Help The Red Lion Become Independently Owned

Aim

The Red Lion, Hollington is hoping to raise £50,000 as the final phase of the purchase by the current Landlord, Dan Smith.

EDIT: Every penny we raise will go towards the pub purchase, even if we don't hit our original target, we want everyone to know that this campaign is still successful because it's helping us to finalise the purchase as quickly as possible. (14/11/22)

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

EDIT: Even before we have gone live, we have received an "eleventh hour" offer of a lump sum outside of this campaign, so we have reduced our crowdfunding target from the original amount of £85,000 down to £50,000. Our video is still asking for the original amount as with an hour to go before the campaign is live we couldn't really edit it. ...but we can live with that, because we are already closer to our goal!

Our original pitch is...Dan has secured £210,000 through the normal financial channels and is just short of the final amount of £85,000. This crowdfund will be used to make up the short fall, cover the VAT amount to be paid on the purchase, and also to start some much-needed updates around the pub

The Red Lion is a small country pub in the village of Hollington in the heart of Derbyshire. The pub itself was built in 1780, but Dan hasn’t been there quite that long. He has been at the helm since 2013 and is realising his dream to be not only the landlord, but also the business owner. 

This traditional country pub sits at the heart of the Hollington community. It boasts everything that you could want in a country pub and Dan has spent the last 9 years creating a great business. 

From the fantastic selection of local beers as well as wines and spirits, to the stunning restaurant serving fresh, locally sourced produce, with all dishes on the affordable menu prepared on the premises, The Red Lion has benefitted from Dan’s vision and passion for warm and welcoming hospitality.

The menu selection, as do the rewards we are offering, focuses on the things that the pub is well known for. The Red Lion offers the usual pub classics and sharing foods, which may sound like a lot of country pubs, but The Red Lion is unique when it comes to their specials board which is all about the pies.

That’s right, when it comes to pies, this pub is leading the stampede.

The Red Lion offers a massive selection, all showcased on their pie board with the” build a pie” meal theme giving the diners a choice of 13 different pies, 14 mash’s or chips, 14 vegetable dishes and 14 different gravies, totalling an approximate mind boggling 35,000 different combinations.

You could literally have a different combination every day for the rest of your life and never repeat the same meal twice…That’s “Pie-tastic”!

Drinks wise we pride ourselves of our cask ale, gins and now flavoured vodka.

The Red Lion is the heart of the village hosting events for everyone with the help of the village social committee. The pub is the home to several pub teams, for example darts, football, and a quiz team. They are also home to the Red Lion Bikers which can be found on our Instagram.  

While The Red Lion has a relaxed atmosphere with no set type of customer, it is very well supported by the village with a strong local regular crowd. A real community hub which attracts and retains customers through word of mouth, promotional activity and with a very good online presence, regularly promoting a fantastic Groupon Pie & Pint offer with around 2000 vouchers sold since the end of lockdown.

We don't expect something for nothing, so we've put together some amazing rewards in this campaign, which are centred around the things that we already know are popular and that we are good at supplying. There is something to get everyone involved, from inclusion on our website as part of our “Supporters” page, to a box at Uttoxeter races, to a whole year of Pie meals through 2023. 

We’ve got food and drink incentives that will help you support the pub while keeping a little bit of money in your pocket and help us at the same time.

So, all that we ask is that you help us to raise the amount we need, so that Dan can start his 10th year at the pub with the knowledge that he is the owner, working for himself and his family in his own business, rather than just running the pub for current brewery owners.

This project successfully funded on 15th November 2022