Business News Historic pub is best of all
The Boot Inn at Repton has collected the Pub of the Year prize at the AA Hospitality Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. The Boot has been a coaching inn, malthouse,
courthouse and a cobblers - and has stood the test of time for nearly 300 years. It is almost as well-known as the nearby
renowned independent school, which includes late author Roald Dahl and broadcaster Jeremy Clarkson amongst its array of distinguished former pupils. The pub, five miles from Burton on Trent and
eight from Derby, has a hugely colourful history dating back to the 17th Century – and is today undergoing a major renaissance thanks to owners Bespoke Inns.
‘We have now been open for 18 months and it has gone very well’
The Boot had been derelict for two years when Bespoke – run by owner/director Heidi Taylor and her partner – took over the building in early 2015. Now, 18 months later, the pub has been reborn
following a £250,000 renovation, and now offers luxurious accommodation alongside a range of classic and contemporary dishes and real ales, all brewed in the Boot’s very own micro-brewery. Manager Rick Graham said: “The pub was
renovated from top to bottom – we have now been open for 18 months and it has gone very well.
Robert Taylor (centre) with AA personnel and host comedian Hugh Dennis after receiving the award “The old stable was converted into a micro-
brewery and our beers are brewed especially with our customers in mind.” Meanwhile, the Boot is also benefiting from its
residents’ accommodation, with nine luxury bedrooms available. “We have the likes of Rolls-Royce and Toyota
on our doorstep and in the week we are full every night,” said Rick. Rob Taylor, Heidi’s son, took over as head chef after training at some of the most prominent
Michelin-starred restaurants in the country. Within a few months, the Boot had won the coveted AA Rosette for culinary excellence, with the rooms awarded a Four Star Gold award. The beers on offer at the pub are also
available at Bespoke Inns’ two sister venues, the Dragon at Willington and Harpur’s of Melbourne, both in the Burton on Trent area. Specialist advice on the beer is supplied by local brewing expert Steve Topliss, who spent 45 years in the profession and helped set up the micro-brewery.
November 2016 CHAMBERLINK 17
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