Pub of the Future: What Does it mean to be a Community Pub in 2025?

Situated in the heart of the picturesque village of Haxey, North Lincolnshire, The Kings Arms re-opened its doors half a year ago under the watchful eyes of first-time operator, Lindsay Young. “It’s not even been six months, and we have already achieved so much,” Lindsay explains. “I believe our next 12 months will be our biggest – and we’re only just getting started.” The pub has always been known within its local area, but Lindsay and her team wanted to attract a wider audience, and, in turn, welcome more of the local community in. “The village opened us with open arms,” she continued. “We could not have done it without them. From their knowledge of the pub itself, we worked and built relationships together – creating and building a better community in the pub itself and having something for everyone.”

This sense of community has continued throughout the year, and Lindsay and her team are keen to keep their customers happy. “We want to be the place that people would come for their first drink before heading to one of the local eateries, or the after drink before they head home”. In order to do so, The Kings Arms has completely revamped its offering – pulling out all of stops to give people a reason to come more regularly, through weekly and monthly events. These include bi-weekly party nights, live music, a quiz and even a special outdoor family day. “It’s not that we believe we do anything massively differently,” she explains, “but we go all out every time”. 

They certainly do – after seeing the appetite for outdoor seating, the team invested in their garden spaces, and even created a second beer garden, and have involved the local community in their food offerings. As well as cooking their own pizzas in-house, they have collaborated with local outdoor food vendors to offer a ‘street food’ style vibe, keeping their options fun and exciting for all. Tapping into the history of the area, the team are also currently making plans for a Haxey Hood Murial (a traditional new year outdoor game which dates back to the 14^th century, and is native to the area) on the side of the pub. 

Lindsay is aware that it’s more than just food offering and entertainment that her customers are looking for – and these trends have certainly influenced her ranging decisions. An ongoing trend across the on-trade, premiumisation has been prevalent at The Kings Arms with brands such as Birra Moretti and Cruzcampo^®proving more popular with customers. “The HEINEKEN portfolio allows us to streamline our range, and with their support, driving awareness of these brands was easy,” Lindsay explains. Low and No has also risen in popularity with some of her clientele, and she has seen more people experimenting with these options around some local events. “Heineken^® 0.0 has been a hit on draught – especially for a night like ‘bike night’. HEINEKEN UK gave us a blade, and it’s been brilliant being able to offer a pint rather than an everyday bottle of zero alcohol beer.”

So, why does the team at The Kings Arms feel that it’s important to be at the heart of the community? “After Covid, consumer habits changed, but the need to spend time with friends and family, or to meet new people, is more important than ever,” Lindsay explains. “We are a local business, that supports local businesses, creating a space where people feel welcomed.” She also touches on the topic surrounding mental health awareness, and the impact that living rurally can have on those who struggle – just another case for keeping our local village pubs alive. “Local communities are this hub,” Lindsay finishes. “It’s like the real life ‘Cheers’, where everyone knows your name. Or, at least the name you want to them to know!”

HEINEKEN UK has launched eazle tools®, a digital platform open to all in the UK pub and bar industry as a one-stop shop of resources. To find out more, head to tools.eazle.co.uk.