Award winning pub group, Craft Union, marks the momentous opening of its 600th pub with the launch of Fleece & Flagon in Witney. The pub, which was formerly known as Chequers Inn, is undergoing a substantial £220,000 renovation that will breathe new life into the much-loved venue. The new look pub is set to reopen on Wednesday 24th July and guests are invited to join the pub’s exciting launch party weekend activities from Friday 2nd August – Sunday 4th August to officially welcome the community to their new pub.

As part of its renovation, the Fleece & Flagon is undergoing a complete refurbishment across the entire premises. Craft Union will be improving the quality of the interior throughout, creating warm, comfortable social areas. This will also include the addition of great sports viewing, as well as a new state of the art dart board area, for any avid sporting fans.

To celebrate the pub’s reopening, the Fleece & Flagon will be hosting a launch party weekend for the local community to get involved with. The weekend celebrations kick off on Friday 2nd August with a DJ set and karaoke from 8pm, as well as some exciting giveaways. During this weekend, the pub will be putting on a family day, complete with BBQ, face painting, photo booth and a fantastic ABBA tribute act to get everyone in the party spirit. Finishing off the fun-filled weekend, the Fleece & Flagon will be joined by an acoustic singer, from 3pm.

Craft Union’s philosophy has always been centred around investing and putting quality pubs back into the heart of their local community which includes supporting local charities and causes. In honour of the Fleece & Flagon being Craft Union’s 600th pub, £600 will be donated to the Witney & West Oxfordshire Food Bank, a local charity dedicated to combatting poverty and hunger in the region. The food bank is one of Fleece & Flagon’s chosen charities that they will support throughout the year ahead, with the fundraising kick starting at their launch party weekend.

New operator Kylie Downie will be joining the Fleece & Flagon team and serving the local community. Kylie is highly experienced and has worked extensively throughout her career in pubs.

On her move to Witney, Kylie commented: “After visiting Witney I knew this was the town I wanted to settle in long term and when the opportunity came up to run the Fleece & Flagon, I was delighted. I have big plans for the pub’s future and am looking forward to getting to know the locals and finding out what they want out of their community hub. I love that Witney is so picturesque and full of local businesses and I want the Fleece & Flagon to represent all that is great about Witney, its sense of community and heart, it’s a very exciting time!”

The Fleece & Flagon is suited in a Grade II listed building that dates back to the 1700s. Witney itself has a long history with one of its primary industries being the production and weaving of blankets and gloves owing to its location next to River Windrush. In the late 1700s, more than 3,000 people were employed in Witney’s wool trade, which the Fleece & Flagon moniker has been inspired by.

Craft Union reached its 500th pub milestone a little over a year ago and the pub family has continued to grow from strength to strength.