A major revamp of a tired-looking Clifton pub will get underway next month. Work costing more than £300,000 will start on The Crusader, in Hartness Road, on Monday October 3 to create "a great quality community local".
A variety of new jobs are being created on the back of the upgrade which will see food reintroduced, broadening the pub’s appeal. The Crusader will close end of service on Saturday October 1, reopening in early November in time for the World Cup.
The investment is being undertaken by Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars and will see local publican Emily Hemsley take on the pub. Emily has over ten years hospitality experience, most recently at the Gedling Inn and knows Clifton well as her parents live near the pub.
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Outside, the tired-looking pub will be given a complete with new signage, lighting and planting. The patio and covered smoking areas are also being overhauled and new furniture installed.
Inside, The Crusader is being refurbished throughout to give it a brighter, smarter more contemporary stylish look and feel. The pub will have two distinct areas allowing it to cater for a wide range of customers.
These include a dining area for families, couples and single diners, and a bar and sports area where customers can watch live sports on Sky and BT TV, play feature darts and pool. The area will also be used for live music and hosting community events.
The kitchen is being upgraded to enable the pub to serve a reasonably priced menu of traditional pub favourites. There will also be a special menu for children. Emily will offer a wide selection of premium wines, spirits, and beers as well as cask and craft ales and Heineken 0.0. A new coffee machine is also being installed so customers will be able to enjoy barista style coffee throughout the day.
Emily is keen for The Crusader to become a true hub of the community and will be hosting lots of activities and events including quizzes and fun days. She also wants to open up the pub as meeting space for organisations and groups and plans to hold charity fundraisers for good causes nominated by regulars.
She said: "I am looking forward to moving to The Crusader, getting to know local residents and becoming part of the community. I am excited at the prospect of running a pub of my own for the first time and to be giving The Crusader a new lease of life and a new direction.
“Knowing the area well and having family nearby, I leapt at the chance to take it on. I am keen that The Crusader offers good quality affordable food and great service broadening its appeal to families and offering something for everyone.”
Star Pubs & Bars’ area manager Perry Hemus added: “We are delighted that Emily is taking on The Crusader. She is well known locally and so will fit in well. She is also passionate about creating a fun hub for the community.
“The Crusader is in a fantastic position to capitalise on both passing and student trade. It is also in a great location for the new 20-acre Fairham neighbourhood on the outskirts of Clifton where more than 3,000 new homes will be built over the next ten years providing somewhere for existing and new residents to come together.”
The refurbishment at The Crusader is part of a £42m investment that Star Pubs & Bars is making in its pubs in 2022.
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