Geronimo Inns has re-opened The Betjeman Arms, situated in Grade I listed St. Pancras International Station, following an extensive renovation.
The pub now features a much larger and more sumptuous bar, illuminated by floor to ceiling windows and overlooking a re-designed internal terrace where a greatly extended range of craft beers accompany wines selected by Master of Wine John Clevely.
A new menu provides for fine food in the dining room or dinner parties in the private room – not forgetting food for those on the move.
And – live music on Thursday evenings will delay a few from getting home for dinner!
As an exciting innovation the revamped pub launches with the #LoveYourCommute campaign, a month long multi-media initiative aimed at lightening the mood of travellers during their daily commute (see below).
London Ale Festival
The pub is also creating a ‘London Ale Festival’ from 29th September – 5th October, with the line up of London beers and the first 100 pints poured on launch day being ‘on the house’. There will be the chance to win tours of local London brewery’s, talks from brewers on how to brew from home, as well as ale and cheese pairing evenings, and blind tastings.
Enjoy London’s architecture – with a pint in hand!
Ed Turner, Managing Director, Geronimo Inns says:
“Geronimo has remained true to the intrinsic design of this remarkable station: this is an extensive piece of renovation on one of our pubs that just adds to the beauty of the station…. A unique place to enjoy London’s architecture with a pint in hand!
“Geronimo has always understood that station pubs are places to reassure customers with consistently great quality, a splash of imagination, and a smiling face. The travellers are not as twitchy as those in airports – checking their passport is still there … again! But the success of The Betjeman Arms has always been down to the fact that travellers are put at ease by the fact that this is also well used by the local creative types. Long live fine pubs and pub banter!”
Design
As always with Geronimo Inns, and rarely seen in the contemporary UK pub industry, the design of The Betjeman Arms has been completed by an in-house team. Anneke Laux, designer, says:
“The new interior of The Betjeman Arms reflects the heritage of the iconic building it is set within. We have streamlined the layout and created a classic bar that is now the main feature and really promotes our vast array of drinks.
“The pub is a more cohesive space, the terrace is now very visible and sits well against the existing building fabric. We’ve matched the heritage red of the doors on our panelling and added tiles for a fresher look. The upholstered chairs and cushions on the panelling make for a more comfortable setting and is a seamless extension to the new pub interior.”
About #LoveYourCommute
The #LoveYourCommute multi-media campaign will feature a specially commissioned audio podcast, with a panel of comedians and journalists including Lou Saunders, Tom Price and David Whitney discussing the best ways to survive the daily journey to and from work, which can be downloaded free from the Geronimo Inns website and via iTunes.
Through its social media channels, the group will be offering daily tips of what to watch, read & listen to as well as games to play to make the commute more bearable, alongside interactive competitions with prizes offered throughout the month.
Food & Drink
Fresh menus will be introduced to the new look Betjeman Arms, with a daily specials menu highlighting the best of seasonal produce. Dishes include grazing plates of butter milk fried squid, kimchee remoulade tacos, Cromer crab roll, spiced pepper dressing and corned beef hash bites with HP sauce.
For a longer lunch or dinner the house favourite will be Camden Hells chicken, polenta popcorn, and watercress salad. Alternatively a warming Cornish fish broth with summer vegetables or Betjeman sausages, Dijon mustard mash and scrumpy sauce are on offer, as is a selection from The Butcher’s Block including sirloin chop, cotes de boeuf, onglet and flat iron steaks. Puddings to entice a well-earned snooze on the Eurostar include sticky toffee pudding with salted caramel ice cream and chocolate tart with raspberry ripple ice cream.
The drinks list has added to the thirst quenching beer list with Camden Hells unpasteurised lager, London Fields Three Weiss Monkeys, Dogfish DNA, and a further range of bottled craft beers, wines and champagnes. During the weekend, those with slightly foggy heads can also enjoy a classic Bloody Mary at Geronimo’s ‘make your own’ stations.
Geronimo Inns – history
Geronimo Inns, founded in 1995, is a collection of 35 food pubs and has received amongst other awards, the Restaurant R200 Pub Company of the Year. It is an independent arm within the Young’s group who are fully committed to the individuality of this collection of some of London’s finest pubs and bars.
Championing seasonal British produce and the skills of individual chefs, Geronimo Inns has been one of the most influential operators in establishing high food standards and exceptional service across British pubs. It has recently been shortlisted as one of The Caterer’s Best Employers in Hospitality for 2013. In January 2014 Geronimo were awarded a three star SRA rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association and in February won the award for ‘Most Sustainable Large Group’ at their annual awards ceremony.
In March 2014 Geronimo and Young’s were crowned the ‘Pub Company’ and Food Operator’ of the year at The Publican Awards.
The Betjeman Arms, St Pancras International Station, London, N1X 4QL
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