are sure Rake Hall will make a wonderful B&P pub, with a stunning private dining room upstairs seating 20, a huge terrace overlooking the lawns and 7 bedrooms for those who would like to stay with us overnight.

You can follow our progress on our website www.rakehall.co.uk or via Facebook


The Telegraph to become part of the Brunning and Price family

January 2020

Brunning and Price are thrilled to have received the keys for the Telegraph, which sits on Putney Heath, London.

Already a pub, the Telegraph was named after Admiralty Telegraph, a shutter station which stood at the site from 1796-1848 to convey messages between London and Portsmouth at the time of the Napoleonic Wars. We would describe it as a country pub in the heart of London, overlooking Putney Heath, which was once itself described as ‘a wide expanse of open ground, uncultivated, where large crowds could assemble, horses could be raced, troops could be exercised and reviewed, duels could be fought and where highwaymen preyed on the increasing traffic along the Portsmouth Road’. Thankfully things are a little calmer nowadays.

We plan to carry out our refurbishment works through the winter and hope to open in April 2020 offering a beautiful pub set in a lovely pub garden.

Work on sited just before Christmas, but a full team will make their start on site in January, sensitively marrying up the old with the new before reopening in April. You can follow our progress on our website www.telegraphputney.co.uk or via Facebook.


Annual Christmas Lunch

December 2019

A very merry time was had by all at this year’s Christmas Lunch. The Little Fox on the Wirral did a splendid job of hosting us – providing delicious food and turning a blind eye at our terrible singing and dreadful dancing.

This years Christmas Quiz was a closely fought contest, with the usual lack of concentration as the rounds went on (and on) until the winning team was announced amongst the usual cries of 'cheat' 'it’s not fair' and general 'thank goodness that’s over with, can we have a dance now?!'.

It’s always lovely to get everyone together and this occasion was no exception.


Plough and Harrow Opens

September 2019

We are delighted that after months of hard work, the Plough and Harrow is finally open.

The Plough and Harrow sits in the shadows of the Malvern Hills, a view that is best appreciated from the balcony of our beautiful first floor Private Dining room which seats up to 22 people. Downstairs the bar is positioned at the heart of all things, crammed with local ales and tipples to temp any taste buds. There are rooms to squirrel away in, in the old pub building, steeped in history or light bright seating areas in the new garden room or library. Stone terraces flank the pub both to the front and side of the building to follow the sun around throughout the day and our lovely lawn stretches out to make the most of the stunning location just outside the village centre of Guarlford.

It's an absolutely beauty and we couldn’t be prouder.

Good luck to Josh and all of the team.


Annual Company 'Do'

September 2019

There is nothing nicer than a bit of a get together, which is why our annual company do is simply the best day of the year. It’s the only time that all of our Managers, Deputy Managers and Head Chefs are in the same place at the same time and is the perfect opportunity to say thank you, celebrate our successes, do a bit of forward planning and best of all, share a drink or two and throw some, quite frankly awesome shapes on the dance floor.


The Roe Deer, Wordsley joins the family

June 2019

We are thrilled to welcome the Roe Deer into the B&P family.

The Roe Deer was a family home called Lawnswood House, built for the Foley family between 1813 and 1816 during the reign of King George III, in the Regency style. This means that it has wonderful high ceilings and huge casement windows that flood the rooms with natural light from the ancient gardens that surround it. We have been busy restoring and converting it sinse before Christmas and we are thrilled with the results.

The building lends itself beautifully as a pub and now has a large bar at the heart of the building. Outside there is a stone terrace to the front, which enjoys sunsets framed by the grand old trees, and views out across the lawn and the fields beyond. Upstairs, enjoying the same views you will find a private dining room which will comfortably seat 14.

We wish Jon and the team there every success for the future.


Ally's Annual B&P 'Adventure'

June 2019

Ally from the Fox Revived organised his usual annual jaunt with some fellow B&P physical exercise and countryside enthusiasts!

This years 3 day trip took in the sights of Snowdonia. Day 1 was a bike scramble, day 2 was in Anglesey, enjoying something called ‘coasteering’ which is basically sideways mountaineering - climbing sideways along cliffsides following the coastline with abseiling and zip wiring thrown in for good measure.

The last day was spent cycling the Marin Trail with spectacular views before heading back to the hostel to celebrate with some beers.

Next years ‘adventure’ plans are already taking shape, with requests of ‘more water and perhaps a kayak’ involved!


Welcome to the Crabmill, Preston Bagot

May 2019

We are thrilled to welcome the Crabmill which lies in a small village called Preston Bagot, just outside of Henley-in-Arden in Warwickshire, to the B&P family.

After an extensive refurbishment which gave the pub a new front garden and Private Dining Room, as well as restoration and redecoration throughout, we think the pub is looking at it’s finest and can’t wait to hear what our customer think.

Good luck to Andy and all the team there, it’s fantastic to have you on board.


Team visit to Cornwall

April 2019

Tamsyn and her team of Managers went to Cornwall for a couple of days to visit the home of 'Brunning and Price Traditional'.

They had a pasty lunch at St Austell Brewery, followed by a tour. Then a beer and food matching session with Julie one of the beer sommeliers.

They stayed in the little fishing harbour of Charlestown (where the boaty scenes of Poldark are filmed). Tamsyn had organised a treasure hunt to get the know the area better (and because we are all ridiculously competitive). They had 3 teams running around for an hour finding answers to her very posing questions. They then had a lovely dinner hosted by St Austell Brewery.

Beth from the Pheasant arranged for everyone to visit Tarquins Gin Distillery where they were hosted by Nick their Ops Director. They don't usually do public tours so this was a special treat for B&P. They saw the big shed where they produce all their gins and saw the 2 girls who still hand-write all their labels. Beth and Becca were allowed to hand dip 2 bottles in their signature wax which the whole team then signed.

They then dropped into Wadebridge for a quick pasty lunch (known locally as a “teddy oggy”) and bought some local wines and Cornish fudge before heading back up the road home.

The perfect way for the managers to regroup after a busy Easter.


Sal's Annual Bowling Tournament

March 2019

Sal's area took to the lanes again this year for another closely fought inter-patch bowling tournament. The Old Orchard's team ‘the bowling stones' took home the 1st place trophy, followed by ‘Time to spare' the Cricketer's team, with the Duke of York's team, last years champions, ‘the Twinkle Toes' coming in third.

Albert from the Duke of York took the trophy for best overall player with a massive score of 156.

Time to rest their bowling arms for another year (or, knowing how competitive this is all getting – time to form a year long training strategy in order to take first place next year).


Welcome to the Crabmill, Preston Bagot

March 2019

Preston Bagot lies about 1½ miles east of Henley-in-Arden, in the Stratford district of Warwickshire. It's home to a little over 100 people, All Saints church, a Manor House and a beautiful 17th century pub - the Crabmill. We are delighted that it will soon join the Brunning and Price family. It closed over the weekend in order to be lovingly restored and redecorated, ready to open once again on Saturday 4th May.

It's is a real gem to look at, with roots spanning back more than three centuries, it still bears the marks of history with tiny leaded windows, weathered half-timbered exterior, crooked beams and flagstone floors. Once a cider mill, it seems destiny that it moved from making such nectar to serving it to happy customers, and long may it continue to offer such hospitality with B&P.


The Highdown Opens

February 2019

We are thrilled that the Highdown has become the newest member of the Brunning and Price family.

The Highdown was built in 1820 as the family home of the Lyons family in a beautiful spot that enjoys views towards the downs on one side and the sea to the other. In 1909 the house and surrounding grounds were bought by Major Stern and his wife. From that date until Sir Frederick's death in 1967 they created and developed the present gardens, in and around a former chalk pit. In 1970 the gardens were kindly passed to Worthing Borough Council who since the mid 1970s have restored and managed them to the Sterns' original design including the propagation of their original stock. This garden, now called Highdown Gardens sits next to our pub and is a wonderful placed to while away a few hours (building up an appetite).

A well-stocked bar now sits in the heart of the building, offering an array of local ales and a back bar crammed with lines of gins and malts. Some of our rooms are wooden panelled, others have large casement windows to allow the light to flood in and some are small and intimate - so somewhere perfect for any occasion. We have a Private Dining room upstairs for small gatherings of around 14 and 13 beautifully furnished bedrooms for those who would like to join us overnight. Outside there is a terrace to drink and dine in the sunshine and a much loved Tea Room for those wishing for a spot of tea, coffee or a light snack to accompany them on their walk around the gardens, or for somewhere to rest a while after they have visited them.

We wish Tom and the team there every success and look forward to bringing Brunning and Price hospitality to the south coast.


Lawnswood House to become 'the Roe Deer' pub

January 2019

We have fallen in love with Lawnswood House and are all set to turn it into the newest member of our family of pubs.

Lying off the main Kidderminster to Wolverhampton A449 road, just north of Stourton, the Lawsnwood house estate occupies a beautiful position within an island of unspoilt countryside. The house stands proudly in an elevated position with a pleasing outlook over its parkland and beyond.

Lawnswood House was commissioned by the famous Foley family and built between 1813 and 1816 during the reign of King George III, in the Regency style, meaning we have stunning corniced high ceilings and rooms flooded with light from the tall casement windows.

The house is indeed grand, but in much need of repair and restoration, the last of which seemed to have taken place long ago in 1924. It lends itself wonderfully to being a pub, so that many can share it.

When we reopen in the Spring, (around late May if all goes to plan), we will call the pub 'the Roe Deer' in honour of the family of Roe deer that we often see grazing within the walled garden. We hope that they continue to visit the pub when we reopen.


Plough and Harrow starts on site

January 2019

Brunning and Price are thrilled to have started work on the Plough and Harrow, located in the shadow of the beautiful Malvern hills in the village of Guarlford.

We are always on the lookout for opportunities and like nothing more than reopening closed pubs and restoring them to the heart of the local community. As such we offer an incentive on the Brunning and Price website (www.brunningandprice.co.uk) for anyone to recommend a building, pub or otherwise, that looks to have great potential for us. If the suggestion leads to the end result of a new B&P pub, then we pay the wise finder a £5000 ‘finders fee’ – this is how we came to find out about this great opportunity in Guarlford.

The pub has been closed for quite some time now and the locals were horrified to understand that the land could be used to develop into houses and so we were contacted by someone who felt that we could save it and restore it to its former glory. Thankfully, all has gone to plan, and we look forward to reopening the Plough and Harrow in early Summer this year.

Preliminary work on the site started just before Christmas, but now a full team are on site sensitively marrying up the old with the new before reopening in June dependant on how kind the winter months are.


2018 Annual Christmas Office Bake Off

December 2018

December 21st saw the return of the Chester Office Annual Bake Off. 10 enthusiastic bakers brought offerings for both the savoury and sweet categories. Mary 'Pru Leith' Willcock and Mike 'Hollywood' Carney (we think that name should stick) carefully tasted each dish before handing to the audience for their own critiquing. A close run competition in both categories…

In the savoury category, Kieron's 'Crancherry Fakewells' (Bacon, red onion, turkey, and brie with a cranberry on top) getting a mention for being a great 'idea' but were pipped to the title by Jake's Pork, Stilton and Cranberry sausage roll.

The Sweet category was won by Suzy's excellent Chocolate Rum Cake, though there were some excellent runners-up including Natalie 'Tizz' Shaw's Chocolate and Pecan Tart which some wondered if should have been disqualified after photographic evidence of outside assistance came to light shortly before judging (in the form of her Chef brother being seen in the vicinity with a whisk).


We welcome the Bull at Broughton

December 2018

The Bull, which sits within the stunning Broughton Estate, recently came under the wing of Brunning and Price.

The pub closed its doors a little while ago to be treated to a complete refurbishment. As always it's incredibly important to us to retain the character of this lovely building, making sure that the bar sits at the heart of all things with an array of local cask ales, shelves full of gins, whiskies, rums and 50 something wines to welcome everyone as they walk through the doors.

A new private dining room has been created upstairs which lends itself beautifully to a private family meal or business lunch for up to 14 people. Downstairs, we have cosyied up the room behind the bar, which now comfortably seats up to 20 for a private gathering or with a bit of furniture re-jigging, is perfectly sized for smaller parties of up to 30 or so.

Steven Larkin is the new landlord and is joined by his wife Anna. We wish them and their team every success and happiness for the future.


The Parrot, Forest Green opens

December 2018

The Parrot is located in the beautiful village of Forest Green, set deep in the Surrey Hills. It's easily found once you have joined the Ockley Rd B2127. The pub sits proudly on the Green overlooking the cricket ground, the perfect position to fulfil its natural right as the heart of the local community.

We are thrilled to welcome this beautiful pub into the fold and wish Duncan and the team there the best of luck for the future, we are sure they will be very happy there (and will make lots of customers very happy along the way).


Welcome to the White Horse

November 2018

With so many stories of pubs closing on the high street it has been an absolute joy to return the White Horse in Beaconsfield to all it's former glory. It's back in the bosom of the local community!

Good luck to Rachael and all of the team there.


2018 Company Do

September 2018

Our favourite year in the B&P calendar is the annual 'Do'. It's our chance to fill a room (or tent) with all of our Managers, Deputy Managers and Head Chefs and take the opportunity to take stock of what we've been up to over the last twelve months, to say thank you and to celebrate our successes.

It's also a chance to unwind after the madness of Summer and to have a thoroughly lovely time – on this occasion by tapping into our natural competitive spirit with an 'inter area sports day' (congratulations to 'Sal's Salamanders') followed by much merriment and plenty of dodgy dancing.


The Arrow Mill, Our first B&P Pub with Rooms

September 2018

We are thrilled to open our very first Brunning and Price pub with bedrooms. The Arrow Mill launches near Alcester today and offers not only a function room that seats up to 50 but 9 beautiful, comfortable, B&P bedrooms - a first for us!

Now our customers can drink and dine the night away, safe in the knowledge that at the end of the evening they only have a flight of stairs to master. In the morning a power shower and a full English breakfast awaits them – the perfect way to end and start a day.


Hello to the Highwayman!

September 2018

We are thrilled to open the doors on the new look Highwayman in Kirkby Lonsdale. The pub looks wonderful (although we do say so ourselves!) and Sean and the team up there have done an amazing job creating a warm welcoming environment that we are sure will become the heart of the local community.


The Southern Inter-Pub Footy Tournament

September 2018

The Duke of York 'The Dukes of Barnet FC' were crowned champions in last night’s football tournament.

The Prae, Duke, Mute Swan, and Old Orchard qualified into the knock out stages where the Duke beat the Prae Wood Arms 6-5 on penalties to reach the final, along with the Old Orchard after beating the Mute Swan 2-1.

The Duke took the title with a nail-biting 4-3 finish, Old Orchard runners up and the Mute Swan took home the 3rd place trophy, beating The Prae 3-1.

Lots of creaking hips, aches and pains this morning but it was great to have a kick about!


Year Review 2016/17

September 2018

This filmatic frenzy of joy shows a little of what we have been up to this year


Brunning and Price purchase Food & Fuel

August 2018

We are hugely excited to announce that this week Food & Fuel have agreed to sell the entire share capital of the business to Brunning & Price.

Food & Fuel, is a successful 11-strong estate of prime London gastro pubs, started in 2006 by Karen Jones, Jo Cumming and Peter Myers. The pubs span Richmond, Chiswick, Pimlico, Marylebone and Kensington and include the iconic Sporting Page in Chelsea.

We are thrilled to have been successful in our bid. Mary, Brunning and Price MD said today, "We are delighted to be coming together with Food & Fuel, whose excellent people and unique pubs have impressed us on every visit. It gives us an immediate strong presence in London and we are excited about the opportunities it provides.

These are a fabulous group of pubs in their own right and will sit well alongside the Brunning and Price business. Whilst both businesses share common values and a similar philosophy about what makes a great pub, we want to continue to nurture and develop all the things that have already made Food and Fuel successful in the unique London market."


Two day adventure event in Snowdonia

June 2018

Ally from the Fox Revived led 7 intrepid B&P explorers through 2 days adventuring in Snowdonia.

Day 1 consisted of 15 hours in the hills... Made up of an 8.5 hour walk, broken up by a 4 hour bike, and capped off by an abseil down a waterfall. The team were given mental challenges along the way to keep their minds working as hard as their legs did. The drinks at the end of the day had never tasted so good.

Day 2 was a little gentler but still plenty, with a walk (and a bit of a scramble) up the beautiful Moel Siabod. At 872m it's the highest peak in the Moelwynion mountain range.

Plans are already talking shape for next years adventure, any B&P'ers are invited, the more the merrier.


Brunning and Price Welcome Ribble Valley Inns

May 2018

We are pleased to announce that we have today purchased Ribble Valley Inns, a collection of restaurant and real ale pubs in the north of England; The Highwayman, Kirkby Lonsdale, The Clog & Billycock, Blackburn, The Three Fishes, Mitton and The Bull at Broughton. The fifth Ribble Valley Inns pub, the Nag's Head, Tarporley, did not form part of the deal and is to be sold separately.

"We have admired Ribble Valley Inns for many years and believe that these well-known and long-established businesses are perfectly positioned geographically for us to enhance our presence in the north of England" said Mary Willcock, MD of Brunning and Price.

"As always, we feel that a pub should retain its own personal character and look forward to working with the teams locally to ensure they prosper and thrive in the coming months and years."


The Morris Dancer opens!

May 2018

The doors finally opened to the public on Thursday 3rd May and we are thrilled with the response that we have received already. It has been heart-warming to hear the reaction of the locals who have welcomed us with open arms to their community.

Ryan is at the helm, along with a whole host of others, new to the company from the local village or those from sister pubs to the Morris Dancer who have come across to form the new team.

Tony Collins heads up the kitchen team and has worked as the Combermere Arms Head Chef for many years, so is well versed in creating fresh daily menus. ‘'We have really enjoying creating our opening menu, finding some great new local suppliers and forming relationships. There are a few surprises in there – Artic Roll isn't something you might imagine to see in our pudding range, but when it's home made with white chocolate ice cream and a strawberry salad on the side, it's certainly a bit different from the ones we remember from our youth'.

Ryan is looking forward to the Folk Festival which is just around the corner. "It will be a great way of meeting new people within the village, we are thrilled to be open in time. I also love the idea of running beer festivals and evenings where customers can meet local brewers to find out more about their beers and taste what's on offer locally. We are fortunate to have a wealth of brewers in the area to choose from – but let's get our feet properly under the table first!"


The National Pub & Bar Awards 2018

April 2018

We are absolutely thrilled to have been awarded the 'Best Pub in the County' National Pub & Bar award for two of our beautiful pubs; The Physicain, Edgbaston and Gomshall Mill, Guildford. With so many pubs in the running for such an award we are delighted to have been recognised and are very proud of our pubs and the crew within them who make them worthy of such an award.


Assistant Manager Development Days

April 2018

We've just held our first Assistant Manager Development Day in which our brightest Assistant Managers found out more about progression opportunities with us and took part in group exercises to identify their preferred learning style. We are already very proud of our Deputy Managers of the future.


'Lifers' - Graham Arathoon, Manager, Glasfryn, Mold

March 2018

Graham Arathoon (and his wonderful wife Debbie), Manager the Glasfryn Mold very much class as 'lifers', serving over 24 years!

"I started off way back at the Grosvenor Arms in 1994 as a sous chef. Six months later I was asked to take over as Head Chef at the Pant Yr Ochain and worked for quite a few managers there, all brilliant characters.

Eight years (I'm sure to some it seemed like much longer) just flew by. I had the honour of building a great team, who are mostly still with B&P and thriving.

Later I was offered the chance to manage Glasfryn where I have been for the last eight years and the story continues.

I feel I would like to continue passing on the B&P way and helping the company move forward, whilst keeping one eye on the past or I may have one more pub in me!"


Snowy Days

March 2018

The 'Beast from the East' has caused mayhem and chaos across the land. Thankfully our pubs have been able to serve as a haven of warmth and friendliness to those cut off by the extreme weather. The lure of a hearty meal and a roaring pub fire has never been more alluring!


Brunning and Price receive the keys to two new opportunities

February 2018

It's been a busy week for Brunning and Price, with two opportunities coming to fruition in the same week.

We are thrilled to have received the keys for the Arrow Mill, a hotel restaurant just outside of the roman market town of Alcester, close to Stratford upon Avon, nestled in a secluded riverside setting opposite the entrance to Ragley Hall.

The Arrow Mill stands in over 50 acres on the banks of the River Arrow and is a former flour mill that dates back to the early 1800's and sits on a site that reportedly had a mill on it recorded in the Doomsday book. It ceased to mill in 1962 and has been owned, for the last 30 years, by Chef Simon Woodhams and his family. We are very grateful that he has seen us as worthy successors to continue to care for the precious building.

The second project is in Beaconsfield and is a little more modern. We believe this will make a super B&P pub and always relish the opportunity to restore former pubs back to their glory days. When we reopen in the Summer we aim to return the pub to it's former name of the White Horse, as this seems to evoke fond memories from those that we have spoken to.

Both projects are very much within the planning stage, but if all goes well we hope to reopen them sometime this summer, offering 40 plus local jobs in both areas.


'Lifers' - Graham Bridgewater, Financial Director

January 2018

B&P is extraordinary in a few ways, but one thing that stands out against other pub groups is how many 'lifers' we have working with us. This month we wanted to tell you a little more about Graham Bridgewater who has been our Financial Director for 20 years.

'Jerry (Brunning) and Graham (Price) placed an advert in a finance magazine (the web had hardly been born then) announcing 'Accountant and Pub Goer Wanted' so having checked out the company and the pubs and liking what I saw, ate and drank, I just had to apply. Luckily for me, after an interview above the Grosvenor Inn (where the offices were then) and lunch, they took me on - and here I am 52 pubs later.

I've always been on the numbers side of things although it's a bit different to when I started in 1998 when we had 8 pubs and now we are at 60 and counting. I love working with a great bunch of people in the office and in the pubs, I'm very proud to tell people who I work for and it's great hearing how much people love what B&P do. I obviously enjoy going to the pub launches, the social BBQ's, Xmas lunches, ad hoc dos and golf days, they beat the number crunching of course, as accounts is definitely not the glamourous part of the pub business, but someone has to do it and making sure, with the team, that everything is in place for the pubs to do what they do, is an important role that we take pride in.


Head Office Christmas Bake Off

December 2017

Our Head office is full of foodies, many of whom fancy themselves as critics and many others as Chester's answer to Mary Berry - so when the gauntlet of 'let's do our own Bake Off' was thrown down there were lots of volunteers for entrants and judges.

After a glutenous morning, we are thrilled to announce the winners of this year's Office Christmas Bake off (so there's no need to watch Pru and Paul's version on the telly)...

Keiron takes the 'sweet trophy' (there is no trophy) for his chocolate log, which we all felt resembled a Cactus or a Gruffalo hand, pipping Suzy and Jan to the post, who became runners up with their mince pies and snowman cake. The judges couldn't split the winners in the Savoury category - avoiding mayhem by awarding joint first place to Paul for his layered turkey pie and Tom for his chorizo rolls.


Brunning and Price moves to Tarporley

November 2017

We are thrilled to share the news that we have just taken on the Lord Binning pub in Tarporley.

With a sensitive transformation we think it will make a super B&P pub as it is nestled in close proximity to Delamere Forest Park and sits within B&P Cheshire Heartland (close by to what will be its sister pub, the Dysart in Bunbury). Luckily we got wind that it was becoming available early on, and since then many Brunning and Price customers have been in touch to let us know it's on the market, which reassures us that our first instincts were indeed correct.

At the moment it's still very much within the planning stage, but once reopened in early summer 2018, we aim to return the pub to it's former name of the Morris Dancer, as this seems to evoke fond memories from those that we have spoken to. We are thrilled to finally have the keys so that we can get going!


The Haycutter joins the family

October 2017

After almost 2 years in the making, we are pleased that, at long last, we can welcome the Haycutter into the fold.

Situated in the beautiful surroundings of Broadham Green, nestling between Oxted, Hurst Green and Tandridge in Surrey, the Haycutter was built as a pub in 1851. We have changed it quite a bit since, adding in a large bar at the heart of the building and creating a light and airy garden room overlooking the new stone terrace. We have found some lovely features to bring back to life along the way and some even more lovely local people, all willing us on, sharing their stories of old and supporting us in our quest to breath new life into their local pub.

We wish Chris and the team every happiness in their new home.


Annual Food Competition 2017

October 2017

After a long day of tasting, debating, cogitating and tasting some more alongside perhaps a tipple of this and that, we are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2017 Annual Food Development Awards:

And the winners are...

Starter.

'Tomato jelly with crab salad and avocado mousse', from Ed and Dinushka, from the Mute Swan, Hampton Court.

Light Bite.

'Ham hock and caramelised onion pie, with Blacksticks Blue cheese mousse and piccalilli dressed salad', from Anna and Adam from Little Manor, Thelwall Village.

Main Course.

'Braised ox cheek with caramelised shallot puree and ox tail fondant, roasted baby turnips', from Becky and Alix from the Combermere Arms, Burleydam.

Dessert.

'Honey parfait with blackberries, honeycomb and yoghurt sorbet',, from Lauren and Joseph from Sutton Hall, Macclesfield.

Congratulations to all the winners, you can look forward to a fabulous treat at the Marcus Wareing Restaurant in Knightsbridge, to follow a little later in the month.

Well done to everyone that entered a dish this year, the standard was fantastically high and as ever we were thrilled with the creativity and enthusiasm of all the Junior Chefs and their Front of House Partners.


The Prae Wood Arms wins the Trevelyn Award for Architecture and Restoration

October 2017

Each year, St Albans Civic Society celebrates imaginative development and design initiatives which have been completed within the city in the previous year.

In the first half of the year, members of the Society and the general public are invited to submit suggestions for consideration by the Awards Panel.

We are delighted that this year, the St Albans Trevelyn Award for Architecture and Restoration was awarded to us for the Prae Wood Arms.

The building was originally built as a 'little cottage' called 'The Pre' for the sum of £4,139 for the 81-year-old Lady Frances Cooke Grimston, who had grown 'tired and lonely' in her life in Mayfair. Lady Frances lived there until she died aged 91 in 1848 and is buried in nearby St Michaels church. The building then fell to Henry Toulmin, four-times the Mayor of St Albans and a wealthy ship owner, to modernise from 1881. He added four bedrooms and landscaped the grounds we see today which lead down to the River Ver.

When we came across it, it had been a Crown Carvery for many years and was in much need of some love and attention. We uncovered stunning hidden gems as we peeled back the years of paint and paper and lifted the carpets. Beautiful parquet floors emerged and flint stone walls, all of which we lovingly restored for all to take pleasure from. The huge casement windows let in such a beautiful light that its now a pleasure to dine, overlooking the sprawling lawn from either inside or under the protection of the lead canopy on the new stone terrace.

Becky and the team attended the awards ceremony and were thrilled to receive the honour.


Old Harkers Arms featured in the Good Pub Guide

September 2017

This title isn't really that unusual as we are thankful that so many of our pubs make the Good Pub Guide each year. But what makes this super special is that Old Harkers Arms in Chester have featured in the guide in every edition for the last 20 years. Which is quite some going!

Thank you to all who have nominated us over the years.


Company Do 2017

September 2017

Every year we invite all of Managers, Head Chefs, Deputy Managers and Head office team along to a (forcibly volunteered) venue for a bit of a Do. Thank you Pant-yr-Ochain for hosting us this year.

It's a chance to share some news, say thank you and generally catch up with everyone over something nice to eat and obviously a drink of two. This year it was also a chance to find out at long last who was the champion of champions at tug of war (it turned out the North, but only after best of 3) and to check out some pretty awesome dance moves.


Gorgeous new pub, Cheltenham

September 2017

We are delighted to have taken on The Former Courthouse in Cheltenham, which until earlier this year, was run as a Jamies Italian restaurant.

We are very excited and fortunate to have landed such an historic building in this beautiful part of the world. We plan to sensitively transform the building, which was designed in a 'Italianate style' by the then surveyor of County Courts, Thomas Charles Sorby and built between 1869 and 1871.

We think it's stunning and love that it still retains its courtroom, largely unaltered over the years. Once reopen in early 2018 it will be called 'the Old Courthouse' - we can't wait to get started and see what we uncover along the way.


Progress at the Haycutter, Oxted

September 2017

We are thrilled with the progress we are making at the Haycutter, Oxted. The latest addition to the Brunning and Price family is due to open at the end of October and it's 'all go' on site at the moment.


'Lifers' - Sal, Ops Manager in the South

August 2017

At B&P we are very fortunate to have lots of 'lifers' - This is Sal, he's now an Ops manager in the South for us, but joined us 20 years ago as manager for the Mute Swan, Hampton Court Palace.

When asked what first attracted him to B&P he replied: "Doing the right thing, first time. Whether it was my first plate of food and glass of wine when training at the Combermere Arms all those years ago, the detail in the buildings or the fantastic group of people involved, I knew that B&P was where I wanted to be. Simple food executed at its best, real and genuine people and lots and lots of booze - what's not attractive about that!"

I had a successful career in Frankie and Benny's over a 10-year span before joining B&P. When TRG acquired Blubeckers - I saw an opportunity to join the pub restaurants (having been a regular at the Mill House for some time) ...the rest as they say is history! It's nice to work somewhere that gives you the opportunity to move around, it means you are presented with lots of opportunities.

The best bit of my job is watching people grow. I am surrounded by people at various stages in their careers and in the past, have enjoyed watching successful people succeed through the pubs, but now I have the same ability to do it across a patch and make a much bigger difference. I'm a coacher and love mentoring and encouraging people to better themselves, just when you think you've hit a glass ceiling I am there to prove you wrong. Oh..and don't forget about the banter - I like to laugh a lot!


A Summer of Festivals

August 2017

Not meaning to draw a close to the Summer, but there is a definite chill in the air, so we are indulging ourselves in a moment of reflection.

Many of our pubs have been poked, enthused and cajoled (although not much has been needed) by their customers, neighbours and local village councils to run festivals and fetes over the last few months.

It's something that many of our managers love to get involved in once a year and we are very fortunate to work with some excellent local suppliers who jump at the chance to come along and showcase their products proudly in beer and spirit tents across the country. Here is the Physicians recent 'mini festival' to give you an idea of what's been happening.


We are now on Instagram

August 2017

We've decided that our pubs are in such picturesque places and although it's totally out of character for us to boast, we have been told, that many of our dishes look like works of art - so we thought we would share a few images every now and then on Instagram.

Follow us for a glimpse of what we are up to.


'Lifers' - Dee, from the Armoury Shrewsbury

July 2017

At B&P we are very fortunate to have lots of 'lifers' - those who joined us when they were mere snips of lads and lasses and have chosen to forge their careers with us.

This is Dee, who is currently Deputy Manager at the Armoury in Shrewsbury, having worked in many of our pubs over the last 28 years, since 1989.

"I have been in my current role as Deputy Manager for the past 21 years, before that I was a chef working down south. I've worked in the Fox Revived and the Black Jug before moving north to Harkers and the Grosvenor Arms. I love working with the public. When I started working for B&P in 1989 I was extremely shy... Not anymore though as working with lots of people gave me lots of confidence.

When recently asked what the future holds, Dee commented; "I'm getting rather tired these days, but rather than leave the job I love dearly, I have decided to go part time in the summer, as I feel if I left I would feel empty and lost, the Armoury is my home."


Little Manor Rose Queen Festival 2017

June 2017

Each year Little Manor joins in with the age old tradition of the 'Thelwall Rose Queen Festival'. It's now been running for over 50 years and we feel that the village pub should be at the heart of such things. There's the procession through the village, with a fair on the grounds of the village hall and the crowning of the Rose Queen.

This year proved to be the busiest ever for Little Manor. Our customers enjoyed our outside bar, BBQ, 'Gin, Fizz & Pimms tent' and three live bands playing in the glorious sunshine. The feedback has been fabulous from our customers, the crew worked so hard over the whole weekend but had a ball doing so.


'Lifers' - Jon, Ops Manager

June 2017

At B&P we are very fortunate to have lots of 'lifers' - those who joined us when they were mere snips of lads and lasses and have chosen to forge their careers with us. This is Jon (Astle-Rowe), known to us all as JAR, Ops manager for the North. He has been with B&P for very nearly 22 years.

"I worked on a farm when I left school, then became a BS Qualified welder, then went driving HGV Class 1 trucks and then worked for a training company. I eventually worked for Boddingtons, then found B&P. I started at the Grosvenor as an Assistant, then was promoted up to Deputy. I then became a manager at the Cross Foxes followed by the Combermere, then Armoury, then Architect and now onto the Operations manager role."

"The best bit is the people... seeing the great people we employ, and the pride they all take in doing the best they can in some pretty busy pubs. There have been hundreds of moments that I look back and think that B&P has been (and still is) a brilliant company to work for. All sounds quite cheesy, but our strength and the fun we have is all down to the people we employ."


Head office Race Day

May 2017

A lovely day was had by all when 'Head Office' took the afternoon off to try our luck with the 'gee gee's' at Chester races. Thankfully nobody won big enough to resign and move to the Caribbean. Instead many squandered their small winnings at the Champagne bar to make sure they were totally hydrated in the glorious sunshine that shone for us all day.

Once the horses were all safely stabled for the evening we made our way to the river to sail away in a boat crammed with homemade Black Forest Gateaux and enough cheese to sink a ...ah!


Publican Awards 2017

March 2017

We are delighted to have been 'Highly Commended' in the category of Best Food at this year's Publican Awards.

Our Exec Chefs, along with a selection of our talented Head Chefs donned their dickie bows in order to attend the ceremony in Battersea, London. A lovely opportunity to get together to reflect on their achievements and celebrate with a glass or two in order to dull their embarrassment thresholds enough to get on the dance floor.


The Dinorben Arms Coat of Arms

March 2017

We are delighted to have been granted permission to use the Coat of Arms of the 1st Lord of Dinorben as our emblem for the Dinorben Arms which is due to open in April.

The motto reads; RHAD DUW A RHYDDID 'The grace of God and Freedom'. We came across it when researching the history of the family as it appears on the family Mausoleum in the churchyard at St George, Kinmel. Lord Dinorben died in February 1852, aged 74, and was succeeded in the barony by his younger but only surviving son, William. Sadly William was disable and the title became extinct on his early death only eight months after succeeding in the title.

We think it makes for a pretty special pub sign and are thrilled that it will be positioned in pride of place above our front door.


Surrey Life Review - Fox Revived Opens

February 2017

Here is a lovely review from Surrey Life who recently visited the Fox Revived, Norwood Hill, the latest pub to join the Brunning and Price family.

Follow this link to see the full article.


Happy 1st Birthday to the Falcon

December 2016

It doesn't seem a year since we opened the doors on the Falcon near Banbury. But twelve months it is, so they decided to celebrate in style, asking all their new customers along to join in with the celebration with mince pies, mulled wine and song.


Merry Christmas!

December 2016

The office teams from Chester and Milford headed out for a spot of Christmas lunch at Glasfryn in Mold. We are never quite sure if everyone descending upon one of the pubs is an honour or a nightmare for the pub, but Graham and the team were the perfect hosts and everyone had the most enjoyable festive afternoon.


Brunning and Price to renovate The Fox Revived

December 2016

Brunning and Price are well on their way with the redevelopment of the Fox Revived on the cross roads in Norwood Hill. The pub has been closed now for quite a while to allow a complete refurbishment internally and externally. Gone is the old leaky conservatory to be replaced by a light and airy green oak extension which overlooks a new stone terrace area. The bar now sits at the heart of the building, large enough to allow for an array of 6 local cask ales and shelves stocked full of over 40 wines and countless spirits.

It isn't the first time that Brunning and Price have been involved in the history of this pub. They operated it around 20 years ago, and enjoyed great success. Many of the locals remember those days and have shared stories of how things used to be. The Fox Revived was the starting platform for many things that have now filtered into many of B&P's 57 pubs. The slow braised Lamb shoulder, which adorns most menus, was first introduced here in response to a large amount of requests for lamb from New Zealand cabin crew who were once regulars and many ex patrons recall the stuffed fox that sat looking out of the window with a cigar in his mouth and a pint in his hand. The taxidermy creation was often 'liberated' to be found in various places throughout the village only to be returned to his position in the pub. Sadly the original fox is no more, but rumour has it a 'mark 2' might be making an appearance. Hopefully it will be as popular, if not as well travelled, as the first.

Sadly, the pub was in a much worse state of repairs than first thought and there has had to be some major works to transform it back into the kind of country pub that will sit at the very heart of the local community. So the opening date moved from before Christmas to the beginning of February, giving time to finish off the building work and build up a team of around 40 crew members. Ryan Martinez will take over the reins. Ryan has worked for Brunning and Price for many years, latterly in the roll of Deputy at the Architect, which is nestled next to Chester race course. For Ryan this will be a homecoming as he was born and bred in Crawley and still has family members close by.

One of Ryan's earliest memories is of his mum and dad taking him for Sunday lunch at the Fox Revived, "Everyone knew it. It had huge heritage in the area and is still used as a land mark. My aunty and uncle used to 'court' there before they married."

As well as Ryan's 10 year old 'Westie' Harvey who will join him at the pub, he will also be joined by Lucy Dakin as Deputy manager, currently an Assistant manager at the Hayhurst, another pub in the B&P family in Bostock Green. Now that the management team is in place they are busily looking for enthusiastic, personable people to make up the rest of the 40 strong team.

"We are looking for lots of local 'crew members' to work in the bar, or waiting, kitchen and maintenance roles. You don't need to have experience, just genuinely love working with people and being generally 'hospitable', we will happily teach the rest if needed. To apply, for any role, please send your CV with a covering letter telling us about you and what makes you tick to [email protected], check out our website www.foxrevived.co.uk or find us on Facebook". Even though the opening is still a little way off, we are actively recruiting as we start their training now so that people can get the hang of things ahead of the opening.

"I'm really looking forward to creating our menu, finding some great new local suppliers and forming relationships. I love the idea of running beer festivals and evenings where customers can meet local brewers to find out more about their beers and taste what's on offer locally. We are fortunate to have a wealth of brewers in the area to choose from and I would love to hear from our customers about what they would like us to stock. The pub has a great bar at its heart and I hope that it will be a hub of local life. I've also heard of many local folk singers from the local residents so perhaps that would be something we could explore once we get a little more established.

Dogs will be welcomed in the bar area and we are busy mapping suitable circular walks from and to the pub so that customers can start their ramble with a little drink and then work up an appetite to dine on their return.

Our plan is to open in early February. We will update the website and Facebook with any notable dates and plans as they are finalised so we encourage anyone who is interested to follow our progress there."

For more photos, updates and vacancies at the pub, please 'Like us on Facebook' or see our 'Fox Revived website'.


5 Course Le Manoir tasting lunch for our winners

October 2016

This year's annual Food Development Awards 'Final of Finals' took place in Chester in October.

Each of the 4 winning couples took home the coveted 'meat cleaver trophy' and were whisked off for the day to enjoy a five-course tasting menu at Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons.

The talented winners enjoyed a guided tour of the beautiful vegetable gardens and the busy kitchens before being seated to dine on stunning dishes such as 'Pan seared duck liver, compressed apple and tamarind' and 'Soft toffee with bitter chocolate on a crumbly shortbread with salted butter ice cream'. An amazing day was had by all.


Chester Office GBBO

September 2016

We don't have a marquee or a gingham alter, but we do have a 'Mary', a few 'Paul's' and a deep routed love of cake, so each year our office in Chester choose a Monday and deem it 'Great British Bake of Day', then spend their Sundays whisking, baking and icing to create some sometimes (but not often) spectacular cakes, bakes and savouries.

Jon, our Operations Manager in the North, took the title of this year's star baker with a blatant attempt to win over the judges by lacing his sponge with gin, closely followed in second place by Suzy, Operations trainer, who stood out from the crowd with a savoury pie. In the award giving speech, Mary (Willcock, not Berry) summed up this year's entries by saying 'We had some entries that looked good, and some that tasted good, but...'


Summer Management Development Course

September 2016

This week saw the conclusion of our fifth management development course, and what a fine bunch they were. 12 new or deputy managers were nominated earlier in the year, by their Ops managers to take part in the five day course that was spread out over two months.

They began with a psychometric test for an insight into what makes them tick, then moved onto more physical challenges, romping through forests and swinging from trees in a bid to discover new team building skills. Then a few more sedate activities with their feet on the ground and their noses in some really insightful books.

The course culminated with a personal and group presentation and most importantly some pledges of personal and work goals to fulfil over the coming year (and of course a great big well deserved night out to celebrate their achievements).


Introducing Haighton Manor

September 2016

We are proud to announce the arrival of the latest addition to the family, Haighton Manor which opened it's does on Thursday, 8th September 2016. Sitting a little over 5 miles outside Preston city centre, the manor closed its doors in December after operating, for 4 years, as a privately run wedding venue.

There is a rich history to the building. Haighton Manor, then called Haighton House, was built sometime in the 1650's.The earliest owner to note was Richard Cardwell, head of a wealthy family of landowners and tanners of Barton. When Richard died in 1690, his inventory revealed that much of his wealth was in livestock suggesting that he had farmed the land around the manor. It then passed through various owners who modernised and updated the building through the ages until it became a mental illness hospital in 1910 until the 1960's. Plans to convert the historic property to an eating establishment were submitted in 1967 and Haighton Manor opened as a restaurant in the early 1970s.

When we happened upon the building we found that we needed to strip out all the 1970's additions to unearth the beautiful building beneath and add on a garden room to make the most of the stunning views across the land that Richard Cardwell would have once farmed.

Chris Humphries opens the doors today as Landlord. He hands over the reins of Haighton Manor's sister pub, the Aspinhall Arms in Mitton, in order to take up the helm of Haighton Manor. It's a return to his homeland as Chris moved to Preston from his hometown of Lowton on the Lancashire, Cheshire border when he was 20 and has close family nearby. He is joined by his wife Claire, who was born and bred in Preston, and their little girl Eleanor who is excited to start school for the first time in the local school. Their family isn't complete without their 'Swinger' (Springer Spaniel crossed with a Whippet) Max, their flock of chickens and 3 horses, which they hope to stable very close by.

Alongside the family and pets Chris is joined at Haighton by Martyn Barnes who heads up the kitchen team as head chef and deputy manager Steven Larkin, both of whom have been working with him for the last 3 years at the Aspinhall Arms. Our Assistant managers are Katherine Horrocks joins the team from another pub within the family, the Sparrowhawk in Fornby and Matt Andrews joins Brunning and Price for the first time.

They all look forward to settling in and getting to know everyone.


Company 'Do' 2016

September 2016

Each year we pick a date in September to wrap up the summer with a gathering of all of our Managers, Deputy Managers and Head Chefs. It's an opportunity for us to get together, discuss how the year is going and generally have a lovely time catching up.

We usually decide to hold a huge BBQ, but have been stung by the weather in recent years, so this year we decided against an outside affair and visited one of our biggest pubs, the Red Fox on the Wirral instead, so we could all shelter inside. Sods Law struck and it turned out to be a glorious day, so we quickly moved as many of the proceedings as we could outside, with a marquee, 'al fresco' Prosecco tasting session and live acoustic duet on the terrace.

When the sun set we did all move inside for some fun with casino tables and a bit of what, at a stretch could be called dancing.


The Prae Wood is almost there

June 2016

As you can see from this amazing bit of fly by footage, we are so nearly there with the Prae Wood Arms in St Albans. We are at that stage where a beautiful pub is beginning to emerge out of the dust. We have stripped back this building right to its 1800's roots, discovered slate walls, parquet flooring, stunning cornices and full height sash windows complete with casement shutters and we are now putting everything back together, making the most of these stunning features we have found along the way.

The garden has been reclaimed from huge dark conifers and is now terraced to run down to the pretty river Ver at its border, and the dining area under the original canopy has been extended to make even more room for dining 'al fresco' on those sunny English evenings.

We just need Chloe and Digby, the landlady and her beloved Labrador, to move in and then we are all on track and very excited to open later this month.


The Oakley Arms opens its doors at long last

May 2016

The Oakley Arms in Brewood is at last open after standing empty and unloved for the last 9 years.

We have spirited new life into the building by creating a stunning new pub restaurant which seats 160 inside and a further 100 on a terrace outside, that overlooks the much loved lake.

John Duncan the new Landlord is finding his feet and making himself and his family at home. He is no stranger to the area as he has been working and living locally in Blymhill since 2001.

John is joined at the Oakley by Charlie Ward, who has been the Deputy Manager at another pub within the family, the Fox in Newport for the last 9 years and Lee Walley, the Head Chef from the Oakley's sister pub the Hayhurst Arms in Bostock Green. So this opening has offered a great opportunity for those currently working for Brunning and Price who are enthusiastic to move around the country or further their careers.

"The locals seem to be delighted with the transformation, we have had many old members from the time when it was a private club trying to remember where they used to come in, where they used to sit and even where they used to dance. I must have heard 100 stories from the past and find it fascinating what has gone on within these walls.'' We have also seen a good number of walkers, taking advantage of our ifootpath route, coming in for afternoon refreshments. The dog owners have been here in droves, enjoying the fireside tables in the bar area, and we have even had one happy horse and owner"

"Brunning and Price prides itself on building local relationships with suppliers, it's up to the local management team to decide the line up on the bar and much of this is driven by customer suggestion. The most popular beer so far is the Salopian Oracle, closely followed by Wye Valley Butty Bach and the most popular dish at the moment would be our Braised shoulder of lamb with Dauphinoise potatoes, carrot mash and rosemary gravy, but I have to say the menu has a fairly good split across all the dishes as people experiment to find their favourites. Our suppliers are mostly British, small and artisan and many serve one or two pubs rather than national suppliers and this is how we like it as it is local folk supplying their produce to the local pub. So it's been nice to work with them to create our opening menu."

"I am loving life at the Oakley, what's not to like! I have a beautiful pub, beautiful gardens, the crew are fantastic and I am seeing so many new and old faces who are loving the place and, very importantly, my family have settled in well and are extremely happy.


Kieron, Head of IT/ Mountain conqueror's tales from the top - the Welsh 3000's challenge to raise funds for Parkinson's UK

May 2016

When a group of us made up from a few from head office, a few managers from all over the place and any willing crew members signed up for the Welsh 3000's seemed to be 'a good idea at the time'. 'Stuff' got very real when we were asked to be out of bed and ready to rock and roll by 6:15am on Tuesday 17th May and it got realer and realer as we stood in a stiff wind at the start point staring up into the mist for a glimpse of the first peak, the ominously named Crib Coch or red ridge in English.

I think it's fair to say that we all felt comfortable with the idea of a 2 day walk in Snowdonia but it turns out there aren't manicured paths between each of the 15 peaks which make up the challenge and we were required to do something called scrambling which is essentially rock climbing without the good sense to use a rope. Visualise if you will a misty morning turning into a very pleasant afternoon with the almost unlimited high calorie snacking interrupted only by the sound of popping knees. This idyllic scene then degenerated into 45mph winds and the wettest rain ever to fall from the sky at exactly the point where we were beginning to feel the burn 2 peaks into our second mountain range. Day 1 saw us home safe after 13 hours walking but short by 3 peaks, we were not going to make this challenge.

Day 2 saw the B team split further and one half of the group set out to conquer the 3rd range of mountains and stick to the plan whilst another group decided to assault the other end of the Glyderau range and pick off the fearsome Tryfan peak. This mission seemed a bit tame initially as our dismal day 1 had already been well and truly cast into shade by the victorious A group who completed the whole challenge in 17 hours, but by the time the temperature had dropped to 2 degrees and the hail had really got going, we felt pretty good about at least getting out of bed and having another go. By the end of the day our sister group completed their assault on the Carneddau range and the whole team repaired to Harkers to have a beer and compare notes. On the whole a memorable 2 days with some great people and we raised some useful money for Parkinson's UK.


The Three Peaks conquered!

June 2015

The B&P team made it back down to base camp at Mount Snowdon at 8:30am this morning, and so completed the Three Peaks challenge where they climbed the highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales within 24 hours!

Speaking to various individuals, I don't think any of them realised quite what a monster it was going to be - they were tested to their very limits. Ellen from White Hart Sevenoaks was very poorly on the last mountain as a result of travel sickness, and was sick five times on the ascent, but she never stopped! Mind over matter, for all the team, and some £9,000 was raised for charity.

Congratulations to each and every one of them.


The White Hart Chobham opens its doors!

April 2015

After a three month closure for a tip to toe make-over while we bought the White Hart under the wing of Brunning and Price, we have thrown open our doors and are happily trading away. The property is a listed building dating from the 1500's, and we've taken great pains to retain the atmosphere and character of such a venerable old building.


The Pant Yr Ochain is refreshed

February 2015

After twenty years or so of trading its socks off, the Pant was sorely in need of a detox and a gentle facelift. For five days, behind closed doors, floors were sanded, tables re-finished, bookshelves painted white, lighting re-designed, the whole pub was redecorated and pictures were re-hung. The old girl emerged with a spring in her step and a glint in her eye, and is good to go again for the next twenty years.


The Hayhurst Arms is open!

February 2015

The Hayhurst Arms in Bostock Green has opened its doors and is going great guns. The general feeling is that it has helped bring back the social heart to the village, where people can meet their neighbours for a pint, take friends and family for a bite to eat, and where visitors will receive a warm and friendly welcome.


The good times are rolling again at Harkers!

January 2015

At Harkers, from Sunday 11th to Friday 16th January, a much needed rejuvenation campaign has seen the whole pub re-decorated, the floors, bar tops and tables re-polished, bookcases painted white, and everything subjected to a rigourous deep-clean

The net result is that you probably can't tell the difference, which is as it should be, but it does feel like it's in good shape for the future. Click here to view a gallery of photographs.


New life to be breathed into the White Hart in Chobham.

January 2015

Blubeckers at the White Hart in Chobham closed its doors for the last time on Sunday January 4th, but all is not lost - we've embarked on a ten week refurbishment operation which will see the White Hart re-born as a fully-dressed B&P pub with proper foodie credentials!


Refreshed and Revitalised

November 2014

In the last few weeks, both the Grosvenor Arms and the Hand and Trumpet have been rejuvenated with gentle facelifts.

The most significant change to the Grosvenor's interior are the bookcases in the library and the shelving around the walls of the pub, which have been painted white. The dark wooden panelling in the library has been painted a gentle pastel colour, the overall effect of which is to brighten the room which seems fresher and crisper.

When people come in, they notice the change in the feel of the pub, but generally can't identify what is actually different.

The Hand and Trumpet has had a more substantial makeover including an entirely new colour scheme and graphics on the outside of the pub, to create more interest and soften the tone. We've introduced a number of structural features inside the pub, most notably a screen separating the loos from the main body of the pub, which creates a lovely snuggy table in the corner. To the right of the front door, we've taken out a table and introduced club chairs and a coffee table to create a more relaxed atmosphere.

As with the Grosvenor, we have painted the bookcases in the library white, and the dark wooden panelling is now a pastel colour. Locals love it.


Gomshall mill race refurbishment

August 2014

Gomshall Mill is a historic and wonderfully atmospheric pub in Guildford, which we look after under the umbrella of our Home Counties family of pubs and restaurants.

Over the past few hundred years, the mortar holding the stones together in the mill race under the pub has been eroded and eaten by an army of crayfish, allowing water to enter the fabric of the building and flood the downstairs rooms. 

So the river was dammed above and below the pub, two huge pumps were deployed to pump the stream around the dams, and one pump was used to pump out the mill race itself. When the process was competed, there were shoals of crayfish left in the pools that remained, and some very large fish, including brown trout and a huge carp.

Link to the gallery here


Bradley Wiggins sails past the Grosvenor Arms

August 2014

The Tour of Britain bike race went through Saighton, south of Chester, passing our offices there and continuing on past the Grosvenor Arms. Here's Bradders as part of Team Sky in front of the pub.



The Blue Plaque at the Greyhound, Besselsleigh

June 2014

The Greyhound was recently the recipient of  Blue Plaque Award from English Heritage to commemorate Alfred White, 1804 - 1876, innkeeper and famous Church Bellhanger.

He founded the business Whites of Appleton, which is the oldest continuously trading Bellhanging company in the UK, founded in 1824.

A man of many skills, Alfred was the innkeeper at the Greyhound from 1850 to 1876, when he also ran a bakery, the village shop and a forge. Busy chap.


We’re back!

April 2021

Well for a day or two there it looked a bit doubtful, but the sun won out (mostly) and the snow melted off the top of our new marquees and tipis and we were able to welcome you all back to our ‘English country gardens’.

It has been an absolute joy to see so many of you. Thank you so much for your support as ever.

We are looking forward to our Welsh pubs joining in the fun next week.

For all today's menus, to book online, for photos, directions and contact info, click here to download the B&P app from the app store