Local pub transformed following £425,000 refurbishment
A MOTHER and daughter team in Port Seton have toasted the reopening of their pub after a £425,000 refurbishment from Star Pubs & Bars.
The Seaglass Inn, formerly known as The Wemyss Hotel, has been reinvented as a family-friendly pub with a new kitchen and a wide range of drinks.
It is operated by Christine O’Brien – who also runs the New Plough Inn in Tranent – and daughter Sarah Couch.
O’Brien said: “We’re seeing a real mix of ages and people who never visited the pub before: groups of ladies for Prosecco, guys watching the football and families enjoying a meal out.
“The community has backed us right from the early planning stages, and we’re very grateful for their support.”
The project is the latest in a series of investments from Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars, with the pubco more than halfway through a pledged £4 million spend on several of its Scottish pubs.
Other projects have included the recent refurbishment of the Tally Ho pub in Winchburgh, West Lothian at a cost of £400,000, and a six-month, £1.36m refurbishment of Blackfriars in Inverness, which began earlier in the year.
Blackfriars will reopen later in the year as The Optimist, with experienced operator Billy McAneney having taken on the lease.
Elsewhere, work will begin this month on a substantial, £490,000 refurbishment of The Welcome Inn in Letham; experienced licensee and chef Debbie Little has taken on the pub’s lease.
Star Pubs & Bars has also pledged £555,000 towards refurbishing the external areas at 21 of its Scottish pubs, with seven sites benefiting from new outdoor areas.
Mick Howard, operations director for the north at Star Pubs & Bars, said: “Scotland’s pub-goers increasingly want to eat and drink outside. It’s something many people enjoy when they’re travelling abroad and they love getting that same holiday feel at their local.”
