A newly constructed pub garden to welcome back customers under new beer garden restrictions at pub near Luton, Bedfordshire has been destroyed the day before it was due to open.
Just before 1am last night (April 14) the garden caught ablaze leaving the new outdoor are and plants completely destroyed at the popular independent pub, the White Horse in Tea Green, which is on the Bedfordshire-Hertfordshire border.
Licensee Jon Haines posting on the pub’s Facebook group said it was “heart breaking” but that they hope to rebuild the space in time for the summer.
He said: “The team has worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to support the local community with home deliveries. We were the first to launch feed me local, supply meals to front line workers and food supplies to local food banks using profits from our customers’ orders.
“In the last few months we have invested over £25,000 and thousands of hours of work into creating a new Covid secure outdoor space to serve our customers post lock down.
“Our first customers joined us on Monday evening for a sneak peek before our official opening this Thursday. In the early hours of this morning (14 April) our new space and kids play area was set on fire and burnt to the ground.”
The garden will cost an estimated £2,000 a day in lost revenue.
He said it hasn’t sunk in yet. “What a waste of three months building it,” he added.
“We are trying to look on the bright side at the minute. The remainder of the garden is still untouched so we can still trade and do business.
“But it was a big feature, a ‘wow’, of the venue – but I think that’s why it was targeted to be honest.”
The pub has so far raised £3,671 of its £10,000 target
