A pub where community spirit, a unique focus on veterans and great nights out come together.
Welcome to The Boat & Horses – Beeston Rylands’ heart of hospitality, entertainment and community connections.
Part of a team of four pub custodians, Neil Foukes took over the Boat & Horses in 2023. His Armed Forces background, an enthusiasm for helping people and a determination to create a “community hub” are just a few of the reasons why the pub has been so successful. And you can find out more about how Star Pubs have helped them on their journey and their plans for the future, below.
A pub with purpose
At Star Pubs, we work with people from every background to help them create pubs that are as individual as the publicans who run them. And at The Boat & Horses on Trent Road, you’ll find something for every mood. But the backbone of this pub is the connection with the Armed Forces, with two of the founders Neil and Martin both being veterans.
With the right support from Star Pubs, their career background gives the pub a real focus and helps make everyone feel welcome. Add in great vibes, plenty of laughter, and a safe place where local veterans feel part of something bigger, and you’ve got a pub that doesn’t just host nights – it builds communities.
It’s never too late…
Age is no barrier to opening your own pub and achieving something you’ve always wanted to do. Neil and his co-licensees took on the pub in their 60s after having a range of careers outside of hospitality – and his personal journey shows that with Star Pubs’ insight and support, you don’t need decades of pub experience, only the willingness to learn and the drive to build something of your own.
Co-run by Neil, Debbie, Martin and Jackie, The Boat & Horses is more than just bricks and mortar – it’s a community project. When the pub was struggling in 2023, the two couples stepped in, applied for the lease with Star Pubs and then together invested their time, money and energy, and set about turning it into a pub that’s lively, inclusive and welcoming to all. Locals, veterans, dog-lovers, families – they’ve made sure everyone feels like it’s their own place. As Neil said, “We are not a pub – we are a community hub.”
Transformations with character
Since the takeover, Star Pubs have been there to help the pub oversee big changes, including an upgraded bar, comfy lounge space that honours and welcomes local veterans, a stage-fitted function room, an accessible outdoor garden, and a car park that hosts ever-changing markets and food truck options!
Neil mentions that the advice and support from Star Pubs is there when they need it and that all the licensees looked at themselves as being custodians of the building and of the facilities, but they were determined to use the building to meet the needs of the community. So while there’s been renovation, there’s also respect – local history, familiar faces and touches of military tradition. The Boat & Horses hasn’t lost its soul, it’s grown with its focus on how to make everyone in the community feel welcome.
Quality and community in every corner
As Neil says, “We do the right thing and we do things properly. We’re a pub and we serve decent beer. In fact, we have won SmartDispense Pint of 2025 for the region!” (The SmartDispense system is a draught dispense solution that can be tailored to the needs of any bar. Find out more here.) And on certain themed nights or big weekends, they bring in food trucks, offering smash burgers, pizza or whatever goes with that theme. You name it, there’s something everyone will love.
A hub that cares and gives back
These aren’t just nights out, these are small acts of care and engagement. The Boat & Horses hosts charity events, provide direct veteran support within the pub, and is known as a great place to be in Beeston Rylands. Their outreach is natural and it feels like part of what the pub stands for, it’s where coming together matters. From marketing guidance to cellar management training and supply chain support, Star Pub’s partnership gives all the licensees the confidence to focus on what they do best, creating a warm, welcoming pub that reflects the Beeston Rylands’ community.