The pub, also named Dorset Dining Pub of the Year, will get a six-figure investment from the brewery and the revamp is said to be one of the largest single refurbishments undertaken by the Bridport-based brewery.
By 1 May next year, the pub will have 12 letting rooms instead of six, more eating and drinking space, a new kitchen and new bathrooms.
Lee said: “It’s not great timing, as we’re shut from 10 October. We’ll lose some short-term trade, definitely, but in the longer term it’s a nice bonus.
“We’ll be able to reopen with these awards under our belt, as recognition of what we’ve done for the past two years. The pub will look different and it will be more comfortable, but in terms of what you get on a daily basis, it won’t change one jot.
“We always run a bar menu — fish and chips, sausage and mash, corned beef hash, pie of the day, all quite reasonably priced, and then there’s another menu that is more expensive and more involved — Lyme Bay scallops with ham hock croquettes and cauliflower purée as a starter, for example.
“We’ve embraced the countryside, the traditional country-pub dishes, but we’ve given a modern spin to the food.”
Lee used to own five pubs in London and was also a Michelin Guide inspector and a consultant to several five-star international
hotel chains.
