A fresh take on tradition
Once a legendary local haunt, The Spotted Dog in Penshurst is enjoying a bold new chapter under the stewardship of Laurence Bowes. Eileen Leahy meets the hospitality entrepreneur to discover how he is breathing new life into this historic hostelry…
Back in the late 1980s and 1990s, The Spotted Dog pub, located in picturesque Penshurst, was the place to go for a pleasant lunch or a great night out. It had it all: local real ales, historic charm, decent pub grub, roaring fires in the winter, and one of the best alfresco beer gardens with panoramic views of the glorious Kentish countryside for summertime sipping.
But over the years, as so often happens in hospitality, its popularity ebbed and flowed, until it was eventually sold in January of this year.
The buyer was Laurence Bowes, of Bowes Hospitality, which also owns The Rock in Chiddingstone and The Royal Oak in Hawkhurst. Both are successful local pubs, so hopes are high for what Laurence and his team can bring to The Spotted Dog.
We meet on the hottest day of the year so far. The pub is filling up nicely and the sun is beating down, making it the perfect excuse to sit outside with a cool drink on the new decking that Laurence has installed.
“This is what people come here for,” says Laurence, pointing to the beautiful bucolic vista straight ahead. And to be honest, on a day like today, it really does feel like the only place you want to be – especially as the sizzling Americana-inspired menu seems to complement the clement weather perfectly.
“We took a left turn when curating this menu,” smiles Laurence, who has worked in hospitality for decades. “What I mean by that is, there are a good number of very decent, high-quality pubs in the local area all doing classic pub food – fish and chips, burgers, pies – and they do it well. So that’s why we wanted something just a little bit different here.”
The menu is full of low-and-slow delicious delights such as short rib beef, pulled pork, cowboy beans, smoked sausage, and hot wings.
So far, so smokehouse but what inspired Laurence’s choice of epicurean theme?
“I started my career in hospitality in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina 25 years ago and fell for the bold flavours and warm hospitality of American barbecues.”
It’s worth noting that although the food may have its roots in the U.S., the ingredients used are all sourced locally and seasonally.
Looking around the historic pub – with its thoughtfully refreshed interiors, super-smart new alfresco areas, and adventurous new menu – it’s remarkable to think that Laurence and his team had just two weeks to turn things around before reopening.
“Although we bought the pub in January, we only got the keys in early May, so we literally had a very short amount of time before officially reopening on May 23. But the good news is we’ve already seen a solid improvement in footfall and food sales. The pub’s staff, who we inherited with the sale, have told us it’s noticeably busier.
“Our aim is to bring The Spotted Dog back to its original heyday, when people from Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks and even London would make the effort to come here and enjoy everything this incredible 505-year-old building has to offer, come rain or shine.”
www.spotteddogpenshurst.com
