December Update

With Christmas fast approaching we are all hoping that we can have something approaching a normal celebration and that the pub can be a big part of that for everyone.

It has been a challenging few months with the ongoing building works but we now have modern, top quality toilet facilities with disabled facilities and baby changing for the first time ever. It has brought our pub right up to date at last thanks to Blenheim Palace/Pye Homes and your backing.

We are waiting for 2 separate subcontractors to move the gas meter and move the cellar cooling fans before we can call the builders back from Pye Homes/Renelec to finish their work. They will then render the outside where the new cellar is at the front of the pub as well as the outside of the new toilet block and finish the outstanding list of jobs.

With our Masterchef Ben Bullen creating a stir with the food it became very clear the limited resources and space available to him and his team were not coping with the increase in demand. We have invested in a large cold room to enable him to expand his menu and cater for the increasing numbers who want to dine at our pub. The cold room is already being built at the rear of the pub near the snug bar. The slight loss of view from one of the snug windows will be made up by the expansion of our tiny kitchen capabilities. Any ideas of how we can dress up the cold room are gratefully accepted. The more fun the idea the better!

When we brought the proposal of a community pub to the village we asked what you wanted our community pub to be. We already have a successful quiz evening on a Wednesday, the Crib team on a Monday, coffee morning on a Thursday and live music once a month. Robin and Johnny are adding activities to that list and we took the decision to leaflet the whole village with present activities and future plans. Please bring more of your ideas to Johnny, or the committee, for groups and activities you want to see and can help bring together. The pub is already morphing through the day from community hub into a fantastic dining destination and then into being a fantastic local pub. Let’s work together to strengthen the pub as the heart of our community.

At the end of February/start of March, we will have the pub AGM. It is important we have as many people as possible attending. As a committee we have decided to entice you down by offering a free drink on arrival so I expect to see you all there (including you from far afield who can now fly/drive in to join us!). We will update you on those plans as 2022 approaches and get Johnny to stock up!

We have made big steps forward with the fabric of the building and the pub facilities. As a new year approaches we need the community to steer the future of the pub to become the heart of Bladon and to remember that phrase we keep returning to: Use it or lose it. 

I look forward to seeing you all down there over the festive season and into the New Year.

Mike

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