The Queen Charlotte pub in Windsor - formally The Blarney Stone - officially opened this evening (27 November) following a £500,000 investment and creating 20 jobs.
The pub is the darling of Oak Taverns and national pub operator Punch who have lavished months of tlc on the old building.
I particularly enjoyed exploring the cellars (accompanied by Windsor Town Crier Chris Brown to ensure the ghosts of time gone-by didn't get me).
Chris explained that many of the pubs have cellars below cellars, used for storage, and of course many tunnels existed between pubs who all helped each other secrete barrels of beer to avoid tax and customs levies when sudden visits ocurred!
The pub’s general manager, John-Lee Perry, showed me round the rest of the pub at the preview evening which includes three cosy rooms with fireplaces and fabulous decor that combines a boutique feel with a traditional pub. Check out the hats!
The food we sampled was truly delicious (I have already told the husband he needs to take me for a meal there) and they have a fabulous choice of gin, which just happens to be my favourite tipple.
Talking of which, if you are a gin fan take yourself down there asap and try their own commissioned gin - yet to be named - as it is the best gin I have had. Seriously!
The pub also has 2 rooms upstairs which can be used for meetings, or private lunches/dinners for up to 8 people - both of which give you lovely views of Windsor Castle. I've already booked one for my upcoming December 'Practical Twitter for Business' training course :-)
The pub is just a stone's throw from my office so I suspect I may be in there a fair bit, and I believe it'll become a firm favourite.
Just one more thing - ask the staff about what they found when they were renovating the pub. A truly interesting story!
John-Lee said: “The Queen Charlotte is in a fantastic location in the heart of Windsor. Our focus is on offering our customers the key elements of a traditional British pub – from a menu of quality, classic dishes to an extensive range of real ales and craft beers.
“Gin enthusiasts won’t be disappointed – we believe our offering is unrivalled in the area and we even have our own brand available, which proved very popular at the preview event!”
