The Opening of The Stag and Huntsman

So there we have it. The great and the good gathered on a beautiful sunny evening to enjoy the hospitality of Hillbrooke Hotels and The Culden Faw Estate at the opening of the newly renovated and extended Stag and Huntsman. And I have to say they did everyone proud with their service and generosity.


Free booze flowed and a steady stream of delicious nibbles appeared from the shiny new kitchen. The recently hired staff 'glided' around in an almost invisible manner making sure glasses were filled and stomachs kept supplied. And against this smooth running backdrop, Mr Schwarzenbach, owner of the Culden Faw Estate and the man behind the not inconsiderable investment in The Stag delivered an amusing and sensitive opening speech.


And the reaction from the assembled villagers seems to have been universally positive. The quality and design of the bedrooms coupled with the sensitive redevelopment of 'old' bar areas such as the 'snug' and the 'public' met with approval from the regulars.  And if the quality of the welcome from newly installed General Manager, Claire Hollis, and her staff is anything to go by, then the new Stag and Huntsman will become quite a draw to both the locals of the Hambleden Valley as well as the walkers and day trippers that so seem to love our beautiful village.


So despite the questions and the scepticism around the intentions of The Estate and the ambitious timescales involved, the renovation must be considered a success. It's perhaps a shame that this chronicle has rankled with certain members of the Estate but looking back at the past six months, I think we can say it's been a fair and honest account of the build process.


A new chapter for The Stag and Huntsman has opened and I will continue to post musings and thoughts on the goings on around the pub for no other reason than I can. The final word however must go to Claire and the staff of the pub. Claire was so proud on Friday night and for very good reason. As the new chapter is written, I sincerely hope that she and all her staff will be central characters in a long and happy story of success.

The Stag and Huntsman on Launch Morning

It's a bit like getting married. Here's a great photo taken by the 'official' channels (read: Hillbrooke PR) of the The Stag and Huntsman in the early morning light. The new 'bride' is waking up to a lovely sunny day. I have to say, it looks absolutely gorgeous. Tonight should be a marvellous event. More photos of the new bride will be posted shortly so extending the analogy further -- the marriage looks made in heaven!

New photos of The Stag and Huntsman

The fine weather arrives and with it, the opening of The Stag and Huntsman. Just two days to go and work is frantic. Certainly a huge amount of effort going in to get things finished. Some good photos here:

Five days to opening - is it ready?

So it's only five days until we see the results of the months of hard work at our favourite watering hole. The village awaits as we count down over the coming week to the opening party scheduled for this coming Friday. But one question is on everyone's lips: "Will it be finished?"

We have to take our hats off the efforts of the Culden Faw Estate and Hillbrooke Hotels to get the works close to completion but the gossip coming from the 'shop floor' is that Friday's opening will be short-lived.  For sure, there will be a fun evening as we poke around the new Stag and enjoy (hopefully) the hospitality of the Estate and Hillbrooke. But judging by the state of the site both inside and out, presenting a finished product is highly unlikely by this coming Friday.

For starters, the garden is still a sea of mud. I presume Hillbrooke must be hoping that the party go'ers don't venture outside unless there is turf to be laid this week. But then if turf is laid, will the management want people walking on it so soon after being laid? I think not.  And will the interior be completed? Judging by comments from some of the chaps on site (all unattributed of course), the work is manic with various trades tripping over each other as they frantically try and work through the lengthy 'to do' list each is presented with.

All that said, I can completely appreciate the desire of Hillbrooke to get The Stag and Huntsman open for Friday's big night and to then have the place trading over the Jubilee Weekend. It's the deadline they have said since the work started and so it's understandable that they are pulling out all the stops to open come what may. But one is left asking: at what cost? The smart money is on the place closing soon after Jubilee to finish the works properly and to bring the whole place up to the standard expected.

But in the meantime, the excitement builds and we look forward to an excellent night this coming Friday. Obviously a full report will be provided!  :)