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A popular Warwick pub is relaunching with a new name paying tribute to the town’s very own historic hero.

The Gold Cup Inn and Jambavan Restaurant has been officially renamed as The Guy of Warwick Pub and Kitchen, in recognition of the historic town’s own Game of Thrones-style legend of the same name, dubbed ‘England’s Forgotten Hero’.

The transformation, which will be unveiled in a special launch event on 20th March attended by a modern-day version of the knight himself, is the result of a collaboration with the Guy of Warwick Society. The group is dedicated to keeping the stories of Guy of Warwick – a 10th-century English hero who travelled the world on a series of daring adventures to impress the Earl of Warwick’s daughter Lady Felice – alive.

That task will now be helped by the relaunch of the Guy of Warwick Pub & Kitchen, which will offer a unique dining experience as well as lending its name to the town’s famous hero and dedicated in a bid to help keep his tales of bravery and adventure alive.

A special event on 20th March at the Castle Street venue, just a stone’s throw from Warwick’s famous castle, will feature a visit from Guy of Warwick himself on horseback thanks to local entertainers the Knights of Middle England who are helping bring the legend alive.

Peter Knell, secretary at the Guy of Warwick Society, said: “The Guy of Warwick Pub and Kitchen is a tribute to our town’s rich heritage, offering a unique experience where history and culinary excellence converge. This fantastic pub is not just serving great drinks and food, it’s fostering a deeper connection to Warwick’s unique past, and one of England’s most famous medieval heroes.

“This venture is not just a win for the business and the Guy of Warwick Society; it’s a boon for the town of Warwick promoting local history and enriching Warwick’s social fabric.”

At the relaunch, the latest addition to Warwick’s cultural and social scene will also showcase its food offering, including a range of locally sourced steaks as well as gourmet burgers and fat chips. The menu will also include seasonal salads and continue to offer authentic curries from the same chef who saw Jambavan enjoy a loyal following of customers both locally and from further afield. The top-quality food will all be washed down with a selection of drinks, including real ales, the finest lagers, and a huge range of gins.

Owner Mashuk Miah said: “The Guy of Warwick Pub and Kitchen will offer a high-quality dining experience delighting your palate with our carefully crafted menu combining locally sourced steakhouse favourites and home-cooked Indian dishes. We are pleased to partner with the Guy of Warwick society, creating a unique dining atmosphere where we keep the legend of Guy alive.”

A highlight of the launch on 20th March will be an appearance from Guy of Warwick on horseback, played by Karl Ude-Martinez, a professional actor, TV presenter and expert horseman. Karl is owner of local company, The Knights of Middle England & KOME Entertainment, but has starred on the stage and screen in a range of high-profile shows, including the Merry Wives of Windsor at the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), as well as the BBC’s Keeping Up Appearances and Battlefield Britain, plus several films.

Karl said: “I’m looking forward to returning to the role of Guy of Warwick, bringing this local legend back to life and championing another great addition to the town I call home.”

The new opening is not the only place where Guy of Warwick is brought to life – there is a dedicated trail available for tourists and locals to learn all about the legendary figure while exploring the town. The Guy of Warwick trail takes visitors on a tour of Warwick town centre, accompanied by an audio story of his life.

The trail, which can be downloaded through the society’s website, is also available in paper format from the Tourist Office in Warwick. It provides a map of nine locations in the town where QR codes are depicted on posters in the windows of shops and businesses. Visitors are encouraged to visit each one in turn, learning interesting historical facts and hearing the hero himself explain his life and adventures.

About Guy of Warwick

 The story of Guy of Warwick – dubbed ‘England’s Forgotten Hero’ – dates back to the 10th Century when he was a page at the court of the Earl of Warwick.

He fell in love with the Earl’s daughter Felice but was rejected for being too low-born to win her hand, prompting him to set out on a series of heroic tasks. These included freeing the land from the terror of the Dun Cow – a monstrous beast whose name is immortalised in Warwickshire place names including Stretton-on-Dunsmore and Dunchurch – as well as taking on a giant boar that was terrorising Coventry.

Those tasks weren’t enough, so Guy of Warwick travelled around Europe proving himself as a knight before returning to marry Felice. Full of remorse for his past violence, he later left his wife to travel to Jerusalem as a pilgrim before returning to England to help fight the invading Danes, taking on their champion Colbrond in an epic Games of Thrones-esque battle – and going down in history as one of the greatest warriors England has ever seen.

Still disguised as a pilgrim, Guy joined a group of poor men being fed at the castle gate, where Felice didn’t recognise him. He later fell ill and spent his final days in a hermitage at nearby Guy’s Cliffe. Knowing he was near the end, he sent for Felice and the couple were reunited as Guy lay dying. Distraught at his death, Felice committed suicide by jumping from Guy’s Cliffe, where the couple are now said to be buried side by side.

Lessons around affordable, healthy and sustainable food were at the centre of a community event in Leamington on Saturday (March 2^nd), hosted by The Lillington Community Pantry.

Scores of people attended The Kind Communities – Kind Food programme, organised in collaboration with Warwickshire County Council.

The interactive day was supported by more than 15 organisations and agencies and included live cooking demonstrations, health checks and money-saving advice as well as free refreshments and goodie bags. Twenty people even found themselves leaving with a new slow cooker at the end of the day!

Partnered by the Equality and Inclusion Partnership (EQuIP), the event brought together community groups, voluntary and community sector organisations and featured affordable and healthy cooking demonstrations. There were also opportunities for residents to receive free recipe cards and taste the cooked food, as well as talks and demonstrations about how to use slow cookers and how to grow your own food.

Chloe Scanlan, Community Pantry Supervisor, said: “Cooking demonstrations are proving a very exciting way for everyone to get involved. EQuIP and WRCC are providing expert support to this initiative, enabling a richer and deeper level of community engagement and with communities most at risk of food insecurity.

“This is the third of these events in Warwickshire but the first one hosted by The Pantry. Leamington is a significant area of deprivation and one of the levelling up areas for Warwickshire.

“The day was focused on educating people about food, encouraging people to be able to make healthy choices but that are also affordable and sustainable as we know that a lot of people who visit the Pantry are struggling to make ends meet.

“But we also wanted to add an element of fun so there were children’s activities on offer, including potting and planting provided by WCC Adult Learning and arts and crafts courtesy of Arty-Folks. It’s brilliant for the community and people were very positive about the event.”

Established in 2022, Lillington is one of six pantries in the region run by Feed The Hungry UK, based in Coventry. Following the success of the day, the Pantry team hopes to host another Kind Communities – Kind Food programme next year.

As well as wraparound support, the Pantry provides food from across all food groups including store cupboard essentials and chilled, frozen and fresh fruit and vegetables. A selection of cleaning products and toiletries are also available for a small additional charge.

Warwickshire County Councillor Heather Timms, Portfolio Holder for Environment, Climate and Culture and Chair of the Warwickshire Food Forum said: “The Kind Communities-Kind Food events are a great example of what can be achieved when local communities come together to learn how to make more affordable, healthy, and sustainable food choices.

“By fostering a deeper level of engagement with our communities, we are taking meaningful and positive steps towards educating our residents about food and cooking, and making Warwickshire the best it can be by empowering people with the right skills, knowledge, and opportunities in order to help improve their health and well-being.”

Lillington Community Pantry is open on Thursdays and Fridays, 11am to 3pm. To learn more visit here