With 2022 coming to an end, we like to reminisce on what has happened over the year. We have pulled 508,223 pints, sold 48,350 burgers, 79,562 of our famous kebabs, 139,621 crafty cocktails, and served over a million wonderful customers – and we have enjoyed every second of it. Couples, mates, kids and pooches, we have loved meeting each and every one you.
We wanted to put together a little round up of some events, highlights and achievements we’re proud of this year! Here we go…
Supporting Ukraine
Supporting Ukraine
When the news of the conflict in Ukraine came to light, we were extremely saddened, and still are. Our hearts still go out to those directly affected by the situation.
Earlier this year when the conflict first started, we crafted a new dish, Chicken Kyiv to be sold within our pubs. £5 from every dish went to UNICEF to aid and protect the children in the conflict. During the period the dish was released over £8,800 was raised. This incredible amount was accumulated by over 1,700 of you! A special thank you goes to everyone who ordered the dish.
Partnership with Fever-Tree/ Whitley Neill (Mother’s Day)
Partnership with Fever-Tree/ Whitley Neill (Mother’s Day)
This year the mothers of Elite Pubs were treated to the wonderful gift of Gin.
We were fortunate enough to form a partnership with both Whitley Neil and Fever Tree to show the mums of Elite Pubs just how special they are. We welcomed over 1000 mothers into our pubs this year, making sure that every mother left with a big smile on their face.
BeYou project from the summer weekend of music
BeYou project from the summer weekend of music
This year we teamed with the BeYou Project for the first time, inspired by Pride, we wanted to do something more to support the young people who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. The BeYou Project offers a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space where LGBTQIA+ young people can meet, socialise, and get the support they need.
The summer weekend of music took place in some of our pubs, so many of you joined us for a dance and a good time. This event took place at The Potting Shed, The Poacher and Partridge, The Pheasant Plucker, The Pig and Sty, and The Vineyard – each pub was jam-packed, and a truly wonderful few weekends of good vibes and support.
A special shout out to Cosmic Clare who attended every week at each pub, painting everyone’s faces with her creative skills.
With the help of everyone who joined us, we raised £265 for the BeYou Project. Thank you so much to everyone who donated and joined us over those weekends.
The Dirty Habit
The Dirty Habit
On Sunday 9th October The Dirty Habit suffered a fire. This was a great shock to everyone within the Elite Pubs community, we are extremely grateful that all staff and customers were evacuated swiftly and no injuries occured.
We are enormously thankful to the emergency services who responded so swiftly. And a special thank you to all our customers who have been exceptionally supportive and patient during this difficult time.
Your generous donations along with staff contributions raised over £2,000 to help the Dirty Habit staff get back on their feet. We’re already in talks with our conservation officer to begin reconstructing the pub back to its former glory sticking to the beautiful 13th century themes.
We’re hoping to re-open in Winter 2023/24. If you’d like to keep updated on progress as well as other offers and information feel free to sign up for our newsletter to hear it from us first.
The Wishful Thinker
The Wishful Thinker
First announced on April 14th – our brand new pub, The Wishful Thinker is well on its way to completion.
Formerly known as The White Horse on Lenham Road, this stunning pub is in the middle of its £2.5 million refurbishment and extensions, a makeover of dreams. The Wishful Thinker will consist of 18 bedrooms, a large dining room, an internal bar terrace and even a stage for exciting live experiences.
The Wishful Thinker is going through an amazing transformation and the result will be well worth the wait.
If you wish to stay updated with the progress of The Wishful Thinker, please sign up for our newsletters or follow our Instagram page.
Jubilee weekend extravaganza
Jubilee weekend extravaganza
This year we celebrated the late Queen Elizabeth’s 70th year on the throne. It was a weekend no one wanted to miss, many of you joined us in beer gardens with your favourite pub grub.
We were all thoroughly entertained by performances from Ben Hills, The U-Turn, Sophie Mullan and so many more, with everyone up on their feet dancing the day away. A true celebration for the first monarch to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee.
Our Eco Difference
Our Eco Difference
We are trying our best to do better for the planet, by giving back what we can. One of the ways we are doing this is by using local suppliers with 85% of food suppliers being within 25 miles radius of an elite pub.
Alongside this, we are also proud members of Produced in Kent, which aim to connect growers, producers, and retailers – having a strong relationship with local businesses is something we strive for.
We have 6 bedrooms at The Potting Shed all of which are powered by solar panels. Using a clean, green, renewable source of energy has contributed towards making our bedrooms eco-friendlier and more sustainable.
Finally, we use 100% recycled materials for all of our menus, posters and printed materials in all of our pubs. We also have a QR code that you can access the menu through, which we can reduce the amount we print. Even the napkins we use are 100% recycled materials.
This year was a challenging one for all of us but also full of some amazing achievements, milestones and highlights as well as some difficult hurdles we’ve had to overcome which have only made us stronger. We wanted to say a humongous thank you to each and every one of you who visited us this year and to our amazing suppliers who, whatever the weather, always come through with delivering top quality fresh produce for you to enjoy.
We are ready to welcome you in the New Year, ready to conquer another year. Happy New Year, May 2023 be the best year yet!
