Blog

A little behind the scenes at Freespirit

18/09/2026

Hi everyone, Hospitality never sleeps, and this week has been a brilliant reminder of exactly that. Behind the scenes, our teams have been tasting, testing and experimenting with Negronis ahead…... Read more

Where has the last fortnight gone?

11/09/2026

Hi everyone, It has been a crazy week or two. The season is changing, the children are back at school, our teams are evolving, winter menus are landing and Christmas…... Read more

Christmas is coming to Freespirit!

04/09/2026

Hi everyone, There is something really special about this time of year, when the nights begin to draw in and thoughts turn to festive food, brilliant parties and getting together…... Read more

A look back on a busy Summer

28/08/2026

Hi everyone, As summer starts to draw to a close, I have been thinking back over what has been a pretty incredible few months for Freespirit. It has been busy,…... Read more

From pot washer to seven pubs – my story

21/08/2026

Hi everyone, I thought this week I’d share a little of the story behind Freespirit and how we got to the seven pubs we run today. I’m a farmer’s son.…... Read more

Sometimes the best things are right on your doorstep…

14/08/2026

Hi everyone, I managed to grab a lunchtime walk along the River Leam this week. Nothing fancy, just 20 minutes in the sunshine watching the world go by. The river…... Read more

All Aboard The Freespirit Grand Tour!

11/08/2026

Hi everyone, Today I wanted to share something exciting that’s coming up. Over the years I’ve often been asked, “Which is your favourite Freespirit pub?” The honest answer? It changes…... Read more

Eat your Greens at Freespirit Pubs!

31/07/2026

Hi everyone, If you follow me on LinkedIn, you would have seen my Naked Truth, with weekly posts sharing the ups and downs of owning a hospitality business. I shared…... Read more

Summer Screenings Event At Hadsham Farm Lake and FreeSpirit Pubs!

27/07/2026

Hey everyone, Something a little different this week, and one I’m really excited to share with you! From 14th to 16th August, the Freespirit Events food truck will be joining…... Read more

A few days in Tenby and a busy summer ahead…

17/07/2026

Hey everyone, It’s been months since I managed to find a small break in the diary, but this week we finally escaped for a couple of nights in Tenby, Pembrokeshire.…... Read more

From a school awards day to the heart of a good pub, a few words from Mark

10/07/2026

Hey everyone, Something a bit different from me this week. I visited my youngest son’s end-of-year awards ceremony today. It was wonderful to see so many young people being celebrated…... Read more

Wimbledon, World Cup woes, and New Summer Menus

06/07/2026

Hey everyone, So, Wimbledon has started. Has it grabbed your attention yet? I’ll be honest, I’m more of a “watch the final with a Pimm’s” kind of person, but there’s…... Read more

It’s Hot. Our Hugo Spritz is Cold.

27/06/2026

Hey everyone, What a week! The heatwave finally got too much for Sir Keir Starmer. I can’t say I blame him; it’s been relentless. The one thing I still can’t…... Read more

Celebrating The Men Who Shape Our Lives

19/06/2026

Dear Guest, I hope that you’re all having a fabulous week. Across our pubs, the teams are preparing for one of the busiest Sundays of the year as we celebrate…... Read more

A Season of Sport Begins

16/06/2026

Good afternoon,I trust you’re all having a fab week. First of all, thank you to those who placed a wine order last week. They’re all ready for collection from today…... Read more

Staycation Season Starts TODAY!

22/05/2026

With a late Spring heatwave rolling in, there’s no better time to set off for a weekend away or a mid-week breather! Swapping the sea and sand for a countryside…... Read more

Celebrating 7 years of The Red Lion

08/05/2026

Good afternoon, I was reminded yesterday that is it 7 years since we opened the doors of the Red Lion. My initial thoughts were Christ that has gone by quick!…... Read more

One of those weeks!

24/04/2026

Do you ever have those weeks where your feet barely feel like they’ve touched the ground? That’s certainly been mine. It’s been a full-on stretch with early starts and late…... Read more

Easter Traditions, Rewritten: The Pub at the Heart of It All

27/03/2026

There was something about the first real glimpse of spring this week, the sunshine, the return of lighter evenings that got me thinking about Easter. Not in the chocolate-aisle sense…... Read more

Pub pinching

20/03/2026

There was a really interesting debate on Good Morning Britain yesterday, which I would love to get your perspective on. The topic of conversation was ‘pub pinching’ and more specifically,…... Read more

It’s all about the roar!

13/03/2026

Tuesday marked my annual trip to Cheltenham Festival which, of course, meant ample tweed jackets, peaky blinder hats and champagne. I know that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but…... Read more

Spring is springing!

09/03/2026

If these images of our delicious Roast Dinner have got your mouth watering, then check out our ‘Rest & Roast’ spring offer below! This week has seen the return of…... Read more

The Freespirit Spycam!

27/02/2026

Welcome folks, to my Freespirit spycam. It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these, but I wanted to share with you some of my more recent experiences of…... Read more

The Valentine’s Day Debate

13/02/2026

With this weekend marking Valentine’s Day, it only seems fitting to address this subject in my weekly newsletter, which may or may not be music to your ears! Valentine’s Day…... Read more

Is it time to move with the cultural shift?

01/02/2026

I don’t think it’s any secret that in recent years, there has been a lot more focus around wellness and sobriety which (lets be honest) is damaging to the pub…... Read more

A nod to Robert ‘Rabbie’ Burns!

23/01/2026

On 25th January, Scots around the world will gather to celebrate their national poet, Robert ‘Rabbie’ Burns. Even if you don’t have a Scottish bone in your body, it’s a…... Read more

The year of the fire horse!

09/01/2026

Well, here we are, in 2026! Happy New Year to you all! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, it certainly feels like it was over in a flash. …... Read more

See you down the pub!

19/12/2025

Dear guest, Hope you’re having a cracking week and that the Christmas chaos is (mostly) under control. Present wrapping, shopping lists, life admin — it’s always a bit of a…... Read more

The Gifts of Christmas

12/12/2025

Christmas is creeping closer and closer and if you’re anything like me, you’ll start to be thinking about Christmas gifts! Christmas is such a wonderful and busy time in hospitality,…... Read more

We can’t ignore what’s happening…

06/12/2025

First off, to everyone who took the time reply to to my email last week, thank you. It was great to see so much engagement, and there was definitely a…... Read more

The Great Christmas Debate!

28/11/2025

We’re nearly in December, and it feels like the festivities are fast approaching. For those of you who have followed me for a while, you will remember that I have…... Read more

2025 Highlights

21/11/2025

As we near the final month of 2025, I can’t help but reflect on the year we’ve had. This year has been a bit of a whirl wind and if…... Read more

The Golden Rules of Restaurant Design

14/11/2025

So, I’m guessing that a few of you reading this newsletter every week are lovers of the hospitality industry, just like me. If so, you may have heard of something…... Read more

Breakfast is the most important meal

07/11/2025

When pressed for time, breakfast is often the first thing to go – am I right? I know I am certainly guilty of this and by the time it gets…... Read more

Face your fears!

17/10/2025

I’m not great at public speaking, never have been, which seems a bit bonkers considering I have spent most of my adult life chatting to strangers. My first full time…... Read more

Who doesn’t love a pub crawl?

10/10/2025

December is fast approaching – a time for celebration, fun and plenty of merriment. There was one day in the last couple of weeks, in which I visited five of…... Read more

The Simple Joys of Autumn

03/10/2025

October is, without a doubt, one of my favourite months. There’s a crispness in the air, the kind that makes pulling on a jumper feel like a small luxury! As…... Read more

Christmas is coming!

26/09/2025

I can’t quite believe I’m saying this, but Christmas is fast approaching and if you’re starting to think about booking in some of your favourite festive social gatherings, we know…... Read more

Greater Graft, Greater Reward

05/09/2025

Opening a new site is no easy feat (trust me, I should know). But underneath the chaos, the graft and the hard work – excitement and anticipation are beginning to…... Read more

Freespirit Spycam!

22/08/2025

So, for those of you who have been receiving (and reading!) this newsletter for a while, you will know that, every now and again, I like to put together a…... Read more

Autumn is creeping up on us

15/08/2025

I know it may still feel like a while off, but over the last few months we have been busy crafting our next load of seasonal menus and it has…... Read more

Work-life balance – is it really possible?

08/08/2025

One thing I get asked about regularly (and with taking on The George this Autumn, I have been thinking more about recently) is work-life balance. Is it really possible to achieve work-life…... Read more

Great Relationships and BIG NEWS!

01/08/2025

Can anyone else believe we are in the month of August already? The first half of 2025 just seems to have flown by, and I am looking forward to some…... Read more

Lets talk about Sunday

18/07/2025

First off, thank you to those of you who took the time to respond to my email last week. It was so interesting to hear what different things motivate people.…... Read more

Define your why

11/07/2025

I’m going to kick start this newsletter with something classically British (because I feel like it deserves acknowledgement) – the weather. Now, I don’t want to complain about the fact we have…... Read more

The Best Country Pubs in Warwickshire

27/06/2025

So, what exactly is Freespirit pubs? We own and operate five fantastic country pubs across Warwickshire and the surrounding areas. Each pub boasts the same Freespirit ethos of serving seasonal,…... Read more

The Best Country Pubs in Oxfordshire