The Grade II listed pub had been closed since 2018 and has now been reopened with a strong sports and entertainment focus.
The scheme is the fourth major JAT project delivered by Star in the final quarter of the year, following £1.59m spent on converting Gibsons in York, The New Pin in Chellaston and The Canterbury Tales in Canterbury.
Long term closures
Three of the four refurbishments have brought long term closed pubs back into operation.
Across the year, Star has added 32 new JAT pubs with an average investment of £255k per site, creating around 200 new jobs. This exceeds Star’s predictions earlier this year, where it announced plans to add 30 JAT sites.
The Horse and Jockey now features a large bar, two lounge and dining areas and a dedicated games room fitted with halo darts, a new pool table and screens showing Sky and TNT Sports.
The focus on sports follows Star’s wider push into the category, including its recent £120k investment in a national darts initiative designed to help pubs capitalise on rising demand for competitive socialising.
The internal overhaul has restored the building’s original timber and flagstone floors, added a log burner and updated fixtures throughout. External works include a full renovation of the listed façade and the creation of a 130-seat walled courtyard garden.
‘Tremendous success’
Star Pubs operations director Mick Howard said the model continues to perform strongly.
“We have had tremendous success with our Just Add Talent revamps this year,” he said. “We know what works and look to make the most of every pub, ensuring it has the right facilities for its local community. Customers love the combination of a great looking pub that offers something for everyone, and our new sites are flying.
“The low cost, low risk, high support Just Add Talent model is proving attractive with would be pub operators in the current market, and there has been particularly high demand for our investment sites.”
