Horse & Jockey Freeford
Horse & Jockey Freeford
Tamworth Road, Lichfield, WS14 9JE Pub Code: 2301848101
Pub Code: 2301848101
Investment TenancyEst. Annual Turnover: £516,573
Annual Rent: £38,186
The Horse & Jockey will be renamed "The Racing Green" as part of the planned refurbishment.
An investment of around £200,000 is planned to transform the Horse & Jockey in Freeford into a premium local pub with a strong food offer, destination dining appeal and a refreshed community feel.
What would you do with this pub to make it a success?
About the area
The Horse & Jockey sits in Freeford, a village setting described in the brief as a timeless pocket of rural Staffordshire heritage and a historic gateway to Lichfield. There are 3,244 adults within a 20-minute walk of the pub, giving the right operator a strong local catchment to build from.
The existing trade is predominantly wet-led, value-led and traditional, with a stronger reliance on weekend trade and limited destination visits. The planned investment will reposition the pub as a premium local that still serves its community while broadening its appeal to families, casual diners, younger professionals and after-work customers. The enhanced environment and stronger food and drink offer will also give customers more reasons to make the Horse & Jockey a destination in its own right.
The offer
Horse & Jockey is available on our investment tenancy agreement. Click here for more information on this agreement. Please refer to the 'Refurbishment Details' section for details of the investment being made.
Who we're looking for
If you've benefited from running or owning a pub business, we'd love to hear what experience you can bring. The right operator for Horse & Jockey will have extensive experience in premium local and food-led hospitality businesses. They will have a clear vision for the food and drink menu, entertainment and marketing strategy, and can create a memorable experience for their customers.
The successful operator should be confident building a premium food offer with destination dining appeal, supported by premium lagers, ciders and a premium wine, spirits and minerals range. There is also scope to build daytime trade through coffee and develop a strong programme of live music, entertainment, quizzes and karaoke, as well as larger events and festivals using the substantial grassed area beside the pub.
If this sounds like the incredible pub opportunity you've been waiting for, apply today and tell us what you can bring to this pub's next chapter...
Trading Area & Facilities
The refurbishment of the Horse & Jockey will cover both the interior and exterior of the pub.
A full list of works and pub floor plan can be found in the Downloads section.
The pub's trading area and facilities post refurbishment will be:
- Main trading area with bar
- Separate dining room
- Snug area
- Separate games and sports zone
- 86 internal covers
- Catering kitchen
- HEINEKEN SmartDispense
- Four-bedroom private accommodation
- Pub garden with 78 external covers
- Car park with 40+ spaces
Applicants should be aware that all refurbishments are subject to final board approval which will be determined as part of the leasing process.
Where a significant investment is made in a pub by Star Pubs, an "Investment Exemption" will be required. The exemption means that the option of a Market Rent Option lease won't be available at rent review for a period of up to seven years for this site, as per The Pub Code (2016).
Private Accommodation
With our 5 Star Promise, the rent at the start of your agreement is fixed until the end of its initial term.
Indicative entry costs
£46,047
Estimated Working Capital is an estimate of key start-up costs such as professional fees, training fee, premises license fee, F&F valuation fee & till floats. There will be additional ongoing charges payable during the term of the agreement such as property maintenance, repairs fund, SmartDispense. These costs will be outlined prior to completing a business plan and finalised at Heads of Terms.
The calculation of the Estimated Minimum Ingoing Costs assumes a minimum deposit of 1 month's rent and that fixtures and fittings (F&F) are rented. The subsequent deposit build up and F&F rental costs should be included in your financial assumptions in your business plan. Note that on FRI and Investment Tenancy Agreements deposits will always be 3 month's rent in advance and fixtures and fittings (F&F) must always be purchased. A deposit of 6 month's rent will be required for operators trading under a Limited Company with no Guarantors. In order to ensure a successful start-up, all applicants must have a minimum £10,000 un-borrowed funds.
What we're planning & why
A £200,103 investment is planned across both the interior and exterior of the Horse & Jockey, creating a premium local pub with stronger food, drink and destination appeal. The scheme will refresh the look and feel of the pub, improve its kerb appeal, introduce a refitted commercial kitchen and create a new dining space, supported by a full internal investment and refreshed private accommodation.
What's happening?
Externally, the pub will receive full decoration together with new signage and lighting. This will improve kerb appeal, signal a clear change in positioning and help attract more people to the venue.
Inside, a full internal investment and interior decor refresh will create a more premium environment that responds to local demand. A new dining space will help the pub balance its role as a welcoming local with its potential as a destination dining venue, while the refitted commercial kitchen will support a stronger food offer and help drive more sustainable trade throughout the week.
The offer will centre on a premium pub experience with a country feel, combining quality food with premium lagers, ciders and a premium wine, spirits and minerals range. Coffee provides an opportunity to grow daytime visits, while live music, entertainment, quizzes and karaoke can help build evening trade. The large field and grassed area beside the pub creates further potential for bigger events and festivals, giving the operator another reason to draw customers from beyond the immediate village.
Why invest?
The investment is designed to rebuild the Horse & Jockey's reputation in the local community, strengthen its positioning, make better use of the pub's potential and bring the offer in line with modern customer expectations. Improved kerb appeal, a stronger kitchen and dining offer, refreshed surroundings and broader entertainment opportunities should help attract a more diverse customer base and encourage more daytime, after-work and destination visits.
Turnover is expected to rise from around £6,000-£7,000 per week to approximately £9,930 per week, with a projected 60:40 wet-to-dry sales split. The planned repositioning is intended to create a more balanced business with stronger food sales and a wider spread of trade across the week.
To explore some of our recent successful pub investment projects, please see our Investment Showcase page.
The Wheel, Ticknall and Crown Inn, Anstey are noted in the briefing as reference pubs for the type of transformation planned for the Horse & Jockey.
Location:
Tamworth Road, Lichfield, WS14 9JE
Selected pub
Other pubs
Nearby events
To apply for this pub or for additional information, please contact us directly
Freephone:
08085 94 95 96
Email us at
enquiries@starpubs.co.uk
Or visit
www.starpubs.co.uk
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