Shepherd Neame’s White Horse And Bower Re-Opens Following £950K Transformation

The White Horse and Bower may have originally opened as a pub back in 1816, but its new General Manager, Aura Bodian, believes she has a stunning pub that’s as good as new – and more!

Even better, locals are queuing to get back inside the door, following its £950,000 stunning refurbishment by owners Shepherd Neame.

Just minutes from Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, the pub reopened earlier this month with experienced General Manager Aura at the reins following a three-month transformation.

“I read about this pub and it ticked every single box I had,” she said. “I think it is the most beautiful pub I have ever seen. It has been refurbished with such care and attention to detail.

“Other work was undertaken on the building before we began the project, so the pub was actually closed for two years, but the locals were still there, just waiting for it to reopen. I have a new pub, decorated from scratch, but also with a clientele waiting for it to come back. How lucky am I?”

Aura has been working in central London pubs for just over 10 years, starting at another Shepherd Neame site, The Cheshire Cheese, before spending 10 years working with Young’s, but was looking for a pub company which had a personal touch.

“I was looking for a company that wasn’t too big, where you really feel part of a team, working to achieve success together. And I found it in Shepherd Neame – the support system is amazing, I’ve never known support like it.”

She added: “Hospitality is all about people. This is the one job where you can change a person’s life. You can make an impact on people’s lives and turn a bad day into a good day.”

The pub’s restoration has seen its rich heritage blended with a bold, modern vision. Central to this has been a bespoke reclaimed oak bar, repositioned to ensure a open, welcoming atmosphere.

The new team have been training hard for the reopening. “They are super engaged,” said Aura. “They want it to do well so badly – I’m so lucky. I have really enjoyed training them and we are already getting great feedback from customers.”