A country pub near Highbridge has re-opened this week, five years after closing down.
The Watchfield Inn had been closed since the start of 2015 but has been taken over by landlord Nick Moles, pictured.
Talking to Burnham-On-Sea.com, Nick says: “I previously ran a successful carvery restaurant for five years – The Greedy Goose at Long Ashton – and wanted to take on a new venture.”
“We’ve had lots of positive feedback from locals already, with some thanking us for re-opening the pub.”
“We intend to make this an ongoing project – we have already modernised the bar areas, added extra outdoor seating, and we plan to refurbish the skittles alley and the function room.”
“We have introduced a full menu of fresh, home-cooked food including steaks and other specials with the meat sourced locally. We also plan to add local real ales if there’s demand.”
“We have social distancing and Covid-19 safety measures in place in line with the Government’s measures.”
The pub also has a 24-pitch camping site attached to it, which has been busy over the last few days during the warm weather.
The re-opening is the latest chapter to a long-running saga about its future.
Back in 2015, a campaign was launched to save the Watchfield Inn from developers in a bid to safeguard the pub’s future.
In 2018, plans to install 100 Portakabins next to the pub to serve as temporary accommodation for Hinkley Point workers were scrapped following a public outcry.
Local resident Alistair Gordon told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “I am sure all in our local community will welcome the Watchfield Inn and campsite opening again now and we give them best wishes for the future in such tricky times.”
“The Parish Council had the pub listed as a community asset on everyone’s behalf when it was first threatened with closure five years ago, unaware that it would be quite as long and much work later before it eventually re-opened to the public.”
