An established head chef has teamed up with Ei Publican Partnerships to open his first pub following a joint investment of £200,000 to add new kitchen facilities and renovate the interior of the White Horse, Upper Poppleton, York.
New publican Peter Brown, who has 35 years’ experience in the industry working as head chef at a number of established restaurants and hotels, such as The Dean Hotel, York, plans to use his skills and knowledge to turn the White Horse into a community pub that champions local produce.
A combination of Ei Publican Partnerships’ unique segmentation tool, which analyses the local area in detail and creates a retail offer that best suits the community, and Peter’s intrinsic knowledge of the local area repositioned the pub from wet-led to food-led.
Peter said: “I’m passionate about cooking and wanted to give something back to the community I grew up in. Ei Publican Partnerships shared my vision for the pub and helped invest the money needed to put the White Horse on the map as a gastronomic destination.
“My wife and I were both born and raised in the village, with my strong background in food and my wife’s front-of-house experience, we’ve played to our strengths and transformed the pub into somewhere the community can truly call their local.”
Peter’s menu champions local produce, from Yorkshire Dales Meat Company and Simon Baines, who supply a variety of vegetables, meats and cheeses. The local theme is echoed on the bar with guest ales from Yorkshire Guzzler and Theakstons.
Peter will also be hosting regular events at the White Horse for locals to enjoy such as a ‘Gin and Jazz’ night and pub quiz tournaments.
Ei Publican Partnerships Regional Manager Greg Smith added: “We are committed to supporting and developing our publicans so that they can create quality local pubs at the heart of the community.
“Peter is a great example of the calibre of publicans in our estate and demonstrates that you don’t need to have a background in running pubs to take on a pub and turn your dream into reality.
“I’m delighted we have been able to reunite Peter with a pub in the village he grew up and have no doubt his skill and experience will bear fruits for the couple over the years to come.”
The pub officially re-opened on Friday 26th May, the same weekend as Upper Poppleton Village Fete, which saw over 1,500 locals pass through the village and stop for a pint at the revamped pub.
Peter added: “We want the White Horse to be a hub for the community, somewhere people visit regularly for a drink, a quality meal and a catch up with friends. We’re really excited to share our new offer with everyone.”
