Operators Rodger Scotton and Justine McKenzie have taken on their second pub with Greene King Pub Partners, The Royal Oak in St Ives, Cambridgeshire.
The pub, which had previously been closed for two years in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, reopened after a £230,000 transformation by Greene King Pub Partners, the leased, tenanted and franchise business unit of Greene King.
It will be the third hospitality business run by partners Rodger Scotton and Justine McKenzie, who also run The Slepe Hall Hotel in St Ives and The Windmill pub in the nearby village of Somersham, which they have operated in partnership with Greene King for the last 15 years.
The Royal Oak is one of the oldest pubs in St Ives and is full of charm and character. The £230,000 makeover of the pub has therefore retained this charm, while bringing it in line with more modern trends and tastes.
Inside, interior designers and decorators have significantly upgraded the pub with all-new seating, including booth seating, a new paint scheme, and fixtures and fittings including new lighting, pictures and other decorations.
The bathroom facilities in the pub have also been majorly upgraded and a number of open fireplaces within the pub have been revamped too in order to create a cosy environment.
Outside, the pub has had a full external redecoration scheme including new signage to showcase to passers-by its makeover inside.
The pub will specialise in serving a range of craft lagers and ales, which will include showcase ales and lagers from small brewers across the UK on a rotational basis. To compliment this, the pub will serve ‘pub charcuterie’ including cheeseboards and ploughman’s lunches.
Phil Arnold, Operations Director for Greene King Pub Partners, said: “We are delighted to see the Royal Oak re-open and back to its best after two years of closure. This is thanks to our £230,000 investment in the pub which has transformed it into a modern pub perfect for the people of St Ives to enjoy.
“We are really pleased as well to be operating the pub with Rodger and Justine, expanding our 15 year partnership with them. They are the perfect operators for this pub as they are local and successfully run hospitality businesses in the area already.”
