Licensees Kathryne and David Thomas have taken on a second pub in Three Crosses village on the Gower peninsula near Swansea. The Star Pubs & Bars site, The Poundffald, is the couple’s first leased pub.
Work began this week on a £100k joint refurbishment with Star Pubs & Bars, which will create a stunning new beer garden with heated booth huts and see the interior of the pub brought up to date. Ten new jobs are being created as a result.
The new licensees, who both live in the village, also run the wet-led freehold pub, The Joiners Arms, in The Three Crosses.
Kathryn Thomas said, “The pub had lost its way recently and the people running it kept changing. As a result, villagers stopped using it. When Star Pubs & Bars acquired The Poundffald and the opportunity to lease it came up, we jumped at the chance to take it on. We live in the village and wanted to give Three Crosses residents what they wanted a great place to eat and drink.”
The Poundffald will continue to trade during the three-week refurbishment and the work will be completed the first week in December in time for the festive season.
The exterior of the pub is being completely overhauled, redecorated in grey, white and black with new lighting and signage and a new main entrance added. The outside area is being re-landscaped and will have new fencing, a pergola garden entrance, festoon lighting and four heated booth huts seating 24.
Inside the pub the redecoration will create a smarter, warmer ambience. This will include a new back bar, full-height painted panelling and feature wallpaper, new soft furnishings and booth style leather seating in the roundel, which was originally used to feed and water horses 150 years ago.
The cellar is also receiving a makeover with the installation of Heineken’s ground breaking SmartDispense system which delivers consistently cold and fresh draught beers and ciders.
Caren Geering, Star Pubs & Bars Regional Operations Director, said, “The Poundffald is in a great location on the Gower Peninsula. Investing in the exterior and creating a great outdoor area is good for tourists and for local residents.
'It will enhance the pub’s appeal, increase capacity, and give people more reason to visit. We’re delighted Kathryne and David have taken on the pub as they are good operators, and as part of the community know what people want. We look forward to working with them in the years to come.”
