Town pub to bounce back

A once thriving Shropshire pub which has undergone a £50,000 revamp is set to bounce back as a free house despite the recession.

After being closed for about two years, The Anchor, in Pepper Street, Whitchurch, is due to open to the public next Tuesday as a bar and restaurant specialising in traditional English pub grub.

The revamp has created about 10 full and part-time jobs. The pub, believed to be more than 350 years old, was bought by Ron Erison, Jim Hay and Gerald Dakin, who spied a gap in the market for a traditional English watering hole.

The three have chosen Brian Williams, who runs the Bulls Head pub in Watergate Street, as the new tenant.

Mr Williams, 58, said the opening coincided with a project to revamp High Street and Pepper Street, which will see buildings on the street get a makeover and new shops created.

He said the recession had failed to deter him and his team in reopening the pub.

He said: "We haven't really faced any challenges as this pub is in a good situation and was popular beforehand.

"We knew Whitchurch needed a good English pub and restaurant which serves good honest food. There's a 50-seater restaurant and we aren't tied to any brewery so we are starting out with a few real ales and going from there.

"In the kitchen we have a great father and son team and the menu is going to be simple but will change each week."