Historic pub about to be turned into a steakhouse
A pub with strong links to Maidstone’s military history has called time to become a steak restaurant.
The White Rabbit, at Sandling Road, Maidstone, will shut its doors for more than a month for the transformation.
Mitchells and Butlers, the parent company which owns the site along with other well-known chains Harvester and All Bar One, will convert the pub into another of its brands – a Miller and Carter steakhouse.
The establishment will undergo a complete makeover, closing on Monday, February 5, and reopening on Friday, March 16.
The venue will become one of 50 such restaurants across the UK and 24 new members of staff will be recruited.
Luke Brooks, regional business manager at Miller and Carter, said the move was a fantastic opportunity for the brand.
The grade II listed building has had a colourful history, serving as the officers’ mess for Invicta Barracks, built in 1779 as a reaction to the threat of Napoleon.
The White Rabbit is the last standing remnant of the old army depot.
The Seventh Light Dragoons occupied the site for 100 years, giving it the name the Cavalry Barracks.
In 1874 the 46th Brigade took over the barracks and in 1881 its two regiments became the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment. The two World Wars saw the depot filled to capacity with many men billeted locally as there were not enough bunks for them.
In 1961 the regiment amalgamated with the Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) and the depot was scaled down and then used by the Royal Engineers.
The nearby Invicta Park Bar-