Gloucestershire pub reopens after refurbishment

A Gloucestershire pub has reopened following a major refurbishment.

The Victoria Inn, in Brockworth, is one of 600 pubs being revived as part of a £39m investment programme by Heineken.

Kirsty Jones, who has been brought in to manage the inn, said: "The pub was run down and very outdated, it has probably been a good 30 years since a proper refurb has happened.

"It's brought the pub back into the 21st century and made it more modernised."

Brockworth is growing, with many new homes being built in the area, something the new pub management hope will benefit them.

Ms Jones said: "There are a lot more new faces than compared to before. It's really important (to the local community) because they need somewhere to go that's not just an eatery.

"They need somewhere they can go to relax, have a few games of pool, play some darts and just have fun."

She said attitudes have changed since the Covid-19 pandemic.

"People come out now more for the experience," she said.

"They want the full experience if they are having food. People are taking fewer days out but are spending more."

Heineken said that because working from home had become more common, it would be concentrating on "transforming tired pubs in suburban areas".

The company said that by the end of this year, its UK operation will have reopened 156 pubs since the start of 2023, returning the number of pubs closing to "pre-pandemic levels".