If the General Manager of the recently refurbished Crown in Blackheath, Jan Mullerson, seems at home, it’s not surprising, as the pub is a home from home and where he cut his teeth as a barman.

Jan, who took over running the Shepherd Neame pub in the heart of one of London’s last remaining villages following a £750,000 transformation in February, moved to the Blackheath area with his family when he was 12.

He went to school in the area and so he knows just who he is catering for when it comes to running the historic pub which has been completely renovated, redecorated and has a revamped menu.

“It is one of the best decisions I have made in my life, coming back here,” he said.

Jan was enticed into the Shepherd Neame fold, after working at pubs owned by Young’s and Stonegate, by a former colleague.

Starting out in hospitality in Blackheath at the age of 19, Jan admits The Crown was very different when he first worked there and is overjoyed with its new look.

“It’s great that Shepherd Neame have put the investment in here,” he said, adding: “It is beautiful following the renovation.”

The team of 20 he now leads is an even mix of staff who were there before the renovation, and ones who have joined since.

“We have had amazing feedback from everyone who has come in,” he said. “I think we provide the best pub food in the area by far. Our forte is that we make homemade pies in-house – they’ve been very popular.”

And creating that new food offer is New Zealander Chris Duffy, 37, who is Head Chef. Chris began working in a pub when he came to the UK 15 years ago, before moving into the kitchen. Then came an apprenticeship before he worked his way up the ranks to become a Head Chef.

After 15 years with Fuller’s pub company, he made the switch to Shepherd Neame after being attracted by the newly-reopened Crown and a chance to make a fresh impact, and put his own stamp on the menu.

“It must have been the right time for me to make the move – now I’m here, I realise just how ready I was,” he said. “I have been reinvigorated and inspired to get more creative. It is great to be involved and to be able to help make decisions. I’m really enjoying it.

“I love a good pub. Pubs in New Zealand are completely different to English ones. “

The homemade pies he makes have received excellent feedback from customers, and he is enjoying getting a say in creating dishes. 

His own favourite dish to cook at home may not be on the menu any time soon though – beer braised octopus with stout, inspired by his Spanish wife’s cooking.

The five-week refurbishment of The Crown has seen the pub’s traditional heritage celebrated throughout, alongside a fresh, modern take on Edwardian décor, using a rich palette of dark blues, browns mixed with vintage-inspired floral wallpapers. 

It serves homemade bar snacks, lunch plates and pub classics, as well as a wide selection of award-winning craft available on draught, along with lagers, ciders, premium wines and seasonal cocktails.

A collaboration between leading pub websites stayinapub.co.uk and useyourlocal.com has been launched in a move to further promote pubs with accommodation, providing a welcome boost to the UK’s visitor economy as we approach the busy summer holiday season.

The collaboration sees Stay in a Pub’s carefully curated collection of boutique pubs, traditional coaching inns, and quality affordable pub accommodation being automatically promoted on Useyourlocal, putting them in front of millions more potential bookers. Each pub gets its own ‘Stay in a Pub badge’ making sure that they stand out to Useyourlocal’s huge audience as one of the very best places to stay. Together with an all-new Stay in a Pub Collection landing page, this now makes it even easier for people to find the very best pubs with accommodation, wherever they’re looking to stay.

Sophie Braybrooke, CEO of Stay in a Pub, said, ‘Stay in a Pub promotes everything that’s brilliant about staying in a Great British pub to both domestic and international visitors alike. Pubs with rooms already love our platform, and promoting member pubs through this exciting new partnership adds even more value to their membership.‘

Both Stay in a Pub and Useyourlocal are on a mission to drive more people into pubs more often, increasing the amount of time and money people spend in them, and ensuring that pubs remain thriving businesses right at the heart of their local communities. By working together they hope to leverage their combined strength and reach, ultimately encouraging more people to choose pubs when they’re planning their next trip away from home.

To find out more about Stay in a Pub go to www.stayinapub.co.uk

Have a pub? Want to get listed? Go to https://stayinapub.co.uk/list-your-pub/  or email [email protected]

Fuller’s is delighted to announce the return of its popular pub garden productions this year – Opera in the Garden and Shakespeare in the Garden. 

Produced and performed by Rogue Opera, this year’s Opera in the Garden production is Carmen [11 June-14 August]. Carmen – fiery, daring and uncompromising – meets José, a soldier with a past in a tale of love, death and bull fighting. Rogue Opera brings Carmen to life for a modern audience, sung in French with a new English script. Four singers and a pianist deliver a show with all of the well-known music and drama in an engaging and original format.

Shakespeare in the Garden, now in its thirteenth year, is a favourite in the Fuller’s calendar – produced and performed by Open Bar. This year, there will be two productions – The Tempest [2 July-31 August] and Much Ado About Nothing [22 July-13 September]. Shakespeare in the Garden is perfect for Shakespeare aficionados and novices alike. The plays are performed by casts of four and six actors respectively so expect plenty of costume changes – as well as laughter, music and some audience participation. 

Shakespeare in the Garden and Opera in the Garden follow a successful tour of Vanity Fair – which took place in a number of Fuller’s gardens this spring. 

Sam Bourke, Fuller’s Marketing Director, said: “I’m delighted to be holding so many productions in our beautiful pub gardens this year. Fuller’s is very proud to support the arts. The ongoing popularity of Shakespeare in the Garden led us to host more shows throughout the year and these have been well-received too. Last year, we hosted productions of Sense and Sensibility which were a great success – and Vanity Fair was popular this year. This is the fourth year of hosting Opera in the Garden – proving our customers enjoy a range of live productions. 

“We hope you can join us for one of these brilliant performances. I know you’ll have a great time.”