QUICK VERDICT
Opportunity Type Amber Taverns Tied Tenancy Pubco Amber Taverns Google Rating 4.4 stars (1,348 reviews) Ingoing Cost £5,000–£15,000 estimated Working Capital Needed £20,000–£28,000 minimum Trade Character Rural village food pub, Oakley Wood Road Bishop\’s Tachbrook, 9pm Sunday close, exceptional reputation Best Suited To Quality food pub operator; Bishop\’s Tachbrook CV33 is an affluent Warwickshire village between Leamington Spa and Warwick — not a Leamington Spa town centre operation Shaun\’s Rating \[ \] Watch Out For DATA CORRECTION: This pub is in Bishop\’s Tachbrook CV33 9RN — a village between Leamington Spa and Warwick, NOT in Leamington Spa itself. The character of the market is rural Warwickshire village, with an affluent demographic from both towns. The 1,348 reviews at 4.4 stars confirm a high-quality destination operation.
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This independent assessment was prepared by SmartPubTools using the following publicly available sources:
- Pub listing data: Amber Taverns published listings — availability, agreement type and rent figures sourced directly from the pub company's own website
- Google rating & reviews: Google Places API — ratings and review counts retrieved programmatically from Google Maps data
- Local population & demographics: ONS Census 2021 — population figures, age profiles and household data
- Local employment data: NOMIS Official Labour Market Statistics — employment rates and major local employer data
- Pubs Code information: Pubs Code Adjudicator (UK Government) — tied tenant rights and MRO entitlements
- Operator perspective: SmartPubTools is operated by a working pub landlord under a Marston's Community Retail Partnership at Teal Farm Pub, Washington NE38 — assessments reflect genuine first-hand operator experience
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THE LOCAL PICTURE
The Leopard is at 10 Oakley Wood Road, Bishop\’s Tachbrook CV33 9RN. Bishop\’s Tachbrook is a village of approximately 2,500 people between Leamington Spa (3 miles north) and Warwick (3 miles south). It sits in the rolling Warwickshire countryside, with Oakley Wood\’s ancient woodland nearby. This is affluent rural Warwickshire — the demographic draws from both Royal Leamington Spa\’s professional population and Warwick\’s historic town community.
Key employers in the catchment: NHS University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire Trust (Warwick Hospital nearby), Warwick University, Leamington Spa\’s professional and technology sector (the town has a significant video games development cluster), Jaguar Land Rover at Gaydon (the Land Rover development centre is very close to Bishop\’s Tachbrook). The Leopard\’s catchment is among the most affluent in this entire series.
No Wetherspoons in Bishop\’s Tachbrook; nearest is Leamington Spa or Warwick town. 1,348 reviews at 4.4 stars from a village of 2,500 confirms this is a destination food pub drawing from the surrounding area. The car-based rural demographic means every customer who chooses The Leopard has made a deliberate journey.
WHAT THE PUB IS
The Leopard opens at noon, closes at 11pm Monday to Saturday, and 9pm Sunday. The 9pm Sunday close is an early evening pattern similar to The White Hart in Hartlepool — it reflects the family-oriented Sunday community rhythm of a village pub. At 1,348 reviews and 4.4 stars with an early Sunday close, the commercial case is clear: the community has found its rhythm and the pub delivers to it.
The Leopard name and the village location suggest a pub with rural character and likely a significant food offer. 1,348 reviews in a village of 2,500 means the catchment extends well beyond the immediate village to Leamington, Warwick, and the surrounding Warwickshire villages.
THE AMBER TAVERNS DEAL
Amber Taverns tied tenancy in one of the most affluent rural settings in the series. The tied pricing analysis for CV33 Bishop\’s Tachbrook should account for the premium rural Warwickshire market — your achievable retail prices here will be at the top end of Amber Taverns\’ portfolio. Model your GP accordingly.
The no-late-licence clean operating profile keeps costs lean. No door management, no late-night overhead. The revenue is made from quality service to an affluent demographic that will pay for quality and return consistently.
The 1,348-review reputation is the primary commercial asset. Inheriting it requires understanding what has been delivered to earn it. Ask Amber Taverns for context on the current operation — whether there is food, what the range is, what events contribute to the review count.
FINANCIAL REALITY
Metric Estimate Ingoing Cost £5,000–£15,000 estimated Working Capital Required £20,000–£28,000 (premium rural Warwickshire market) Agreement Type Amber Taverns Tied Tenancy Tied Supplies Yes — CV33 affluent demographic supports premium retail pricing Break-Even Timeline 12–18 months maintaining current quality standard 1,348 Reviews at 4.4 Destination reputation requiring quality food pub operation to maintain Location Correction Bishop\’s Tachbrook village CV33, NOT Leamington Spa town centre
PUBS CODE RIGHTS — KNOW BEFORE YOU SIGN
PUBS CODE RIGHTS — KNOW BEFORE YOU SIGN
- Independent rent assessment — exercise your Pubs Code right before signing
- Request full P&L projections from Amber Taverns before committing
- Obtain Schedule of Condition at entry — protects you on dilapidations
- Get the full tied product price list before you agree terms
- Complete Amber Taverns pre-entry training (required)
- Right to a free Market Rent Only option assessment
- Right to independent legal and financial advice before signing
WHO THIS SUITS
A quality food pub operator with rural Warwickshire or comparable affluent village market experience. Someone who can maintain 4.4-star delivery to a Jaguar Land Rover engineer, Warwick University academic, and Leamington professional demographic. Food capability is likely essential given the 1,348-review destination profile. Minimum £20,000 liquid capital.
WHAT WORKS / WHAT DOESN\’T
WHAT WORKS
- The destination rural food pub model — every customer drove to choose The Leopard specifically; meet that expectation
- The affluent Warwickshire catchment from both Leamington and Warwick — premium pricing is supported
- The Sunday 9pm close model — protect it; it reflects the community\’s rhythm and it works
- Oakley Wood and the Warwickshire countryside — a pub walk ending at The Leopard is a genuine lifestyle offer
WHAT DOESN\’T WORK
- Standard community pub approach in a destination rural market
- Reducing quality to manage costs in a pub whose entire commercial value is its 1,348-review quality reputation
WHAT YOU NEED ON DAY ONE
EPOS with food capability if operating food. Quality real ale cellar management. Professional stocktaking from week two. Weekly GP tracking at premium village pub targets.
GET YOUR NUMBERS RIGHT BEFORE YOU SIGN
Before you sign anything, know your numbers.
Pub Command Centre gives you real-time labour %, VAT and cash position from day one. £97 once.
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