Doors to the gardens of wonderful pubs in Basingstoke will open from Monday as government further relaxes lockdown measures.
Several pubs in Basingstoke shared their excitement of reopening after a difficult and long lockdown as they look forward to inviting customers to their gardens.
One of such pubs is Spruce Goose Beefeater, which has undergone several renovations during the lockdown.
Lee Hamerston, the general manager of Spruce Goose Beefeater, said he can’t wait for his pub to reopen.
“We’re itching to go,” Lee said.
“Our garden used to seat about 40 people. But now we can seat around 240 people.
“It’s still not exactly how I wanted but the progress we have made is fantastic. We have got lots of new benches, umbrellas and a brand-new deck that seats 36 people.
“We got a huge back garden area that wasn’t there before. It was just bush. We cut all the garden and turned it into seating area. We also got new speakers to entertain our customers.”
The renovations have been made with a significant investment though.
“Initially we spent around £20,000 for getting the pub Covid secure during the first lockdown. We installed lots of screens during that time," Lee added.
“Now for the garden, [we have spent] another good £20,000.”
The renovations are expected to attract more customers as Lee has already received bookings of 400 people for the first week.
“In the second, week we have bookings from around 400-500 people,” Lee added.
The Holly Blue in Basingstoke is another pub that is looking forward to meeting customers again when it reopens next week.
George Robertson, General Manager of The Holly Blue, said: “The team and I are really looking forward to welcoming guests back home again to the Holly Blue.
"Even though the building was finished a year ago, we have only managed to welcome guests for just over nine weeks so far due to the pandemic. We know there are still a lot of people wanting to visit us safely for the first time.
“We are now ready to reopen for outdoor hospitality and have an amazing 80 cover marquee outside, very much in keeping with the look and feel of the Holly Blue itself.”
Meanwhile, work is still in progress at The Rising Sun in Basingstoke. Kevin Divall said they have set out a large garden, some covered and marquee seating, for reopening.
Despite the easing of lockdown, one thing the pub owners hoping is that the weather be kind to them.
With the waterholes moving its business fully outdoor, it is key that the weather remains good.
Old House at Home Newnham in Hook will have four cabins in the back garden when it opens, but the staff are hoping for finer weather than the current week.
Spruce Goose Beefeater’s Lee also said all his excitement will be based on the weather next week.
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