TAKE A LOOK INSIDE BUCKINGHAM PUB FOLLOWING TRANSFORMATIONAL £300,000 MAKEOVER
The Whale, formerly The Buckingham Inn, on Market Hill in Buckingham reopened on Thursday 13th February following a transformational investment of almost £300,000. The pub is part of Proper Pubs – the award-winning community wet-led operator division of Admiral Taverns, which operates more than 200 pubs across England, Scotland and Wales – and is the sixth of its new premium-value sites to open to the public.
Craig Tompkins, Operator of The Whale, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be at the helm of The Whale and to have played a part in such an exciting refurbishment project! Reopening night went really well and it was great to welcome the community back and showcase the pub’s fresh new look.”
Inside, The Whale has been completely transformed – including brand new herringbone flooring, statement fixtures, quirky fittings and modern furniture – to elevate and brighten the overall look and feel of the pub. Externally, The Whale now features brand new, sleek and contemporary lighting and signage to greet customers.
To celebrate the reopening, the pub welcomed the community back on Thursday 13th February with a complimentary prosecco reception followed by an evening of live entertainment.
The Whale offers a wide range of drinks promotions, including Wine Wednesday, where customers can get £2 off a bottle, Fizz Friday, offering customers a bottle of fizz for £10, along with cocktails, bottle and shot deals throughout the week.
Craig added: “I’d like to thank everyone at Proper Pubs for their incredible support throughout this process and helping to bring the vision to life. I’ve loved every second of being behind the bar of The Whale so far and meeting the community so I can’t wait for all that’s to come.”
On top of the fantastic drinks selection, The Whale hosts host a busy schedule of live weekend entertainment including quizzes, DJ sets and open mic nights to bring local residents together. The pub is also complete with a full sports package, including Sky and TNT Sports, to ensure customers can see their favourite team play.
Craig is also hoping to support all aspects of community life by collecting food to donate to the local foodbank as well as raising money to have a lifesaving
Matthew Gurney, Operations Director for Proper Pubs, said: “The Whale looks absolutely amazing and it’s especially exciting that this is the sixth premium-value site to open across the Proper Pubs estate. We couldn’t ask for a more energetic and enthusiastic operator and I look forward to seeing everything that Craig has in store for this fantastic community pub.”
Proper Pubs is always looking for ways to support its communities through an annual schedule of events and fundraising initiatives. In March 2024, it was crowned Community Pub Operator at the Publican Awards, and more recently collected 16,000 advent calendars to donate to communities in need and raised nearly £100,000 in just three months for various local charities across the UK. In September 2024, the Group successfully donated enough food to local foodbanks across the UK to feed 1,300 people for a week and has also been recognised for its UK-wide defibrillator installation campaign which has already saved 11 lives.
The Whale, Market Hill, Buckingham MK18 1JX
The Whale, Buckingham – Proper Pubs
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