Water End’s historic Red Lion raises a glass to a new chapter with £500,000 makeover
Historic Hertfordshire inn reopens in November with new spaces for a pint and a catch-up, a cosier pub restaurant and a refreshed menu, putting the local pub experience front and centre.
The Red Lion at Water End, near Hemel Hempstead, will reopen in November following a £500,000 investment by Upham Inns, with a refurbishment designed to put the pub back at the heart of local life.
Combining relaxed spaces for drinks with a cosier pub restaurant, the refreshed Red Lion will welcome everyone, whether they’re popping in for a quick drink at the bar or sitting down to a meal. Just a 10-minute drive from Berkhamsted, it also offers an easy escape to the countryside for those living nearby.
A former coaching inn dating back to 1730, the pub once had its own brewhouse and three acres of farmland. The refurbishment will bring full redecoration throughout, with interiors by John Rogers at Creative Thinking. New high tables and spaces around the bar will create a relaxed setting for drinks and conversation, while changes to the pub restaurant will make it feel warmer and more intimate. Outside, the garden is being enhanced for drinking and dining, with the outdoor pods refreshed and relocated to create private spaces for groups of six to eight.
Kelly Beard, Head of Marketing at Upham Inns, says: “Our investment in The Red Lion is about strengthening everything people want from their local: a welcoming bar, good food and somewhere they can enjoy spending time throughout the week. The changes will give drinking and socialising a more prominent place in the pub, alongside its established dining offer.”
Leading the team is General Manager Franco Di Ruberto, who learnt the hospitality trade in his family’s Italian restaurant before going on to manage restaurant, bar and hotel operations.
Franco comments: “Growing up in my family’s restaurant, I learnt that the best places are the ones where everyone feels at home, and that’s exactly what we want The Red Lion to be. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, meeting friends for lunch or popping in for a pint after work, there’s a place for you here.
“This building has been looking after visitors and locals since 1730, and the refurbishment is about writing its next chapter. We’ve created more space to enjoy a drink as well as sit down for a meal, and we can’t wait to open the doors, see familiar faces again and get to know more of our neighbours.”
Senior Head Chef Andrew Hipgrave will oversee the food from the pub’s open kitchen, where a refreshed menu builds on the existing appeal of its Mediterranean-inspired dishes, served alongside popular pub classics. Creative daily chef’s specials showcasing premium produce will give guests something new to discover on every visit, such as the seared yellow fin tuna, crispy rice cake, avocado, pickled ginger and radish salad starter and the venison haunch, broccoli and blue cheese puree, pickled mushrooms and parsnip crisps main course.
Highlights from the new menu include Neapolitan-style pizzas, spiced lamb kofta with tzatziki and slow-braised lamb shank, alongside pub classics such as Cornish Orchard cider-battered fish and chips and a homemade beef, ale and mushroom pie. Breakfast and Sunday roasts will continue to be served, from a classic full English to sirloin of beef with all the trimmings.
Families and their four-legged friends will also be welcome, with children’s menus offering two courses for £10 or three for £12, plus Woofchester treats for dogs. Ahead of the reopening, The Red Lion will share further updates through its social media channels.
Follow The Red Lion, Water End, on @redlionwaterend for the latest news.