COSY, charming and full of history.
That's how our Pub of the Week, The Fish Inn has been described.
Located on the outskirts of Ringwood, the 16th century thatched, riverside pub managed by Butcombe Brewery is the ideal location for a hearty, traditional pub meal in a cosy and comfortable location.
For the past six years, The Fish Inn has been managed by Jude Karelus, while her husband Simon has taken on the mantle of head chef with son Charlie the second chef.
"It's a family affair," said Jude.
"Our riverside garden with views along the banks of the Avon sets us apart from other pubs, especially in Ringwood. The pub has a lot of history, and we have local photos on the walls of yesteryears.
"We offer traditional pub food and British classics, but we raise the bar a bit. We also offer adventurous specials as well as fresh fish.
"Our focus for the menu is locally sourced produce, seasonal ingredients and pub classics."
The Fish Inn staff pride themselves on their customer service which is an integral part of the pub.
Jude said: "We try to make people, of all ages, feel welcome. We're always delighted to see them and make that customer experience in the pub a bit more special.
"I have a great team behind me and they work so hard. It's all down to them, our success."
The Fish Inn had a windy and wet reopening on Saturday, May 15 after being closed due to the third national lockdown.
Despite the rough start, the pub has been welcoming customers inside for indoor dining.
Jude said: "We reopened on Saturday, May 15 and had two days of outdoor dining, which was disastrous due to the weather. We have been offering indoor dining since Monday, when restrictions eased.
"I was absolutely delighted to see all our customers again, we had all of our locals come back to the pub too."
Plans for the future remain uncertain for The Fish Inn, but Jude is determined to offer events, including their popular gin festival.
She said: "The past year has been very difficult, but we're very lucky to have had the backing of the brewery and we're so glad to have had help from them.
"At the moment, I don't want to plan too much for the future as things can change so quickly.
"We're well known for our gin festival, and I long to do it again. But it's a lot too organise as we host it in the garden with a marquee and live music. As soon as things are looking more positive, the gin festival will be on the agenda. It will be something to look forward to.
"I want to host speciality food evenings in the future as well.
"We will advertise everything on social media when we can."
To keep up to date with The Fish Inn, visit: https://www.facebook.com/fishinnringwood
Butcombe Brewery, who manages The Fish Inn, recently picked up the coveted 'Best Managed Pub Company' award at the Morning Advertiser Publican Awards 2021.
To nominate your favourite pub for Pub of the Week, email: maya.george@bournemouthecho.co.uk
Or, click the link below.
Pub of the Week
We will be voting for our favourite pub every week to give the hospitality sector a welcome boost
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