A pub that has been shut since the first national lockdown has reopened - and the landlord is hoping that customers will turn out to support the new venture.
Anthony Allum has given The Cross Keys in Eppleby a full refurbishment after the pub shut in early 2020 and never re-opened due to the previous owner's ill health.
And it opened for the first time since then on Friday night (October 14).
Sadly many North East pubs have been forced to close in recent months due to spiralling energy prices and whilst Anthony admitted opening one in the current economic climate 'wasn't ideal' he is hoping customers will turn out in numbers to support it.
He said: “It (energy prices) has been a concern these last few months as we neared completion, but I have already invested too much.
“You have just got to hope the government does something about it.
“The price cap has helped a bit; I had heard of people being quoted between 80p and £1 per unit for commercial premises and it has now dropped to 40p or 50p, which isn’t great but better than it was.”
And his message to would-be customers is: “I would just say please try us out and please support your local pub, not necessarily us, any local pub because they all need it.”
The Cross Keys is in the Richmondshire village of Eppleby nine miles west of Darlington and the same distance north from Richmond.
Chef John Shotton and his partner Catherine Edmondson, who ran the Alliance Cafe in Darlington, will be providing home-cooked meals during food serving hours.
The pub opens at 5pm this evening and its regular opening hours will be: Monday 7pm to 11pm (no food); Tuesday to Friday 5pm to 11pm; Saturday noon to 11pm and Sunday noon to 10.30pm with no food served in the evening.
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