THESE photos provide a first glimpse inside a revamped pub, Indian restaurant and sports bar ahead of its grand reopening.
The Red Lion in Witley Road, Holt Heath, near Worcester welcomes its first customers from tomorrow (Friday) afternoon after an extensive refurbishment and dramatic transformation.
The pub, which has been closed for over three years, is now under the management of father-and-son team, Jaswender Singh, 65, and Sat Chahal, 40 after they transformed it inside and out with help from villagers and tradesmen.
When all aspects of the business are fully open the Red Lion will be a hub for the village - a pub, sports bar, Indian restaurant, coffee shop and mixed grill all under one roof.
Mr Singh said: "I'm looking forward to meeting all the people who have given us so much encouragement and community support. The community support has been absolutely brilliant throughout."
From tomorrow (Friday) customers will able to enjoy beer and lager at the bar including Cobra, Peroni, Doom Bar, Carling, Guinness, Madrí Excepcional and Level Head from Greene King.
The mixed grill and tandoori food will be available immediately ahead of the Indian restaurant opening. The restaurant itself is expected to open within 10 days when customers will be able to have sit down meals with a full menu. In the day, the aim is that the restaurant will also be a coffee shop.
A sports bar will show a variety of sports from Sky Sports and TNT Sports on three 75 inch screens.
There is a large beer garden outside with extensive seating after villagers mucked in and provided help to spruce up the space.
As previously reported, the pub was acquired by new management after a family from Birmingham took it over.
The business will be a pub, Indian restaurant, grill bar with a children-friendly beer garden and play area with the car park now back in use.
Mr Singh also wished to thank the community for their 'encouragement and good wishes' on the Holt Millennium Green Trust Facebook page.
"With the support of the locals I would like to bring this wonderful place back into a place of pride for the local community," he said.
The Red Lion went under the hammer in July but did not fetch the minimum asking price, then £475,000 according to Cottons the auctioneers.
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Many residents recalled with fondness what they said was the heyday of the once 'thriving' pub under former landlord, Derek Hine.
The pub closed in November 2020. A planning application has been submitted by George Windsor for two homes at the back of the site although a decision on the proposal has yet to be reached by Malvern Hills District Council.
Previous plans to demolish the pub and replace it with six four-bed houses were rejected by planners after the pub was deemed to be an important community asset. However, a separate plan that would see the pub renovated was approved.
Several plans for the pub have been put forward since it closed and at one stage it looked as though the once-popular watering hole would be torn down to make way for housing.
However, planners at Malvern Hills District Council rejected the demolition plan saying the pub was an important community asset that needed protecting but did approve a separate plan that would see the pub renovated alongside new en-suite bedrooms.
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