Restoring tradition and delivering hygiene at The Crown Inn, Gloucestershire
In the heart of the Gloucestershire countryside sits The Crown Inn, Lea – a much-loved historic pub with deep local roots. After 25 years under tenancy, the pub has returned to the care of its original owners, the Savidge family, who farm the surrounding land. With their passion for tradition and community at the core, the Savidges have lovingly refurbished the pub, transforming it into a high-spec country restaurant and bar that still retains every ounce of its rustic charm.
A heritage makeover with a hygienic focus
As part of the transformation, Hycom was proud to support the project by consulting, supplying and installing specialist flooring and wall cladding across key areas, including the kitchen, bar and toilet facilities. Our focus? To ensure that every surface not only looked the part, but also delivered on hygiene, durability and safety.
Safety first in the kitchen
For the kitchen and garden bar kitchen, Altro Stronghold 30 was the product of choice. With Altro’s highest slip-resistance rating, it’s built to perform in the toughest commercial kitchen environments, where grease, oils and fats can pose a constant slip risk. This hard-wearing flooring offers peace of mind under pressure, delivering safety without compromising on quality.
To further boost safety, Gradus stair nosings were installed on the stair edges, helping to prevent slips and trips in one of the most high-risk areas of any hospitality venue.
Swipe through to see photos of this hygienic install
Stylish and practical in the toilets
In the customer toilets, the design needed to be both functional and visually seamless with the pub’s inviting interior. We recommended Altro Wood Safety in Bavarian Oak, a warm, biophilic wood-effect finish that not only echoes the pub’s traditional features, but also offers excellent slip resistance and effortless cleanability. The finish pairs beautifully with the tongue-and-groove wall panelling, reinforcing the pub’s homely and cohesive design.
Clean, long-lasting wall protection
In the garden bar kitchen, we installed Hycom Whitewall, our own wall cladding solution, chosen for its excellent hygiene credentials, cost-effectiveness and 25-year life expectancy. It’s a smart, low-maintenance choice for busy back-of-house areas, keeping the space clean and compliant without added fuss.
A smooth process under pressure
Ben Savidge, the son of Mark and Rose Savidge who own the pub, shared his experience of working with Hycom:
“Getting Hycom involved with our project at The Crown Inn, Lea was one part I certainly never regretted. From the outset Gavin and his team were brilliant in advising us of options for our new commercial kitchen flooring to the vinyl we used in our toilet facilities. We found them very efficient and cost-effective to deal with throughout the process when we were up against some very tight deadlines to get open. I would certainly use Hycom again.”
Bringing heritage and hygiene together
This project is a great example of how thoughtful specification and expert installation can bring together traditional aesthetics with modern performance. At Hycom, we’re proud to help venues like The Crown Inn stay true to their roots while stepping confidently into the future with safe, hygienic, and beautifully integrated spaces.
