Heartwood Collection opens first pubs with rooms following £4m investment
The group has opened The White Horse in Dorking having invested £4m in the refurbishment of the historic coaching inn.
The Grade II listed building has been refurbished with the creation a pub to the front of the venue and a dining room with space for more than 100 covers as well as a sheltered courtyard with additional seating.
It also has 56 bedrooms with prices starting from £100 per night.
The White Horse is a historically significant inn with strong literary connections. Charles Dickens was a guest and wrote part of The Pickwick Papers whilst at the inn and Jane Austen was also a visitor with Box Hill featuring in her novel Emma.
“This is a hugely significant moment for Heartwood Collection with the opening of its first pub with rooms and marks the start of an intensive period of growth in 2024 and beyond," says Richard Ferrier, Heartwood Collection managing director.
“We are incredibly proud of The White Horse and the holistic approach we have taken to ensuring every aspect of the guests experience is absolutely seamless.
"We have been delighted at the welcome we have received from the Dorking community and are looking forward to The White Horse being joined by four further pubs with rooms over the course of 2024.”
The Dorking opening is Heartwood’s first venture under a new strategy that will see the group move into freehold pubs and pubs with rooms. Five more locations are already planned for the year - The Quill & Scholar in Lichfield in March; The Rope & Anchor in Emsworth and The Coat & Bear in Newbury in the summer; The White Hart in Lewes in autumn; and The Royal Forest in Epping Forest in the autumn.
Last year Heartwood secured £100m funding with OakNorth Bank to support its rollout. The company operates 22 Heartwood Inns pubs and 14 Brasserie Blanc restaurants across the UK and plans to have around 60 sites and more than 500 bedrooms by 2027.
