The Red Lion at Water End confirms 17th November reopening and unveils festive programme
The Water End pub will officially reopen its doors on Tuesday 17th November following its £500,000 makeover, with wreath making, festive dining and live music among the celebrations planned.
The Red Lion at Water End, near Hemel Hempstead, has confirmed it will reopen on Tuesday 17th November following a £500,000 investment by Upham Inns, just in time for a festive season filled with family breakfasts, Christmas parties and seasonal food.
The former coaching inn will welcome guests into refreshed interiors with more space for drinks around the bar and a warmer, cosier pub restaurant. With the doors reopening ahead of December, the team is preparing to host everything from catch-ups with friends and colleagues to Christmas Day lunch.
Festive food for every gathering
Available from 25th November to 24th December, The Red Lion’s festive menu is priced at £34.95 for two courses or £39.95 for three, and guests can also dine from the à la carte menu.
Guests can start with creamy parsnip and maple soup or oven-baked Camembert with chilli honey, before choosing from dishes including roast turkey with all the traditional trimmings, fillet of salmon with a crayfish and dill potato cake, or confit duck leg with truffle mash and red wine gravy.
A vegan chargrilled celeriac steak comes with porcini purée, roast garlic new potatoes and crispy kale, while a festive burger pairs beef and pork with brie and cranberry sauce, crowned with a pig in blanket. Desserts include Christmas pudding with brandy custard, sticky toffee pudding and a vegan chocolate and orange tart.
On Christmas Day, the pub will serve a three-course celebration with a glass of Prosecco or Buck’s Fizz on arrival, focaccia, olives and dips to share, and coffee and mini mince pies to finish.
Alongside traditional roast turkey, choices include sirloin of beef, stone bass fillet with lobster bisque and Argentinian shell-on prawns, and a vegan sweet potato Wellington. Christmas Day dining is priced at £115 per person, £49.95 for under-12s and £24.95 for under-sixes.
Wreath making, Santa visits and Christmas parties
The festive events programme begins with a Christmas wreath-making workshop on Thursday 3rd December, from 7pm to 9.30pm, priced at £55 per person.
For those planning a Christmas night out, DJ party nights on Fridays 4th, 11th and 18th December will bring music and dancing to the pub from 8pm to 11.30pm. Guests can book a table for a festive meal before continuing the celebrations into the evening.
Younger visitors can meet a special guest at Breakfast with Santa on 12th, 13th, 19th and 20th December, from 9am to 11am. The experience includes breakfast from the breakfast menu, festive activities and a visit from Santa, priced at £9.95 per child and £15.95 per adult.
The celebrations continue on New Year’s Eve, with singer Sian performing live from 8pm, as the pub welcomes 2027 with an evening of food, drinks and dancing until 12.30am. Guests can book a table for dinner and stay for the celebrations.
General Manager Franco Di Ruberto comments: “We’re looking forward to opening the doors again and welcoming our neighbours back to The Red Lion. Christmas is a lovely time to bring everyone together, and we want the pub to be somewhere people can make the most of the season, whether that’s a meal with colleagues, breakfast with Santa or a catch-up over a drink.
“The refurbishment has given us such a welcoming setting for those occasions, and the team can’t wait to see it full of familiar faces and new guests enjoying themselves.”
For menus, event details and bookings, visit www.redlionwaterend.co.uk. Follow @redlionwaterend on Instagram for updates.