Julian Grocock, chief executive of the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has taken a lease on a pub in the Leicestershire village of Hose, writes Gurjit Degun.
The Rose & Crown is to reopen at the end of July with Grocock’s wife Gillian and daughter Emily running the business with his part-time support.
The free-of-tie 10-year lease, with Belvoir Inns, on the 17th Century property was sold off an asking price of £35,000 by GA Select.
The Rose & Crown has been refurbished within the last few years.
“We’ve known the pub since 1992, when we moved to Hose to run its other pub, the Black Horse, which is now sadly closed,” said Grocock.
“When the lease came up at the Rose & Crown, we jumped at it. It’s a cracking pub that’s lost its way in recent years but certainly has the potential to become a thriving business again.
“In my four years at SIBA, I’ve spent a lot of time defending community pubs – so now is the time for me to ‘walk the talk’ and create a great ‘local’ myself.
"The beer range is an important part of that and, needless to say, I’ve spent some time putting together a selection which captures the mood for quality, choice, innovation and, of course, local sourcing.”
