The Fatling in Hornchurch has been recognised for the essential role it plays in the community at the Publican Awards, a national awards ceremony that celebrates everything that’s great about the world of pubs and bars. [1]
Situated on the High Street, The Fatling is at the heart of the community it serves. During the day the pub is a popular meeting place for families and the community, serving great food and real ale on tap. It is also famous for live music and huge Bank holiday weekends, hosting live music acts three times a week, with an acoustic set on Thursdays and bands and DJs every Friday and Saturday.
As well as offering a central place for socialising with friends and neighbours, the team at the Fatling has been fundraising passionately for many years, supporting charities of all sizes, locally as well as nationally, and raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for a range of causes through their ever-evolving calendar of events.
Last year, for example, members of the bar team ran the London Marathon as well as organising several events, including a quiz, a dinner dance and a car boot sale, raising a staggering £15,000 for the British Heart Foundation.
This year the focus is on raising funds for Sepsis Trust and the team has pledged to raise at least £5,000 for the cause. This will be achieved through four mini music festivals, which the pub is organising over the course of the year. Featuring back-to-back live bands and DJs all weekend, the first of these ‘Fests’ took place over the Easter Bank holiday and raised £1,000 for Sepsis Trust.
General Manager Sandy Castle has been running The Fatling for over 12 years. She describes the establishment as “a warm, welcoming high street community pub that provides something for everyone”.
She said: “I am really proud of my team; all our staff go out of their way to provide a warm, welcoming environment for everyone, so that customers feel that the Fatling is ‘their pub’. We always aim to go the extra mile with genuine acts of kindness and understanding; we remember people’s names, listen to their stories and offer support for causes they care about if we can.”
Commenting on the pub’s role in the community, Sandy said: “With the number of pubs closing down in recent years, we have worked really hard to make the Fatling a community space. We have lots of TV screens showing sport and we regularly host live music events. We also work really hard to support local and national charities, often because one of our customers has asked us to help raise money for a cause they are passionate about. We try and provide something for everyone and we are really pleased that we have been recognised as being a great community pub.”
The Fatling
109 High Street, Hornchurch, RM11 1TX