A BURTON pub that underwent an extensive £2 million refurbishment and reopened just before the first national lockdown has been crowned Pub of the Week.
Despite its rocky start after opening amid the coronavirus pandemic, The Bear of Burton has welcomed success in light of troubling times.
The pub, named in a nod to former Burton resident and author of Goldilocks and The Three Bears, Robert Southey, is situated on the outskirts of Christchurch in Salisbury Road.
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- PICTURES: The Bear of Burton reopens after £2m refurb
- 'Contemporary pub' that boasts award-winning food is crowned Pub of the Week
Since its refurbishment, The Bear of Burton has retained its traditional country manor charm whilst boasting modern facilities.
General Manager, Tania Cook said: "We have ten beautiful bedrooms all refurbished to a high standard and include mini fridges, Nespresso coffee machines and Monsoon showers.
"Our huge terrace seating area catches the sun from the morning until sunset, and our Tack Room is dog friendly and a more informal space.
"Different sections of the business can be used for different things. For example, our beautiful library hosted one of our Cubs’ (my nickname for the staff) wedding last year. It was lovely to do a function for one of our own.
"We’re in a great position as we’re not far from the coast or the New Forest. We get quite a lot of people doing cycling holidays.
"There is so much around this area and we’re fortunate to be in such a prime location."
On top of amazing rooms and facilities, the pub's staff are very passionate about service and, of course, food.
Tania said: "Our goal is to have food at the heart of this business and provide quality, cooked food.
"Our Cubs also make everybody welcome so service and food are key drivers for the pub.
"We provide fresh produce cooked by our local chef David Basher who is really passionate about producing good food. Now we have a chance to show people what we can do.
"Breakfast is served from 8am, with lunch served from noon. We also offer cakes for those who want something lighter.
"We have Chef’s Signatures as well as our normal menu, which change a couple of times a week for the benefit of those who are staying with us."
Now the pub has a chance to showcase itself to the community, plans are in motion for future events.
Tania said: "For the future we’re looking at bringing live music back into the site. It will be nice for people to sit in the sunshine, listening to some lovely music and drinking a cool glass of wine.
"We're also hosting Shakespeare in the Park which sold out in four weeks.
"It has been lovely getting our regulars back and seeing familiar faces return. We want to get back to normal after what has been a very difficult time."
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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