A pub licensee is celebrating the opening of a company's 'biggest' refurbishment investment.
Fiona Beck, who has 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, said she was 'thrilled' to reopen the traditional 18th Century coaching inn The Coach and Horses, in Priestpopple, Hexham, following a transformational £700,000 investment.
Fiona took on the new business after her 'success' with her first pub with Admiral Taverns, The County Hotel in Hexham.
“I have loved every minute of running The County Hotel with Admiral Taverns so when the opportunity to take over The Coach and Horses came up I couldn’t refuse it," Fiona said.
"It had always been my dream to become my own boss and run my own pub so the fact I now run two incredible Hexham pubs is fantastic.
"I am so excited to re-establish its presence within the area and showcase its refreshed look to new and existing customers.”
With Admiral Taverns and Fiona's investment of £460,000, the pub was awarded £240,000 by Northumberland County Council and Historic England through the Hexham High Streets Heritage Action Zone scheme (HSHAZ).
With the funding, the designers were able to join two separate buildings and create six newly-decorated bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms.
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Admiral Taverns’ business development manager Stephen Birkett, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the refurbishment of The Coach and Horses.
"It looks fantastic. It’s been a pleasure working alongside Northumberland County Council and Historic England and supporting Fiona to bring her vision come to life.
"I have no doubt that she is the perfect licensee to take the pub forward, a cornerstone of her community and she has really brought people together.
"We wish her the best of luck and can’t wait to see what the future holds for this brilliant local pub.”
Jules Brown, from Historic England, added: “Grants are available to help renovate and restore some key historic buildings, which help to give Hexham such a strong sense of place and character.
"It’s great to see the funding being used to bring buildings like The Coach and Horses back to life so they can be used and enjoyed by local people and visitors alike.”
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