01295 750244
OX17 1PW
Mon-Sat: 11:30am – 10:30pm
Sunday: 11:30am - 10:00pm
Cherished Traditions, Warm Community, Timeless Hospitality
Our Story (& the pub's)
Who buys a pub during a pandemic? We did. It might not have been the right time to buy a pub but, it was the right pub to buy.
Meet Wild , Bru and Lavers
If you use your card to pay at the pub - your bank statement will say - Wild Bru and Lavers. That's the three new owners; Ben Wild, Sue Bruland and Lucy Lavers.
When the pandemic arrived Ben's catering and events company was severely hit. He had loyal staff (including two of our chefs and our front of house manager) to look after, and we all needed a little dose of hope and excitement.
When The Brasenose's lease became available Ben, Sue - who runs her own (award-winning) bookkeeping company and Lucy Lavers - who runs her own (award-winning) marketing consultancy, got together to buy the lease and create a new limited company - Wild Bru and Lavers.
In November 2020 we opened The Brasenose's doors for four weeks before lockdown #3 and we have been battling against the forces of covid ever since!
If you have been to the pub, or are considering coming to the pub, we want to thank you for your support.
Love, respect and restoration
When we took on the pub, despite what the survey told us, we didn't realise the full extent of the neglect the poor building had suffered over the years.
We started with the toilets and the issue of warmth; repairing the damage, making things safe, and creating a welcoming environment - that included looking after our staff well, feeding them every day, and letting them take the lead in the areas they love.
The pub now has wi-fi and electricity throughout the garden, the kitchen has been completely redone, the electrics are now both safe and sufficient, we have two outside bars to relieve the pressure in the summertime and the B&B rooms are being lovingly refurbished.
One of our resident ghosts who has been seen many times, and we have spoken to via a medium, is glad (and excited to see) that someone is finally looking after the pub and bringing life back into it.
Our lovely team - they're the best
We don't worry about having our full-time permanent staff on the website because we look after them, and they look after us. They do their best every day to look after you, so please be kind and courteous to them.
In the Kitchen - Warren our executive chef has worked with Ben for over 10 years, as has his wife Becky, who is our front of house manager. Pietre has worked with Ben, on and off, for many years and was recently persuaded to join the Brasenose full time - with the promise of a hoodie.
Sheila and Adam assist in the kitchen doing all that is asked of them tirelessly. They are the unsung heroes of the Brasenose.
In the Restaurant - Becky is our Front of House Manager, with Alex ably assisting. Both have been in hospitality most of their working lives and while Becky has worked with Ben for many years.
Behind the Bar - Shaun and Amy both worked at The Brasenose before we took it over, we are delighted they stayed with us and faced the challenges of lockdown, table service, takeaways and all the changes we continually had to make in those early days. Sean is the font of all knowledge behind the bar and Amy is indispensable when it comes to the B&B. Sharon is our Bar Manager and she followed Ben from a previous venue he was running pre-pandemic.
We have temporary staff, who come and go, depending on school, college, life and university - Meg, Jess, Sophie, Jacob, Ursula, Oliver, Tom, Springer - you are not forgotten and your help, when you can give it, is very much appreciated too.