Get ready to enjoy more, this time at The Ashford Arms!
If you’ve made a journey through Ashford in the Water you’ll have seen the boarded-up windows, overgrown gardens and unloved historic building falling into disrepair.
The 17th century building has been closed for three years causing a bit of an eyesore in a beautiful area.
We’re thrilled to be breathing life into this building again and blending timeless tradition with captivating charm and bringing limitless fun to The Ashford Arms.
This premium country pub will see the ground floor and exterior completely refurbished to the estimated tune of £1.6m. We’re collaborating with Heineken on this renovation and hope to be open by early 2024.
As an independent business that was almost decimated before it even got going (cheers Covid!) we’re still pinching ourselves that you continue to choose us for your drinking, dining and sleeping.
Your continued loyalty and support have seen us take two unviable businesses and cement them firmly in the heart of the community. The success of The Maynard and The George Hathersage has allowed for our growth and acquisition of The Ashford Arms.
What can you expect from The Ashford Arms?
We believe in the power of a warm welcome, hearty laughter, and creating memories that last a lifetime. Whether you're seeking a pint with friends, a romantic evening by the fire, or a lively gathering with loved ones, our pub is your sanctuary of relaxation and merriment.
We refuse to cut costs and corners – even though the bank manager might think we’ve lost our minds. But investing in quality is in our DNA. It’s a non-negotiable.
As you know, we are dedicated to local Peak District produce.
Yes, we’re in a cost-of-living crisis.
Yes, the bills feel like a second mortgage.
Yes, hospitality has suffered hugely in these last three years.
But, no. That does not change our commitment to being part of the supply chain here in the Peak District and being part of the local economy. So we will continue to pay a fair price to showcase the best of the Peak District in our food, drink and even our furnishings.
Our executive chef, Adrian Gagea, will continue his great work collaborating with local suppliers to create innovative menus that continue to surprise and delight. We want you to have the best dining experience with us and that means sourcing local for the freshest, tastiest ingredients from field to farm to fork.
We’ll be working with local designers to create the right elegant and cosy ambience that feels welcoming for all. We want you to know you’ve got a place here whether walking in with Nordic poles, hiking boots and the dog or you’re dressed to the nines celebrating a landmark occasion with your family.
It’s also why you’ll never find a foam, jus or edible flower on our dishes. Yes, that’s Instagrammable and pretty impressive but it also puts people off who feel like their paired-down look might not fit the vibe. The vibe we’re going for at The Ashford Arms is certainly one of a homely welcome and inclusive culture.
When will you be hiring?
We’ve appointed our General Manager and Head Chef and will be looking to start recruiting our senior team in October. Keep checking our website and social media for news of our vacancies.
We’ve recently appointed a Talent and Succession Manager who will be working with us to create the 45 new positions needed to launch The Ashford Arms. To know we are supporting this many people with new jobs brings us a great sense of pride.
We can’t do this without the people who run this happy ship and we will always put people over profits. That’s why everyone recently benefitted from a 10% pay rise and we overstaff every shift well above industry standard. Our teams have time to think and time to give our customers the attentive exceptional service they love us for. We’re also focused on promoting our staff internally where possible and doing our bit to show that hospitality can be a lucrative, rewarding and valuable career, not just a side hustle or stop-gap between studies.
Therefore we will be looking for all levels of positions in front of house, in the kitchen and housekeeping team but we’re really keen to hear from people who might want to progress their career within Longbow. We also partner with local education institutions to support staff looking to complete qualifications from apprenticeships to management-level certifications.
When can we book?
For the eager beavers amongst us who like to get planned with precision, we’ll be opening our bookings diary as soon as we have clarity on our opening timeline.
If you’ve had any kind of building work done yourself over the last three years you’ll know that this might involve putting a wet finger in the air for a while! However, we’ve got some awesome contractors working on this with us and we’re hoping to be taking bookings by the new year.
How can we keep up to date?
Subscribe to our newsletter. You can add your details at the bottom of this page. We send out emails twice a week and will put all updates there including when we start hiring.
You can also check out and follow us on social media @theashfordarmsbakewell on Instagram and The Ashford Arms on Facebook.
Book a table
In the meantime, why not book your next meal with us? Click here to book for The Maynard and click here to book for The George.