The owners of a Kendal inn which is just celebrating its first anniversary since re-opening are already looking to expand and open new hospitality venues in the South Lakes.
Ye Olde Fleece Inn at Highgate had been closed for 18 months until the site was acquired by Josh Macaulay and Chris Moss. After a nearly one million pounds renovation project it re-opened for business on March 8, 2019.
Now the duo has exciting plans for the future.
“We will probably aim to open a new site in the South Lakes area every two to three years,” said Josh, a former A&E doctor, who is also a director of Kendal-based Westmorland Homecare.
“It might be a gastropub. Other options are a real ale and craft ale bar or a sports bar. We would like to have a collection of hospitality venues under our company umbrella.”
Ye Olde Fleece Inn is one of the oldest pubs in Kendal but needed a huge amount of work when Josh and Chris took it over.
The roof had to be repaired and there was a lot of damp. The duo – who at times had 30 contractors working on the project – remodelled the interior to create a 70-seat restaurant and turned a former tea room on the first floor into a comfortable lounge.
Laura Ashley decorated the letting cottage, a brand new kitchen was installed and staff accommodation was upgraded.
“We never set out to own a pub,” said Josh. “The main reason we took it on was not to make money. We did it because we felt it was the right thing to do for the town and community.
“It has a prominent place on the high street and so many people have memories of it. They remembered when it was four to five deep at the bar or they had their wedding reception here.”
What finally made Josh and Chris take on the site was when they were doing the 10K race at the mountain film festival. “The street was packed with people but the pub was sitting overlooking it with darkened windows,” said Josh. “We felt it should be thriving and at the heart of the town. We just decided someone had to do it and why not us?”
Ye Olde Fleece Inn now employs 35 staff and its facilities include a fully waited-on restaurant; a gastropub and bar area which seats 80 people; a lounge which can be used for functions including wakes and afternoon teas; meeting and conference facilities and a function room, which recently hosted its first wedding.
Community groups which meet at Ye Olde Fleece Inn include a life drawing class, The Fellas men’s singing group and Gateway Church.
Movie nights – where people enjoy a cocktail and a big retro movie such as Grease, Mamma Mia or Dirty Dancing – are set to return at Easter.
As Ye Olde Fleece Inn marks its first birthday under new ownership, Josh is delighted with what has been achieved.
“We have built a place with a fine reputation,” he said. “People come to visit and say they love it and wish it was in their town.”
