Another successful month for The Crown…

Hello everyone,

There is much to report since my last update, following another successful month for The Crown. Recent events and developments at the pub have demonstrated strong community support, growing customer engagement and encouraging commercial potential.

The most significant development, and one I am particularly delighted to report, is the appointment of our new chef, Nick Henderson.

New Chef Appointment

Nick joins us following several years as an agency chef, working across established restaurants in Central London and the Home Counties, most recently at The Grove in Watford. We are grateful to Abi, who introduced Nick to the opportunity and supported the recruitment process.

Nick has demonstrated a strong commitment to building his future at The Crown and helping us establish a reputation for high-quality pub classics and excellent kitchen service. As part of the selection process, he prepared a range of starters and main courses for the team, which received very positive feedback.

Nick will begin work on 29 September and will initially commute from Haddenham. Once the refurbishment of the apartment above the pub is complete, he plans to move into the accommodation, providing greater continuity and operational stability.

Over the coming days, Nick will work closely with the team to finalise the new menu ahead of the kitchen reopening.

His first offering at The Crown will be a Crown Roast on Sunday, 4 October, with the new full menu launching from 7 October. Reservations can be made by calling 01844 886007 or directly with Abi at the pub.

Nick is looking forward to meeting many of you and receiving your feedback on his food. Please join me in wishing him every success as we continue to build The Crown’s reputation for great pub classics and high-quality food.

Events

Earlier this month, we held our first larger-scale Farewell to Summer event, which was a notable success. The event attracted approximately 200 attendees and generated gross sales almost in line with those achieved on our opening evening in July.

Carefully targeted social media promotion helped create a strong village atmosphere and attract customers who may not traditionally visit the pub. The event was delivered to a high standard, supported by a dedicated team of staff and volunteers who maintained efficient bar service throughout. The food offer was also well received, with strong sales and positive customer feedback.

The event demonstrated both the strength of local support and our ability to deliver well-managed, larger-scale occasions.

We are now considering how we can build on this success, including increasing capacity for larger audiences, providing additional weather protection, investing in improved glass-washing facilities, and assessing the potential for this particular event to become an annual fixture.

Overall, the event exceeded expectations and delivered a valuable commercial return, giving us a strong basis for evaluating future events at The Crown.

Community Engagement and Wider Trading

Abi hosted a well-attended Macmillan Coffee Morning on 25 September, raising almost £400 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Our first quiz night, taking place this coming Tuesday and in support of Macmillan, is now sold out. This provides further encouraging evidence of demand for regular community-led events and activities.

Pizzas for both eat-in and takeaway are also expanding our food offer.

In addition, the Wednesday Lunch Club, which has already generated considerable interest, will launch this week on 30 September. The Lunch Club is aimed at customers aged 60 and over and provides another opportunity to increase daytime trading while strengthening our engagement with the local community.

Weekly Friday coffee and cake mornings will also be held from 9 a.m. to noon, using the new coffee machine and serving sweet treats for villagers, passers-by and cyclists.

Forward Programme

Planning is now under way for our 2027 events calendar, with a focus on building a balanced programme of larger events and regular activities that support footfall, customer retention and revenue growth.

Nick will also play a crucial role in developing our Christmas and New Year offering, giving us a significant opportunity to build on the progress already made with our food operation and create further reasons for customers to visit The Crown.

Looking Ahead

Together, Nick’s appointment, the performance of recent events and the expansion of our food and community offering give The Crown a solid platform for its next stage of development.

Although we are only three months into the journey, the response from customers and the wider community gives us confidence in the opportunity ahead. Our priority is to turn this early momentum into sustainable growth by delivering a consistent customer experience and strengthening The Crown’s overall proposition.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and investment in The Crown. There is a great deal to look forward to over the coming months.

Kind regards,

Mike Cottman

Chair of The Crown Management Committee

As we continue to develop the Crown as a thriving community pub

As we continue to develop the Crown as a thriving community pub — a welcoming place to eat and drink, meet neighbours and enjoy local events — we would be delighted if you could join us for one or more of the activities coming up.

First, please join us on Sunday 13th for our end-of-summer music event. Our excellent local band, the Fine Young Cuddingtons, will begin at 2.30pm. The second half of the programme will start at approximately 3.40pm and feature a special guest, with more music continuing into the evening. Please see the attached poster for full details.

We plan to go ahead whatever the weather. A marquee will cover much of the seating area, so you should be able to keep dry and enjoy the music.

The 13th is just the start of our developing community programme. Other forthcoming events include a Macmillan Coffee Morningon 25th Septemberand the launch of ourWednesday Lunch Club for people aged 60 and over from30th September.

Looking further ahead, we will also host a monthly Tuesday quiz and themed evenings featuring wine tasting, foodie nights such as curries and more. At the end of the month, we hope to share our October programme and details of the Christmas and New Year activities.

‍ ‍We hope you can join us on Sunday 13th and at some of the other events in the weeks ahead. Your support and involvement will help us make the Crown an active and welcoming pub at the heart of the community.

Best wishes,
The Crown Community Pub Management Committee

Month 2

Dear Investors,

I am writing to provide an update on two important operational matters currently affecting the pub: the kitchen extraction system and the development of our food service offer.

Kitchen extraction system

The faulty kitchen extraction system has now been fully removed, from the top of the chimney through to the loft space above the kitchen. Installation of the replacement system is almost complete, and we anticipate that it will be fully operational by the middle of this week.

Chef recruitment and food offer

We had identified a potential new chef and organised a cook-off trial for a small group of Committee members last Sunday, however, we were not fully convinced and have decided not to progress; so we continue to search for a new chef to lead the kitchen.

While this process continues, we have introduced a new “deli-lite” food range. This format has been developed with support from a local volunteer, who has helped design the approach now being run by Abi. Discussions are also underway for this volunteer to support a new coffee offer in a formal capacity, by baking cakes for The Crown. Full details of the current food offer, including sharing boards, platters, sandwiches and lighter dishes can be found on The Crown website under Food & Drink, https://www.crowncuddington.co.uk/food-and-drink/ Details of the new coffee and cake service details can be seen overleaf.

The new “deli-lite” service was introduced over the Bank Holiday weekend, with initial customer feedback proving extremely positive. Details on product availability and service times will continue to be communicated through the pub's website https://www.crowncuddington.co.uk

Together, these actions represent important steps towards restoring a consistent kitchen and food service operation. We will continue to provide updates as progress is made.

Social media continues to support the pub’s commercial and community objectives by maintaining local visibility, promoting events and offers, and reinforcing customer loyalty. Engagement remains positive, particularly on Instagram, with community-focused content helping to strengthen the pub’s reputation as a valued local asset. Overall, it remains a cost-effective channel for driving awareness, footfall, and long-term engagement.

Thank you for your continued patience and support during this period. We look forward to welcoming you to the pub as these improvements are implemented over the coming days and weeks.

With best wishes,

Mike Cottman
Chair of the Management Committee

We are live!!!

Dear Investor,

Since my last communication, we have made great progress in strengthening The Crown’s online presence. Our website is now live, our Instagram account has launched, and we are continuing to build our profile on Facebook.

I wanted to share the details so that you can visit the website and follow The Crown on social media as part of our growing community.

Instagram: The_crown_cuddington

Facebook: facebook.com/crowncuddington

Website: www.crowncuddington.co.uk

I will be in touch again in the next newsletter, which is due at the end of August.

With best wishes,
Mike Cottman

Chair of the Management committee 

Month 1

3rd August 2026

Dear Investors,

‍ ‍As we complete our first month since reopening The Crown, I wanted to take the opportunity to update you on our progress and to thank you for your continued support and confidence in the project.

The first month has been a whirlwind of activity and an enormously encouraging start. The support we have received from both our investors and the Cuddington community has been exceptional, helping to restore The Crown to its rightful place at the heart of the village. It has been wonderful to see so many familiar and new faces enjoying the pub, reconnecting with friends and neighbours, and making full use of both the bar and garden.

Opening in time for the Village Fête provided the perfect opportunity to showcase our community pub to residents and visitors alike. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and we have welcomed many potential new customers through our doors.

We are also learning quickly about our customers' preferences. Hawkstone has established itself as our most popular beer, closely followed by Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter, while our house rosé has become a firm summer favourite. New additions, such as the Hugo Spritz, have also been enthusiastically received. These insights are already helping us shape our offer and strengthen the business.

While it has been an exciting and successful first month, we have also encountered one unexpected operational challenge that we want to explain openly.

Following the failure of the kitchen extraction system, specialist engineers carried out a comprehensive inspection of the fans, ducting, control systems and associated equipment. Unfortunately, they have concluded that the entire extraction system requires replacement. In the meantime, temperatures in the kitchen have exceeded 40°C, making it neither practical nor safe to continue operating.

As a result, we have taken the difficult but necessary decision to close the kitchen temporarily for approximately three weeks while the new system is installed.

Although this interruption is disappointing, we have chosen to view it as an opportunity rather than simply a setback. The temporary closure allows us to review our food operation and refine the direction we want to take. As part of this process, we have mutually agreed to part company with Chef Tom, who has now left the business.

When the kitchen reopens, we will introduce a lighter bites and food platter offer, reflecting the questionnaire feedback where this was the most popular option. This approach is designed to complement the pub's atmosphere, improve operational efficiency, and provide a commercially sustainable platform from which to grow. We believe it better reflects customer demand and will enable us to develop our food offer in a measured and profitable way.

Alongside the day-to-day running of the pub, work is continuing to complete Abi’s accommodation and the remaining refurbishment projects. The management committee is also exploring further opportunities to strengthen The Crown’s role as a community asset, including clubs, societies, themed evenings, live music and other events that will broaden its appeal and create additional revenue streams.

Whilst no business is without its challenges, the first month has demonstrated the enormous goodwill that exists towards The Crown. Customer numbers have been encouraging, feedback has been positive, and the support of both our investors and the local community gives us every confidence that we are building a sustainable and successful business for the future.

Looking ahead, we will continue to provide monthly updates on our progress and future plans via the Village Blue Sky website, where all formal investor-related information will be made available. Investors are also warmly invited to join The Crown WhatsApp group for more informal, day-to-day updates and news from the pub. To join, please use this WhatsApp link.

Thank you once again for your investment, encouragement and continued support. We will continue to keep you informed as the extraction replacement progresses and look forward to updating you again as we move towards reopening the kitchen and entering the next exciting phase of The Crown's development.

Mike Cottman
Chair of the Management Committee