Shrewsbury town centre pub set to reopen as new owners outline plans and make visual changes
A popular town centre pub that closed last year when the previous owner and manager decided to call time at the venue is set to reopen soon.
The Coach & Horses in Swan Hill, Shrewsbury, last welcomed customers in October last year, after being put on the market several months earlier.
Its has now been bought by the owners of La Mer Rouge, the seafood restaurant in Mardol.
In a Facebook post, the owners said: "We fell in love with the Coach & Horses long time ago, me personally was gutted when I stopped there one Sunday afternoon and it was shut! When we got offered the place there was no hesitation, we were on."
The Victorian pub has a wood-panelled bar, a small side snug area and a large lounge where meals were served under the previous management.
The pub consistently featured in CAMRA’S Good Beer Guide, and head chef John Barton was once a finalist on MasterChef.
Previously Ross Ireland owned the pub since 2003 until last year when he decided to retire, while Dean Morris, who had been manager for 20 of his 33 years at the pub, also looked to slow down.
The new owners say work has been ongoing to freshen the place up, with a promise that they are "we are keeping the characters of the place as it is", and "not changing much" as they give it some "much-needed" love and care.
Customers will notice changes on the outside, with the cream exterior with dark green window and door surrounds replaced with white and grey, while the horse and stagecoach signs have made way for a more colourful design.
"Local real Ales will be back on, great new choices of lager and ciders, screens to show the sports, and we will be serving food as well," the owners continued. "Classic British cuisine with modern twist, Sunday lunches and possibly carvery on Sunday.
"We can’t wait to open the doors and get this beautiful place back to business and having it buzzing again after it has been closed for a while."
Bosses have started recruiting for front of house, kitchen staff and chefs and ask for anyone with experience in hospitality and looking for a job to send their CV to lamerrouge.Shrewsbury@outlook.com, or to visit La Mer Rouge.
