The owners of The Virgins & Castle are set to open a second location in Warwick, following a successful two years at Kenilworth's oldest pub.

The location they have chosen is The Racehorse in Warwick.

The Stratford Road pub, which was built in 1953, has already had over £700,000 of refurbishment since 2018.

But like many pubs, bars and restaurants over the last two years, Covid-19 has had a serious impact and trade has quickly declined.

Property owners Everards Brewery had to step in and bring in temporary management until new owners were found.

Everards then looked to their portfolio of over 160 pubs and restaurants and offered the venue to the owners of their Virgins & Castle pub, Caviar & Chips.

Hospitality group Caviar & Chips took over the V&C's in March 2020 and in less than two years have increased trade by over 50 per cent, despite going through a global pandemic.

Co-founders Jonathan Carter-Morris and Marc Hornby have been running the company since 2017.

Jonathan, who has over 20 years of hospitality experience, lives in Kenilworth and will be known to residents for previously running The Almanack and The Rose & Crown in Warwick town centre.

Jonathan explained: "Running the Virgins & Castle for the last couple of years has been a huge challenge with the pandemic and the issues that has brought to the hospitality industry.

"However, we have absolutely loved it and it's been great to see the pub busy, vibrant, engaging with our community and we're creating many new jobs.

"The Racehorse will be a different challenge all together and so we had to get really creative with what we will do and how we'll go about building another exciting brand.

"That's why we're going to change its name and bring in a new concept called No.34 Garden & Grill.

"No.34 because its address is 34 Stratford Road in the CV34 postcode. And Garden & Grill as we're going to create two fantastic, seasonal menus that are reflective of what people are looking for in a great restaurant experience."

No.34 Garden & Grill will welcome customers from Thursday 3 March 2022 with customers able to enjoy new menus in time for Mother's Day and Easter.

With lots of outdoor parking, a beautiful conservatory space, open fires and outdoor terraces and balcony to escape the world and enjoy a quiet drink and delicious meal.

No.34 will also have a focus on sustainability, bringing the outdoors in and sourcing local ingredients and produce that chefs will prepare fresh in the kitchens.

Marc added: "The concept of No.34 is a simple one. Two distinctive menus; one from the garden and one from the grill served in the backdrop of a restaurant that works in a sustainable way that focusses on doing the right things – being a great place to work, a place to visit and a business that looks after its community.

"We'll have a delicious selection of plant-based and vegan dishes prepared using great tasting seasonal ingredients on our garden menu.

"Alongside a celebration of great British farming and local produce that our chefs use to create tasty dishes on our grill menu.

"We're also creating a beautiful, tranquil space where we bring the outdoors in. Touches of nature and all things that connect us with the natural world. A restaurant, dining and relaxing place where you can unwind, recharge and boost your wellbeing."

If you'd like to find out more information, you can visit the Caviar & Chips website.

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