The Hastings, located on Clay Lane in Coventry, was the first to benefit from the cash injection, reopening on Friday 1 August with an evening of live entertainment and a DJ set.
Following an investment of almost £380,000, the new-look pub features a more spacious open plan layout with a new central bar.
New furniture, flooring, fixtures and fittings were also introduced alongside six flat screen televisions, a pool table and an interactive darts board.
Outside, the Hastings boasts new lighting, signage and furniture in its revamped beer garden, which has seating for more than 100 people. The outdoor area also features two heaters, a pergola and a 65-inch external television screen.
Brilliant community pub
Commenting on the refurbishment, operator Stuart Forbes said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be at the helm of the Hastings – having grown up in the local area and spent the last 12-years working in the industry, it was an opportunity I couldn’t resist.
“I’d like to thank the team at Proper Pubs for believing in me and for all the support in bringing our vision for this brilliant community pub to life.”
Wishing Forbes and the team at the Hastings luck for the future, Proper Pubs operations director Matthew Gurney added: “I’m confident [Forbes’] hands-on experience, combined with his knowledge and passion for the local community, will be the key to enabling him to create a thriving social hub where residents can come together.”
The Chester-based pubco also pumped £170,000 into the historic Kings Head in Atherton, which welcomed customers back through the door on Friday 8 August with a performance form local musicians and a live DJ set.
Formerly known as the Weavers Rest, the Market Place site has been restored to its former glory after the refurbishment uncovered original internal and external tiling dating back to the 1800s.
Inside, the pub boasts a neutral, earthy colour palette, a new bar area, new furniture and traditional wooden-style flooring as well as quirky new fixtures and fittings in keeping with the pub’s historic charm. Several flat screen televisions and a new pool table and darts board have also been introduced.
Meanwhile the outdoor area has received new lighting and signage to compliment the bottle green tiling.
Operator of the Kings Head Cameron Warburton said it had been a “very exciting journey” to restore the pub and its “wonderful traditional features”.
Regarding the Kings Head, Gurney added: “The pub looks absolutely fantastic and I’m thrilled opening night was so successful. I look forward to seeing our operators bring the Kings Arms back to the heart of the community and I wish them the very best of luck for this next chapter.”
Ongoing support
The Royal George Tavern, on Main Street in Shildon County Durham, also relaunched on Friday 8 August with an evening of live entertainment.
Following an investment of more than £340,000, the pub benefitted from the addition of a new bar and games room, complete with an Omni Target dart board and professional grade pool table, along with multiple flat screen televisions.
As part of the investment, new flooring, fixtures, fittings and furniture were also installed, along with new lighting and signage outside and a refresh of the pub’s beer garden, which seats up to 50 people.
Operator of the Royal George Tavern, Beth Finch said: “Bringing our vision for the pub to life has been a really exciting process and I can’t believe how fantastic it looks.
“I’d like to thank everyone at Proper Pubs, the fantastic team here at the Royal George and of course the wonderful people of Shildon for all their ongoing support throughout this journey”.
Proper Pubs operations director Nikki Greenhalgh thanked the team at the Royal George for their “incredible efforts” so far and wished them the “very best of luck for the future”.
As part of the award-winning Proper Pubs division, which operates more than 200 sites across the UK, each pub offers Sky and TNT Sports, showcasing a variety of sporting events.
In addition, the trio of sites will also focus on supporting their communities through fundraising and offer a regular schedule of entertainment alongside a wide range of drinks promotions throughout the week.
