The White House has been at the heart of the Bladon community since the 16th Century and is the last remaining pub and community facility in the village. It is also the pub where Winston Churchill “learnt to drink” during his time at Blenheim Palace. With a growing population of just under 1,000 residents and thousands of visiting tourists, Bladon needed to save this important and historic pub. The White House has enormous potential to be a social hub for the village offering a whole host of services.
Here’s our story:
The pub was put on the open market in September 2019. Following the successful application to denote The White House as an Asset of Community Value, the community had six months to put in a bid to buy and manage the future of the pub. In the UK, more than 100 pubs have been taken over by the community and every one of them continues to thrive.
We worked with a number of successful community pub groups, including the Abingdon Arms in Beckley, to gain insight into the challenges and opportunities ahead. The Bladon Community Benefit Society was formed and we joined the Plunkett Foundation who helped us to develop a business plan and share offer.
Several community consultations and events in 2019 and 2020 showed strong support for the bid. There were fantastic ideas about how we could put the pub back at the heart of the community and we conducted an online and paper survey to find out what people wanted from Bladon Community Pub.
In March 2020, we had our application for the Plunkett Foundation’s ‘More Than A Pub’ grant/loan approved. And following months of campaigning, at share offer close we had 450 shareholders and had raised enough money to make a strong bid to purchase The White House. Amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, May 2020 brought us the good news we had been waiting for, our offer to purchase the White House had been successful. Finally, on 23rd July 2020 we received the keys on behalf of the shareholders as official owners of The White House pub!
During August numerous professionals and volunteers attended site, carrying out essential repairs, renovations and general improvements to the building and gardens. Following the removal of several overgrown and unsafe trees the garden received a good tidy up. While the tenants’ accommodation and the pub itself were fully cleaned, repainted and updated ready for opening.
In September, Johnny Roberts was appointed as the tenant landlord. He and his family moved into the pub at the end of September, ready for the grand re-opening in October 2020.
Early in 2022, Johnny moved on to a new challenge, and chef Ben Bullen stepped up to take over the tenancy, with a friendly welcome for locals and visitors alike. In September 2024, the reins were passed to Nicola Smith, relocating from Kent, for a fresh start in rural Oxfordshire. Family called Nic back to Kent, leading to a new tenant in the shape of Mevlan Karaj and his team who are known as part of the fabric of Woodstock, running Brothertons Brasserie. With Mev’s experienced in the hospitality sector we look forward to a new chapter at the White House.
More than 500 Bladon residents and supporters from further afield are now the proud owners of the White House, Bladon. We are still fundraising in order to improve the fabric of the building and bring community services to life. The share offer remains open, and you can still become a shareholder in the pub (or add to your holding).
For further information about the Bladon Community Pub Society please visit our web site.
If you have any questions about donations and investment, please contact the Bladon Community Benefit Society Treasurer at treasurer@bladoncommunitypub.org
Mon: 11.00 – 23.00
Tue: 11.00 – 23.00
Wed: 11:00 – 23:00
Thu: 10.30 – 23.00
Fri: 11.00 – 23.00
Sat: 11.00 – 23:00
Sun: 11:00 – 21.00
The White House
1 Grove Road, Bladon,
Woodstock, OX20 1RQ
01993 684589
contact@thewhitehousebladon.co.uk