The Jolly Drovers, near Consett in County Durham, re-opened its doors in May after a £450,000 refurbishment by the pub’s owners, Punch Taverns. Licensees Michelle and Brian Proud were delighted to play host to North West Durham’s MP Pat Glass, who enjoyed a grand tour and was invited to pull a pint to mark the occasion.
250th pub upgrade – 150 to go!
The project marks a milestone for Punch Taverns, as the company’s 250th completed pub upgrade since the start of its current financial year last September.
Punch Taverns will invest a total of £40m this year in upgrades to more than 400 pubs. Last year it completed 450 refurbishments at a cost of £45m. The programme has already successfully transformed pubs from Aberdeenshire to Cornwall and from Newport to Kent.
Equipping pubs for the community served
The company aims to give tired premises a makeover, but also equips each pub with the ideal facilities and licensees for the community it serves. Updated pubs can provide a wider and better range of food, Sky sports, better outdoor spaces and smoking areas. All Punch Taverns pubs now offer free WiFi.
Punch Taverns takes on every investment project as a partnership, involving the licensee partners and calling on its own experienced team of specialists to make sure every aspect of the upgrade goes well.
Operations Director Paul Pavli explains: “The success of the programme is down to a huge task force. As well as using good repairs and decorating contractors, every refurbishment calls on our in-house specialists in cellar management, catering, menu planning, accounts, business management, marketing, event management and stock control.
The New Business Development Team
“To get this right, we set up a New Business Development Team to co-ordinate and oversee refurbishments. This team then stay and work closely with our partners for six months after the refurbishment, making sure that all aspects of the business are right for our partners and ourselves.
“Central to the long-term success of these pubs, we also focus on creating strong partnerships with our licensees, offering them unique levels of ongoing support through our award-winning Punch Foundation Tenancy licence agreements.
The Jolly Drovers
The Jolly Drovers had been closed for two years and has now been re-launched by experienced licensees. The newly updated premises provide a family-friendly space for local people, as well as being an ideal stop-off point for cyclists on the Coast to Coast bike route.
Licensee Michelle Proud said: “The investment has totally transformed the pub. The locals love the new décor and they say they’ve been desperate for a place like this on their doorstep. We’re also seeing a lot of new faces as customers come in from other villages – which is great!”
The Coast to Coast feature wall