BRINGING back the “Great British pub” is a promise made by a publican who has taken over the reins at a once-popular establishment in Barnard Castle.
Warren Kreft hopes “good food and drink at good prices” will have customers flocking through the doors at the Red Well Inn, in Harmire Road. The pub reopened this week.
He said: “The concept I am trying to put over is bringing back the Great British pub.
“The beers we’ll have on tap will have a range of good, quality British-brewed ale and the food is all locally sourced.
“I’m not trying to go for the high-end market. I want to provide good quality food at reasonable prices to bring the community in.
“We’ve designed a whole set of new menus and taken care to make sure there is something for everyone and we do have vegan and vegetarian options, as well as a special kids menu.”
The pub itself has been given a refurbishment with new decor to the exterior and interior.
He added: “I wanted to make it an appealing location – somewhere inviting where we can celebrate all things British from beer to Sunday roasts.”
Mr Kreft says one of the most popular features at his other two establishments in Stapleton and Darlington are the Sunday carveries which feature up to 15 cuts of meat.
Mr Kreft said: “For me there is nothing better than a Sunday roast – you can’t beat it. The carvery is really popular at the Bridge Inn and we usually do around 500 to 600 covers a week, so this is something we will be concentrating on here.”
The pub has been given a dramatic refurbishment creating a contemporary but traditional feel to the bar and dining areas. Portraits of well-known British figures hang between historic images of Teesdale and a water feature has been installed in the main bar area – a nod to the pub’s namesake, the Red Well across the road.
