Star Pubs and Bars opens The Unicorn in Cardiff
The menu at The Unicorn will consist of traditional dishes and will also include a menu for children
Star Pubs and Bars has launched The Unicorn pub in Cardiff following a £1.4m upgrade.
The pub group stated that with the new opening, it has completed its “biggest single investment” in the UK this year.
Closed for five years, the pub has been transformed into a Just Add Talent managed operator pub.
The revamped pub now features a garden room with sharing tables and chef’s table for dining with bi-fold doors onto the terrace, a lounge/dining area and a relaxed locals’ bar.
Outside there’s a choice of seating on the new terrace in timber booths or at high tables as well as picnic benches and parasols at the front.
The menu at The Unicorn will consist of traditional dishes and will also include a menu for children.
The drinks will include cocktails and a wide selection of wines, spirits, beers as well as cask and craft ales, Heineken 0.0 and all-day barista style coffee.
As part of the upgrade the latest dispense technology which improves the quality and consistency of draft beer and cider, is being installed.
Alongside the opening of The Unicorn, the pub group has also opened its flagship pub in Wales bringing the company’s investment in Wales in the last month to £1.75m and its investment in Wales in the last three years to in excess of £4m.
Other projects include a £200,000 revamp and garden makeover of The Talbot in Talbot Green, Llantrisant. It opened at the end of September with trade “exceeding expectations”.
Another village pub, The Newborough Arms, Bontnewydd, also opened this week following a joint £200,000 investment with Steven Hughes, licensee of The Crown in Caernarfon.
Additionally, Star Pubs and Bars is keen to invest a further £730,000 in Wales at The Blacksmith’s Arms, Llantwit Major and The Holybush, Lower Machen subject to recruiting the right operators.
Gemma Morgan, pub operator at The Unicorn, said: “I’ve been helping out in my parents’ pubs since I was 15. Hospitality is in my blood. Taking The Unicorn on a managed operator agreement gives people like me who haven’t got a financial background or resources the opportunity to do so.”
Lawson Mountstevens, managing director of Star Pubs and Bars, added: “We’re delighted to have brought The Unicorn back to life – it’s now a stunning pub inside and out and is our flagship pub in Wales.With so much housing on its doorstep, local offices and a retail park nearby and no other pubs in the vicinity, the area is crying out for a pub like The Unicorn, which offers something for everyone.
“The news of its reopening has so delighted residents that the church bell ringers are ringing the bells to celebrate its opening day. It will become the beating heart of the community, a place where residents can come together. It is also within walking distance for many, which plays into trends for people wanting to socialise locally. The Unicorn brings the investment that we have made in Wales in the last three years to over £4m and demonstrates our commitment to the Welsh economy.”
