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 quality time with my boys during the school holidays. The juggle always feels very real in the summer holidays and this year will be no exception, with some very exciting stuff happening in the Freespirit world.
On that note, I am over the moon to announce that we have, this week, signed an agreement with our long term landlords and family brewery Hook Norton on a fantastic pub in the Cotswolds.
The George at Brailes! The George is a delightful 13th century coaching inn, steeped in history and bags of character. There are also six en-suite guest rooms located above the pub, which is perfect considering the George is only a stone’s throw away from The Cotswolds. Over the years, I have acquired a wealth of knowledge regarding what to look out for when exploring potential new sites. When I came across the George, we were not actively looking to expand our Freespirit family, but this place was just too hard to resist! The location, the character, the accommodation – it ticks all the boxes, and I firmly believe this will be a wonderful community and destination inn.
I’m so pleased that our fantastic relationship continues to grow with Hook Norton Brewery, a relationship that started 19 years ago. I am grateful to the board, who recently allowed me to present my vision for Freespirit and how I believe pubs and hospitality still have such an important role to play.
My team have been working quietly behind the scenes the last few months, recruiting some fantastic new people as the business continues to grow and evolve.
Timing is sometimes super important in these things and if I’m being really honest, at times, things have felt stretched for the team. They really do go above and beyond and a lot can go unnoticed. However, rightly or wrongly, I have this belief that if things always feel comfortable, then you’re not pushing hard enough. That may come back to haunt me at some point, but it’s got us this far.
We have some massive plans bubbling for the George which I am very excited to share over the coming month. But for us to begin, the most important thing is to get into this old building, give it a small spruce up, and focus on getting to know the community, the building and a new team, so that we can ensure any bigger plans are delivered the best they can be for everyone involved.
If you’re on socials, we will be updating regulalarly as things start to pick up pace and I will be sure to update everyone who follows our newsletters of timings and plans.
I would love to know if any of you are already familiar with The George and if so, what would you like to see happen there?
As always, thanks for reading!
Big Love
Mark