Posted: 16th February 2016
Major £1 Million Investment for Marina Bar and Hotel
Work has started on a £1 million project to expand the Ship and Trades in Chatham’s marina.
Dating from 1875, the Ship and Trades’ basic structure is a steel frame that once housed dockyard offices and an engineering shop.
Today, the 'skeleton', which was taken over by Shepherd Neame in 2001, has been transformed into a contemporary bar, restaurant and hotel, overlooking one of the yacht basins at the former Royal Naval Dockyard. Outside, its ample waterfront seating offers stunning views of the pleasure boats in the marina and across the River Medway to historic Upnor Castle.
The Ship and Trades currently has 11 en suite letting rooms on the first floor, and due to high demand, five new rooms are to be created, two with waterfront balconies. One letting room is being removed in order to accommodate a major expansion and refurbishment of the kitchen, which is also on the first floor.
On the ground floor, a new wrap-around glass fronted restaurant overlooking the marina is being created which will be able to take an additional 80 covers. For the first time, online table booking will be available.
The external terrace will be improved with the provision of heated covered areas, and a glass fronted cask cellar is to be introduced as a new feature.
The Ship and Trades is currently open for business, but it will close to the public on Monday, February 29 for the major refurbishment work. It is expected to reopen in the second week of May.
Shepherd Neame’s director of retail and tenanted operations, Nigel Bunting, said:
We are thrilled to begin work on this exciting new development, which represents a significant investment not just in the Ship and Trades, but the local area. The Ship and Trades is one of our most popular pubs and we want to maximise that potential by expanding the opportunities for guests to eat, drink and stay.