£250,000 poured into pub venture
Two Stafford-based entrepreneurs have opened a pub in the city after securing a £250,000 investment from NatWest. Jeff Blundell and Norman Carr have opened Chambers in Victoria Square following a major refurbishment to the premises.
Funding for the redevelopment was granted under the government’s enterprise finance guarantee (EFG) scheme.
Chambers has been created out of the former Hogshead premises which had been closed for several years and had fallen into disrepair.
Blundell and Carr have recruited head chef Matthew Warburton, from the Mint Restaurant in Sutton Coldfield, to run the pub's kitchen. Additionally, the opening has created 25 new jobs.
Blundell is also the owner of the Fox and Hounds in Shawbury, a previously derelict pub which he took over in 2009.
Funding for the redevelopment of Chambers was provided by NatWest in Shropshire.
Blundell said: “When Norman and I were younger, we would often go for a drink in a superb pub and commented it would be great to own a place just like it. When I bought the Fox and Hounds I realised how a derelict pub can be brought back to life and become popular and prosperous even in these difficult times for the pub trade.
“From this experience I could see how the ground floor of the fantastic Victorian building which housed the Hogshead could again be an important part of Stafford’s social landscape.
"Having acquired the site, Norman and I set out clear plans to create not only as good as, but a better pub than our old favourite. We wanted a pub with a rustic feel, where people can enjoy quality drink and eat excellent food in a music free, comfortable and relaxing adult atmosphere, and we believe that we have achieved this.”
