Neil Morrissey and Richard Fox open Yorkshire pub

Actor Neil Morrissey and TV chef Richard Fox have opened their first pub venture, Ye Olde Punch Bowl Inn in North Yorkshire.

Actors from TV series 'Coronation Street' and 'Emmerdale' were among the more than 100 guests at the VIP opening of the pub, in Marton-cum-Grafton, North Yorkshire.

Guests were served unique canapes featuring traditional produce, including pork crackling, rabbit nuggets and smoked eel. They also had the chance to try a beer created especially for the pub, Morrissey Fox Blonde Ale, which will be made in a brewhouse behind the pub.

The refurbishment of the pub and development of the brewhouse have been filmed by Channel 4, with three hour-long documentaries under the working title 'Perfect Pint' due to be broadcast in the autumn.

Neil Morrissey, best known for his role in 'Men Behaving Badly' and currently starring in school drama 'Waterloo Road', told ThePublican.com: "Pubs are very important, they should be at the heart of communities. This village only has the pub and the post office left, and out first priority is to restore the pub's place at the centre of village life."

The Beautiful Beer campaign is supporting the pub, having provided its branded, stemmed half-pint glasses to the pub, as well as staff shirts, launch party invitations and beer lists carrying the Beautiful Beer logo.

Richard Fox said: "We are grateful for the support from Beautiful Beer. We share the campaign's goal of reinvigorating the beer category and introducing new drinkers to our wonderful, national drink, so it is a happy partnership."