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The Rattlebone Inn

Sherston, SN16 0LR
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About The Rattlebone Inn

The Rattlebone Inn is a true community pub in every sense of the word. While we are incredibly proud to offer award-winning food and exceptional hospitality, our greatest achievement has been becoming the place where the people of Sherston come together.

From first thing in the morning until closing time, the pub welcomes people from every generation and every walk of life. Farmers stop in for coffee, walkers and cyclists call during their journeys, families meet for lunch, local businesses use us for meetings, older residents gather for conversation, and visitors discover the village through our doors. Dogs are welcomed just as warmly as their owners, and many visitors quickly become regulars.

Our atmosphere is informal, relaxed, inclusive and genuinely welcoming. Whether someone visits every day or only once a year, we want them to feel part of the Rattlebone family. We believe hospitality is about far more than serving food and drink—it is about making people feel they belong.

In an increasingly digital world, where loneliness and isolation continue to grow and many rural pubs are disappearing, we believe community pubs have never been more important.

Every day we see friendships formed, neighbours supporting neighbours, families celebrating together, charities raising vital funds, sports teams gathering after matches, older residents enjoying companionship and visitors discovering the warmth of village life. We often say that whilst we may own the business, the pub belongs to the community.

Everything we have achieved has been possible because of the extraordinary people around us. Our dedicated team, loyal customers, local suppliers, volunteers, charities and community groups have all helped create something very special.

About the Local Community

Supporting our community is not something we do occasionally, it’s part of everyday life at The Rattlebone Inn. We are proud to support a wide range of organisations, clubs and community groups, providing everything from meeting space and fundraising to sponsorship, hospitality and practical support.

These include:

• Weekly Yak and Yarn – bringing together many people who live alone to socialise, knit, craft and enjoy each other’s company. We provide complimentary meeting space and discounted refreshments.

• Monthly Probus meetings – providing a welcoming venue for retired gentlemen to meet, socialise and combat loneliness.

• Local football, netball and cycling (Velo) teams – through sponsorship, fundraising and complimentary food after home fixtures.

• Sherston Boules Festival – supporting one of the village’s biggest annual events, acting as the Designated Premises Supervisor and helping make the event possible.

• Sherston Village Hall – working closely together to support community events, wakes and village celebrations.

• Young Farmers Ball.

• Local church events.

• Annual Tractor Run.

• Boules League.

• Village wakes and celebrations.

• Skittles teams following the restoration of our Barn.

• Family Movie Afternoons.

• Free Easter Egg Hunts.

• Community noticeboard.

• Sponsorship of the VE Day commemorative village bench.

Outside the pub, Charlie also volunteers with Age UK, making weekly telephone calls to elderly people who may otherwise have little social interaction.

Our aim is simple: if something benefits Sherston, we want to help make it happen.

We go above and beyond in our values and commitment to tackling loneliness. Rather than simply opening our doors, we actively create opportunities for people to connect. Our free Christmas Eve lunch welcomes anyone who would otherwise spend Christmas alone. Guests share a meal, conversation and companionship with members of our team and other local residents. Every attendee also receives a complimentary drinks voucher to use on Christmas Day, ensuring they know someone is thinking about them.

Alongside this, initiatives such as Yak and Yarn, Probus, our Christmas Memory Tree and our support for Age UK all help combat isolation throughout the year. For us, community isn’t measured by how many customers walk through the door, it’s measured by how many people feel they have somewhere they belong.

About Local Businesses

We firmly believe that when local businesses support one another, the entire community benefits.

Wherever possible we choose to work with local suppliers, tradespeople and service providers, helping keep investment within the local economy. We actively recommend neighbouring businesses to visitors, collaborate on village events and encourage customers to explore everything Sherston has to offer.

Throughout the year we work alongside local organisations to deliver successful community events, sponsorship opportunities and fundraising initiatives, recognising that a thriving village depends upon businesses working together rather than competing in isolation.

Our suppliers are genuine partners in our success. We have developed long-term relationships based on trust, reliability and mutual support. They understand our standards and ambitions, and we value the expertise they bring to our business. Many of our suppliers are local or regional businesses, meaning that every pound we spend helps support employment and investment within our area.

If The Rattlebone Inn were no longer here, the impact would extend well beyond the pub itself. Local suppliers, tradespeople, producers, entertainers and service providers would all lose an important customer, while the village would lose one of its biggest supporters of local commerce. We believe pubs play a vital role in strengthening local economies, and we are proud to play our part.

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About Staff at The Rattlebone Inn

At The Rattlebone Inn, we firmly believe that looking after our team is the foundation of looking after our community. A happy, supported and valued team creates the warm, welcoming atmosphere that our customers experience every day.

As owners, Charlie and I operate a genuine open-door policy. Every member of staff knows they can come to either of us with work concerns, family worries, health issues or simply because they need someone to listen. If a conversation is better had away from the pressures of the pub, we will happily step away for a coffee or lunch so they have the time and space to talk confidentially.

Recognising how important mental wellbeing is within hospitality, Charlie and I are undertaking Punch Pubs & Co’s two-day Mental Health First Aider training. We want our team to know their wellbeing is every bit as important as the service they provide, and we are committed to creating a workplace where people feel safe, respected and supported.

Alongside this pastoral support, we invest heavily in professional development. We provide coaching, mentoring and ongoing training, encouraging everyone to build confidence, develop new skills and progress within the business. We love seeing people start in junior roles and grow into positions of responsibility, and we actively encourage ambition and personal development.

Building a strong team culture is equally important. We regularly organise social events and team-building activities, including go-karting and other experiences that allow everyone to relax and strengthen friendships away from work.

We also believe in recognising the contribution our team makes every single day. Every member of staff receives a generous staff discount, which they can extend to their family when dining or enjoying drinks together. We celebrate birthdays with a £25 gift voucher and regularly recognise achievements and milestones throughout the year.

Our staffs hard work, enthusiasm and genuine affection for the pub have helped us achieve an AA Rosette within six months of taking over, OpenTable Diners’ Choice recognition, multiple Punch Publican of the Year finalist places and, most recently, becoming finalists in the Great British Pub Awards. We are incredibly proud that our staff care as deeply about our customers and community as we do. They are not just employees; they are custodians of one of Sherston’s most important community spaces, and together we strive to make every visitor feel welcome, valued and part of something special.

About Charity Work at The Rattlebone Inn

Supporting charities is embedded into everyday life at The Rattlebone Inn. Rather than organising one or two fundraising events each year, we fundraise continuously through weekly bingo, raffles, product-linked donations, community events, sponsorship and seasonal initiatives. Our weekly bingo alone has raised several thousand pounds for local charities and community causes.

Other fundraising initiatives include our annual Easter Egg Raffle, charity collection boxes, memorial raffles, special events and product donations such as contributing 50p from every burger sold to the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals.

We are proud that our customers actively support these initiatives and see fundraising as something the whole village does together.

Charities and causes that we have supported include:
Comfort U Bags
Weekly Bingo (multiple charities)
Dorothy House Hospice
Mike Shortridge Memorial Raffle (Bowel Cancer)
National Foundation for Retired Service Animals
Great Tommy Sleepout Fundraising for homeless veterans
Local Hospice Easter Egg Raffle
Publympics Supporting the local football team
Local church Donations
Boules League Sponsorship
Young Farmers Ball Donations
Annual Tractor Run Support and donations

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