A young couple and their friend have fulfilled their dreams of having their own pub business.
Niki and Adam Fortes along with Colin Savory have overseen a big refurbishment of The Lands End pub at Charvil, renaming it the Heron on the Ford.
Adam admits he’s never seen a heron on the nearby famous ford, which often captures unwary drivers trying to cross when the water is too deep, but locals have told him there are plenty of herons in the area with its many lakes.
The pub, right on the boundary of different areas, is one locals try to claim for their own.
“Charvil people have told me it’s their pub, but then Woodley and Hurst people have told us it’s theirs,” said Adam.
He and Colin are both chefs and have worked at rosette and Michelin starred restaurants and pubs. They’ve been friends for years, with Colin best man at Niki and Adam’s wedding.
Adam said: “We were managing the Hen and Chicken near Farnham but it’s been our dream for a long time to run our own business. It’s great that we’re doing it now.
“The refurbishment took four weeks. The cost will be shared between the owners Brakspear and ourselves. Things have gone really well since we opened.
“We wanted to include the ford in the new name, it’s a real feature of the area.
“The pub has been opened out a bit and given a modern look with cosier colours. The main bar now has flagstones and rugs and the restaurant area a wooden floor with rugs.
“The snug has a settee and seats round the fire. The old dark painted wooden beams are now their natural, lighter colour.”
The pub has new garden play area and retains its patio.
There is food seven days a week. Pub classics including fish and chips, sausage and mash and ham, egg and chips are around £10-£12.
The specials a la carte menu includes: peppered mackerel and potato cake with poached egg and warm tartare sauce as a starter, a traditional fish pie and chocolate bavarois with chocolate shard and poppy seed sponge. Mains are around £14-£18.
Brakspear beers include their bitter, Oxford Gold and Lancaster Bomber. From October there will be a monthly special.
Children are welcome in the pub and dogs are welcome in the main bar area.
