The Goat Inn, situated in Garndolbenmaen, Gwynedd, has reopened this week following a design transformation. The pub was closed for 5 weeks whilst this extensive refurbishment took place and the results look incredible.
The quaint rural pub has seen walls knocked down, original stone walls sandblasted, and its ceilings lowered, all to create an inviting and cosy country pub with a farmhouse feel. Before the refurbishment, The Goat Inn was a pub of two halves, with each side feeling fairly separate from one another.
When speaking with the licensee Dion Hughes (pictured), he said, “My primary outcome for this refurb was to open out the spaces in the pub, and ensure the entire pub feels connected”.
The design team at Robinsons Brewery have achieved this by extending the bar space and creating a bar presence in both main areas of the pub. They have removed an internal wall to create a more open space for fixed seating and to accentuate the stone-built fireplace that sits as a feature in the middle of the pub.
The pub features beautiful wooden beams that have also been sandblasted to restore them to a lighter timeless colour, whilst lowering the overall height of the ceiling to be in line with the wooden beams. The pub now benefits from a set of double doors to easily access the large beer garden and bring more natural light into the space.
The colour scheme was chosen to complement the natural stone features of the building. Using soft neutral tones, light woods and soft leathers, and brighter floral prints to add vibrancy to the ‘countryside cottage’ feeling of the pub.
Ceiling to floor length curtains have been added to create a cosy atmosphere whilst doubling up as room separators to create smaller intimate spaces perfect for private events.
Dion has been the licensee of The Goat Inn since he was 21-years-old, starting out his hospitality career at his pub when he was just 11-years-old.
He shared, “It’s so nice to see such a historic pub brought back to life. Throughout my entire time [23 years] here we’ve had a poster on the wall marking the last refurbishment we’d done here, it’s had minor upkeep changes since then, but nothing major.
'Now the place looks incredible. I cannot wait to welcome back our regulars and familiar faces and see their reactions to such changes.”
The Goat Inn serves a range of traditional and contemporary beers and offers a fresh seasonal based menu including a traditional Sunday lunch. Dining at The Goat Inn is available every evening initially.