A brewery that took over a Harborne pub in 2024 has unveiled plans to invest £600,000 in what it says is ‘much-needed love and attention’. Joule’s Brewery took over The New Inn in Harborne back in May 2024 and said at the time that it would be spending time ‘uncovering treasures’ in the pub.
After eight months at the helm, Joule’s now intends on bringing ‘a bit of our Shropshire charm’ to the pub with a ‘full refresh’ including reclaimed bricks and panelling to ‘revive some of the history of the New Inn’. It has invited locals to join in a consultation evening in which they’re invited to help firm up the plans for the changes.
In a press statement Joule’s said: “As a local brewery, we’ve always believed in the power of great pubs to bring people together, and we’re very excited to see what this next chapter at the New Inn Harborne will bring. For years, we’ve admired The New Inn from afar, and now that it’s part of the Joule’s estate, we’re ready to give it some much-needed love and attention.
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“We’re looking to complement the already existing charm from the New Inn, We want to give it a fresh breath of life while keeping all the things you love about it. Our plans for The New Inn are all about making it a warm, welcoming space for everyone.”
The current plans include ‘comfortable and inviting’ seating for families, landscaping and refreshed lighting. Joule’s said that it will be pushing £600,000 into the refit as it is ‘committed to doing it right’, creating ‘a pub Harborne can truly be proud of’.
Upgrades will also be made to the kitchen to ‘deliver a classic, high-quality pub menu made with locally sourced ingredients, perfectly paired with Joule’s ales’. The brewery said: “We’re excited to bring our classic, simple, and well-done pub menu to The New Inn. Joule’s taphouses pride themselves on delicious, well-sourced dishes that are hearty and satisfying. We want everyone to feel at home here, so our menu will be accessible and affordable, without compromising on quality.”
Ales on tap will include Joule’s signature pints, brewed in Market Drayton using Shropshire mineral water drawn straight from the source. “We want The New Inn to be a hub for our beers in Harborne, offering a great selection of our ales and craft beers that we hope you’ll enjoy as much as we do,” the statement continues.
Anna Brakel, development director at Joule’s Brewery, added: “The New Inn is a special site and one that we are very proud to now call a Joule’s Brewery Taphouse, we are committed to bringing Joule’s Brewery to Birmingham and are pleased to reveal that this will be our biggest investment in a Taphouse to date. It’s key for us to share our plans with locals and engage them in this process.”
In 2020, Joule’s invested £3.5 million into the Crown Wharf in Stone, Staffordshire. It says that The New Inn will be one of its ‘most ambitious undertakings’ since it opened that second flagship site.
Vicky Colclough, managing director of Joule’s Brewery said: “We believe that all pubs are honeypots of the community, our plans are to create the New Inn to be once again a centre for the community of Harborne and the wider towns. Protecting those special spaces such as the snug and original bar, but adding in more flexible spaces, an improved outdoor area and increasing dining to allow a lovely fresh pub food menu, filled with old and new favourites.”
A public consultation will be held at The New Inn on Thursday, January 16 from 5pm until 7pm. For more information on plans or the consultation event, customers are invited to contact Joule’s on 01630 654 400 or marketing@joulesbrewery.co.uk.