Northampton village pub ‘proud to hold its own’ as it celebrates first year since reopening

A Northampton village pub, at the heart of its community, is celebrating its one year anniversary of opening to the public.

The White Horse, in Walgrave Road, Old, is an independent establishment offering seasonal lunches, dinners, afternoon teas, summer barbecues and roasts.

Combining the best of modern comforts in a stylish Victorian heritage interior, along with their friendly team and good food, has seen the venue have a successful first year.

The White Horse reopened its doors during the first week of July last year, after being taken over by Suzy Keeping and Chris D’alessio – who also run The Picturedrome in Kettering Road.

They planned to reinstate the pub as the ultimate community hub for locals as it had been closed since October 2021.

Suzy managed the pub under the former owners at the age of 20, years before taking it on herself, and said this was the pub that made her fall in love with the hospitality industry.

When asked how it feels to have been open for a year, Suzy said: “It’s really great, especially during the current climate.

“We’re really grateful and this is the pub the village deserves.”

Suzy says they are continuing to make the venue as much of a community hub as possible, and they are surrounded by “really supportive” locals.

The building underwent a “massive refurbishment” and the team put “a lot of time and effort into the aesthetics”.

To welcome new customers through the door and encourage returning visitors, The White Horse has implemented a number of food offers – including £19.95 for two meals from Tuesday to Thursday.

Suzy says they wanted to help people out at this difficult time and give them a nice reason to try the venue out.

The landlady is also really pleased that they sponsor the local cricket team and invite local groups, including a cake baking club, to meet at the establishment.

Effort has been made to put family-friendly items in place – from a playhouse and slide outside, to board games inside that groups can play together.

Talking about what customers like most about visiting, Suzy said: “The atmosphere and the fantastic team. It’s a nice vibe and everyone feels welcomed.

“It’s backed up with great service and food. We just seem to be getting things right.”

The landlady and her team are “proud” that the venue is “holding its own” even in the current climate.

At a time when Suzy would be pleased if they were breaking even, she is proud to have made money in the first year which is uncommon for new businesses.

Suzy says they are still “heading up the challenge” of opening a pub while the industry recovers from the pandemic and tackles a cost of living crisis.

“We appreciate people don’t have as much money and we feel for them,” she said. “That’s why we have brought in offers and we price ourselves fairly when costs have gone up massively.

“The aim isn’t to make money, it’s for it to be a nice place.”

The White Horse will be hosting a one year celebration event on Friday (July 7) from 6pm, with a barbecue, drinks and live music available to all.

To keep up to date with The White Horse, follow their Facebook page here.