After the long anticipated wait since the flooding in December 2020, The Kingfisher will open its doors next weekend (August 6).
Formerly the Barns Hotel, it’s been transformed into a stylish riverside pub with rooms and will serve cask ales, wines and seasonal dishes.
The new menu has a focus on local produce, with many standout suppliers including AB Fruits of Bedford and Woburn County Foods.
And it doesn’t stop there – Warden Abbey Vineyard will be supplying the wines and there’ll be guest ales from around the county.
Signature dishes include catch of the week, oven-baked freshly sourced fish; the Kingfisher burger, grass-fed Bedfordshire beef, Woburn black bacon; and a wide selection of vegetarian dishes including pesto gnocchi with baby spinach, roquito pepper and parmesan cheese.
The 49 bedrooms have had a refresh and the 13th century barn has been relauched as The Tithe Barn, Bedford and will continue to host weddings and events.
Managing director Andrew McKenzie said: “The Kingfisher has undergone a complete transformation and we hope it will become THE place to be on the Bedford dining scene. A bold and creative re-design coupled with locally sourced, imaginative food and drinks will be a great draw for guests both old and new.”
At the end of 2020, the Cardington Road hotel was flooded by the River Great Ouse and was closed throughout 2021.