Telford pub to reopen after £250,000 revamp as exciting community plans are revealed

Jayne and Joe Bushell, who have more than 15-years working in the hospitality industry, will be behind the bar.

The pair previously ran one of Admiral’s leased and tenanted pubs, The Ford Green in Stoke, and are hoping to create a family and dog-friendly social hub for local residents to enjoy.

Jayne said: “The pub looks fantastic, and we can’t believe the transformation.

"We’re really excited to get behind the bar, meet all our customers and support our local community.

"We’ll be starting off by collecting food for a local food bank, and raising donations to get a defibrillator and ‘Control The Bleed’ kit installed.

"Pubs are the hub of their community, and we can’t wait to be the hub of Telford.”

The pub has been completely transformed, with a full internal revamp, including a new bar area.

It is divided into two main spaces – the Lounge and Vault – and both include brand-new fixtures, fittings, flooring and furniture.

The Lounge offers customers somewhere to socialise with friends and families, while the Vault has a flat-screen television, two pool tables and three dart boards.

The pub also has a refurbished garden area which features brand-new wooden benches, newly planted greenery, and lighting.

Steph Briggs, regional business development manager for Proper Pubs, said community work was very much the focus, supporting people through an array of events and charity fundraising initiatives, from Easter egg collections to local foodbank donations and charity walks.

She added: "We want to be a pub for all. All of our pubs have been set a challenge to raise £1,500 to have a defibrillator installed on their buildings.

"We have 170 pubs and 70 per cent of them have raised that money already, through the community, and defibrillators have been used in our pubs, across the country, 15 times in the last six months, to save someone's life. That's something we are very proud of."

On the revamp, she added: "It's a gorgeous turnaround. This pub has been closed a long time so it's about time people started reopening pubs and not closing them.

"We absolutely saw the potential around Telford and the need for a good community pub that welcomes people from zero to 100-years-old and that's what we hope we have created. We have kept the prices low and have live entertainment but in a way which will be respectful for the people who live near us and drink with us."

Matthew Gurney, operations director for Proper Pubs, said: “The team has worked hard on the refurbishment and we would like to wish our community heroes, Jayne and Joe, every inch of success for the future in making The Bridge Inn a fantastic hub of the community”.

The opening weekend will be packed full of entertainment including a live music performance from The June Collins Band and a buffet on Friday from 8pm.

On Saturday, the pub will host a live performance at 8pm from singer-songwriter, Levi Knapper, and on Sunday customers can look forward to an afternoon of family karaoke starting at 3pm.