OPEN LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY
Dear valued community.
It’s been five years since a few of us locals managed to secure the freehold of the Red Lion in Knotty Green—now known as The Lion of Beaconsfield. The purchase was an emotional one, having watched the pub go through many ups and downs under a big pub company, and facing the very real threat of it being lost to redevelopment.
From day one, our goal has been simple: create a welcoming community pub where you can enjoy great food and drink, made with quality ingredients, in a friendly atmosphere and at fair prices. We’d like to think the pub is in better shape than when we took it over, and we hope you agree!
The journey so far:
November 2020 was quite a time to buy a pub! We spent the first six months with the doors closed due to Covid, and opened to find the hospitality industry had been turned upside down. Since then, we’ve navigated energy price spikes, rising wages and highest food inflation in decades — all part of running a business these days. Through it all, we’ve focused on keeping the doors open and serving our community.
Looking ahead:
The past five years have been brilliant, although we’ve had our fair share of challenges, and we are excited about what’s next.
One of the things we treasure most is seeing locals walk up the road on Christmas Day with family and friends for a festive drink. We’ve been honoured to host everything from 18th birthdays to 90th celebrations, christenings to wakes—being part of your special moments means the world to us.
We were touched to receive over 30 letters supporting the recent Asset of Community Value application. It really showed us how much the pub matters to people. The only thing is—we’d love to see more of those supporters through our doors, using space for the occasional meeting is welcome, but we require more of you to eat and drink in the pub. Your custom is genuinely the best support you can give us to see the venue thrive for years to come.
A friendly ask,
Whether it’s a quick pint, coffee with friends, a business lunch, or a celebration, we’d love to welcome you. We’re working hard to make The Lion a place you feel comfortable and proud to bring people to.
As an independent pub, we don’t have the advantages of a big pub company behind us—it’s just us, doing our best to give the community a proper local. To keep improving and ensure we’re here for the long haul, we need to see you more often than just Christmas Day, to sustain it as viable business moving forwards.
We’ve got plans for some gentle improvements to the space in the near future, and we’re excited to introduce you now to Jessie, our fantastic new General Manager.
Special offer
Pop in soon and mention “Community Pub” when settling your bill to receive 10% off*.
We hope to see you very soon.
With thanks,
Richie, Daniel and Charles
