May pops in as The Rose gets a facelift
Town centre: Pub refurbished as new owners take charge
MP Theresa May dropped by to The Rose pub in the town centre on Friday to officially mark the venue's refurbishment.
The King Street watering hole has undergone a makeover after being taken over by the Stonegate Pub Company, and is now owned by Ashwin Roda, who said he wants to cater for a wider range of customers.
Ashwin – who also runs the Rising Sun pub in Hurley High Street – invited Mrs May down for an official ribbon-cutting ceremony in the town centre last week, with the pub starting trade on Saturday.
The refurbishments include new paintwork and table and chairs, while new signage will adorn the exterior of the pub.
Ashwin revealed that the pub will also be opening a kitchen so it can offer food to customers in a restaurant area, including ‘pub classics’ and ‘Indo-Chinese’ dishes, which is a combination of Indian and Chinese cuisine.
He told the Advertiser that his aim for The Rose is to cater for more customers, with a focus on families and food during the day before transforming into a late-night bar venue in the evening.
Ashwin said that they hoped the kitchen would be available to serve food within two months of opening, while a function room upstairs will also be used for events to make the most of the space on offer.
“We have changed the whole front of the downstairs," Ashwin said.
“Brand new tables, better chairs, a different look completely.
“We are trying to get in touch with the Rotary clubs to do some events in our function room upstairs to maximise the use of The Rose.”
On Mrs May's visit, Ashwin added: “I know that she is hugely involved in Maidenhead's regeneration and I thought she would be interested in what we were doing.
“Predominantly it will always be a late-licence pub but I want it to be a late-licence pub with a good reputation.”