2nd Jul 2026
Community Hero Award: Celebrating Leonie of The Steamboat, Lossiemouth
In the Saxon King, Romford, Jane, one of our long-term tenants, celebrated her 25th anniversary. Trust Inns had learned that she was planning a huge celebration to mark this momentous occasion. But first, our marketing team wanted to talk to Jane and reminisce with her of the beginnings of it all.We had a great phone talk with Jane and learned a lot about how the Saxon king has changed over the past 25 years, as well as the specific meaning it has to her.
The team aimed to start the discussion by finding out what first attracted the tenant to the Saxon and its location in 2000. She said ‘To begin with, at first glance it did look a bit drab but it was an older generation than myself at the time being 29 when I got the pub. But I didn’t really think about that, I just saw the layout and liked it instantly, I saw the potential. One think that attracted me to the site was the huge garden, which has been the asset to the pub also’
When Jane first became the tenant, we were curious to know what she had in mind for the Saxon King at the time. She said ‘I just really wanted to get into it and make a change. There was no entertainment or anything going on at all, it was just a typical old man’s pub you know? But I just went for it. It wasn’t easy as I did have some controversy at the start with these events as the regulars would sort of boycott and go to other pubs so evidently they weren’t too pleased to begin with, but it was just the initial change I think. Once we all got to know each other over time, we just never looked back’.
Pubs and publicans are the heroes at the heart of community life and create social value. We wanted to know about the Saxon King’s impact on Romford residents both then and now, as well as what makes Jane enjoy her work. Jane responded to the question by saying ‘It has always been about the community and relationships with the people who come here. It’s like the little things you know? For example, remembering their wife’s or their children’s names, just those little touches go such a long way. We brought a lot to the pub which created the older generations to bring their children, and then grandchildren and the list just goes on. So over the 25 years, I’ve seen the generations coming through and they go ‘you know my dad’ ‘you know my grandad’ which is lovely. Evidently she touched on what she loves about how the pub has evolved and she finished this question by saying ‘the pub is such a big part of my life.’ Which is shown through her longstanding time at the Saxon King and her continuous passion.
As mentioned earlier, Jane wanted to celebrate her anniversary by bringing everyone together for a big party. The event featured entertainment for all ages, including a bouncy castle for the kids, a live band and DJ, and the newly opened outdoor bar. We sat down with her to reflect on the day and how everything went: ‘The 25th year anniversary event was fantastic. There was over 250 people that turned up throughout the day. It was just heaving with people. Old faces, new faces, families and their children. It was just amazing. I had a friend come all the way from Dorset who used to play the bongos for us so it was a special day and so much effort was made for it’. She also mentioned that there were plenty of photos and a video compilation, including stunning drone footage — a fantastic way to capture and remember such a special day! It’s clear that Jane and her pub are truly cherished by both the regulars and the wider community. Moments like these really reflect our motto: ‘better pubs through better people’.
Lastly we asked the business development manager, Ged, to tell us how his experience has been with working with Jane over the years. Ged stated: ‘Over the years, Jane has continually evolved and adapted the business to move with the times. Most recently, we’ve worked together on a joint investment in the garden, including a fully kitted-out food container – a great example of her vision and drive to keep the pub thriving. Jane isn’t just a great operator; she’s part of the family – both to her community and to Trust Inns. Her loyalty, hard work, and passion are truly appreciated, and I personally want to thank her for everything she has done over the past 25 years at The Saxon King.’
Here’s to the next chapter — and many more years of success to come!.
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