A revamped Lake District inn is raising a glass to its first year of trading since it reopened.
The Swan in Grasmere reopened in April last year following a multi-million-pound refurbishment.
Owner The Inn Collection Group has revealed that in its first 12 months, it has:
- Served over 41,000 meals
- Served over 14,000 pints of Madri
- Served 7,500 pints of Staropramen
- Served 5,500 pints of Guinness
- Had 18,500 guests stay in its 48 rooms
The stats also show that its most popular dishes were fish and chips, with 4,228 served and The Swam burger, served 3,242 times.
The inn dates to the 1650s and was the local of poet William Wordsworth.
General managers Nellie Buxton Brown and Nigel Brown have also been striving to be a force for good, supporting several initiatives with donations of time and money.
In the height of summer, they supported inspirational eight-year-old Tony Hudgell as he conquered his first Lakeland fell for a fundraising challenge in support of the Bendrigg Trust, Crohn’s & Colitis UK, Fix the Fells, and his own eponymous foundation.
Hosting Tony and his family throughout the week, The Swan then put on a post-climb party for more than 100 supporters, including legendary mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington and Hari Budha Magar, who in 2023 became the first double, above-knee amputee to summit Mount Everest
The community spirit of Nellie and Nigel also extended to Grasmere itself, with donations to local causes including the Grasmere Red Squirrels group and the RAOB Lamb & Lion club totalling £4,000 as part of The Inn Collection Group’s Give Inn Back initiative.
They have also worked with Age UK South Lakeland to re-establish the village’s lunch club, as part of the Reconnecting Cumbria project, a vital outlet for isolated members of the community to combat loneliness and one that had been lost since the end of 2019.
Nellie said: “It’s been an incredible first year for us at The Swan, from our big reopening to a very busy New Year’s Eve and a good summer season, we’ve been delighted to be back.
“Getting back to being a more traditional pub with rooms there has been a good split between accommodation, food and drink trade and we’re determined to build on the foundations that we’ve laid.
Nigel added: “Getting involved with the community has been a big focus for us and helped us get to know our locals and get our name out.
“We’ve started things like our Sunday night quiz and our first gin festival last August to make us a pub that people want to come to and we will once again be using our Give Inn Back fund to help support causes in and around the village.”
