History...
The Old Post Office, as its name suggests was originally the main post office for the historic market town of Wallingford, and was the second site to be developed by the award winning Oakman Inns & Restaurants team. The Old Post Office pub and restaurant opened its doors in December 2008 as our modern take on a traditional public house.
Peter Borg-Neal, Managing Director of Oakman Inns and Restaurants Ltd, has spent his entire career developing and operating public houses and restaurants. His vision for The Akeman, the first pub in the Oakman Inns & Restaurant family, was for a modern public house and restaurant that sat at the heart of the community. This meant being able to meet the requirements of the modern customer while retaining all the traditional benefits of warmth, hospitality, and comfort of a local pub. Great food and drink was another important part of this concept. The immediate success of The Akeman gave Peter the opportunity to launch a second property in the same style and The Old Post Office was born.
In 2009 the team behind The Akeman won the Publican Award for the Best Design, and later in the year was nominated as one of only four finalists for Drinks Pub of the Year.
Oakman Inns and Restaurants has since added The Red Lion, Water End, near Hemel Hempstead to its portfolio. The Red Lion has just been refurbished and re-opened in December 2009.
Wallingford
Wallingford is a town steeped in history. From the medieval bridge over the Thames to the grassy banks of its ancient fortifications, it proclaims a colourful past. It's a town of surprises with the bustle of the Market Place and the tranquillity of the quiet back-streets - a place to explore.
It was the river that first attracted settlers to the area and in the Bronze and Iron Ages the rich soils encouraged farming communities. The Romans in turn left traces of occupation - burials, roads, coins and pottery, but it was left to the Anglo-Saxons to build the first town and by 1066, Wallingford was the leading town in Berkshire.
Today Wallingford is a thriving market town with a Friday Market and a good mixture of small businesses, long-established family shops, supermarkets, pubs and restaurants that the Old Post Office is proud to be part of.
The People...
Peter Borg-Neal
Managing Director
Peter has spent his career developing and operating public houses and restaurants. He was the Founder and Managing Director of the very popular Forno Vivo Pizzerias’ in Tring and Wallingford. He previously had a corporate career with Allied Domecq and Whitbread.
Peter is a huge rugby fan and is a supporter of Tring Rugby Club, where he referees and trains the under 15’s. As well as being a lover of great food and drink, he likes to travel and is addicted to keeping his Facebook account up to date, being as he says himself, ‘a man of extremes’! He has 4 kids and a black Labrador puppy called Woody.
Fawlty Towers may be one of his favourite TV programs, but when it comes to the hospitality business Peter is a driving force in professionalism and creativity.
Raffaelo Mercurio
Operations Director
Raff has a lifetime of experience in restaurant operations. Having started his career in his native Italy, he moved to Brighton in the late 1960’s to improve his English and learn about hotel management. Once here he fell in love and he never went back.
In the mid 1970’s he decided to move from hotel management to catering and then in the late 1990’s he met Peter. In 2000, the idea of Forno Vivo was born, bringing Raff to Tring and making him the face of good hospitality here ever since.
After the sale of Forno Vivo, Raff worked very closely with Peter on the concept for the Akeman and future Oakman Inns & Restaurants properties and is now our very respected Operations Director and general Godfather! Raff has two grown-up children and two small grandchildren to keep him busy in any time he is allowed off.
© Oakman Inns & Restaurants Ltd 2009