From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Alex Langridge, 18 February 2023.

The Angel pub, Rainham, taken over by former landlords of The Command House, Chatham.

New landlords have high hopes a town pub will be brought back to life with a £185,000 investment.

David Carroll and partner Emma Smith have already spruced up The Angel in Rainham with a lick of paint, sofas, a fireplace and introduced food for the first time in its history.

But the major cash injection to completely transform the boozer is expected at the end of March by pub company Admiral Taverns.

It will be shut for up to four weeks for the refurbishment which will see the entire place gutted and re-fitted.

David, 37, said: "We want to give it some life again. It looked so tired, it did not feel welcoming. We want it to feel comfortable and we want families coming in.

"We want to be a home away from home. A public house is just that, a place for people to feel safe and comfortable.

"We are people people. We love chatting and hearing stories.

The Angel will be closing in a few months to undergo a massive refurbishment.

The pub will be gutted and completely re-done in April.

"Our main focus is to deliver quality, to be the best. We want to be that little step above anyone else.

"Pubs have changed so much, we want to give it a refresh but keep that personal touch you do not find as much any more."

Emma, 33, added: "This place just needed some investment. We like a big project. We look at places and see what can be done and look past what is already there.

"We like to see place's potential. It is about bringing it back to life. We personally prefer and find people prefer to go into a pub and the people behind the bar know your name and smile.

"There is not many of them around any more. It is what I want to give people."

The couple – who are originally from Essex – ran The "Command House" in Chatham between 2019 and 2020 before moving to Suffolk where they had another two pubs.

They have now moved back to Kent and are living in Rainham.

"To run a pub, it is got to be your life," David added. "If you do not live on site, you can not give it you whole attention."

The pair took over The Angel, on the corner of Station Road and Lower Rainham Road, in December after former landlord Stuart Hart came to the end of his tenancy.

They want it to be a pub for everyone in the community, including families, and hope to host events such as quizzes, music nights and prosecco brunches.

The "Eagle" in Maidstone recently reopened after a £100,000 investment for Admiral Taverns.

It is run by husband and wife duo Gary and Claire Banfield who also wanted to give their business a fresh look and feel.

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Alex Langridge, 24 May 2023.

New landlords wanted by Admiral Taverns to run The Angel pub in Rainham after £185k refurb fund.

Speculation has grown over the future of a town pub after it loses its new landlords.

The Angel, in Rainham, was taken over by David Carroll and partner Emma Smith in December who had high hopes of bringing the boozer back to life.

The pair moved in and spruced up the place with a lick of paint, sofas, a fireplace and introduced food for the first time in its history.

Speaking in February, David said: “We want to give it some life again. It looked so tired, it did not feel welcoming. We want it to feel comfortable and we want families coming in.

"We want to be a home away from home. A public house is just that, a place for people to feel safe and comfortable.

"Our main focus is to deliver quality, to be the best. We want to be that little step above anyone else.

"Pubs have changed so much, we want to give it a refresh but keep that personal touch you do not find as much any more."

The boozer, owned by pub company Admiral Taverns, was expecting a major refurbishment at the end of March following a £185,000 cash injection from the brewery.

It was set to be shut for four weeks to allow the entire place to be gutted and re-fitted but plans have now been pushed back.

A spokesman for Admiral Taverns confirmed it is looking for a new landlord to take over The Angel, on the corner of Station Road and Lower Rainham Road.

They said: “At Admiral we are strong believers in the importance of community pubs and our focus is always on helping our tenants to run sustainable pub businesses.

“Inevitably there are instances where we have to part ways with our licensees, however, we are currently recruiting for a passionate new tenant to take over The Angel to ensure it can remain at the heart of the community.

“Anyone interested should please get in touch and call 01244 321171.”

Mr Carroll and Ms Smith took over The Angel after former landlord Stuart Hart came to the end of his tenancy.

David Carroll has been contacted for comment.

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Alex Langridge, 4 October 2023.

Admiral Taverns in talks to reopen The Angel pub, at the junction of Lower Rainham Road and Station Road in Rainham.

A brewery has confirmed it is working to reopen a town pub which has sat empty for around five months.

Pub company Admiral Taverns has said it is in discussions with interested parties to bring in a new landlord to run The Angel, in Rainham.

The boozer, on the corner of Station Road and Lower Rainham Road, was taken over by David Carroll and partner Emma Smith in December who had high hopes to bring it back to life.

They planned to introduce food for the first time in its history and make it a welcoming, family-friendly venue.

A major refurbishment was expected at the end of March following a £185,000 cash injection from Admiral Taverns, which owns the pub, and it was set to be closed for four weeks.

But the revamp never materialised and at the end of May, the brewery confirmed it was looking for new landlords to take over.

Speculation has continued to grow over the future of the public house since it closed its doors.

Five months on, a spokesman for Admiral Taverns said: “We are currently in ongoing discussions with interested parties and are working hard to reopen the pub as soon as possible to ensure it can sit at the heart of the community."

David and Emma took over The Angel after former landlord Stuart Hart came to the end of his tenancy. It is not known why the pair left.

It is another hiccup for the pub. Last summer, the boozer lost around 40% of trade after the road outside was closed for more than eight weeks for gas works.

David Carroll and Emma Smith had high hopes for the pub.

At the time, then-landlord Stuart said the closure was disastrous for business as passing trade became almost non-existent.

Lower Rainham Road has also been hit with ongoing roadworks since June, with the latest taking place this weekend.

Business owners are fearing the impact of the closures on Saturday and Sunday.

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Alex Langridge, 1 March 2024.

The Angel pub on Lower Rainham Road reopens with management firm Vesta Pubs.

A group of friends who launched a pub management firm around a year ago have now taken on their second boozer.

Vesta Pubs will be officially opening The Angel, in Rainham, this afternoon, following a £185,000 refurbishment.

From left: Directors of Vesta Pubs Malcolm Collins, Emma Hawney, and Stephanie Cherry.

Directors Emma Hawney, Stephanie Cherry and Malcolm Collins said they hope to change the boozer’s reputation to create a welcoming, family-friendly place to drink.

Malcolm said: “We want to bring a family-friendly pub to the community where people feel welcome and safe.

“We have been scratching at the bit to open the doors. We are as excited as the community and we think people are looking forward to it.”

Stephanie, whose family ran pubs in Gravesend for decades, added: “I think everyone has been really keen to get it reopened. It has taken a while but it has been worth it.

“It just needed to be loved. This place has so much potential.

Admiral Taverns, which owns the pub, has invested around £185,000 into the refurbishment.

“I remember the day we came and looked at it and I cannot put into words how different it now is. It is unbelievable.

“A lot of people have come to the door saying how nice it looks and they want us to do well. We have had good luck cards in the post.”

The pub, on the corner of Station Road and Lower Rainham Road, has been empty for around nine months after its former bosses left.

It had been taken over by David Carroll and partner Emma Smith in December 2022 after predecessor Stuart Hart came to the end of his tenancy.

It is not known why the pair left The Angel but following their departure pub company Admiral Taverns, which owns the public house, started looking for new landlords.

The pub has been completely refitted after months of work.

Rumours were rife in the community about the pub’s future, however, Vesta Pubs have since been announced as the new managers.

Following a £185,000 cash injection from Admiral Taverns, The Angel has officially reopened today (Friday, March 1).

There was a slight hiccup during refurbishments which saw the pub sign branded with Gillingham as opposed to Rainham which caused an uproar. It was immediately repainted.

Business development manager at Admiral Taverns, Paul Gornall, said: “I am absolutely delighted to see the result of the refurbishment at The Angel in Rainham - it looks fantastic and there really is something for everyone.

“I am very much looking forward to seeing it evolve into an essential pillar of the community.

“I would also like to welcome our brand new licensee, Malcolm Collins, his family and team to the pub. He has a wealth of experience running pubs and impressive knowledge of the local area which will be invaluable to cementing The Angel at the heart of the community.

“I wish him and the team every success for the future.”

They are planning to put on events, live music and DJs, family fun days, psychic nights and other activities including a launch party tonight.

Vesta Pubs started after Emma, who has managed different pubs for around 25 years, decided she wanted to take on The Sun, in Swanscombe, where she was working at the time.

Personal trainer Malcolm, who was also a regular, said he would help her do so but the deal fell through when another company was chosen.

The new managers say the pub looks completely different following the revamp.

Malcolm added: “We thought ‘let’s keep the dream going’ and brought in my friend Stephanie. We came together and just as the dream was fading something came along.”

The trio took on their first pub the "Dewdrop," in Tywdall, around eight months ago and say they have turned the place around.

Malcolm continued: “Since being in there we have had comments about how the reputation has changed and it is a more welcoming environment.

“That is the dream we want for our pubs, we want it to be friendlier. Where the pub trade is dying we want to rejuvenate it and move with the times

“It is not the old-school day of male-dominated pubs – more women, families and children are going into pubs.”

Emma added: “We have changed its reputation and hope we will do the same here.”

The Angel is the second pub but they hope to continue to expand the firm across the county.

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Alex Langridge, 2 October 2024.

Vesta Pubs leaves The Angel, in Rainham, after seven months forcing it to close while new bosses are found.

A pub has been forced to close for the third time in two years after its licensees decided to call it quits.

Vesta Pubs announced it was leaving The Angel, in Rainham, last week after only seven months at the helm.

In a statement, the pub management firm said: “Some of you may have noticed that The Angel is currently closed. This is due to the fact that we are in the process of handing it back to the pub group.

“We have heard there are some new people coming in in a couple of weeks so fingers crossed it will not be closed for too long.

“We have had a fantastic time here and have met some wonderful people and made some fantastic friends.

“We wanted to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to everyone that has supported us, as a family though we have made the decision to walk away from The Angel.

“We wish you all the absolute very best, this is not an easy decision but unfortunately it is a very necessary one. Thanks again.”

Directors of Vesta Pubs, Emma Hawney, Stephanie Cherry and Malcolm Collins, took over The Angel in March after it underwent a £185,000 refurbishment.

The team hoped to change its reputation and speaking at the time Malcolm said: “We want to bring a family-friendly pub to the community where people feel welcome and safe.

“We have been scratching at the bit to open the doors. We are as excited as the community and we think people are looking forward to it.”

It had been taken over by David Carroll and partner Emma Smith in December 2022 after predecessor Stuart Hart came to the end of his tenancy.

However, the pair had left the pub by May last year and Admiral Taverns, which owns the public house, started looking for new landlords.

Rumours were rife in the community about its future until it reopened on March 1 with Vesta Pubs behind the bar.

The full circumstances surrounding the firm’s departure has not been shared publicly and it declined to comment further when contacted by KentOnline.

The Angel is now closed but the business development manager at Admiral Taverns, Paul Gornall, said work is ongoing to reopen it.

He added: “We take great pride in helping our licensees run sustainable businesses, however, in this instance, the licensee took the decision to leave the business.

“We are in advanced talks with a passionate prospective licensee and are working extremely hard to reopen the pub as soon as possible."

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Nicola Jordan, 14 October 2024.

Licensees of The Rising Sun In Rochester have taken over The Angel in Lower Rainham Road - from back-street boozer to country pub.

Pub licensees who oversaw the reversal in fortunes of a town’s backstreet boozer have now been tasked with working their magic on another hostelry.

The landlords of the "Rising Sun" off Rochester High Street now have the best of both worlds after taking over the "Angel" in Lower Rainham Road, Rainham.

Licensees Kieranl-miguel D'la(left) and Billy Dutton. (Photo taken at the "Rising Sun")

Licensees Billy Dutton and Kieran-miguel D’la look forward to dividing their time between the two very different hostelries at different ends of the Towns.

The business partners have turned around the "Rising Sun" in King Street since taking the helm two years ago, transforming it into a popular haunt with music fans and quiz enthusiasts who are lured away from the busy town centre about a mile away.

Admiral Taverns, which owns both businesses, have now invited the duo to work their magic of the "Angel" which is set in a rural lane near Riverside Country Park.

Kieran said: “I don’t know Rainham that well and it’s all a bit new to me. But I already love it.

The Angel in Lower Rainham Road has reopened.

“We’ve had some good feedback from locals including dog walkers”.

The pub had just undergone a £185,000 facelift by its previous licensee Vesta Pubs z Vesta pubs and the next step will be to overhaul the large garden.

Kieran said: “It’s huge with a beautiful 200-year-old eucalyptus tree in the middle.

They plan alfresco eating in cabin-like booths in the colder months and a barbecue.

Another feature for diners is a visiting chef who will serves homemade pizza from the back of their van every Saturday night.

There will also be a greater selection of wine - seven white and five red plus a menu offering sharing plates and nibbles.

It’s been all change at the pub with it being forced to close and with it changing hands three times in two years.

But Billy and Kieran have signed a year-long contract with an option to extend their tenure.

Vestav Pubs announced it was leaving at the beginning of this month after only seven months, saying it was “not an easy decision but unfortunately, it is a very necessary one”.

Kieran said: “There are enough pubs in Rainham itself, but this is something different.

“It will be more chilled and wine-barish with nice gentle music.

“We’ve had all ages in here so far, from 30 to 90 and people coming in to see what’s going on.”

The inside of the pub has recently been refurbished.

They are both looking to blend in with the community and look forward to walking their German Shepherd dog, Elsa.

“She will enjoy roaming the fields around us and we will be offering dog treats to our customers,” he added.

Paul Gornall, business development manager at Admiral Taverns, said: “I am absolutely delighted to welcome Bill and Kieran to The Angel.

“Their passion for the pub and the community is tangible and I have no doubt that they will be a fantastic asset to the site and local area.

“It's been a real pleasure supporting them in bringing their vision to life and I am excited to see all that's to come for the pub.

“On behalf of myself and the whole team at Admiral Taverns, I'd like to wish our licensees the best of luck for the future and look forward to seeing them cement the pub at the heart of the community."