A NEW pub is set to be created on Solihull High Street.
Solihull Council has entered an agreement with Heartwood Inns to transform the former Missoula and Luna unit into a contemporary ‘pub with rooms’ in a bid to breathe a new lease of life into the prominent listed building.
In a nod to the area’s natural heritage, Heartwood has announced that the site will be renamed The Muddy Fox.
With the name Solihull said to derive from the ‘soily hill’ on which St Alphege church stands, the name pays tribute to the pub’s former identity while also reflecting the area’s history.
Heartwood Inns is part of the Heartwood Collection, backed by Alchemy Partners – an award-winning group of pubs and brasseries at the heart of their communities.
The acquisition will see The Muddy Fox undergo a multi-million-pound refurbishment, creating 25 bedrooms alongside a landscaped terrace and garden, offering a series of intimate spaces for guests.
On opening, The Muddy Fox will become Heartwood’s ninth pub with rooms, its first pub with rooms in the West Midlands, and will take the group’s total room count to almost 300.
Councillor Ian Courts, cabinet member for Managed Growth at Solihull Council, said: “The Muddy Fox will be a wonderful addition to Solihull.
“The development represents a significant boost for our town centre, helping to strengthen the local economy, creating jobs and increasing footfall on our high street.
“As well as enhancing this prominent building, it also supports our wider ambition to create a welcoming, high‑quality evening and leisure offer.
“We look forward to the benefits it will bring to residents, visitors, and local businesses.”
Richard Ferrier, Heartwood Collection chief executive, said: “We are delighted to be working with Solihull Council on the transformation of this characterful old coaching inn. We intend to invest significantly in the property with the aim of creating a beautiful pub with rooms that will reopen as The Muddy Fox and once again be a valued part of Solihull’s town centre.”
Heartwood Inns will now begin working on a detailed planning application, which will be submitted to Solihull Council for consideration this spring.
If the plans are approved, work is expected to begin later this year.
