Hartford opens new gastropub
Troubled restaurant group Hartford has opened a new gastropub in Ascot, Berkshire, this week.
The Wells, formerly a traditional pub, has 1,600sq ft of space and room for 90 seats. The fit-out will cost about £200,000.
Hartford says the pub will offer "a gastro-dining experience at pub prices, with a menu based on simple, classic dishes".
Wines will be sold at off-licence prices, with customers charged a fixed corkage fee.
The directors of Hartford believe they can turn the gastropub format into a chain to develop alongside the group's upmarket restaurants.
The group owns several restaurants in London, including Pharmacy, Idaho and Montana.
Hartford chief executive Sheila McKenzie said: "The gastropubs will complement the group's existing restaurant operations and bring a new generation of pub dining to the neighbourhood market."
