Telegraph Taphouse X The Bearded Ox: The Most Unique Pub Tables You’ll Find in Southern Alberta

The Telegraph Taphouse has a long history serving Lethbridge – the building itself is almost 90 years old. So any change to the warm, pub atmosphere has to be done with great respect to all those who have bent their arm at the bar or spent countless hours making conversation around the tables.

So when Ram decided to replace the original tables, he knew the new tables would have to be something special.

“I didn’t want to order new, shiny tables from some catalogue,” Ram said. “It just wouldn’t suit the vibe.”

Instead, he turned to local, custom timber producer and furniture maker, The Bearded Ox, and owner Jake Dennill. 

The resulting tables and all-new bench along the south wall bring a whole new energy to The Telegraph while preserving the cozy atmosphere and strengthening our community ties.

This thick rivulet of blue epoxy doesn’t just catch the eye. It also stabilizes the structure of this solid live-edge ash-wood table.

The change is so drastic, and the tables so beautiful that many people comment on them before they even sit down.

Local creativity meets local tables

When Ram asked The Bearded Ox to create new tables for the Telegraph Taphouse, Jake suggested infusing the eclectic vibe of the pub straight into the tables. To do this, Jake made each table unique by utilizing live edge lumber and a different colour of epoxy for each table.

So, we have one table with a beautiful, turquoise river of epoxy tying together live-edged lumber, while others feature gold, sparkling black, green, or brown etc.

But, what Jake’s really proud of is the continuous bench that runs along the whole south wall. It’s been pieced together and epoxied to create a comfortable 26’ bench that won’t catch or snag.

Overall, the effect on the space is astounding.

Why did we use The Bearded Ox?

Most restaurant decor and gear is sourced from specialty companies. It’s ordered via rep, catalogue, or off the internet from some factory overseas. When getting new tables, we  didn’t want The Telegraph to feel like it cobbled together from catalogues.

Working with the locally-based Bearded Ox is different. Before we ever commissioned him, he had been spent time here, and knew how special it was. So when we asked him to make the new tables, he already had ideas.

“The space is so eclectic,” Jake said. “So we wanted to add to that, and not take away from it.”

That’s because, just like The Telegraph Taphouse, The Bearded Ox is hyper-local, which means that not only is their mill and production all done in Lethbridge, but all their wood comes from the area too.

“Everyone who sits down at those tables has probably driven or walked past the trees when they were standing,” Jake said.

To work with a local company to design and manufacture tables that match our restaurant is amazing. We love that we get to support a passion for workmanship here in Lethbridge.

Live edge lumber with veins of black, gold and glacier-blue

But what really gets our patrons looking at those tables isn’t how local they are, though everyone appreciates it when they find out. What really stands out is how unique they are. 

That’s because for Jake the most beautiful part of the wood is in the imperfections.

“We take [what I think are] the best parts of the wood and save them, which are the products that are imperfect with all the knots, cracking or bark inclusions or things like that” Jake said. “Normally, if you're building a straight boring thing out of wood, that has to be cut out.” 

His passion for beautifully imperfect cuts of lumber, and his ability to mold each piece into a greater whole with coloured epoxy, continues to amaze us.

Want to see more? Check out The Bearded Ox’s Instagram or Facebook page. If you’re looking for a new piece of furniture, or art, that will really wow your guests, we suggest keeping it local and talking to The Bearded Ox. But, if you’re not ready to buy a new piece of furniture, then just come on down to the Telegraph for a pint and to see the new tables. You may find yourself thinking up new reasons to buy something just to stick around longer

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