The Black Horse in Gozzards Ford near Abingdon is a hive of activity when we pop in, busy preparing for its Sunday opening. Windowsills are being painted, patio stones laid, electrics being finished, lights being screwed in, marble tops being delivered, floors polished, kitchen deliveries arriving, chefs whirring past.
Amidst it all sits its new owner Tom Rainey, master-minding its transformation from rundown village boozer to something completely different. And yes, you’ll still be able to sit at the bar and have a pint, but you’ll also be able to eat in style in the lofty, light. bright dining room, snuggle up in the booths, bag a table or marvel at the huge garden.
Because along with the beautiful 17th century pub came 3000 square meters of outdoor space, where Tom is planning a landscaped pub garden to brag about. The garden won’t really come into its own until next year, but you can already see its potential.
“It was the clincher,” Tom grins, “but I’ve had my eye on The Black Horse for a while now, so when it came on the market I immediately went and had a look. I could immediately see its potential, even though it hadn’t really been touched since the 70s.
“So when they said all this space came with it, I couldn’t believe it,” he says gesturing at the huge expanse which he plans to transform into a floral paradise of paths, lawns and dining areas.
“The garden won’t really open until next summer but it’s nice to be able to put your print on something,” Tom says.
You’ve probably already been to one of Tom’s pubs – he runs The Punter and Porterhouse in Osney, Oxford, as well as a hostelry in Cambridge, where food and friendly service are paramount, The Black Horse set to follow suit.
But while Tom already has vast amounts of experiences of running fantastic, food-based and community focused pubs, this is his first foray into country pubs, and he’s raring to go. “I live nearby so I’ve been keeping an eye on The Black Horse because the area could really do with a few new pubs serving decent food.
“So we want The Black Horse to be somewhere that people can get excited about, something a bit different, especially with Abingdon just down the road. We are really excited.”
Given the keys on Feb 27, the builders were already at work by March 2, with a big challenge ahead of them.”The pub was knackered – it had holes in the roof and Artex ceilings, but we’ve stripped it all back, rewired and replastered and it’s coming back to life,” Tom says proudly.
Come Sunday you can see it for yourself; the new wood panelling, paint, wallpaper, lighting, loos and furniture already in evidence, The Black Horse coming back to life day by day.
None of which would work without a stellar food offering, and Tom has big plans. Executive head chef Chris Taylor, who’s run The Porterhouse kitchen for the past nine years, talks me through the menus featuring the likes of buttermilk chicken tonkatsu, crayfish with watercress and smoked trout, oysters, beef tartare and octopus with chickpeas. Steak will also feature large on his menus, given Chris’ provenance at The Porterhouse. Our mouths are already watering!
All-in-all then an exciting prospect for everybody, even if it’s a brave time to open in hospitality? “We are in it for the long game,” Tom says. “We want The Black Horse to be a success, to have a really good vibe and to keep it as a pub. So we know it’s a big project, but we are ready.”
The Black Horse, Gozzard’s Ford, Abingdon OX13 6JH. https://www.theblackhorse-gozzardsford.com
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