Hawthorn Leisure invested £2.5m in 70 sites in its first year and plans to spend another £3m on between 60 and 70 projects over the next 12 months.
The company is gearing up to open the latest of its Artisan Tap craft beer-focussed outlets in Aylesbury, as previously reported by M&C.
The Tap & Barrel in Aylesbury Market Square, formerly the Oak House, will open on Thursday 16 July following a six-figure investment and the recruitment of ten new team members.
It will introduce its food offer, described as an “all day artisan” menu on Thursday 23 July. It will include sourdough pizzas and Red Tractor farm assured burgers. There will be a range of c50 craft beers.
The c350-strong group, which launched the concept at the Corkers site in Paisley earlier this year, has recently invested £200k relaunching the Grapes site in Pontefract, West Yorkshire as the Tap & Barrel under the format.
The company described the model as: “A contemporary craft pub with a twist; designed with generous use of timber and industrial light fittings, a spacious new bar area stacked with visible beer kegs to showcase the craft beer, retro furniture with dining seats for 60 people across two floors, as well as a timber coffee bench accompanied by high-top bar stools. Adding to the atmosphere of the pub is a vintage record player and a movie projector in the upstairs dining area, which will be screening classic black and white flicks throughout the day.”
Mark McGinty, managing director of Hawthorn Leisure, said: “We are delighted to be working with Hein, where together we can bring to life the vision and passion to create a great bar that works for its local community. It is another example of the commitment we have in making sure our pubs continue to thrive, combining the flair of the manager with the support from within the company.”
