The owners of a Kendal inn have taken on a second pub in the town and are creating nine new, full-time jobs.
Joshua Macauley and Chris Moss, who own Ye Olde Fleece Inn at Highgate, have now added The Duke of Cumberland at Appleby Road to their portfolio.
“There is a real need in that area of town for a good, local community pub,” said joint director Mr Macauley. “At the moment the Castle Inn is shut, The Bridge has closed down and the Victoria Tavern has been turned into apartments.
“Our aim is to make The Duke of Cumberland a real part of the community.”
The pub, which has been shut during lockdown, will reopen on Wednesday, July 8.
It includes a main bar area, a snug, a beer garden and a large function room.
“There will be a team of nine full-time staff spread across front of house and the kitchen,” said Mr Macauley.
“We shall be offering a great menu with proper pub food, gourmet burgers, a Sunday roast and a grill menu, including steaks. We are going to have some excellent summer, sharer food, such as nachos and dirty fries and there will also be a great kids’ menu.”
Drinks on offer will include a strong selection of beers, gins and cask ales.
“The thing that attracted us to The Duke of Cumberland was it has so much potential,” said Mr Macauley. “There is a real family feel about the place. There is a fantastic beer garden – possibly the biggest in the town centre – so people will be able to sit outside in the summer if the weather is nice. There are also log fires so it will be a perfect, cosy winter pub too. It also has a large car park.”
He said prior to opening there would be some minor initial works, including internal redecoration, new lighting and fixtures and improvements to the beer garden. After the pub had been open a few weeks a second investment would take place, involving new customer toilets, refurbishment of the kitchen, plus external repainting and the addition of new signage and lettering outside.
“We shall be opening in a Covid-secure fashion in line with the Government’s recommendations and guidance and with a range of measures in place, including being able to order food and drink from your table via an app, ‘no-touch’ techniques and tables spaced out appropriately,” said Mr Macauley.
There has been a hostelry at the site since the eighteenth century. The pub is named after the Duke of Cumberland, who chased Bonnie Prince Charlie and his army back to Scotland in 1745.
After acquiring Ye Olde Fleece Inn Mr Macauley and Mr Moss carried out a nearly one million pounds’ renovation project. It re-opened for business in March 2019.
“We are really excited to take on a second venue after the success of Ye Olde Fleece Inn,” said Mr Macauley. “We do want to take on more sites in the South Lakes area if the demand is there.”
He said they were keen to recruit locally for the jobs at The Duke of Cumberland, adding: “We believe in local jobs for local people.”
Anyone wanting to apply for a job at the Duke of Cumberland can email [email protected]
