Historic Birmingham Jewellery Quarter pub set for £275,000 makeover & craft beer fans will be delighted

An historic Grade II listed pub on the edge of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter is set for a two-month refurbishment starting next week (January 22).

The £275,000 investment is set to transform The Queens Arms on Newhall Street which will specialise in craft beer. 

Built in the 1870s, The Queens Arms is known for its distinctive decorative exterior and art nouveau-style tiled signage. Its other more recent claim to fame is appearing in the television drama Line of Duty. 

The project is being undertaken by Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars and will see Birmingham resident, Oral Anderson, take the helm as the new licensee. Work starts on January 22 and the pub will reopen in mid-March, creating 15 new jobs. 

What to expect as The Queens Arms pub undergoes a £275,000 makeover

The owners have pledged that the works will carefully restore the exterior of The Queens Arms, cleaning the faience and coloured tiling. Following listed building consent, the woodwork will be repainted a dark heritage grey to enhance the pub’s period details. 

A sheltered rear courtyard will get a makeover, too, with festoon lighting, an eye-catching mural and new furniture for 37 people. A covered section will be installed to - to enable year-round use whatever the weather. 

The owners say that the inside of The Queens Arms will be sensitively refurbished in keeping with the building, bringing out all its character whilst updating it with a more stylish urban look. 

Features such as the old fireplace, wooden bar and flooring and exposed brickwork will be carefully restored and given pride of place alongside contemporary furniture, artwork and lighting. The scheme will also bring a first-floor room into full-time use as another space, seating 26 customers. 

Have you got more information about the drinks and craft beer at The Queens Arms?

Oral says he aims to put the pub on the map for the quality of its drinks. To that end, the cellar is being overhauled and a new state-of-the-art dispense system installed to ensure consistently perfect pints. 

The pub will have five craft beers on the bar with more in cans and bottles and two cask ales on tap. There also will be a wide selection of premium lagers, spirits and wines, plus cocktails and barista-quality coffee. 

The revamp will give The Queens Arms a relaxed atmosphere where customers can enjoy socialising and chatting over drinks, as well as activities such as quiz and comedy nights.

‘It’s a beautiful old pub’

Oral, who has lived in Birmingham for nearly 20 years, has worked in pubs across the West Midlands. The Queens Arms is the first pub of his own. Says Oral: It’s a beautiful old pub with a really friendly feel in a lovely part of the city. I feel tremendously lucky to be taking on such a well-known pub. The designs are stunning and should help The Queens Arms complement all the other individual businesses that make this area so vibrant.  I can’t wait to open the doors.”

Adds Lee Dishington, Star Pubs & Bars’ investment manager for Birmingham: “We’re delighted to be investing in such a landmark Birmingham pub to keep it thriving for the long term. We’ve taken real care to preserve The Queens Arms’ unique features and at the same time upgrade it throughout to create a really fantastic pub that adds to the existing eclectic mix of pubs around St Paul’s Square.”