Folkestone Community Pub Reopens Following Transformational £208,695 Refurbishment

Popular community pub the Valiant Sailor on New Dover Road in Folkestone officially reopened yesterday (24th May) following a combined investment of £208,695 from experienced licensee Mark Smith and Admiral Taverns.

This refurbishment will breathe a new lease of life into the Valiant Sailor to elevate and modernise the overall look and feel of the pub, whilst still retaining its original characterful features and classic nautical theme, ultimately enabling the licensee to further cement it as the go-to community hub for local residents.

Licensee, Mark Smith brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the pub having worked in the hospitality industry since he was a teenager and having also obtained a degree in event management from Bournemouth University.

Mark has been steering the ship at the Valiant Sailor for over six months and in this time has cemented the pub as a destination for great food and community building.

Mark commented: “It has been an amazing journey so far, watching my vision come to life and I’m grateful for Admiral’s guidance in achieving this. The support from the local community has also been incredible and I can’t wait to welcome them back through the doors. I would like to extend a huge thank you to my whole team at the pub and everyone at Admiral Taverns for their support. I look forward to serving up delicious food and good times here for many years to come.”

To celebrate the reopening, The Valiant Sailor will be hosting a party to welcome the community back to the pub on Saturday the 30th of May. This will be a whole day celebration with the Mayor of Folkestone, Cllr Jackie Meade officially opening the pub, followed by great food and live music.

Going forward, Mark will be hosting a busy schedule of regular entertainment for the community to enjoy including bingo, darts competitions, quiz nights and paint and sip nights. In addition, as part of his mission to give back, he will continue to support the local community, by hosting fundraising events in aid of local good causes.

Paul Gornall, Business Development Manager at Admiral Taverns, added: “It’s fantastic to see the Valiant Sailor’s transformation completed, alongside the launch of a great new menu. I look forward to seeing Mark and his team thrive for many years to come. On behalf of everyone at Admiral Taverns we wish Mark and his team the very best of luck for the future.”