Award-winning company to take on pub in Penshurst, Tonbridge
The Leicester Arms will be run by Little And Large - who also have the National Pub of The Year 2023
An award winning pub company is set to take on The Leicester Arms in Penshurst (@theleicesterarmspenshurst) near Tonbridge.
The village pub is set to close for a major refurbishment later this month, reopening in early 2024 with a new look under the Little & Large Pub Company (@littleandlargepubco).
Already a popular dining and drinking spot, now, owners Brakspear are giving the historic building a ‘serious facelift’ in partnership with Little & Large Pub Company.
Little & Large are the winning team behind The Running Horses near Dorking, which earlier this year was named ‘Pub of The Year’ at the National Pub & Bar Awards 2023 - a competition open to pubs across the country.
The team say: “Refurbishment of The Leicester Arms will retain the charm and character of the Grade II listed building, while also opening it up to create more open, informal spaces for drinking and dining. The pub's 13 en-suite bedrooms will also be revamped to give them a more contemporary, boutique hotel feel.”
The Leicester Arms has built an excellent reputation for quality food and the Little & Large team will be looking to build on that. Their menu will offer ‘something for everyone', with delicious dishes created from the finest ingredients and a focus on seasonal and local ingredients where possible.
Little & Large founder Manu Bhatt says: "We're excited to be taking on The Leicester Arms; it's a fantastic pub with huge potential and ticks all the boxes for us. Our goal at all our pubs is simple - every day, we strive to give our guests the best possible experience, whether they're dining, drinking or staying with us.
"It's great to be refurbishing the pub at the outset, so that the design can reflect the way we want to run it: informal, friendly and flexible. We can't wait to open the doors on the new-look Leicester Arms early next year and welcome returning and new customers to enjoy our pub."
Brakspear chief executive Tom Davies said: "We couldn't be happier about Little & Large taking on The Leicester Arms. Under their management, The Running Horses has gone from strength to strength, thanks to their focus on high standards and outstanding customer service. We're happy to be working with them on their second Brakspear pub and confident it will also be a huge success."
The Little & Large Pub Company took to social media to give a sneak peak into the new plans.
Little & Large Pub Company was founded in 2019 by Manu Bhatt and currently run alongside Richard Brown, who both have a wealth of experience in the hospitality industry across hotels, restaurants and pubs. In addition to their two pubs with Brakspear, the company also runs The Queens Head in Dorking and The Talbot in Brockley, south east London. At all their pubs, the focus is on serving great food and drink in a relaxed environment, with the highest standards of service. The Running Horses was named overall winner at the
The company is run by Bhatt and Brown, with support from talented teams both front and back of house. This includes executive chef Robin Freeman, who joined last year after a 20-year career in top restaurants such as Moro and 1 Lombard Street, where he worked alongside Mark Hix. Head chef at The Running Horses, Imogen Parrish, is a finalist in the San Pellegrino Young Chefs Academy Competition.
