A new ‘gastro destination’ could be created in Nuneaton if plans are given the green light.
The Bull Inn in Attleborough Green has stood empty since the Bull and Spice Indian restaurant closed in 2018.
The 19th century building was bought last year by Nuneaton brothers Dave and Brian Horsley along with business partner Garry Dew.
They hope to create ‘The Smoking Bull’ restaurant on site, following on from Brian’s ‘The Smoke Bloke’ food project during the first Covid-19 lockdown period.
His ‘low and slow’ barbecue food cooked up from his home in The Raywoods started off as a lockdown hobby and swiftly escalated to multiple sold-out weekends of trading.
Sensing the hunger was there from people in the town for his style of food, Brian and his business partners began a search for properties before committing to The Bull Inn.
The plans that have been submitted to Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council state they intend to ‘create a gastro destination including a café/bar and smokery to be branded as The Smoking Bull’.
Included in the extensive project is a new two-and-a-half storey structure with an archway leading to a parking courtyard.
This will provide living accommodation for Dave and Brian and their families as well as an ‘enabling development’ in the form of additional market apartments.
The building fronting on Bull Street has been designed as a ‘traditional Victorian townhouse’ that ‘compliment the original Bull Inn facade’.
To the rear within the courtyard, the extensions are proposed as coach houses and outbuildings in a ‘traditional urban vernacular which will create visual interest and character and will support and promote the gastro pub through the investment in the site’.
Also included in the plans is two en-suite rooms for guests, allowing customers to stay over at the venue.
The site layout has been developed to ‘maximise’ car parking and service arrangements, providing 11 spaces.
HB Architects concluding paragraph in its design and access statement said: “The proposal brings back into full use a historic coaching inn whilst investing in the town centre to the benefit of the town centre as a whole. All Local and National Planning Policies are complied with and as such, the application is able to be fully supported in accordance with Planning Policy.”
CoventryLive revealed images of how the pub restaurant could look in December.
Brian, aka ‘The Smoke Bloke’, said at the time: “We’re going all in to make this work, selling our homes. We believe in what we’re doing and the feedback I’ve had from people suggests they’re right behind us too.
“I’ve fallen in love with the place. It dates right the way back to 1835 and the beams in there weren’t new in, they were probably from old manor homes or something like that. There’s so much history about the place which we are trying to respect and celebrate with our plans for The Smoking Bull.”
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