A popular Bath city centre pub is to be refurbished after coming under new management.
The Trinity on James Street West will close this Sunday for just over a month while the £185,000 upgrade takes place.
Owner Star Pubs & Bars, part of the Heineken UK group, said The Trinity, which has been open under temporary management since May last year, would reopen on 23 March as “a top-quality city centre local” with a focus on sports and eclectic live entertainment.
This will include a “fresher, brighter more contemporary look and feel” with new pendant-style lighting, high stools, upholstery and carpet.
The interior is being reconfigured to double its seating to 62, meaning visitors can watch sport from anywhere inside the pub on one of the four new large high-definition TVs.
Meanwhile the tired-looking exterior will be given a complete makeover with the stone cleaned and repointed, windows and roof renovated and the addition of new air force blue and black signage, pictured above, and new lighting.
New managers Tobias Goodnight and Tui Sancha, pictured below, said they were taking on The Trinity, which was formerly owned by Bath brewery Abbey Ales, with the intention of creating the best city centre bar for drinks, watching sport and for live entertainment.
The couple have 12 years’ hospitality experience working on the South Coast and, immediately prior to taking on The Trinity, ran a vibrant gastro and live entertainment pub in Manchester.
Tui said: “We are brimming full of ideas of events to put on at the pub, but first we want to settle in, get to know locals and find out the type of activity that would most appeal to them.
“We hosted successful comedy, open mic and jazz nights at our last pub, but would be interested to see if there would be an appetite for events like spoken word nights, Philosophers in Pubs, where philosophical subjects are discussed, a book club and evenings with a guest speaker as well as open mic nights.”
Tobias added: “We are thrilled to be moving to Bath – especially as I am passionate about Georgian architecture – and look forward to enjoying the cultural highlights the city has to offer.
“We are also really looking forward to becoming part of the local community and making new friends. What better way to do this than running a pub in the heart of the city.”
Star Pubs & Bars area manager Gavin Perkins said: “We are delighted to be giving The Trinity a new lease of life, making it more appealing for the local community and a new generation of potential customers.
“Tobias and Tui are the perfect couple to take The Trinity forward as they are experienced successful operators with a passion for hospitality and creating a fun and inviting environment for people to come together.”
As part of the upgrade, the latest dispense technology is being installed which improves the quality and consistency of draft beer and cider. The system’s unique cooling technology and line insulation from keg to tap is 20% more energy efficient than standard systems, keeping cider and beer colder.
Star Pubs & Bars operates 2,400 pubs across the UK, the majority leased out to small businesses and entrepreneurs. The group’s ambition is to “build Britain’s best pub company” by attracting and retaining the best operators, investing to create great pubs at the heart of their communities and by providing licensees with market-leading insight and support.
