Bottoms up – these residents at a Whitstable care home won’t have to wait until 12th April for a pin

Home news

Apr 09, 2021

There is still one pub unaffected by current restrictions – and it’s in a Whitstable care home.

The Harrier Lodge Inn has been operating at Care UK’s Harrier Lodge care home, on Thanet Way, and pulling pints for residents throughout lockdown.

Current restrictions mean residents aren’t able to leave the home, so when they started missing their local’s atmosphere, team members at Harrier Lodge got busy bringing it to them.

The team also partnered with brewer and pub operator Shepherd Neame, based locally in Faversham, which provided items to bring the bar to life, including glasses, bar mats and, most importantly, beer. The home now has a regular ‘pub afternoons’, which sees team members turn into bartenders and play music to recreate the real atmosphere of a pub.

Jo Richardson, Head of Marketing, Brands and Communications at Shepherd Neame, said: “When the Harrier Lodge team reached out to us with this idea to engage residents after the challenges of the past year, we were absolutely delighted to get involved.  We provided a selection of our beers and ciders, along with some branded goodies such as glasses, bar runners and beer mats to ensure that their ‘pub’ looked as authentic as possible! As we look forward to welcoming customers back into our pub gardens from April 12, it is lovely to see the residents of Harrier Lodge enjoy a drink at the first ‘pub’ in Whitstable to open!”

Diane Collins, Home Manager at Harrier Lodge, said: “We all miss going to the pub, and in these challenging times there’s nothing like catching up with an old friend over a drink or two. When residents told us they missed their local, we thought we’d bring it to them instead, with amazing support from our local independent brewer.

“For many residents, the pub is associated with a lot of positive memories from their younger years, from their first ever drink, to countless hearty meals with family or friends and everything in between. The Harrier Lodge Inn opening was a huge success and residents left with smiles on their faces. 

“We’d like to thank Shepherd Neame for helping us with the finishing touches – the items they gave us have really brought the traditional pub to life and provided an authentic, homely atmosphere.

“It turns out we may be among the only punters in the UK who won’t have to wait until 12^th April to enjoy a pint at our local, so we’re looking forward to our next pub night!”

Harrier Lodge is a purpose-built care home which has been designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence. The home provides full-time residential, nursing and specialist dementia care for up to 65 older people in Whitstable, and incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities, including its own cinema, hairdressing salon and café.

For more information about Harrier Lodge, please call Customer Relations Manager, Theresa Mead, on 0203 918 2873, or email theresa.mead@careuk.com 

For more general information, please visit: careuk.com/harrier-lodge