Great news, we have the exciting update that we have now appointed a tenant. If everything goes to plan The White House will be open in early October. There is still lots to do. We need your help to get the final jobs completed so please sign up below and look out for emails and social media announcements. It feels like all of the hard work is about to pay off!
After a very thorough recruitment process we are very pleased to announce that Johnny Roberts will be our tenant. Johnny wanted to introduce himself, so here he is!
“My name is John Roberts but everybody calls me Johnny. I was born in Oxford and lived here for 18 years before moving to Kingston upon Thames to study Marketing. My partner Francesca and little boy Ruben are both excited for this new adventure in Bladon, integrating with the fantastic community. We are proud to call Bladon our new home. I started working in pubs while I was at University in Kingston upon Thames. I immediately fell in love with the social aspect of working in the food and drinks industry, getting to know new people and listening to the stories they have to share. It wasn’t until my return to Oxford in 2018, and a management promotion, that I started developing a passion for Food and Drink, especially Real Ale and craft beer.
The last few years I have homed in on Real Ale and really bonded with the brewing community and CAMRA (campaign for real ale) here in Oxford. I’ve developed a burning passion for supporting local breweries and my hard work and passion has been on display at The Four Candles, George Street.
I remember reading the story of the Bladon Community Pub on social media and being completely inspired by the hard work and dedication from the community to save their local pub. I instantly fell in love with the idea and wanted to be a part of this fantastic project. The buzz and excitement for The White House is so inspiring and it will be an absolute pleasure to represent this great pub as the tenant alongside my Head Chef David Fowler.
We aim to create ‘more than just a pub’ at The White House, bringing the pub and the community closer together. In my opinion the pub is a very important aspect of village life, it should serve the community and be a focal point for everyone to enjoy. Creating the perfect balance is an exciting opportunity for me and my team, we will combine Café style food for the morning and afternoons with a combination of wholesome pub classics and finer dining in the evenings. But let’s not forget about the Sunday Roasts that will be a prominent feature of our menu. It’s important for me to keep things local, from the guest ales and craft beers, to the food on the menu, we pledge to keep things as local as possible wherever possible. So, if you like locally sourced meat and beers from your favourite brewers here in Oxfordshire, then I look forward to welcoming you at The White House (hopefully very soon!).”
We cannot wait to open the doors of The White House and make it a central part of Bladon life for all of the community, but we need your help. There is a lot to do to prepare The White House for opening. Please sign up here to volunteer and keep an eye out for emails with further details.
https://bladoncommunitypub.org/volunteers-weekly
How exciting!
That sounds so promising. After living in Woodstock in my early life know Bladon well. The pub will be a hub for the village and so important in this day and age to keep communities alive and vibrant. Good luck. As I drive through Bladon when I go to visit my in laws I’ll call in when you are open.
Good luck Johnny hope u do well and when am down will pop in when it opens.
Buzzing for it Johnny! Will come by for a beer when it’s open??
Look forward to seeing you George! Will let you know once we’re open.
This is wonderful news and we will definitely head over to support Johnny and the pub!
good news. good pub.used to use it a lot in the 1950/1960s .jerry nash was the first landlord i remember.