The White Heron

[Mouldy]

Good news!!  It’s finally happening!!  Just read on FaceAche that The White Heron opens at 12:00 on 24th October, just in time for half-term trade.  There’s no indication that I could see of whether food  is to be available, though.

[Mouldy]

Link to FB page if you can access:

 https://www.facebook.com/broomboats
 

Having just read the comments, it will be drinks only at the time of opening, with a restaurant menu to follow later in the year.  There’s no mention of whether it will be dog friendly, or whether there will be visitor moorings.

[Chelsea14Ian]

Think if they don't offer food.It won't be white Heron, it will be a white Elephant. 

[OldBerkshireBoy]

Doesnt appear to be visitor moorings yet and hear that they are still looking  to hire cook/ chef.

[Mouldy]

16 minutes ago, OldBerkshireBoy said:

Doesnt appear to be visitor moorings yet and hear that they are still looking  to hire cook/ chef.

The wording on their Facebook page says restaurant.  I hope that doesn’t mean that it’ll move too far upmarket.  As The Ram is now offering food, they’ll be up against established competition.

[Chelsea14Ian]

In my opinion  ,they should  offer very well cooked favourites (pub food)local produce and some specials.Keep it seasonal.Font just offer pizza, ribs.It seems that fills menus on the  broads now.That all could  be done without  going upmarket. 

[NeilB]

A friend who has a holiday place nearby said there was a rumour about some moorings being made available, only a rumour though.

[MargeandParge]

Let's hope the beer is cheaper than the diesel and the toilets are cheaper than a pump out. Sorry it's tea time.

Kindest Regards

Marge and Parge

It's only 15quid to moor at The New Inn

[Meantime]

It's a brave company that spends any money refurbishing a pub in the current climate. Whatever it becomes pub or gastro pub. Moorings or no moorings. Give it a chance. Give it a try. Support it if you can, but don't knock it until you've tried it. GIve constructive feedback to the management and negative feedback to the forum only if your constructive feedback was ignored or dismissed.

Someone or some company is spending serious money. Prices won't be cheap. They need to recoup their investment. Please bear that in mind if you need to be critical.  

Think could you or would you be prepared to do better with your own money before dissing this venture.

[Chelsea14Ian]

True but they don't knock that off the price of food.

[MargeandParge]

Sorry to be hasty, after all they always used to build a beautiful boat.

Regards Marge and Parge

[Mouldy]

8 minutes ago, Meantime said:

It's a brave company that spends any money refurbishing a pub in the current climate. Whatever it becomes pub or gastro pub. Moorings or no moorings. Give it a chance. Give it a try. Support it if you can, but don't knock it until you've tried it. GIve constructive feedback to the management and negative feedback to the forum only if your constructive feedback was ignored or dismissed.

Someone or some company is spending serious money. Prices won't be cheap. They need to recoup their investment. Please bear that in mind if you need to be critical.  

Think could you or would you be prepared to do better with your own money before dissing this venture.

Hmm.  When Broom purchased the pub, it was before the war in Ukraine started and before the escalation of the fuel prices.  It’s only really since March that everything has gone seriously awry with the economy.  Maybe, with knowledge of that, they might have thought twice about their purchase.

Refurbishment of the pub has taken a long time.  It seems strange that they’ve decided to open it on a Monday lunchtime and not offer food, at the end of the ‘tourist’ season.  Had they opened in July or August, with food available, it surely would be established by now.  The Ram has changed hands apparently and now offers a food option, which must put The White Heron at a disadvantage with local trade, too.

We can call in for a beer, depending on their pricing, but the benefit (for us) of calling in is greatly reduced by the lack of a food menu.

13 minutes ago, MargeandParge said:

Sorry to be hasty, after all they always used to build a beautiful boat.

Regards Marge and Parge

Very different company now, to when they were building.

[ExSurveyor]

It is called a soft start. It gives time to iron out any problems and to train staff.

It is a very good business practice used by many.

Open in full season and everyone would complain about service, this didn't work, that wasn't done well.

 

[Meantime]

Think the crisis started with Covid. I'm sure they didn't plan or envisage the Ukraine war so give them a chance.  They might not open with food but it sounds like it's on the agenda. Let's maybe consider being negative IF it's warranted once they've been open at least six months. 

[YnysMon]

I hope they don’t just go along with the usual pubby menu. I find that boring. Whilst we can’t afford to eat out at places with astronomical prices, generally I would prefer to pay a little more for something a little different than the norm. Unless I’m really lazy (as I frequently am) why pay out for something I can easily replicate on board? 

[Mouldy]

8 minutes ago, Meantime said:

Think the crisis started with Covid. I'm sure they didn't plan or envisage the Ukraine war so give them a chance.  They might not open with food but it sounds like it's on the agenda. Let's maybe consider being negative IF it's warranted once they've been open at least six months. 

Covid wasn’t good for hospitality through the lockdowns, but since the restrictions have been lifted and folk have been allowed to socialise again, I’d have thought that it wasn’t a factor here.  Perhaps a lack of staff, probably due to Brexit and the shortage of staff in so many areas that has resulted may have had more impact.  Folks spending capabilities have been severely affected by the economy, interest rates, fuel and food prices, which I’d say will have more of an effect now.

As I said, I’ll try it.  If it’s too expensive for me, it won’t become a regular stop as The Yare was in its previous form.  If the prices are right and it’s good, I’ll use it.  It’s the Broom factor I fear may impact pricing, which will become evident in a little over two weeks.

[Meantime]

2 minutes ago, YnysMon said:

I hope they don’t just go along with the usual pubby menu. I find that boring. Whilst we can’t afford to eat out at places with astronomical prices, generally I would prefer to pay a little more for something a little different than the norm. Unless I’m really lazy (as I frequently am) why pay out for something I can easily replicate on board? 

For some people it's about being lazy and not having to cook. For others it's a chance to try something new or something they wouldn't cook at home.  There's a place for both types of venue. Sometimes a place gives you inspiration for something you might try at home. 

[webntweb]

With a station on their doorstep and the last train to Norwich about midnight seven days a week, they could potentially have access to a large client base if they get a reputation for more up market food.

[Chelsea14Ian]

It doesn't  need to go up market,it just needs good food that will please many people. That can be done without  changing  an arm and a leg.

[annv]

good wholesome food at a fair price will always win. John

[addicted]

We're very much hoping that it will have a similar menu to the Yare. We've really missed the Yare, we've tried the Ram a couple of times and whereas the food was o.k We weren't comfortable in the atmosphere. It is very much a drinkers' pub and could get very loud and raucus, people bawling and shouting at  the top of their voice sitting  just a few  feet away is not  really what you want while trying to enjoy a meal. We've been using the Shoulder of  Mutton. The food is very good with  a very varied menu but charging  over £8.00  for a glass of not particularly special wine we feel is a bit much. I'm hopng that the White Heron doesn't resort to the usual pub fare as is served at the 2 pubs adjacent to Broadands which I dislike immensely. You couldn't pay me to eat ribs smothered in bar-b cue sauce,  although I quit enjoy the occasional burger, but not with chips that have the texture of wet cardboard and zero flavour.

 

Carole

[OldBerkshireBoy]

Went to the Shoulder of Mutton with family visitors and a well behaved collie dog last night around 7pm, we didnt pre book a table and were told to order the food early as there would be delay in serving due to them being busy which wasnt a problem to us.

Three different meals arrived before we had finished our first drinks which suprised us all and everyone enjoyed their meals. Chips were chunky homemade chips and the bill didnt make me weep.I`ll drink in the Ram and eat in the Mutton.

[addicted]

I received a text from a friend currently staying at their chalet in Brundall.  It reads: don' t think you will like the White Heron. Like a contemporary barn, nothing to soften the noise, and a manager who stands around when staff are under pressure RIP the old Yare. Doesn't bode well does it?  If this is right it will be very disappointing.

 

 

Carole

[floydraser]

37 minutes ago, addicted said:

I received a text from a friend currently staying at their chalet in Brundall.  It reads: don' t think you will like the White Heron. Like a contemporary barn, nothing to soften the noise, and a manager who stands around when staff are under pressure RIP the old Yare. Doesn't bode well does it?  If this is right it will be very disappointing.

 

 

Carole

Well in that case we should all make the effort to go round there, force a drink down and then see how it goes. A dirty job but someone has to do it. 

[ChrisB]

You must remember that you are not talking a stand alone Freehouse fighting to survive. If it is part of the Broom Boats Group any losses will be written against their overall profit reducing taxation.