Mother and daughter team breathe new life into Kimberley pub with £10,000 makeover

Rachel O’Neill, 44, and her daughter Lauren O’Neill, 23, have just taken up the reins at The Gate Inn on Main Road and opened doors for the first time this week.

The mother and daughter team have lived in Kimberley most of their lives and are thrilled at the prospect of running one of the town’s treasured locals, which is just around the corner from their home on Newdigate Street.

Lauren, who previously worked in the Cricketers Rest, is a well-known face to many pubgoers in the town and looks forward to getting stuck in with the new venture.

“I really enjoy the social aspect of working in a pub, getting to know people and getting invested in their lives,” she said.

“Running our own pub is something me and mum have talked about doing for years.”

Rachel added: “It’s quite exciting because it is our first pub. I’ve never worked in a pub before but just decided to go for it and do something completely different. And it is something I’ve always wanted to do.

“We know the area really well and we know the people who drink around here. Everybody has been so nice about us taking it on and everyone’s really excited. We’ve had so many people pop their heads in and offer help."

Leading up to the grand opening this week, the pair spent the best part of two weeks refurbishing the venue themselves.

The stylish makeover cost around £10,000, with Lauren and Rachel hoping to attract new customers from all walks of life.

“It was quite black and dark and we wanted to brighten it up and add a softer edge to it,” Rachel said.

“It’s been mostly men coming in for the past few years. But we also want it to be a place where women can come in on their own, sit at the bar and have a chat. We want it to be family friendly and dog friendly, too.

“Our vision is to bring it back to being a real community hub and a pub for everybody.”

After spells of trouble in the past, Rachel is keen to make sure that the pub’s reputation remains high.

She said: "Over the years, it’s been known as predominantly a late-night drinking venue. We’ll be trying to avoid that by closing at 12 like all the other pubs.

“The trouble they had at the Queen’s Head also sometimes floated in this direction and that’s something we want to avoid happening again.”

The pair are hoping that the Gate Inn will soon become a regular stop for people as they enjoy a night on the town.

Rachel said: “There is a lovely little circuit of pubs in Kimberley and we want people to visit us as part of their pub crawl.

“A lot of people have said they usually miss it out because the clientele hasn’t always been the best.

“But it just needs someone to take a bit of care of it now.”

They are planning to take on new bar staff in the coming weeks and are hoping local people will apply.

Rachel said: “It would be nice to get some local people to work here, who potentially know people already and can build up a nice rapport with customers.”

Lauren added: “We’d like people who care and want to have conversations with customers and get to know them. People who really enjoy that social aspect of a job.”

Follow The Gate Inn on Facebook for more information and to keep up-to-date with the hiring process.