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Support the renovation of The Lamb Berkhamsted
Berkhamsted, England, United Kingdom
Aim
The Lamb is undergoing an extensive renovation to help save the 300 yr old pub, but to get it back on its feet we need some more help!
The Lamb Berkhamsted is reborn.
The history of the pub
At the end of the High Street in Berkhamsted, The Lamb has been serving locals and visitors for over 300 years. During its lifetime in the town it has been extended and reconfigured in all manners of ways, surviving wars, battles and evolving with the times. With its quirky arrangement of three front doors, wonky floors and timber-beamed roof, this listed building shows all the bumps and bruises of getting old. At one point, the pub even had stables at the far end!
In recent years the pub was forgotten and left to ruin. Tenants have been and gone, trying to keep the spirit of the pub alive, but ultimately failing to create a place that is both full of passion and a profitable business. In 2018 The Lamb closed with no promise of reopening, much to the dismay of local residents, leaving a hole in the high street pub community.
What changed then?
Heineken and Star Pubs & Bars are to thank for the renovation of The Lamb, as they have taken on a nationwide project to bring UK pubs back to life. With their commitment to serving the best beers and creating the environments that offer a lasting legacy, many pubs will see a new lease of life and The Lamb is no exception.
Having proposed a new direction for the pub’s offering, that elevates it from a ‘regular boozer’ to fine drinking and dining establishment, Heineken and Star Pubs & Bars chose our team to lead the way. We all agreed that there were many assets not used to their full potential, so this venture would bring the best out in what the pub has to offer.
The solution
The Lamb is now undergoing extensive renovation inside and out, to make it an attractive focal point of the high street once again. Open from lunch 'til late every day, we aim to transform it into a modern drinking and dining retreat for grown up sophistication. The company will be liquid-led, meaning that the primary focus of the business is to serve the best quality of drinks across the board. Customers will experience a high level of service and product, but there will also be a lot of work going on behind the scenes too.
Our vision
The pub itself will be divided into three service zones, each designed to give the venue the functionality to cater to customers in a variety of ways.
1. The Bar Zone
2. The Restaurant
3. The Courtyard
The show stopping bar zone will be compact but professionally equipped, and finished with plenty of sparkle. Not only will the front of the bar get a makeover with glossy tiles, golden gantry and golden beer pumps, but behind the scenes will be lots of new tech to make the drinks as tasty as possible.
Heineken’s ‘Smart Dispense’ beer system is a new technology that vastly improves the quality of beer from the cellar to the glass, ensuring The Lamb serves amazing beer and ale once again with eleven taps present on the main bar. On the small bar will be another 4 taps, dedicated to serving the restaurant zone quicker.
A state of the art cocktail station will take pride of place on the main bar, allowing the staff to produce expertly crafted drinks from the seasonal menus created by cocktail consultants Three Piece Bar. If you haven’t heard about Three Piece Bar before, then you most certainly will now.
The team are very passionate about looking after the environment, so not only will we be recycling all the glass, paper and plastic, but the house spirits will be supplied by the amazing Sustainable Spirit Co. This is how many bottles are saved with their refill pouches!
In the bar zone, seasonal small plates and sharing platters will be available for guests to graze on every day of the week, as well as the usual bar snacks that one would expect.
For the first time the pub will have a fine dining area, separate from the bar zone. Here, guests can indulge themselves in menus with a modern approach to pub food, created by the head chef of The Hideout Popup. If you were lucky enough to dine at one of the Hideout Popups, then you will know the calibre of food expected. Think fresh ingredients, quirky flavour combinations, local suppliers and creative specials.
The menus will rotate seasonally, of course, but more importantly have a nod to French cuisine as there are no French menus in the town. The team believes there is an opportunity to be filled and accompanied by fine wines from all over the world, but more specifically France.
From Monday-Wednesday guests can benefit from the use of the whole venue as the restaurant side opens for bar and table service too. From Thursday-Sunday the zones will be split exclusively into drinking and dining. The lunch offer will be a beautifully crafted set menu (2 or 3 courses available with house wine or beer), and the full menu, with vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian and meat options all available in the evening.
A stunning south facing courtyard garden will be created at the rear for year-round alfresco drinking and dining, transforming the overgrown and neglected space into a tranquil retreat for adults. With a new license until 1am, this space will be the place to enjoy every moment of the summer sun next year.
We will be completely rebuilding the walls and replacing paving to create a clean and updated appearance, adding brand new furniture and festoon lighting to illuminate the area, and heaters to keep everyone warm through the winter season.
Why we need you!
The Lamb was quite literally on its last legs when we started this project, with rotten windows, outdated equipment, an overgrown garden and unloved interior. With a massive investment from Heineken and Star Pubs & Bars, we have been able to start works on this grade 2 listed building, to save it from collapse.
We are financially and emotionally invested into this pub too, but our budget won't stretch the whole way so we need your support with the final details (which we know make all the difference to our guests):
- State of the art kitchen equipment
- Luxury crockery & cocktail glassware
- More stock of fine wines and Champagne
- Outdoor furniture and speaker system
Check out some of the brands we are working with!
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*Rewards for alcoholic products may only be redeemed by adults as this is an over 18s venue. We enforce a Challenge 25 policy, so if you are lucky enough to look under the age of 25 then you may be asked for ID when drinking or dining with us. Please see our website for all terms and conditions.
This project successfully funded on 15th November 2019