New pub landlady aims to bring ‘country elegance’ to The Crown Hotel, Southwell
The new landlady of a town centre pub has set out her vision to ensure guests have a royally good time.
Tamara Taylor has taken the reins of The Crown Hotel, Southwell, alongside long-time friend Sam Davies as manager.
She plans to combine her experience in interior design and hospitality to bring some “country elegance” to the Market Place pub, and ensure it is a place where everyone can feel welcome, whether with children, dogs, or even on their own.
She has also previously run a pub in the Vale of Belvoir, as well as Newark-based antiques store Grain — and also has experience as a beautician and as British Airways cabin crew.
Tamara, who has lived in the area for 11 years, said: “A community feel is what we really want.
“I’m combining my care and love for people, I want everyone to be welcome and feel safe.”
Sam added: “It’s nice to be able to go and pop in your own after work, especially as a woman to feel you can.”
As a Marston’s pub, bar sales remain priority — but Tamara also plans to diversify with refurbished hotel rooms, food offerings, and pub teams.
The rooms, each with their own colour and design schemes, are now named after former monarchs — paying tribute to The Crown’s name, and are set to welcome guests for a comfortable stay.
In the pub downstairs the kitchen is planned to be opened up to guest chefs from March 1 in “kitchen takeover” events, for everything from fine dining experiences to gourmet street food, and Tamara also has a vision for a Parisian atmosphere in the outside courtyard complete with wall-art by Southwell-area artists.
She has also added a selection of wine, cocktails, and Fizz Fridays with large discounts of bottles of fizz, to the bar menu.
“I’m hoping I’m adding something people would like, and I’m open to suggestions,” Tamara added.
“I want to introduce some teams, I’d like to do Pétanque, see if anyone wants to set up a Bridge team, dominoes, and potentially a youth darts team.”
The pub’s existing pool team is set to relocate to Edingley, freeing up a room for hotel guests to eat breakfast in, and the whole space has been given a new feel with relaxing sofas, low tables, and the bar stools removed from the bar to open it up.
From the get-go the pub is run by a “girl crew” with Tamara’s two daughters set to run the front of house operation alongside Sam.
The pub is open from 11am to 10pm Monday to Saturday, and 11am to 9pm on Sunday.
