Martinez Group breathes new life into historic Coach & Horses pub
Martinez Group breathes new life into historic Coach & Horses pub
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The Martinez Group has officially reopened the Coach & Horses, an 18th-century coaching inn that has undergone a major six-week refurbishment, marking a significant new venture for the family-run business.
Managing director Nathaniel Martinez said the project was as much about heritage as it was about investment.
“The Coach & Horses is a new venture for the Martinez Group. It means a lot to our family. We have ties to the business here for the last 30 years. We wanted to rejuvenate this historic site. It’s an 18th-century coaching inn and we wanted to revive it and bring it back to life,” he said.
For the Martinez family, the venture is also deeply personal.
“This was my mother’s favourite pub,” Martinez explained. “Growing up as children we used to visit here for Sunday lunch. Back 20–25 years ago this was a well-respected premises. I have great memories of the site and it was nice to get our hands on it and hopefully to bring these memories back for other people.”
The design brief was led by principal designer Matt Bailey, who was tasked with transforming the dark, dated interiors into a brighter, more welcoming Cotswold-style English pub. Martinez said the goal was to “lighten it up, freshen it up and bring it back to life.”
The renovation, which began on 5 June, was completed in just six weeks. Martinez credited his eldest brother, who served as main contractor, for the rapid turnaround.
“It was a very short turnaround of work in five weeks to refurbish this pub. The amount of work they got through was immense and I’m very proud of him and what he’s achieved,” he said.
The reopening marks only the first stage in a wider redevelopment. Martinez confirmed that the next phase will focus on the restaurant and kitchen, with a third phase planned for the adjoining hotel by the end of next year.
“The next phase will be expanding the main restaurant and a full refurbishment of the restaurant. Hopefully phase three will be the refurbishment of the hotel,” he said.
Despite the challenges of hospitality, Martinez is optimistic about the future of the site.
“Hospitality’s a very fickle industry and we get judged very easily. Some customers you’ve looked after for 20 years, but they’ll only remember their last meal. So, we need to make sure we’re always on top of our game and we’re always trying to give our best to our customers.”
Martinez said he felt “very proud” to bring the Coach & Horses back to life and hopes it will once again become a favourite destination for the local community.
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