Meet the man running Barnstaple’s newest pub – The Strand Social

The man behind Barnstaple’s latest pub has been lifting the lid on his vision for the Strand Social – which first and foremost will be a community pub in the best British tradition.

Amber Taverns is set to open the town’s newest pub On Monday, April 20 in the former Wetherspoon premises on The Strand, which is currently undergoing a massive internal and external renovation.

The North Devon Gazette sat down with new operator Steve Tinsley, who is relocating to Barnstaple with his family after running a successful pub for Amber Taverns in the West Midlands.

The Amber Taverns business model is built on a strong community focus, harking back to the days when all pubs revolved around their community, the bar staff know your name, people went for a social drink and to enjoy everything from bingo and live bands to watching the big sports events.

Barnstaple’s newest offering will be part of its ‘Social Tap’ brand, which the pub’s full name being The Strand Social Tap.

Above: A mock up of how the new Strand Social venue on The Strand in Barnstaple will look when it opens its doors on April 20.

Steve told us: “We're proud to be a community pub, a community-led pub and we offer a lot more than just booze. When you visit us, you should experience great hospitality and a warm inviting atmosphere.

“Our business model works. I currently run a very successful venue that the whole community embraces it and I would like to say this loud and clear, adults need a place to be as well. They need a place to relax, wind down, enjoy and give them stuff for adults to do.

“If you're trying to please everybody, you'll just blend into the background. We are different and we're proud.”

The venue will be paying 10p from every pint into a community fund and three or four times a year the proceeds from that will be released to local good causes, whether for town centre events, charities or local sports clubs.

The Strand Social will offer a wide range of activities to cater for different adult age groups – there will be darts and pool, private hire karaoke booths, entertainment from live music to DJs, perhaps comedy nights.

Steve said: “I'm hoping to get something on every night of the week, whether it'll be quiz or bingo, pool, darts and dominoes, there's lots to have a go at.

“Then at the weekends, we will be reaching out to the night-time trade, the entertainment will be aimed at the 25 to 55-year-olds with music from the 70s, 80s and 90s, then a bit later on, scope for DJs to come on and finish the night for the younger generation.

“I'm new to the area and I need to get a feel for what the customers need, but from my research so far, there will be live entertainments alongside the DJ that will be on for the later bit. Have groups and singers and even make room for things like comedians and magicians to try and bring something new to the town.”

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The venue will not serve food and there is no access for children, but while it will be open until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, Steve says it is not looking to replace the town’s night clubs.

He added: “I want to get a lot from the daytime and tea time guests, but there's definitely a need for something more to Barnstaple and we'll be open to service that.

“We're not aiming to replace any of the nightclubs, we're looking to facilitate our own demographic, our own crowd. We want what I would call social drinkers, sensible drinkers - but if people are out after midnight, I'll stay open for them.”

There will also be a full sports packages offering all the popular sporting events on the big screen from football and rugby to motorsport, but Steve says sport will not be ‘in your face’.

He told us: “There will be plenty of screens, but they're subtle, so they're not in your face. There is not a big wall of screens or a giant one that catches your eye, they're all blended into the furniture.

“Which creates that balance between being able to enjoy the sports and entertainment, but also, you can turn your back - it's there if you want to watch this match or that match or whatever.

“The pub is big enough to zone off, so there will be a quiet zone, a comfy zone, a lively zone, a loud zone, the sports zone. It’s big enough to zone off and the technology allows me to do that, so I can dial the music and brightness up in different areas to see the needs of the guests.”

Formerly The Watergate, previous owner JD Wetherspoon announced the venue would close in July 2025 and Amber Taverns was soon on the case.

Steve said: “We came down last summer. Our research led us to Barnstaple as a potential for our business model working. It fell lucky that Weatherspoon was closing one of their venues and we acquired it before it went on the market. Our research has been thorough and over the last 10 or 12 months.”

He added: “My idea of a pub is firmly stuck in late 80s and early 90s, where you would go to the pub and you'd know people, the staff would be ready with your drink almost.

“But all the little stuff that's gone, like the bonus ball and the raffle tickets, it needs to be brought back. It’s part of British culture and I don't want that to be lost.”

The grand opening for The Strand Social Tap will be on Monday, April 20, then the pub’s first big event will be St George’s Day on April 23, with ‘plenty of fun and games’ according to Steve.

Steve Tinsley and the team would like to hear from any entertainers or performers who want to get involved with the new venue, or any darts and pool teams that would like to make it their new home.

To get in touch, message The Strand Social Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TheStrandBarnstaple

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