Mayor Cuts Ribbon to Open Agricultural Inn and Checks Bar is Ready to Serve Customers

A new chapter begins for the former Agricultural Hotel in Penrith now renamed The Agricultural Inn that will officially open to the public on Thursday, 21st November at 10am,

The former Agricultural Hotel on Castlegate closed in June 2023 and after failing to sell at auction was sold in August 2023 for a reported £413,000, following its refurbishment the Agricultural Inn will be operated by landlord couple Megan McCall and Thomas McLaughlin, who will be operating the new pub and hotel offering with Valiant Pub Company who have put forward the funds for the Agricultural Inn’s refurbishment.

The new pub and hotel hosted a soft launch event on Wednesday evening (20th November)

When Penrith Mayor Doug Lawson preformed the cutting of the ribbon keeping in the agricultural theme with a pair of shears in place of scissors for the job.

Once the ribbon was cut the Mayor was ready to test the bar equipment was ready for greeting customers as he got behind the bar to pull a pint with Megan and Thomas.

Thomas said “we have been looking a pub and when we were shown the Agricultural we fell in love with it”

Megan said: "We are so excited, every time we have come up to Penrith the pub has looked different and now it is basically all finished and it looks absolutely stunning.”

As well as the internal refurbishment work that has seen works to the bar area, kitchen and guest rooms the agricultural inn has extended the beer garden area and has plans in the next phase of works will look to bring substantial old auction room area into use.

The Agricultural Inn will be committed to its local customers and has taken steps to commit to Penrith, with measures including only hiring staff from the local area.

Megan and Thomas are looking forward to getting to know all the locals and catch-up on the local banter over the bar.'

The establishment will be dog-friendly and family-friendly and are offering a traditional pub menu with reasonable prices.

The menus will be available 12noon to 8pm offering choices including:

Pie of the Day, Fish & Chips, Curry of the Day, Curry of the Day

Along with a range of burgers sandwiches baguettes starters and desserts.

Plus a children’s menu with mixed choice of mains for £5.

Alongside the food and drink offering the business also offer its refurbished guest rooms.

Megan said “We don't want to focus on tourism too much and isolate the locals, we want it to be the place where the locals want to come and get together.”

The doors will reopen to the public from 10am on Thursday morning with the full menus available from 12noon.

The Penrith.Town team would wish Megan and Thomas all the best for the big day and will be in for the after work drinks and we are sure a few lunchtime meetings.