Pub launches crowdfund after £25,000 outdoor space burned down day before opening
The White Horse Tea Green pub near Luton has launched a crowdfund after its £25,000 outdoor ‘secret garden' burned down yesterday, the day before it was due to open.
Owner Jon Haines posting on the pub's Facebook group said it was "heart breaking" but that they hope to rebuild the space in time for the summer.
He said: "The team has worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to support the local community with home deliveries. We were the first to launch feed me local, supply meals to front line workers and food supplies to local food banks using profits from our customers' orders.
"In the last few months we have invested over £25,000 and thousands of hours of work into creating a new Covid secure outdoor space to serve our customers post lock down.
"Our first customers joined us on Monday evening for a sneak peek before our official opening this Thursday. In the early hours of this morning (14 April) our new space and kids play area was set on fire and burnt to the ground."
The pub has so far raised £2,811 of its £10,000 goal and will still be able to reopen outdoors today as the main building and garden area were not affected.
