Who We Are

Keith and Amanda Mickleburgh took over the Kings Arms in November 2021, in addition to continuing to run the outside catering and events business, Beetroot.

Whilst Amanda has more of a behind-the-scenes role it is Keith, who is a Chef by training, who runs the pub. Keith has previously worked for as well as run a number of pubs, before setting up Beetroot Catering and Events in 2010. Beetroot has proven to be a great success and despite the pandemic, we managed to go ‘on hold’ and retained a backlog of weddings, that were all postponed due to Covid.

We decided to take the pub on at a transitional time. Beetroot was needing a larger space for preparation and storage, so taking on the pub made sense for many reasons (as well as offering the opportunity for Keith to run a pub again!). Post Covid, Ian Campbell and his family decided to fulfil their dream of relocating to the South Coast and Rosie decided to take the opportunity to join her partner, Will in London and pursue her passion for wines. Having achieved her WSET Level 2, she now works for Majestic Wines in London (and is studying for her WSET level 3) Rosie and Will married this year and continue to live in London.

Juggling running the pub and fulfilling the outside catering for this first year has certainly been a challenge, but thankfully we are well-supported by our regular ‘KA family’ consisting of Ollie, George, Freddie, Michael and Shirley, and in addition we are ably assisted by a number of brilliant part-time staff including Mark, Summer; Florence, Freddie, Grace, George, Will, Charlotte, Phoebe and Jasper.

We are always on the look out for more part time staff, so if you’d like to be part of the team, please give us a call to discuss. Over the last year we have gradually been updating and decorating the pub and this will continue over the next year too including reinstating the open fire in the inglenook and updating the cloakrooms and garden (see Instagram page @kingsarms.polebrook for progress)

Our ethos is simple: to offer good seasonal food using local produce and at reasonable prices as well as offer a warm and welcoming service.

Thank you to all of our customers both in and out of Polebrook for the continued support we have experienced so far… it been amazing and we are truly very grateful.

Best,
Keith & Amanda