New jobs created at The Bull on Bell Street

The Bull on Bell Street is set to close in early March for an extensive refurbishment.

The refurbishment will transform the popular eating and drinking spot in time for the Easter holidays and create 12 new jobs on reopening.

The Bull closes on Sunday 6 March and plans to reopen mid-April, just in time for the Bank Holiday Weekend. The extensive changes include improvements to the large rear garden, with a new retractable roof allowing guests to soak up the summer sun, the addition of a private dining/meeting room and new letting rooms in a nearby property, as well as a complete refresh of the interior décor and exterior façade.

The refurbishment is creating 12 new jobs, both front of house for bartenders and waiting staff, and in the pub's busy kitchen, including full-time and part-time roles. Applicants with experience and those new to pub work are welcome and full training will be given. To find out more, and apply, visit one of the Recruitment Open Days running on 25 and 26 February, from 10am to 6pm at The Bull.

Originally opened in 2013, The Bull stands on the site of the original Brakspear brewery, dating back to 1779. It has become one of Henley's favourite pubs for an after-work pint or cocktail, a bite to eat or to celebrate an occasion with friends or family. With warmer days approaching, its large rear garden is described as the ‘perfect pitch’ for summer drinks and al fresco dining.

While The Bull is shut, regulars will be welcome at other Brakspear pubs in Henley. With nine pubs in the town centre alone, there's no shortage of eating and drinking spots to choose from, like the Angel on the Bridge or the Three Horseshoes, the Three Tuns, or Six Nations action at the Saracen's Head. Customers can also take part in the Henley Ale Trail by getting a stamp in each pub. These are available on purchases of soft drinks as well as beer or other alcohol.

Improvements to The Bull also cater for the many overnight and weekend visitors to Henley, with new accommodation opening in a nearby property in the summer, as an addition to the Doll's House, a townhouse behind The Bull with four boutique bedrooms and its own garden terrace.

Tom Davies, Brakspear chief executive, said: "We're delighted to be starting on this major improvement project for The Bull. It's a wonderful pub, loved by Henley's drinkers and diners and, while we're sorry to deprive them of their favourite haunt for a few weeks, we can promise it'll all be worth it when we reopen.

"The changes will enhance what's already great about The Bull and will turn it into the town's No.1 destination for all day dining, with refreshed décor inside and out, a new private dining room for smaller celebrations or meetings, and an improved garden to enjoy when it's sunny - and when it's not! 

"The overall look and feel will stay the same, with the same friendly, attentive service and informal atmosphere - so customers can really relax and enjoy their visit to The Bull."

The Bull on Bell Street is part of Brakspear's managed pubs division, which was renamed as Honeycomb Houses at the end of 2021. Honeycomb Houses now includes ten pubs in the Cotswolds and in locations around Brakspear's Henley heartland, as well as one pub in West Sussex.