A popular Warwick hospitality brand has teamed up with one of the town's key historic landmarks to launch a new cafe opening this summer.

The Fourpenny Pub, restaurant and hotel, is to expand its operations to the Lord Leycester, reopening the cafe in its historic Great Hall in mid-August.

The Fourpenny Pub is well known locally for its ever-changing real ales, craft lagers, ciders, and global selection of fine wines along with food menus championing locally-sourced produce used to create an array of affordable, seasonal, generously-portioned dishes.

Katie said: "We're thrilled to be working with the Lord Leycester to reopen the cafe in the Great Hall. We know how well-loved this venue is, both as a key part of Warwick's history and as a place to bring people together to enjoy everything from a coffee to lunch, as well as showstopping events involving food and drink.

"This is an amazing opportunity for us to team up with a Warwick institution and also a strategic moment in our own growth, allowing us to better cater for all sorts of events and moments for locals and people from further afield."

It has now taken on the operation of the Lord Leycester's cafe, which sits in the centre of the Medieval attraction's site in the heart of Warwick. Opening in the coming weeks, the café will offer a full-service menu from freshly-made espresso and grab-and-go options to hot light bites and full cooked dishes served in a unique setting.

The project will be led by Fourpenny co-owner Katie Proudfoot alongside an experienced chef to bring the menu to life and ensure visitors to the historic venue - also one of the world's oldest veterans' charities - experience food and drink to remember for all the right reasons.

Alongside the café, the Fourpenny is developing a dedicated catering kitchen on site, which will allow it to grow its outside and events catering operations and provide the scale needed to serve more customers without compromising quality, in turn helping develop the Lord Leycester's offering as an events space and venue.

advertisement

The Lord Leycester is believed to be the oldest still functioning charity for military veterans, offering almshouse accommodation for former servicemen since its foundation by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester in 1571. Dudley re-purposed buildings first erected for the Guilds of Warwick in the 14th and 15th centuries and its Chapel above Warwick's West gate dates back even further.

To this day, the Lord Leycester remains home to resident veterans known as the Brethren, who live within its Medieval buildings and offer guided tours for visitors. The cafe at the Lord

Leycester forms part of the site's role in welcoming visitors to explore the iconic building and its stunning gardens, providing a place to stop during their visit.

The new partnership with the Fourpenny has the strong support of the Lord Leycester's Master, Daren Bowyer, who said: "I am delighted to be working with Katie and Chris to ensure that the Lord Leycester can give its visitors a catering offer we can be proud of, while also developing an events business which will help sustain the Lord Leycester financially."