The newly transformed Heart pub in Ruddington reopened this September thanks to a £220k investment by leading pub company Punch Pubs & Co.
As well as undergoing a complete renovation, The Heart has also welcomed a new Publican to the helm, Jack Robson.
An experienced operator, Jack has taken on The Heart with over a decade of experience under his belt. With a passion for delivering an excellent experience for guests, and offering an unrivalled food menu, he is confident that The Heart will become the village’s go-to pub once again.
He said: “We’ve made a lot of changes at The Heart; we’ve tried to make it a pub for all that’s much more family-friendly. We did a proper back-to-brick refurb, it was the only way to get it to the standard we needed to run it successfully. It was tired but now everything is new.
“The village and local community have been nothing but supportive, and came out in full force for our reopening – people were queueing out the door! There must have been 300-400 people on-site at any one time and in the garden, we were so busy, and it was way better than we anticipated.”
During the successful reopening of The Heart, guests were eager to see the changes at their local which included stylish new furniture, lighting, flooring and décor in shades of orange, mustard, olive green and dark blue.
The pub’s main bar and dining area has also had a revamp, boasting a cosy lounge area with leather armchairs, a circular booth and a grate for an open fire perfect for the winter months.
Much to guests’ delight, the investment has uncovered a much bigger beer garden than originally imagined, with plans to further invest in it by installing a children’s play area, outdoor bar and decking amongst other surprises, by next Summer.
Jack added: “I love the beer garden! We still have a lot to do, but plot-wise we are really lucky here. Of all the pubs in the village, I think this one has the most potential and I’m so excited to see what the future looks like at The Heart.”
As well as the pub’s physical changes and transformation, Jack’s ambition was to put the Heart back on the map for its seasonal, hearty and comforting food dishes, which are a step up from traditional pub food.
He explained: “There’s a real emphasis on the food here and we have a great menu. Our new Head Chef Jamie Skipper has created a varied choice of fresh, seasonal dishes for all tastes. He is a fantastic chef. His roast dinners are insane – which explains why we had 200 covers last Sunday! In Ruddington, people expect a good roast, and I’m pleased that we can offer that!”
The Heart’s day-to-day menu features tapas dishes including wild creamy mushrooms with parmesan and truffle oil, garlic king prawns, chicken wings, calamari and crispy brie. Guests can also select from tasty lunch dishes including a beer-battered fish finger sandwich and steak ciabatta in addition to hearty main courses of crispy pork belly, braised beef and roasted vegetable linguine.
As they embark on their first month at the Heart, Jack and the team are being supported by Punch Pubs & Co Operations Manager Harry Bourne, who is excited about the pub’s future. He said: “I’m thrilled to be working alongside Jack and the team who have immediately made good impressions in the village. The investment has given The Heart a new lease of life and it’s great to see the community enjoying the new changes. We have so many more plans in store for the pub which will be announced in due course, but for now, I’m looking forward to seeing what the rest of this year has in store for this wonderful village pub.”
