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The Swan CIC

Windsor, SL4 5JG
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About The Swan CIC

The Swan is a CIC, Community Interest Company. We saved The Swan in 2018 from being developed into flats or a supermarket and have thrived ever since. Everything we do is for the community, both local and wider. We are much more than a pub, we are the heart of the community with a unique story to tell and lots going on. Our offer is to provide a safe space for all guests from all walks of life. We are the only pub, we can find, that has a school within the pub. We house the Green Room College, a 6th form to enable young people to get into hospitality and gain the skills needed to succeed in life after education. I/We believe, the pub is the cornerstone of the British economy, without the pubs, social connections are much more difficult to create. At The Swan, I will offer anything to keep our local community engaged and meeting new people and sparking new friendships.

“This pub is so much more than having a Licensee. At The Swan, we are for the community in everything they could need. I work alongside my incredible team and develop them where they need or want it, whether that is with us at The Swan or helping them move to pastures new. Although I am the manager and licensee, it is our team, our school and our community of volunteers that bring this pub to life. We all work together to ‘keep the lights on’ and improve the industry.”

About the Local Community

To make things a little closer to home, at site we have 20+ community groups, including our regular weekly activities. Ranging from The Windsor Cycle hub who will fix your bike for free and take you on a guided ride through to conversational French classes (lead by one of our volunteers). Our clubs are: Windsor Cycle Hub, Windsor Ukulele Band, Windsor Town Fun runners, Conversational French, Chatty Cafe, Stammtisch German Speaking group and Chess club.

At The Swan, I will offer anything to keep our local community engaged new people and sparking new friendships. With that in mind, we have a vary varied demographic. A large amount is that of 45 – 70 years (Who love a pub quiz and Bingo!), I offer so many things for families, I purposely don’t have a cut off time for children in the bar so that kids being brought up in pubs know how to react and deal in busy spaces but still making it welcoming and safe. Having this mentality keeps our Guests coming week after week, ensuring our ‘lights are always on’ and its a model that is so heavily supported by our Guests.

A member of my team last year (2025) was interested in the process of making beer, so I set him up for a week in the local brewery to make a batch of their best bitter. He saw the process through to the end, popping back weekly for 6 weeks for drop tests and clarity checks, he then joined the dray team to deliver the beer he had a hand in making. Being able to offer this as an independent freehouse is something very special, its not something that is part of the norm and I am very proud of that.

About Local Businesses

The biggest change we have made in the last year, and best decision for the site, is I have moved to kitchen takeovers. I now hire local, independent businesses to run our kitchen throughout the week. This offers the freshest ingredients and variety of meals toour Guests. We have Social Grazin’ who offer local provenance in their meals, vibrant colours and exciting dishes for both A’la Carte and party guests, Their Sunday Roasts are also, in my opinion, the BEST in Windsor! Authentic Thai food takeover Thursday and Friday Evenings, dishes hailing from Cochin with Angkana Thai. Everything is cooked to order, nothing is frozen and is always fresh. I take a small charge for the use of the kitchen, enough to cover the utility cost. Having this model in place has saved us with inhouse chef costs, the risk of wastage and there for minimising our waste to landfill. I have put in place different recycling options for all users of the Kitchen. We have set spaces for soft plastics, regular recycling, food waste and general waste. Food waste goes to the local allotment to help with soil development. In return, we are donated freshly grown products from the allotment to use in the kitchen or bar.

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About Staff at The Swan CIC

I have a small team of 8 people (Myself as the General Manager and Bar Manager are the only salaried full time positions) that span from bar servers to cleaners. A small but powerful team that is then made up by incredible volunteers. As a CIC, we have a very loyal guest base that have become volunteers for us. These volunteers will assist Front Of House, serving our guests, clearing tables and most importantly, telling the story of The Swan, who we are and what we do. There is nothing better than hearing our Guests speaking passionately about the amazing work we do daily. As the Green Room College (GRC) are based onsite, when I need new staff I interview the students first. They train in our business4 days a week and are the perfect place to start to gain new talent. GRC run Epic Thursday. This is where the students completely take over the pub operation from the bar to the kitchen to table service. An exceptional ‘on the job’ training exercise that our guests LOVE! I have hired direct from GRC on many occasions, with 2 ex students still in my employ.

About Charity Work at The Swan CIC

So far, since The Swan has been trading, we have raised circa £15000 for local charities and more for national one too (McMillan,RBL, National Dementia Charity). The last Friday of every month is a charity coffee morning, raising funds for our nominated charity of the year. 2025, we supported the Windsor Homeless Project, raising just over £2k for the amazing work they do daily.  Within raising funds for the community, I am taking part this year in the Ultra White Collar boxing, where I have a charity boxing fight in March. Through the pub and its community, I am raising funds for Thames Valley Hospice, a truly wonderful facility for end of life care that is entirely fund raiser driven with no government financial backing. I lost my uncle end of September last year in the Hospice so its very close to my heart. It is also worth noting… I have never boxed before in my life!!

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