A 17th-century Somerset pub, forced to close last year due to the cost-of-living crisis, is reopening. The Star in Tickenham closed last October with bosses blaming “unsustainable increases in the cost of living”.
Pub bosses say they had “no choice” but to close due to rising energy costs and supplier price hikes and that they had to subsidize their operation with up to £1000 a week. Now, after six months of being closed, the pub will reopen this spring with a new owner and a new menu.
And the menu looks impressive with gourmet burgers, lobster, and a cocktail lounge. New co-owner Lorynne Heyns said: “We are one big family that was offered the chance to take over.
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“We hope to establish a luxury venue as a restaurant and cocktail lounge in the evenings, while maintaining a family-friendly venue for weekend outings on the terrace. We are looking for local staff from the area and plan to get the place up and running by launching a takeout menu with OG Burgers.”
OG Burgers are gourmet takeout burgers with an American twist, featuring thick beef or lamb patties with toppings like sliced turkey, Monterey jack cheese, sweet chili jam, pickles and ‘inferno’ sauce. Lorynne added: “We want to keep it fresh and local and are shifting focus from being a drinking venue to a restaurant.
“We will also have a small cocktail offering and a selection of beers and ciders, including Asahi beer from Japan. The evening menu will be a fancier setting with dishes including lobster, steak and duck on the menu,” she said, adding that the outdoor terrace will be perfect for family outings in the summer with plenty of space for the kids to play.
The pub will also be dog friendly and there are also rooms upstairs that provide accommodation. Lorynne added that RVs in the summer would be welcome to park in their parking area overnight. She added: “The property has such a lovely vibe, there are so many things we want to do but it will be in stages, we can’t wait for our opening.”
In its heyday, The Star was famous for its multi-use bowling alley which was converted into a shooting range and practice space for bowlers. Shooters from Clevedon, Bristol, Portishead, Nailsea and Tickenham put their rifle skills to the test with target cards in the lobby to test their accuracy.
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Bowlers regularly won Clevedon and Nailsea Bowling League Championships at the venue. During World War II, several stick bombs and land mines headed for Bristol fell near The Star, causing blast damage.
The pub also acted as a precautionary post against air raids. In recent years there have been proposals to demolish the pub and build houses on the site. However, the planners rejected the most recent plans to build nine houses on the site, as the site is in the greenbelt.
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