Couple pivoted and took over Northants village pub as they near the end of self-funded transformation
A married couple pivoted in their careers to take over a Northamptonshire village pub, and they are now nearing the completion of a self-funded refurbishment.
Peter and Annette Garrett are the proud owners of The Cock at Roade and they took over from the previous owners of 17 years.
The takeover happened at the end of March and it was an opportunity the couple could not turn down.
They previously ran their own embroidery and printing business for 30 years, as well as recently operating a coffee shop with an alcohol license in Milton Keynes.
Peter and Annette have now moved on from both of these chapters of their lives, and the pub is their main priority.
As they are not associated with any brewery, the pair have self-funded the full refurbishment of the venue – which includes a whole new restaurant area, bars, toilets, indoor and outdoor furniture and they believe they have brought it up to an improved standard.
Peter and Annette have lived in Roade for the past nine years and regularly frequented the pub since the pandemic.
Peter admits it seemed like a risky move to take over a pub at what is a difficult time for the hospitality industry, but he and Annette saw its potential and were determined to strike the right deal.
Their aim was to create a welcoming space for all and with a “brilliant” head chef who they met at another venue he previously worked at, the food is much improved.
The pair inherited the team who worked at the pub under its former ownership and Peter said: “We’re so lucky to have the team behind us. We would have struggled a lot more without them and their experience carried us through.
“The community has been very impressed and takings have increased substantially. It is fresher and we’ve had positive feedback.
“We were excited for the challenge and saw this as an opportunity. As a freehold pub, investments have been funded by ourselves. The locals can see we’re invested and are giving us their support.”
Annette described the “manic” first month after taking over The Cock at Roade, with many people visiting who had not done so before.
“We were overwhelmed,” said Annette. “The weather was incredible, it was a Godsend. We settled down and worked closely to train the staff. We’re now building on what we’re doing.”
Peter continued: “We had a music festival and over 700 people came to that. We couldn’t see the grass in the garden.”
Looking to the future of The Cock at Roade, the team is excited to introduce the seasonal autumn and Christmas menus – which they hope will entice more people to come and check out the transformation of the venue, completed over the past five months.