Posted: 24th June 2016
Official Launch for Maritime Hotel After £1.2 Million Refurbishment
The Ship and Trades at Chatham Maritime was officially re-opened by Kelly Tolhurst, MP for Rochester and Strood, on Wednesday, June 22. It has just undergone a three-month refurbishment and expansion project costing £1.2 million, and local dignitaries, businesses and customers were invited to the launch celebration.
Ms Tolhurst said:
I am delighted to open the new-look Ship and Trades, which is a real asset to the area, offering a stylish bar and restaurant to meet for drinks and food, along with beautiful accommodation. Shepherd Neame’s significant investment in the site has also resulted in the creation of 25 new roles, taking the total to 65, which is fantastic news.
To mark the occasion, Jonathan Neame presented a cheque for £500 to David Taylor of the Medway Sunlight Rotary Club. The group are donating the money to Community First Responders, volunteers in the local community trained to respond to emergency calls with the local ambulance service.
The recent programme of work at the Ship and Trades included adding four new en suite letting rooms on the first floor, two with spacious waterfront balconies offering breathtaking views over the marina, taking the total to 15. All of the rooms available at the Ship and Trades have been fully refurbished in a contemporary, elegant style.
On the ground floor is a new wrap-around restaurant with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the marina, which can take an additional 80 diners. The stylish restaurant is open from 8am to 11am for breakfast and brunch, then from 12noon to 9pm daily, and for the first time, online table booking is available.
The chef’s speciality chargrill offers prime cuts cooked to order and gourmet burgers. Diners can also choose from a selection of handmade stone baked pizzas, along with a delicious choice of pub classics. Visitors can also enjoy dining al fresco on the external waterside terrace, which now has heated covered areas, or in the comfortable lounge area which has been redecorated, with reupholstered furniture and new décor inspired by its nautical heritage.
Cask ale enthusiasts will also enjoy being able to see into the new glass fronted cellar, which has been introduced as a new feature. As a result of the brewery’s investment, 20 new roles have been created at the site, taking the total to more than 50 full and part-time staff.
Shepherd Neame’s chief executive Jonathan Neame said:
We are very proud of the Ship and Trade’s new look, and delighted that so many people were able to join us for its official launch. The Ship and Trades boasts a unique location in Chatham Maritime, which has become a vibrant place to live, work, and visit, and we wanted to maximise its potential. We are confident that with its expanded facilities and stylish new look, the Ship and Trades will prove a popular destination for leisure and business guests to eat, drink and stay.